The Midnight Romance in Hagwon (2024)

There ought to be a law...

If either the word "romance" or "love" are in the title, call me crazy, but I think that should be the focus. This is the first show in a long time that every day I remember that I'm not finished with it yet. It wasn't grabbing me, that's for sure.

Story: Here is where I think the problem was. Instead of romance we get hours' worth of a cautionary tale regarding the Korean education system. It would have been very interesting if it had been interspersed throughout the drama, but it was the focus and it went on too long. The romance was underbaked and felt like more of an afterthought to me. I didn't care for the FL character - she was so condescending to her boyfriend! When she said, "Look at me and listen to what I have to say. Focus." I wanted to smack her. He was so caring toward her, but he was an afterthought to her. There were quite a few scenes in her house or in one of the lecture rooms where it was so dark you couldn't see what was going on. Boring ending (though I did like the proposal, and those are the prettiest rings I've seen in a long time.)

Acting/Cast: The strength was here, that's for sure. The leads were great, I thought the second couple were very cute, and I loved the bar owner and his wife. Standouts for me: Kim Jung Young as the VP and Seo Jung Yeon as the director. I've seen both of these ladies in numerous works, and they played completely different parts here and were so wonderfully unlikeable. And the director's gray hair was fabulous. My favorite was Kim Song Il as Pyo Sang Sub - a world-weary teacher with an unyielding character. Truly, everyone did a great job.

Music: Oh, my heavens I hated the song at the beginning and end of every episode (Open to page 64) - it gets into your head like an earwig and takes up residence, and not in a good way. A couple of episodes had overly dramatic music that didn't go at all.

Rewatch value: I barely got through it once!

I will say, as I'm in the minority in my thoughts, give it a try and decide for yourself.

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Eye-opening but shot too dark to see

Is a teacher's purpose only for helping students pass exams? Not knowing what a hagwon is when I started this drama, I had homework to do. Why are school kids learning in an office building? isn't that setting usually for adult night classes? It took a few episodes just to get a sense of the role of hagwons, or private prep schools, within the public educational system. Teachers compete against each other for students while pandering to the parents, measuring success by how many get accepted to prestigious universities. It's a complex world of ultra-privilege & free market dynamics, intertwined with regular schooling like a cancer, choking out academic freedom & feuling incredible pressures for all involved.

Speaking of night classes, this drama made me claustrophobic. Most of the scenes are visually dark: offices & rooms appear windowless, what windows were visible had their blinds drawn during the day, many outdoor scenes were nighttime, & classrooms & offices are so small all the occupants looked like they were virtually shoulder to shoulder. It made for a very oppressive setting. In fact, the overall look was so dark I actually had to adjust the brightness of my tv just to see what was going on (it's a cheap tv).

In spite of the show being uncomfortable to look at, the story itself was fascinating as it introduced an aspect of S Korean society I hadn't seen before, nor have I experienced anything close to that where I live. The story follows Seo Hye Jin (played by Jung Ryeo Won) a top performing teacher at a Daechi-dong academy. Her life is turned upside down when her former star student, Lee Jun Ho (played by Wi Ha Joon) quits a comfortable, nepotically achieved corporate job & is hired as a new teacher into her own team.

When you've been teaching for while, you discover it takes a student to challenge you to your roots. HyeJin unknowingly instilled in JunHo genuine wonder & curiosity in literature which was the spark to the improvement in his grades. But having been in the business for so long, HyeJin seems to have forgotten that focus, locked into her memorization techniques & dependency on her ability to predict exam questions that brought her to the top of her game. In stark contrast is JunHo's approach in encouraging exploration & appreciation. Catalyzing their explosive clash is a brilliant 10th grade student Lee Si Wu, who is in the top tier of smart: i.e. he actually knows what he doesn't know. Si Wu fully understands his perfect scores are like walking blindfolded on a tightrope, totally dependent on knowing which questions to study for, rather than being able to handle any question that could come his way. He knows how to memorize, but doesn't know how to read. JunHo wants to teach students to read, a skill for a lifetime, which would bring a seismic shift to the role of the academy as an economic machine, catering only to parents' wishes.

The influence of hagwons is so deep they affect real estate, & this is reflected in Jun Ho's pursuit of becoming successful enough to buy his own home. In spite of growing up privileged in Gangnam, he's determined to achieve his own living & stay in Gangnam. Stronger than his own economic ambition, however, is his pursuit of the true purpose of education & his own role as a teacher.

At the center of it all is JunHo & HyeJin's noona relationship, one in which HyeJin has a very hard time overcoming the teacher/student mindset. And, given her own hesitancy & inexperience, she's paradoxically mature & immature at the same time. JunHo challenges her on different levels &, in this respect, I felt this was one of the more realistically presented age gap romances I've seen. Things get ugly when ambitious executives at the school seek to use this relationship to destroy HyeJin's career. This somehow made me lose interest in the show in it's final episodes as it plunged downward into viscious office politicking.

The subject of hagwons has been eye-opening & for that reason I enjoyed the story which is the show's greatest strength, along with good performances from the cast. Unfortunately, the show was also visually suffocating with all the poorly lit interior & night time settings, & with a lower res tv I sometimes couldn't even see the actors' faces clearly. If you can get beyond that, this drama was well worth the watch for an honest examination of the purpose of education itself.

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Outstanding drama and actors, beautiful romantic situations

If someone would have told me I could become engrossed in a drama concerning Korean learning academies, I would have laughed off my fool head. Not only was I engrossed; I didn't want it to end. The LF and LM were a 100 on a scale of 10. The main support actors were a 95 on a scale of 10. My favorite episode (#8) was when the LF and her best friend were drinking and talking together privately in the Victorious Room at the academy where the FL taught. I will rewatch that episode numerous times because the course of the conversation was so naturally and well acted I forgot I was watching a drama. Episode 8 was pivotal to fully understand and identify with the FL.

I became fascinated with the issues involving Korean learning academies and am now determined to delve into the why's, who's, and how's introduced in this drama.

I loved every moment of this drama!

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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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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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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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Slice-of-life series, with a sweet romance and a severe criticism of the Korean school system.

PLOT: FL, star teacher at a prestigious hagwon, finds one of his former students as a colleague.

+ Quite harsh criticism of the Korean school system: competition, cramming, over-importance of grades and rankings, pressure from parents, number of hours of daily work, ... But here we discover the world of hagwons (academies). I know it's part of Korean culture, but which parents want to impose that on their children? I understand why more and more Korean families are emigrating, especially to escape such a "massacre" of their children... => Kudos fro the producer Ahn Pan Seok !

+ Great cast: Wi Ha Joon & Jung Ryeo Won form a harmonious, respectful, confident couple, with great chemistry.
+ romance 2 is very cute (with So Ju Yeon)
+ very realistic context and tone
+ Excellent OSTs
+ pretty and sweet ending

# pace which slows down in the 2nd half

=> a very good slice-of-life series, realistic, with a sweet romance and a severe criticism of the Korean school system.
*************************************************************************************

PLOT : La FL, prof vedette d'un hagwon de prestige, retrouve un de ses anciens élèves, comme collègue.

+ Critique assez sévère du système scolaire coréen : compétition, bachotage, sur-importance des notes et des classements, pression des parents, nombre d'heures de travail quotidien, ... Mais on découvre ici le monde des hagwons (académies de cours de soutien/perfectionnement). Je sais que cela fait partie de la culture coréenne, mais quels parents souhaitent imposer ça à ses enfants ? Je comprends pourquoi de plus en plus de familles coréennes émigrent, notamment pour échapper à un tel "massacre" de leurs enfants ... => Bravo au réalisateur Ahn Pan Seok !
+ Super cast : Wi Ha Joon & Jung Ryeo Won forment un couple harmonieux, respectueux, confiant, avec une belle alchimie.
+ la romance 2 est très cute ( avec So Ju Yeon)
+ contexte et ton très réalistes
+ Excellentes OST
+ jolie et douce ending

# rythme qui se ralentit dans la 2nde moitié

=> une très bonne série slice-of-life, réaliste, avec une sweet romance et une sévère critique du système scolaire coréen.

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Dont let the title fool you

This drama advertises itself as a primarily romance orientated drama, but i would beg to differ. If you're looking to watch this drama, it is NOT a romance, it is just sixteen episodes of 'hagwon' (academy/tuition centre) politics, and how the hagwon is affected by said 'romance'.
So, that explains why i feel like i wasted my time with this drama.
What did i get out of it? Basically nothing.
See, i wouldnt have minded if it was vice versa and the romance took the main role with a side of hagwon politics, but that wasnt the case.
I would have still watched this anyways since i am a fan of wi ha jun, he's my type in men and an amazing actor to boot, so any drama that he works on that i like the premise of is a must watch for me, but no amount of ogling at his beautful face could save this drama from the trenches of a severe lack of romantic plotline, chemistry or development.
I wouldnt recommend this if you are looking for romance.
Theres no midnight romance, its just hagwon.
If you like hagwon politics however, you should watch it.
It's a well made drama, however it's romance plotline is very weak and this drags the drama down - nothing much really happens between them and they have barely any romantic tension after episode 8.
Basically, after episode 8 the drama is entirely focused on hagwon politics.
Quite disappointed. I like the ost a lot tho, an the acting is very good, if it didnt have these qualities it would have been a 6.
Love the actor playing si woo, i will be waiting for his future roles, and the actress playing hye jin is amazing and encompasses her role very well.

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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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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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school/academies dramas were forced

im gonna say that i wanted to watch it because of wihajoon, of course he delivered and seo hyejin also played really good. i think that the cast and acting is the best thing about this show.
however, i do understand why the rating is higher than mine rating.
the chemistry, the tension, the couples - sooo good. main female lead was acting her age, shes grown woman and her behavior was appropriate for her age (some kdramas cant relate;()
anyway, what i didnt like was all the school/academy drama.
like when the teacher from public school was on screen, what was that? his bad character was so forced, maybe the writing was just bad
also, all the drama between academies, like chill, it was just boring and like what would grown people act that way about their students and academies?
why it was such a big deal that two teachers are dating? why there is this big drama about it?
so everything was nice if we are not looking about all the problems in school/academy/teacher.
i get it that we need 'bad' characters, like the teacher at first, or we need bad things and some drama, but ngl it was so forced and unreal.
i hope wi hajoon and seo heyjin will be cast in other romance kdrama;)

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