Boyhood ~ Who is the Real White Tiger of Asan?
“Boyhood” (aka “Once Upon a Boyhood”), released in 2023, with 10 episodes, categorized as Family, Action, High School, Youth, and Comedy; streaming on Tubi TV.
SUMMARY: A kid who has been bullied gets mistaken for another student who has a reputation for being a top fighter. At first, he tried to clear things up but it felt so good to be respected and not bullied for once in his life that he just let everybody believe he was somebody else. But one day, the real person showed up at school. Uh oh!
♦ New School, New Bullies? Or NOT!
“Boyhood” is set during the 1980s at an agricultural high school. But before attending the agricultural high school. Before transferring agricultural high school, Jang Byeong-Tae briefly discusses his entire life story, which can be summed up in three words: “I was bullied.” To hear him tell it, he was bullied just for breathing. Who can live their life not breathing? It’s so unfair. But over the years, he just accepted it as if it were his fate to go to school every day and get beaten up! But that all changed one day.
An accident occurred when he was trying to get away from some guys in a game arcade so that he wouldn’t get bullied. Jang Byeong-Tae jumped on his bike and peddled as fast as he could. He was going so fast that it was hard for him to stop. Jung Gyeong-Tae was walking down the same street, and he was on a collision course with Jang Byeong-Tae.
To try not to hit Jung Gyeong-Tae with his bicycle, he made an abrupt stop, which sent Jang Byeong-Tae flying into the air. Long story short. Jang Byeong-Tae landed on top of Jung Gyeong-Tae and knocked him out. Jung Gyeong-Tae was in the hospital unconscious for several days. Meanwhile, Jang Byeong-Tae went to his new school.
At the new school, the students were excited because they were anticipating the arrival of the White Tiger of Asan. That was the nickname for Jung Gyeong-Tae. He had a reputation that preceded him and was known as the best fighter in Asan. He was transferring to Buyeo Agricultural High School, the same school Jang Byeong-Tae would be attending. Because their name are similar, the students mistook him for the White Tiger. He had the opportunity to clarify the case of mistaken identity, but … for once in his life, he wasn’t getting bullied. It felt great!
He let everybody believe that he was the White Tiger of Asan. It was going well until Jung Gyeong-Tae woke up from his coma and was released from the hospital. He arrived at the high school and introduced himself to the class. Not as the White Tiger. But as Jung Gyeong-Tae. That is his real name, and his real nickname is the White Tiger of Asan. Uh oh!
Jang Byeong-Tae is in a predicament. He doesn’t even know who the real White Tiger is. But if it’s the new guy who just introduced himself, how is he going to explain to the other students that he’s been deceiving them ever since he arrived at the school? He was enjoying being the Top Dog! Does he have to go back to being bullied again? Why is life so unfair?
Main Characters:
- Jang Byeong-Tae (played by Yim Si-Wan, “Unlocked”, “Road to Boston”, “Emergency Declaration”, “The Attorney”, “Squid Game 2”, “Tracer”, “Strangers From Hell”, “The King in Love”, “Misaeng: Incomplete Life”, “The Moon Embracing The Sun”)
- Park Ji-Yeong (played by Lee Sun-Bin, “The Potato Lab”, “Mission: Possible”, “OK! Madam”, “Rampant”, “Missing Nine”, “Squad 38”)
- Jung Gyeong-Tae (played by Lee Si-Woo, “Love Your Enemy”, “Perfect Family”)
- Kang Seon-Hwa (played by Kang Hye-Won. “Friendly Rivalry”)
Where to Watch: Free with Ads on Tubi TV (As of 04/28/2025, it is listed as “Coming Soon” to Viki.)
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: 7.8 of 10 stars
- My Drama List: 8.5 out of 10 stars
- Dramabeans: 8.1 out of 10 stars
- Letterboxd: 4 out of 5 stars
My personal rating is the same as MDL.
“Boyhood” was made for fans of Yim Si Wan. I’m a fan. There’s talk of a second season.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
‘Boyhood’ Season 2 green-lit, fueled by Im Si Wan’s outstanding performance | allkpop
Im Si-Wan’s Boyhood K-Drama: Everything You Need to Know | Yahoo! Entertainment
Crushing on Im Si-wan? Check out these K-dramas, films | ABS-CBN Entertainment
TRAILER/TEASER:
Kdrama Zone. “Boyhood (2023) Official Trailer.” YouTube, 7 Nov. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQQ-BkYnvn4.
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