'MURIM SCHOOL' - EPISODE 2

Our leads have found the school, not that they find everything is hunky dory. Neither the students nor the professors are very accepting of these new students and treat them almost like invaders, but not without good reason; the two male leads become difficult. They chafe at being forced into a roommate situation with each other. There is a gesture of friendship by fellow dorm-mate Choi Ho, but Chi Ang rejects his hand, replying, "Sorry, but I pick friends who I think are at my level." The professors muse about how the two new students brought down the barrier, and the headmaster eases Si Woo's ear pain, telling him that what's causing him pain is something inside him he'll have to confront.


Choi Ho introduces the other students. Is that a blonde wig on Shannon?

Yub Jung (Alexander, formerly of U-KISS) is definitely not friendly. Apparently the popular kid, he's suspicious of our pair of heroes and wants them out. When he sabotages the cooking class, a fire breaks out, causing a traumatic childhood memory to surface in Si Woo, who is frozen in fear. Yub Jung even goads the pair into fighting, wounding their pride until they show off their martial arts skills...


Bad boy Yub Jung

Now, I didn't know these kids could fight. In the first episode, it was always the girls that showed extraordinary athletic ability, like Soon Duk warding off the thugs or Sun Ah rushing the stage, brushing aside security guards like they weren't there. But they apparently have some sweet moves, impressing the other students, even Yub Jung. At the heart of it, it was a macho peeing contest, but it was still fun to watch. There were convincing closeups that made you believe that the two actors (instead of stuntmen) were really throwing kicks and punches.

The mystic aspect seems to be dialed back - a lot. There are references to the barrier (or "seal," if you wish), but not much else. The healing massage that the headmaster gave was simply attributed to freeing the chi, and that was about as close as they came. I'm hoping they bring it back, because as amazing as martial arts are, there's a fun, whimsical aspect when magic's involved.


Si Woo as a small child trapped in a fire

There were some simply awesome cinematic sequences, too. A potsticker shoots out of the pot in the kitchen accident, which sparks off a slo-mo game of kitchen racquetball, shuttling the errant edible back and forth across the kitchen. The potsticker was pure CGI, spinning in slow-motion past the camera, and was a nice touch. I found myself as breathless as the students watching the fight between Si Woo and Chi Ang.

There are some fun idols-turned-actors here too. Not only do we have Alexander�but we also have Shannon�and Z.Hera. This is a somewhat different teen drama, and apparently our pair have some issues to work through. I know where it's going, but it's going to be fun to watch them get there.� And they left it on a cliffhanger -- there's a couple absolutely powerful-seeming punches each of them throw, and the credits roll! If anything, this was better than the first episode, and now I'm itching to see the third one. I'm sucked in. How about you?

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