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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Mature, realistic romance and character arcs within a compelling slice of life setting
Mellow, mature romance with true character arcs and growth built up in the middle of very realistic feeling characters and settings. I will definitely be rewatching parts again.Jung Ryeo Won is always amazing and brings a touch of realism to anything she takes on, but Wi Ha Joon was delightful as well in his slightly out of the ordinary role turn and they had really nice chemistry together. People looking for a focus on romance will be disappointed, which I assume is the reason for the lower rating and some of the complaints I've seen, but the story was about their lives and the Hagwon activities/ work politics with the romance as part of it, and it worked great for me. The director likes repeating his supporting cast across shows and I'm not complaining because they're all very talented and it's fun to see them play alternate nice and petty across his shows. The secondary cast all got lovely interiority, which is not always the case for dramas.
The character dynamics, including extremely well written out secondary characters, and artistic shot decisions were lovely and triumphed over the overused soundtrack, which was mostly very annoying and the director needs to get over his obsession with irritating english songs played every climactic moment. However, by the end I could ignore it as the story overcame it. I was sad to see it end.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
This is an excellent drama for viewers who want an insight into South Korea's highly competitive academy system. It is a niche drama, which South Koreans relate to more than I, a US citizen. The 'midnight romance ' was the catalyst for the gossip and ultimate conflict in the drama. While the leads did become a couple, the skinship was minimal. The romance was mainly shown through their thoughtfulness for each other as they collaborated in thought and protected each other as the scandal went out of control. What a competitive and backbiting group of academy instructors: all willing to pour gasoline on a romance scandal to gain students. A real bonus and departure from the typical drama formula, the couple stayed together from start to finish. Thank goodness there was no breakup for a stupid, nonsensical reason. They supported each other.
What was difficult........The director used dim to NO lighting in the evening 'midnight ' footage, which was a creative choice that sometimes made Hagwon a challenge to watch. Changing the TV picture settings did not help. There was one moment when my TV screen was completely black. I could hear voices; thankfully, the white subs were easy to read. Even the one and only intimate scene was shot with 'midnight ' lighting.....darn it!!! I was looking forward to SEEING that romantic moment.
The drama's high quality is further elevated by its seasoned cast of actors, a fact that is self-evident. Wi Ha Joon, in his first male lead role, delivers a performance that truly stands out.
What impressed me the most was the excellent and creative finale episode. IT WAS SO SATISFYING. The resolution of the drama was not only satisfying but also unexpected, surpassing my own imagination. In the end, the theme of inspiring the high school students to want to learn/think creatively versus teaching memorization to anticipated test questions was resolved; the sincere teaching of students how to think won the day. The money-motivated teachers were left without an academy to teach in.
The Midnight Romance concluded with a heartwarming classroom scene, featuring the younger ML in the role of a teacher, imparting wisdom to his romantic partner, Seo Hye Jin (played by Jung Ryeo Won), about the future of their relationship. The inclusion of a pair of rings in his lecture signified a promising and beautiful romantic future. The writing was truly clever.
I highly recommend the watch if you like introspective dramas. It made me think about the education of kids.
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All Mood. No Momentum.
I had such high hopes for this drama. I really enjoyed One Spring Night and Something in the Rain, but this one just didn’t compare for me. The leads had great chemistry at the beginning, but then the dynamic got strange. Even though there was only a five-year age gap, Hye-Jin often treated Jun-Ho like a child, which became frustrating.I did appreciate that they didn’t break up... largely because Jun-Ho fought so hard for the relationship. However, the pacing was a major issue. I usually enjoy laid-back dramas, but this felt excessively slow. There were far too many long shots of scenery or characters just thinking or waiting. Those moments can be effective, but not when they last several minutes and are repeated multiple times every episode.
The conflict also felt weak and poorly developed - especially the sudden hostility toward Hye-Jin, which seemed to come out of nowhere and never truly resolved. Many of the characters lacked clear motivation, making it hard to understand why they behaved the way they did. Overall, the drama had potential, but it fell short for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
'Twas pleasant, thought-provoking, and well-made, though it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
One thing that stood out about this drama is how realistic it feels—the pauses in conversations, the awkward silences, the transitions from day to night...the interactions between the characters mimic real life, unlike most dramas with carefully choreographed scripts.'Tis a slow-burn drama set against the backdrop of ultra-competitive educational institutions in S.Korea. The "romance" in the title doesn't only refer to the romance between a man and a woman, but also to the wider concept of passion in the characters' lives. Their passion for teaching, literature, the education system...it's beautiful to watch.
It was refreshing to see the main leads not breaking up for the sake of protecting the other. Finally, a drama that does not have the breakup arc three-quarters through the drama! Love to see it. ❤️ Beyond its content, the drama also delivers aesthetically. From walking in the rain to hugging under the snowfall, every scene looks like a work of art.
This drama is catered to a more mature audience, and moves away from typical kdrama arcs and tropes. I enjoyed watching it slowly, one episode a day, taking my time to appreciate every episode before moving on to the next.
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Try it you might like it!
It's not as bad as the comments make it seem. I gleefully anticipated this drama since I LOVE Jung Ryeo Won and Wi Ha Joon. Also Wi Ha Joon finally in a romance? I was excited. Then after I saw it was out I almost didn't watch it because of what I read in the comments. SO if you are contemplating, just give it a chance to see how you like it. Don't rely too much on other opinions with this one.It's a very mellow drama with a very cute romance. If you like Something in the Rain or One Spring Night you'll like this. I didn't know that this show had the same director until I was almost done with the show and was like "That's why it felt so familiar!" I have some complaints about the story and ending but the acting is amazing. I'm big on romance, it's hard for me to watch anything without it lol, so trust me when I say it was great. It also didn't feel that much like a Noona romance, probably because there isn't too much of an age difference. She treated him like her student but he never let that slide since his goal was HER lol. Romance 10/10.
My biggest gripe with the show was the ending. I both liked and disliked Ms. Nam. Ms. Nam alone is a great person and I loved her. It was iffy at the beginning because of how she wanted to compete with SHJ when that wasn't the normal practice at the academy, but she got better and was great. In the end they made me dislike her a bit because that woman gave her the position just because she wanted her and her son to get married. As if they wouldn't get married if she didn't get the position. The ending was not that satisfying because although SHJ decided to leave they never acknowledged all her contributions to the academy and instead were solely focused on mitigating their losses. They should have pursued legal action for those rumors at least. Like "oh, we've sucked you dry, wasted your youth, and let your reputation be destroyed but it's fine since you're leaving." That's not loyalty Shannon. That's not justice. It made me just see the new assistant direct and selfish and self-serving. Everyone just casually hated SHJ just because she was successful and good at her job. She never did anything to them but she was attacked left and right and no one moved to openly defend her, no matter how much she helped them in the past. Just nasty behavior all around.
Anyways, give it a try if you want. I enjoyed it a lot even though the ending irritated me lol.
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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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The most interesting thing here is that the word "Midnight" is in the title
Exciting things tend to happen at midnight, right? Full moons come out. Showdowns happen. Interesting creatures of the night emerge to do nefarious things. Partygoers let their better judgments lapse. Sex, drugs & rock & roll![insert air escaping from balloon sound effect] That is most certainly not this show, however.
It is easy to identify the work of director Ahn Pan Seok. He casts a lot of the same actors. He inserts a long musical montage in every episode and uses the same song through an entire drama (not a choice that seems wise, but that's his style). The stories do not shy away from realistic adult relationships and very grounded portrayals of middle to upper middle class characters living middle to upper middle class lives. He really likes outdoor scenes that are barely lit. And his antagonists tend to be very one note, very limited characters.
With his previous two outings, "One Spring Night" and "Something in the Rain", he had relatively compelling main characters and charismatic lead actors. Particularly with "Something in the Rain", the presence of Son Ye Jin as the lead elevated the entire enterprise.
"The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" doesn't merely fail to reach the bar set by these prior productions where they excelled, it fails to register in virtually every element.
Main characters? Wi Ha Joon squeezes every possible atom out of the character of Lee Jun Ho, but it's a wafer thin character. He's a nice guy that's smart and clever and easygoing and things seem to work out for him except his friends who like him want to hang out with him when Jun Ho would rather have private time with his girlfriend. That's pretty much that extent of his woes. Jung Ryeo Won's Hye Jin encounters a bit more troubles but is enough of a Mary Sue that they're merely temporary annoyances rather than measurable tension. The two together are fine. Probably the highlight of the entire show is the romantic inexperience and awkwardness the two share.
Antagonist? Looks like the real life version of Vector from "Despicable Me" but without the brightly colored sweatsuit or the zany threats or the odd weapons or the pet shark or anything of interest really. He is, almost literally, a human stick in the mud.
Support characters? So Ju Yeon's Cheong Mi is legitimately a bright spot to the extent that she is permitted to be a presence. And Seo Jung Yeon's just obliterates anyone else on screen as the hagwon ice queen who perhaps eventually ends up being a more colorful antagonist but through eight episodes is more of a mere morally ambiguous plot fulcrum. The rest are so uninvolved that they fail to make any impression of any sort which is a tragic waste of some fabulous talents like Kim Jung Young and Kil Hae Yeon (who had been sensational as the horrifying, deranged mother of Son Ye Jin's lead in "Something in the Rain").
And it's not like if the material had somehow been amended this ship could have been righted. Sure, if some more time had been spent with the students, maybe there's a beat or two of a pulse in a subplot there. But there's nothing particularly engrossing about the day-to-day inner workings of a hagwon or the competition between two of them. So with very little as far as compelling inhabitants of them, there's just nothing but mild mannered, ordinary people with a not that out of the ordinary romance and...
Uh, and...
[cue the crickets sound effects]
Yeah, there's nothing else.
Not recommended.
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Little gem
The depth, relatability and maturity of this drama caught me by surprise.I was expecting a slow pace and insignificant story, maybe with some bullied student achiving some goal. But my bad!
This is a beautiful and really entarteining piece about vocation and service to others in a quite competitive field. The conflicts are so relatable that your emotions are carried by the story without any effort.
The characters have depth and the acting is superb!
And you can see the ML smile a lot, since that would be enough reason for me to watch it. :)
Thats all, just in case you are in need of a good and round drama, this is it.
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This review may contain spoilers
so boring so far
The aesthetic is beautiful, but the plot is boring. I mean, I don't find it interesting to watch teachers fighting over exam questions.I'd rather see things progress, like going to therapy, building relationships with students, or something more exciting. Fighting so intensely over something so trivial doesn't make much sense to me.
I don't feel engaged on any level, but I do appreciate the pleasant aesthetic — the wardrobe and lighting are quite nice, to be honest.
I'll keep watching for now, but I'm constantly thinking about dropping it
edit: after 8 episodes I drop it, the drama never gets good or interesting to me
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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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