Get a full analysis of plot, characters, and highlights for the Korean drama ‘The Midnight Romance in Hagwon’.  If you haven’t watched this drama yet and are looking for a spoiler-free look at the series, please click the link below.

Lee Jun Ho was in the 10th grade when he met Hye Jin. But his beautiful young tutor taught him to enjoy learning.  She also taught him about first love.  Now, as an adult with a solid job in a big company, Jun Ho decides to return to his roots by teaching at Daechi Chase academy.  And his feelings for Hye Jin only get stronger as he spends time working with her.  But convincing her to see him as a grown man instead of the charming young student he once was will not be easy.  And their relationship will not be easily accepted because of their history together.

Lee Jun Ho is easy going and slightly arrogant.  He has always achieved what he set his mind to.  And that confidence allows him to see a future with his former teacher, regardless of their age difference.  Wi Ha Joon is an actor I seem to fall in love with no matter what character he plays.  I loved his easy charm in this role.

Kim Hyo Im was a surprising character for me.  At work, she stayed admirably above the drama.  And her support of Seung Gyo was really sweet.  She didn’t nag him for his choice to stay in school.  And her reaction to Seung Gyo’s announcement that he wanted to get married was great! I half-expected the usual anger or pouting, but her instant support was refreshing.

The story of the prickly, traditional public school teacher was handled really well in this drama.  At first, he seemed like an unlikable villain.  But as the layers of his personality peel back, we find a tired instructor who truly cares about his students’ education.  And his character highlights something that I appreciated throughout this series, and that is the idea that people and their motives are complicated.  And that those motivations and loyalties can shift for all kinds of reasons.

I didn’t enjoy the rivalry story nearly as much as the slice of life teacher portion.  I felt like the fight between the two academies dragged at times.  Suddenly the other teachers at Daechi Chase, who have remained in the background for most of the drama are key players, choosing sides and fighting for dominance.  If they were going to become a focus, I wish we had seen more development for these characters early on.  

I didn’t find Vice President Woo’s character necessary when we already had a villain as strong as Choi Hyung Sun.  I felt like Vice President Woo’s personality was weak and uninteresting.  Jun Ho’s absolutely right when he calls her out for her short-sightedness.  I think the drama would have been fine focusing on Choi Hyung Sun and leaving Woo Sung Hee out altogether.  

‘The Midnight Romance in Hagwon’ concludes with a happy ending for all.  Jun Ho convinces all the teachers to stay on at Daechi Chase.  He also pits Woo Sung Hee and Choi Hyung Sun against each other, which leads to an all-out brawl in the middle of the hallway of Choiseon.  And when the video of their fight sweeps the internet, they are no longer a concern to Daechi Chase. 

That leaves the Vice-President job open to Director Kim, who hopes to make her future daughter-in-law the academy’s star instructor.  Hye Jin realizes through all this that she wants to rekindle her dream of becoming a lawyer.  And the final scene shows Jun Ho proposing to her by getting down on one knee.