Review of the K-Drama "Moorim School"

KBS aired their drama, "Moorim School", at the start of this year. The cast of "Moorim School" was very impressive for including top actors like Shin Hyun Joon, Lee Hyun Woo, Lee Bum Soo, Kan Mi Yeon, and Shin Sung Woo. The cast also includes many non-Koreans, adding diversity to the Moorim Institute. There was lots of anticipation for this upcoming series before it aired its first episode.

However "Moorim School" didn't garner the positive attention it had expected to receive. In fact, there were some who looked down on the drama series even before it was first aired.

I started watching the series myself this past week and I've watched eight out of 16 episodes.

I think it has a lot of the same themes as other school-setting dramas by KBS, "Master of Study/God of Studying (공부의 신)" and "Dream High". It also has the usual love triangle and the main character as an orphan as other dramas do. Despite this, "Moorim School" still has its own unique story and is engaging in its own way.

Perhaps it's just me who can deal with its "childish" story, but I don't even find it to be childish. Cheesy? Yes, but what Korean drama isn't? Even "Descendants of the Sun" (태양의 후예), the hot K-drama today, has cheesy lines.

Then others say that the story of "Moorim School" is pretty good but they can't stand the acting. I honestly didn't catch any bad acting until I read what critics were saying online, then I started noticing. Of course, none of the above mentioned top actors are criticized for poor acting.

So what I mean is that I am enjoying "Moorim School". At the end of each episode, I find myself wanting watch the next and I think the idea behind it all is genius: Moorim is an institute where they teach the students to be moral human beings through various athletic training and acquisition of life skills. I think "Moorim School" was so underrated.

As a fan of Lee Hyun Woo, I was upset when netizens criticized how he isn't playing "better" or "more mature" roles while other actors his age are. I'm afraid that these responses may have impacted Lee Hyun Woo himself a bit, but thankfully, due to his supportive fans, he quickly bounced back.

And I was happy to find an article today about how Lee Hyun Woo's growth as an actor is evident in "Moorim School" - from singing (the character he played is an idol star) to showing off his built body to showing his care and love for his love interest... Even his outfits on the show have turned heads. I'm grateful for this positive article because it's true. I think he does a great job of showing his character's emotions and thoughts through even just the slightest changes in his facial expressions. I echo the article that Lee Hyun Woo really did carry and express the internal conflicts of his character. And I look forward to seeing more of his character and the unfolding the story of "Moorim School".