Definitely worth it!!!
This was the first drama that I ever watched back in 2017, this is the drama that started everything for me. Including now K pop. They need to make more dramas like this fr!!!Right in the episode first you fall in love with it, because of the visuals and just overall it's very relatable. After watching ep 1 I learned that the main leads were dating when they were filming this, which made it so much more emotional and exciting for me. They broke up long ago though :(. But still, their chemistry is EVERYTHING!!!!
This drama is as well super funny, and at the same time, it touches on themes such as losing a passion for something that is really important to you/ your career...
JUST WATCH IT<3
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An hymn to sweetness
I approached this show by chance, as usual. I use to listen to music from k-drama OSTs and this is a way for me to put in my watchlist new shows. Even this time the method worked fine and I had the chance to watch this sweet story.It's true: the story is a light one, and the drama within is not a tragic one. But that's a story about good feelings and sweetness and love. A fairy tale? Yes: it is. A modern one where the leads are not a prince and a princess but the two clumsy toads, the two boisterous ugly ducklings, the story of two youths and their transformation in young adults, of their feelings and their growth to a sweet love story. And sweetness and love are the key elements of this show, not only between the two leads, but also with the rest of their relatives, their friends, their acquainted too
The plot, nothing unconventional TBH, based upon the well run-out structure of several youths' love stories we can find in k-dramas. But anyway brilliant, apart some irritating support roles.
The leads, simply awesome. Lee Sung-kyung is constantly well identified with her character Kim Bok-joo, and she shows herself well talented and credible even during the weightlifting scenes, not having she exactly the phisique du role (I read an interview where she admitted having gained more than 10kg to play Bok-joo's role). Sweet, beautiful, charismatic, funny, loving. A special mention to her eyes, which in this show often stands out in all their stunning beatutifulness. Nam Joo Hyuk is in his typical role, seen again in Twenty-Five Twenty-One and Start-Up, just saying. His character is a perfect sweetheart, mature, fascinating. I liked a lot both of them and the way they shared together the scene all time long, being both fun, showing chemistry and never ending loving sweetness as a couple.
The support roles, some nice, other too much rough or even annoying. I appreciated the path to redemption Si-ho walked changing her being from an obnoxious frustrated negative gymnast (sharing the traits with her discipline mates) to a woman, who accepted to get rid of the past and the huge suffering it brought in her life and to face herself, turning finally to a more comfortable self well-being.
The music, nice OST, I have to say thank you to it for having let me finding the show.
Nice the phography and the direction.
Enjoyed till the end, tears included for the sweetness: recommended the vision.
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This review may contain spoilers
ive rewatched this show thrice and i could do it a hundred more times — this show is a gem. its cast, story, and humour are flawless, it feels like a warm hug to watch it and it never gets old. i can’t say it ever felt like the story was dragging for me, maybe around the plotline surrounding the protagonist and the male lead’s brother, but that itself has so much value to add. amazing shows like this make you feel like you’ve grown and matured along with the characters, and i will always treasure it.
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Story: (10) The plot was very good. I love how the writers didn't rush into the relationship. Obviously, since it took until the 12th episode for them to finally get together *rolls eyes* but it was really good. I loved how everything came together at the end, and the main leads were finally together. Their relationship was so cute, but I'll save that for the acting section.
Acting/Cast: (9.5) I didn't give this a full 10 because I felt that Song Si Ho's character pissed me off a little. I think the writers made her character a little over the top, but overall, the cast was chosen very wisely. Bok Joo and her best friends' had a very cute relationship, and so did Joon Young and and his best friend. Bok Joo and Joon Young had the cutest relationship ever, it was so innocent and pure, yet they seemed to understand each other so well. I think all the scenes seemed realistic and I actually cried so much throughout this drama.
Music: (7) I don't really listen to music on dramas. I think the only drama so far whose music has caught my attention is The Beauty Inside, I love all the tracks. For WLFKBJ, I don't think anything specifically caught my eye, or should I say ear, haha no, but nothing really stood out to me. However, I don't watch dramas for the music, so this doesn't really change the overall score.
Rewatch Value: (9.5) I gave this 9.5 because if I were to ever rewatch this, I would skip a lot of scenes. I have already rewatched this drama a lot of times, but each time I did, I always skipped scenes and even episodes. Before I would even rewatch it, I would always think it over for a long time. I usually never rewatch dramas, since I hate how some of the bad scenes in dramas are, so I hate watching those over again. I rarely watch dramas over again, but I would say that WLFKBJ is one of the few that I enjoy to rewatch. The only reason why I would rewatch dramas is only if I'm bored and I have no dramas to watch.
Overall: (10) Overall, this is a great drama and I think everyone should watch this. It is a very good starter drama for people that want to start watching dramas. This is my first review ever, so I might sound weird, but I hope I wasn't too confusing.
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Its one of the best kdramas yet
Loved this , i remember watches this in one go and i wanted to rewatch it all again . The feeling it gave me was beyond and not many kdramas do that to me , im quite picky and need to get dragged into the story and for this one , it definitely made my belly crack. I recommended this kdrama to bunch of people too , it would have been amazing during its time of release that they filmed a season 2 , many kdramas sadly stop after 1 season . I would have love the tthrill of excited to watch another part but its all good bc im definitely wanting to rewatch this at some point . believe my words you will be dying with laughter with this one .Was this review helpful to you?
Lee Sung Kyung immediately endears you to the title character who navigates college life while juggling her weightlifting career, her family, friendships and her falling in love for the first time.
Weightlifting Fairy is very much a coming of age story, not just for the titular Kim Bok Joo, but for a talented ensemble and cast of characters.
Nam Joo Hyuk delivers a charming and nuanced performance as ace swimmer Jung Joon Hyung who has his own issues to juggle himself.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo takes a few episodes to settle down, but when it does, the result is really like a fairy tale.
The spotlight definitely shines on the excellent chemistry shared by Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk. Whether it’s the louder, riotous moments or the quieter and more emotional moments, both actors shine on their own and especially when they’re together. They deliver the cute moments and they deliver in the heavier and more dramatic moments.
Even more interesting is that the series also tackles some timely issues that many young people face such as mental health, societal and familial pressure, and eating disorders.
For a show so lighthearted, it is able to touch on these topics in a sincere way. This is very much a coming-of-age story. And for characters of many ages. That that adds a great extra layer to the series.
Partly a slice of life story, the series is very much character-driven. Both Bok Joo and Joon Hyung get the most powerful moments in the series. But the large ensemble supporting cast also get their moments and development as well.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is a romantic, emotional, heartfelt and sincere look at life, family and friendships. Led by excellent performances by Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk, the series definitely carries itself with a well-deserved “swag” like its characters regularly do as well.
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It's not a 10/10 for me but I would definitely recommend watching it for something light and funny!
Ok so first of all I want to say that this show made me laugh until my stomach ached numerous times! I started watching because it was featured on the Swoonflix and it looked like a lot of fun.At first I really liked Kim Bok Joo, she was very relatable and I was eager to see her growth. But then around episode 10 I just got annoyed by her. Even though her actions were understandable, she was also becoming quite inconsiderate and lost a lot of her charm. All the crying, whining and complaining and such, I just really stopped liking her. Around episode 14 she started to redeem herself a tiny bit but to me she stayed a bit selfish and kept making everything about her, even Joon Hyung's pain. It's a shame because her character had a lot more potential.
The main reason I still liked watching it was because of Jung Joon Hyung. Not only did he make me laugh out loud all the time, he also showed a very soft and caring side. He kept taking care of Bok Joo despite his own issues. His character might seem a bit superficial at first but he has a lot of depth. One thing that stood out to me early on was his honesty towards himself, his psychiatrist and above all, his ex girlfriend. No games or whatever, just candid honesty. And the fact that he didn't tell his parents about the cards and gift just made him all the more likable. Because it was hard on him too and be came from a place of love. He is the type of guy that once you've become his friend, he will walk through fire for you. But that's also why I felt bad for him, because he kept on giving and giving and giving.
Of all the side characters Nan Hee and Il Joo stood out the most. As did Bok Joo's father. They all carried a certain form of unconditional love.
Besides the cute romance, it was the power of friendship and family that made me truly love this drama. The way Sun Ok and Nan Hee would go through hell and back again for Bok Joo, they always had her back. It was truly heartwarming. The same goes for Il Joo and Joon Hyung. Also, can we just give extra love and respect to Joon Hyung's parents?! They raised him with so much love. His brother was cute as well! A bit slow but cute nonetheless ;-)
It's not a 10/10 for me but I would definitely recommend watching it for something light and funny!
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Sport rom-com with a slow burn heartfelt romance that gives you all the feels <3
This drama tells the story of 2 students at a sport university who are trying to become professional athletes. This is a super addictive rom-com with an amazing pacing. Sometimes, romance scenarios can feel a bit dragging (especially toward the end of a series), which was not the case here. The writers clearly managed to spread in a natural way all the content of their multiple plotlines in order for the building of the romance to feel totally genuine during the full 16 episodes of the show. This is a romance with a heartfelt slow burn that will for sure gives you all the feels.I found the chemistry between the female lead and the male lead exceptional. Their friendship evolving into something more was really cute, fun and also incredibly sincere. All their little gestures towards each other were properly convincing and heart-warming. Nam Joo Hyuk performance as the main male lead is fantastic. His puppy look when chasing after the heroine can only make the viewer heart melt.
However, I was less impressed by the secondary characters who were not very interesting. Except for the three friends of the female and male lead, I had no sympathy at all for a large part of the secondary cast. The secondary female lead was awful but at least the actress did a great job incarnating the role. On the contrary, the secondary male lead role could have been much more exciting but was overall disappointing due to the actor's acting which felt very flat.
Generally, all the adults 'storylines (the families of the heroine and the hero, the professors and coaches..) were clearly not the most captivating part of the series. I found myself a bit annoyed as they were often creating more trouble / pain for the leads than helping them. Still, some of the conflicts created allowed growth for the characters and great acting from the two main actors, so it was all worth it at the end.
I would highly recommend this to people looking for an amazing romance with a well-executed friends-to-lovers trope and who appreciate a slow burn story.
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Simple, Cute, and Easygoing.
While it's not perfect, this drama is definitely amongst my favourites, and I love it so much that I have re-watched it 6 times, and I will most likely re-watch it even more in the future. Although I probably view this show through rose tinted glasses, I will try my best to be as objective as I can be.STORY:
Nothing overly dramatic or crazy happens, it is simply slice of life. The drama is more focused on the characters and their relationships, rather than having an extremely complex story. I've always been someone who cared more about characters than story, so for me this wasn't a problem. However, if you prefer gripping and complicated plots, you may not appreciate this show so much. It does have its interesting plot points here and there, but nothing too intense or unexpected.
'Weightlifting Fairy' also has its own share of clichés like every other drama out there. However, none of them made me gag or feel too annoyed. It definitely felt more self-aware than plenty of other dramas, and even makes fun of some clichés. As for the pacing, I felt that they did a good job, however the pacing did feel a bit rushed towards the final episodes.
CHARACTERS:
The characters are possibly the show's strongest point. 'Weightlifting Fairy' features a fun, humorous cast, with plenty of interesting characters. I especially admired this drama for writing in an unconventional and unique female lead. Bokjoo is a weight lifter who is strong, honest, and is able to stand up for herself. She is also shown to have both a more masculine and a feminine side, which I felt made her more three-dimensional. She has her flaws here and there, but is overall a great and likeable character. Meanwhile, Joonhyung isn't your typical cold and detached male lead. Instead he is playful and charistmatic. He also has his own set of flaws, but I do feel that his character was a bit too perfect at times (he has the looks, personality, popularity, and talent). Despite this, he does not feel flat, and he has plenty of moments that make him more humane and realistic (when he giggles over Bokjoo's texts, and when he cries about his mother).
While the most developed characters are obviously the leads, the side characters are also shown to have distinctive personalities. Most of the cast is likeable, or develop to later become more so. Even the evil 2nd lead had her chance to develop as a character and redeem herself. Overall, I think that they did a great job with the characters in this drama.
RELATIONSHIPS/ROMANCE:
The friendships and romantic relationships are quite sweet, especially Bokjoo's relationships, which were genuine, accepting, and heartwarming. One of the things I liked about Joonhyung and Bokjoos's relationship is that they didn't fall in love with each other at first sight. Instead, they fell for each other as they got to know each other as friends, which I felt was more true to reality. Their chemistry was through the roof, and they showed even their most vulnerable sides to each other (Bokjoo's slump, Joonhyung crying, etc), which again made their relationship 100x sweeter and more genuine. One thing that did irk me, however, was the jealousy in the last few episodes, as I felt that they were made to handle it extremely out of character. (eg. when Bokjoo made Joonhyung have to walk on eggshells around Shiho). I'd have expected this kind of petty drama more in a high-school romance k-drama than in a drama set in university such as this.
However, where the show really does fall flat is the side romances, as most were highly underdeveloped. Obviously they would not be developed as much as the main couple, but most of the side romances just felt unnecessary and rushed. One relationship is even randomly added in near the end and is left without a proper conclusion, which made me wonder what was even the point of adding it in.
ACTING:
Although I'm no professional when it comes to acting, I didn't feel as if anyone's acting was out of place. The cast had good chemistry, and I felt that their acting was believable to the the point that I often forgot that I was watching a show. While I do agree that Sungkyung, who is very thin and pretty, being casted for a character meant to be an "average looking" weightlifter did make Bokjoo less believable, I think that she otherwise portrayed her character perfectly. (The same thing could also be said for Sunok.)
PROGRESSIVE?:
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that this show has some ground-breaking and incredibly deep message, it is simply a cute romantic comedy. However, a few things stood out to me as I watched it. An example is how Joonhyung goes to a therapist through the show. Despite having issues, he gets professional help instead of letting it turn him into the typical "cold male lead with a troubled past." There is also the underlying message of accepting yourself, in how Bokjoo finds love, despite originally viewing her career and masculine tendencies as setbacks to romance. Having rarely seen these in other romcoms, I enjoyed seeing these in this drama.
In conclusion, the show does extremely well with its likeable and interesting cast of characters, and features good chemistry between them. It does fall a bit with the pacing at times and the side romances leave more to be desired. However, I still feel that the pros heavily outweigh the cons. 'Weightlifting Fairy' is nothing revolutionary, however I feel that it is a treat for those who love romcoms. Overall, it's simple, sweet, and perfect for people looking to fall for a great cast of characters and escape from the dullness and drama of everyday life.
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MUST WATCH!
This is one of the very first romantic comedies I watched early on when my KD addiction started. I must say that any rom-com I watched after just doesn't compare. Lee Sung-kyung was amazing, she was very believable as Kim Book-joo - a daughter, a girlfriend, a friend, a student, a roommate, and of course, a weigh lifter. The development of the romantic relationship between KBJ and Jung Joon Hyung was phased right, not too slow nor was it too fast. There are so many sweet and memorable moments with them. The chemistry if the entire cast is magnificent and it's evident that they like working each other.I could watch this series over and over again and it will always be worth my time.
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Although she was naturally pretty, Bok Joo was also plain and more than a little awkward. So watching a golden boy like Joon Hyung not only recognize her outer beauty (without needing her to have a makeover), but caring much more about her work ethic, loyalty, personality, and all around awesomeness was so refreshing.
There sweet and supportive relationship was a ray of sunshine in a sea of manipulative and frustrating romances. And for that reason, along with the overall joyful feeling I got from watching this entire drama, I will always come back to this show when I need a smile.
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