The Midnight Romance in Hagwon

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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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama '' The Midnight Romance in Hagwon '' is a school romantic melodrama.

The drama is slow paced and feels relaxing and comforting. The cinematography is soothing and the camerawork makes the viewing experience feel like the audience is peeking into the characters' lives.

The start of the drama, moreover, was nice, with the story taking its time to settle in.

However, after a while, nothing really happened. The romance was enjoyable, yes, but wasn't enough to save things, and the school drama wasn't intense enough to peek things up.

On the other hand, the performances were enjoyable by every actor and actress of the cast.

So, overall, three out of ten.

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The vibes are vibing, the romance is in the air!

Man resigned from big company to be close to his crush, and this happened in episode 1! honestly, we stan.

Ha Joon in a romantic role is giving everything, his open smiles, flirty posture, walking by FL's poster and admiring it, surprising her in ther office, this man was made to play the romantic lead, he's swoon-worty!

Jung Ryeo Won is as great in melo as she's being a badass, the woman has done both Witch's Court and Wok of Love, the range! She has a smile that is self-assured but not invulnerable, as we see from her alteration with that prideful teacher who wants to destroy her life.

It's been a long time since I was so enthusiastic about a drama, but this one is hitting all the right spots!

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boring

this drama is total rubbish... "tvN" advertises in addition to figuring out what to do with it, "Graduation" the story of a former student returns to the academy as an adult, still seduced by his former teacher.

Are they making a big deal about their age difference??
this drama is reminiscent of other dramas like "hello my teacher" which is much less boring, with the character of Gong Yoo who falls in love with his teacher and who is much younger and the age difference is almost similar, is it that serious, it's not a crime.. ??🤔😄

The first episode is boring, slow, long dialogues and actors overact, and are not credible, personally I would not continue this evening sorry it's a waste of time, there are better dramas to watch...

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I want to watch this...why?

After 2 episodes with fast-forwarding, I don't get the hook to keep me watching. It feels more like a commentary on the serving the obsessiveness for kids to test well to get into college from the Cram School's perspective vs. students/parents--which of course Sky Castle and Penthouse series have made famous. And there have been several dramas lately featuring 'famous' afterschool teachers who find love--Crazy Love, Crash Course In Romance--so if you like the apparent 'slice of life in Korea' regarding the maniac focus on grades and college entrance with a romance thrown in, keep watching.
I thought a far more compelling school based drama was 2019's Black Dog about the hurdles of an aspiring teacher to get a permanent job in the school system.

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C’est pas une romance... c’est une guerre des hagwons...

On m’a vendu un drama avec une tension prof x ancien élève, du slow burn bien mature, une ambiance un peu interdite... mais la seule chose que j’ai ressentie, c’est le froid d’un bain gelé 🧊 Franchement, on m’avait hypée pour une romance "adulte" qui allait me coller des papillons dans le bide… et à la place j’ai eu un exposé long et chiant sur le système éducatif coréen 📚✏️

Franchement, les 5 premiers épisodes, c’était pas un drama… c’était une stratégie pédagogique en 12 points pour booster ton hagwon 😂 Ils sont là à faire des plans de bataille, à recruter des élèves, à calculer les stats… et niveau romance ??? Nada... Zéro tension. Juste deux profs ultra impliqués dans leur taf et une dynamique qui sent plus le respect professionnel que le flirt 👩🏻‍🏫📉

Y’a bien des regards… mais c’est plus du “on se comprend” que du “je te veux là tout de suite” 😬 Même quand la romance finit enfin par s’activer, c’est d’une tiédeur… j’ai pas frissonné une seule fois 😭 Les scènes “romantiques” m’ont fait ni chaud ni froid, l’alchimie est restée bloquée au stade administratif 🫠💼

Et pourtant j’y ai cru, hein ! J’ai vraiment attendu un déclic. Mais nope... Arrivée à l’épisode 12, j’ai commencé à zapper en diagonale. J’ai maté la fin juste pour pouvoir rayer le drama de ma liste 😵‍💫

Côté jeu d’acteurs, rien à dire. Ils font le taff, ils sont bons, touchants parfois… mais ils peuvent pas porter à eux seuls une romance qui n’a jamais vraiment décollé. Leur relation, elle est gentille... trop propre 😔

L'ambiance générale... Elle aussi est un peu trop sage. C'est pas désagréable, mais ultra monotone... même les petits drames perso ou les conflits entre hagwons, bah… ça manque de piment 🌶, de cœur, de tension. C’est trop linéaire, trop lisse, trop sérieux 💤

Je sais que certains ont vu dans ce drama une romance douce et réaliste, mais moi je me suis juste ennuyée. J’ai pas accroché à leur dynamique, j’ai pas vibré, j’ai pas frissonné... J’ai juste levé les yeux au ciel en me demandant pourquoi on avait appelé ça une romance 🥴

Bref, "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon", c’est peut-être une jolie réflexion sur le monde éducatif... mais côté romance, pour moi, c’est un gros flop glacial 😮‍💨

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Final de lista

Ao primeiro momento busquei assistir porque prefiro dramas com romances mais maduros. Ao passar alguns ep foi interessante ver o desenvolvimento do romance, entretanto é somente isso, depois de algumas coisas a trama não chama atenção não apresenta nada de novo de outros dramas com ambientação de cursinho. Se for assistir só para passar o tempo ele serve, mas se tiver outros na lista eu colocaria no final para assistir só quando não tivesse outras opções. Os personagens secundários em minha opinião foram desnecessários, os ditos vilões são rasos e parecem escritos somente para tomar tempo de tela.

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Otra Protagonista complicada

Me recordó bastante a "Bajo la lluvia", la chica mayor y el chico joven que se enamoran, aqui la diferencia es que ellos dos parecen de la misma edad, probablemente era intención del director ya que según en el drama se llevan como 5 años.
Sigue la misma secuencia de una mujer madura y exitosa pero complicada cuando se trata de su vida personal, incluso diría que incongruente porque para ser alguien exitosa en su carrera era bastante impulsiva, además de que al final prefirió huir.
Hubo escenas decentes de besos, aunque muy escasas para una relación adulta, el protagonista era el chico alegre y con buena energía que probablemente enamoraría a cualquiera. No obstante tenemos a otro personaje incongruente, que parece tener un plan para lograr por sus medios una vida exitosa y no depender de sus padres pero en todo el drama no vi ni una pizca de crecimiento profesional, lo único que hizo fue seguir a la protagonista y ser su novio.
Por su antecesor esperaba que la trama fuera lenta lo cual no me desánimo para continuarla, aqui el problema fueron los personajes de más, escenas inecesarias que no aportaban nada y te aburrían.
Y ya como último parte, el final, que probablemente alguien diga que fue feliz porque terminaron juntos, pero para mi se sintió como un desperdicio, como si después de tanto esfuerzo tiraran todo por la borda.

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Talvez não seja pra todo mundo

Esse drama me encantou desde o primeiro episódio por conta do forte apelo no tocante à temática educacional (sou professora de língua e estudante de Letras) e pela química do casal principal. O plot é realmente interessante e te mantém entretido, principalmente se você tem interesse em metodologias de ensino e conflitos da área.

Parabenizo as atuações, que foram excelentes por parte de todos os atores envolvidos. A direção permitiu que as performances brilhassem ainda mais por conta dos takes longos e cheios de tensão. Esse estilo de filmagem me lembrou o drama chinês Fake It 'Till you Make it (que também é maravilhoso). No entanto, isso pode fazer com que algumas pessoas achem que o ritmo é um pouco lento. Há situações que exigem muita atenção por parte de quem está assistindo, já que algumas coisas não acontecem de maneira explícita. Ou seja, a cena acontece e você precisa tirar suas próprias conclusões sobre o que aconteceu, já que alguns diálogos não são expositivos e são bem longos.

Fizeram um bom trabalho na escrita dos personagens. Um exemplo é como a Seo Hye Jin é um pouco frustrante em alguns momentos, mas não de uma forma que nos faça desgostar dela, já que ela parece uma pessoa real, pois tem camadas. Digo isso porque sua personalidade é um pouco passiva demais, e isso em momentos em que esperamos ações mais diretas da parte dela. Nem falo nada sobre o Jun Ho, já que ele é a própria definição de charme. Como a própria Hye Jin fala: "Quem não gostaria do Jun Ho? Ele é engraçado, meigo e responsável". Muito difícil não se apaixonar.
O romance entre os personagens é muito cativante e cheio de química. Você vê que eles são almas gêmeas, independente da diferença de idade (que é de apenas 6 anos). O primeiro beijo deles me fez prender a respiração. O relacionamento é maduro e se desenvolve um pouco lentamente (mas não muito).
Os personagens coadjuvantes (com algumas exceções) são muito bons, em especial a Srta. Nam. No início, nos sentimos desconfiados de sua índole, mas à medida que vamos assistindo, vemos que ela é uma das personagens mais "legais" do drama, por ser super afiada, direta e firme.

Infelizmente, nem tudo são flores e a direção que o plot adotou me decepcionou um pouco. Entendo que essa questão dos cursinhos na Coréia é bem séria e real. Já tinha sido apresentada à esse conceito no drama Crash Course in Romance. O problema é que achei que esse drama iria focar muito mais na questão educacional do que de fato focou.
Eu estava bem empolgada pra saber a metodologia diferente que o Jun Ho iria apresentar para seus alunos. Eu realmente queria saber sobre o impacto que isso causaria no aprendizado deles, já que ver a relação estabelecida entre os alunos (dois deles em específico) e os protagonistas foi uma das partes que mais me deixaram felizes. Esse foi, de fato, o enfoque da primeira parte do drama. A própria Hye Jin tem um desenvolvimento de personagem com relação à sua metodologia e princípios como professora, e eu achei que o final do drama iria se dedicar a explorar um pouco mais isso. Mas aí o drama focou totalmente no plano "maléfico" das duas antagonistas principais, que tentaram à todo o custo destruir a Hye Jin. E é aqui que o drama perde um pouco do seu realismo.
A vilã principal (a Bruxa Cinzenta) é uma personagem muito caricata, de forma que parecia ser parte de outro drama, não desse aqui. Toda essa guerra de cursinhos pareceu um pouco patética em alguns momentos, apesar da justificativa do mercado educacional ser muito competitivo na Coréia. Em muitos momentos, a partir da metade do drama, me peguei pensando: será que isso realmente acontece? Acredito que todas as decisões que os roteiristas tomaram foi para salientar que o mercado dos cursinhos é cruel, mas isso fez com que o plot perdesse um pouco de brilho.
Eu já acho um pouco estranho termos uma vilã em um drama que marca um tom bem realista desde o primeiro episódio, com personagens cheios de camadas, sendo ela a única unilateral.

O final me agradou bastante dentro da decisão que os roteiristas tomaram (que eu citei acima), mas acredito que se tivessem seguido o foco inicial de debater sobre as questões educacionais e metodológicas, seria MUITO mais interessante e empolgante.

Encerro repetindo que: esse drama talvez não seja para todo mundo, mas apesar das frustações, foi bom e me deixou ainda mais desejosa em acompanhar o Wi Ha-joon em seus próximos trabalhos.

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Um melodrama leve e maduro, sem muitas cenas de ciúmes , ou triângulo amoroso evidente.
A protagonista é uma professora bem sucedida que consegue, mesmo em meio a tanta disputa desonesta, atrair muitos alunos para o cursinho pré vestibular onde trabalha.
Seu par romântico, um ex aluno que ela ensinou há anos atrás, retorna agora com o propósito de se juntar ao cursinho, tornando-se um brilhante professor , ao mesmo tempo que conquista pouco a pouco , seu primeiro amor ( a personagem principal ).
Como pano de fundo, tabus são abordados como : diferença de idade no relacionamento , professor de escola X professor de cursinho, ética educacional.
Uma pauta alarmante, é a pressão sofrida pelos jovens estudantes, para ter uma boa pontuação.

"_Essas notas podem se tornar seu status social no futuro._
_A universidade que vai frequentar, o emprego que vai conseguir e a atratividade no seu encontro às cegas._"

O entendimento da matéria é substituído por um treinamento mecânico sobre decorar o que pode cair na prova, para obter assim maior número de acertos.
Talvez seja por isso, que vemos tanto suicídio entre jovens lá.
O romance tem consistência, o final das antagonistas poderia ter sido melhor elaborado, mas nada que deixe a desejar.
Vamos dizer, que você terá a sensação de estar assistindo uma novela das nove , só que com menos episódios.

@DDrossopulos

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