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Moorim School: Episode 2

With the world of the drama established, we now turn to the conflict propelling our two leads. It’s time for the boys to make an important decision… Do they want to stay at this mysterious school and become something special, or slink home in defeat? They may not know what brought them here, but in the end there may not be room for both of them at Moorim. May the best man win.

EPISODE 2 RECAP

Something about Chi-ang and Shi-woo’s confrontation causes a wave of energy to flood the forest, opening a path that leads them straight to Moorim School. They’re greeted by the entire faculty and student body, all of whom are curious as to why these two made the whole school rumble as if from an earthquake.

Soon-deok breaks the tension by running in and yelling, “SAFE!” — she nearly missed the magical pathway herself, ha. But she notices right away that “the seal” has come undone, and Dean Hwang arrives to see for himself. Soon-deok tells him that she brought two new students, and Dean Hwang eyes them with intensity.

Another teacher, Professor Kim, asks if there wasn’t only one new student expected, so Shi-woo speaks up to say that he wanted to meet Dean Hwang. The mystery girl who saved him at the concert ducks behind a large vase, but she smiles to see him.

Dean Hwang leads Shi-woo and Chi-ang to his office, telling them about Moorim School on the way. It was built to protect and uphold world peace, he says, and is the only school built by the UN Peacekeeping Organization. Its students have placed first at the World Martial Arts Competition for the last ten years, and has been top-ranked marital arts academy in the world for twelve years. Also, it’s not in any public records.

The students recognize both of them, as an idol and an international chaebol, and wonder what they’re doing here. The instructors are more concerned with how the seal got broken, and Professor Kim admits that he sensed a new kind of power when it happened. One teacher wonders if it was the new students, but that idea is rejected out of hand.

The mystery girl asks Soon-deok how she came to the school with the newcomers — her name is HWANG SUN-AH (Jung Yoo-jin), and she just so happens to be Dean Hwang’s daughter. She wonders if Shi-woo is the one who opened the seal, remembering how he stopped the stage lights from falling momentarily.

Dean Hwang questions the boys, asking why they came to Moorim School. Chi-ang goes for the easy answer, to learn martial arts, though he admits that he just came because his father sent him here. Shi-woo refuses to answer in front of Chi-ang, asking to talk to Dean Hwang in private.

Dean Hwang sends Chi-ang to the dorms with TEACHER SAMUEL (Sam Okyere), who informs Chi-ang that he’s expected to do everything for himself, including cleaning and cooking. Chi-ang just loftily says that he’ll have his father sponsor the school and get a cleaning service and chefs, only to be informed that the school isn’t broke. HA.

It takes Shi-woo a while to get to the point of why he’s here, only to discover that Dean Hwang already knows about his hearing loss. He wants it fixed, but the dean asks if he doesn’t need to change his situation first. Shi-woo thinks his ear is the problem, but Dean Hwang says that the problem is inside himself.

He offers Shi-woo a place as a student, which Shi-woo rejects immediately. He calls his manager to tell him that he’s found the girl who beat up those thugs back in Seoul, insisting again on an interview. But his manager says that won’t solve the problem, and the company is about to go bankrupt because of him. He unkindly tells Shi-woo to know when he’s finished, and that official papers have been sent to him, presumably breaking their contract.

A small army of curious students delivers Chi-ang’s class schedule to him and introduce themselves. There are several Korean kids, one Korean-American girl named Shannon, and a boy from Thailand named Nadet. They ask how Chi-ang released the seal, but he doesn’t even know what that is. The kids are friendly, but Chi-ang rejects them all as being beneath his “level.” Wow, what an ass.

Meanwhile Shi-woo grabs Soon-deok as she’s walking past him, ready to drag her back to Seoul with him. She repeats that she was only helping him and not part of any plot, but he says he didn’t need her help. He wasn’t running away, he was running after the paparazzi — those pictures could cause a huge scandal (though it’s interesting that he seems more worried about Da-rim’s reputation than his own).

Soon-deok is chastened that she misunderstood the situation, and agrees to go with him, but between her classes and her jobs she can’t think of a time when she’s free. Shi-woo insists on going right this instant, but Soon-deok says that her life is important, too.

Shi-woo accuses her again of taking money from CEO Choi to cause trouble for him, and Soon-deok gapes at him. She says he’s a horrible person, and that if he’s asking for a favor, he should thank her for helping him, then ask for her help in Seoul.

But Shi-woo just counters that he’s not at all thankful, and that helping him should be an obligation, since she caused so much trouble in the first place. Soon-deok angrily says that her obligation right now is to go to work, and leaves him standing there.

Shi-woo spends his evening reading netizen posts about how he’s done for in the music business, and remembers back to being discovered by CEO Choi. He’d uploaded a song he wrote online, under the nickname “Mobius,” and Choi had sought him out and signed him. He and the group Mobius had quickly risen to fame, so fast it seemed unreal, and CEO Choi had treated him like a son. Now Shi-woo knows it was all an act, just for money.

His ear starts to ring and hurt, and it looks like a bad episode this time. Shi-woo feels a hand on his head — it’s Dean Hwang, and he massages pressure points while explaining that Shi-woo’s personal energy is blocked, causing his hearing loss. He says he can help Shi-woo, and suddenly the pain is gone.

Once Shi-woo relaxes, Dean Hwang offers to walk him out if he’s planning to leave. But Shi-woo decides that he can’t leave now, but not because he has nowhere to go. He starts to blame Soon-deok for his situation, but Hwang puts a stop to that — first he blames his ear, now a student.

Hwang wants to know whether Shi-woo’s heart is telling him to stay. He says there’s no guarantee that staying will heal his ear, but training can only help. It’s all up to him.

The next day, the other teachers speculate on why Shi-woo has been admitted as a new student. In fact, they’re worried about both of the new boys, who seem to have no real reason to be here, and they doubt they’ll succeed. (As an aside, Professor Kim and Professor Oh seem to be in a longterm on-again, off-again relationship, which is currently off again.)

The elder Professor Beop confronts Dean Hwang about his decision to let Shi-woo enroll, and Hwang says it would be wrong to kick someone out who needs help. He gets a faraway look in his eye as he says that “Somehow, it’s not that child who came to find our school. This place might have called that child here.”

As for Shi-woo, he tells himself that he’ll stay, for now. Just until his problem is taken care of… though whether he means his hearing or his scandal is unclear.

Shi-woo and Chi-ang again find themselves face-to-face and shirtless, this time in the same dorm room. HAHA, they’re roommates. They end up in front of Teacher Samuel, demanding separate rooms, and Sam laughs when Chi-ang requests a VIP room. He informs them that there will be no special treatment for anyone for any reason, and tells them to get back in their room and behave. I like this guy a lot.

Chi-ang tries to assert dominance by demanding the bed that Shi-woo is lying on, and Shi-woo laughs that they do have one thing in common — they both like the view from this bed. Chi-ang claims to have farted on the bed (OMG HAHAHA), but Shi-woo just says he already changed the sheets. These two are really a lot alike, if they’d just stop trying to be the top dog.

While the rest of the school sleeps, Sun-ah plays the piano softly, which wakes Chi-ang (despite Shi-woo’s claim of being a delicate sleeper, he sleeps through it). Chi-ang stays up thinking of his mother, and asks her picture to just wait a little longer for him.

Teacher Samuel wakes the boys in the morning for exercise, and ha, Chi-ang literally falls right out of bed. “Exercise” appears to be basic martial arts training with Professor Daniel, and Chi-ang gives Soon-deok a dorky wave while she pretends not to see him. Sun-ah is startled to see her Shi-woo Oppa here, a little starstruck, and she tries to run off when he finds her after class.

He recognizes her from the concert, and asks angrily why she saved him and told him about Moorim School. She babbles about the Dean being so good at what he does, and the fresh air, and the cafeteria food, and tries to shake his hand in welcome. He totally leaves her hanging, and she runs off embarrassed.

Professor Kim pulls Shi-woo aside to ask if he likes the school, but Shi-woo isn’t making any judgments yet. Professor Kim says that he did come here for a reason, even if he doesn’t know what that reason is, yet. But his voice hardens as he says that Shi-woo has something up his sleeve, and he asks him harshly why he’s here. Shi-woo isn’t intimidated, and simply says, “I can’t tell you. And I don’t want to.”

Chi-ang’s father goes back to Shanghai, China, where his assistant informs him that “the man at the hospital” is still unconscious, and expected to remain so. He orders him watched, due to his incredibly strong life energy. We cut to the man in the hospital, lying senseless in a lavish private room. Elsewhere, Dean Hwang walks through what looks like an abandoned prison. Well, that was mysterious.

Chi-ang goes looking for Soon-deok, and finds her in the school kitchen fileting some fish. He makes the lamest joke ever about hurting her friends (because she’s a mermaid, hyuk hyuk) and she sighs that he should at least say the word right if he’s going to call her “mermaid.”

She gives up when he can’t say it right, so he just calls her Ariel instead. Ha, he’s got exactly zero game. Soon-deok snarls at him to just call her by name, but he only says all starry-eyed that she’s even prettier when she’s mad.

She’s too busy to deal with him, but he gallantly (he thinks) takes her fishy hands and says that she won’t have to do this hard work anymore, because he’s going to have his father provide the school with cooks and custodians. Soon-deok is less than impressed and tells him again to get lost, making Chi-ang admit that he likes her because she’s the first person to treat him this way.

Chi-ang doesn’t register that he’s picked up the smell of fish from Soon-deok until he’s back in his room, and Shi-woo now realizes that he and Soon-deok came here together the day before. He calls her “the chicken-headed girl,” which infuriates Chi-ang, and he warns Shi-woo away from her. Shi-woo couldn’t possibly care less, having no personal interest in her other than how she can help him.

The other students discuss the newcomers, reluctantly impressed that they’ve lasted a whole day already. The Thai student, Nadet, asks if they think the boys will make it to the entrance ceremony, which happens once you’ve lasted a week at the school.

YEOB JEONG (Alexander Eusebio), the apparent leader of the group, says that of course they won’t make it the full week. He thinks the opening of the seal on their arrival was just a coincidence, especially since neither boy even knew what the seal was. He sneers and declares that he’ll have them running home crying.

Shi-woo and Chi-ang take a cooking class to prepare for kitchen duty. They’re paired up and given the job of making fried vegetables, and Professor Kim tells them a trick of putting ice into the batter to make them crispier. He warns them though, never to let the ice get into the hot oil.

Jeong gets a nasty idea to scare the boys, and shares his batter with Chi-ang after liberally adding ice cubes to it. Lazy as always, Shi-woo dumps the entire bowl in the frier at once, which makes the fire flare right in Shi-woo’s face. Shi-woo’s reaction is violent, and he falls to the floor in shock.

His bad ear rings as he seems to remember a fire from when he was younger, just as the bowl of oil and vegetables explodes, spraying hot food everywhere. The experienced students use their martial arts skills to kick and slap the burning vegetables out of the air, while Chi-ang just hides his face and Shi-woo cringes on the floor. Sun-ah quickly swipes a curtain from the window and shields Shi-woo, and Professor Kim tosses a pot over Chi-ang’s head and slings him to safety.

Once the danger passes, Shi-woo’s anger flares up next, and he grabs Chi-ang and accuses him of doing that on purpose. The two nearly come to blows before Professor Kim hollers at them to stop, and Jeong smiles to himself at his success.

The teachers hold a meeting, where Professor Kim argues that neither Chi-ang nor Shi-woo dserves to be here. Professor Daniel wants to give them time, and Professor Oh backs him up even though she previously thought they wouldn’t last a day.

Later Sun-ah begs her father to let Shi-woo stay and get help for his ear, and he adorably teases her, saying that Shi-woo should just clean his ear out. He says that he still hasn’t decided how to punish her for sneaking out to the concert and inviting the kid here in the first place, and now she wants him to heal Shi-woo?

Sun-ah argues that he’s special — he stopped the lights from falling on himself during the concert, which is news to Hwang. Suddenly he seems a lot more interested.

Chi-ang finds Soon-deok at her next class, meditation, and actually shoves Sun-ah off her mat so he can sit next to her. Shi-woo arrives and orders Soon-deok to meet him after class, then takes the mat behind Chi-ang. He quietly thanks Sun-ah for protecting him in the kitchen, which gives her a teeny-tiny freakout.

Meanwhile, Professor Kim confronts Dean Hwang about his acceptance of Chi-ang and Shi-woo. He figured out that the opening of the seal wasn’t done by Dean Hwang himself, and suspects that it was one of the boys — but Hwang doesn’t know which, so he allowed them both to stay. Hwang admitted that it’s out of character for him, but now he hopes that his instinct wasn’t wrong.

Shi-woo takes the meditation class seriously, but Chi-ang takes advantage of everyone’s closed eyes to sneak glances at Soon-deok. Professor Beop asks the students what they see, and when Sun-ah says she sees a fire, it appears to bother Shi-woo. He remembers a fire again, and sees a baby screaming next to an apparently dead woman. He wakes violently, sweating and gasping for air, but when Professor Beop asks about what he saw, he denies seeing anything.

Not wanting Shi-woo to get all the attention, Chi-ang says that he saw something too. He describes a group of thugs, and leaving a girl behind to run away. He makes the students laugh, but Sun-ah tells them all to knock it off. Shi-woo looks furious, and Soon-deok notices his anger.

All the way in China, Chi-ang’s father pulls an ornate box from his desk, and opens it to stare at the tiny metal charm inside. Back in Korea, his mother visits Soon-deok’s family to offer payment in return for saving her son’s life, though Soon-deok’s father won’t hear of it.

Soon-deok’s aunt follows Chi-ang’s mother out to try to get her to hand over the envelope of money anyway, but Chi-an’g smother is just dim enough not to get her hints. Aunt seems to recognize her and asks if she’s from Masam, which seems to give Chi-ang’s mother a fright. Regardless, Aunt determines to marry her niece off to Chi-ang, and get herself a better place in the world.

Nothing could be further from Soon-deok’s mind, as she fumes over Chi-ang’s assey behavior in meditation class. Chi-ang grins that she must be staying mad at him because he said she was pretty when she’s angry, but Soon-deok tells him to scram. She’s not the only female he’s pissed off, and Sun-ah threatens him not to bother her Shi-woo Oppa again.

Frustrated, Shi-woo packs to leave, but Dean Hwang’s words that he could train and help heal himself weave through his mind, making him hesitate. He shows up at martial arts class, where the students watch Soon-deok and Sun-ah expertly spar with wooden staves. Soon-deok wins the round and when Chi-ang starts to approach her, Jeong warns him venomously that this class isn’t for beginners and useless idols.

He directs them to the beginners’ class and Chi-ang bristles, but a word from Soon-deok has him smiling again. Jeong digs at him (in English, for some reason), telling him to show off his money somewhere else. Chi-ang retorts that he’s not here by choice anyway, so Jeong tells him to leave.

Sun-ah has had about enough of Chi-ang as well, telling him that they all have hopes and dreams they’re here to pursue. Chi-ang and Shi-woo aren’t skilled enough for this class, so they’re wasting everyone’s time here.

Chi-ang is ready to verbally spar some more, but Shi-woo takes action. He deftly kicks a stave into his hand and asks if he can stay if he proves he’s skilled enough. Sun-ah warns they’re not trying to exclude them arbitrarily, it’s just that he could get hurt.

Shi-woo executes a few basic moves, asking if this is what they’d learn in beginner’s class, and it becomes clear that he may actually know how to handle himself. Chi-ang also claims to know a few moves, so Jeong proposes that they spar each other, and defend their right to be at this school.

But the rules of the school say that fighting means expulsion, except in competition. He finds a loophole to make it a competition to earn the right to stay — loser goes home. Soon-deok tells them not to do it, that Jeong is just provoking them, but Shi-woo goes to the center of the circle and Chi-ang quickly joins him.

They face off, and at the beginning they seem surprisingly skilled, and equally matched. Chi-ang’s style, to exactly nobody’s surprise, is pretty straightforward and relies on brute strength, while Shi-woo displays an acrobatic ability that impresses even Jeong.

It’s not long before they grapple face to face, and both boys throw a punch simultaneously, determined to be the winner and earn their right to stay at Moorim School.

COMMENTS

That was pretty cool, though I wish that fight scene had been longer. The action sequences in this show are very well-choreographed, and I want to see more! It was only a matter of time before Chi-ang and Shi-woo came to blows, and it’s a nice surprise that neither of them is a rookie when it comes to martial arts. Though, I have a sneaking suspicion that they’re about to discover a lot more than they expect, once they stop fighting each other and start actually learning something.

This episode didn’t move the plot forward much, which is surprising since there was so much plot movement in the first episode. But we did get to see more of Shi-woo, which was nice, and learn a little about his mysterious past. Clearly he grew up without parents, and now we know there is a tragic element to that. I wonder if his powers, uncontrolled at a young age, had anything to do with the fire that killed (I assume) his mother? Even if he repressed the memory and knowledge of his ability, it would explain a lot about his prickly personality. It’s interesting that he’s the one who seems more serious about being at Moorim, though he pretends not to care if he stays or not until he’s pressed to leave. And as far as we know at this point, Chi-ang has no mystical abilities, and is really only here to kill time for a year and get a girlfriend.

As much fun as I’m having with this show, I will admit that out of our four leads, it feels at times that they’re acting in entirely different dramas. Shi-woo is in a tragic coming-of-age story, Chi-ang is filming a rom-com, Sun-ah is part of a mystery thriller and Soon-deok is doing straight-up slapstick comedy. It’s a directing issue, and hopefully things will settle as we move into the plot and everyone reigns it in and settles down a bit. It’s tricky when three out of your four main actors are pretty green, though I do appreciate that they’re at least giving it their all. I would rather see an actor go too far in their character, than not work hard enough… from a directing standpoint, it’s easier to pull someone back a bit, than to drag more emotion out of a performer. And these are not simple roles — the characters have a lot of layers to them, and are written to be very three-dimensional and complex. They have a lot of inner dialogue to portray without scripted words to support their motivations, so they’re not easy roles to play in the first place. I have hope that with time and a couple more episodes, they’ll settle into their roles and get on the same page, so to speak.

As to the story itself, I do like the setup of kids from very different walks of life, all going to one school to learn how to use their special skills. I do hope we learn more next week, about the school itself and the students who attend, because even after two episodes I’m still unsure of what’s happening beyond that. It’s still unclear if every student at the school has the same mystical energy powers that Dean Hwang and Shi-woo have (in fact, they’re the only two we know for sure have that ability, which may be why Shi-woo is the one who unlocked the seal if it’s a rare ability), or if the majority of the student body is just exceptionally talented at martial arts. But the show has dropped a lot of hints to something bigger going on behind the curtain, so to speak, especially in regards to Chi-ang’s father and why he’s determined to send his son there. There are a lot of mysteries to solve, such as why the school is there and why it’s so secret that even the mountain protects it, what its purpose is, and why these particular kids are there.

I feel the need to say that of course, this show isn’t for everyone, and it’s not perfect (but then, what is?). I understand that many viewers may not like some things about it, or disagree on whether the acting and CGI are any good (and I’ll admit that kitchen scene was laughable, though I suspect it was meant to be), while others think it’s a fun time and enjoy it for what it is. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks, and all that. But I do think there’s a lot to recommend Moorim School (though I reserve the right to change my mind later, as always!), and while it may not win any major awards, it’s still an interesting premise with, I feel, promising actors who are doing a decent job with what they’ve been given. It’s going to be a long ride, so I’m willing to give the show a chance to see if it can live up to the hype, and the potential I see. Let’s all try to discuss it respectfully, and allow each other our opinions so that everyone feels comfortable commenting. We can all have fun, whether we’re praising the show or critiquing it!

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Love the OSTs by VIXX. Can Lee Hyun Woo sings one too?

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woah am i first?

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apparently not ¬_¬

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Thanks a ton for recapping this lollypip. Its got some issues with direction and flow but I guess we are just at episode 2 so it remains to be seen how the tone shifts. I have to say, the mostly wet behind their ears bunch of actors are actually doing quite good and putting in a lot of effort. That kitchen flying food scene was funny and I think it was meant to be so. This show is silly and I hope its self aware which can make a lot more interesting. I like the fight scenes and expect a whole lot more. I really would like to see how our immature chaebol and entitled idol lead can actually help each other mature and help each other as friends.
And your right, this show isn't for everyone. This show is silly with the elements of anime, Hogwarts, martial arts and k-drama all thrown together. Its my cup of tea whatever that makes me and lets see how long I can stick to this.

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I'm seriously liking this show. It's different and fulfills a need for fantasy I never knew I had. Chi-ang is adorable! I hope they keep the obvious love-match. Would be upsetting if we ended up with second-lead rivalry stuff. Not sure the principal can really kick these guys out; the school probably won't let them leave since for some reason yet to be ascertained the school needs them. Thanks for the recap.

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I wish I could say Chi-ang were adorable. But he's just so cookie-cutter, so 2D. With a better actor, that might lead to something, but at the moment I feel like I can literally predict everything this character does and says (apart from flatly-delivered the fart joke), which makes him very, very boring. No wonder Soon-deok, in total slapstick comedy mode, threw her head back in despair when he say she looked even prettier when angry – it felt literally the actress was like "again that ridiculous line from every drama ever".

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Ah gee! Yes he's cookie-cutter. But so is mysterious principal and malicious troublemaking student. And even troubled rock star with birth secret, fiery back story, emotional pain, and selfish parental figure manager. So there is quite a large amount of different flavored cookie dough out there with chunks of cookie (in the usual shape) missing.

What I like is the wide-eyed admiration and slight flakiness of his love. He is like a little puppy dog or an obsessed kid. And he's so open and free about it; his crush on her leaks out everywhere and he's not ashamed of it. For me, he's a good balance to our angsty hero in Cheese in the Trap.

The actor's skill level doesn't bother me here. He seems like he's new to acting so I cut him a lot of slack. But slapstick is very hard o do. I kept thinking this this the kind of air-headed lovesickness Yamapi aimed for --but didn't quite achieve-- in 5-9.

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I have to agree w/ Carole on this, even though I'm sure I'm in the minority here. I didn't know what Moorim School was about, so watched it just to check it out - and for LHW. I actually liked it, surprisingly. I think if you are going to watch it, you just have to watch it knowing it's not to be taken seriously and is strictly for (not-too-deep) entertainment purposes. Like Lollypip said, it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea and has a lot of weak points to it, so if you are analytical or have high standards for what you watch, this probably is not your kind of drama and should skip it. But I'm curious to see what exactly happened to SW in the past, and what trauma he suffered and why. I'm not really interested in CA - I'm just kinda over the whole spoiled chaebol thing. Seen too much of that in my kdrama life. And I like the two female leads so far - I think SD is a hoot. I just really like how she's such a spitfire & has so much life to her! (Probably who CA is so drawn to her, cuz he's a real bore... ?) I'll keep watching for now since I'm not watching anything on Weds-Thurs (I think everything I'm watching right now airs on the weekends or Mon-Tues) and it fills in my empty kdrama dance card for the moment. Just for giggles... ?

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I think if you are going to watch it, you just have to watch it knowing it’s not to be taken seriously and is strictly for (not-too-deep) entertainment purposes.

Here's the thing, I don't know why so many defenders of this drama (not saying you btw) are behaving as if people normally watch kdramas to analyse them, and therefore any faults found in the drama are really the fault of the people watching. I mean, kdramas are practically by definition for not-too-deep entertainment purposes, this is not exactly The Wire or even Sherlock we're talking about here.

But we're not exactly being highfalutin' intellectuals by wanting something to not be so bad that the badness is obvious even while we watch (and before any conscious analysis can even take place).

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ahaha, pogo, you have a point.

I think I have my own way of assessing which programmes I watch and how I watch them. Like with Oh My Venus - it's meant to deliver on the romance and humour, but I couldn't buy the romance as I found the set up ridiculous and so couldn't get into the characters. Thus it was relegated to something I have on in the background, as I was doing my filing. Then I got so annoyed with it I gave up on it completely. With Moorim - right now, it's got enough eye candy and fun bits to watch it while relaxing, like when I'm also playing a game. I admit, I find some high school / supernatural / kungfu shenanigans fun. At least, until some untenable plot point or brain dead decisions annoy me so much I can't bear it anymore.

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i'm pretty sure no one is actually telling anyone that they're wrong for engaging with a work in one way or another, or blaming any one person for wanting more than what's available. however, i think it is human nature to want other people to enjoy themselves, especially in a venue where a lot of people are finding ways to do so. this is just someone offering one way they've found works for them.

hey i also might be wrong and this conversation might actually be about whose fault it is that this show is bad. on one hand, the show is p bad, objectively, but on the other all of the wanting in the world isn't going to make it better. all entertainment is subjective, though, and sometimes changing your approach to watching a show can make it quite fun. it won't make the show objectively GOOD but it can make the experience fun. these are two different things. this is what they're talking about.

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here's the thing, I went into this like I do with any other kdrama - low to no expectations, just in it for a good time and to go with the flow of the story. i.e. EXACTLY the approach people claim is necessary to enjoy this. And I still find myself being pulled out of the moment by bad/overly exaggerated/wooden acting or sloppy direction, or clumsily obvious setups.

Short of replacing all the dialogue with chipmunk noises, I don't know how I can go further in turning my brain off while I watch.

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then their approach straight up doesn't work for you! they aren't wrong, but your point of view isn't wrong, either. for example, their approach to watching this show isn't precisely the way I choose to watch the show. like, i AM pretty relaxed and letting the show take me where it will, but i'm also approaching it with the expectation that i'm going to have to make my own fun - throw my own popcorn at the screen, make bad jokes, point out the stupid meta or excessive shirtlessness. this is how i have fun and choose to engage with media i find substandard but still want to enjoy; it's something i've done before and it makes me laugh. this approach is something that works for me.

my approach doesn't work for everyone, though. it may not work for carole, or for you. this show may not work for you at all. it's fine and it's no one's fault. if picking at the details of this show and pointing out its flaws is how you engage with this show and enjoy yourself, then that's what you do and there's literally nothing wrong with that. however, having constant criticisms about what you don't like without balancing it out with how you're enjoying criticizing it just puzzles others. if you don't even like it, why are you here? why are you so invested when it's causing you this much frustration? that's the kind of thing they're trying to address here, they aren't trying to exclude anyone, I think.

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There are plenty of shows where viewers have used recaps primarily to express their frustrations with perceived faults in the drama, though - if this was a bad drama with straight-up NO good elements, no one would be invested enough to complain about the ways in which the flaws are screwing it over.

I just find it odd that some fans are attempting to paint all criticism of this show as being the fault of individual viewers for noticing the flaws (and the criticism is pretty mild, compared to what some other dramas have got). I have no beef with anyone enjoying the show, there's an audience for literally anything these days and at least the cast is attractive.

I would maybe understand the 'why are you watching' logic if it was 15 episodes in and I still had nothing good to say, (which is not the case, btw - there is Lee Hyun-woo!) because that is just too much investment . But it's literally the first two episodes, I don't see why I as a casual/potentially interested viewer, can't speak my mind about what I do see.

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i think, wtr your first point, what we're trying to say is that this show is so cheesy and light on content that having strong rhetoric is a little much. (this is light rhetoric for you? dang, bruh.) it's kind of like swatting down an episode of sesame street for overacting or a simplistic plot. i don't think anyone's going to actually stop you, it's just a little odd. just my 2c tho

no one is putting the onus on the viewer to ignore the show's faults when they clearly exist. it'd be one thing if they were calling out people who don't like the show with actual malice, as though they are somehow wrong for having their opinion, but i don't think that's what's happening here. to me, with tone on the internet being absent and in good faith wrt their intentions, the message is reading more like, "hey, this may not be for you. here's one way to enjoy it. i'm sorry if it doesn't work out for you. i wish we could enjoy this together." it's not like moorim's faults are subjective and magically disappear if you look at them another way. we acknowledge that moorim is not good so far. we are just having fun and we want you to have fun too. if the flaws get to be too much for you, there's not much to be done about it, but we wanted to at least try to help. this is us trying to make the best of a show we cannot change.

i don't think anyone will think less of you if moorim doesn't work out for you. you're not wrong. it's just they aren't wrong either. no one is threatening your opinion just by having an alternative one. you'll just have one less thing in common with others. that's not a bad thing.

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@saehee - trust me, whatever Moorim School is getting at the moment, is child's play compared to what people had to say about, say, Warm & Cozy. Or Dr Stranger. Or that Jung Il-woo fantasy drama.

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I rate dramas like gymnastics. All dramas get an individual start value depending on a variety of factors such as quality of cast, director, writer, theme, etc. Based on all those factors, a drama may only amount to a 6 out of 10. If the drama consistently hits all the marks for what I consider a "6" drama then it was a ultimately a good show. Basically, for me, all shows have to live up to their own potential.

An example would be Mask. Solid cast, notable director, but the plot screamed makjang so the highest I could give it was a 7 starting value. As a 7, that show was amazing and it picked points because it was so addictive.

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Exactly. I don't think anyone is holding this drama up to the same standard as, say, Misaeng or an Ahn Pan-seok drama, or even one of the Answer Me series.

To use a sports analogy, if those are meant to be going for Olympics gold, this one's just meant to be having fun paddling in the kiddie pool. But that doesn't mean one can't notice when it's floundering/can't even manage that much.

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There's so much hate for this show in the thread for the 1st episode.

I'm enjoying the show so far. I'll watch until it ends. I'm curious about many things and people in the show and I want to see how everything and everyone is going to roll.

Oh My Venus was terrible and I endured it. It started well then fell off the cliff with no end.

I'm not taking it seriously and I'm not doing analysis of anything.

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I watched the first 2 eps together, and I love them.
I hope they keep the fantasy element till the end, instead of bailing out when the budget for CG runs out.

LHW is doing a good job. The actor playing the 2nd lead hasn't improved since I saw him last.
The girl, Soon Doek, I find spirited and adorable. She must be the infant that the principal was carrying when ep 1 began.

I take issue with the principal wearing a double breasted spiffy suit. It just doesn't seem to fit in with the setting or the teachings of the school. So jarring.

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The child whom Dean Hwang was carrying in the beginning was Sun Ah, his daughter aka the one who saved Shi Woo. Now if Sun Ah isn't his biological child is another thing, but it's safe to assume it was her.

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I love the harry potter series ... So put a bunch of kids in some sort of a school with mystical powers and I am sold ... No matter how lousy it may be

So i'm enjoying moorim school a lot .. Even with the uneven acting, its a lot of fun. Its going to be my guilty pleasure i think where you know that its not great at all but you still can't stop watching it

The only time i felt like skipping forward was when the adults come onscreen .. I wish they had a more interesting set of teachers - nobody really stands out right now

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Very true about the adults. Such quality in the teaching staff is a bad reflection on the school. The quality of their acting detracts on the viewing experience too.

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Yep, this seems like a Korean Harry Potter. So far, I like it, but the script needs work - I hope the screenwriters sharpen it up. It is sloppy and contrived, with too many clichés and far-away looks in the Dean's eyes - almost funny some times.
Give these characters better lines, screenwriters! Bad writing will turn this into a Harry Potter spoof, but take the writing up a notch and give the characters real depth, then this will be really good.

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Thanks LollyPip!

As far as school stories go, I has enough elements in it to be familiar and yet enough different elements in it to pique curiosity. I like that classes are not held around desks but in different spaces, and whether it's CGI or not, the mountain scenery is really lovely. I wish we got to see more of the view. The school 'house' too is beautiful. Kudos to the set designer.

I like the idea of the same energy flowing through people and the world (Star Wars and the Force, you think?), and I'd like to see if the show can do more with this idea and show how our boys find and harness their energy for the good.

It is typically starting out with foolish, arrogant kids who make themselves unlikable, and other kids taking issue with them, until they learn some humility and diplomacy. Ultimately the arc I'm hoping we'll get is the whole school rallying behind these 2 kind of lost boys as they find themselves and learn how be content in themselves, how to get on with each other and beyond their egos.

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I forgot to say, every end with it's BTS is fun to watch. Usually the actors are just goofy and extremely cute playing around. They look like they're having a good time although suffering in the cold and have bonded as a team on the set.

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The BTS is like the best part. At least it looks like everyone is having fun on the set!

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Yeah, regardless of what happens next, the actor were having a blast which makes me like them more. I guess even they know that this is not to be taken seriously, might as well have some fun while we are at it.

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yeah, there is that much to be said for it - the four leads look like they get along well. But Lollypip nailed it when she said it feels like they're in four different dramas, and it's just all over the place.

And high school/fantasy dramas do not have to be subject to even more drastically lowered standards than is usual for kdramas - we've had enough great dramas in both genres to refute that contention, and pointing out that episode 1 was bad is something people are well within their rights to do, no matter how much it upsets some fans of the actors/idols/whoever.

I hope the tone issue gets worked out, since this drama was pre-produced and hopefully that allowed them time to iron out kinks as they went along. (and hopefully the pre-production wasn't handled the same way as D-Day)

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ever since D-Day i actually have the shivers when i hear the words 'pre-production' lol
cant believe i'd actually wish for a liveshoot! xD

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@siesta - yeah, D-Day is like....everything that could go wrong with a pre-production, just did.

The live shoot system really does need to go the way of the dodo for the sake of the cast and crew's health/better working conditions, but in terms of content, it's hard to argue in favour when on one side of the scale you have Road No. 1 and D-day, while on the other you have stuff like You From Another Star, The Producers and Sassy Go Go.

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This show is somewhat stupid. I cannot take it seriously. And also a little annoying.

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Gonna watch this after getting my break. Soon!

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totally with you there on....there is potential if the rhythm settles down...otherwise could be a hot mess!

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<I will admit that out of our four leads, it feels at times that they’re acting in entirely different dramas. Shi-woo is in a tragic coming-of-age story, Chi-ang is filming a rom-com, Sun-ah is part of a mystery thriller and Soon-deok is doing straight-up slapstick comedy.

Hehe, that's a good way to describe it.

<It’s a directing issue, and hopefully things will settle

I'm not that optimistic, in part because I think it's not just the directing, but also the acting, the pacing (3/4 of ep 2 had NO plot movement), the writing, etc.

The kitchen scene had a cool idea and I could imagine how fantastic it could have looked, but obviously they had no budget/skills for that. (Maybe, rather than special effects, they should have done some of the 'magical' scenes with animation? Genre-mixing might have brought them closer to their aim of being a "game-changer"...)

Anyone else getting a Harry Potter vibe with Shi-woo? Toddler orphan whose mother lies dead at his feet, with magical powers he is yet unaware of? Maybe the guy in hospital with the immense "life spirit" is his long-lost father? Also wondering if any of the teachers is a bad egg.... (whether truly a bad egg, or a Snape).

I like how Soon-deok is totally secure in herself and grounded in life, and couldn't care less about the two boys demanding things from her. However, I don't think I'll manage more than another episode or two.... the whole drama is such a mixed bag of everything that one or two good things don't give me the endurance to last through 20 episodes.

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I feel like a director with a little more finesse/a better eye for casting might have actually been able to embrace the cheese more completely while avoiding that whole 4-people-in-4-dramas thing. And I'm honestly hoping that things get better and the initial bumpy start is more like Kill Me Heal Me (pretty good, after the beginning) than like, say, Night Watchman's Journal (went from bad to worse). I mean, Lee Hyun-woo deserves a better canvas.

I'd actually be really into it if this drama was smart enough to make a parody of every trope it features (seriously, they threw everything and the kitchen sink in there, when it came to tropes and especially kdrama tropes).

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I totally agree. I look at this drama and keep thinking: the premise absolutely has potential, the flaw is in the execution. This could easily be a little, and potentially a lot better, particularly if they got the parody part down (and had actors that were not quite as green).

[On a sidenote, since I just mentioned Snape: Alan Rickman has died :-((( ]

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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first David Bowie and then Alan Rickman..... RIP.

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yeah, not a great start to the year. Two greats gone... :(

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but seriously, choosing better actors would really have helped a lot.

Sassy Go Go proved that a rookie cast can actually be really good at what they do, and work together as an ensemble. (and they were, on average, younger than this lot, had less experience and were all cast pretty much last-minute and subjected to a live shoot throughout).

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Who was a rookie in Sassy Go Go?

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iirc (and please correct me if i'm wrong) but sgg was jisoo's second project and lwg's third? unless i'm missing any other notable roles they may have had. i think this may have been chae soobin's first project as well... eunji's been in more than all three of them if i'm not mistaken (let's see... reply, trot lovers, and one other thing, I think?), and it was n's first major role if you don't count anything that was kind of weirdly low-budget.

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Saehee, I think probably "notable roles" is where we're thinking differently. If by projects you're talking about them being leads in major TV productions, then yes, your summation is right (not counting indie films and theater for Ji Soo) except for it being Chae Soo Bin's first project. I believe she was the lead in a family drama called Bluebird House (I didn't watch it.) But if you count supporting roles, I feel like they have about the same experience as the actors in Moorim school (Except for Lee Hyun Woo, of course, who's been in everything.) I don't really know what comprises a "rookie cast" but to me it suggests it's their first or second role.

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i'm not really knowledgeable about the subject, this is enlightening :D

im in the same boat, i don't know what defines a rookie cast here. i don't know what JYJ (hehe) or SYJ's backgrounds are, except SYJ was in Last, but i know this is the first time hongbin's been cast in anything as a lead and LHW has had more than a few experiences under his belt. it seems... pretty even to me?

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@confused - ok, stacking up the experience levels of the two casts (and I'm counting all roles barring cameos, acting experience can be earned even in supporting roles of sufficient length), here is what we have for Moorim School:

Lee Hyun-woo - 20+ roles, 7 of them for more than 'child' parts/the full length of the drama (he was a child actor)
Seo Ye-ji - 6 roles, including Moorim School (debuted in 2013)
Hongbin- 2 roles
Jang Yoo-jin - 3 roles (debuted last year)

Sassy Go Go cast

Lee Won-geun - 7 roles, including 'child' parts and Sassy Go Go (debuted 2012)
Jung Eun-ji - 4 roles (debuted 2012)
Chae Soo-bin - 3 roles (debuted 2014)
Ji-soo - 2 roles (2015)

(he's listed as having more, but there appears to be a mixup between him and a female Ji-soo, since his agency doesn't list those projects on his profile and the character names for his supposed role, are names of female characters)

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I think we can agree that both dramas have relatively green/young actors and also that contrary to the endless Korean motto of working hard, they are those who are more gifted than others and being featured in more projects does not make you a more fascinating actor necessarily. Adele Exarchopoulos was 17 when she literally killed all the competition with "Blue is the warmest colour."

It's abundantly clear that SGG had a cast of talented youngsters who were noted for it (Eunji was fire on her debut) and Jisoo is one to watch for the future, whereas Moorim not.

JEugene and Hongbin are really almost totally debuting but then Eunji literally set the standards for the Reply series. Casting directors were spot on and that is telling of the different standards between shows. Jisoo is my favorite young actor and he has been already acknowledged as very promising. SYJ has been featured in quite a lot of roles already since she debuted fairly recently (she's already 26) but she is not on the map of young actresses to watch, or in any rankings, talks or discussions. I was verrry surprised to see her in Last with a cast of that much magnitude where she was carefully neutered and had a few scenes that should not amount to lead credit.That should tell us something.

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Omg noooo :'( worse news to wake up to! I like Alan Rickman as Prof Snape :(

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We're only on the first 2 episodes. I'd say give the actors and director a chance to find their groove. As for the supposed 4 people in 4 dramas thing isn't that awfully common in first episodes? I thought I heard the same complaint about Achiara and You're all Surrounded

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I'd say 4 episodes is the standard to get the setup out of the way, a lot depends on next week's episodes.

But frankly, I'm not inclined to cut the director too much slack - this drama was supposed to be pre-filmed, but its opening episodes are as messy as one would expect of a live shoot.

Achiara and You're All Surrounded also had the benefit of relatively good casts to smooth over the tonal messiness. This drama has Lee Hyun-woo, and talented as he is, he can't do it all on his own.

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Agree with you on the kitchen scene; could've been edited better. I feel the four characters are in one drama, but their lives are so different. The writing does feel cohesive to me because each of the characters echo something about the other three. Therefore for me the outworking of theme and subtext are all set. Particularly in respect to: wealth versus poverty, self-protection vs willingness to help another, lack of family versus burden of family, dependability of family versus betrayal by family/paternal figure, personal freedom versus responsibility/control issues, groundedness versus lacking all kinds of purpose.

It's clear that one guy's purpose in life is now being re-purposed, and the aimless guy is going to find his own true purpose. And we are shown that one's purpose can pull you in..destiny...by hook or by crook, by sneaky parents or by coincidence and a physical ailment. We don't know the girls' purposes yet but we'll hopefully find out in the next coupla chapters.

The direction, although imperfect, seems pretty cohesive too. I wouldn't mind the director taking a few lessons on how to stage an ensemble shot but he's doing better than I could. So... am okay with it.

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+1 agree you. Its not perfect but its just the type of kdrama I need to watch now, it relaxes and I am going to enjoy this ride as much as possible.

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I can't stand chi-ang. The bad acting and the cringe-y character is too much. I don't find him endearing or likeable at all, even taking his character lightly. I'm probably just being too uptight though, I suppose...

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Okay, as a major science fiction fan just really quick: this isn't science fiction. This is fantasy. Different genres. Also to those who are comparing it to Harry Potter, other than the fact that there is magic, how in the world are the two comparable? The gap in acting, writing, and execution between the two is astronomical. What did Harry Potter ever do to be compared to this? The acting continues to be hilariously awful which made for a fun episode ; I really enjoyed the food fighting scene and almost died laughing. This show is more like Wizards of Waverly Place than Harry Potter: its campy, funny, and incapable of being taken seriously (I would say not meant to be taken seriously but by how KBS promoted the show it is obviously meant to be taken seriously soooo). I also feel like people are now trying to be nice about it because the show got ao much flack in the first episode's thread but it deserves the flack its getting. If the show is going to insist on being taken seriously and then have its acting and directing all over the place, then I'm sorry but it deserves the criticism. Oh Lee Hyun Woo how far you have fallen... My heart aches to see you take a similar path as Lee Jun Ki where half the time the best thing about your dramas will be you. Sadness. Much sadness.

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True it's not exactly like Harry Potter but the vibe is still there. Harry Potter was rooted in British society so this is more of a Koreanized drama version. We need a Candy with one flaky parent and a (non-too) disabled controlling but kindly parent. We need a chaebol. We need an idol. We need another Candy.

Something is wrong with this world and the world is awaiting its savior/prince who doesn't know he's the savior/prince. Which is very fantasy, and very Harry Potter. We have his judgmental snooty challenger who feels he doesn't belong. We have the teachers/masters of a mysterious hidden school in the woods who are aware of some dark secret.

But yeah, there are some differences. I think a story can be adapted. Instead of shipping wars, we already (might) have two set couples. Instead of a challenge who is from the British caste/class system, we have what seems like a regular kid from the middle class (who for whatever reason thinks a rich chaebol and an idol don't belong-- which is kind of a flip.) So it works. It lacks the tongue in cheek quality of the Harry Potter books but it tries. Plus there is that international cast. So i'm giving it a pass.

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^ consider all of this co-signed, as a Harry Potter fan and longtime fan of both sci-fi and fantasy. I have no truck with people trying to excuse the poor writing and directing by palming the fault off onto the genre - sorry, but just because it's a fantasy doesn't mean it has to be so stupid and messily-executed.

Lee Hyun-woo is actually worse off than Lee Jun-ki, at least the latter had a competent (and in some cases, even excellent) supporting cast around him in Scholar Who Walks the Night. While LHW is pretty much carrying this on his own.

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ok, who is Lee Hyun-Woo and why do people already have so much respect for him?

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Lee Hyun-woo is the actor playing Shi-woo, and as for why people respect him as an actor..... I should think that was self-explanatory, if you've been watching.

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I've watched the first two episodes - and so far, I found him okay. Not great, but then again, the material doesn't allow for much more. He's managed to come across as a bundle of nerves and issues, which is as much as to be hoped for at this stage.

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It may just be the drama's tonal messiness, but so far, he's the only one of the four leads who has managed to make his character feel like Shi-woo is a person and not a walking trope/caricature.

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(basically he's really talented and can make anything better by just being in it)

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ok, cool - he's new to me. I don't think I've seen anything else he's done.

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U can watch him in the movie "secretly, greatly" and "the technician"....

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Just wondering, as a long time Harry Potter and Sci-fi genre fan myself, is it given that a show with shaky writing cannot be enjoyed by some people?? Not many people are watching this show to scrutinize, some people are just merely going with the flow and may or may not continue depending on how it turns out in the coming episodes. You know there are so many colors that can be made by mixing simple 3 colors at different proportions. Isn't that why this drama even have an audience in the first place even with all the flaws??

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I merely pointed out the extreme defensive attitude some people are taking towards any criticism of this drama and the fact that its flaws are being painted as intrinsic to the fantasy/high school genre when they are not. At no point did I say or imply that it couldn't be enjoyed, if you choose to interpret it that way it's on you, not me.

And pretty much anyone who watches something, is going with the flow, not watching it 'to scrutinize', thank you very much. The so-called 'scrutiny' is the result of parts of the drama being bad enough to distract the viewer from whatever flow the story has, so who is to blame for that, the viewer or the drama?

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To each their own, is what I was trying to imply. You read way too much into it. The genre has had many successful films and TV shows over the years so nobody can blame the faults on that and equal amount of disappointments as well. And no, I don't agree with the fact that everybody watches to go with the flow. Some do watch to scrutinize, I've done that myself sometimes and seen many around doing the same. The writing and acting can distract depending on your expectations. Mine were different than yours, I guess.

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unless you're sitting beside people here as they watch, I don't think you can make declarations about how and why they're watching, because you have nothing to go on except their own words. You may not agree with their conclusions, but you cannot speak to the motivation behind their viewing unless they state it themselves.

And frankly, if merely noticing something while watching, even when we're NOT looking out for it, is 'scrutiny', well, I have nothing to say.

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Is Harry Potter the only fantasy book people know? Harry Potter did it's story engagingly and well, which is why it's so famous and loved, but the individual story elements weren't new to fantasy. I can think of a lot of stories this is similar too, because they're all well-loved fantasy tropes.

Sci-fi and fantasy blend sometimes (not sure whether that well happen here or not) and they both have close ties to camp. It's not that I think people are over-analyzing this show, I just think they want it to be something it's not. I hated Supernatual until I understood what the vibe was. That said, yeah, this is not as good as Supernatural. But I'm enjoying it anyway. I am super excited that we're getting fantasy that's not historical.

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People are drawing the comparisons to Harry Potter probably because of the most obvious reason - this drama, just like Harry Potter, involves a boy (an orphan, at that) attending a supernatural boarding school.

Of course, having that story element in common doesn't make them similar in other ways, but I don't think anyone wants this to be Harry Potter. But it would be a half-decent show if it embraces its cheese/stupid factor and lets Lee Hyun-woo carry it.

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I'm hoping it will find a good balance between story and cheese and then stay with it.

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I'm thinking Lee Hyun Woo probably anger some higher ups & paying it by doing Moorim~

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I kinda like the comedy blended in. I really hope that Shi-woo doesn't fall for Soon-deok and cause a romantic rivalry. I like Sun-ah's dedication to Shi-woo and it'll be disappointing if he doesn't notice her puppy love...I can't tell if i will last to episode 20.

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I also have a dislike for Chi-ang's character

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Well, even if the show has flaws, i still enjoy it very much! Looking forward to the next two episodes :)

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I like it. Can't wait til next week! ^^

Thanks for the recaps.

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Can't wait for the OST to be available,love the two songs so much...The story is intresting one i get into the vibe and fantasy of the show..it did a good job picking my intrest and i'm gonna continue following it,i really want to know the secret besides Shi Woo power and his story along the man who is in the hospital bed(that looks to be maybe Shi Woo Dad or of some relation to him my guess),at the moment i'm watching mostly for his story as it's the only one i got really engaged to it

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Also can Lee Hyun Woo or ShiWoo give me that jacket he is wearing,i'm totally in love with it :D

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So far, I've been liking it. There are moments where the second hand embarrassment is too strong, but the plot is interesting, and I want to see how they're going to bring it together.

Also Lee Hyun-Woo.... ❤️

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OMG!! reminds me of dream high ><
even the school buildings looks alike
i wish this will be as good as it!!

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I like this drama although i skip some cheesy scene that unnecessary but i still find this drama watchable.The plot have a potential it can be better if they change the better actor But thats fine i know this is drama for newbie actor train the acting experience.i still can handle the okayish acting .they need a chance for improving so i hope they can improve next episode.And For effect Hmm funny Lol.

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Really enjoying the drama! The good looks make up for the acting. Really love the OST and the general premise of the show.

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I was so excited for this show last year... But alas after watching the two episodes, the excitement stopped and I only got frustrated. I guess you're right when you said that this show isn’t for everyone. Sadly, it's not for me. :( But because Hyun-Woo is here, I guess I'll just try to read recaps.

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Lollypip, thank you for the recap.

Totally agree with the leads are like in different dramas. I still can't adjust with the sudden tone change from serious to funny scenes. I know from the 1st ep I shouldn't take this drama seriously and most kdramas tend to stressed out how serious the situation is only to be concluded with disappointment. I still don't get it when the students were amazed with the fact that WCA can stand to stay at the school when all the school did was just gave him a room and few rules to follow, nothing mentally or physically exhausting. The plot seems to make the Moorin School all high and grand but yeah maybe it's too early to judge, I should give it a few more episodes.

Other than that, the fantasy element is kinda flat. It is different with Sweden Laundry drama, the said drama itself is in diferent genre, more light-hearted but it manages to give me mystical amd mysterious feeling which Moorim School lacks of.

I'm only interested with Shiwoo amd Sun-ah, maybe because both of them potray exacty what I want from this drama. Also, gotta love that the-girl-saved-the-boy plot, I'm already tired of Candy lane. But it seems from ep 2, the plot now focusing more to SW-SD interaction, I hope SA wont be neglected in upcoming eps.

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SD is not candy, she can kick ass. I think she is deliberately made to be a so happy and positive for the same reason like every other drama to pull SW out of his sadness. Honestly, it isn't necessary, I would be happy if the similar trope is avoided and they end up being good buddies but the BTS is so cute that I can't help ship them a bit.

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I dont know if its just me but the fight scenes are not as snappy as I thought it should be.

Also,I agree it feels like LHW is carrying the show. still keeping my fingers crossed

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Well I'm still being entertained!

Oh by the way Shannon is from the UK not America. DramaFever had a nice article on all the international actors rounding out the cast.

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I gotta say, I quite like this drama. Atm, it still feels pretty senseless, but Idk, I feel compelled to watch it. It reminds me a bit of KO One, the Taiwanese drama. So I'll continue to watch it for now...

On a side note, while many people liken this to Harry Potter, I think their base concepts are very different. I don't really think they're using magic; qi/ki/chakra would probably be the more appropriate word to describe the mystical force since it emanates from the body and doesn't require the use of special tools.

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If I were to pick this drama apart, I'd find so many flaws. But i'm a vixx stan who's is watching this to support hongbin so i'm just going with the flow. (And also a multi cultural cast that might never have gotten a shot at being part of a korean drama) Once you let go, it's so entertaining. I've never laughed so much watching a drama. I mean, that frying food fight scene alone. Come on. The parody twitter accounts and the memes from this drama already exists.

Not everyone wants a heavy drama that makes you feel big emotions (good or bad). Sometimes you just want to watch something and let the time pass, take you away from real life and laugh a lot.

As for the hate comments for the previous thread... I didn't really feel that there was a lot of hate. Just poeple not finding the drama good, and that's okay. It's not like it's the korean article comments section where 6flying dragons fans come and comment in condescending tone

Also hyunwoo and hongbin were super cute at the Seoul Music Awards today. hyunwoo was there to present an award (and to promote Moorim as well - it aired in KBS channel) and he said "Hongbin-ah! I hope you win as VIXX this year. Next year, win a rookie award with me" and hongbin stood up from the artist section and was very energetically waving at his costar. lol he's been telling hongbin to release music with him for some time already

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I actually had loads of difficulty watching the drama lol....I just watched ep 3 and I just can't take it...The drama itself is a cliche but I might just stick to it...It's starting to become a little interesting...Also Hongbin appears a lot (fangirling) Yas they were so cute at the Awards lol
(Are you hearttaek on twitter too, btw?)

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im really curious though..is yeob jeong the Alexander we know????

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If you're wondering whether he's the former U-Kiss member, Xander, yes...he is! ^_^

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I hope we have less rom-com and more mystery, fantasy. I need more martial arts and supernatural elements to move to keep me interested. I don't expect anything major happening until episode 5. Its a fun watch though, good time killer :).

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I'm liking the more subtle nods to the plot than the in your face HEY CHECK OUT THIS IMPORTANT THING RIGHT HERE ARE YOU LOOKING PLEASE LOOK that the show employs for the necklaces (which is... honestly pretty funny, ngl. i've been told i have a strange sense of humor.) When this show cuts away from the sheer wacky look at this funny kung fu school isn't it crazy and wild, it feels a little eerie and I'm game for that. The hospitalized man, the empty holding cell, the ulterior motive as to why CA's dad needs him to be at Moorim for a year... I'm actually really looking forward to knowing how they're connected, and why they're being tied so closely together in the narrative. I'm spinning theories already. stop me

I don't know if I'm here for SW's tragic backstory but there is a certain lack of detail that is keeping me engaged, weirdly enough. It's so anime. This is the most anime thing I've watched barring actual anime. I'm weirdly fascinated and readying myself for the cheese. I am honestly wondering how seriously this writer is taking themselves (and also laughing).

One thing I'm really not sure if I'm going to have a sense of humor about in the long run is the chintzy anime protagonist THIS IS ABOUT PRIDE AND MANLINESS justifications, the resulting hush upon the crowd in the face of such unerring (??) logic, and all the trappings that go with that kind of narrative logic. On one hand, I can have a certain sense of humor about it if it's stupid enough (either diegetically or on a meta level, I don't care)! On the other, this is why I stopped watching anime and anything that took that justification seriously. It's cheesy, and I'm going to grin and bear it, but I have a feeling that's what's going to wear down at my patience first.

I relate with SD because I too would chase down Hongbin with a knife with very little provocation. This has nothing to do with anything, I just relate on a personal level. (THIS IS A JOKE)

On a side note, I deeply enjoy how weird and awkward CA's crush on SD is, mostly on a meta level. He is absolutely Not Smooth or even remotely comfortable on an interpersonal level and if I were SD I too would side-eye the fuck out of him, no matter how beautiful he is. This pleases me.

I also relate deeply with SA. I too would fuck up my first actual interpersonal conversation with a pop star I really liked and run away screaming internally. (this is not a joke)

what else. the teachers are really poor actors but i find their dynamic hilarious and i will forgive any bad acting for more pokes at their relationship. the headmaster is hot and i am glad.

I wish action shows in general would take a leaf out of the book of good old kung fu movies and stop moving the camera or obscuring the shot with awkward angles when the action is taking place. I've seen worse examples of editing in fights, but I've also seen much better (out of lower budgets, too!). I don't know about LHW, but Hongbin...

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... actually knows martial arts and I'd actually really love to see him in action. From an anchored, stationary shots, with no weird swoopiness. This isn't hard.

LOL this is so disorganized. I still like SYJ. I want HB and LHW to continue removing their shirts because i am making a drinking game and you are all invited. i want magical deus ex machina and power creep and at least one manly hug. THERE ARE GOING TO BE WIRE STUNTS!! I'm looking forward to that.

oh my god that's it. i hope this show finds its sense of humor.

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Thanks for the recap LollyPip!

You described perfectly what I was struggling to understand. I love the show so far but knew something was off. Your comment about each of the leads acting in seemingly different genres feels spot on. For me, Hyun Woo/Si Woo matches well with the drama and the seriousness of his dillemma and past. Hwang Sun Ah also seems to fit her high school role while maintaining an air of mystery. The bully and teachers fit with this mystery. Then there's Hwang Chi Ang and Soon Deok. I like both characters and actors but I think they need more story. Why does Soon Deok need to attend Moorim and hide the fact from her father? Why does Chi Ang keep looking at his mother's photo and why does his father want him to attend?

I know this will be explained further but I really hope their story doesnt get delayed too much. If I had to guess, it seems like Chi Ang's father wants him there to get info on the school and perhaps how to awaken his "prisoner".

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Chiang was born out of wedlock. He lives with his dad and away from his mom. All he wants to do is take his mom back to China with him. His dad's condition for attending Moorim, was that he could take his mom with him back to China if he can complete his stay in Moorim.

On surface, Chiang's dad wants him to attend Moorim to make him a better person but there's seem to be something shady going on that isn't revealed to us yet

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This was meant to be a reply to the comment above but safari isn't cooperating

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The problem with this drama isn't the plot. It's that the acting and directing is so bad it distracts from the plot. I would very much like to disappear into the drama and enjoy it for what it is, but Hong bin and some of the side characters (here's looking at you Soon Deok, her mother, Jeong and Chi Ang's mom) are just so painful to watch. The only ones whose acting I find natural in the whole drama are Sun ah and Shi woo. Well...one or two episodes to go before I make up my mind one way or another.

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I'm normally pretty hard to please when it comes to dramas and the like, but I've so far found this show enjoyable, even though its nowhere near perfect. There are definitely problems (Some peoples acting, specifically the moms for me, and some others) but after I let go of that I can enjoy the other things it has to offer. I think it has promise, but it could also go downhill. I guess we'll see.

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I'm pretty sure it was Shi Woo's yell that unlocked the seal.
I'm calling magical brother and sister, the boy and girl they currently hate (who they'll later date, obviously), Professor Kim and that English slinger as bad guys. Or maybe the slinger is just a jerk?

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I'm watching(and loving) this drama for two reasons: 1. Lee Hyun-Woo 2. The OST's ?

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Ah. I seriously hope this will become a hit.

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I've watched plenty of drama's with good actors and terrible non-existent plots (*cough*oh my venus*cough*) so I'm willing to give this plot a try - yes the directing is cheesy and the acting is definitely not daesung worthy but as a wise disney character once said..."let it go"....

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I just want to see more of Shi-woo and Sun-ah T_T

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cheese... so much cheese~ even cheese in the trap doesn't have this amount of cheese~
whats with the flying woods?? And name dropping UN? really?? o...kay...
I watch this episode out of loyalty to Lee Hyun Woo & curiosity if it can get better.. Well, I guess deep down I wants it to be better. For Lee Hyun Woo. (Yes, I only care about Lee Hyun Woo, you can pick your favorite~)
I was wrong. and baffled.
It is a fantasy drama, I get it. All the magic seal & blablabla but you still need good directing, plot & acting ability to sold the story. The plot is there, It was tiny little thing but it was there. But did the director left them actors to fend themselves during filming? The directing & acting makes me sigh... Asking Lee Hyun Woo to carry the drama by himself is too much.
I'm ok with fantasy-wacky-exaggerate-leave you brain at the door type of drama as long as the drama itself self aware about it too. But Moorim trying so hard to be serious & that makes it so jarring.. Fine, abandon good directing, plot & acting, just at least be self aware about yourself show~
And can we drop the harry porter comparison please? Twilight is also fantasy....

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Well, I don't have time to watch another drama but am very much enjoying these recaps. If indeed the acting/directing isn't that great, I can still enjoy the interesting story and the pretty faces in the screen caps. Thanks, Lollypip!

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The directing in this drama reminds me of Level 7 Civil Servant - with slightly better writing but rookie-er bunch of actors.

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Errr...it was Chi Ang who put the whole batter into the oil and not Shi Woo.

First 2 episodes are better than Oh My Venus that I just had to drop at ep11 and even sneaking glances at the next episodes still terrible terrible!

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I am personally watching it for hyun woo. I did like ep 1 and couldn't wait to watch 2....and yes, i agree that 2 was cheesier than ep 1.... But i will still watch this til the end anyway.

I usu read the comments to see how others like the show/episode and read their analysis...if someone's comments keep on bothering me, i'll just learn to avoid those comments. ((It happened with d-day))..I will do the same with this. Read the lovely recaps and avoid all the comments.

As people said, some people watch a show 'as is' with no expectations...and others watch a show and comment on flaws that they see. I may like something that others don't but that's ok....i would even try to watch shows til the end just to find out the ending, but i have even drop shows with 2 eps left bc I couldn't take it anymore....

Happy watching everyone...

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While episode 1 was certainly better, there's no doubt that Moorim still intrigues me very much. There's so much mystery to be figure out and I'm hoping for something compelling.

Our leads are no usual characters (even though now Soondeok seems like a mere candy girl for me), and I'd like to give more credits to Hwang Seon-ah. For a second lead, she's a very strong character, and she doesn't need to be evil to do that (but who knows). I also love it how she 'showers' her Shiwoo oppa with a different kind of love. Most fangirls shower him with gifts and hope for something more, but she just genuinely wants to help him (even though her motives are moved by her love) and she knows her line. We can clearly see that as much as a fangirl she is, she's still a mature woman who knows the dos and donts.

The other students kinda bother me though. It's clear that all of them are 'acting', and it kinda ruins the fun. But I know most of them aren't actors so I'm trying not to think about it that much. Alexander seriously goes too far, though. I know it's probably the script but the way he delivers his lines and represents the character is so unnatural that it becomes annoying. But the again he's not exactly an actor either; I hope he'll improve though.

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This reminds me of Alice Academy (manga). I will see how this drama turns out. But so far so good.

Thanks for the recap <3

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It's new and ridiculous and I like it.

Thanks for the recaps!

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Lot's of cameos from the Abnormal Summit panelists.

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Haha. Loved you last comment. I really think that Lee Hyun Woo is wasted on this show, but that doesn't mean everything is bad. First, he plays very very wekk his character. The realisation is great. Really. It's beautifully done. Also, great special effets.
The problem lies with, first, the scenario. All the characters are layered, yes, but not in the right way. Every conflit feels drawn out of nowhere. It feels childish and wrong and I get why the actors have difficulties finding th way to play their part. The only one with enough experience do to that (and who also is a great actor which helps) is Lee Hyun Woo. Played by someone else, Shi Woo would not feel as grounded and understandable. I get him, I got attached to him very quickly. But he is the only one and in a drama with such a full cast, it's a real problem.
I'm really disappointed. I wasn't excepting much, but I was expecting more than this.
There's even strangers in the cast ! Seriously ! It could have been awesome but it already feels like it failed so... I think I'll try one or two episode more but the end of the adventure will come quickly for me.
I've had enough of idol cast that do not know how to play... High School Love On was the killer. Gosh, that one was bad.

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Sorry.
well* and finding the way*

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