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The Midnight Romance in Hagwon: More Education and Less Romance
"The commercialization of education turns a public good into a private commodity." This quote by Diane Ravitch encapsulates the central theme of the drama. It focuses on education within an academy setting, exploring academy politics, conflicts between school and academy teaching styles and rivalries between academies and teachers.The story follows Seo Hyejin, an elite private educator, as she navigates her struggles in the academy and discovers new love with Lee Junho. The drama employs a highly realistic style with every element portrayed authentically. Education related issues are handled with great care and a realistic approach. However, the pace can sometimes be slow. If you are not a fan of slowburn, workplace centric dramas, you might want to skip this one.
Most of the characters are very much like normal human beings, neither wholly good nor bad. Everyone has their flaws which makes the drama interesting when conflicts arise between them.
Seo Hyejin, an elite instructor at Daechi academy, has forgotten her passion for teaching focusing instead on traditional methods and maximizing profits. When her views clash with her new love, Lee Junho and she interacts with her new student, Siwoo, she realizes how far she has strayed from her original passion. Her journey is full of ups and downs and her conflicts with various characters, such as the White Haired Witch, Mr. Pyo, and Lee Junho, make the drama compelling to watch.
When Lee Junho entered Daechi academy, he appeared as nothing more than a lovesick puppy for Hyejin. While he has a long way to go to become a fully mature person, his growth as an instructor, even if slight is evident throughout the drama. He holds strong views on introducing new teaching methods, which, although innovative, are quite risky.
In his love life, Junho is immature and often comes across as a pushy character who doesnt understand personal space. His persistent pursuit or rather stalking of Hyejin made me uncomfortable. Even after entering a relationship with Hyejin, he frequently behaves in a pushy manner which made me dislike him at times. He certainly has a long way to go.
Mr. Pyo is a character who showed immense growth from the beginning to the end of the drama. His conflict with Hyejin was a major plot point. Initially, he seemed very intimidating conservative school teacher with a big ego. However as the series progressed, he displayed significant positive development.
I loved Nam Cheongmi's character a lot. When the drama began, she was portrayed as an insecure character with a less privileged educational background. Her insecurity was understandable for a rookie instructor desperate for a chance to prove herself. However as she got to know Seo Hyejin better, she stood by her until the end. Her love story with Junho's friend was genuinely cute. Despite her limited screen time, this character made a strong impression on me and i wish there had been more of her. I would have loved to see more of her development.
Other characters, such as the White Haired Witch, Director Kim and Vice President Woo, were quite complex and created tension for Seo Hyejin throughout the drama. Director Kim showed notable positive growth but the other two remained antagonistic throughout the series.
Even Junho's parents were portrayed realistically. Their scenes were relatable, especially for Asian viewers. While they werent entirely unbearable they embodied typical Asian parents to the core.
The drama primarily focuses on education, with romance being a definite subplot. The chemistry between Seo Hyejin and Lee Junho was quite nice but their love story was not without flaws. There were aspects of it that i disliked and others that i loved. If you are looking for a hardcore romance drama, this might not be the right choice.
The cinematography was heartwarming and cozy with a relaxing tone that i enjoyed. However some scenes were dimly lit, which i only noticed during nighttime viewing. Daytime viewers might find the dim lighting more problematic.
Overall, its a compelling drama that realistically explores education through the lens of an academy. If you enjoy slow burn workplace dramas, this is definitely for you.
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unterwegsimkoreanischenD
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A refreshingly sassy KDrama, critically reckoning with the South Korean education system (and love)
“The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” promises a love story with its international title - and that's what we get. Jung Ryeo-won and Wi Ha-joon are creating the relatively adult, authentic aura of a tender but complicated love relationship between a former graduate and his former tutor. Yet, the two are more than a couple. Today, as teachers, they inspire each other to teach didactically creative. And in doing so, they also inspire their students.Thus, the KDrama, which in the original means something like “The Graduate”, basically offers more than a romance. It is rather a quite critical reckoning with the South Korean education system. The criticism: It's less about education than about grades -and a lot of money is involved in getting good grades. The students learn the correct answers to their questions. They therefore receive any effective support outside of school, mainly in the tutoring academies, provided their parents can afford it. However, there is one thing, the students don't learn: how to ask the right questions. They don't learn to question or get to the bottom of something. They know their material they have to memorize and what formulas they should be able to apply. Everything else is not part of the entrance exam or a prerequisite for qualifying for admission to one of the three large SKY universities. It has to be Seoul National University, Korea University or Yonsei University (S, K and Y), if anyone in South Korea is to become something...
"The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" aka "The Graduate" takes stock of the prevailing, dubious, even misleading values of a society, still trying to convince the people that they have to obsessively achieve something in order to be valuable of some sort.
When it comes to the academy teaching staff, it is about tailor-made exam preparation, courting parents an acquiring new students. Looking to the right or left, seeing a student as an individual human being with dreams and needs, let alone respond to them? Oh my! Whether it's students or scandals, it's never about the people. It's always about the money. A lot of money. The competition is enormous. The South Korean education market is a lucrative economic engine that is humming along happily.
This KDrama offers a wonderfully staged, emotionally sensitive and vivid approach to these issues, using the fate of various ambitious, highly motivated teachers who would like to try something different, but are not allowed to. They are surrounded by elitist parents who are ready to do anything for the glorious future of their beloved, dearest offspring. They are also surrounded by fiercely competitive academies that are just waiting for someone to make a mistake, because then those protégés can easily be poached and their own coffers start ringing instead...
What a refreshingly sassy KDrama, dealing with all those issues...
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A cry from the heart about the current state of arts education in Korea
Ahn Pan Soek always chooses to highlight a social issue in his dramas and essentially this drama explores the current state of arts education in Korea with a romance blended in. If you hope it’s the other way around you will not only be disappointed, but probably miss the point entirely. Having said that, the romance that does unfold is beautifully written, directed and acted. And the lesson in arts education is a rallying cry to bring it back to life and reveal it’s passionate, emotional heart.He likes to find writers who can reveal both the underbelly and the heart and here he has collaborated with yet another subtle and mature writer, Park Kyung Hwa. She only has one other credit to her name which is delighting in the rating of 7.1 on the MDL richter scale. Obviously not earth shaking. Unfortunately there are no reviews, so I have no idea why it was rated so low. But here she is ably proving herself to be a typical Ahn Pan Seok collaborator with a nuanced and obviously well-informed script. She manages to highlight the different responses made by each character in pressure situations and handles the character development well, giving the viewer enough verbal information to follow along with the complex internal emotional landscapes that she is playing with. The emotional games that get played out in the final two episodes are especially good.
The pacing is very even and focuses on slow studies of people’s reactions. The life lessons learned here are not on a romcom level, they are difficult questions around the intersection between ethics and ambition, and, compassion and competition, requiring some thought and sensitivity to follow and appreciate. It really takes off about two thirds of the way through, at a point where often a drama flags.
The characters are closer to realistic so have good and bad about them, but are not exaggerated. For some they might be too ordinary, but I think that the actors do a good job at showing the hidden undercurrents and the depth is there if you look for it. At the start the FL makes some quite unprofessional moves and the ML bludgeons his naive way ahead. But this slice of life story leads you through the realistic steps that will change both their minds and their attitudes. At times there’s a moral superiority at work which might be a little difficult to swallow. But this is dramaland after all and the antagonists are kept within the bounds of credibility.
As with other Ahn Pan Seok dramas, the love story at the heart is sensitively portrayed. High five to Jung Rye Won and Wi Ha Joon who have great, believable chemistry. The uncertainty and awkwardness of the beginnings of intimacy are beautifully brought out. And the bedroom scene is such a joy. Full of warmth and naturalness. Ahh Pan Seok and his crew obviously manage to create an environment on set that allows the actors to feel comfortable and easy, so that their laughter and intimacy seem more real.
The supporting cast is a panel of very familiar faces if you are an Ahn Pan Seok stan. All of them are good and there are no two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs. As for Seo Jung Yeon’s hair, it is a sculpture in itself. It’s got enough product in it to hold up the Sydney Harbour Bridge and she wears it with impressive style. Who needs Medusa when you’ve got her death-stare boring into you from across the desk.
Overall the drama is a damning indictment of the Korean arts education system and the forces that keep it on the straight and narrow, where free thinking and self-learning is sacrificed to conformity and examination grades. In terms of thinking it creates more of the same, rather than individuals who can think outside the box and move in unique directions.
The majority of my working life was spent in “western” universities and I watched them change in order to accommodate the rote learning styles of the many countries whose students provide the financial survival of western education, once political policies turned them into businesses. Much has been lost in the process.
A PhD was once an entirely original piece of research in a field not previously studied. It required breaking new ground in an area carved out by the scholar. Now it has often become being included in someone else’s research programme to write papers and includes taught courses. Many students flounder if they are not told exactly what to do and how to do it.
Gone is the education in imaginative and original thinking and the confidence to explore academic freedom. This was the actual purpose of an arts education. But the drama reveals how that is undermined, such that the student never gains this skill, but only learns to parrot what is thought by someone else. At one point the character Lee Jun Ho (Wi Ha Joon), in his battle to teach differently, says “The smart ones… understand it will become an asset of their lifetime.” The whole essence of this thinking is carefully revealed in Episode 12 and it is explicitly delineated in step by step terms like a cry from the heart.
I won’t elaborate on, imo, how self defeating it is to push children in this way to rote learn so that they can get into a university (Seoul National) which is currently (June 2024) ranked at 62 on the THE scale of global universities, 14th in Asia, with an arts and humanities ranking of 176-200. (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/seoul-national-university) That’s indicative of a good university, but nothing exceptional. Children who get into the top university in the world - Oxford University - do not study in this way or for such punishing and unsustainable hours. Go figure…
Where Ahn Pan Seok and I completely part company is the music. My musical taste is pretty eclectic and I’m willing to embrace almost anything if it’s good. But banal and bland, predictable and pedestrian - nah. It’s not even as though you can just ignore it as background noise, tbh it’s often so cheerfully twee it attracts the ear. How he can be so subtle in his directing, yet have such naff taste in music is beyond me to understand. I’ve never watched a drama of his where the repetitive songs have not annoyed the hell out of me in every episode. Look, I’m sure there are people out there who love them, but I’m simply not one of them.
What I do like about his approach to music though is that he doesn’t always use it. His directing and the quality of the acting allows him to sometimes let emotional scenes play out without having to manipulate the viewers’ responses. They are good enough to stand on their own and silence is the thing that adds poignancy. Then immediately afterwards he’ll use something with brass and percussion at max reverb that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Marvel movie. What can I say…
As I have experience in the field and care very much about education I was probably able to read the message more thoroughly than most and as a result I really enjoyed this drama.
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Either its your cup of tea or its not.
This was my cup of tea, the romance is refreshing, just two people who loved each other a lot while facing the ordeals and stigmas of society and real life.Yet this may not be your cup of tea and you prefer something more dreamy and that's fine, it's your choice after all.
In conclusion, a realistic romance that touches your heart more than many others and honestly in a completely different way from others, and for me was definitely worth watching, because if it's your cup of tea, you'll love it.
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Captivating premiere, Realistic education plot. Plus, heartwarming romance!!
The midnight romance in hagwon is captivating, the school and acedemy setting made it more interesting. And that's not all, the argument of seo hye jin and the school teacher on the multiple choice question made it more realistic.There are many teachers out there who simply can't accept they made a mistake, especially when that mistake is being pointed out by an academy teacher or a student. When students tells some teachers about a question having more than an answer in the options given, they'll refute them by saying "I've already told you this is the only answer for the question". And they'd be more infuriated should the student mention that his/her academy instructor proved her right.
Humans learn from their mistakes, but some believe their mistakes should be covered just because they feel their pride would be hurt. And that's exactly what this teacher tried to do.
And honestly, school teachers and academy instructors perform the same duties but in different manners, I guess. school teachers teaches according to the national curriculum while academy teachers teaches a bit beyond curriculums. But all in all, both of them teach and impact knowledge, isn't it?
This drama is indeed very promising, with excellently executed plots. I'm excited to see more captivating episodes to come!!!
UPDATED
The romance between the two leads is both heartwarming and believable. The chemistry between the actors is undeniable, and their interactions are both funny and touching.
The writing is sharp and witty, with a good balance of humor and pathos. The dialogue is natural and believable, and the characters' emotions are conveyed with authenticity.
The acting is superb, with all three leads delivering nuanced and emotionally resonant performances. The actors bring the characters to life and make them feel like real people.
Overall, "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" is a captivating and heartwarming drama that will appeal to watchers, romantic comedies, and slice-of-life stories. It is a well-crafted and emotionally satisfying series that will stay with viewers long after the credits roll.
*UPDATED*
This drama is becoming draggy, it's betraying its plot. I took a break from this drama when I reached episode 8, I think it's been weeks now. When I took that break, episode 8 was still captivating, but now it seems I'm watching a different drama. Will proceed to episode 10, to reach a final conclusion.
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Intensely boring and completely lacking of any substance
Don’t be fooled by the title. This is no “noona romance” drama. In fact theres barely any romance to begin with. It’s a drama that primarily focuses on a niche story about teaching in hagwon and what it’s like to be a teacher.The writer presented it in a way that gives a false impression that it’s thought provoking and it might have some symoblism thrown in here and there but it’s completely devoid of anything interesting.
This drama brings absolutely nothing to the table. The characters are extremely uninteresting due to lack of characterization, no comedy at all, no stakes or interesting villain, and absolutely no romantic progression whatsoever.
Just a bland old story about teaching in hagwon. That’s all this is. It has absolutely nothing more to offer rather than that.
If you are in to that niche then this might be the drama for you but for the vast majority of people this drama is better than sleeping pills and it might even cure your insomnia.
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My First Review because this is the only Drama that I have watched while it was airing.
This my first review for a KDrama, I will be short about it. The starting was amazing even i was anxious of what might be go down in the coming episodes but it couldn't just do well in the second last part of the drama. The acting was good but the story continuation was below average. There were times when one could just see how below and clueless the characters were about how to deal with a crisis. People kept talking and a lot of talking kept going on, you never feel the impact of it eventually. The only thing that I held onto was the the beautiful chemistry between ML & FL apart from that the second half wasn't able to carry the same specularity.What should have happened in between they dragged it to the ending. If only it could be a tug of war between academies rather than multiple meets and unnecessary persusion knowing the consequence of it.
Korean Drama hardly and rarely lives upto my epectation especially they crash in the middle but I had high expectations with this one as it started slow and there weren't any cringe or slow moments but it really failed to deliver the perfect blow I was expecting all along.
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Beautiful romance with great chemistry
PROS:◇The romance (There is an age gap and they are both adults)
◇The chemistry
◇The writing very slice of life
◇The main couple
◇The friendships
◇The realistic characters.
◇The married couple that own the restaurant. What lovely green flags 💚
CONS:
◇The Meolodrama work senses dragged a little in the 2nd half.
Overall glad I watched it. Honestly a really nice watch when it was on.
If your a fan of slice of life's with a side of Meolodrama and 100% a happy endings? Then I recommend checking this one out. ♡
CONTENT WARNING:
◇Same language
♡ Romance ♡
◇A fade to black scene and kissing
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Upcoming Best Romance Drama currently!!
Upcoming Best Romance Drama currently!!This looks promising drama!! The texture is same style and genre with “one spring night” drama.
If you like “one spring night” and “something in the rain”, you will enjoy this drama too!!
Good directing and cinematography!!
a Realistic workplace plot will be with sweet romance!!!
I am fan of main lead actress and like their chemistry!!
hope to see more romantic scenes!!!
This will be slow burn romance drama and same vibe and texture with “one spring night” and “something in the rain” drama.
They have 6 years age gap only. Female lead was third year of university student and part-time study guide/instructor (not real teacher) while male lead was in high-school student (will be 18 or 19 age) for matriculation exam.
As per photos of age chart, current FL age is 35 years old and ML is 29 years old , that is why 6 years age gap only.
I enjoy this drama a lot!!! Can’t wait to see new episodes!!!!
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Mismatched writer and director makes for a mediocre melodrama.
Beautifully directed in Ahn Pan Seok's signature style, but unfortunately the writing isn't on par with the production. While APS often chooses dramas with a strong thematic narrative over detailed characters or complex plots at midway MRIH still hasn't developed any of those things. Newbie KDrama writers usually work for years as uncredited assistants before they shop their own scripts and this one probably should have stayed an assistant a while longer.Something in the Rain and One Spring Night (APS's previous works) are middle-class societal issues slice of life with melodrama romances. They primarily tackle how parental abuse primes women to accept abuse in the workplace and their romantic relationships, which creates a cycle. The FL is saved by the love of the ML, but he's an unsuitable partner and they have to conquer trials, tribulations and villains to be together.
Classic melodrama, close curtain.
MRIH doesn't deviate much from that formula - embattled hagwon tutor FL trapped in a career-life crisis until first student (and of course, first love) ML shows up to free her - but puts more focus on issues in lieu of romance. Which is perfectly fine, if the writer does a good job at meaningfully addressing those issues.
So what critique does MRIH offer?
That education should focus on students... without any realistic means to do that.
That authority in education is the enemy... without any exploration of how or why.
That teachers should be good teachers... which just circles on back to the first point.
It leaves a lot to be desired in depth and subtlety, especially compared to similar dramas that tackle education issues. The plot that attempts to reinforce those themes is equally lacking - it's mostly petty office politics blown exponentially out of proportion with some makjang circumstances and farcical villains to match.
The lack of a strong narrative would be understandable if the relationships and personal struggles of the cast took a central role instead, but every side character speaks with one expository voice - the writer's. And the writer is only concerned with one thing - hammering their message home over and over and over.
There's really nothing else to distinguish MRIH except the romance, which isn't particularly compelling unless you're into the student/teacher taboo. ML is a manic pixie dream boy - impulsive, devoted and with minimal development outside of facilitating FL's journey to personal fulfillment. FL suffers from Mature Female Lead Syndrome - so well rounded there's no edge to her personality. Together, they're unmemorable except for the florid bodice ripper romantic interludes that occur with regrettable regularity.
And since there seems to be some comment brigading going on, let me disclaim:
1. Yes, I'm an adult.
2. Yes, I'm a fan of slice of life, slow burns and noona romances.
3. Yes, I know the difference between a melodrama and a romcom.
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If You Like Slow Burn!
I absolutely loved "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon". As a die-hard fan of Ahn Pan Seok’s directing, this drama hit all the right notes for me. The melodramatic feel paired with stunning cinematography showcases Ahn Pan Seok’s signature style perfectly. The OSTs were also top-notch, enhancing every emotional moment.As a noona romance enthusiast, I was thrilled with the solid, slow-burn romance between Lee Joon Ho and Seo Hye Jin. Although the romance wasn’t front and center all the time, the moments we got were deeply satisfying and well-executed.
The portrayal of academy life and the conflicts between teaching styles in schools and private academies were brilliantly done. The drama beautifully highlights the challenges faced by academy teachers, especially through the character of Seo Hye Jin as she navigates the complexities of teaching ideals.
Overall, "The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" is a gem. It offers a unique blend of romance, drama, and insightful commentary on the education system. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates nuanced storytelling and well-developed characters.
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A masterpiece ✨
Finished watching today, this drama is one of those dramas that grow into you with time and that will leave you reflecting a lot, it’s so realistic that it feels like you are living with them and witnessing their day to day life, the human stories inside and outside the academy feel so heartwarming and relatable and the actors and especially the main leads did an excellent job in their roles, their romance felt mature and realistic and still manage to give you butterflies even for the old audiences past 30 like me, i enjoyed watching it a lot and it’s going to be a drama that is among the classics of the kdrama land ✨Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
