Undercover High School (2025) 언더커버 하이스쿨
Directed by Choi Jung-in, starring Seo Kang-joon as Jeong Hae-seong/ Jeong Si-hyun, Jin Ki-joo as Oh Soo-a/ Oh Bong-ja, Kim Shin-rok as Seo Myeong-joo, Jeon Bae-soo as An Seok-ho, Jo Bok-rae as Go Yeong-hun, Yoon Ga-i as Park Mi-jeong.
Watched 21 February - 30 March 2025 — 12 episodes (KOCOWA)
*This humorous mystery drama is far from perfect but I had a lot of fun with it as I was watching it while it was being aired (two episodes a week).
*First things first: the leads Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo have great chemistry and make their developing romance totally believable. I was eagerly waiting for their scenes together.
*I'm not familiar with actress Jin Ki-joo but I like her a lot and her teacher role is a great character, feisty and just. I also love her in her honorary field agent role and how she kicks ass. She has a great mischievous smile, by the way.
*I've seen Seo Kang-joon before in When the Weather is Fine and What Happens to My Family? (still watching) and like him. He's believable playing a NIS agent and high schooler at the same time.
*It doesn't come as a surprise that bullying plays a role here too. I like the bonding between bullying victim Lee Dong-min and the lead character Jeong Hae-seong.
*Show has a good blend of action, suspense, comedy and romance. The mystery is uncomplicated and of the cozy crime kind (apart from the eerie moments where the ghost stories are involved, and the ballerina and spooky basement).
*Great photography and set dressing. The school building is beautiful and that library is simply gorgeous. Imagine studying there!
*Very pleasant OST with a nice song playing with the scenes of our lead couple, when Oh Soo-a feels her heart fluttering.
*There's a lot of humour, even exaggerated humour when it concerns our comical threesome of the Domestic Team 4 of the NIS.
*In ep. 6 Jeong Hae-seong confesses to Oh Soo-a he's a NIS agent. I was happy the truth was out in the open, at least for her. The two could let their romantic feelings for each other develop without feeling akward about them (so no teacher-student relationship).
*Kim Shin-rok is good as Seo Myeong-joo, Chairwoman of the Byeongmun Foundation and Byeongmun High School, who is obsessed with finding the gold bars and becomes completely unhinged, in fact a bit pathetic. There's a great scene where she's stuffing herself with food and she looks like she's completely off the bend.
*I love the two high school girls, Kim Min-ju as Lee Ye-na (student council president of Byeongmun High School and daughter of the Chairwoman) and Park Se-hyun as An Yu-jeong (student council member of Byeongmun High School and An Seok-ho's daughter). I love their friendship and how sweet and pure it is. I really felt for Ye-na for having such a horrible mother and for what she's gone through because of it.
*The ending was partly satisfying with Hae-seong completing his mission by finding the gold bars, finding his long-lost father (which was heartbreaking) and the Chairwoman imprisoned, BUT ... the romantic ending felt rushed and I had wished they had dedicated more time to our lovely OTP. Still, I was happy with the kiss in the last scene. Finally!
