Moment at Eighteen (2019)

Slow Drama With Memorable Moments

For those who enjoy watching high school dramas dealing with teenagers growing pain, "Moment At 18" was an interesting show for me to watch. This drama takes a more mature and deeper view into each of it's characters journey which is memorable.

However, I struggled with the mood and tone of the Director's cut, as the drama truly took it's time to develop. It became a long 16 episodes watch for me.

The only thing that kept me going was to see the very quiet and gentle "Jun Woo" slowly become strong, confident and standing up for himself. Kang Ki Young who played "Han Gyul" was VERY GOOD in his role as the dedicated and invested teacher, that guided and stood firmly when it came to students matters. However, the MAJOR performance did come from Shin Seung Ho "Hwi Young", YES, the baddie student. He portrayed his mean guy role so well, my heart went out to him.

So, if not for the 'slow' mood of the drama, I found it got better towards later episodes where there were many moments that pulled at my heartstrings, I could not hold back my tears.

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"My defense mechanisms made me do it!" this should be the title

At first, there's a lot of "pity the male lead" trope on Jun Woo. But even if that's a part of Jun Woo's character,the development of the series really surprised me as we are introduced to other characters lives.
The moment we see the story becoming deeper is when he tells her that her life is easy, basically saying he's the only one struggling. But Soo Bin doesn't fall for his victim complex and shuts him up by yelling all her problems at him, showing that female lead doesn't encourage his a monopoly on pain. But when we focus on Hui Yeong, we really see past heir surface's.

Man, the sensitivity of this drama is great.
They portrayed completely different characters going through hardships and developing their own defense mechanisms:
• SOO BIN→Mom's abusive pressure + daddy issues= her trust issues, insecurities and submission to fear.
• JUN WOO→Bullying + poor + daddy issues + loneliness(lives alone)= victim, inferiority and hero/martyr complex, closed off
• HUI YEONG→Dad's physical/psychological violence + suffocating and submissive mom= his self harm, obsession with control (since he's powerless at home) and cruel behavior (reflecting his dad's brutality).
-god I love him ♡, such a well developed character-

Ah and of course, REPRESENTATION. Woo Bin was so great, I was so fucking happy. Also people's reaction to it were perfect hahahah, his best friend/girlfriend was hurt but then forgave him after getting furious and standing up for all the homophobia. Jun Woo/best friend didn't really give a shit hahahah, he just asked why he didn't tell him and was like "okay, cool". Hui Yeong was Hui Yeong, he said "I couldn't care less if you like me, just leave me out of it". Some classmates said stuff but his friends were like "wtf is the problem? a person likes another person, so what?!". I loved it, it was so natural.

I really like psychology so I'm a huge sucker for well made characters and their developments. This show has it's flaws, like infuriatingly stupid decisions and awkward moments, but I got very emotionally attached to it because of how well their feeling were expressed.
➤ If you like deep characters and common fucked up life situations, you'll like this one ☺︎
(this was way too long, I'm sorry)

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A comforting kind of drama

A comforting drama it is . One of the best high school kdrama out there! .It actually shows the real teenage , school life . There's strong friendship, student - teacher relationship, sweet romance , and also the hardship and problems that we face in a typical prestigious school.
It was very soothing. The actors chemistry and their performance were outstanding. So natural ! Especially the main leads !. Kim hyang gi as usual nailed her character. And being a new comer ong seung woo brilliantly portrayed his role. The teacher, every other student, and the whole cast were superb !
Already watched 3 times ! Still I can go for it! It will make you laugh , cry and make your heart flutter.
This is one of my top three favourite dramas .I wish there's an another drama likes this. 10/10 for moment at eighteen.

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Spoilers Ahead

It took me sometime getting used to At Eighteen’s measured tenor. Dramas set at high school are always about its students and they can be realistically depicted, like in School 2013, or be playful, like Reply 1997, or be wonderfully eccentric, like Extraordinary You. But what all these dramas have in common is a sense of vitality, either through animated characters or a taut plot. Compared to this, At Eighteen’s overall air felt very precise, very poised, tranquil even.
A quick look at the drama’s Asianwiki page told me that it was written by Yoon Kyung Ah, who also wrote Girls’ Generation 1979, which I had concluded in my review as ‘It can sometimes feels very carefully crafted and creaseless compared to a spontaneity that is associated with stories about teenagers’.

At Eighteen, I would also say, is very much in the same vein.The drama is a reflection of its leading man, Choi Joon Woo (a wonderfully restrained Ong Seong Wu), a passive, non-controversial figure, who at first, is just going through the motions. Joon Woo really does feel like a old soul (with cute puppy eyes) as even Yoo Soo Bin (a wonderful Kim Hyang Gi) jokes and asks him if he is a million years old, and has travelled from the future. He doesn’t make rash decisions and tries to see all sides of a problem. He doesn’t rush to hurt Hwi Young, because he is smart enough to know that Hwi Young’s rich parents will protect him, and even when he gets multiple other opportunities, he decides not to do so. He sees the problem in his relationship with Soo Bin which even his mother doesn’t notice.

So, its fitting that the story ends on Joon Woo, and a change he decided on. The drama has always been about him and how he sees and interprets situations, and that in opposition to how the other characters react.

It could also be a way of looking at and treating students like adults, who despite being told that they are too young to know any better, are constantly burdened with workload and decisions, comparable to an adult. By presenting their story in a temperament we expect of, from stories about adulthood (and not from stories about school or teenagers), it gives a new dimension to the same tale.

Students here are mature, and not in a self serving way, ready to trample on others to succeed, but considerate and understanding of each other. It was lovely to see Yoo Soo Bin openly talk about her romantic relationship with her friends, or how many of Ma Hwi Young’s (also a wonderful Shin Seung Ho) classmates are able to pinpoint his flaw, after a major reveal. If these characters weren’t wearing school uniforms, I would have presumed them to be adults.
In all school dramas, it seems prerequisite to include parents who worry more about their children’s grades than the children themselves and this drama too, is no exception. As much as Soo Bin or Hwi Young’s (Kim Sun Young, Jung Young Joo) mothers try to micromanage their children’s schedule, they are unable to see their situation.

Soo Bin’s mother went to Seoul National University but still has to bow down to Hwi Young’s mother, who did not graduate from a well known university, but is higher up in the social ladder thanks to her husband’s success. But at the same time, Soo Bin’s mother is a successful career woman, who is able to let go of a loveless marriage, but Hwi Young’s mother is trapped in one. As Joon Woo says, they are just eighteen. How do they know if their life is ruined or not? It is too early of a decision and a decision that solely depends on which college you get into, which looking at the adults, doesn’t seem to determine how the rest of your life is going to turn out.

The drama is a captivating watch for the whole run, saving for some instances, such as the sudden death of Joon Woo’s friend, Shin Jung Hoo (Seong Geon Hee), which kind of just comes and goes (I still am unsure if he died in an accident or if he was beaten to death) and Hwang Ro Mi’s (Han Sung Min) sudden interest in Joon Woo, which seemed to come out of nowhere.
Even the big climatic reveal about Hwi Young’s grades, fell flat. I had assumed that Hwi Young was in on it too, as we see him asking his parents to take care of things when one of his plans goes out of control.

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Its my first time writing a review on MDL and the drama is the reason why I m here... The ost and the plots everythime i watch a new eps takes me back to my high school memories with friends and family when I was eighteen,..... I really miss all those days and makes me wanna go back... The drama really expressed the innocent and fun.I was waiting for a drama of kim hyang gi and when I heard about this drama a couple of months back I was really excited and was waiting for it, the wait was worth it and i really enjoyed the drama n we r coming up to the last 6 eps but still i have to wait for 5 6 days for the next 2 eps and i am looking forward to it.. And hoping it has a prefect ending ❤️

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The ending is not enough. There are so many big questions left unanswered; What did Hwi Young parents do/reaction to his incident? What happened to Oh Je after coming out? Does Soo Bin find her dream/ career path? What happens in the future to Soo Bin and Jun Woo? Are they still together? Did their love fall apart?

But then it kinda makes sense why most of these questions are left unanswered. If you think about it, this is a drama just showing a snippet of the life of 18 year olds. It makes sense to focus more on their life around school, and not drag the drama to their adulthood. And the director probley left the ending their to let us imagine what their future will be like. The ending left me in tears, I felt so bad for them, they went through so much.

The director wants us to know that being an 18 year old is the hardest moment in your life. You meet people, the good and bad, these people come and go out of your life. But all we can do is continue living life.....


Anyways- on to a more positive note: Ong Seong Wu did an awesome job. This is his first drama and he's the main lead. He portrayed his character perfectly. And of course Kim Hyung Gi never dissapoints me with her beautiful acting.

The OST is beautiful. I love Ong Seong Wu singing, it's so nice!!

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Maybe I‘ve watched too many School dramas but this was quite disappointing for me. Normally even though I‘m not really interested in a drama anymore I still watch it because maybe there‘s going to be a plot twist or something like that (and in general I‘m a person that always finishes dramas when I start watching them) but this time I really has to skip most of the part. The cast was good but the storyline was just old. There were the same elements as in other school dramas. The love story was cute but the side characters should have been the focus. For example Sang Hoon or Oh Je were quite interesting but they just left them out. If you‘re new to watching school dramas then yes I recommend it to you but if you‘ve already seen at least 5 or so I assure you that there‘s nothing special about this drama.

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I am a fan of HS dramas but this was a cut above. The actors, especially the two leads were strong, subtle respondents to each other, so in tune with each others personas. The sweetness and goodness of their characters was so nice to watch. I would love to see them at 25 to see how they fare in life.
A MUST WATCH!!! I fell in love with OSW and KHG. This drama got me hooked from the first episode! The acting from every single cast member is excellent! OSW especially is a revelation to me. I never followed Wanna One so I didn't really know him, but I'm now a huge fan. His acting really shines in the small, quiet moments (like that "just a prank" scene where he confronts Hwi Young in the back of the school). KHG is also fabulous as the female lead. Of course, we already know she has the acting chops. Her chemistry with OSW is electric!. What I like about the plot is the slow (or maybe not-so-slow) reveal of what each character is going through.

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Been srsly thinking if and how close this drama depicts the real situation of secondary education in Korea.

This is a refreshing take to youth dramas. While there's nothing extraordinary or relatively new to the plot, I really love how relatable this is to most, if not everyone's life at 18: a phase in life where you meet good people that shapes/ influence your future; of discovering what path to take when you barely have clues about what you want in life. It's a good reminder that although the people you meet at eighteen may no longer be there in 5, 10, 15 years, the fond memories you shared together will always be there.

Key points of what I like about the drama:
- How each of the mothers in the drama held onto their beliefs in life, particularly Soo-bin's mother. Although she learned how good of a person Jung Woo is, she insisted that it's best for both parties to focus on their studies for the time being. She's strict, willful, and willing to do everything to secure a bright future for her child.
- The ending was beautiful. - Jung Woo choosing her mother over anything else in the world; Soo-bin supporting Jung Woo no matter how difficult it was
- amazing OST

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You will not regret watching it..!!

Initially, I postponed watching this drama because I thought it will be nothing more than fluff and school problems. It's true that it has school problems but what I like about this drama is, it's very real. It's realistic to the point that you can relate to the story. Also, the character development was great. There will be times where you will cry buckets. It might not be full of fluff but it will make you remember the time when you were 18. It's not an exaggeration. I just finished watching and writing this review with a heavy feeling that this drama has finished. The ending might not be perfect but it's very satisfactory and suits the taste of this drama very well.<3

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Watched for Moonbin, stayed for the plot

I gave this drama a chance because I wanted to see Moonbin. Though I was saddened he barely appeared in the first few eps—(he has more screen presence in the later part of the drama), I continued watching as I was fairly surprised on how great the plot and the acting was.
I expected this drama to be very low budget and with a cringey storyline because of the title. But there’s more to that than what meets the eye.
Although I’d have to say it was a good drama overall, I was left with unanswered questions.
What ended up happening to Hwi Young’s parents? They totally left us out of the loop. We finally get to know where his big brother is, and what he’s doing after the investigation, but where are his parents? How did they react to the whole situation?
What happened to Jun Woo’s parents and how did they end up separating? When did Oh Je realize he was gay? And last but certainly not least, will Soo Bin’s mom ever let the two date? I think if the drama went more in depth, it’d have been totally better. I wouldn’t go as far as the ending was rushed, but they could have taken the time to clear up somethings that were never mentioned in the beginning—like how they did with Hwi Young’s brother.
Soo Bin’s acting really surprised me. For being young as she is, her acting is solid. This is my first time seeing basically the whole cast but they didn’t disappoint. I was really touched by some of the lines and emotions that the characters went through, especially moments with Soo Bin and her mother.
I personally wouldn’t rewatch the whole series again, but I’d rewatch the parts where Moonbin was in.

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Every day teen life and trying to figure out life with parents, teachers, and classmates. This is one of the BEST portrayals of teenage-dom in a kdrama I have seen yet. It portrays all the emotions and things teens go through throughout high school... bullying, parents being strict over grades, friendships, break ups, finding love and finding yourself and your dream.

I really loved the side characters in this drama and they really help bring everything together. I started watching this before the passing of Moon Bin, so it took me a minute to start to get back into watching, but watching his character that he plays, Oh Je, was really refreshing. He plays such a good character and I loved Oh Je's entire story arc. Him and Mr. Oh definitely stole the show in my eyes and I loved watching every scene that had them both in it. Moon Bin's smile can light up a room and I'm so glad that's permanently in this show forever.

Mr. Oh, played by Kang Ki Young, killed it! The character itself is everything and anything you would ever want in a dream teacher. That adult that you can go to with anything and everything and they will help with no judgement or questions asked. He really believed in the kids and their dreams and it was such an important aspect of the show for me. When I was in high school, there were no teachers like him, and just seeing the portrayal of what a good one should be like, was super emotional. His story tugs at your heart strings and had me rooting for him the whole time. I had watched Kang Ki-Young in Attorney Woo and loved him in that too, so I was glad to see more of his bubbly personality in another show.

While the ending almost had me give this a lower rating because I'm not one for sad, they switched up on me and gave me a realistic one and because of that I gave this a 9.5. While it's not an original plot whatsoever, it was such an interesting one and I loved watching all of the actors play their characters. It felt like I was going to school with them again and getting stressed out myself. Just a really good slice of life about high school.

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