[Drama Review] 'Murim School' - Episode 7

Si Woo surprises Soon Duk with a kiss

The kids escape the room, but are betrayed by Yeob Jung, who plots to be the only one who passes the test. Yeob Jung is given a well-deserved thrashing, as his escape route was already anticipated and planned for. Meanwhile, Chi Ang's mother drunkenly befriends her maid, Soon Duk's stepmom, only to backpedal later on, embarrassed by her behavior. 

The mysterious man in the hospital awakens. We find out his name is Chae Yoon, and he was to succeed the last principal as the head of Murim School. He remembers the fire and theorizes that Moo Song, the current principal, betrayed him. Wang Hao, being a financial sponsor of the school, readies his entourage and heads for Korea, intending to visit the institute and claim the treasure for himself. Chae Yoon undergoes physical therapy and remembers...

Soon Duk, flustered by the idol's attention, runs off crying when Si Woo kisses her, and Si Woo, running after her, is confronted by Chi Ang... 

Okay, the love lines were heading in that direction anyway, but this is a little unexpected. I like it though, because it shakes up the whole thing. I think Soon Duk enjoyed the attention fromChi Ang, even as she was embarrassed by it. And she mentions that she's flustered by Si Woo. Soon Duk gets a lot of screen time, and Sun Ah gets overshadowed, even though I'm more partial to her. But Soon Duk's character is simply better developed.Yeob Jung being schooled by Prof. Daniel Lindemann as to why you don't finish an exam alone.

The pacing is definitely different this episode. Overall, this makes the series a bit uneven, but it's not like I was bored. They unveil a ton more about our characters, which is awkward. We have the big reveal about Chae Yoon, but then they dump a lot of explanation as to the motives and feelings of the other characters on us, usually over alcohol. It's not that I don't want to know, but it was a little odd to have it all spill out in one installment.

Did anyone laugh when Prof. Lindemann was trouncing Yeob Jung? I did. I'm all for redemption, but this kid has never shown remorse for his actions, even as the other students turn on him. Choi Ho attempts to pal around with him like always, but Yeob Jung shoos him off, driven to best that training dummy that he practices on all the time. I'm beginning to doubt that the guy can put his money where his mouth is. He ties with Sun Ah in the tournament and gets handily beaten by one of the instructors. It's nice to see him taken down a peg. 
Chi Ang's mom (left) with Soon Duk's mother

One thing I like about this over other dramas is that it tends to avoid a lot of the well-worn tropes that other shows wear on their sleeve as badges of pride. That may be one of the reasons for the not-so-stellar ratings -- there's comfort in familiarity. You sit down and expect to see a drama where the girl runs into the guy three times and you know they're going to get together, and you expect the illnesses (particularly amnesia), the death of elderly characters, and the obstacles to romance. Instead, you get something entirely different, with high-octane action, intrigue, and a multicultural cast. If you remember, there were people boycotting 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' over that last one. I dunno what's in the heads of the haters. What's important is that you enjoy Murim School, or you wouldn't be here.   

See you tomorrow!