Graduation (2024)

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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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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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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Unique story, great acting, poor execution.

Starting off with the good points, I enjoyed learning more on the educational system in Korea. That aspect felt very unique. The acting was also superb. However, there's only so much that the actors can do. While the story was interesting, it was dragged unnecessarily and just when things started to get interesting in the last two episodes, the story quickly ended.

Additionally, based on the promotion of this drama, I expected it to be more heavily centred around their romantic relationship, however I didn't find it to be the central part of the show.

Overall, the show dragged and the pacing was strange. While I appreciate the idea behind it, I think it was not executed to its full potential.

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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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Little gem

The depth, relatability and maturity of this drama caught me by surprise.
I was expecting a slow pace and insignificant story, maybe with some bullied student achiving some goal. But my bad!

This is a beautiful and really entarteining piece about vocation and service to others in a quite competitive field. The conflicts are so relatable that your emotions are carried by the story without any effort.
The characters have depth and the acting is superb!
And you can see the ML smile a lot, since that would be enough reason for me to watch it. :)

Thats all, just in case you are in need of a good and round drama, this is it.

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comfort drama material

things that i loved about this series...
- the main characters (not only them as a realistic couple but also them as an individuals)
- chemistry was chemistryng
- the acting (i've followed leads' works for years and i'm so happy that they got cast together)
- the setting (as a casual contemporary cdrama viewer, i don't mind when drama focuses more on occupation than romance)
- the cinematography and editing (ahn pan seok has magical hands)
- proposal scene (most of the "noona" genre dramas have open endings or leads barely make up so this was refreshing)
thing i didn't like that much
- just a little bit too much focus on some of the side characters (some of their scenes could've been cut)

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Promising but...

This drama started as really promising and interesting. Probably, a lot of international watchers that don't have this type of education cannot understand it, but my country (besides SK) has this type of academies to get better grades and prepare for the national university entrance exam. So, it hit really close to me and I could relate with a lot of things in the drama and it woke in me memories both bad and good. I felt some kind of comfort from this.

Besides that, I don't know if I liked the drama. The plot was super basic and after episodes 8-10, you knew what is going to happen. Also, besides Jun Ho, Hye Jin and maybe Cheong Mi, every character was a bit single minded and a bit boring, not really realistic. However, the cast was great and Wi Ha Joon and Jung Ryeo Won had very good chemistry and their characters' relationship was so relatable and real.

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Talvez não seja pra todo mundo

Esse drama me encantou desde o primeiro episódio por conta do forte apelo no tocante à temática educacional (sou professora de língua e estudante de Letras) e pela química do casal principal. O plot é realmente interessante e te mantém entretido, principalmente se você tem interesse em metodologias de ensino e conflitos da área.

Parabenizo as atuações, que foram excelentes por parte de todos os atores envolvidos. A direção permitiu que as performances brilhassem ainda mais por conta dos takes longos e cheios de tensão. Esse estilo de filmagem me lembrou o drama chinês Fake It 'Till you Make it (que também é maravilhoso). No entanto, isso pode fazer com que algumas pessoas achem que o ritmo é um pouco lento. Há situações que exigem muita atenção por parte de quem está assistindo, já que algumas coisas não acontecem de maneira explícita. Ou seja, a cena acontece e você precisa tirar suas próprias conclusões sobre o que aconteceu, já que alguns diálogos não são expositivos e são bem longos.

Fizeram um bom trabalho na escrita dos personagens. Um exemplo é como a Seo Hye Jin é um pouco frustrante em alguns momentos, mas não de uma forma que nos faça desgostar dela, já que ela parece uma pessoa real, pois tem camadas. Digo isso porque sua personalidade é um pouco passiva demais, e isso em momentos em que esperamos ações mais diretas da parte dela. Nem falo nada sobre o Jun Ho, já que ele é a própria definição de charme. Como a própria Hye Jin fala: "Quem não gostaria do Jun Ho? Ele é engraçado, meigo e responsável". Muito difícil não se apaixonar.
O romance entre os personagens é muito cativante e cheio de química. Você vê que eles são almas gêmeas, independente da diferença de idade (que é de apenas 6 anos). O primeiro beijo deles me fez prender a respiração. O relacionamento é maduro e se desenvolve um pouco lentamente (mas não muito).
Os personagens coadjuvantes (com algumas exceções) são muito bons, em especial a Srta. Nam. No início, nos sentimos desconfiados de sua índole, mas à medida que vamos assistindo, vemos que ela é uma das personagens mais "legais" do drama, por ser super afiada, direta e firme.

Infelizmente, nem tudo são flores e a direção que o plot adotou me decepcionou um pouco. Entendo que essa questão dos cursinhos na Coréia é bem séria e real. Já tinha sido apresentada à esse conceito no drama Crash Course in Romance. O problema é que achei que esse drama iria focar muito mais na questão educacional do que de fato focou.
Eu estava bem empolgada pra saber a metodologia diferente que o Jun Ho iria apresentar para seus alunos. Eu realmente queria saber sobre o impacto que isso causaria no aprendizado deles, já que ver a relação estabelecida entre os alunos (dois deles em específico) e os protagonistas foi uma das partes que mais me deixaram felizes. Esse foi, de fato, o enfoque da primeira parte do drama. A própria Hye Jin tem um desenvolvimento de personagem com relação à sua metodologia e princípios como professora, e eu achei que o final do drama iria se dedicar a explorar um pouco mais isso. Mas aí o drama focou totalmente no plano "maléfico" das duas antagonistas principais, que tentaram à todo o custo destruir a Hye Jin. E é aqui que o drama perde um pouco do seu realismo.
A vilã principal (a Bruxa Cinzenta) é uma personagem muito caricata, de forma que parecia ser parte de outro drama, não desse aqui. Toda essa guerra de cursinhos pareceu um pouco patética em alguns momentos, apesar da justificativa do mercado educacional ser muito competitivo na Coréia. Em muitos momentos, a partir da metade do drama, me peguei pensando: será que isso realmente acontece? Acredito que todas as decisões que os roteiristas tomaram foi para salientar que o mercado dos cursinhos é cruel, mas isso fez com que o plot perdesse um pouco de brilho.
Eu já acho um pouco estranho termos uma vilã em um drama que marca um tom bem realista desde o primeiro episódio, com personagens cheios de camadas, sendo ela a única unilateral.

O final me agradou bastante dentro da decisão que os roteiristas tomaram (que eu citei acima), mas acredito que se tivessem seguido o foco inicial de debater sobre as questões educacionais e metodológicas, seria MUITO mais interessante e empolgante.

Encerro repetindo que: esse drama talvez não seja para todo mundo, mas apesar das frustações, foi bom e me deixou ainda mais desejosa em acompanhar o Wi Ha-joon em seus próximos trabalhos.

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really good first 12 episodes then kinda boring

the first half was amazing when there was actual romance and he was chasing her and there were so many cute moments. Even the students' life stories were interesting and the bits on understanding the education system were tolerable then. BUT later it became so focussed on the rivalry between the academies and work and power struggles that it lost me. in summary if you liked something in the rain and dramas like that you'll like this but be aware that towards the end there will be little to no romance, I had to play on 2x and skip through most of the last 4 episodes.

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Too close to RL or not close enough?

I think this drama will have a solid core of supporters but also its fair share of detractors.

I find myself in two minds about this show as well. Fundamentally, this series is uniquely Korean. Its main subject matter will be much more relatable to locals who has children who has lived through exam hell or spent half their youth in tutoring academies themselves. However, even then, there are those who would consider this not realistic enough and is nothing more than dramatisation.

I suppose from my perspective, this show is much more "real" than the usual romcom. Even those set in a tutoring ecosystem like Crash Course in Romance feels almost cartoon-y in comparison.

This is a double-edged sword. The day-to-day aspect is a bit dull. There is a lot of jockeying of positions and details about the Korean education system, especially the last years leading up to the all mighty CSAT. The fact that our leads teaches Korean literature makes it harder for non-Korean to form a connection. Any nuisance about a particular author or a piece of writing is mostly lost in translation.

This is not helped by a slow burn romance. There is a lot of push-pull in the beginning. The age difference and their original teacher/student status adds to the complication. While the ML is all in, the FL is very hesitant to accept his advances. While some scenes are touching and heart fluttering, the majority are mundane, and work related. This improves once they are a couple and there are more emphasis on them. Nevertheless, most episodes are dialogue heavy.

The acting of our leads definitely help to steady the ship and made it watchable. The ML is handsome in a manly way and the FL has good chemistry with him. Their portrayals are on point. The rest of the ensemble cast is a mixed bag. Most of the senior cast members did well. The grey witch’s role is a challenging one and SJY is a class act. However, some of the lesser support roles are one dimensional.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed this show. This is not your typical idol drama full of beautiful people. This one will not grab you from the opening scene and hook you till the end. You have to be patient, invest your time and walk a mile in their shoes to appreciate their struggles. These are mostly normal people doing a challenging job. BTW, I’m glad that there are no murders or psycho stalker. I’m getting tired of that trope.

OST is fine and catchy. I doubt I’ll rewatch this drama anytime soon.

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Pointless Idealism and disappointment

It tells the story of a secret and sweet real-life romance between Seo Hye-jin, a veteran cram school instructor, and Lee Joon-ho, a quirky student who returns after a decade to stir her heart. The secret midnight romance that begins when the lights go out in Daechi-dong Academy, and the colorful stories of the academy instructors we didn't know about.

The subject matter is important to me but they failed to deliver it compellingly. I'm not even complaining about the romance but about the lack of coherence and the presentation of the story itself. The real issue isn't just the plot but the pacing, tone, coherence, and expression of ideas throughout the drama. The script starts with a strong foundation of idealism, but those core themes are abandoned by the end. It's a classic case of bad writing where the initial promises aren't fulfilled. It's too preachy and idealistic while lacking that "realness" quality. You can tell what they were trying to say but they failed to convince the audience with their story-telling and execution it in a memorable way.

Initial episode 1 to 10 had romantic buzz, their plot was interesting and it was good to watch but after 10th episode the drama got so boring that I didn't want to watch it but I watched it.

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