I was browsing my favourite dramas (one of which is School 2013) here on MDL when I saw this remake.

I am not above admitting that I squealed (and proceeded to watch all the episodes released).

They made some changes to the original while keeping the most important parts. The change is just enough to make the story seem new to me, without straying too far from the core of the story. I also really like what they did about the class in order to add tension and conflict. (I do however sense that a bit of nuance from the characters have been removed, but I'll take it for what it is.)

The acting is top-notch (the guy who plays Shin? Brilliant. I somehow love Shin even more than in the original). The love-hate relationship is, so far well-executed (I'm at ep 4), especially due to the acting.

The feel of the show is gritty in a way I adore.

Note: you need to suspend some disbelief regarding head-injuries. Most of the characters would be badly concussed in ep 1 if it was entirely realistic. It does have great entertaiment value, no matter how over the top it might be.

Note: they made a character explicitly autistic and I actually quite appreciate the representation. The way the characters act towards this character is slightly infantilizing, the acting quite heavyhanded– BUT they are KIND towards him and welcome him as a treasured member of the friendgroup. And that is really heart-warming, I think, and actually made me feel good about my own autism.