In a prestigious Seoul girls’ high school, the sudden death of a former national exam setter sends shockwaves through the life of senior student Seolgi. After transferring to a top-tier academy, she crosses paths with Jay, the enigmatic, high-achieving queen bee of the school. As the two draw dangerously close, secrets begin to surface — about Seolgi’s father, about Jay’s past, and about a connection between the girls that runs deeper than rivalry.
Friendly Rivalry (선의의 경쟁) is not your typical girl love story — it’s layered, cerebral, and steeped in a tension that’s equal parts sexual and psychological. Hailed by many as the most unmissable Asian GL drama of 2025, this series reframes female desire not as an accessory to male stories, but as its own battlefield of power, trauma, and survival.
Friendly Rivalry Official Trailer
Friendly Rivalry Summary |
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|---|---|
| Title: | Friendly Rivalry |
| Series Info: | Korea (2025) |
| Length: | 30 minutes |
| Total Episodes: | 16 episodes |
| Genre: | Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Girl's love |
Plot
Yoo Seul Gi’s life turns upside down when her father, a former college admissions committee member, dies under suspicious circumstances. She transfers to an elite all-girls high school in Seoul and soon draws the attention of the school’s top student and shadowy powerbroker, Yoo Je I. Their relationship begins as mutual curiosity but quickly spirals into a psychologically fraught rivalry laced with emotional dependency, desire, and manipulation. As Seul Gi uncovers buried secrets—including the role her father played in a larger system of academic corruption—her bond with Je I intensifies, even as their connection teeters between affection and antagonism.
Amid a web of surveillance, control, and mounting academic pressure, side characters Ju Ye Ri and Choi Gyeong each represent different forms of resistance: one through performance, the other through passive resilience. Together, these four young women confront the question: Can love survive in a system built on cruelty, and what does it cost to choose vulnerability over domination?
Friendly Rivalry Cast
Charactor
An academically gifted student whose controlled life begins to unravel after forming an intense connection with Seul Gi. She is analytical, stubborn, and hides emotional trauma beneath her perfect image.
Lee Hye Ri
Lee Hye Ri rose to fame through her K-pop idol career with Girl’s Day before proving her versatility in hit dramas like Reply 1988. Her performance as Je I reveals her more mature acting range—layered, brittle, and subtly heartbreaking.
Seul Gi transfers to Je I’s elite school after her father’s sudden death. With a tough exterior shaped by hardship, she becomes both a disruptor and a mirror for Je I’s tightly wound world.
Chung Su Bin
Chung Su Bin has been known for emotionally grounded roles, but here she brings a fresh intensity. Her chemistry with Lee Hye Ri elevates the drama’s emotional stakes, especially in the psychological thriller elements.
The ambitious class president, Ye Ri sees Je I as both a rival and a reflection of everything she’s expected to be. She’s stylish, sharp-tongued, and always two steps ahead—until emotions get in the way.
Kang Hye Won
Kang Hye Won, formerly of IZ*ONE, is charismatic and composed in this role. Her screen presence adds fire to the already competitive school ecosystem.
A mysterious student who operates on the fringes, Choi Gyeong holds many of the series’ secrets. Her actions often blur the line between ally and antagonist.
Oh Woo Ri
Oh Woo Ri is a theater-trained actress whose haunting calm makes Gyeong unsettling yet captivating. Her screen time is limited but impactful.
Supporting Cast
Nam Byeong Jin
Choi Young Jae
Yoo Tae Jun [Je I's father]
Kim Tae Hoon
Cho A Ra
Chae Seo Eun
Kwon Hui Yun
Kang Jin Ah
Park Byeong Hui
Ma Hyun Ji
Yoo Je Na
Choo Ye Jin
Friendly Rivalry Review
Review
⭐Story – 4.5 / 5
A rare gem in the GL genre that forgoes clichés in favor of psychological depth. Instead of relying on male-centered plot devices, this series dares to explore the full spectrum of female relationships—rivalry, attraction, trauma, and solidarity. The use of water as a symbolic element—both as suffocation and salvation—is masterful. The slow-burn unraveling of both a murder mystery and adolescent affection is as thoughtful as it is tense.
⭐ Acting – 4 / 5
Performances are intense and well-calibrated, particularly from the two leads. While some scenes feel emotionally overwhelming or overwritten (particularly in later episodes), the cast—especially the actresses playing Je I and Seul gi—deliver with ferocity and nuance. The standout episode belongs to Choi Kyung’s actress, whose emotional monologue deserves special mention.
⭐Chemistry – 4.2 / 5
The push-pull between Seul gi and Je I is electric. It’s not your typical GL sweetness—this is messy, aching, and raw. Je I’s need for control, paired with Seul gi’s resistance and vulnerability, fuels the narrative. It’s “frenemies” meets forbidden love, with echoes of Killing Eve and The World of the Married.
⭐ Production – 4.3 / 5
Despite being a web drama, the show feels cinematic. Lighting, sound, and editing are tight and deliberate. Symbolic props (like X-ray records hiding secrets, water sequences, or mirrored shots) are handled with care. The use of music—especially Lucid Fall’s “No One Told Me”—elevates key moments with understated emotion.
⭐ Ending – 4 / 5
The resolution is bold but not without flaw. Later episodes tend to rush character logic for dramatic payoff. Some critics felt the final act relied too much on plot convenience and sudden tonal shifts. However, the emotional and thematic arcs remained intact, ending on a satisfying if imperfect note of reckoning and release.
Best Scenes of Friendly Rivalry
One of the most talked-about moments comes in Episode 5: the bathtub kiss between Je I and Seul Gi. Shot with muted lighting and an underwater motif, it’s not just a romantic release, but a symbolic moment of vulnerability and equality—two girls submerged in water, stripped of societal roles, floating in a space free of competition or judgment.
Fans dubbed it the “Womb Scene,” referencing Je I’s own line about water being “the only place I feel safe, like inside a mother.” It’s intimate, emotionally charged, and one of the most aesthetically stunning sapphic scenes in recent Korean TV.