Hell University (2026)

Great Premise, Weak Execution, Yet Somehow Impossible to Quit

Hell University had everything I should have loved: a dark-academia setting, survival-game horror, gang warfare, mystery, and a premise that feels like The Purge trapped inside a university campus. Unfortunately, the execution rarely lives up to the concept.

The writing is messy, the pacing drags, and the story spends far too much time hiding behind mystery without providing enough substance to keep those mysteries compelling. Plot holes pile up, relationships feel underdeveloped, and many characters remain frustratingly vague even after several episodes.

The acting is equally inconsistent. Zeke Polina does the heavy lifting as Ace Craige, delivering the strongest and most convincing performance among the leads. Andre Yllana is dependable, while Heart Ryan struggles to fully settle into her character. Among the supporting cast, Keagan de Jesus and especially Jemima Rivera stand out, while Lance Carr and Aubrey Caraan make the most of their limited screen time.

The production feels rushed from top to bottom. The costumes, props, dialogue, and overall presentation often lack polish. Direction is another weak point, with many scenes feeling awkward or poorly coordinated. Even veteran actress Andrea Del Rosario disappoints, particularly in scenes requiring strong English dialogue delivery.

What makes the experience even more frustrating is the unnecessarily long episode count. The first half spends so much time introducing mysteries that very little actually happens. At times it feels like the story is deliberately withholding information rather than naturally building suspense.

That said, Hell University does deserve credit for delivering a strong message in its final episode. Beneath all the violence, conspiracies, and mysteries, the series reminds viewers to be wary of people who present themselves as friends, because they are not always who they claim to be. It is one of the more effective themes the show explores and adds an extra layer to the story's conclusion.

Yet despite all that, I couldn't stop watching.

There is something oddly addictive about Hell University. The questions surrounding Ace Craige, Raze Silvenia, the Serum, and the laboratory kept me invested. I wanted answers. I wanted to see where everything was heading. Even when I was rolling my eyes at certain scenes, I was still tuning in for the next episode.

That's what makes this series so difficult to rate. Objectively, it has plenty of flaws. Subjectively, it still managed to hook me. It's a messy, frustrating, occasionally cringe-worthy watch, but it's also strangely compelling.

I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but fans of the original novel should definitely give it a look. And if a sequel series like Chasing Hell eventually arrives, I'll be there to watch it.

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Utter disappointment and senseless plot

I had good expectations when I started the drama. Till ep 5 also it was going decent. But honestly, there is no strong plot or connections. I couldn't relate or understand any single character. It is all scattered and storyline is a complete mess. I was finally happy that it was gonna end this week at ep 9, but first they postponed it and then extended it to 18 eps. Like utter disappointment.

This drama doesn't need so many eps. Useless plot, no clear relationships, no good dialogues or bgm, it will be a time waste honestly. There is no base to this drama. Nothing is clearly showed in first 9 eps, everything vague and under the cover of mystery. It makes the drama boring and really tests the patience of audience.

There are better school-mystery dramas than this! I will rank it the lowest.

Anything is happening at HU, no clear hierarchy, so many gangs and leaders, many characters but none portrayed clearly. Some scenes really annoyed me. I started watching it because of the ML, and to see the chemistry between ML and FL, but I have seen none in 9 episodes. Nor do I want to see it now. I just wanted a clear ending and to know what useless plot was actually unfolding, but now I don't have that time or patience to stick to 9 eps more.

Can watch it for fun and time pass, but NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL.

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