Melancholia – Full Review
Welcome to Melancholia– Full Review. A math genius and his young teacher try to expose an elaborate system of corruption at a private high school. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Melancholia
♥ Aired: Nov 10 – Dec 30, 2021
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Viki
♥Genre: Romantic Drama
♥Starring: Im Soo Jung and Lee Do Hyun
The Story
A genius math student and his young teacher get swept up in accusations of inappropriate behavior. But the scandal is really just a coverup for years of corruption between school administrators and rich, influential families. Four years later, the pair will reunite in an effort to prove their own innocence and expose those who used them for their own advantage. Can they stand up to their powerful opponents or will their lives be ripped apart again?
The Leads
Im Soo Jung as Ji Yoon Soo
Growing up with a math professor for a father, Ji Yoon Soo has a natural love for numbers and formulas. She is excited when she is hired at Aseong High School to teach math. And when she meets a student who is considered a math genius, she immediately takes him under her wing. But when she discovers a cheating scandal and threatens to make it public, the school director, Noh Jung Ah, accuses Yoon Soo of inappropriate behavior with her student and has her fired. Yoon Soo goes into hiding, teaching only in secret and waiting for an opportunity to prove her innocence and expose the corruption led by Noh Jung Ah and her underlings. But the school has powerful supporters and the director will do anything to protect the reputation of their elite foundation.
Ji Yoon Soo grew up with a father who was more interested in his work than spending time with her. This makes her a bit quiet and reserved, but her enthusiasm for teaching brings out her brighter side. Following the scandal, she loses everything, including any real joy for teaching. While she was always careful as Seung Yoo’s teacher to never cross the line, it is obvious that she cares about him deeply. Revenge may be motivating her actions, but it is clear that Seung Yoo and Si An hold the key to her healing. Im Soo Jung plays this kind of stoic, somber character well, although I wish we could have seen more contrast in some of her happier moments.
Lee Do Hyun as Baek Seung Yoo
Baek Seung Yoo is a math genius who got into MIT at the age of 10. But a personal tragedy brought him home and took away any desire to perform academically. His life is changed when a new teacher shows up at his high school and challenges him to rekindle his love of formulas and proofs. Seung Yoo becomes as passionate about his teacher as the subject she teaches. When Noh Jung Ah decides to fire Yoon Soo, it’s easy for her to misrepresent Seung Yoo’s actions and feelings. Seung Yoo goes on to become a famous mathematician and returns to Korea as a star. He takes a job teaching at Aseong High School so he can find a way to prove what really happened 4 years ago. And now that he is an adult, he also hopes to finally win Yoon Soo’s heart.
Baek Seung Yoo never had anyone around who really understood him or his language of numbers. So when he meets Yoon Soo, it is no surprise that he falls hard. She really is his perfect soulmate. Their journey was so rewarding to watch because each tiny step seems significant. I absolutely love Lee Do Hyun, and this drama did nothing to change my mind. He has such on-screen charisma and charm. His transparent adoration of both math and Yoon So in this series was genuine and sweet.
Supporting Characters
Jin Kyung as Noh Jung Ah
Noh Jung Ah is the director of Aseong High School. Her father is the chairman of the educational foundation that runs the school, and her one dream is to follow in his footsteps. She has spent years pandering to rich politicians and businessmen who are desperate to see their children succeed. But when it comes to her own daughter, giving her success may not be enough.
Choi Dae Hoon as Ryu Sung Jae
Ryu Sung Jae is engaged to Yoon Soo at the beginning of the drama. His wedding to her is ruined when Noh Jung Ah shows an incriminating picture of Yoon Soo with Seung Yoo. After their break up, Ryu Sung Jae’s mother pairs him with Jung Ah’s sister, but the match is much more about using each other for their own goals than any emotional connection.
Oh Gwang Rok as Ji Hyeon Uk
Ji Hyeon Uk is Yoon Soo’s father. He was once a world renown professor and mathematician. But when he finds an error in his work, he loses the will to teach or engage with the world around him. Now he lives in a nursing home where he spends his time scribbling on random pieces of paper. When he meets Seung Yoo as a young student, they share a deep connection that helps bring healing to both of them.
Things I Liked
♥ Faithful Kyu Young
Jang Kyu Young was definitely an arrogant jerk in high school, but I kind of loved him in the scenes from the present. His devotion to taking care of Ye Rin was sweet and in the end he was the only one standing by her. We don’t find out much about his own backstory or parents, but he seems to have grown much more down to earth and likeable, post high school.
♥ Nature vs. Nurture
Like mother, like daughter, in this one. In the beginning, Ye Rin and Ji Na were exactly the kind of daughters you would expect from such controlling and dishonest parents. But is that because they were naturally born with difficult personalities or is it because they have never been shown any different? This is a classic debate, and while this drama doesn’t answer the question directly, I love that in the end, Ye Rin and Ji Na are the ones responsible for exposing the truth. In a sense, they have outgrown their upbringing.
♥ Si An
The character of Si An was such a wonderful addition to the present time line. Her joy and enthusiasm were contagious. Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo represent kind of stereotypical mathematical genius types. They tend to be somber and withdrawn. But Si An shows us that genius can also breed bright, bubbly energy. And her presence in the lives of Yoon Soo, Seung Yoo, and Professor Ji brought sunshine into their dark, cluttered minds.
Things I Didn’t Like
School Acceptance
I don’t really understand how Seung Joo ended up a student at Aseong High School in the first place. From what I can gather, the school is a private high school run by Noh Jung Ah’s father. Seung Joo hasn’t gotten good grades since he returned from MIT and his parents are just average business people. It just seems strange he would have ended up there at all, and he never seems to fit in with the spoiled rich kids who were his classmates.
Seung Yoo’s Parents
I didn’t really understand Seung Yoo’s parents. They weren’t terrible and corrupt like the other students’ parents, but they really didn’t seem to understand their son at all. His father spent all his time shining his medals and trophies, while saying he just wants him to live a normal life. And his mom just stands around wringing her hands and looking pathetic. They even seemed annoyed that Seung Yoo insisted on remembering the death anniversary of his friend. They just didn’t seem that likeable and there was really no character development or growth from them at all.
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Ryu Sung Jae
Ironically, I actually think Yoon Soo owes Noh Jung Ah for breaking up her and Sung Jae. Even before Seung Yoo came into the picture, these two seemed awkward and not that excited about their upcoming nuptials. And his mother was going to do everything she could to make the rest of Yoon Soo’s life hard. Seung Yoo was obviously a much better match for her.
The Ending
“Melancholia” ends with a subtlely sweet ending that gives us our only real romantic interaction between Yoon Soo and Seung Yoo. With the help of Ji Na and Ye Rin, the truth of Director Noh’s corrupt behavior is exposed, along with Ye Rin’s parents and a handful of other political officials. We don’t really get to see what happens to them in the eyes of the law, but their reign of terror is definitely shut down, as proven by the pieces of Noh Jung Ah’s amazing office being torn apart and carted away. Yoon Soo’s father passes away after spending the day having a “family” portrait taken. Then we skip forward three years. Jung Ah is living in a nursing home while Ji Na takes care of her. Si An wins an award for her work at Princeton, but Seung Yoo misses the award ceremony. Later, Yoon Soo goes to meet an online friend who she helped with material for a project he was working on. Though the audience shouldn’t be surprised to see that it turns out to be Seung Yoo, the two of them are shocked since they haven’t really seen each other in three years. The final scene shows a house, obviously the home of both Seung Yoo and Yoon Soo. They sit together on the porch as Seung Yoo tells her he loves her and leans in for a kiss. FINALLY!!!!
Should I Watch
“Melancholia” is a slow-paced and bittersweet drama of longing and revenge. It portrays the beauty of math and it’s relationship to art, life and love. While romantic love is at the very root of this story, it is seldom at the forefront. Don’t expect cute, romantic dates or steamy love scenes. Instead, the main story focuses on political and educational corruption, and a desire to expose those who use students in their own power games. The strengths of this series lie in its thought provoking, powerful message and interesting and complex characters and relationships. I give “Melancholia” a 9 out of 10 ramen.
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