(Updated Review 2022)

Over the last few years, I've begun to re-watch some of my favorite dramas, the ones I've loved and cherished since I first watched them, and each time, I'm anxiously hoping they'll still live up to those feelings. So far, I've been very lucky. I've remembered why I loved a drama so much and my love for it has been renewed. I've even re-watched a couple dramas that I didn't like/didn't get the first time and discovered that the problem had actually been me all along. I finished my most recent re-watch, Weightlifting Fairy, this past week, a drama I utterly adored the first time I watched it, and I'm happy to say that the streak of good drama re-watches has not been broken.

First off, I have a newfound appreciation for everything that goes on outside of the romance. I was once one of those drama lovers who (mostly) only cared about romance, and while I didn't have anything I disliked about Weightlifting Fairy the first time I watched it, I definitely didn't give the other plotlines the attention they deserved. But now that I'm more seasoned and have developed an appreciation for stories that aren't solely about love, I found each separate plotline equally engaging to watch. There are no lulls or plot holes or draggy story points. From getting a glimpse into the weightlifting world to the heartbreaking struggles of the second female lead, there isn't a single plotline that ever feels wasteful or like a detour from the purpose of the drama. They all tie together and complement each other to provide meaningful contributions to the overarching messages of the drama. And I can't forget to talk about the characters, all of whom I love. Each and every one of them is charming and fun, Bok Joo and Joon Hyeong and their group of friend's chief among them.

But I think the thing I love most about this drama is the way it makes me feel. It's uplifting and hopeful and deeply earnest. There are heartbreaks and struggles to go around but threaded throughout is a sense of optimism and possibility, a belief in tomorrow. The story tells us this is hard, but the characters can overcome it. You can overcome it too. And I like stories that make me feel that way.

In closing, I'll leave you with this. There's a certain feeling I want to get from a drama once the story is over and there are no more episodes left to watch, a feeling that kind of takes over your body, your being, and for a moment, you and that feeling are the same. I don't know what you would call this feeling or how to describe it. Maybe peacefulness or satisfaction or a sense of completion but tinged with sadness that it's over. All I know is this drama left me feeling this feeling both times I watched it.

Weightlifting Fairy is a story filled with sweet moments and lovely characters and a genuine sense of earnestness, and I love it for it.

Original Review:
There's a certain feeling I want to get from a drama once the story is over and there are no more episodes left to watch, a feeling that kind of takes over your body, your being, and for a moment, you and that feeling are the same. I don't know what you would call this feeling or how to describe it. Maybe peacefulness or satisfaction or a sense of completion but tinged with sadness that it's all over. All I know is this drama left me feeling this feeling, and I don't get to say that often.

There are no lulls or plot holes or draggy story points. Only sweet moments and lovely characters and a sense of earnestness. And honestly, that's really all you need.

I'm sad that this drama is over, and I'll probably need a few days to recover.