It’s been a while
It’s been a while since I’ve seen an “old school” K-Drama, at least for my liking. I needed an entertaining, unrealistic, wholesome but well executed drama. I’ve been having some troubles to find a K-Drama with this perfect formula of fun, lighthearted and a well written story despite being just 12 episodes. Most of shorter dramas nowadays tend to be mediocre cause they can’t build nor the plot nor the characters. This one was the perfect example of a well done story in just 12 episode: it doesn’t have plot holes, they closed the series and all the characters’ arcs in a good way, without leaving you with unanswered questions, it didn’t waste precious time screen on useless scenes… This is what I want from a drama of this genre.I also loved the focus on the friendships rather than the romantic relationships. Bonus point: I’m so glad we got to see Seo Kang-Joon in a role where he could showcase different sides for his character, the troubled and the goofy one, it suited him to well.
Was this review helpful to you?
A big shoutOut for Casting Director
Every Drama has Plotholes If you intend to search for that,But there are some dramas when you even couldn't Notice those holes because of Actors/actress's outstanding Performance. This drama is one of those drama.I thoroughly enjoyed every episodes,Waited to see next episode,couldn't sleep at night without being finished it and getting hangover effect after finishing it-- All Those are criteria of a Good drama and 10/10 Drama from me.That's how a Drama should entertain you.Cast and Their acting :* Literally every single actors Did well.Seo kang stole my heart i really want to see him in another agent drama, his Body, face card hard to ignore.
What i liked : Obviously Seo kang (ML).
* Jin go (FL) Did her role perfectly -She seems like a passionate teacher.and she proved it.
* ML Team- They were so funny to watch.although for NIS agent kinda lousy.But they will make you laugh.
* All the Student Character - YeNa and Yu jeong friendship deserve another series.They nailed their character.
* And THE VILLAIN : The psychopathic acting was done so well that even i got scared.
What i think average (Not disliked)
The villain troupe and Motive of her being Villain.The intention behind her villaining was not enough to hate her.Her crime should be more grievous. But still ok.
Overall a Nice, refreshing watch.Welcome back Seo kang.You nailed it.❤️🧡💛💚
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
it’s okay… that’s pretty much all I have to say
It served its purpose as a background drama while I work on some things… sooo yeah.. (I really don’t know what else to say)The biggest problem I have is like… how does nobody suspect Seo Kangjoon?? As handsome as he is he does not look like a high schooler and I really can’t get over that.
The story is fine, nothing special, but interesting enough to keep you watching. Acting is fine too, I have nothing bad to say.
Was this review helpful to you?
nice and refreshing plot!
as the title says, the plot was quite unique and honestly enjoyable. but as other reviews said, seo kang joon really steals the show. his acting is flawless and i really think he suits action sort of roles! the plot wasnt too complicated to understand and all the characters were enjoyable especially their acting!! everyone pulled off their part perfectly and i'd love to see them in other dramas. and im glad romance was a secondary theme to this. it was a really fun watch and i'd recommend it to someone who is in a drama slump right now.though i do have some criticisms:
- the supporting characters backstories should have been more in depth, especially Su A's
- Su A's character should've been way more significant
- the NIS team needed a backstory
- the comedy and plot needed to flow together more seamlessly
- romance should've also been done better. there wasnt enough to be extremely rooting for them as a couple, them getting together made little difference to me tbh, but the plot and chemistry makes up for it. im glad the romance didnt get rushed tho!
- i know its meant to be a light hearted watch, but there was way too many "gotcha!" moments. realism has left the chat.
These couldve all been solved if it was a 16 episode drama, its a shame it was so short.
- probably the most insignificant criticism but my biggest pet peeve is the random childhood friends moment. it actually boils my blood you dont understand!! drama wouldve been a solid 9.5 for me without it. i notice this in a lot of east asian dramas and somehow people eat it up every time. do you all have some unforgettable childhood crush from when you were 6 like what??? but i was able to look past it because it was only mentioned like twice.
nevertheless a lot of these criticisms are forgiven because it was an enjoyable watch. highly recommend.
it was the first drama i finished without dropping in a long time so my rating might seem a little biased haha
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Warm,Light hearted watch
After a long time i watched Seo kang and He totally nailed his character. My +1 point is just for him.He literally carried the show although The villain also did the work for me.She is convincing as a villain.This is one type of drama where writer left major plotholes but who noticed?? - when there is literally a Handsome face popping up everytime. hahaha!!
Plotholes like - How the Guard got his father notebook. Literally no one cared to explain thia major part.Why a NIS a agent is so weak and emotional (His teammate) that doesn't make any sense.The villains reasoning just to prove her a psychopathic character doesn't actually convince all the crime she did.Motive behind villains action should be more Gruesome or heavy.
The FL-Nothing special. But actually did well to play as a teacher.Forceful Childhood connection and romance just destroy my mood.but its ok
BGM was good specially for ML entry.
Was this review helpful to you?
An entertaining enough watch
June 2025Pretty enjoyable overall; character Hae-song as an older high schooler was believable enough.
Plenty of intrigue and even though the baddies were unmasked pretty early on, it was still an at times gripping watch.
What spoilt it somewhat for me, was the FL's character, whom I found annoying. I think the story was, in part, highlighting her hypocrisy of being someone who wanted to do better by her students, yet at the same time not seeing past Hae-song's background, and automatically seeing what was expected of "someone like him", rather than what was in front of her, if she'd looked even a tiny bit deeper. Not the best character development either, tbh, and I'd have preferred it if she, and other adults at the school, were just decent teachers for a change.
Some aspects were pretty silly, but there was also humour. I found it an easy watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
A mixed bag
The series is primarily an action/comedy. There is also a romance, but it is more in the background. The series was okay. All in all, I would give it an 8/10.The acting and cast are the highlights. ML, FL, and the main villain carried the series. The supporting characters were generally hit or miss. The students were strong. I would have liked a little more background, especially in the second half of the series. For example, the relationship between Lee Ye Na and An Yu Jeong could have been explored more. Then we have the NIS Team 4. My feelings about them are very mixed. In the first half of the series, they were fine, but especially in the second half of the series, where things get more serious, I found the characters here rather weak. Again and again I thought: These are supposed to be secret agents? Please act like it. And then we have the teachers. For me, they were the one of the biggest weakness. At best, some scenes were funny. But especially later in the story, their behavior bothered me. They literally behaved like NPCs. No opinion on anything, zero criticism of what was wrong at the school.
The music was good. Not outstanding, but nothing bad either. The premise and mystery of the series started off well and promisingly. But over time, it got weaker and weaker.
The secound big weakness of the series is the story itself. The first 5-6 episodes are promising and fun to watch. But the second half of the series in particular is a huge mess. There are so many inconsistencies and scenes that make you want to bang your head against the wall. I got the feeling that they weren't sure how to end the series. Above all, the comedy that worked well in the first half of the series was more of a hindrance in the second half. I kept feeling that the comedy was supposed to hide the weak story, but it didn't do a good job of it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Excellent show
I am totally obsessed with this drama.Awesome story - funny, serious, romantic, there is everything. FL and ML have palpable chemistry and this hooked me on the screen. Seo Kang Joon is on fire, he just eats screen as well as his interaction with Jin Ki Joo is absolutely adorable. Their acting is excellent. I am rewatching a lot of scenes because they are so funny or find something missed first time.
Was this review helpful to you?
funny & still funny
This is one of those shows where you can see the ropes, but you still fall for the story... It's so crazy funny, "normal" and over the top at the same time, it packs comedy, action, ordinary life etc all in one, so that you cannot but go for it! It's entertaining, relaxing, not at all gloomy or anything... and the details are executed with finesse!Handsome faces, hot topics, settings are anything but cheap. Of course, there is nothing serious abt it, even a school teacher can see through the cover of a NIS agent. The said agent cant even avoid the surveillance cameras or fight an old civilian!
Hidden advertising is a given.
Not by far a realistic journey, but a fun ride. Count me in!
Later edit: Too bad the director couldnt keep the funny note till the end. It turned into some average melodrama.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
seo kangjoon and jin kijoo need to meet in future project(s) please
This is the type of kdrama where you can just seat back, relax, and enjoy it. Just like what the actress said in one of her interviews, a comfort-bingeable series.The drama really worked for me being marketed as an action comedy with a mix of other things. I loved all the casts, they worked well together. Love miss Kim Shin-rok as the villain. Seo Kangjoon's Haesung and Jin Kijoo's Sua were nice to watch. Loved the Team 4. The principal and the school stuff. The students were all so cute. Even the NIS director was quite funny to watch.
some things i loved:
- that they didn't make the father figure (team leader) a traitor. could've easily gone down that route but they didnt. im glad they didnt. although it did make it easy to pinpoint who the rat was.
- Sua, as a character, had her own agency. maybe because im so used to kdramas years ago where the FL barely made any impact (havent watched many recent ones)
- the friendship between yena and yujeong, love how they didnt make them enemies
some minor complaints of mine, nothing big:
- wish they expanded more on the students, especially yena kim minju's character in contrast to yujeong
- the childhood trope was cute i'll admit but it didn't really add anything to the story especially since they keep holding back on the romance aspect of it. ESPECIALLY when they revealed that had history together, the reactions were so lackluster like whatt??? i expected a bit more reaction from that you know. especially since they keep showing childhood flashbacks.
- on that note, i really wish they had more romance scenes together.
- i cant remember the rest but for now that's it
if you're expecting a grittier and more in-depth drama, this is not for you. but if your just looking for something to chill, id recommend this one.
also, ive never had such a visceral reaction of wanting two actors (aka seo kangjoon and jin kijoo) to be together again in some future projects. please directors/writers whoeever has the power, make them work togehter again.
also another weird thing is that there barely any promotional stuff for this kdarma???? like not a lot of interviews or variety shows. is that normal?
Was this review helpful to you?
Undercover, charming ML
This drama is very good at the beginning. I like to see the efforts of Hae Seong and his team to complete the mission because it is their last chance so that their team will not be disbanded. And i also like the FL, Oh Su A, who was initially curious, changes into a cooperative person who is very helpful for hae seong's mission. But starting in the middle of the episode, it starts to get boring, I start skipping some scenes after eps 7. There is no denying that there are many clichés and predictable things throughout this drama. But imo, if those things don't affect the story too much, this drama still unique and good to watch.+ for me mi jeong and yeong hun are the scene stealer for this drama.😂
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A mundane take on espionage
An elite NIS agent is forced to take up the role of a high school student to cover up failure in his previous mission. In the aim of rediscovering the hidden treasure of Emperor Gojong, he comes close to the secret behind his birth father’s disappearance.Borrowing similarities from our endearing Main Hoon Na, this Korean drama takes a loud and mighty take on an espionage love tale. Just like Major Ram had her heart flutter for Ms. Chandni, Hae Song’s homeroom teacher O Su A finds herself attracted to her student. But here the mystery gets resolved fast and she gets in the process of helping the NIS agent.
The opening was quite dramatic and alluring. Skidding a bike and retrieving treasure by breaking through the sunroof was a high element to bring in an adrenaline rush. But the graph fell flat in the third and fourth episodes. Creating a typical villain out-of-school principal and a dramatic and greedy teacher who only pours cold water into the story.
The twist in the form of a mysterious and prestigious school council is a good idea. Since it is a Korean school drama, how can they miss showing bullying and depression?
Like in previous dramas, the school queen here also suffers immense pressure from her villain mother and starts developing a crush on the agent as he makes his way inside. She is conniving and misery-stricken like all dramas. You will find her pathetic and vicious at the same time. These types of shallow and copy subplots need to be handled more carefully. Also, O Su A should have been sketched better. Though the backstory behind her hiding her real name and learning kung fu deserves sobbing applause, it was still cliche.
ML and Fl share a poor chemistry. Your heart does not burn when they lock eyes. The villains are too predictable and their greed does not make them heinous. It appeared more like a 90s gimmick than a 2025 rush. If you are bored, give it a watch, but you will start anticipating the next moment after two or three episodes.
Was this review helpful to you?
