O Romance da Meia-noite em Hagwon (2024)

An engaging plot developed alongside a healthy, beautiful romance

Full Disclosure: I watched this show as the new episodes were released and dropped this at Episode 10. It took me over 3 weeks to muster the courage to watch thereafter and completely hated Episode 11. But the redemption thereafter was enough to bring this show back into my list of favourites for various reasons. :)

1. The Aspect of Romance
This show is not for everyone. As a person who absolutely loves slice-of-life dramas and slow-burn romance, this show was absolutely perfect. Furthermore, there were certain aspects I was expecting, knowing the history of this team with shows like One Spring Night (my absolute favourite) and Something in the Rain (a show I eventually put on indefinite hold). I actually never thought that the romance was too little or started only at a particular time because for me even the start had enough romance to build the impactful storyline. Romance for me does not mean only passionate scenes. Supporting one another, respecting one another and having a healthy relationship classify more as romance for me, which is why I loved this one. This is one of those rare East Asian shows where however much I prepared myself for a break-up, it didn't come. No unnecessary fights, ugly breakups, bad second leads or mean in-laws. Just a very healthy, communicative and modern/mature relationship and I'm all for it. Having said that, if you do not like slow-burn romance with stories that have a topic other than the clueless romance, you WILL 100% NOT LIKE this show.

2. Acting by the Actors
I have to say, the acting by everyone was really great here. The villains made me hate them to the core, we saw character development for some really great characters like Mr. Pyo, Ms Nam and Jun Ho. And the chemistry between the main leads was absolutely phenomenal. I am in love with this pairing and I'm so happy with how nicely they've delivered. I was never out of touch with them, even when I was absolutely frustrated with them. I have laughed, cried and enjoyed with these actors and I cannot fault any of them, to be honest, in their acting.

3. OST
One thing I was looking forward to with this show was the tranquil English OST - something this team is well-known for. And my god, did they absolutely deliver. Right out of the park. What a stunning, soothing and peaceful OST collection. I absolutely loved it. I mean, I love Korean/Chinese OSTs so much, but it's so much better when I can actually understand the song and get double the feels in that perfect melody at the time of watching itself instead of googling the translation later.

4. The Storyline
I actually quite enjoyed the story of the show and I believe it was quite decently written and narrated. One, it was a somewhat fresh concept that provides good insights into the education system of Korea - a topic that although covered before, is not mainstream. So, I appreciated the use of a new concept instead of rehashing those same old cliches. Second, I liked how other than the politics, there were no unnecessary tropes in the show like cunning second leads, memory loss, or even mean in-laws. It was a very non-problematic show in that sense and nothing seemed like not needed to me. I also quite liked how all the characters have been written, I enjoyed most of them other than the FL. I also liked how everyone had their individuality and how all the individual stories tied in together. As someone who does not appreciate romance without good plots, I was very very satisfied with the plot here which was strong enough to keep me going and enjoying the romance, I often drop shows with stellar chemistry if the plot is lame af. So clearly, I have a preference for a stronger plot, and this show had just that!

5. Insufferable FL at times
If everything is so nice, then why a lower score? Because of the FL's character. In many instances, I found the FL to be manipulative, cunning and also downright demeaning when it came to the other characters like the ML and Mr Pyo. She was quite narcissistic in her behaviour and as I've said in the comments before came off as insecure about her job. The last part was further corroborated by how she talked about her job in the last episode, and her dissatisfaction with her work was leading her to be hypocritical to others like Mr Pyo, who honestly has been shown to be a great teacher. As for the ML, she has been downright insulting towards him multiple times. And while I call this relationship healthy and mature, it's only because, in reality, such issues do emerge in a relationship. It's how they tackled it together and did not give each other up for their own egos that stood out for me. But that does not mean that how the FL was acting was acceptable in any sense. She was the reason I dropped this show for a while.

6. Ending
Another aspect that leads me to deduct points is the ending. While it was really great and sensible for the main leads, I just do not see how it is a complete ending in any sense for all the other parties involved. As I recently noticed in another show, an open ending is a very different concept from what we see here, which is much more incomplete than open. An open ending is what we had in Marriage Contract where you know all the facts and then leave things to the imagination. But here, so many plot holes remain at the ending that you would be left to imagine so many possibilities on your own to come up with an ending for yourself. That is never a sign of an open ending or a good ending. It just seems super rushed, not well thought out and leaves me with a deep feeling of being robbed of a great drama. You do not know what happened to the two ladies in terms of business since that was the main plot (other than the possible lawsuit part), if the instructors stayed or left, how the academies were impacted, where Jun Ho stands, and so much more. All we know is that the leads are together and she is pursuing her goals. NOT ENOUGH!

All in all, it is a great and entertaining watch that will make you love and hate parts of it at the same time, that is, keep you engaged throughout. My favourite character is Jun Ho (who is so mature and did I say hot) and Mr Pyo (who had the best character development tbh). I have enjoyed both of them thoroughly. The show while had its flaws, is one of the better ones that I've watched. It is a must-watch for everyone who enjoys this genre! Love it!

Leia Mais

Otra Protagonista complicada

Me recordó bastante a "Bajo la lluvia", la chica mayor y el chico joven que se enamoran, aqui la diferencia es que ellos dos parecen de la misma edad, probablemente era intención del director ya que según en el drama se llevan como 5 años.
Sigue la misma secuencia de una mujer madura y exitosa pero complicada cuando se trata de su vida personal, incluso diría que incongruente porque para ser alguien exitosa en su carrera era bastante impulsiva, además de que al final prefirió huir.
Hubo escenas decentes de besos, aunque muy escasas para una relación adulta, el protagonista era el chico alegre y con buena energía que probablemente enamoraría a cualquiera. No obstante tenemos a otro personaje incongruente, que parece tener un plan para lograr por sus medios una vida exitosa y no depender de sus padres pero en todo el drama no vi ni una pizca de crecimiento profesional, lo único que hizo fue seguir a la protagonista y ser su novio.
Por su antecesor esperaba que la trama fuera lenta lo cual no me desánimo para continuarla, aqui el problema fueron los personajes de más, escenas inecesarias que no aportaban nada y te aburrían.
Y ya como último parte, el final, que probablemente alguien diga que fue feliz porque terminaron juntos, pero para mi se sintió como un desperdicio, como si después de tanto esfuerzo tiraran todo por la borda.

Leia Mais

main lead look so creepy together,

i watched both of them in there dramas and i liked both of them, but seeing them together here , don't look that good at all
ML left his job and says its to earn more money as a teacher but i truth we know he left his job and become a teacher with other motive of seducing his old teacher
while they were teacher and student, they don't look that age gap
FL look much younger with her looks and figure she has mentioned
ML WI Ha Joon was amazing in Little woman and Squid Games,
and i wanted to see him as male lead for sure
the way ML and Fl talk with each other, ML look obsess with Fl in not so positive way but Creepy
he left his job and change career to seduce her, but what if she still just see him as her student... he would become a abusive stalker,, if things do not go as his plan,, ( director would help and thing will go nicely and she will suddenly start seeing him as a boyfriend material
she acted as she is his mother in first 2 ep worrying about him like his job is going to effect her living expenses
then ep3 and she started to act like a 17 year texting her crush
its boring
no chemistry between leads as couple, they look Nice has Co-worker or friends
dark lighting like its Grim

they way this so called Teacher talk about other teacher senior to them, white haired witch
they are not teachers
they are not educated students but training them to get high grades just like how we train our Pets

a new recruit who hasn't even give a single class is on poster with his Crush teacher because he know how to give blow job to Low life director
Leads and director look nasty evil group
director of Dachi chase eat like pig, everyone was talking seriously paying attention to each other, this guy was busy stuffing his mouth with everything he get on his plate like, he hasn't eaten fir whole day... then got ill
drama doesn't have colors

I rated it 5 but the more i watched ep3 more i reduce my rating
ML is moral less obsessive self centered person,
Fl only focus on grades not education itself,
The more the release episodes the more it becomes meaningless
Biased, favouritism
Evil Director showed as some kind gentleman
ML story try to make his parents look wrong for even conceiving him.
come defend your leads in comments if you wish to, I don't give a fish about it...1.5/10

Leia Mais

The most interesting thing here is that the word "Midnight" is in the title

Exciting things tend to happen at midnight, right? Full moons come out. Showdowns happen. Interesting creatures of the night emerge to do nefarious things. Partygoers let their better judgments lapse. Sex, drugs & rock & roll!

[insert air escaping from balloon sound effect] That is most certainly not this show, however.

It is easy to identify the work of director Ahn Pan Seok. He casts a lot of the same actors. He inserts a long musical montage in every episode and uses the same song through an entire drama (not a choice that seems wise, but that's his style). The stories do not shy away from realistic adult relationships and very grounded portrayals of middle to upper middle class characters living middle to upper middle class lives. He really likes outdoor scenes that are barely lit. And his antagonists tend to be very one note, very limited characters.

With his previous two outings, "One Spring Night" and "Something in the Rain", he had relatively compelling main characters and charismatic lead actors. Particularly with "Something in the Rain", the presence of Son Ye Jin as the lead elevated the entire enterprise.

"The Midnight Romance in Hagwon" doesn't merely fail to reach the bar set by these prior productions where they excelled, it fails to register in virtually every element.

Main characters? Wi Ha Joon squeezes every possible atom out of the character of Lee Jun Ho, but it's a wafer thin character. He's a nice guy that's smart and clever and easygoing and things seem to work out for him except his friends who like him want to hang out with him when Jun Ho would rather have private time with his girlfriend. That's pretty much that extent of his woes. Jung Ryeo Won's Hye Jin encounters a bit more troubles but is enough of a Mary Sue that they're merely temporary annoyances rather than measurable tension. The two together are fine. Probably the highlight of the entire show is the romantic inexperience and awkwardness the two share.

Antagonist? Looks like the real life version of Vector from "Despicable Me" but without the brightly colored sweatsuit or the zany threats or the odd weapons or the pet shark or anything of interest really. He is, almost literally, a human stick in the mud.

Support characters? So Ju Yeon's Cheong Mi is legitimately a bright spot to the extent that she is permitted to be a presence. And Seo Jung Yeon's just obliterates anyone else on screen as the hagwon ice queen who perhaps eventually ends up being a more colorful antagonist but through eight episodes is more of a mere morally ambiguous plot fulcrum. The rest are so uninvolved that they fail to make any impression of any sort which is a tragic waste of some fabulous talents like Kim Jung Young and Kil Hae Yeon (who had been sensational as the horrifying, deranged mother of Son Ye Jin's lead in "Something in the Rain").

And it's not like if the material had somehow been amended this ship could have been righted. Sure, if some more time had been spent with the students, maybe there's a beat or two of a pulse in a subplot there. But there's nothing particularly engrossing about the day-to-day inner workings of a hagwon or the competition between two of them. So with very little as far as compelling inhabitants of them, there's just nothing but mild mannered, ordinary people with a not that out of the ordinary romance and...

Uh, and...

[cue the crickets sound effects]

Yeah, there's nothing else.

Not recommended.

Leia Mais

great actors invested into a non potential story!!!!

this should be considered in my opinion like a documentary about the korean academy teaching system rather than the premise of being tagged a noona romance/older woman younger man?!?! or with a minor side story of slight romance!!!! so don't be deceived to expect a noona drama that ended up to be a misconception in this mainly korean educational content!!! I think the poster is giving the wrong idea about what we are watching as it is barely having some vibes of romance!!!

I was interested to begin this story as it was "PROMISING" to have a noona drama my favorite genre and for the poster giving such vibes of a catching and firing chemistry between two top notch of first class korean actors!!!! but when diving in the drama for the first few aired episodes, I can consider that the perceived reality was so deceiving for such baseless story!!!! I didn't gave up to continue watching it though so many disappoitments but I am feeling nothing is changed in the way the script is written of only focusing on "the teaching korean system of academies"!!! so no wonder why the ratings are dropping a while ago!!!

I am not against to show is it what about the reality of korean education but I think it is tackled in a boring and lenghty way that made me losing interest in the story and asking myself what I am actually watching?! as it was totally different from what I was expecting to watch not only romance for sure, it is normal to have the focus on the academy settings but not to that lifeless extent shown, but even if there will romance I am feeling like the female lead is forced to show some interest in the male lead!!!

the director ahn pan seok of the story is known for his previous dramas of that "slow burning stories" style, though I am not a fan of that type of dramas that I watched some of it but I think every average drama he managed before was better than this current drama!!! I ended skipping a lot of scenes when it comes that the majority part of the drama till now is about that academy teaching only!!! there was complaints about the synopsis being boring but will we have that promising romance making some hopes to not give up?!?!

I think wi ha joon is doing a great performance and all his best to approach jung ryeo won but she instead always showing him a rude face and rejecting him for every suggestions he is proposing to her!!! though we witnessed some progress in their cooperation in the teaching activities but I felt there is a lack of chemistry in their acting!!! I think wi ha joon is a great actor paired with jung ryeo won but the way ryeo won is treating ha joon like she is forced to accept him to be her colleague or to exist in her life!! and like smiling to him against her will?!

I was expecting something different in their chemistry even if it will bloom in a later stage for the female to accept the male in her life and being him the first chasing her is not a bad idea but I am not feeling that amazing chemistry or an excitment even the preview of episode 6 is showing a great progress of ha joon to convey his sincere love and refusing that ryeo won will leave daechi chase academy for being employed at a new one!!!

I know there will be a lot people still pleased with the story and being excited to see the first move of wi ha joon to kindle this promising firing chemistry with jung ryeo won and not agreeing with my point of view about how I found the drama!!! but still I am curious how it will turn in the end though there is a baseless and boring story!!!

I was hoping to raise my ratings more than that but keeping the same situation of skipping a lot at every episodes was disappointing and it is unworthy to wait every week for a new episode!!! otherwise the music was the only thing making a great ambiance here!!! soothing the nerves and giving butterflies!!! I could be still didn't gave up the show for the sake of the great ost?!?!???

Leia Mais

Romance in Afterschool Academy

After watching Episodes 1 & 2, I’m in!!!!
Under the same director as 'Something in the Rain' and 'One Spring Night,' I believe in this one.
This tutor-student relationship, where in the past and now they are colleagues at an afterschool academy (called hagwon in South Korea), a young man falls in love and chases the woman, who is 6 years older than him, that he likes, is always worth watching. So far, both the female lead and the male lead have their own solid arguments. And the communication between them ?, especially when we can see the male lead's micro expressions as he talks to her at the cafe ?.

I also love the introduction, the OST, and the small details the director puts in each episode.
Let's see how the story will develop in the next episodes!!!

Leia Mais

Not Good Enough

Korean Drama '' The Midnight Romance in Hagwon '' is a school romantic melodrama.

The drama is slow paced and feels relaxing and comforting. The cinematography is soothing and the camerawork makes the viewing experience feel like the audience is peeking into the characters' lives.

The start of the drama, moreover, was nice, with the story taking its time to settle in.

However, after a while, nothing really happened. The romance was enjoyable, yes, but wasn't enough to save things, and the school drama wasn't intense enough to peek things up.

On the other hand, the performances were enjoyable by every actor and actress of the cast.

So, overall, three out of ten.

Leia Mais

The vibes are vibing, the romance is in the air!

Man resigned from big company to be close to his crush, and this happened in episode 1! honestly, we stan.

Ha Joon in a romantic role is giving everything, his open smiles, flirty posture, walking by FL's poster and admiring it, surprising her in ther office, this man was made to play the romantic lead, he's swoon-worty!

Jung Ryeo Won is as great in melo as she's being a badass, the woman has done both Witch's Court and Wok of Love, the range! She has a smile that is self-assured but not invulnerable, as we see from her alteration with that prideful teacher who wants to destroy her life.

It's been a long time since I was so enthusiastic about a drama, but this one is hitting all the right spots!

Leia Mais

boring

this drama is total rubbish... "tvN" advertises in addition to figuring out what to do with it, "Graduation" the story of a former student returns to the academy as an adult, still seduced by his former teacher.

Are they making a big deal about their age difference??
this drama is reminiscent of other dramas like "hello my teacher" which is much less boring, with the character of Gong Yoo who falls in love with his teacher and who is much younger and the age difference is almost similar, is it that serious, it's not a crime.. ????

The first episode is boring, slow, long dialogues and actors overact, and are not credible, personally I would not continue this evening sorry it's a waste of time, there are better dramas to watch...

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