Thumping Spike (2016)

'if im not a athlete does that mean I serve no purpose?'
~Se Ra
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Story: I really enjoyed the story. It also reminded me a bit of the drama sassy go go. I enjoyed it mostly because it focused on the team being better at volleyball and working towards what they really wanted. Se Ra who at first didn't care to coach the team to help them be better eventually grew to care for them as a whole and continue her love for the sport. In addition, there was drama but none that was outrageously put to further the story line. Furthermore, this drama kept me wanting to watch from episode to episode. (Usually I take a break after some time)

Cast/Characters: When you put the characters together, there are some that shined more than others but altogether it was a well-built cast. Keep in mind, upon watching this drama for the first time, majority of the cast members were people i also was seeing for the first time.

My favorite amongst all characters is Woo Jin/Lee Tae Hwan. It was my first time seeing him in a drama or anywhere else for that matter. I think I fell in love with his character once I saw his smile.(I promise he's more than just eye candy though) I could feel the emotion through his character as he was affected by his father not believing him and as a second lead character.. well you know how that goes so I won't spoil it for you. His character did what he could as a leader to make sure the other players had the residence and even as a friend tried to protect Se Ra. The only small tidbit that I didn't like about his character that his feelings for Se Ra weren't explained that well.

Jae Woong/Song Jae Rim, also caught my attention as someone who cared deeply for the sport,for the team and for Se Ra. This was my first time seeing Song Jae Rim in a drama(i've only seen him in WGM) and I am so impressed that I need to go find his other dramas as well. I saw chemistry between him and Seung Eon (Se Ra's character) and I liked how the romance flowed throughout the drama. There wasn't any dragging as far as I was concerned.

Kang Se Ra/Hwang Seung Eon was a memorable character to me and im pretty sure ill be checking out her other dramas. I think she was perfect for the role of being sort of a spoiled celebrity or goddess of volleyball as they put it and then slowly becoming a part of a team again and letting go of that exterior.

With the secondary characters I really like the unity among them. Like a brotherhood with one sister that they have to look out for. I also really really liked the secretary. In the beginning she is perceived as a heartless human being but towards the end she gets better and a funnier addition to the group. At first you could tell she didn't care for Se Ra and it was just a job to her but towards the end she became someone who looked out for her sincerely.

Music: Not much music in this drama besides the theme song and the ending/cliff hanger song. But I think that even without the music the drama was still really interesting. Music creates excitement but the actual drama itself had enough excitement where the lack of music was barely noticeable.

Overall: Should you watch? Yes. Although the drama was short and you'll breeze through the episodes, it was a really good way to spend my time. It's a light drama with some sports action and some romance all together. I think the fact that it is short also adds to the reason of why you should watch :D The end was a bit lacking but altogether it fit nicely.

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I really enjoyed this little series. The acting was realistic, cute, even heartwarming at moments. The story was fine and basic, your average underdogs story with a little reverse harem. I love Hwang Seung Eon she is one of my favorite up and coming actresses. She nailed this role with all its emotion and sass. Song Jae Rim has definitely made it onto my 'nicest smile' and 'great on screen kisser' list. Their chemistry was really good.

The only problem I had with it was when the phrase 'I Love You' was thrown around. And then you realize the chracters are high school students and not college students. I went into thinking the actors and the characters age were similar, but I was wrong. There were also some moments where the acting was a little too much. Song Jae Rim has a tendency to yell while expressing anger and there were some moments where I think it wasn't necessary. Son Ho Young also had some awkward moments on screen but for the most part they both did well.

I wish they would have written the ending of this story differently. It was a let down compared to the rest of the story and probably the only reason this story didn't get a 10 out of me. Great, easy watch that I would recommend as a inbetween while your waiting for you favorite series to air.

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