One of the best and cutest kdramas out there
It's honestly embarrassing how many times I have watched and re-watched this show; the actors are amazing and their haters to lovers plot is executed so well. They have great chemistry and they really do just feel like two university students which I think a lot of kdramas can exaggerate sometimes. This drama came out in 2016 but nearly everyone I ask that is into kdramas has watched it and loved it. Simply put, its a really comforting show to watch and they deal with some difficult topics as well.I think my favourite part about the show is that Kim Bok Joo never has a "glow-up" moment where she miraculously becomes this gorgeous girl but she just is herself throughout the entire show and she is loved for that. A lot of other kdramas can't say the same.
Be warned, you will want a significant other after watching this.
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a highly overrated drama
i started this drama with high hopes, i was happy and at first i did enjoy it. when episode 9 started i got a little bit bored and by episode 11 i couldn't take it anymore. the only reason why i made it to episode 12 was because joonhyung was my favourite character, he was really cute and funny but i didn't enjoy a lot of things of this drama, which was why i dropped it.one of the things that i hated about it was the mention of eating disorders and the way bokjoo and her team talked about the other girls and the other girls talked about them, body shaming each other constantly, which in my opinion it was really uncomfortable and weird. it is good that topics like these are mentioned in dramas but it was way too much, specially for someone who is in recovery of an eating disorder, it was really hard to watch. connecting with this, i will now talk about joonhyung's ex, she was the most annoying character and i hated her a lot. i felt like there were a lot of things that were added unnecessarily.
the cast was great tho and it sure did have a lot of cute scenes, i think thats the main reason why people like this drama so much but i dont think its worth watching.
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Ridiculous and cartoonish acting destroyed a cute story
This show was so painful to watch. It could've been cute, and there were a lot of elements that I liked, but GOD. THE ACTING!!! The acting was so annoying that it made me drop the show. I gave up.~~The Worst Part: the Acting~~
Most characters were incredibly annoying. They yelled, stomped around, flailed their arms, made ridiculous faces.... And I'd be okay with that, if it happened occasionally. But no. They do it ALL. THE. TIME.
Literally. The FL is always pouting and making "funny eyebrow faces". She's gorgeous, but I've never been so annoyed looking at someone's face. She pouts while eating. She pouts while walking. She pouts when she's happy, sad, surprised. Sometimes people are telling her serious and important stuff, and everyone is reacting appropriately, and then it pans to the FL and BOOM. *Funny eyebrow pouty face.* It's RIDICULOUS and so infuriating to watch.
Most side characters are like this too. FL's friends, their coach, ML's best friend... All of them were constantly screaming and flailing and being annoying. It was supposed to be funny, but it was literally just obnoxious. I could not take any of them seriously because they were too over-the-top and cartoonish. It felt like I was watching a show aimed at toddlers ages 4 and below.
The only decently acted characters were the ML and his brother and ex-girlfriend. I didn't care much about any of them (and I actually disliked the ex) but at least they were 3-dimensional characters that acted like real human beings and not Troom-Troom actors who need to exaggerate, yell and overact everything in order to make toddlers laugh.
~~Other Things I Didn't Like~~
- There's a lot of "telling" instead of "showing". I hate how they always say out loud everything that they're feeling or thinking. Instead of conveying their emotions or letting the audience pick up on what they're thinking, the characters will just be alone and then start stating all of their thoughts out loud. It's so unnatural, and also really lazy.
- The characters were sooooo childish. Not just because of the cartoonish, ridiculous acting, but also because of the things they did. They're constantly nagging each other and act like children, when they're literally GROWN ADULTS IN THEIR 20S!!! Examples:
---- FL thinks ML stole her clothes. He could've just said "Oh, someone just ran by, must've been him you were running after, he went that way." and their stupid rivalry would've been over.
---- ML always calling FL "chubby" despite knowing she doesn't like it??
---- ML steals FL's tray in the cafeteria and then they just start screaming as she tries to get her food back???? My guy you're a GROWN MAN.
---- FL is in her 20s and lies about everything in order to impress a guy. Like..... you really think that will work? Are you 10?
---- The FL grabbed the ML's head and sneezed on his face to make him sick?? WTF? Are you a child??
~~Things I Liked~~
- The slow burn. I appreciate when a romance isn't "love at 1st sight". It's much better and realistic.
- The cinematography (but then again, most kdramas look pretty to me, so that ain't saying much)
- As I already mentioned, the ML, his brother and his ex were decently acted (unlike every other character lol). I didn't love their characters though.... :/
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I almost didn't watch this drama. I don't like sports-themed dramas, so I was like "meh." But, after watching Goblin, I was searching high and low for a well-recommended drama to watch, and there were so many good recommendations for this one.
I'm so glad I finally did watch it! The story is well written and the cast is amazing. The sports theme tied into the drama as a whole, working with people and relationships, and how their lives interact with each other.
I couldn't stop watching this drama, but yet I waited a couple days to finish the last episode...why? Because I didn't want it to end! It was so heartwarming. I cared about each and every character and their relationships with each other. There was perhaps one episode where I felt they were stretching the storyline a little thin because it's 16 episodes, but it wasn't overly frustrating. By the time the last episode rolled around, I wanted MORE than 16 episodes.
So, if you like romance, friendships, family, with a little bit of school and sports thrown in, don't hesitate, START WATCHING!
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The story was not a drag. It was real. The main leads started as friends and you can see all through out how they fell in love. It tackles LOVE, not just romantically, but love for family, friends, colleagues, sports and food (yes, you read that right). Psychological issues are also tackled here, making the story well-rounded. It was heartwarming. Not angsty not really a 'drama', but I cried tons because it is so lovely and I literally loved the characters.
Bok Joo of course is the star of the show. She was a strong independent woman, but some scenes showed she needed someone too. Lee Sung Kyung played it really well. I read an article stating that many turned down this role since they needed to add more weight and I am happy LSK accepted this. I can never see bok joo as not LSK. I loved bok joo's innocence over everything and as she experienced first love. First love can be painful sometimes. Same for bok joo - experiencing first love means experiencing first heartache. She cried 'real' tears that will literally make you cry too. She was hurting, I was hurting. She was ecstatic, I was ecstatic. I loved her here. Along with the messy bangs is a loving friend and a daughter. She loved weightlifting so much and I find her most beautiful when she lifts weight. Kim Bok Joo, swag. You're forever a favorite.
Jung Joon Hyung, played by the ever lovely Nam Joo Hyuk, is literally boyfriend/bestfriend goals. Bok Joo is the star of the show but HE WAS NOT overshadowed. He took care of bok joo and slowly fell in love with her. The transition of the feelings was slow paced but you will love every second of it. He has his funny antics, he gets jealous easily (my favorite parts lol), has playful personality, and he loves bok joo for who she is. He had dark memories in his heart that haunted him but it was not exaggerated. I love Jung Joon Hyung as much as I love Bok Joo.
The supporting characters are literally spices. Without them, the main dish would not be as tasty as it is. Bok Joo's bestfriend, Nan Hee and Seon Ok, are literally best friends. They were supportive, and sometimes, like in real life, conflicts arise, but they make up eventually. Tae Kwon was comical. He was Joon Hyung's bff who keeps dragging him in blind dates. I just hoped that he had more exposure in the end. Abeoji (dad) loves bok joo so much, i can't help but cry at some episodes. The whole weightlifting team's coaches are not just mentors to bok joo and the team, but more like parents that want the best for everyone. Joon Hyung's family is lovely. Despite some issues, they loved Joon Hyung all in all.
The music is A+!!! Listen to it if you want calm and peace.
Rewatch value is 10/10. I'll literally watch it again when I am feeling down.
All in all, the drama is heartwarming. Be ready to laugh and cry at the sam time. Be ready because I tell you, you will love the characters, so much. It's just so unfortunate Korea did not appreciate it. But i think it did well internationally. "BokJoonhyung forever" photo in instagram by skawngur earned 1 million likes already!!!
Swag!!~
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I loved this drama, but I do not know if I could re-watch it.
It's a good romantic sports drama that tells a journey to happiness.
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The way each episode give different feels
its absolutely stunning .
Great Drama !!
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The music is also wonderful, always spot-on, and completes the drama in such a lovely way. Even if you don't think you're into sports, WF is a drama that revolves around an athlete, rather than the sport itself, so give it a try anyways!
This is one of my ultimate favourite dramas and I would honestly watch it several times over just for the pure magic of it all
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Here are my observations along the way:
PRO
- This was the first drama with Nam Joo Hyuk in it that I ever watched, and I have to admit that I didn't expect much, but he was really great it it. He really shone as an actor, very enjoyable performance. I'll be watching more of his stuff.
- The main couple had really good chemistry. In a lot of kdramas the main couple often feels stiff and distant around each other (mainly bc skinship and kissing shown on romcom kdramas is very limited for reasons I don't quite understand. Maybe it's culturally, and Korean couples really don't touch as much as I'm used to? I genuinely don't know.) But those two felt very close and comfortable with each other and they touch each other in more ways than just the occassional hand-holding or the typical parrallel parking hugging routine. I liked that.
- I quite enjoyed the subject matter. Bok Joo struggling between her love for weightlifting and the damper that this interest puts on her dating life (or life in general) was believable and interesting.
- I really liked Bok Joo's friends and the relationship that these three have with each other.
- Finally a main character who doesn't get bullied and stands up for herself and other people!! Yay!!
CON:
- I just hate when movie or shows try to sell me some obviously gorgeous woman as ugly or otherwise undesirable. In this case they put an incredibly pretty, naturally very thin actress in oversized clothes and gave her an unflattering haircut and told me to believe that that's not still a very thin, very attractive woman?
- I was honestly kinda bored after the main couple got together. I felt like their arc (and thus the story) was kinda done after that. They tried to introduce some new conflict with the mother showing back up, but it felt contrived to me and that's where I ended up dropping the show.
Overall very cute, very enjoyable show that would benefit from being a few episodes shorter.
And that's my two cents!
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WHY?
First time out, I was not expecting anything. Very. I just think, 'let's give this a try because it was new. " Then I saw this. The first episode went smoothly, and tbh at that time, I did not get the hype, yet. But this is addictive, you know? I continued to watch it every week since it first comes out. Then, BOOM !! EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL HERE. I PROMISE.
THE CHEMISTRY? (Checked)
THE FRIENDSHIP? (Checked)
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS? (Checked)
OTHER RELATED CHARACTERS? (Checked)
MUSIC? ? (Checked) My favorite is -> From Now On - Kim Seung Min
I cried when it was over. Not the one "literally" kind of cry. But the real one. The One You have, when you watch something beautiful. It ended well bruuh!
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