Review: Undercover High School – The Fangirl Verdict

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Show starts with a bang, with an unapologetically silly, dorky, badass sort of sensibility, which I loved, so, so much. 🤩😍

Unfortunately for me, Show changes focus (and therefore tone), about midway through its run, spending a lot more time on the central mystery, than on relationships.

The story still works; I just found it a lot less fun to watch.

The silver lining, is the Seo Kang Joon and Kim Shin Rok are both fantastic in this. He basically steals the first half of the show, while she steals the second half. 😁

Not a must-see by any means, but not bad, overall.

THE LONG VERDICT:

I really, really wanted to love this one, you guys.

I loved the premise when Show was announced, and then loved the silly-dorky badassery that launched our story.

To be brutally honest, I am slightly gutted that I didn’t find Show as laugh-out-loud entertaining in its second half as its first, BUT, Show did remind me all over again, of how much I enjoy Seo Kang Joon as a general rule, and that alone, has made this one worth my while. 😁

To be fair to Show, it’s not actually bad in its second half; I think a few lens adjustments could help everything go down a lot more smoothly – which I’ll talk about in just a little bit.

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album playlist in case you’d like to listen to it while reading the review.

I have to admit that I didn’t pay special attention to the music while I was watching. It was there, and did its job of scoring our story without being overly distracting.

If I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be Part 3, Call My Name, which I find very pleasant in its mid-tempo, breezy way.

Here it is on its own as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about stuff I liked on a more macro level, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate and finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are some things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. Suspension of disbelief is required

This is not a serious story, and you need to be prepared to suspend disbelief on a regular basis.

2. The manhwa lens

I personally found that a manhwa lens works best for this show, because a lot of stuff that doesn’t make sense in the real world, is perfectly fine, in a comic-book sort of world.

3. This is not romance-forward

Despite Show’s trailers pushing forward the romance angle in our story, I think it’s actually helpful to know that the romance isn’t the main point.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the loveline lands as being more of a supporting arc than anything else.

Knowing to expect that, helps.

STUFF I LIKED

Show’s premise

Like I’ve said several times already, there’s just something about this premise that tickles my fancy.

I just wildly love the idea of NIS agent Seo Kang Joon going undercover in high school, and trying to lie low and live an unremarkable high school life, while trying to fulfill his mission without blowing his cover.

And so, every time Show leaned into this, and played with this idea, I was a very happy camper. 😁

When Show plays up Hae Seong’s appeal

For a good half of our show (maybe more), this works out to be the Seo Kang Joon show, and I have zero complaints about that, none at all. 😁

To be fair, everyone else does a great job too; it’s just.. Seo Kang Joon just shines the brightest, by design, and I love it.

From early slo-mo backlit glory walks, to offhanded shirtless scenes lit by morning sunlight, to fight scenes showcasing badass fight moves, we get a whole lotta Seo Kang Joon magnificence, especially in our early episodes, and I was a flailing, spazzing fangirl. 🤭

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I love that detail, that Hae Seong’s got a bit of a wild, independent streak about him, sometimes – information that works nicely to fill in our understanding of his character, going into his high school mission. 😁

Oh, and of course, there’s the thing where we learn that Hae Seong is a very skilled fighter, with excellent moves and reflexes – which definitely ups his appeal, not gonna lie. 😁

That slo-mo shot of him walking away from the fiery wreck, with the broker casually slung over his shoulder, and the stolen artifact in his other hand, is quite glorious 🤩, and I kinda love the bonus beat, of colleague Yeong Hun (Jo Bok Rae) literally crying in awe at how cool Hae Seong is, as an involuntary tear escapes his eye. 🤭

It’s too bad for Hae Seong that his bullet had ricocheted so wildly, that it had shot off the arm of the artifact, thus giving the Director Kim (Lee Seo Hwan) a reason to force him to go undercover in high school on a mission that has no guarantee of success – or risk being fired, and having his team dissolved alongside.

I feel bad for Hae Seong, yes, but not enough that I actually want the high school mission dissolved, because I am thoroughly smitten with the premise. 🤩

And also, I don’t know what it is, but Seo Kang Joon looks extra hot, while pretending to be a high schooler..? 😅

There’s something about the nonchalant way he wears it, like school rules are but guidelines, and also, the way he saunters around, all laidback and kinda quizzical.

Or maybe it’s the fact that Show helpfully gives us that slo-mo sequence of a shirtless Hae Seong putting on said uniform; that probably upped the hotness factor..? 🔥🤭

Whatever it is, I am lapping this up, with glee. 🤭

[END SPOILER]

When Show toys with the teacher-student connection

Another thing that really tickled my fancy, and which Show had leaned into, in its promotional trailers, is the inner conflict that our female lead Su A (Jin Ki Joo) experiences in relation to Hae Seong.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I find it hilarious that our female lead Su A happens to come across Hae Seong having a drink at her mother’s restaurant the night before his mission starts, and gets all up in her feels, from the smoldering sexy – and then, realizes to her horror, the following day, that she’d been having the hots for – gasp! – her student. 🤭

I am very, very tickled by this, and I love the running gag that Su A basically doesn’t really know what to do with Hae Seong, but is trying her darndest to get him to toe the line and behave, because she’s seen for herself that he’s the type of delinquent who would fake his ID and go drinking, despite being underage. 😂

[END SPOILER]

On this point, I’ve seen some viewers express discomfort at the idea that there’s a loveline between Su A and Hae Seong, because she’s a teacher, and he’s her student.

Personally, I didn’t have a problem with this, mainly because we see that Su A had fallen for him before the mission, ie, when he’d been presenting as a full-grown adult.

Afterwards, all the hyper-awareness is played for laughs, and it’s essentially a continual push-pull between Su A’s initial swooning instinct, and her eventual professional sensibility.

I thought it was all in good fun, and didn’t feel any “ick” factor at play, though I acknowledge that your mileage may vary.

How Show avoids “ick”

On a similar point, it makes complete sense to me that all the girls in school would be swooning over Hae Seong, because he’s just that good-looking and offhandedly cool.

I mean, I don’t blame ’em; I’m swooning alongside ’em. 🤭

And, I’m pretty pleased with the way Show avoids any potential “ick” factor on this front as well.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I appreciate that when Ye Na (Kim Min Ju) tries to buy Hae Seong’s affection, he gives her a stern talking-to like he’s a naggy ahjusshi instead of the hot new guy at school, and tells her to get a refund, coz a student shouldn’t be splashing about with so much money. 🤭

So yes, no potential ick there; Hae Seong’s absolutely not getting flirty with any of the high school girls – only his homeroom teacher, HA.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

The thing with the gold

In principle, I didn’t mind the arc around the gold and the ghost stories.

It felt like a way for Show to give itself structure, while also giving us something to be curious about.

And I was curious about it – for a time.

In the end, I felt like Show allowed this thing with the gold to overshadow most of the things that I’d loved in this drama to begin with, and that was a bummer.

Which is why I mostly just feel neutral, about this storyline.

The silliness of Team 4

Overall, I’d say that the silliness of Team 4 (Jeon Bae Soo, Jo Bok Rae and Yoon Ga Yi) worked out to be a bit of a mixed bag, for me.

Depending on how I feel in that exact moment, I sometimes find it low-key amusing, and then sometimes, I find it pretty lame and eyeroll-worthy. It’s a mood thing for me, for sure. 😅

I say this, despite consciously using more of a manhwa lens, to digest this show. I guess even with a manhwa lens on, this type of humor is a bit hit or miss for me. 😅

I will say, though, that Jo Bok Rae’s comic timing and expressions are on-point, and he sells the silly to me, better than most other actors would have been able to, in the role. 😁

I thought I’d highlight one of the times when Team 4’s silliness really did work for me, in this spoiler section.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Team 4 setting up a dance stage with free sandwiches, in order to help Hae Seong get signatures for his application, is such a mood. 😂

I love how they all seem so into it, and then even Hae Seong seems to get into it for a bit, with dance poses and everything, before he scurries off in embarrassment. 😂

After that, I thought we’d focus on Hae Seong studying like his life depended on it – and that’s exactly when Hae Seong gets called in for a military exercise, HAHA.

I don’t even know why I’m surprised by this, since Singapore also does stuff like this, but anyway, I was suitably surprised, and then the ensuing chaos around Su A bringing porridge to Hae Seong, to the rooftop apartment where he’s supposed to be living, was just golden. 😂

It was just so ridiculous that Team 4 would scramble so hard, to borrow enough items within 15 minutes, to make it look like Hae Seong lives there, that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Our final minutes are so epic, seriously.

We’ve got that moment of hyper-awareness between Hae Seong and Su A, which allllmost gets Su A out the door, with Hae Seong saying that he needs to go to the clinic – until they slip and end up in a falling kiss, pfft.

What had me guffawing though, was the mirrored kiss in the cupboard, where Mi Jeong plants her lips on Yeong Hun’s, in a desperate bid to stop him from sneezing, HAHA.

The way a happily stunned Yeong Hun falls out of the cupboard, and also, reveals Chief An and Mi Jeong hiding in said cupboard, right in front of Su A, is sooo damning.

Like, how will Team 4 explain this debacle?? I can’t think of a plausible excuse that Su A would believe, so I’m very keen to see what they come up with, next episode. 😁

E5-6. I had to laugh at the way Team 4 gets themselves out of that epic situation in Hae Seong’s fake rooftop apartment, when everyone falls out of the cupboard in front of Su A.

Instead of actually trying to give her any kind of explanation, they just bumble their way through it, first with a “Surprise!!!” that went nowhere, and then with a hullabaloo around a fake-fainting Hae Seong, so that everyone could make a hasty exit, leaving poor Su A more befuddled than ever.

Pfft. This is why Team 4 is known to be inept, isn’t it? 😂

E5-6. I still find it quite silly that Hae Seong has to become part of the student council in order to gain access to the clock, and then that he has to become a student model, in order to gain access to the piano, but it’s an entertaining, earnest kind of silly, which I’m quite amused at. 😁

Like, the fact that we’ve got an entire NIS team waiting with bated breath for Hae Seong’s midterm results, because this is the only way they can see, of finding the gold, is hilarious; like, you’d think a highly trained NIS team would find a way to access the clock without Hae Seong having to study his brains out, but no. 😂

[END SPOILER]

Show’s sense of humor

This should come as no surprise to you, since, if you’ve been the blog for a while, you’d likely know that k-humor and I often don’t find ourselves on the same page.

And so, even though, as you’ve seen earlier in this review, that Show sometimes had me in stitches, there were also other times, when its efforts at serving up The Funny, didn’t quite work for me.

Here’s a quick look at just a sampling, in this spoiler section.

[SPOILER ALERT]

When it worked for me

E3-4. I’m really quite amused at the way Show is working in the Quiznos PPL, with Team 4 literally taking over the outlet near the school, so that Hae Seong would be able to join them for meetings.

It’s ridiculous, especially during that scene when Hae Seong’s having a discussion with Dong Min – and it turns out that they’re sitting in the dark, in that very Quiznos outlet. Pfft.

It’s so hammy that I’m actually finding it funny instead of annoying and intrusive, so props for that. 😁

When it didn’t work for me

1. I generally didn’t find it funny whenever Su A had any kind of run-in with the Vice-Principal, even though that was mostly played for laughs.

2. I also generally didn’t prefer the number of times Show tried to milk Su A being drunk, as a source of amusement.

3. In case it wasn’t clear earlier, there were also occasions when I didn’t find the Team 4 antics funny, particularly around Yeong Hun’s crush on Mi Jeong. 😅

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

When Show is tonally uneven

At around Show’s halfway mark, I felt that it became quite noticeably tonally uneven.

This is when Show delves into its more serious side, while still trying to include a nice amount of the goofy-silly as well, and I just found the overall tone to be a bit uneven, ie, it didn’t feel like Show was transitioning between the disparate tones with as much ease as I would have liked.

Sometimes, it just felt like Show wasn’t being very astute in terms of its choices, like in this instance from episodes 7-8.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. That moment at the special event, where Hae Seong gives Su A that necklace which doubles as a camera, struck me as extremely weird, because he is literally putting on that necklace for her in a very boyfriend-esque sort of way, right in front of the entire room?!?

I found it all very perplexing (instead of the intended swoony), because this is a secret mission, and anyone looking their way would find it extremely inappropriate for a supposed student to be putting on a necklace for his teacher, amiright??? 😅😅😅

At a very basic level, even without the necklace in the equation, I would question why Hae Seong is standing there next to Su A, on the sidelines, when all the other students are seated at their tables.

It just doesn’t strike me as very smart secret agent behavior, all around. 😅

I’m shrugging and moving on in the name of elastic manhwa logic, but just thought I’d let you guys know what I think about it, for the record. 😁

[END SPOILER]

When Show doesn’t give enough emotional heft

The deeper I got into my watch, the more convinced I became, that Show had lost sight, somewhat, of the things that had made it so fun to watch in the first place.

In leaning into the mystery of the gold, and the conspiracy behind it, it feels like we lose almost everything that had been the foundation of Show’s initial charm.

In my books, that would be the fun, irreverent tone of Show showcasing Hae Seong in a glorious sort of light and the budding friendship between Hae Seong and Dong Min.

To be fair, I understand that it’s important for Show to deal with the mystery arc, once it’s set it up.

The thing is, I feel like we lose almost all the emotional heft that we could have had.

Whether it’s the friendship between Hae Seong and Dong Min, or the loveline between Hae Seong and Su A, or any other relationship in this story world, really, it feels like Show suddenly stopped putting effort into developing emotional heft.

As a result, I can’t help but feel kind of.. cheated and hollow about it all, because, in my opinion, emotional heft is what makes a drama and its characters have impact and staying power.

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Seo Kang Joon as Hae Seong

If it is already clear by now, I basically loved Seo Kang Joon as Hae Seong. 😍😍

The roguish handsome; the offhanded badassery; the wild card personality running undercurrent; the goodhearted nature; I was a sucker for it all. 😁

And then there’s the pathos stemming from the hints of a sad backstory as well.

How could I not grow a huge soft spot for Hae Seong, yes? 😁

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I am loving the idea that Hae Seong’s trying so hard to lay low and not attract attention, but can’t help attracting attention anyway.

First, there’s the fact that he looks hot in uniform (heh), and so, the minute he walks into the classroom as the new transfer student, all the girls start oohing and aahing at how handsome and cool he looks. 😁

Second, there’s the fact that the school bullies appear to be wired to target anyone new, who doesn’t have a powerful parent, and Hae Seong fits into that category nicely.

E1-2. I have to admit to feeling quite the thrill, to see Hae Seong land a punch in Tae Soo’s (Jang Sung Bum) torso, after deftly ducking out of reach of Tae Soo’s attempted punch.

That was so satisfying to see, coz Tae Soo’s shown himself to be such a cruel, arrogant ass.

On that note, can I just say that Seo Kang Joon is doing a great job of making Hae Seong both badass-cool yet dorky-awkward, at the same time, and I marvel at the duality.

It’s quite trippy to me, that he can channel both those very different vibes, at the exact same time. I love it. 🤩

On a related tangent, I do also love the little touches, where we get evidence that Hae Seong’s very athletic, like the way he casually sits on top of the door frame on the roof like it’s most natural thing in the world, when Yu Jeong (Park Se Hyun) asks to see him there.

Call me a shallow fangirl, but I love those little beats. 🤩

What a contrast present-day Hae Seong is, to the Hae Seong whom we see in flashback, who’d suffered continually from bullying, because his classmates saw him as an unwanted orphan.

It was heartbreaking to see that Hae Seong had gotten beaten up on a regular basis, and that the teachers had turned a blind eye, even though it was clear to see that he was being targeted. 💔

And what a sad backstory that we get, that Dad had been in the NIS, and had gone off to work one day – the day before Hae Seong’s birthday – and then had never come back.

I’m hoping that we get Dad’s return, sometime in the course of our story, coz I need to know what had happened to him.

E3-4. These episodes, we get some more insight into what had gone down with the bullying in high school, and I am so thankful that Hae Seong had had Chief An then, to back him up and tell him that it was ok to quit high school; that there are other ways to get a high school diploma.

Certainly, Chief An hadn’t let Hae Seong make that decision lightly, and from that judo fight scene, I’m already getting a sense of how Hae Seong had grown to become the slick fighter that he is, today.

He’s come such a long way, hasn’t he? 🥲

I suppose it isn’t the point, but I do love the idea of him going back to high school, and getting to do things differently, this time around.

This time around, instead of getting bullied, he’s in a position to protect the bullied, and that feels like a kind of poetic justice, yes? 🥲

And on top of all that, Hae Seong’s still actively working on making headway in his mission, and I do love it, each time we see him make progress.

Like the way he gets the full scoop from the security guard without too much trouble, once Yeong Hun sends him the intel, that the masked man with the hammer, had actually been Security Dude.

E3-4. Hae Seong’s under strict orders to just focus on the mission at hand, and not get involved with the students, and he does try, but he just can’t stand by and watch Dong Min get tormented by Tae Soo, day after day, and not do anything about it.

I like that about him. 🥲

E5-6. I enjoy seeing Hae Seong getting more involved in student life.

Those little beats, like when other students congratulate him in passing, on his midterm high ranking, or his appointment in the student council, make me feel like he’s really becoming one of them, and for some reason, I like the idea of this very much. 🥰

I know it doesn’t make sense, but there’s a part of me that just wants Hae Seong to remain in high school and be besties with Dong Min. 🥰🥲

E5-6. I felt really bad for Hae Seong, when he learns about Dad’s mission at the school, and that the mission had been the same as his current one: to find the missing gold.

It’s a lot to process, and with the way he’s been so torn up about Dad having gone missing for the past 22 years, I can see why he’d feel betrayed that he’d been put on this mission without being told that this had been Dad’s last mission, during which he’d gone missing.

Part of me wishes that Hae Seong had punched Director Kim, but my rational brain is relieved that Chief An steps in in time to stop him, because we can’t have our NIS agent getting fired, right? 😅

Also, Director Kim does have a point about agent confidentiality, so.. perhaps he’s not being a douche in keeping the information about Dad from Hae Seong?

Even though this is all very hard for Hae Seong, I’m really glad that he pushes through and decides to continue with the mission, because this unexpectedly offers opportunities for him to feel connected to Dad, and that was very precious indeed. 🥲

Walking the halls of the school and knowing that Dad had once walked the very same halls; going through Dad’s notes and feeling like he and Dad are in on this mission together; going to Dad’s secret office and looking upon all the work that Dad had done.

It all feels like a very unique and precious experience, and Hae Seong would never have had the opportunity, if he hadn’t been sent undercover. 🥲

In particular, I loved the scenes were we get to see Hae Seong imagining a conversation with Dad, like when he sits and looks up at the stars, where he and Dad had used to sit.

The way Hae Seong asks if Dad had been lonely, just like how he’s lonely, and the way his eyes fill with tears as he thinks about Dad, with so much empathy and solidarity, just really hit me in the heart. 🥹

It feels like something that Hae Seong’s kept bottled up on the inside for a long time, and this is the first time he’s actually allowing himself to confront his feelings and say the words out loud, and it feels heartbreaking yet healing, at the same time. 🥲

Importantly, I’m glad that Hae Seong’s heart is able to imagine that Dad would console him and tell him not to cry, saying that it’s ok.

Augh. So very poignant. 🥹

E5-6. I love that beat in the epilogue, where we see Hae Seong sitting in Dad’s secret office, and with that wistfully poignant look in his eyes, which just really grabs me by the heart, promise Dad that he’ll find Dad soon. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Jin Ki Joo as Su A

I find Jin Ki Joo very charming, so I was perfectly happy to have her on my screen as Su A.

That said, I do feel that Su A does come across as a bit underdeveloped, when you consider that she’s our female lead.

Like I said earlier, this show is mostly a stage for Seo Kang Joon to shine, so I suppose it was a natural side effect, that Su A would end up being a more muted character, in comparison.

That said, Show does work to give Su A a bit of character and depth, which definitely helped.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. These episodes, we spend more time exploring Su A’s dilemma as a contract teacher whose dream is to get a permanent position.

When she realizes that the person tormenting Dong Min (Shin Jun Hang) isn’t Hae Seong, but Tae Soo, I appreciate that her first passionate, righteous instinct is to do something about it.

When she shouts out to Tae Soo to stop what he’s doing, and he outright lies about what’s happening, then reminds her that she’s a powerless temp, and that she should remember her place, you can see her spirit being systematically crushed with each word that he bites out.

And then, when she thinks about other things that she can do, like report the matter, it’s her colleague Ri An (I do love Lee Min Ji; I’ve had a soft spot for her since The Red Sleeve 🥲) who reminds her of her reality, and that if she does anything, she can kiss her permanent job goodbye.

It’s basically being stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I’m glad that Su A decides to do something about it after all, even if it’s anonymously.

E7-8. I am very proud of Su A, for solving the riddle of the third ghost story, which is something that no one else, including Chairwoman Seo (Kim Shin Rok) and the entirety of Team 4, was able to do.

Our Su A is a smart cookie, and I feel bummed on her behalf, that she doesn’t get more affirmation from Hae Seong, for her feat – and then even gets bluntly turned down, when she asks him to help her navigate the rigged grades scam.

She’s really all heart, though, and I do love that the 1,000 won note comes into play again, as a visual representation of her conscience, in a way, as she decides to be brave, and do whatever she can, to protect her students – because that’s what teachers do. 🥲

And it really is quite touching, that even when Hae Seong tells her that Chairwoman Seo knows that Su A is investigating the rigged grades, she is undeterred in her mission – just because it’s the right thing to do, never mind that her job and her physical safety would be put at risk. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Hae Seong and Su A

In principle, I’m fine with the idea of this story having a loveline, and I’m also find with the casting.

However, Show’s very light touch with the romance, almost makes me wonder if we needed a loveline in this story, in the first place. 😅

In MC‘s words (and I completely agree with MC), this OTP is cute enough, but they wouldn’t be in the running to be my OTP of the year.

Writer-nim does sprinkle some nuggets into the mix, to make our OTP connection more meaningful, but I have to confess that I did feel rather underwhelmed by any build-up that we did have, because in the end, this OTP relationship landed as extremely understated.

Still, for the record, here’s a collection of OTP-related thoughts that I did have, during my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Hae Seong and Su A are very alike in the way they both can’t sit by and do nothing, when they see injustice, and I do enjoy that thought very much, coz this will make them excellent partners, when they get to that point.

On that note, I do love that the two 1000 won bills from Dong Min’s grandmother, act like their consciences, in a way.

Each time they try to convince themselves to look the other way, just looking at that 1000 won bill, brings about a resurgence of their consciences. It’s great. 🥲

E3-4. I love that both Hae Seong and Su A praise and comfort Dong Min after the Tae Soo incident, and I freaking love the little mutual thumbs-up that they share with each other.

Eee!! Cute!!! And also, that’s mutual appreciation and respect, isn’t it?? 🥰

Afterwards, that scene in the school grounds, where Su A gets all flustered while applying ointment to Hae Seong’s lip, is cute too. 😁

Ok, I know that if you approach this with a very logical lens, this could land as problematic, since Su A believes Hae Seong to be a high schooler, but this is such a manhwa-esque drama world, that I don’t find it necessary to be very logical about this.

Also, let’s remember that Su A had fallen for Hae Seong while he’d looked and acted like a full grown adult; it was only later that he showed up in her class, wearing a school uniform – by which time, it was kinda too late, coz her heart had already imprinted on Adult Hae Seong.

That’s also where the comedy and hijinks come in, coz Su A’s logical mind is fighting to stay professional, but her heart is a spazzing fangirl like the rest of us, and y’know, I feel like I can empathize; I think I’d struggle too, in her place. 🤭

E5-6. Since this is the point in our story where Show is leaning a little deeper into the potential loveline between Hae Seong and Su A, it also seems about the right time, for Su A to start suspecting that Hae Seong might not be an actual student.

I do love the detail, that Su A’s so observant that she notices that the car parked on the street has Hae Seong’s phone number on there, as the owner of the vehicle; it gives me confidence that Su A’s got some talent in the investigative arena, and will prove to be a great partner for Hae Seong, as they start to work on the secret mission together. 🥲

In the lead-up to that, I did enjoy some of the encounters that we get between them.

One that had me giggling a lot, was when Su A shows up at Hae Seong’s house door, all drunk, thinking that his house is her house, and then aegyos him, thinking that she’s talking to her mother.

Hehehehe that was very very funny!

One of the funniest things, was the way Hae Seong puts on his best ahjumma voice and tries to tell her that she’s got the wrong house. His ahjumma voice is GOLD; so on-point, down to the nasally drawl. 😂

And, even though I have been feeling a bit over the “cute drunk” trope, I must concede that Su A is a very cute drunk, and I very much appreciate the leaked smiles from Hae Seong, as he watches her top tier tipsy winsomeness. 😁

I love the idea of Hae Seong being amused by Su A. 🥰

E5-6. The minute Hae Seong goes back to school, Su A doesn’t waste any time in confronting him and demanding to know who he really is.

Honestly, on hindsight, I gotta give it to Show; that was a really well done set-up, placing Su A in school at midnight, coz Vice-Principal Schmuck had handed her that huge stack of stuff to do for him – which is why she spots Hae Seong and sees him fighting with the masked dude (whom we find out is Principal Park).

I was nicely entertained with how Hae Seong puts on his Fierce Agent face, and tells Su A that her only options are to help him on his mission, or go to jail for 10 years. 😂

And then, I found it even funnier, when Chief An berates Hae Seong for his rash handling of the situation, and sends him back to play nice with Su A, and grovel if he has to, to get her cooperation.

Seo Kang Joon’s very cute when playing dorky, and Hae Seong going back to play nice with Su A, is basically him at peak dorkiness. 🤩🤭

I kinda love how befuddled Hae Seong is, when Su A, imagining that she’ll finally get her permanent teacher position via the glory she’ll enjoy in helping him, enthusiastically agrees. 😁

I have to admit that, so far, I’m not super feeling the romancey moments that Show’s serving up, like the various beats of hyper-awareness that we get, when Su A gets hot and bothered and blushy because of Hae Seong.

I do think the cutesy romancey song they keep playing in those scenes is growing on me, so that I feel low-key amused just from the fact that it’s playing; in that sense, I kind of feel like a lab rat who’s been well trained to respond to stimuli..? 😅

I did get a kick out of Hae Seong modeling for the chance to get near the grand piano; it’s tropey, but I just lap up the whole “everyone oohing and aahing over how amazing and handsome the male lead is” thing. 😅

Bonus points to Show for making Hae Seong dorky and stiff first, coz then we get double the awesome, with Seo Kang Joon serving up a very nice amount of duality, in the two different photoshoots. 🤩

What a nice touch, too, that it’s Su A that helps Hae Seong nail the whole vibe, via a bit of one-on-one coaching. 😁

Also, I can’t help clocking that Su A watches Hae Seong doing all the cool sexy poses with a lot of appreciation, and then claps verrry enthusiastically, when he’s done. 🤭

On a more personal note, I like that this new framing of their relationship – partners, instead of teacher and student – opens the way for conversations, like the one where Su A advises him to be patient with Yu Jeong, and helps him to see things from Yu Jeong’s point of view.

I thought that was a nice touch; now she’s helping him beyond the mission, which feels meaningful.

I thought the ending beat, where Hae Seong saves Su A from that oncoming motorbike, was extremely tropey.

Like many of you, I don’t particularly care about whether Su A and Hae Seong had known each other as kids, because, really, why does it have to matter?

But I take the point that,

1, Su A knows Hae Seong’s father’s face, and has now seen a photo of Dad in school, so she might soon point Hae Seong to that, and

2, Hae Seong seems quite delighted to realize that Su A is none other than the little girl he’d known from before. Aw. That’s quite sweet, isn’t it? 🥰

E7-8. These episodes, Show leans into the connection between Hae Seong and Su A, and it is reasonably enjoyable.

Part of it is definitely Jin Ki Joo’s personal charm coming out even more strongly, as Su A revels in the thrill of becoming an honorary field agent. Her enthusiasm and desire to help out, is very endearing.

And Hae Seong’s concern for her safety – now amplified by his realization that she’s his childhood friend – is endearing too.

The various moments of hyperawareness between them is pretty cute too, like when Hae Seong’s teaching her a few self-defense moves, and then gets all weirded out by their physical proximity, while Su A remains blithely unaware. 😁

E7-8. I’m glad that Hae Seong is able to confide in Su A, who reminds him that he’s not alone, and promises to help him.

Honestly, my favorite moment between these two, in these episodes, is when Hae Seong oh-so-casually tells Su A that he’s Si Hyun, the little boy from elementary school.

It’s so great that she hadn’t even been thinking or asking about it, and he just comes right out and tells her, so matter-of-factly, that they are the same age, and that they’d shared this information when they’d been in second grade, and then asks why he’s her sworn enemy.

And then, he nonchalantly asks why she’d changed her name coz he prefers her old name, Bong Ja, and then casually reveals that he’s her next door neighbor.

Tee hee hee! The multi-stage mind implosion that we see Su A go through, is really quite delicious.

I love how laidback, grounded and casually cheeky Hae Seong is, while Su A tries to process all this information. And, the leaked smiles are fantastic; he looks affectionately amused and I do find myself flailing, because leaked smiles are my kryptonite. 🫠

E7-8. I still don’t think it’s necessary to give our OTP a childhood connection.

However, I do find that the pre-existing childhood connection works well, to give our OTP connection a turbo boost, from the moment both sides become aware of said connection.

Suddenly, they’re on much more familiar terms that if they were simply two strangers who happened to find themselves in the same orbit, and it makes sense – because of the childhood connection.

That said, it does make me feel kind of weird, that both Hae Seong and Su A seem to have residual romantic feelings associated with this childhood connection; I do wish kdramas would stop doing that. 😅

I thought it was fun watching Hae Seong and Su A buckle down together in his living room, working on the rigged grades investigation, and then I thought it was quite cute, that they would take turns putting that blanket over each other’s shoulders.

[END SPOILER]

Hae Seong and Dong Min

I really loved the burgeoning friendship between Hae Seong and Dong Min, and thoroughly enjoyed the spotlight that Show gave to this connection, in our early episodes.

Like I mentioned earlier, I was really quite disappointed when Show chose to sideline this friendship and spend its focus elsewhere.

I’d have loved to have Dong Min much more involved in helping Hae Seong with his mission.

Oh, the could’ve been’s.. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Hae Seong’s deskmate Dong Min is regularly harassed by the bullies, and it becomes harder and harder for Hae Seong not to get involved.

Watching all this, I find that I’m just waiting with bated breath, to see when Hae Seong’s resolve to follow orders and keep his head down will actually crack, so that we can see him unleashing some of his badassery on the bullies. 😁

With that kind of personal history, where he’d been bullied badly in the past, it’s little wonder that it’s so hard for Hae Seong to not say or do anything, when Tae Soo and his gang target Dong Min.

In fact, I am really loving this little friendship that’s growing between Hae Seong and Dong Min; it’s so endearing, honestly. 🥲

I feel like you can see Dong Min glomming onto Hae Seong, and really starting to blossom, because there’s finally someone on his side. 🥲

E3-4. I do like that the ghost stories nudge Hae Seong towards spending more time hanging out with Dong Min.

I am very much loving the budding brotherhood between these two, and I love that Dong Min is so happy to have found a friend in Hae Seong.

Given how he’s been treated as an outcast for the entirety of his high school life, this must feel like such a release for him, to finally have someone with whom he feels he belongs. 🥲

I just love how matter-of-fact Hae Seong is, in hanging out with Dong Min; like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and isn’t anything special – just a very regular part of any regular day. Somehow that makes it feel more special. 🥲

Of course, there’s the backstory that we know, that Hae Seong had suffered from bullying in his high school days, so there’s a built-in empathy there, for Dong Min.

E3-4. When Gran gets arrested and Hae Seong gets implicated, with Dong Min even pointing the finger at Hae Seong, thanks to Tae Soo’s terrible threats, I’m glad that Hae Seong remains so focused and calm.

I think it’s partly because he’s been bullied and therefore knows what it’s like, and I also think it’s partly because he’s just that cool; I love the way he’s non-judgey and all matter-of-fact, when he goes to talk to Dong Min, to find out the truth.

The way he nonchalantly tells Dong Min that it’s not his fault, just made him 1000% cooler in my eyes. 🤩🤩

I feel, so much, for Dong Min, who’s so crushed by his conscience, yet feels so stuck, like he has no choice but to throw his best and only friend under the bus, as his only chance of saving his grandmother. 💔

E3-4. I spazzed with everyone else, when Hae Seong rides into school like that on his motorbike, with the real gambling den boss, Gu Sang Tae, in hand as his witness.

Ahh! So. Freaking. Cool! 🤩🤩🤩

Of course, Tae Soo would try to weasel his way out of it by pressuring Dong Min to lie that it had always been Hae Seong, but YAY for Dong Min finding the courage to speak the truth. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Park Se Hyun as Yu Jeong

I just wanted to give Yu Jeong a shout-out, because apparently there are viewers hating on Yu Jeong for being childish and selfish, and standing in the way of Hae Seong’s mission.

Personally, I don’t think that’s something we should castigate Yu Jeong for; she’s just trying to live her life as peacefully as possible, without interference from anyone.

[SPOILER ALERT]

With the way Ye Na treats Yu Jeong as a glorified servant, I can understand why Yu Jeong wouldn’t want anyone from outside of school (ie, Hae Seong) to see or know her situation in school; even though Yu Jeong acts like it’s all good, she definitely knows that she’s being humiliated.

I can see why she would try so hard to get Hae Seong to stay away from the student council – and I don’t blame her for it.

[END SPOILER]

Kim Min Ju as Ye Na 

I just wanted to say that Show does a good job of first making me dislike Ye Na for the way she treats Yu Jeong like she’s hired help, and then making me feel sorry for her.

As Show ramped up Chairwoman Seo’s brand of Cheshire Cat unhinged, my sympathy for Ye Na couldn’t help but grow, along with my morbid curiosity around Chairwoman Seo. 😅

Yu Jeong and Ye Na [SPOILERS]

I wanted to give this friendship a shout-out because from the beginning, I’d believed that Ye Na didn’t actually treat Yu Jeong as a friend.

In fact, the way Ye Na treats Yu Jeong reminded me of the way Chairwoman Seo treats her; it’s the exact same brand of saccharine-coated manipulation. 😬

And so, I was really glad to see, in our later episodes, that Ye Na does think of Yu Jeong as a friend after all, and not just the dog that Chairwoman Seo keeps telling her to look upon Yu Jeong as.

It was really quite heartening, to see these two lean into their friendship, in our final episodes. 🥲

Kim Shin Rok as Chairwoman Seo

Like I mentioned earlier, Kim Shin Rok basically steals the entire second half of our show; she makes Chairwoman Seo that morbidly fascinating to watch.

On the one hand, there’s her barely concealed, unhinged Wicked Witch quality showing up with greater and greater clarity and regularity.

And yet, she still manages to maintain a semblance of normalcy, which, really actually makes her land as even more unnerving and unsettling, somehow. 😅

I honestly kinda loved watching Kim Shin Rok as Chairwoman Seo, even though I found Chairwoman Seo legitimately scary. 😅

She always seems to find new and creative ways to make Chairwoman Seo come across as barely-keeping-it-together, and perhaps just one small step away from literally losing her mind.

I couldn’t look away. 😅

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E9-10. It’s very clear that Show is gearing up for the finale, with the way it’s going head-on into the mystery of the gold, these episodes.

I conclude that these episodes work because of a couple of basic principles:

1, it’s a clear fight between the goodies and the baddies, and when there’s a clear fight between good and evil, viewers do tend to get invested in rooting for the good guys to beat the bad guys, and

2, we’ve got a great villain in Chairwoman Seo, who’s stealing scenes left and right – and you know what they say about a story only being as good as its villain.

That said, I’m still cognizant of – and wistful about – the fact that the reasons that these episodes work, aren’t quite the reasons I found this show so much fun to watch in the first place. 🥲

Which means that my enjoyment of these episodes isn’t quite what I’d hoped for. But, I am relieved that these episodes still work, albeit for different reasons.

That said, we do get a little bit more of Dong Min, these episodes; it’s almost like writer-nim suddenly remembered that Dong Min had used to play a more prominent role in our story, once upon a time, and decided to give him a little more screen time, for old times’ sake. 😅

It does feel a little unnaturally shoe-horned in there, because Dong Min’s been on the sidelines in such an obvious manner in our recent episodes, but I’ll take it, because I like the idea of Dong Min and Hae Seong being friends.

And so, even that little scene of Hae Seong asking Dong Min about the 4th ghost story, was something that I perked up at. Like, yay, Hae Seong and Dong Min are on closer terms again! 🥲😅

I have to confess that I’m feeling rather indifferent towards the amping up of the romance these episodes, though “amping up” really is relative here, because Show hasn’t been leaning much into the romance, all series long, despite it being a core part of Show’s promotional trailers.

To put it bluntly, I understand the OTP connection cognitively, but even up to this point, I have to admit that I’m not feeling it all that much.

I feel like Show’s given so little time and attention to teasing out the OTP connection, that the burgeoning feelings that we’re now seeing, all feel rather perfunctory, to my eyes.

Like, I understand that Hae Seong would be very worried for Su A following her stabbing at his house, but my heart isn’t persuaded that he actually has true romantic feelings towards her.

The teasing out of the relationship lacks nuance and depth to me, and so I’m rolling with it in as perfunctory a manner as I’m perceiving it’s being served up. 😅

We do get some spots of heart in our story, which I appreciate.

Like that scene where Hae Seong apologizes to Chief An, and Chief An admits that he’d never dared to tell Hae Seong the truth about the day that Dad had disappeared – because he’d wavered in his belief in Dad and been late to meet Dad, and then became afraid that Dad’s disappearance had to do with his lateness.

Oof. That definitely sounds like a heavy burden for Chief An to have been carrying, all these years, and my heart did go out to him, as he cried a bit, over his confession to Hae Seong.

And, Hae Seong’s resolute declaration that he would find everything and complete Dad’s mission, does land as pretty stirring; it’s now become something personal to him, which adds a nice layer of oomph to how we perceive the entire mission.

What I am eating up, possibly most of all, is Kim Shin Rok’s fantastic scenes as Chairwoman Seo slowly but surely shows signs of unraveling, these episodes.

The whole thing where she orders Principal Park to replace Lee Jun Ho, the math teacher who’s been helping to rig the student’s grades, and that translates into Principal Park taking Lee Jun Ho to the scrapyard to literally crush him to death, seems like a pretty clear turning point to me.

From this point onwards, she’s not just intimidating people and engaging in shady deals; she’s literally ordering a murder. 😬

The beat where Yeong Hun and Mi Jeong rush in there to prevent the murder, is one of those things that’s just too ridiculous to make any kind of sense.

But if secret agent ineptitude tickles your funny bone, then this scene would have worked swimmingly for you. 😅

All I could think of, while watching this scene, is how Principal Park seems like such a bona fide gangster, wearing the spike knuckles and all, and busting out decent fight moves to hurt people with said spike knuckles.

It makes me wonder what kind of background he’d had, before becoming Chairwoman Seo’s lackey. 🤔

Maybe my gut knew that this wouldn’t be the end of it; I didn’t find myself feeling much of a sense of satisfaction, when Hae Seong wins the day and has Principal Park arrested by the police, and Chairwoman Seo taken away for questioning.

Episode 9’s closing scene really had my attention, though; Chairwoman Seo coming back as Vice Commissioner, and strutting in there to confront Su A and Hae Seong, was quite something to behold.

You can literally see Chairwoman Seo’s expression dancing back and forth, subtly yet distinctly, between gleeful and vindictive, and I just have to give it to Kim Shin Rok; her delivery is just brilliant. *chef’s kiss*

That moment when Chairwoman Seo whips out that GPS which Hae Seong had placed on her car, and just cackles with glee, in Hae Seong’s face, is so deliciously wicked.

I just find it fascinating how Chairwoman Seo manages to come across with shades of childlikeness, even in the midst of the many shades of jadedness that she shows.

She tends to show that very contrasting blend the most when interacting with Ye Na; one minute, she’s all tough jaded parent, and the next, she’s talking to Ye Na in a singsong tone that’s a lot more childlike.

It’s all very unsettling, even for me as a bystander; I can only imagine how this must have confused Ye Na, over the years, growing up and wanting to be loved and accepted by such a volatile mother.

The way Chairwoman Seo threatens Director Kim and then literally treats him like a dog, by patting him under his chin, is just the kind of bizarre shade of diabolic that I’ve come to expect from her – and yet, I’m still taken by surprise, if you know what I mean?

The beat in the second half of episode 10, where Chairwoman Seo orders the takedown of Su A, and it all starts with those pictures of her and Hae Seong, along with the rumor that she’s dating an underaged student, was a pretty nice feel-good touch, for how Hae Seong swoops in to save the day.

It is a stretch that Hae Seong manages to turn everything around so quickly, but I like the idea that all the students like him, and want to believe him, and upon hearing his version of the story, immediately show full support, not just for him, but for his relationship with Su A.

The public, offhanded confession, that he likes Su A a lot, was pretty sweet too, though I would have liked a more weighty, private sort of confession, personally speaking. 😅

I also like the detail, that it had been Ye Na who’d tipped off Hae Seong – because Su A’s important to her too.

Aw. It’s nice to feel that Su A’s kindness to Ye Na, is reaping rewards in such a timely fashion. 🥲

That thing, where Su A’s mom turns out to be an ex-gangster, really feels like it came out of nowhere, but if you’ve got your manhwa goggles on, the ludicrousness of it all, becomes quite amusing. 😁

On hindsight, perhaps that was Show’s way of lightening things up, before giving us the suckerpunch, of Hae Seong finally finding Dad – more specifically, Dad’s skeletal remains – instead of the gold, as we close out the episode.

Oof. I can only imagine how complicated Hae Seong’s emotions must be, in response.

On the one hand, there might be some relief, because Dad is no longer missing, but has been found, finally.

But on the other hand, how utterly heartbreaking, to think of how Dad must have died so painfully, wasting away alone in that secret chamber that no one seemed to know about. 😭

Poor, poor Hae Seong. I just want to reach into my screen and hug him while he cries; this is just too much for anyone to bear. 🥺💔🥺

Going into our finale, I’m going to need some answers as to what had happened to Dad, and who had killed him, by basically burying him alive. 😭

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E11-12. Honestly, I’m convinced that how much you enjoy this finale, depends on what your preferred arcs are, in our story.

If you are into the fight between good and evil, or if you’re interested in the mystery around the gold, there’s lots for you to enjoy, in these episodes.

However, if you’re like me, and don’t actually care all that much about the quest to find the gold, then.. you might find these episodes a little tougher going – like I did. 😅

I really, really wanted to love this show, including its finale, but I have to confess that I zoned out somewhat for quite a bit of it, and wandered off many times, because I just didn’t find the happenings on my screen to be all that compelling. Sorry. 🙈

There were definitely some highlights though.

1, I liked when all the kids showed up at the funeral wake to support Hae Seong, and I definitely went, “Awww..” when Dong Min goes up to hug Hae Seong.

Yes to this bromance, and why couldn’t we have had more..? 🥲

2, Chairwoman Seo continuing to get more and more unhinged; Kim Shin Rok is just a treat to watch, and she singlehandedly made the second half of this show worthwhile for me, all on her own.

3, Hae Seong being a badass NIS agent and busting out badass fight moves. This wasn’t as gloriously done as in the beginning of our show, but I still liked it. 🤩

4, Lackey working with Hae Seong to get that memory stick out of its hiding place. That was a rather pleasant surprise, given how we’ve been seeing him as part of the “enemy camp” all series long.

5, The students all rallying around Su A, and not being afraid to give voice to their thoughts and feelings, in front of Chairwoman Seo. That felt like a big step forward, given how everyone had always been so afraid of her.

And, it’s also nice to think that this is how much Su A means to them. 🥲

In terms of everything else, I feel like Show’s going more for effect, than actual logic, and I think it’s helpful to remember that. I also think it’s helpful to remember that a manhwa lens works best, with this show.

For example, I was pretty neutral about how Hae Seong convinced Principal Park to tell the truth during the court hearing, and I also feel that the hearing was very, very, verrryy simplified, with the way they jump right to convicting Chairwoman Seo based on Principal Park’s testimony alone, and sentencing her to life in prison.

However, a manhwa lens takes care of that quite nicely, and I’m not overly fussed about it, because do we really want to see a long drawn-out court case, where Hae Seong and his team have to prove that Chairwoman Seo had actually killed Dad, or that Chairwoman Seo had really instigated Principal Park to commit murder, like he’d said?

On another note, I did find it unrealistic that the entire class would act cold towards Hae Seong when he shows up to say goodbye to them, coz it’s obviously a prank of sorts, and how would they have been able to discuss this beforehand, if they hadn’t known that Hae Seong was coming, right?

But fine, PD-nim just wanted a picturesque scene with all those paper planes flying out towards Hae Seong, carrying the heartfelt messages of his friends, so I’ll just close both eyes and roll with it. 🙈😅

As for the gold, it made very little sense to me, that Dad would have brought all that gold back home and hidden it in the floorboards, because how could he have done that, realistically?

It makes even less sense, when it’s framed as Dad hiding the gold, so that Hae Seong would find it at an appropriate time, in the future.

Uh. Wasn’t Dad supposed to find the gold as his secret mission? And so, Dad should’ve reported the gold to someone, instead of bringing it home..?

However, like I said, Show is going more for effect here, rather than logic, and yes, I rather do enjoy the effect of the vision of Dad, sitting next to Hae Seong, and grinning warmly, as they look at the gold together.

That’s a precious father-son moment, and I liked that very well.

I really would have liked more father-son focus in this finale, particularly given where we’d left off at the end of episode 14, with Hae Seong making that traumatic discovery of Dad’s remains, but this moment definitely helped to smooth things, for me. 🥲

I wasn’t expecting a time-skip, let alone a 5-year one, but in the end, it is rather pleasant to see that everyone’s doing well, with Yu Jeong applying to the NIS, Mi Jeong and Yeong Hun now expecting a baby, and Hae Seong presenting Su A with a ring, and kisses.

I gotta say though, my favorite bit was that last bonus shot of Hae Seong sauntering into a classroom and introducing himself as their new homeroom teacher.

The idea that the undercover missions continue, with more potential for Hae Seong to hang out and blend in with high-schoolers, while secretly being a badass secret agent, naturally thrills me, and I remember all over again, why I’d found this show to be so much fun, in the first place. 🥲

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Starts very strong, but loses spark in its second half. Fun enough, though.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Undercover High School, is Way Back Love [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Way Back Love on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +Buried Hearts [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Way Back Love [Korea]

VIP (US$15): +Heavenly Ever After [Korea] – starting soon!

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