First look at Moorim School's bad boy bromance » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

81 October 15, 2015December 28, 2015

First look at Moorim School’s bad boy bromance

by girlfriday

Cameras are rolling on the set of Moorim School, KBS’s new youth action romance drama about students at a school inspired by the martial arts. Lee Hyun-woo (Scholar Who Walks the Night) and VIXX’s Hongbin (Feel-Good Day) are featured in the drama’s first shoot, on their very first mission after enrolling at the school. Whatever their task is, it involves climbing trees at the top of a mountain to retrieve a hidden target, which sounds a lot like a Kung-Fu Panda mission to me. Or the army.

The drama is about an unconventional school that teaches martial arts as a way of life, focusing on lessons of virtue, honor, sacrifice, and survival rather than your run-of-the-mill resume-packing courses. Lee Hyun-woo headlines as a bad boy idol superstar who suffers a fall from grace and has to enroll in Moorim School. I guess that explains the idol hair, which looks pretty good on him (okay, what wouldn’t look good on him). His character is described as a geeeenius singer-songwriter with a prickly disposition who thinks the whole world revolves around him.

He gets into the school thanks to its president, played by Shin Hyun-joon (Oohlala Spouses), and ends up roommates with Hongbin. Hongbin’s character is a rich boy, a carefree type of troublemaker who’s used to doing what he wants, and he strikes up a friendship with Lee Hyun-woo. They’re promising a big bromance, though I have to wonder how they’ll top Sassy Go Go’s Lee Won-geun and Ji-soo, who are killing me right now.

Seo Ye-ji (Last) is a hardworking girl who attends Moorim School secretly, while taking care of her blind father. Jung Yoo-jin (Heard It Through the Grapevine) plays Shin Hyun-joon’s daughter and the school’s ace student. The drama boasts a global cast, including teachers Sam Okyere (Warm and Cozy), Daniel Lindemann (Abnormal Summit), Kan Mi-yeon (Kill Me, Heal Me), and Shin Sung-woo (My Happy Home).

I hope there’s going to be some high-flying action on the way, and is it too much to hope that they learn that old-school style of martial arts, where you walk on bamboo trees and throw fireballs at each other? I mean, if you’re going to have a school that teaches fighting skills, wouldn’t it be more fun to be a superhero academy?

Moorim School plans to air on Mondays and Tuesdays in January.

Via Chosun Ilbo

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1 mary

October 15, 2015 at 8:15 AM

Awww... LHW finally gets the bro!!! XD

This looks fun, but talk of martial arts school makes me miss Mo Il Hwa so much. :(

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2 Mandy

October 15, 2015 at 8:17 AM

My current world revolves around that too-epic-to-call-mere-epic bromance going on between Lee Won-geun and Ji-soo. They're slaying it, but I'd like these two to challenge that. More bromance the better.

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3 mystique

October 15, 2015 at 8:17 AM

Is the dark-haired young woman the lead actress? She's quite a pretty lady

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4 Sailor Mars

October 15, 2015 at 8:22 AM

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5 Cifae

October 15, 2015 at 8:23 AM

Oh my god, lee hyun woo is handsome with grey hair. And sometime i think lee hyun woo looks like oh hyun min from the genius. Does anyone think same as me?

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6 Bongsookie?

October 15, 2015 at 8:30 AM

Yay Lee Hyun Woo!

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7 pogo 🍉

October 15, 2015 at 8:36 AM

yay, I'm so glad to see Lee Hyun-woo finally booking a lead role! (three years later, I am still a little mind-boggled by how a drama could feature Lee Hyun-woo, Kang Haneul, Kim Ji-won, Nam Ji-hyun, even freaking Kim Woo-bin all in the same drama and not a single one of them was a lead in it!)

Also, while we're on the subject of bromances, Lee Won-geun and Ji-soo are going into the end of year nominations for Best Bromance, right????? They must!

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8 Mariajose

October 15, 2015 at 8:40 AM

¡AMAZING!
I like bromance and Jung Yoo-jin A LOT <<33
I'll wait impatiently!

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9 nomad

October 15, 2015 at 8:59 AM

Daniel! Oops...wrong focus, right? But again...Daniel!!

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10 pancchi

October 15, 2015 at 9:00 AM

In the bromance category we are forgetting-LEE HYUN & LEE MIN.

Am such a sucker for bromance-i try pairing two males as friends much before bothering about OTP!!

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11 Gwinna

October 15, 2015 at 9:01 AM

I clicked on this article solely because that guy looks really good with the anime-style hair, which is impressive. That being said, while a martial arts school sounds intriguing, I'm always sort of annoyed whenever there's yet another drama focused on bromance and never any on female friendships. Sort of makes it difficult for me to enjoy bromance anymore, which is sad.

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12 achiara

October 15, 2015 at 9:02 AM

I love bromance, one of the few things dramaland knows how to do best. I wish however (and sorry if this is off topic) they would do the same with girls too. It's like girls are unable of the same level of loyalty and friendship. Their bond is never as strong and there's always something, usually a shared male love interest, to disturb and ruin it.
She Was Pretty gave me so much hope at first but then...those who are watching know what happened.

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13 Sue

October 15, 2015 at 9:08 AM

Nahhh, Sassy Go Go doesn't even come close to School 2013.

The bromance in School felt real & was built up over many episodes.

bromance in SGG feels forced at times.

School was a much more in-depth portrayal of school related depresssion etc. SGG is a light popcorn drama.

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14 achiara

October 15, 2015 at 9:11 AM

I can't see my comment :(

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15 Boomboompow

October 15, 2015 at 9:14 AM

Lee hyun + Lee min all the way for best bromance of the year. So much talent!

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16 fab

October 15, 2015 at 9:39 AM

Professor Lindemann is in it too?? Joking aside, this ~global~ cast is really appealing. The grey hair trend has reached its peak with LHW slaying it. So pretty.

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17 katshirou

October 15, 2015 at 10:33 AM

Oh that first picture just shot a million arrows to my heart ??????????????????????????????????????? That look is enough for me to join this ship. Let us set sail! ??? Hyunwoo oppa~~~ ???

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18 Klava

October 15, 2015 at 10:57 AM

I must be the only one who gets the urge to colour my hair inspired by Korean boys not girls,its never the girls.
Anyway SCHOOL 2013 has been mentioned, just don't forget I REMEMBER YOU also had great bromance yes SASSY GO GO has good bromance but honestly i care more about the romance.

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19 hearttaek

October 15, 2015 at 11:50 AM

Well... The drama's reps did say it'll probably be the best bromance of 2016. So i guess kbs knows wongeun/jisoo bromance. Those two know how to sail their ship too. In an interview they were finishing each others sentences "we show everything. In the bathroom. While showering. While sleeping. In one bed" lmao so cute

Though i admire jisoo's stanning for hakyeon. https://twitter.com/hearttaek/status/654410143803674625

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20 hearttaek

October 15, 2015 at 11:53 AM

Also dramabeans staff, i think the drama goes by Institution of Moorim based on the covers of their script books.

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21 Kayla

October 15, 2015 at 12:34 PM

this might make me a horrible person for saying this but i don't understand why lee hyun woo chose to star in a drama with a bunch of newbies.

like, his star power is way above the rest of the younger cast. why? must have really loved the script or something? i just don't get it.

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22 yayabean

October 15, 2015 at 12:36 PM

Aish! Why are these kids so dang pretty?!
And talking about pretty - Sam Okyere and that smile of his light up the room.

I'm not into high school dramas, but i'll definitely check this one out for the martial arts, Sam and the pretty faces.

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23 iamdeb

October 15, 2015 at 12:37 PM

Do we ever see strong female friendships in these high school dramas? Anyone know of a coming of age drama centered around one?

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24 Nessie

October 15, 2015 at 12:50 PM

In the beginning I thought Hyun Woo couldn't pull that hair colour on, but he's looking good! I hope they don't do too many stereotypes of the international cast within the drama. Too many cliches can get annoying.

Excited to see the bromance and some good kung fu moves! Please have badass girls in there pleaseee

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25 Dbfan

October 15, 2015 at 1:17 PM

*squueee*** fans self. Good or not, will check it out for Hyun Woo. ?

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26 mary

October 15, 2015 at 1:32 PM

Seonam? Dream High had some, to a certain extent.

But yeah it's sad we don't have lots of epic womances.

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27 fab

October 15, 2015 at 1:59 PM

@Deb
Those rare, not just in School dramas. ;(
In Answer me 1997 the girls were best friends throughout the drama.

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28 graey

October 15, 2015 at 2:17 PM

@Fab

Wow. Thanks for reminding. I totally forgot about AM 1997. I love all the '-mances' there. Eunji and her bestfriend were adorbs. And the scene with her and her sister-in-law fangirling was nice too.

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29 natalie

October 15, 2015 at 2:57 PM

the main lead looks good ?

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30 crazylu

October 15, 2015 at 5:47 PM

Yerrrrs. Still wish Yook Sung-jae had signed up for this, but whatervs. LEE HYUN-WOO!!!!

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31 amyonn

October 15, 2015 at 5:51 PM

not sure about watching this, I hope it won't tank like sassy go go ?

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32 whimsicalnet

October 15, 2015 at 6:13 PM

Here because of LHW ... and that hair...

So happy to have so many pretty faces on screen when I finally able to come back to watching more dramas... yeah I'm superficial like that...hahaha

back to admiring the hair...

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33 katshirou

October 15, 2015 at 7:42 PM

IMO, best bromance this year is IRY. Although SGG comes, I think the real-bro-bromance between Hyun and Min is bettet because individually they are completely different from how they behave around each other. This also applies to Yeol and Hajoon, but until I see Yeol bring out the cuteness, or better yet the aegyo (because personally, aegyo is 'cuter' than simply saying something/someone is cute) Hyun-Min bromance stays at the peak this year ?

It's hard to beat those aegyo pouts from Bogummie whenever he 'refuses' his hyung's efforts and affection and those aegyo smirks from Ingukkie whenever his dongsaeng succumbs to his requests ?

I also wish we would have more sis-romance, but I don't mind dramas to keep baiting me with bromances ?

Anyway, I don't need further convincing to check Murim out because as commented earlier, the first picture got me onboard ??

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34 Valerie Gudorf

October 15, 2015 at 9:02 PM

I'm definitely looking forward to this. The fact that they already seem to have their $#!% in one sock, with all the filming happening long before the premiere, bodes well indeed!

Is it my imagination, or is this the actually very first K-drama to cast a black person (Sam Okyere) in a supporting role? Of course, that not many non-Koreans in Korea have the necessary command of the language to carry off acting roles in Korean dramas, but when they do, they're usually white actors. I know Sam is a pretty popular foreigner in Korea, often appearing in variety and reality shows, so I suppose that's how the skids were greased for him obtaining this role. In any case, I'm so happy to see this, and hope more ethnic and racial diversity will continue show up in Korean entertainment.

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35 Cityhunter

October 15, 2015 at 10:49 PM

what drama are lee Hyundai and lee min from??

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36 Cityhunter

October 16, 2015 at 12:14 AM

@krista
Thank you ?

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37 Chi

October 16, 2015 at 1:52 AM

it's sad that there really plenty of bromances going on, but you have to look hard to find a good sisterhood in kdramas.

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38 loveycat

October 16, 2015 at 2:39 AM

Although i love bromance or sis-romance, but i never really specially comment or fangirling about it. When peoples talk about school 2013's bromance, i still call it just a true friendship, because well they are in same age in that drama.
But for IRY's Lee Hyun and Lee Min, it is a REAL BROMANCE.
Because their character is real brothers in the drama, and their love each other is really sibling's love.
The hurt, the guily, the longing and the reconciliation between Hyun and Min is heartbreaking and feel real.
I like Ji Soo, but for Yeol and Ha Joon's bromance?.... well, we even still not a halfway, or maybe it's just i still can't feel the depth of their bromance.

Maybe it's because in the same time i have a very good friends when i'm in high school and collage and also have a very close relationship with my sister. I would go through everything for my friends that time, but still when the time comes, we go seperate way. But for my sister, we have very different character, there is a times i don't like her and she don't like my attitude, but at the end still we find we love and care for each other, and she is the one still by my side until now.
Sorry, for sharing to much. But i give my vote for IRY's Hyun and Min for the Best Bromance..!! ^___^

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39 Adal

October 16, 2015 at 4:50 AM

On a serious note, I can't pick between the bromance in 'I Remember You' and the one in 'Sassy Go Go'. They are both so, so good! What a tough decision! I am not looking forward tomthe end of the year when I would be forced to pick one because I love them so, so much! (Grooooaaaaaannnnnnnsssss).

On another note, I wanted to know if Dramabeans would add a category to the end of year nominations for 'Favorite Web Dramas'. There were quite a few released this year including 'I Order You', 'The Noble You', 'One Sunny Day', 'We Broke Up' and others. I am interested to find out what others think of it.