Yes, the laugh track is annoying and unnecessary. Some plotlines go nowhere, and some of the main cast don't get enough focus (and some get too much). But after watching all 12 episodes, I was invested in these students. I was most impressed with the multicultural cast that actually doesn't go out of its way to highlight this fact. You don't have Carson speaking with an American accent. Thankfully Hans doesn't do anything too Swedish. I get that these actors have lived in Korea for years, but I'm curious just how easy it is for a foreign student to move to Korea and pick up the language?
Additionally, I wish they hired a Korean-American for the role of Jamie. The actor is good but he was the one character I would have expected to be one who sounded like a Western person, who was returning to their homeland for the first time in a long time. It doesn't ruin the role (I'm pretty certain they hired a Russian actress to play his American mom in the one episode she appears in), but there must have been a capable young Korean-American actor who could play the role.
I also wish the season was a bit longer. 12 episodes seemed too short. They don't go through an entire school year and I don't think they highlighted enough of the main cast. From the early reception, I could see Netflix pushing for a second season, and hopefully, that's the case. There is a lot of areas to improve and I'd like to see how things progress for most of the cast.
Additionally, I wish they hired a Korean-American for the role of Jamie. The actor is good but he was the one character I would have expected to be one who sounded like a Western person, who was returning to their homeland for the first time in a long time. It doesn't ruin the role (I'm pretty certain they hired a Russian actress to play his American mom in the one episode she appears in), but there must have been a capable young Korean-American actor who could play the role.
I also wish the season was a bit longer. 12 episodes seemed too short. They don't go through an entire school year and I don't think they highlighted enough of the main cast. From the early reception, I could see Netflix pushing for a second season, and hopefully, that's the case. There is a lot of areas to improve and I'd like to see how things progress for most of the cast.