Hello My Teacher

Hello My Teacher

8/10

Hello My Teacher

Genre:                                   Episodes: 16                                   Year: 2005

Romance

Comedy

School

Synopsis:

During high school, Na Bo Ri was a trouble maker famous for winning fights. After one fight too many, she is expelled from school. Despite the odds, she becomes a teacher in order to return to her old high school so she can be reunited with Ji Hyun Woo- a teacher she has always had a crush on. However, the only way for her to get into the school is to accept a job watching over Park Tae In- the school’s current trouble maker. 

Cast:

Gong Hyo Jin (Na Bo Ri)

Gong Yoo (Park Tae In)

Choi Yeo Jin (Noh Jem Ma)

Kim Da Hyun (Ji Hyun Woo)

General Thoughts:

I don’t know why I enjoyed this drama so much. When you look at each aspect individually, it should by all means be a complete train wreck. And yet it somehow kind of works? From the first episode you can tell that it’s a drama that doesn’t take itself seriously at all-

Imaginary magic teaching powers? C'mon...

flat characters, over the top fighting scenes, illogical leaps. So I settled myself down for what I thought would be tedious (if mildly amusing) struggle, and was delightfully surprised. It’s one of those dramas where you don’t really care what else is going on because there’s so much cute between the leads. The plot is not fast-moving at all- the drama mainly focuses on the relationships between Na Bo Ri, Ji Hyun Woo and Park Tae In. But then just as it seems this is all it has to offer and the drama starts edging on boring, the focus then becomes Na Bo Ri’s relationships with her students, and her goal to develop into an outstanding teacher. This involves short plot-lines that focus on a single student for an episode or two, which does wonders to reinvigorate the drama. There are so many adorable scenes between Bo Ri and Tae In and it is pretty much worth watching just for these moments- I mean that really is why most of us signed on for this drama. The chemistry between the leads is absolutely sizzling. All in all, a light-hearted, funny, endearing watch. The key to this drama is to enter in with no expectations.

If there's flower petals and confetti it must be love

What Was Great:

Noona Romance:

He knows he's gorgeous

This was my first taste of a noona romance and it was delicious. Despite the fact that Gong Yoo is actually older than Gong Hyo Jin, he is completely believable as the immature, reckless, motorbike-wielding youth with an incurable crush on an older woman. Surprisingly, the drama touches on many problems with becoming involved with a significantly younger man: the female having the power in the relationship- always being the one to accept or reject the male’s actions, disapproval by family, friends and society at large, and of course the delightful and much needed heart-on-the-sleeve, never giving up young man.

Gong Yes:

I love Gong Yoo. Who doesn’t? I basically only started this series because it had Gong Yoo in it- and boy did he deliver. His character (Park Tae In) has definitely got the most depth, and he’s just SO endearing. Gong Yoo paired with this charmingly childish character is just gold. Adorable, handsome gold.

Whose heart wouldn't be swayed?

Student Storylines:

Unexpectedly entertaining

The short one or two episode storylines that focused on a single student were fantastic. It gave an unexpected view into the lives of the support characters while further enhancing the character of Na Bo Ri- our main leading lady. Not only did it help to keep a fairly non-existent plot moving, they also served as a way to put something else in the episodes besides Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo Jin being adorable.

Ending:

I so rarely like the endings in K-Dramas but this one was spot on. Sweet, cute and totally keeping in character with the rest of the drama. Wrapped everything up perfectly. So, so satisfying.

What Wasn’t:

No one was buying this

What triangle?:

Try as they may to make some sort of love triangle- it just wasn’t happening. Whenever the other teacher was on screen it was kind of boring, and frankly a little painful. No one had the slightest belief that there would be any chance he would end up with the girl. None. Ji Hyun Woo had no character. He just sort of hung around, not in-your-face enough to hate, not enough personality to like. The writers never properly explored WHY Na Bo Ri developed a crush on this teacher. They touched on it- but majority was left up to viewers imaginations. This guy couldn’t compare to Gong Yoo/Park Tae In in anyway. Looks, personality- this man was basically a blank canvas that we had to put up with until Tae In and Bo Ri had done literally every cutesy thing they could do before progressing into a romantic relationship.

What School?:

I think there was supposed to be some sort of storyline with who took over the school, and there was some lady and Hyun Woo and his mother or aunt (or something), but I didn’t really care. I don’t think anybody did. Frankly anything that didn’t revolve around Tae In and Bo Ri was pretty boring and just felt like it was taking up space that could be better filled with Gong Yoo.

As long as this is on my screen- I'm happy

Re-watch?

For sure. As there is basically no plot, the drama isn’t ruined by knowing exactly what happens. I will definitely watch it again purely for that fantastic chemistry.

I could almost die from all the cute that goes on