[In-Depth Review] Why 'Boheung Teacher An Eun-young' Is a Teacher

Monsters live in schools. They are everywhere. Inside the classroom during the morning assembly with the principal, in the hallway adorned with a large portrait of the school's founder, and even in the tightly locked basement. They are more dangerous because they are invisible. Children, unaware of the reason, follow the teacher like they are hypnotized, doing exercises and attending classes. Perhaps even if the monsters are noticed, the children might indifferently turn their eyes back to their textbooks. Fortunately, there is someone who vigilantly watches over all this. A teacher in the infirmary at the end of the long hallway, her name is An Eun-young.

Released worldwide by Netflix on the 25th of last month, the Korean original series School Nurse An Eun-young tells the story of a school nurse at a high school who battles monsters. In this world, there is an abundance of desire lumps called "jelly" left behind by the dead or living, and our protagonist An Eun-young (Jung Yu-mi) has the ability to recognize and exterminate them. When the contaminated jelly transforms into evil spirits, An Eun-young wields a "BB gun and a rainbow-colored, extendable funnel-shaped toy knife" to fight them and protect the children.

Based on the novel of the same name by author Jeong Se-rang, published in 2015, this work was adapted into a more bizarre and mystical form under the direction of Lee Kyung-mi, known for her unique directorial style. However, it has not lost its essential tone as a "school ghost story." Schools have long been a common setting for ghost stories. The exam-oriented education system, which produces various social ills such as infinite competition, ranking by grades, and suppression of student rights, provided a fertile ground for these ghost stories. The 1998 film Whispering Corridors, a landmark in Korean horror cinema, is a representative example that successfully portrayed the fear and anger lurking in that brutal reality.

The horror in School Nurse An Eun-young also gains substantial nourishment from the school setting. The jellies scattered throughout the school are the repressed desires and spiritual remnants of children trapped in cramped classrooms, forced to follow strict rules. In episode 1, a jelly monster born from suppressed academic desires drove the children into madness and excitement. In episode 2, an evil spirit born from the stress and frustration of the exam hell dominates the classroom. In episode 3, the anger of a child bullied at school because of poverty nurtures a monster.

In a school on the verge of collapse, An Eun-young stands as the last guardian, confronting monsters and protecting the students. More important than her special abilities as a hero is her identity as a "teacher." This is best illustrated by the story of Hyemin (Song Hee-joon), the "Ombjab-i" (a shaman who exorcises 'Om,' a misfortune). The Ombjab-i fights off 'Om,' which brings bad luck to people. He carries out his duties in a specific area but disappears and is reborn repeatedly upon turning twenty.

An Eun-young discovers that the transfer student Hyemin is an Ombjab-i. She wishes to give Hyemin an ordinary life. An Eun-young’s role in guiding her student, who had lived in a narrow world, toward a bigger and better one evokes the sense of mission of a teacher. This is the most touching moment in the series.

Author Jeong Se-rang revealed in an interview with a daily newspaper that An Eun-young is a character created with the thought that "teachers fight every day so that society can move in a better direction." Director Lee Kyung-mi supported the author's spirit by depicting a whale jelly, a "guardian spirit" that floats above the school every night in the series.

In the final episode of School Nurse An Eun-young Season 1, the school ultimately collapses. A new building soon rises in its place. However, as long as the fundamental reality does not change, monsters will grow again. What we desperately need is not a superhero who can change reality all at once, but the spirit of An Eun-young?who steadily strives every day for a better society from her own place.

Kim Sun-young, Popular Culture Critic

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.