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This review may contain spoilers
Seo Kang Joon's action spy has some laughs but lacks the gritty edge
After three years, Seo Kang Joon finally returns to the small screen. Honestly, I'm just as mesmerized like everybody else by Kang Joon's piercing brown eyes ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
Undercover High School is an action romcom following Jung Hae Seong, a demoted NIS agent whose new mission is to go undercover in a school to find missing gold bars. Joining him in the hunt is high school teacher O Su A (played by Jin Kin Joo) and together they uncover not only the school's scary stories, but also the bullying and social injustice within its walls.
Incorporating themes of hierarchy and injustices in school in an action k-drama makes me wonder whether the writers may have bitten off more than they can chew. The rigged education system feels like a weak subplot and an excess narrative at times. The show suffers with weak writing and its portrayal of injustice comes across as shallow and superficial.
Despite the seriousness of his character's job, Seo Kang Joon is such a delight to watch. For an NIS agent, he’s far less broody than expected – more a being of goofy yet very agile and combative undercover. Kang Joon seamlessly injects humor even while in the middle of a risky operation. His comedic timings also hit the spot and are praise worthy. I would really love to see him next in an office romcom because suits definitely looks good on him >ᴗ<
On the other hand, Jin Kin Joo's character seems to be one-dimensional. She plays the character of a contract teacher who aspires to be a full-time faculty member as she once promised to one of her students. There is only so much a versatile actress can do with a poor character writing. The same goes with the rest of the cast - they are as tropey and typical as K-drama characters come, but in a way that’s also their job, to sprinkle in laugh-out-loud moments in this top-secret operation.
Poor character writing is also evident on the story's antagonist. At first, the school's chairwoman, Seo Myeong Ju (played by Kim Shin Rok), appears to be too powerful and cunning to be defeated, only to have questionable cards up her sleeves. The way she effortlessly bounces back from defeat is unconvincing. If only they had shared some backstory about Myeong Ju, it might have been easier to understand and relate to her obsession with gold bars and elite school. However, kudos to Shin Rok for portraying her with such steely grace and eerie aura. Her choice of clothes is also an eye-turner and a highlight every episode.
The pacing of this show is also an issue for me. This would have worked better as a movie rather than a TV series. Even though this series only has 12 episodes, it somehow feels like it stretches on forever mainly due to filler scenes and characters constantly getting sidetracked along the way. The conflict itself also feels less gritty and intense as the story progresses.
To sum up, Undercover High School is your subpar action k-drama. It's such a letdown that a series with a promising gist and talented main cast gets bogged down by generic and uninspired writing. Anyways, I'm still thankful this cured my kdrama slump. There is nothing a charming and swoon-worthy oppa can't cure after all.
Undercover High School is an action romcom following Jung Hae Seong, a demoted NIS agent whose new mission is to go undercover in a school to find missing gold bars. Joining him in the hunt is high school teacher O Su A (played by Jin Kin Joo) and together they uncover not only the school's scary stories, but also the bullying and social injustice within its walls.
Incorporating themes of hierarchy and injustices in school in an action k-drama makes me wonder whether the writers may have bitten off more than they can chew. The rigged education system feels like a weak subplot and an excess narrative at times. The show suffers with weak writing and its portrayal of injustice comes across as shallow and superficial.
Despite the seriousness of his character's job, Seo Kang Joon is such a delight to watch. For an NIS agent, he’s far less broody than expected – more a being of goofy yet very agile and combative undercover. Kang Joon seamlessly injects humor even while in the middle of a risky operation. His comedic timings also hit the spot and are praise worthy. I would really love to see him next in an office romcom because suits definitely looks good on him >ᴗ<
On the other hand, Jin Kin Joo's character seems to be one-dimensional. She plays the character of a contract teacher who aspires to be a full-time faculty member as she once promised to one of her students. There is only so much a versatile actress can do with a poor character writing. The same goes with the rest of the cast - they are as tropey and typical as K-drama characters come, but in a way that’s also their job, to sprinkle in laugh-out-loud moments in this top-secret operation.
Poor character writing is also evident on the story's antagonist. At first, the school's chairwoman, Seo Myeong Ju (played by Kim Shin Rok), appears to be too powerful and cunning to be defeated, only to have questionable cards up her sleeves. The way she effortlessly bounces back from defeat is unconvincing. If only they had shared some backstory about Myeong Ju, it might have been easier to understand and relate to her obsession with gold bars and elite school. However, kudos to Shin Rok for portraying her with such steely grace and eerie aura. Her choice of clothes is also an eye-turner and a highlight every episode.
The pacing of this show is also an issue for me. This would have worked better as a movie rather than a TV series. Even though this series only has 12 episodes, it somehow feels like it stretches on forever mainly due to filler scenes and characters constantly getting sidetracked along the way. The conflict itself also feels less gritty and intense as the story progresses.
To sum up, Undercover High School is your subpar action k-drama. It's such a letdown that a series with a promising gist and talented main cast gets bogged down by generic and uninspired writing. Anyways, I'm still thankful this cured my kdrama slump. There is nothing a charming and swoon-worthy oppa can't cure after all.
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