Saint Laurence Academy – Series Review & Episode Guide

Yumin attends Saint Laurence Academy, a prestigious all-boys high school. He's the top student in Class 3-A, but a few classmates resent his success. The bullies target him because they're jealous of his wealthy family. In their minds, he was born with a silver spoon and handed every advantage in life. Yumin simply ignores them. When they try to provoke him, he refuses to react.

Yumin is close friends with Uwu, the captain of the volleyball team. Uwu is a star athlete who was scouted for his raw talent. However, his life wasn't always so shiny. He came from an abusive home where his stepfather used to beat him. Yumin was the first person to reach out to Uwu and show him kindness. It was Yumin who invited him to hang out at the school gym, which led to Uwu getting scouted. Since then, Uwu has felt grateful. He cherishes their friendship and is fiercely protective of Yumin.

Uwu has a crush on Yumin. The relationship stays strictly platonic, mostly because Yumin treats him as just a friend. Even though they're so close, Uwu has no idea that Yumin is hiding a dark secret. Nobody knows that Yumin is romantically involved with Lee Hyun, the school nurse. They would meet in the nurse's office and get physically intimate. If anyone found out, this inappropriate relationship would be a full-blown scandal. So, everything is kept carefully hidden behind closed doors.

Lately, Yumin's secret relationship has taken a darker turn. Lee Hyun may seem friendly in front of students, but behind closed doors, he has a vicious temper. If Yumin gets careless and shows even a hint of affection on school grounds, Lee Hyun snaps. The anger comes first. The kiss comes after. Yumin blames himself for making Lee Hyun upset. He never tells Uwu about the violence, but Uwu suspects something is wrong with his friend. Uwu has once snapped at Lee Hyun, warning the nurse to behave himself around the students.

Ren Kurosawa is the new Japanese teacher at Saint Laurence Academy. He seems intrigued by Yumin, who shines during class. At first, Ren looks out for his student. When the bullies plant a hidden camera in the changing room to record Yumin, Ren is the one who destroys the footage. But then things get complicated. One day, Yumin lets his guard down in the nurse's office. He speaks too freely about his relationship with Lee Hyun. Yumin doesn't realize he's actually talking to Ren. And just like that, Ren learns the truth about the inappropriate affair.

Saint Laurence Academy is a super problematic high school BL drama, and I mean PROBLEMATIC in ALL CAPS. Yumin is the teenage protagonist with three love interests. He's Mr. Popular and everyone wants him. Unfortunately, two of those romances are with adults who work at the school. This place is staffed with creeps who prey on students. And it gets worse! One of them becomes violent and hurts Yumin. Given all this controversy, the entire academy should be under investigation. CALL THE POLICE!!!

Saint Laurence Academy reminds me of Secret Relationships from last year. There was a lot of buzz over the intense psychological thriller with batshit crazy villains. This series feels like the creators saw its success and said, "Let's make a high school version of Secret Relationships!" You can practically see the blueprint… Scandalous storylines? Check. Toxic characters? You bet. Forbidden romances? Obviously. The writers have cooked up a messy BL drama, and they thought fans were gonna be obsessed. Instead, Saint Laurence Academy feels really icky. The disturbing plots probably scared away some viewers.

A staff-student romance will always be inappropriate. But with good writing, you can create a fascinating drama out of the messy material. Let's explore the power dynamics. Show the manipulation. Examine the red flags. That's what separates a complex BL series from straight-up trash. Saint Laurence Academy? It's trash. The story doesn't bother to develop these characters or relationships. It only cares about shocking the audience. Ooh, look at this older man hooking up with his student! It's not trying to say anything meaningful. It just wants to be sleazy and exploitative.

Yumin actually has an age-appropriate love interest. He has good chemistry with his friend, Uwu. They get cute scenes together, and I like them as a couple. If the series focused on their romance, I'd be so much happier. But no… The story insists on pairing Yumin with those creepy older men. WHY!? I don't even understand why Yumin likes his teacher. Is it because they pressed their foreheads together in that one scene? Or is it just because Ren looks hot and has killer abs? Their characters have zero connection, but Yumin is weirdly attracted to him. Make it make sense!

Saint Laurence Academy comes from the same studio that made Cityboy_log. Both BL dramas use a vlogging style. The characters film themselves and talk straight to the camera. I love this interesting technique! How creative! It's like watching someone's private video diary, making this series feel so intimate. Sadly, Saint Laurence Academy doesn't always stick with the format. Some episodes switch back to filming the scenes traditionally. It would feel more impressive if the entire story had unfolded through personal vlogs, phone clips, and hidden-camera footage.

I don't understand some parts of the story. Who keeps calling Lee Hyun? Why is Ren obsessed over that blue ribbon? Then again, the answers don't matter. These pointless subplots only exist to create fake mystery. By the end, the only thing I cared about was Yumin and Uwu's romance. So naturally, I'm bitter when Yumin ends up with that damn predator. The story tries to paint them as a sweet couple, which only makes it more gross. Overall, Saint Laurence Academy left me feeling like I wasted my time. It's a trashy BL series that romanticizes a staff-student relationship.