The Midnight Romance in Hagwon (2024)

Because night time is the right time, to be with the one you love, with the one you love

Korean language teacher Seo Hye Jin (a fantastic and stunning Jung Ryeo Won) is the spearhead of the Daechi-chase Academy, a private after-school institute (Hagwon, in fact) in the Gangnam district of Seoul, dedicated to strengthening and improving the academic development of students of various age levels;
Entirely dedicated to her work, Hye Jin sees her life take a sensational twist when Lee Joon-ho (Wi Ha Joon, outstanding), her former best pupil, reappears. After giving up his career in a major company, he decides to become a teacher at the same school, with unpredicted consequences...

‘Midnight Romance In Hagwon’ is a beautifully delicate rom-com, capable of treating such a complex and burning theme as the articulated Korean school system, undoubtedly competitive and varied in its labirynthic set of rules, dogmas, social conventions and fierce struggles, all aimed at reaching the top of society itself. The drama, at the same time, is capable of touching us thanks to a captivating love story that escapes the banalities of the most predictable and sugar-coated romance, offering us an adult and decidedly structured relationship, also hindered by social conventions, work principles and even methodological differences.

The Daechi-chase Academy represents a kind of working microcosm where, along with the planned teaching structure, there is also a kind of subterranean ‘internal’ infighting within the Hagwon itself, where ‘there are no friends, everyone is in competition’ (summarised, in one of the clever dialogues, by the metaphor of hyenas and the ‘meal’) and where co-workers are ready to take advantage of any weaknesses of their own in order to advance their careers; certain founding principles of Confucianism are always emphasised, both for the role of teachers and for that of students.

Respect for hierarchy and seniority, the importance of teamwork rather than the individual's path, is portrayed, but almost as an antithesis to this, perfecting education and trying to improve oneself is given a central role, apparently individualistic concept, but accepted, as competition with others, for the best grades and for a job, which is also a better one, is a kind of ‘social lift’ necessary to reach the top of the hierarchical ranks of Korean society itself.

So intense is the competition between the different Hagwons (there are so many of them considering the extent of Seoul and its urban areas) that spy-story techniques to snatch secrets and steal each other's best students often reserve more than a few cheap shots to belittle and discredit the competitors.

In this kind of no-holds-barred law of the jungle, where profit and personal enrichment rule, a kind of feud evolves between the Daechi-chase Academy and the Choiseon Academy, led by the infamous Choi Hyung-sun, known as the White-haired Witch.

In this ill-concealed hypocritical society, closed and dominated by exasperated rhythms and widespread frustrations, both on the teachers‘ and pupils’ side, the figure of Seo Hye Jin -stunningly portrayed by Jung Ryeo Won- ends up being overwhelmed by the uncontainable vitality of Joon-ho (Wi Ha-joon, absolutely perfect in a part one couldn't imagine for anyone else);

The teacher Seo leads a methodical (and boring, it has to be said!) life, consisting of 16 hours of work a day, six days a week, with no traces of private life and no personal relationships, except for a couple of friends -he runs a pub, she is a lawyer-, with practically no relations with family members (there is a hint here and there in conversations with colleagues, but nothing more) and, above all, no sex life;

In the first episodes, we find ourselves following this robotic routine of meetings, scheduling, lectures, insights and sad lonely re-entries into an anonymous house that is almost a ‘non-place’ where Hye-jin seems to return just to sleep, which is a bit of a paradigm shift compared to so many beloved dramas where the house is often the focus of events or narrative plot twists.

It will be Joon-Hoo's unbridled and in some ways brazen audacity that will progressively undermine Hye-jin's convictions; not only the certainties of feelings, and here the noona-romance, as mentioned above, avoids the classic loopholes of the typical rom-com, also giving us a moment of extraordinary and very reserved emotional authenticity, but also -above all!?- the preponderant work vicissitudes, dealt with in some of the drama's topical moments, which offer a confrontation-clash of the highest level, where the dilemma over teaching methodologies instils the seed of doubt in the own Teacher Seo:

Whereas Hye Jin applies an almost mnemonic system where the pupil is directed to learn ‘by memory’ certain mechanisms of comprehension and learning, Joon-ho's style is more ‘ thoughtful’ where there is also a quest to convey passion for the literary subject.

Are the students, almost like machines, to learn and that's all, by memorising passages from books, practising calculating the probability of the questions in the tests, evidently ‘forgetting’ everything immediately after the exams, or are they to become passionate about the subject, perhaps with the opportunity (as in the case of Joon-Ho himself) to become the teachers of tomorrow?

It should not be forgotten that the Hagwons are extremely expensive schools, with families prepared to make considerable sacrifices in order to see a bright future for their children; parents demand the best from teachers and the discourse of ‘experimentation’ cannot prevail over the certainty of academic achievements.

The moment the boiling pot of the ‘clandestine’ relationship is discovered, and professional ethics in the workplace are called into question, the stigmatisation of the two teachers begins, victims not only of the oppressive work rules, but also of those previously mentioned founding principles that foment jealousy, hypocrisy and false respectability, where artfully fuelled slander can disrupt anyone's life...

I have already mentioned Jung Ryeo Won's superlative performance; her characterisation of Teacher Seo is so articulate, she has so many aspects, contradictions, weaknesses, but also resilience against adversity, that it is impossible not to be moved by the portrait of a 34-year-old woman who, confronted with the evidence of changes in her life and work, she finds herself rethinking all her principles and values pursued up to that point; that this sort of emotional switch is triggered by the vitality of the young (6 years younger) Joon-Ho is evidence of great narrative script.

There is, in my opinion, a certain affinity with the same emotional mechanisms of the beautiful ‘Encounter’, where youthful fervour, cheekiness and, let's face it, the right amount of arrogance deriving from one's enthusiastic confidence, prevails over a heavy, boring and, I would emphasise, grey ‘comfort zone’ of frozen maturity...

A great Wi Ha Joon, who is also perfectly mature in a very complex role, able to avoid the risk of falling into easy clichés and boring mannerisms, portrays a splendid character who is not afraid to shout his feelings to the world, not only making a breach in his beloved's heart, but, as a novel knight, defending her with his sword in the hardest moments, especially in the last episodes...

Their private, personal moments are beautiful, underlined by sincerely romantic and moving dialogues, almost ‘literary’ but never pedantic, capable of involving and melting even the least predisposed hearts thanks, it is important to specify, to a nocturnal scenario that often finds the two main characters almost ‘isolated’ from the rest of the world and that, at least for me, recalls certain classics of the past…

It has to be said that among the top-notch cast, I personally did not find the character of Choi Hyung-Sun, the so-called ‘witch’ played by Seo Jung-Yeon so interesting; she seemed a bit too caricatural, almost cartoonesque, a bit like Cruella De Vil, a bit like Miranda Priestly, far too mannered in characterisation...

Much better is Kim Jung-Young in the role of Assistant Director Woo, who is able to make her character grow exponentially with the dramatic progression of the story; she is a decidedly interesting character, fuelled by a resentment that has poisoned her life and who, when confronted with the main characters of the tale, reveals all her mediocrity.

I mention the excellent Kim Song-Il in the role of Professor Pyo Sang-Seob; these are those difficult characters, perhaps considered ‘marginal’ in the economy of the story, but which reveal unexpected qualities even with very few lines; his professional ethics, seemingly old-fashioned and mistreated, more for his attitude or his character disposition than for anything else (once again, appearances are mistaken for certainties), is instead surprisingly re-evaluated in the light of the extraordinary free lesson that the teacher offers his pupils; a truly outstanding piece of acting talent!

Personal curiosity: Between the office and the home of director Kim Hyun-Tak (Kim Jong-Tae), a film lover, one notices the framed posters of various films such as ‘Christmas In August’ and my much-loved ‘The Contact’ (with the goddess Jeon Do Yeon).

Of course, the drama is not completely perfect, in my opinion it gets a little lost in some conclusions that are not quite focused, between a catfight that is perhaps liberating (there is a lot of pent-up anger throughout the drama) but quite exaggerated, a second younger couple of low interest that has more of a function of lightening the narrative tension, and even the role of some students, at the beginning quite highlighted, is a little sidelined;
there is also an invasive use of the music, at the umpteenth ‘Open to page sixty four (don't forget about me)’, a bit like Carla Bruni's obsessive cover of Tammy Wynette in ‘Something In The Rain’, your blood pressure goes up a bit, but whatever, the soundtrack as a whole is pleasant and well structured.

As usual, there seems to be a need to make all the pieces fit together for an ideal closure, but nothing changes the magic of the story, which may not appear immediately engaging (the dialogues are definitely articulated and must be followed with a lot of attention) but which knows how to conquer, thanks to the wonderful work of the two main performers; let yourself be carried away by the emotions and you will be adequately rewarded, this drama will win you over!
8 ½

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ROMANCE with proper STORY

Briefing :
As for the current time most of romance drama are failing to deliver a proper story to back up the whole drama. Rom Com drama now a days instead of focusing on the strong story they are just going on with famous actors and intense scenes to catch the eye of audience. Which lets audience leave their seats or mind in middle of the drama. But this one right here has the capacity to hold someone by the belt and binge the whole drama in one go.

Spoilers Ahead :
This is a fantastic Romance drama focused on the story of two people and the rest are the supporting environment to provide a proper feel of the situation. Starting romance as a proper adult as it should be with having the old time memories as their support. On top of that a selecting suitable actors and actress who performs beyond the imagination builds a unbreakable story. The side roles or support role plays a vital role in making bridge between the main leads to audience without any intervention.

Pros :
1. This is sweet and suspenseful Romance drama with backing story.
2. Strong Bond and understanding between the main leads.
3. Instead of relationship the complications and hardship lies on profession.

Cons :
1. Loose Ends. ( There are a lot of loose ends for example no updates of family members of female lead and imaginative family no show of even parents.)
2. As i said in the starting this revolves are only two people without connecting with family as much. To be exact there is no involvement of family problems which tends to be the main climax of this type of dramas.
3. Speeding the drama after intervals, This drama with this story can easily take 4 more episodes to end the situation properly.
4. Happy but not a joyful ending. The satisfaction lacks in tail end of the story.

Summary:
This is great drama for me i enjoyed it to the fullest and yes i did hoped the if could have one or two more episodes to end the imagination properly. It kept me hooked to my seat during the entire show. A being working and getting tired all day in the night time it kept me smiling and happy for the entire journey.
Thank you ?

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A Deep Dive into the Complex World of Korean After-School Academies

"The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" is a captivating drama that portrays the intense pressure students face in South Korea's after-school study centers, along with the fierce competition and high expectations these kids endure daily. It also delves into the complex relationships and power struggles among the teachers.

Seo Hye Jin and Lee Jun Ho's relationship, which evolves from a teacher-student dynamic into something deeper, is central to the story. Their realistic love story, marked by ups and downs, helps us understand them better as individuals. You can really feel the connection between them, which makes them interesting to watch.

Other characters also shine, like Choi Hyung Sun, the formidable "White-Haired Witch," and Woo Sung Hee, whose scheming adds tension to the story. The well-developed characters and their motivations keep the story exciting and full of surprises.

The drama doesn't shy away from showing the harsh realities of the Korean education system and the sacrifices students make for academic success. Yet, it balances this with some funny and sweet moments between the characters.

The cinematography and soundtrack beautifully complement the story.

I really enjoyed "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon," but the ending felt incomplete. Still, it's a compelling watch with strong character development, offering a realistic look at the challenges within Korea's education sector. If you appreciate such stories, this drama is worth your time.

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school/academies dramas were forced

im gonna say that i wanted to watch it because of wihajoon, of course he delivered and seo hyejin also played really good. i think that the cast and acting is the best thing about this show.
however, i do understand why the rating is higher than mine rating.
the chemistry, the tension, the couples - sooo good. main female lead was acting her age, shes grown woman and her behavior was appropriate for her age (some kdramas cant relate;()
anyway, what i didnt like was all the school/academy drama.
like when the teacher from public school was on screen, what was that? his bad character was so forced, maybe the writing was just bad
also, all the drama between academies, like chill, it was just boring and like what would grown people act that way about their students and academies?
why it was such a big deal that two teachers are dating? why there is this big drama about it?
so everything was nice if we are not looking about all the problems in school/academy/teacher.
i get it that we need 'bad' characters, like the teacher at first, or we need bad things and some drama, but ngl it was so forced and unreal.
i hope wi hajoon and seo heyjin will be cast in other romance kdrama;)

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Slow paced. Not living up to its potential. I used the fast forward button far too many times.

I am here because I found out we finally have Wi Ha joon as the male lead. The story didn't sound that interesting to me & I feel like this is one of the drama's where you are not sure if they will end up together or not.

Ep 1: The beginning is very slow paced, the characters seemed boring in the beginning. It was somewhere around the 20 minutes mark that things finally started to get interesting. The interactions between the FL & the school teacher was so charged with friction. I liked the way the FL approached it rationally, not a fan of how the school teacher reacted. Have seen that reaction from a few men while having rational conversation. You feel as if you'll get hit for sticking to your convictions. The romance part is a bit slow. But I could see the potential in the final minutes of the episode. They have known each other for a while so there's no instant spark or meet cute that we usually see with other romances. The acting is okay, the story lacks.

Ep 2: The pacing was pretty much the same as the first episode. 20 minutes in and I wanted to drop it, but for some reason I continued. I got to see Wi Ha Joon's pretty smile at the end. I'm sad to say I'm not looking forward to watching the next episodes.

Ep 3: It seems that my patience has been rewarded with some witty communication between the leads. I love the witch and her hairstyle, she looks amazing! Her all black outfit was such a stark contrast to her greyish white hair. She is a character that has made things interesting. This episode has made me look forward to the drama now.

Ep 4: Kinda saw it coming. At least the FL was open to a different style of teaching that would benefit the student the in the long run. Here's to hoping that they'll do better in their next round against the witch. The witch clearly won this round.

Ep 5: It was okay episode with some enjoyable moments. I can't believe they are just going to let the FL go for one mistake. They aren't even giving her the chance to rectify it or work together so that they can come up with a plan. At the same time, I also like the idea of FL working with the white witch! They'll make such a powerful team (Not a fun one like our leads but at least an interesting one)

Ep 6: Finally the romance is here. Even without reading the description of the drama, you are aware that the ML has feelings for the FL. It's not clear whether she pretends to not know about his feelings but she isn't all that surprised when he confesses. The rest of the story was okay, as expected. The white witch didn't get much screen time, I wanted to see more of her.

Ep 7: The problem with the drama is that, it is unable to create that curiosity that has people waiting for the next episodes. I'm sticking around for the two main characters, they are very low key adorable and comfortable to watch. I like that the main characters will be getting together, I am not sure who is against their relationship as shown in the preview. Right now, even the white witch is not enough to keep the storyline from getting boring.

Ep 8: Another sweet episode with the leads exploring their newfound relationship.

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COMFORT DRAMA

If you're looking for a drama that doesn't have over complicated, difficult plot or any other shenanigans going on, and you want to relax with a slow burning romance, I DEFINITELY DEFINITELY DEFINITELY recommend this drama...We all know, HOW AMAZZZZING our main leads are, but what I wanna talk about is the OST....??❤❤❤❤That legit is one of the best OSTs of 2024...
Besides this, the overall cast is fantastic, I KNOW I KNOW, many of them still need character development, but that's why we're here, to see them become the BEST versions of themselves....
Sooooooo, If you're into such dramas, this drama will surely feel like, "HOME" to you...♡♡♡♡♡♡♡



byeeeeee♡♡♡♡♡♡ (I'll update this after I finish this drama...xoxo)

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The Midnight ____ in Hagwon

Such an amazing cast let down by a mediocre-at-best script. I went in to this show with rather low expectations considering the relatively low rating, yet I was still left disappointed. It's not all bad, like I enjoyed some scenes with the two leads together when they weren't arguing. But for the most part, the show is just boring and the story tries so hard to make things dramatic to the point that it becomes kind of unrealistic, which is not very good when you're trying to go for a more deep and realistic approach to a romance drama.

The overall tone of the show is supposed to be more mature, with less focus on cliche romance and more focus on genuine people struggling with normal life problems. The vibe is there, but the execution was very poorly done in my opinion. I suppose this was supposed to be more of a slow burn drama, which maybe just isn't my cup of tea, but I felt consistently bored and uninterested throughout the show and had to start watching the episodes on the computer in order to utilize playback speed options to watch at 2x speed. Even then it was kind of a struggle to get through some of the longer episodes. Everything felt rather muted, with long drawn out conversations and actual lectures you have to sit through like your actually in the class. There was one scene that focused on Mr. Pyo's lecture, and I understand it was supposed to be an important scene for his character development, but it just dragged on for so long and was basically just a full on lecture you have to sit through. Most of the school stuff (which is 90% of the show) I felt completed uninterested in, and often found myself tuning out which made it even harder to figure out what was going on later in the show. The show is titled "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon", but there really wasn't much romance. The very little romance we did get was admittingly pretty cute, and I think the two leads are great at acting and did their best with what they had. Most of the show focused on the education drama and the whole conflict with the grey witch or whatever. The chemistry between the leads was good for the most part, although it felt like most of the time the FL saw the ML as an immature kid and treated him as such. This was addressed in the show, but was still there up until the very end.

Some of the dialogue didn't feel very natural. The way that some of the characters talked to each other and interacted didn't seem like the way actual people would interact or have a conversation, which made it even harder to see this as a realistic drama. One of my least favorite episodes, episode 10 (which I'll talk about more later), had a scene between Mr. Pyo and Seo Hye Jin where he informs her that he's quitting, and the entire scene dragged on for what seemed like forever. Most of the dialogue didn't make much sense to me considering I was tuned out most of the time, so I had to sit there through 15+ minutes of Mr. Pyo talking in a very slow, monotonous manner with slight psychopath vibes as the FL sat there with an overly dramatic scared expression like she just saw a ghost.

More on episode 10... this episode was a struggle to get through for me, and I almost dropped the show at this point. As mentioned, the episode starts with the incredibly boring drawn-out scene between Pyo & Hye Jin. Honestly, I know that Pyo had probably some of the most development as a character in this show, but I still found it difficult to like him, so I hated having to sit through an entire episode essentially all about him. I'm not kidding when I say that the entire episode focused on Mr. Pyo. It seemed like every scene with dialogue mentioned his name at some point. This is the same guy that through a fit at the beginning of the show just because Hye Jin was challenging him and I think slapped her (or almost slapped her, I honestly don't remember) in front of everyone. Like, I don't know if you should really be a teacher if you can't even control your anger when someone challenges you, especially when you end up resorting to violence. The writers try to turn his character around, which seemed a little out of the blue considering he was barely in the show since his tantrum, and he wasn't established as a likeable character to begin with. He does sort of redeem himself by the end, even if his character seemingly did a 180 and all of sudden became a main protagonist. The FL frustrated me a lot during this episode, and was honestly kind of frustrating throughout most of the show. She was supposed to have a lot of inner turmoil and conflict with doing the right thing and surviving in her field while trying to educate the students, but most of the time came off as rather stubborn and somewhat arrogant. She spent most of the episode visibly shaken and scared during and after her conversation with Mr. Pyo. I was trying to wrap my head around why she was so terrified like she just witnessed the paranormal, and why she decided to visit the antagonist. She felt responsible for Mr. Pyo quitting and potentially ruining his life as she figured he wouldn't be able to survive elsewhere. This is great and all, but I could honestly care less about Mr. Pyo at this point, and he hasn't done anything likeable to justify her actions in trying to help him, and it definitely doesn't warrant an entire episode dedicated to him and the FL's dramatic shookness over something that seems so trivial. The FL does this multiple times throughout the show, where she'll encounter some form of conflict or setback and she'll act so distraught to the point that she's literally falling to the ground with a blank stare. It seemed a little too overly dramatic in my opinion, and I felt like the stakes with the conflict wasn't nearly serious enough to realistically evoke these reactions.

The FL & ML spend most of their screentime together arguing. The cute moments we do get are cute. The acting during these arguments are really good, but the constant fighting between two characters who are so firm with their beliefs and values made it pretty difficult to sit through. Like full on scenes between the two just yelling at each other trying to convince the other to do things their way, often leading to the FL storming off and the ML having to chase after her and apologize, even if both were being equally stubborn. It really annoyed me when, after the FL's conversation with Mr. Pyo, the ML sat down with her and basically tried to guide her through the situation without even bothering to ask what was really going on and how she felt. This obviously angers the FL and she storms off like usual (without explaining what was really going on to him so they could work it out), only for the ML to have to get lectured by side characters on how to be understanding and a "good boyfriend" so that he can learn his lesson and apologize. This didn't really make a lot of sense when looking at his character up until this point. I feel like his character was already supposed to be mature and understanding enough to be able to realize that that was the wrong approach. I feel like he should have been smart enough to realize these things without having to hear it from someone else? The FL's lack of communication and stubbornness also didn't help a lot of these conflicts with their relationship, and it seemed like she still viewed the ML has a student who needed guidance that only she could provide him.

As for the other characters, Kim Hyun Tak was there but I didn't really feel much for him at all (he was kind of annoying imo). The bad guys are obviously bad guys and do bad things, though I will say that Seo Jung Yeon was pretty good as a villain (albeit poorly written and cliche). The side relationship between Nam Cheong Mi & Choi Sung Gyu was cute but not really necessary. Cheong Mi was a good character, but I felt like she was a little too convenient at times and didn't really have much character development. She spent a lot of time being the "reasonable" one who guides the others during conflict and often showed up when other characters are crying to provide emotional support. I kind of wish they gave some of these scenes to the FL/ML instead to help develop their characters and relationships.

The ending felt very anticlimactic given the build-up throughout the entire show. I'll be honest, I wasn't really following much of the storyline at this point since I was mostly tuned out, so maybe if I was more invested it would have been a better pay off at the end. Many people seem to defend the writing by bringing up how it's supposed to be more realistic and dive deep into the intricacies of toxic education systems, but I'm not sure where the line is between a misunderstood and deep story versus a boring and confusing one. I'm leaning more towards boring, but maybe give it a shot and you might disagree?

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A slowwwwwww burn

So this drama requires one big thing from its audience: patience.

It starts out slow; a lot of the early episodes are focused on establishing setting — the competitiveness of and within academies, how it clashes with public schools, etc. We see our main female lead, a star academy teacher, get caught up right in the middle of it, and its only after all of this do we get a little glimpse of an interaction between her and the male lead. It looks like a lot of people had already dropped the drama by then, and those people missed out — the chemistry between them is FANTASTIC.

But I don't blame them. The unfortunate truth is that the academy setting and plot just...isn't that interesting, despite how well-written it is. We've seen similar themes in other dramas — pressure on students, overbearing parenting, backstabbing coworkers — and honestly, those dramas were right to do it with more flair and flamboyance. While I appreciate how down-to-earth and realistic the conversations and lessons are (There are some that are truly heartwarming, like seeing a teacher rediscover her passion), there's really only one A-plot, and it really does start to drag. There's only one thing going on; we're spending too much time on it when I'd rather be with the main leads, or even getting more depth for our second leads, who end up really underdeveloped.

The melodrama-style editing doesn't help the slowness; while the melo vibes of the show really work towards the drama's favor when we're just spending time with our leads and watching fall in love and be in love, it also means we linger on the other academy-centric moments, and I find myself zoning out when an academy lecture scene about the history of Korea (or something) goes on for ten minutes, or even if the antagonists are having some really long, drawn-out conversation.

By the end, it feels like the main plot is a little underwhelming for how much time we spent on it, and I wish we'd spent more time just seeing our main leads happy or even just doing something different, something that's not lecturing or eating dinner (lol).

Honestly though, the main leads are absolutely golden. The chemistry is amazing, I love love love the communication and the tension between them, and their little flashbacks were so cute. It's crazy that they're the the main leads and it still feels like they didn't get enough screentime together. We just needed this drama to be a little more romance and a little less everything else.

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An Office Romance Wrecks Havoc on the Fragile Career of An Elite Educator

Interesting insight into the elite education field for high schoolers in Korea. Though the FL was very good at what she did her approach, at times, could be off putting. The ML being brought onboard predictably stirred things up and inevitably led to the FL being humbled a bit but it was growth her character needed .

Though the show did a good job at capturing the atmosphere of the elite Korean education system the story wasn’t deeply engaging. There wasn’t anything compelling about the FL standing outside a door waiting for the ML to finish his teacher’s entry exam, watching him do a mock lecture or watching administrators and teachers try and outwit each other to become the next *star* educator at the school. It’s difficult to make a series centered around the classroom interesting, which is why this show struggled to capture this viewer.

The romance wasn’t enough to make up for what was missing in the main story. The leads chemistry wasn’t great, just passable. Their love story was okay. It was a little icky that the ML had a thing for the FL back in high school when she was his teacher. She gave in to his advances almost immediately. It would’ve been more realistic had she resisted his romantic overtures given their past teacher/student relationship, not to mention the risk to her career, for which she’d worked very hard to find extraordinary success.

Overall, this was okay. After I finished the last episode I realized there was nothing memorable about this show. Is it worth watching? Depends on the viewer, but honestly not to me. Is it worth a rewatch? Absolutely not.

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A quality drama, don't give up♥

A quality drama, don't give up and watch until the end to understand its quality.
Casting is also perfect, there is no doubt, Wi Ha Joon is perfect in the role he plays (I love his acting in both Little Women and The Worst of Evil) the casting and acting of everyone is perfect as if they were chosen with tweezers.. there were moments that made me seethe with rage and there were also those that made me cry with rage.
The drama is a sharp indictment and criticism against the education system in Korea, the pursuit of excellence by memorization and not by self-thinking or analyzing situations, at the same time I have a reservation that the drama is apparently boring, there is a lot of talk about grades/tests and the grading system of tests. Sometimes I found myself repeating episodes or dialogue (one must say witty) to understand things, which leads me to think that the drama mainly speaks to viewers from Korea, they can better understand the depth of the drama than a western audience, most of the filming was done almost in the dark (even the room of The principal of the college it's dark not to talk about intimate scenes and a kiss lol) which made it difficult to watch. There are a lot of silences but the silences are so necessary for the plot (really wonderful acting) I've already seen series that deal with the strict education in South Korea and the attitude of the parents to their children and teachers regarding achievements, but it was on the edge (from what I saw), this drama gave me a different perspective …
Of course, it has many important and universal topics related to education and interpersonal communication, (relationships between students/teachers/and parents and interpersonal relationships on a romantic background and pure and supportive love)
The soundtrack of the drama is great and pleasant throughout the drama
I rated the drama 9/10 for me it was another introduction to culture and it takes time to get used to its pace and plot...
And it may be true that she is not suitable for everyone, this is my personal opinion and I would recommend giving her a chance♥

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An engaging plot developed alongside a healthy, beautiful romance

Full Disclosure: I watched this show as the new episodes were released and dropped this at Episode 10. It took me over 3 weeks to muster the courage to watch thereafter and completely hated Episode 11. But the redemption thereafter was enough to bring this show back into my list of favourites for various reasons. :)

1. The Aspect of Romance
This show is not for everyone. As a person who absolutely loves slice-of-life dramas and slow-burn romance, this show was absolutely perfect. Furthermore, there were certain aspects I was expecting, knowing the history of this team with shows like One Spring Night (my absolute favourite) and Something in the Rain (a show I eventually put on indefinite hold). I actually never thought that the romance was too little or started only at a particular time because for me even the start had enough romance to build the impactful storyline. Romance for me does not mean only passionate scenes. Supporting one another, respecting one another and having a healthy relationship classify more as romance for me, which is why I loved this one. This is one of those rare East Asian shows where however much I prepared myself for a break-up, it didn't come. No unnecessary fights, ugly breakups, bad second leads or mean in-laws. Just a very healthy, communicative and modern/mature relationship and I'm all for it. Having said that, if you do not like slow-burn romance with stories that have a topic other than the clueless romance, you WILL 100% NOT LIKE this show.

2. Acting by the Actors
I have to say, the acting by everyone was really great here. The villains made me hate them to the core, we saw character development for some really great characters like Mr. Pyo, Ms Nam and Jun Ho. And the chemistry between the main leads was absolutely phenomenal. I am in love with this pairing and I'm so happy with how nicely they've delivered. I was never out of touch with them, even when I was absolutely frustrated with them. I have laughed, cried and enjoyed with these actors and I cannot fault any of them, to be honest, in their acting.

3. OST
One thing I was looking forward to with this show was the tranquil English OST - something this team is well-known for. And my god, did they absolutely deliver. Right out of the park. What a stunning, soothing and peaceful OST collection. I absolutely loved it. I mean, I love Korean/Chinese OSTs so much, but it's so much better when I can actually understand the song and get double the feels in that perfect melody at the time of watching itself instead of googling the translation later.

4. The Storyline
I actually quite enjoyed the story of the show and I believe it was quite decently written and narrated. One, it was a somewhat fresh concept that provides good insights into the education system of Korea - a topic that although covered before, is not mainstream. So, I appreciated the use of a new concept instead of rehashing those same old cliches. Second, I liked how other than the politics, there were no unnecessary tropes in the show like cunning second leads, memory loss, or even mean in-laws. It was a very non-problematic show in that sense and nothing seemed like not needed to me. I also quite liked how all the characters have been written, I enjoyed most of them other than the FL. I also liked how everyone had their individuality and how all the individual stories tied in together. As someone who does not appreciate romance without good plots, I was very very satisfied with the plot here which was strong enough to keep me going and enjoying the romance, I often drop shows with stellar chemistry if the plot is lame af. So clearly, I have a preference for a stronger plot, and this show had just that!

5. Insufferable FL at times
If everything is so nice, then why a lower score? Because of the FL's character. In many instances, I found the FL to be manipulative, cunning and also downright demeaning when it came to the other characters like the ML and Mr Pyo. She was quite narcissistic in her behaviour and as I've said in the comments before came off as insecure about her job. The last part was further corroborated by how she talked about her job in the last episode, and her dissatisfaction with her work was leading her to be hypocritical to others like Mr Pyo, who honestly has been shown to be a great teacher. As for the ML, she has been downright insulting towards him multiple times. And while I call this relationship healthy and mature, it's only because, in reality, such issues do emerge in a relationship. It's how they tackled it together and did not give each other up for their own egos that stood out for me. But that does not mean that how the FL was acting was acceptable in any sense. She was the reason I dropped this show for a while.

6. Ending
Another aspect that leads me to deduct points is the ending. While it was really great and sensible for the main leads, I just do not see how it is a complete ending in any sense for all the other parties involved. As I recently noticed in another show, an open ending is a very different concept from what we see here, which is much more incomplete than open. An open ending is what we had in Marriage Contract where you know all the facts and then leave things to the imagination. But here, so many plot holes remain at the ending that you would be left to imagine so many possibilities on your own to come up with an ending for yourself. That is never a sign of an open ending or a good ending. It just seems super rushed, not well thought out and leaves me with a deep feeling of being robbed of a great drama. You do not know what happened to the two ladies in terms of business since that was the main plot (other than the possible lawsuit part), if the instructors stayed or left, how the academies were impacted, where Jun Ho stands, and so much more. All we know is that the leads are together and she is pursuing her goals. NOT ENOUGH!

All in all, it is a great and entertaining watch that will make you love and hate parts of it at the same time, that is, keep you engaged throughout. My favourite character is Jun Ho (who is so mature and did I say hot) and Mr Pyo (who had the best character development tbh). I have enjoyed both of them thoroughly. The show while had its flaws, is one of the better ones that I've watched. It is a must-watch for everyone who enjoys this genre! Love it!

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main lead look so creepy together,

i watched both of them in there dramas and i liked both of them, but seeing them together here , don't look that good at all
ML left his job and says its to earn more money as a teacher but i truth we know he left his job and become a teacher with other motive of seducing his old teacher
while they were teacher and student, they don't look that age gap
FL look much younger with her looks and figure she has mentioned
ML WI Ha Joon was amazing in Little woman and Squid Games,
and i wanted to see him as male lead for sure
the way ML and Fl talk with each other, ML look obsess with Fl in not so positive way but Creepy
he left his job and change career to seduce her, but what if she still just see him as her student... he would become a abusive stalker,, if things do not go as his plan,, ( director would help and thing will go nicely and she will suddenly start seeing him as a boyfriend material
she acted as she is his mother in first 2 ep worrying about him like his job is going to effect her living expenses
then ep3 and she started to act like a 17 year texting her crush
its boring
no chemistry between leads as couple, they look Nice has Co-worker or friends
dark lighting like its Grim

they way this so called Teacher talk about other teacher senior to them, white haired witch
they are not teachers
they are not educated students but training them to get high grades just like how we train our Pets

a new recruit who hasn't even give a single class is on poster with his Crush teacher because he know how to give blow job to Low life director
Leads and director look nasty evil group
director of Dachi chase eat like pig, everyone was talking seriously paying attention to each other, this guy was busy stuffing his mouth with everything he get on his plate like, he hasn't eaten fir whole day... then got ill
drama doesn't have colors

I rated it 5 but the more i watched ep3 more i reduce my rating
ML is moral less obsessive self centered person,
Fl only focus on grades not education itself,
The more the release episodes the more it becomes meaningless
Biased, favouritism
Evil Director showed as some kind gentleman
ML story try to make his parents look wrong for even conceiving him.
come defend your leads in comments if you wish to, I don't give a fish about it...1.5/10

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