Melancholia

It is a 2021South Korean TV series directed by Kim Sang hyeob. It stars Im Soo jung, Lee Do hyun. The series tells the story of scandals & corruption in private high schools in Gangnam.

It tells the story of Ji Yoon soo, a mathematics teacher at the prestigious private Ahseong high school, also a hotbed of corruptions. Passionate about mathematics, she is a teacher who encourages her students to find their own answers.

In school, she notices Baek Seong yoo, a troubled student who is at the bottom of the class. She notices his potential in maths & with her attention his grades rise & he becomes number one in class.

Yoon soo never knew that her attention & interactions with Seong yoo would create rumours of a teacher student sexual scandal among other students & parents, which results in her being fired from her job.

4 years later they meet again. Now as adults they unite to expose the corruptions at Ahseong High school & to regain her reputation as a teacher.

The drama is gripping. Right from the first episode, it gets interesting. Somehow you can’t shake that dark mood, overbearing. Right from the name, I had never planned on watching it. But yes, that was the right decision.

It reminds of ‘Black Dog’ but that is darker. Nothing goes well for the rookie teacher there. With Do hyun in lead, we know good things are on the way. It is about the system but also about the fight against the system.

Viewership was best for the first episode. It never picked up. But the story remains good. Story telling candid. Dealing with a serious issue here, needed courage.

Im Soo jung has 5 serials to her credit. After ‘Chicago Typewriter’ in 2017, I am watching her second drama. She has been juggling with films & dramas with ease .Her latest outing being ‘Single in Seoul’ in 2023.

Lee Do hyun started with 2017 ‘Prison Playbook’ till his latest ‘The Good, Bad Mother’ I have watched almost all. He works with passion. His 2024 film ‘Exhuma’ is the highest grossing film of 2024 at the South Korean Box office. He also won the Best new actor award again. He did not forget to thank his girlfriend , Lim Ji -yeon , who he met on the sets of ‘The Glory’.

An intense drama.