Reviews

--> In one line <-- : If you've never been confronted to this genre before, it's a way like another to discover it, though not exactly the best start."

For over half of the episodes I tried and during the five episodes I've gone through, not once did I feel entertained. But then again, maybe it isn't entirely the drama's fault ; it had been sold to me as a particular genre, and therefore I was waiting to see a story fitting the said genre ; except it had nothing to do with it. Then the question is, would I have enjoyed the show if it had been sold properly to me ? Maybe....but probably not. Whether or not this was sold to me properly shouldn't have been an obstacle to feel entertained, but I wasn't. The question now is why.

Let's start with the plot. For the majority of the seen episodes nothing mattering occurred; if the scenarist's inspiration was Gustave Flaubert, a French writer bragging how he can write about "nothing", then he succeeded, but missing the writing style. One would say it is used to build up the suspense or to get to know the characters better ; I felt none of the two. I simply did not care ; at fault isn't really the story, in itself, it is neither bad nor good, just boring ; the real issue, is the acting performance of the cast.

The cast looks bored, and inevitably, when an actor isn't entertained by his own job, the interest in the performed character is immediately hindered and in this case, it includes close to the entire cast. So if they are bored, why should I, on the opposite, feel entertained ? I am after all the receptor. As for the characters themselves, they are generic and don't leave much of an impression, except one or two. Well, on the other side, it is also the role of the director to guide his/her actors' properly so they can perform at their best and how he/she wants the characters to be. So the actors, even if bored or not, aren't entirely at fault, the director shares the blame.

A second issue, with the story, is linked to the situation they are in : teenagers cut from the rest of the world in a building with one of them being a murderer ; and most of the time, I have absolutly no sense of danger ; the characters are way too calm and composed and only start to react in a more realistic way in episode 5 (if the question is why I didn't continue when it was finally starting to have a ray of entertainement is that I simply forgot about it and couldn't care less anymore) ; even the simulacre of investigation, or the revelation of some pasts and some shades of mystery being solved aren't enough for it to build suspense or entertainment.

The music is very often redundant and the same song used too often per episode, but apart from that, there's no real formal issue with the production ; and then, considering some musics they use, they certainly lost a good amount of money simply to pay rights. Don't expect many asian songs in this, there's a fair amount of older occidental songs. Like, dislike, but do not forget they'll be quite repetitive and sometimes overused.

The rewatch value....well, obviously....when one drops it, it can only be quite low.

Overall....as I said...the show isn't bad, just uninteresting and generic. If you've never seen this kind of story, you might appreciate it, because naturally it'll appear fresh and new like every first time, but then I hope you'll encounter many more stories of this genre in the future, because if it isn't bad, it isn't good either and there's a lot of good fictions with similar stories waiting out there.

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Desperate attempts from the production

This drama is nothing like any other korean drama i've watched. At first it makes me eager to know what happened to all the villains characters in it but in the end they decided to keep the audiences by continuing to season 2 which is for me unnecessary because in season 1 they drag and spin the story line too much . I think the director/production are so desperate in attempts to make it a hit drama. It has no originality, trying to copy sky castle drama by not being better but horrible at it.The fact that they tried to copy sky castle already annoyed me so much because in sky castle the riches wants their kids to continue studies in medic, which is makes sense but in this drama the compete to be soprano singers? Like wth?
If you like all the screaming, dramatic and overly react acting, then you can watch this drama. Nearly the end, I feel so sick of watching all the screaming scenes. If you asked me whether it worth to watch, I said no. The only thing good about this drama is the actress play their roles so well and they are all suited with the characters in the drama.

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The reason I found this K-Drama is because I was searching for the US version of Leverage and came found this remake. The original Leverage is one of my favorite TV shows of all time so I had to see what the Korean version would be like. My review may be biased because of my high hopes for this show. For the rest of the review I will be referring to the new Korean remake of Leverage as KLeverage and the original US version as just Leverage.

First things first, the KLeverage shares the simplest plot elements with Leverage. Both shows feature a insurance investigator whose son dies. Both have a cast of five with roles of Mastermind, Grifter, Thief, Hacker, and Fighter. Both are based on a Robin Hood concept where the team tries to help the underdog in a fight against a corporation. That's where the similarities end. KLeverage's episodes are connected by the victims who are all related to the people that led to the main character's son's death. Leverage's episodes are isolated plots where each episode features a new victim whom the team helps. This is understandable because of the format of Korean vs Western TV shows. In 16 episodes, KLeverage cannot follow the same format that Leverage did. However, the story of KLeverage is uninspired with cookie cutter villains all willing to kill whoever bothers them.

KLeverage features an interesting group of characters who work well together. Without time to provide fully introduce each character's backstory, KLeverage is still able to show some growth. The actors also did a wonderful job as portraying each member of the team as likable in their own unique way. This is what I believe KLeverage did the best and what would keep me watching for a season 2.

In hindsight, KLeverage is exactly what it sets out to be. It is a Korean remake of an American show which means it is going to be similar to other Korean dramas. I should not have been surprised that it did not follow the same format as its 77 episode predecessor. As a casual watcher of Asian (and mostly love dramas at that), KLeverage did nothing to impress me. For someone who is more used to the Korean drama tropes, KLeverage may be an interesting crime show that can be finished in a short 16 episodes. I however, will stick to re-watching the original Leverage.

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Easy on the eyes with a touch of boredom and a rushed, crazy finale...

While I understand what the production tried to do - replacing homophobia with xenophobia for merman, they did not do a thoughtful job. Especially the story around the events 20 years ago were not done properly. It is mentioned in the middle of the series and culminates in the finale with a ridicilous solution to cure poisoning. Of course when you first see the actor playing Phraphai father, you already know who the bad guy is - that's when you "typecast" an actor for mostly bad guy roles. So the predicability shot through the roof - and I don't like that. That his adoptive son also plays a psychopath is also not helping.

The rest is ok, they even put effort in the merman fins which did not look out of place. The setting is also nice, it's not in the city, but of course we have the typical rich city boy and a very naive bartender who does not stand up for himself and is under the thumb of the psychopath most of the time. Because it's not a school setting I expected him to be more pro-active and not display such a passive behaviour. He is old enough to know what he wants and what he does not want. The first four episodes drag on a bit and I wished they had introduced the past event much much earlier and kept that storyline more in focus and did tell that story in more details and not so rushed. The side-story of Pings mother was just ridicilous imho. If you tell your son for 20 years, that he is a "monster" - but then change your mind when he left for a day - it's just not realistic in my book. And they did not really need that story-plot.

Storywise this is an average show, the production was ok most of the time and it's easy on the eyes. But just cute/handsome actors do not make a convincing story. It's far away from the worst thai BLs we got to see this year but it's also not really good either. It's an ok show and if you like the premise it's not too bad to watch.

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slice of life mini series

Overall: this is a 20 minute short movie that was originally released in 2022 and was broken up into 3 mini episodes (first episode was 5 minutes without the credits). Aired on Strongberry's YouTube channel over 3 weeks (1 episode per week)

What I Liked
- fighting over the diary
- realistic vibe
- production value

Room For Improvement
- beginning didn't hook me, and how I couldn't see the main character's face
- released such short episodes at 1 episode per week instead of all together
- the ending was open to interpretation with contradictory clues/evidence for each ending
- the title (just do an internet search on "happy ending slang" if you don't know what it means) but I didn't take off points
- the subtitles needed to stay a little longer on the screen as people read slower than when they are just listening (didn't take off points)

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Must watch for Queer people

Its not a typical bl its a Gay 2 men love story with family and society
Amazing story and acting nowonder it own so many awards . Taiwan always prove they are quality over QUANTITY. Taiwan movies are really underrated hope people will check out more
This movie tell so many stories of their sides with suspense and mystry . Its been 3 hours i am still crying and my pain hasnt stop knowing if i fall for women with child . I will not have no right to call my baby cxe for world of eyes there is only Husband and Wife . Its really painful how real life is 100× more wrost of gay/queer people and how in 72 countries we are still illegal.
This story potery feelings of Mark , how regret is the most powerful thing ,Dad Mark II you are the best father and husband . You did nothing wrong it wasnt your fault .Hope people respect this movie as art and respect it

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I'm actually really conflicted on the rating.... I give my 10s easily, but I have this feeling that something was missing..

I feel like this drama just tried to push the limits, and at a certain point they got caught up in their own plan of "how can we make this even more shocking". I kinda started to lose interest by ep12 ish, and I think that's when they tried too hard to add more conflict so the story doesn't end, but they didn't want a rushed ending so they made ep15 seem like a pre conclusion, but then they kept adding conflict after the resolution becasue they had 2 more hours to go.
like the "I'm sorry", "I'll kill you", "let's forget this", "I'll kill you" dance...

for one thing, I'm glad of how they handled Ye Rim and Je Hyuk, but just like the rest of the story I feel like they gave us too much buildup/middle ground and not enough cleanup/closure?

like they never talked about Hyun Seo or In Gyu again. so what? was it suicide? was it not? why did they play us to think it might be Yoon Gi?
and the son running away? then they didn't show his face at the end? why because he looked older or they couldn't film that scene with the real actor? becasue it was a last minute thought?

when Tae Oh tried to kill himself I got the desperation, but it was a slow street, even if the bus/truck hit him he'd have only broke a bone or two. it was not going that fast, but I was emotional when they revealed that he wasn't dead. otherwise I'd have given it a 1 ;)
also all of those scenes making it seem like they were going to kill the son? come on that was a cheap move..
which makes me wonder if the son running away was the writers "punishment" for Sun Woo, because at the end of the day she was not blameless in that mess

but I do admire them for breaking away from the revenge mold, usually it takes them 10eps to uncover the secret and 5eps of omg I can't believe, with 1 wrap up party..


the ost was great and I never rewatch stuff

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Awesome. One of the few unpredictable and not-cliched dramas of all time. It actually lived up to its genre, mystery and suspense. full of unpredictable twists and turns. it can leave you a bit confused at times, but its easy to catch up. Great character chemistry. Personality crashes are one of my personal favorites, and this had plenty of that. But for some reason, Sebumi didn't click with me. Maybe it's the character, maybe it's the actor....great acting overall. Really loved the bad guys. Their personalities will chill you, literally.
Music nothing special, and not very good re watch value. Once you know the tricks, it won't be as suspenseful anymore, because..... simply because you know the story. The story depends a lot on unpredictability.
So, anyone like suspense, action, mystery, supernatural/scifi, a must watch for you. just be ready for a lot of twists.

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I become a fan of Nam De Joong, screenwriter and director, because it’s the second project of him after “The Last Ride” and I love them both.

It’s a bitter-sweet saguek comedy with a big show of Junho, because his performance is brilliant. The rest of the cast did a good job too, especially Kim Dong Young, who deserves a lead role in the next film of director Nam De Joong.
The script is just impressively elaborated and the dialogues are intelligent. The story picks up social problems located in the past, but universal about life of women and scars in the human hearts.

It isn't a classic romcom, not at all. It isn't a trivial and banal light entertainment. It’s a touching love story with a very special taste of humor and Junho was able to create this unique spirit.

I highly recommend, the scenario and acting are top notch. But you must be ready to cry.

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I had no idea what to expect coming into this drama. As if Peking opera and WW2 aren't already very general public unfriendly, it is a BL adaptation of a novel most people have never heard of before; and it is one that BL fans would reject bc the main character is canonically married to a woman and the 2 leading actors are not young fresh actors but veterans in their 30s, 40s. Plus the controversial producer. I personally first started watching bc I already have some affinity towards Peking opera, but how do I even go about promoting this drama to the casual viewer? their first thought would be "it looks boring", which I get it, I thought so too.

BUT if you’re reading this have some interest towards any of the topics presented in the this drama, I would strongly suggest giving it a try; it could subvert your expectations in a big way. The way this drama presented Peking opera is so vibrant, elegant, and romantic and it's so well incorporated into the story. Having background knowledge about the operas SXR sings really enhances the experience and actually motivated me to look at more Peking opera material (which I know is rather difficult without knowledge of Chinese, but again, narrow topic!). The sets, costumes, cinematography all just screams effort and quality. I don't think much need to be said about the acting. Anyone can see from the cast list that these are all the big guns. They're not gonna draw a crowd of fangirls, but you can expect on point acting from A to Z. The leads, the supporting actors, all did their job superbly. I do have to give special attention to Yin Zheng, bc Shang Xirui is a very difficult role; any role that involves a Peking opera singer will be, but SXR is extra crazy. tbh I found him unlikeable in the novel, but it was so fascinating to watch him grow and change. Yet Yin Zheng manages to express the duality of SXR's elegance as a opera singer and his rabid dog personality offstage. They aged the character up significantly (the immaturity of SXR makes more sense in the novel as he was only 17/18) but Yin Zheng somehow still made it work as an adult. And the fact that he is so visually gorgeous and mesmerizing in opera costume sobs.

For the aspects I'm not keen about, one is WW2 (which is a topic I don't think many drama viewers are keen about anyway lol). While I ate all the plotlines about opera right up, I did have to skip some military scenes. I know these 2 kinda have to go hand in hand bc history, but I'm glad the show kept a fine balance and the war stuff didn't feel too bogged down. I also felt like the "bad guys" could be more multifaceted and natural. I think they really tried with 2 annoying opera troupe boss coming around to SXR at the end and there's that ONE good Japanese person, but all those arcs felt too cheesy. I also don't dig the OST much, which is truly a personal preference. there are really amazing Peking opera fusion songs out there with perfect vibes for this drama, and they did use one for the opening song, but I just wanted more.

Lastly, I know a burning question people have is about the "bromance" or BL. Well the official answer is, it's there. They're the deepest of soulmates and there is no character in the drama that wouldn't acknowledge it by the end. ngl I was expecting just a true socialist bromance because of the synopsis: "Shang Xirui and Zhu Fengtai are moved to make sacrifices for their country". I can tell you now that's not what happened lol. Towards the end the plot moves solely by the constant sacrifices they made for each other. There is zero sexual motivation between them (which there was plenty of in the novel, and I know BL fans are at least looking for hints of that), but I felt like they encompassed the emotional depth of everything from romantic love, to familial love, to unconditional love etc. the kind of love that makes you free just by being in the presence of the other person. There are no daring fanservice scenes like kabedon or bathing scene or that much slowmo, but the script/dialogue is fantastic and if you really listen to what these 2 characters are saying to each other I promise you’ll get plenty of emotional fulfillment. I do admit that I don't think YZ and HXM have sparks flying chemistry, but it's enough and both of them are so good at acting that I'd eat up any relationship they want to portray.

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Hilarious, Tear Jerking, Endearing.

This one is truly a rollercoaster ride. Mainly due to its ability to make me laugh and cry simultaneously within the same episode.
It reminded me strangely of Hikaru No Go, for some reason, though I have only watched the first few episodes of that one. Maybe the bromance and ‘Chu Ying’ being the keys?

Pu Yi Yong, a rowdy highschooler hailing from a family of well respected calligraphers fails to perform well at school and is constantly accused of bullying the star student, Cao Guan Yang. Discovering his talent for calligraphy while on detention, his principal and teachers encourage him to enter a contest.
Whilst on the way to the contest, the bus gets into a freak accident, severely injuring Yi Yong and plunging his family into misery. He wakes up after ‘a long time’ in coma to discover that he has somehow acquired the power of seeing the dead – or rather “things” that are invisible entities. With the help of a traffic cop Chu Ying and the most unlikely ally, his own nemesis Cao Guan Yang, he sets on a journey to piece together the puzzles that will eventually lead to the answers he is in search of.

What makes this drama a highlight of 2023 (for me) is the realistic portrayal of the various relationships in life.
Starting off right away with an inauspicious and ominous scene (although the drama has several funny moments) the major cases or “things” that Yi Yong come across are related to the dark or rather unpleasant aspects of human life. Some of them were genuinely heartbreaking and made me tear up.
There are about 5 or 6 different mysteries within the twelve episodes, and I appreciate how the scriptwriters and crew managed to almost deliver a satisfying conclusion to each one of them.

On the other hand, the shenanigans of Chu Ying, Cao Guan Yang and Yi Yong were to die for. They made a perfect mixture of realistic, dumb and wise all at once. Sprinkled in is also the bromance between Guang Yan and Yi Yong, which I adored. [There is no romance to focus on, so don’t you worry. Or you can imagine a budding romance by yourself.]

Yi Yong was definitely the character whom the writers spent more time and effort on. Guan Yang is much more reticent. Peng Cian You was “really” convincing as a highschooler and a sophomore who barely interacted with human beings. His performance in the final episode was gobsmacking.

I have to say, Tseng Jing Hua managed to convey Yi Yong’s dilemmas, fears and the comedy naturally and is easily a favorite. Aside from him, the supporting actors were terrific, particularly after EP4. The writers managed to somehow circumvent 'plot blockers' and utilize almost every character onscreen.
Even a random baker who appeared by chance had some impact in the story, but I'm not quite convinced by the way it proceeded as it felt out of place.

Yipa, aka Chu Ying was lively, but I felt that she had a more comedic role than Yi Yong. This is my second time watching Vivian Sung after “Our Times”, and it was good to see her back on screen, but for most part, she existed to help Yi Yong with his ‘cases’. We see that she has begun to view her job through a different light by the half mark.
Then, there were times I realized that she really is the elder one amongst them. Her colleagues at the department and Yi Yong’s two buddies were hilarious and never failed to make me laugh.

Setting that aside, several wise and haunting words in the drama are spoken by supporting characters.
Aside from all this, I loved the relationship between Yi Yong and Mom - who for once was a constant part of his life and made an attempt to genuinely encourage him despite his setbacks.

The OST was solid - there was only a single tune that was well emphasized with different renditions for each situation. Plus, a set of cartoonish BGMs were exclusive whenever the “Frenemies” came on screen.
My favorite is the closing song “Painful Hug” by Ozone. It perfectly encapsulates the core theme of the story.

From what I gathered so far, Taiwanese dramas tend to do a better job at plotting stories well if they have an idea.
I found the first two episodes quite slow in spite of all that happens, but I had experienced the same with another Taiwanese Drama, so I decided to stick around. The 'main' or rather the heart of the drama can be a bit predictable, however, it does not feel worn out and had a much more emotional impact.

I will rate this a 9.5/10. It had been a fun ride that I will definitely rewatch. I would not say no to a well developed second season, but sequels usually ruin the memories of it's predecessors. All in all, this was definitely an indelible drama worthy of my time.
I hope that Yi Yong and Guan Yang are still bickering somewhere and driving Chu Ying crazy and that every character finds their happy place.

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Sweet, But Worlds Apart From Its Predecessor…

For those unaware ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ ( alternatively known as ‘ 星から来たあなた’ or ‘ My Love From The Stars’) is adapted from ‘ My Love From The Star’ starring Kim So Hyun ( ‘ Dream High’, ‘ Secretly Greatly’ and ‘ It’s Okay To Not Be Okay’) and Jun Ji Hyun ( ‘ My Sassy Girl’, ‘ The Legend Of The Blue Sea’ and ‘ Jirisan’).

‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ focuses upon the same basic plot premise as its predecessor . Mitsuru Higashiyama ( Fukushi Sota- ‘ BLEACH’, ‘ Omukae Desu’ and ‘ Avalanche’) is a seemingly ordinary university lecturer, apart from one fact: he’s not human.

Stranded on earth during the edo period, Mitsuru has been forced to blend in with humans for more than 400 years whilst keeping his abilities and identity low-key.

However, everything changes for Mitsuru when he encounters popular and seemingly haughty actress Sasahara Tsubaki ( Yamamoto Mizuki - ‘ Tokyo Alice’, ‘ Perfect World’ and ‘ Ningen Kowai’). Tsubaki and Mitsuru soon find their paths crossing in more ways than one, as Mitsuru finds it harder to keep his secret…

As mentioned previously, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ is based upon the popular Korean series ‘ My Love From The Star’ and was initially written by award-winning screenwriter Park Ji Eun ( ‘ My Husband Got A Family’, ‘ The Producers’ and ‘ Legend Of The Blue Sea’).

However whilst there are certainly some intriguing things to note about Amazon Prime’s Japanese adaptation ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’, it’s admittedly hard not to notice where the screenwriting felt inconsistent even as a standalone piece.

Naturally this isn’t entirely the fault of writing problems alone. A limited duration length did naturally restrict the abilities to explore plot lines, or counterplots in detail. On the other hand whilst time can be a limiting factor for any production or adapted series, it was still noticeable for viewers that ‘ ‘Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ did little to adapt itself to its limitations.

Whilst the series did admittedly draw greater attention upon the potential romantic relationship of main leads Tsubaki and Mitsuru, the overcommitment for attempting to tie in several unexplored subplots in a short space of time could often make the events of the narrative feel somewhat sporadic and desultory . As a consequence this allowed restricted and limited opportunities in order to explore characters beyond their surface level.

The acting quality of the series is admittedly variable dependent on scenes. Fukushi Sota and Yamamoto Mizuki were fairly decent as our main leads, though surprisingly, despite the talents of both respectful actors , Sota and Mizuki’s onscreen chemistry felt somewhat lukewarm at best.

Admittedly this wasn’t entirely the fault of the actors. Despite several attempts in order to reiterate the importance of the romantic relationship between the main leads in ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’, there were few and far distinguishable or emotive moments in the series where the audience could truly understand the importance or relevance of this relationship.

Of course whilst there were several heartwarming exchanges and insights into the characters at times, the paper thin roles of the main characters could often impact their presence onscreen.

Despite Tsubaki seemingly being an actress who has suffered under false stigmas and stereotypes , it was hard to truly pinpoint moments where audiences saw Tsubaki as a dynamic character, mature or at least be explored with more vulnerable sides. Similarly, whilst Mitsuru is seemingly a character who has carried a seemingly arcane burden of being stranded as an extraterrestrial on earth, Mitsuru rarely seemed to be affected, develop or being given opportunities in order for viewers to digress his current persona or past.

In addition to our main leads, there is also an array of side characters. Whilst some of these side characters are necessary to a certain extent in the events of the series, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ rarely fleshed out the significance of these particular characters , built up their presence onscreen or at least foreshadowed or tied in certain actions or events surrounding their appearances to make them memorable for the audience.

Then of course there’s the question of pacing with ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’. As mentioned previously, ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ was limited from the outset with having to compact a storyline into a space of ten episodes. Whilst the narrative is certainly expedited by mainly focusing upon the romantic aspect of the main leads, this also manifested as a double-edged sword with execution.

Pacy, engaging and allowing opportunities in order to allow the storyline to progress, but rarely did this allow time for ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ to build upon its characters, plot line or a sense of conflict, dilemmas or obstacles for the main leads. Indeed whilst the drama did attempt to throw in several conflict points by the final part of the series, the finale felt somewhat anticlimactic as a result.

As for the filming quality and cinematography , ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ is admittedly average. The quality, whilst not bad per say, was unimpressively fuzzy in certain scenes for a production released under the name of a top company such as Amazon Prime. In addition to this the absence of a sleek gradient, versatile camera angles as well as absent palettes schemes and even a lack of subtle motifs were prominent as the series progressed.

The OST for ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ was sparsely used in the series. Notably when music was present in scenes, it was often faint and synchronic; attempting to place emphasis on characters or scenes, without always leaving an impactful punch by the end of episodes. Arguably one of the few memorable tracks found in the series was GReeeeN’s ‘ Ryusei no Kakera’; an avant-garde yet surprisingly upbeat melody which played as the drama’s main theme song.

Acknowledging a drama as a standalone piece is always quintessential when talking about adaptations. Admittedly ‘ Hoshi Kara Kita Anata’ did add its own idiosyncratic touches to the storyline by bringing on board the talents of Fukushi Sota and Yamamoto Mizuki as the main leads. On the other hand it’s hard to deny that the chaotic bricolage of the drama’s inconsistent narrative, characters, pacing and filming, couldn’t help but make the series feel as though it failed to live up to legacy of its predecessor and past incarnations. An average and easygoing binge-watch, but perhaps not a worthwhile investment.

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The Romance with Potential That Lost Its Way

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon* sounded like it had everything to be a great drama. It started with a fun idea: Seo Hye-jin, a dedicated hagwon instructor, and Lee Joon-ho, her former student who comes back into her life after ten years, leading to a secret romance. I was excited to dive into this love story and explore the world of Korean cram schools.

At first, the drama was really engaging. The chemistry between the leads was great, and I enjoyed learning about the hagwon system. The acting was top-notch, and the romance seemed promising. It was everything I hoped for in a romance drama.

But, as the episodes went on, things started to slow down. After about ten episodes, the show lost its charm. The pacing became uneven, and just when the story started to get interesting again towards the end, it wrapped up too quickly. It felt like the drama was building up for something big, only to end abruptly.

The show had a strong start with its themes of idealism and a touching romance, but it quickly turned preachy. Instead of delving deeper into the characters and their struggles, it became more about criticizing the education system in a repetitive way. The drama’s message felt more like a lecture than a part of the story.

As for the romance, it didn’t really shine. Lee Joon-ho, the charming student, had potential but didn’t develop much beyond being a catalyst for Seo Hye-jin’s growth. Seo Hye-jin started off as an interesting character but became a bit bland over time. The side characters were not very developed either, and their roles felt flat and one-dimensional.

The drama also leaned heavily into melodrama, with exaggerated conflicts and villains that seemed over-the-top. This overshadowed the real issues and made the show feel less genuine.

In the end, *The Midnight Romance in Hagwon* started strong but didn’t live up to its potential. If you enjoy dramas with a mix of romance and slice-of-life elements, you might find it worth a watch. But if you’re looking for a story that keeps its promise and delivers a satisfying ending, you might be left disappointed.

Overall, it’s a drama with a great premise but missed the mark in execution. It’s like a movie that starts off exciting but doesn’t quite hit the right notes by the end.

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