“I think it’s better to be weird than to be ordinary.”

One more reason to like this show.

"It's better to be weird than to be ordinary"

Thanks @missvictrix for a great review. You've really captured what I loved about this show. It was something that resonated with me.

There's a really strong theme running through this whole thing about
the siren call of conformity, fitting-in, being a part of the herd and whether you can have the courage to embrace the parts of yourself that make you different. Not just from people around you but from what society tells you you're supposed to be. Watching Eun-young sink into 'normality' like a hot bath was so understandable but at the same time you know that's not an option for her. She is who she is and she has people who love her for who she is.

Eun-young's fight against the Jellies literally drains her emotional energy and you could feel her exhaustion as the endless fight at the school coupled with grief at her friend's death drained her to the point where she lost her ability to fight altogether. When Mackenzie said to her that she would "end up dead and not even know that she was dead", I think this is what he was referring to. Complete emotional burnout. And the show dealt with all of this with such deftness and in only six episodes. In that respect, even if parts were a bit rushed and even handwaved, the show was a masterpiece. It's one of my favourites for this year.

Can I just say that the Hye-min storyline was particularly poignant and important. This character successfully transitioned from being trapped within the structural confines and expectations imposed on them to become freely the person they wanted to be. And then, to have a relationship with the pop idol? I may have cheered.

I won’t spoil the plot points here

Sigh. I got a little confused as was hoping for a nice explanation.

Hm. At first I decided I liked the Netflix-y feel of this drama, but in the end I found it vaguely dissatisfying... like a lot of Netflix shows, ultimately more style than substance because there's a whole lotta style and yet the same cheery message as every other Netflix show. It's like a Chinese ministry churning out campus dramas, or Disney in its family values heyday.

I think if Season 2 will happen, then there was a chances of future or a lot of new battles sees the potential romance of Eun-young and Im-pyo.

I'm normally a fan of dramas cutting out the fat and going for a shorter episode count, but this was one of the rare cases where I really wanted MORE. Episode 5 was definitely the standout for me in terms of quality and emotional story-telling. It was also when I felt like I was finally getting used to the show's quirks and starting to understand it's lore. So it was a real disappointment that there was only one episode after it that didn't really feel completely conclusive. I find both Eun Young and Im Pyo rich enough characters to explore more of, so I hope a season 2 is not out of the realm of possibility. Jung Yumi and Nam Joo Hyuk were a great pair as well.

That is a good battle cry as any. “I think it’s better to be weird than to be ordinary.” Ordinary is boring anyway.

I want moooorree! Please tell me they are considering a season 2!

I want to see more of Eun Young and In-pyo battle out the jellies and other supernatural forces at the school.

I found the scenario confusing, some characters suddenly peep out and disapear... It let me the impression that the story was rushed.

This one is a definite rewatch for me! Still wrapping my mind around the different ways it can be interpreted 💚

This drama I feel and would agree with other beanies ultimately comes down to conformity. It is one of those really interesting things because from the format, to the length of the episodes, to the number of episodes itself, it tried to go against the grain. The disgusting aspects I think were meant to symbolize the rather disgusting and messy aspects of life that are frankly quite normal, but we as a society Korean or otherwise have made to seem abnormal. In the same token the show recognizes that while it is okay to be disgusted at some things other things just make you cruel and inhumane. Thst was my takeaway anyway. I enjoyed every piece of this lovely and odd drama and I hope to see more like it.

@missvictrix Thank you for another recap. I truly believe that this drama would've benefited from being a little longer. I feel as if certain plot elements were rushed or not even addressed ( example: What made In-pyo believe Eun-young and start working with her?). Still, I did really enjoy watching The School Nurse Files.

Umm..what was the point in destroying the school if they rebuild it at the same place? Did they destroy the creature (if it was one) or they let it out so that it could wreak havoc over a much larger area?

Thank you for the review! One thing I noticed that I really found a cool worldbuilding choice is how usually a ghost-seeing protagonist is isolated *because* of their abilities but Nurse Files made it rather clear that there are plenty of people running around with the same ability. And Eun-young knows a fair number of them but still ends up relatively isolated. Which isn't to say jelly-vision doesn't make for a terrible childhood and a lot of trauma, so of course Eun-young would rather not have it tyvm but when she does lose them, she actually just ends up isolating herself even further from the people who liked her for who she is. Eun-young's choice to continue researching the basement anyways and the eventual (even if somewhat unwanted) return of her powers and relationship with In-pyo really ends up contributing nicely to the "it's better to be weird" theme

I feel like there are a lot pieces in the main narrative I'd have like expanded on (Safe Happiness vs Ilgwang, how Il-pyo's grandfather plays into those organizations, the last fight(?) that was skipped past, exactly how old is Hwa-su???, how was Eun-young involved with Safe Happiness, and so much more) but at the same time, I love the messy slice-of-life structure and I think that's really a big part of the show's charm. It kinda takes you for a ride and you either love it or leave with a fear of cgi slime.

(Most of all though, I want that OST)

I loved this second half, got terribly emotional with Kang Sun death and learning about the special bond he and Eun Young shared. It made me realize how lonely had Eun Young's life has been. It made it even more hurtful when she discovered her one friend (besides InPyo) was not a true friend. Keeping the world a safe place shouldn't have to feel this lonely.

I kept loving students this second half )specially Jellyfish mainly living in infirmary) and the way they assume things just because: "hey, Nurse Ahn, help us with our friend that was turned to life a couple of days ago and will die when she's 20 only after she eats all the mites". I loved, loved, loved this. Every single assumption of something weird as an ordinary thing. Yes!

I also felt like things and people were left unexplained, and the action rushed. I would have wanted some more answers to my questions, but I accept the weirdness of not knowing, and I will embrace a second season if we are gifted with one.

P.S. I hope ducks survived.

“I think it’s better to be weird than to be ordinary" summed up how I felt about The School Nurse Files. If the first half was weirdly fun then the second was profoundly weird.

The Hye-min arc may have been my favorite of the show with all of the symbolism about breaking out of the box that society puts people in. The scene where In-pyo and Eun-Young drive Hye-min past the 5.38km radius was lovely.

Another moment I loved was in Episode 6 when Eun-Young points to the open cabinet with all of her jellie-fighting paraphernalia and calls them eerie and In-pyo relies that they are, but he loves them. Is that a confession, or what. I may have swooned.

This show introduced me to Yoo Teo. A German born Korean multicultural actor. And now I'm intrigued to know more lol! Glad and super excited to see him be the main lead with Soo Ae in the next SBS show (Misty writer) and all. Also his look in this show is oddly quite attractive ha!