Editorials 
Love the Dreams
I have seen similar sports movies in India and Hollywood. But the acting in this takes the cream of the rest.1st of Oh Jung Se what a versatile actor. I saw Ok not to be ok 1st and I thought wow what dedication to the role of Moong Tae obviously it is not easy to perform that role. Then I saw him here and he made me hate his character. Now that is acting just briliant. Looking forward to seeing more of hi is work
Nam haha I got hooked to the series because of his 1st episode what cool headedness. His dialogue delivery was just briliant everything felt like a punch line. The director used him briliant
Nam and Oh Jung complimented each other perfectly. It was like 2 sides of the same coin.
Park Eun was the filter between these 2 strong deliveries she was dedicated to the role and did a complete justice to her role. I have not seen any of her other works but definitely check.
All in all an excellent watch don't miss it out
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A watch that you do not want to miss
"Win, disband. Win, disband. Win, disband. Just do as you always done."This is probably my third rewatch. And before going for another round I was convinced that I will be bored and more entertained with something new. Was I wrong? Of course.
I have to preface this by saying that Namkoong Min at this point is simply the safest filter for a great time. Watching anything from his catalogue will be absolute joy. He is versatile and chooses carefully his projects to reflect that versatility. And rarely I am not left moved by his performance whether it is action, thriller or romance. Such was the case with this sport drama.
Hot Stove League (HSL) is like no other kdrama you have seen. I am quite confident about this. (Please inform me if you see believe different). I mentioned in my review of the Daily Dose of Sunshine that evidently hardwork and love was put in that project, but the same if not more can be said about HSL. From the clothes and materials that perfectly reflected traits of characters, to consistency in character development throughout.
It is impossible that all characters had a solid backstory. Does this make sense? All of the characters that take up screen time had depth to them that was carefully constructed and maintained by all of their choices throughout the drama, whether they were the center of the scene or not. From the brother, to the players and marketing lead. to the antagonist; from the beginning to end you almost could have expected how the tv show ended.
The play with forgiveness and betrayal and so many redeeming arcs was done masterfully and not at all carelessly. It also beautifully reflects hope in humanity. Each character had their flaws exposed and it was clear that those who were ready to face them were to stay on Baek Seung Soo's team. Every episode carried a different challenge and the ending appropriate of the path that was taken from episode 1 to 16.
Numerous quotes that you will be taking down as you join this journey. And will be exposed to a skillful leader with integrity who inevitably takes you...to victory.
"If I listen, will they treat me any different?"
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It' a very smart drama, the plot has enough consistency to be interesting, and the twists are very well thought but explained clearly and simply enough to keep the viewer in the loop.
You dont need to even remotly like or know about baseball to like this drama, because the point is not how players throw a ball but how to keep a team together.
It wasn't too slow and even though the story could have gotten repetitive, it didn't.
The acting was absolutely amazing, i also particulary like the leads who are, in evey drama i've seen them in, talented and versatile.
I loved how the "bad guy" wasn't the embodiement of evil like usual, but more a career-driven buisnessman with a childhood trauma which screwed up his sense of priorities and who had to think about money first 'cause that was his job.
A very human, entertaining and well played drama !
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Better than my expectation
I use to scroll through when i saw this drama on Netflix and just pick another drama. I decided to give it a try after watching 'the good manager ' and I'm happy i did.It's better than most sports dramas I've watched and this is my favourite sports genre kdrama.
The story was not rushed, it had depth and wasn't boring at all. There was different emotions when watching. I gave the story 9.5 only because i wished Mr Baek had stayed with the Dreams after àll he went through to save the entire team.
The casting was spot on. There's no bad actors/actresses. The ML, Namkoong Min is a seriously great actor. He really brought General Manager Baek to life. I hope he got awards for portraying this character.
Overall, I really love, love, love this drama. Don't skip it and i guarantee you won't regret it.
I'll be rewatching again 🤪
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I seriously wished there were more episodes after episode 16. I was hoping since a new character was introduced in epi 16 (the new owner of Dreams).
I think there may be a second season brewing...fingers crossed!
Thank you! Thoroughly enjoyed each and every episode.
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Fast-paced political drama
I started watching Hot Stove League just last week from my friend's recommendation, largely because it just won Baeksang award of Best Drama in 2020. I was extremely impressed with My Mister, which won the very same award last year.And I'm not disappointed! I went through all 16 episodes in just four days!
This is not a romantic comedy that follows standard K-Drama patterns, it is a fast-paced political struggles with convincing plots and people interactions. There were some characters' decisions that, at first, I didn't think they made sense, but was OK once their true intention revealed.
I particularly love Oh Jung Se acting. He could express his internal conflicts through his eyes and voice. I was also impressed with his acting in "It's OK to Not Be OK."
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Great Story, Acting, and Refreshing
I believe this drama deserves a higher rating on MDL, every episode left me wanting to watch more. Note that there is no romance in this drama; I found that quite refreshing. The story was really well done, there were a lot of twists and turns. There were no characters that were frustrating, except for the antagonist, but in kdramas what antagonist isn't frustrating? There wasn't any unnecessary dragging, everything was pretty realistic to me, a person who knows absolotely nothing about baseball. Overall, I gave this drama a 10, but the rewatch score being low. I don't think this is a show you can rewatch. It isn't a light-hearted show that one usually would watch.Was this review helpful to you?
One of my Personal Favourites!!
Hot Stove League is one of my personal favourite tv shows/dramas. I thouroughly enjoyed the show start to finish and every time i rewatched it.The casting for HSL is simply just top tier with Namkoong min being the goat that he is. Every other character has also been casted very well.
I could go on and on in this review , but to keep it short, EVERYTHING about this show was just a 10/10 for me and i really hope sometime in the future there will be a season 2. Untill then I will be rewatching HSL till i die.
TOP TIER DRAMA 10000/10 WOULD RECOMMEND!!
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Good office drama in the world of sports
A breath of fresh air, Stove League is a good choice if you want a change of pace from romcoms, suspense crime thrillers, medical, and supernatural kdramas. Stove league is more about office politics in the world of baseball. It doesn't have a lot of the actual playing baseball scenes to be honest. It's about how a smart and competent manager, who may came off as rude and unfeeling turns around the Dreams team as last place in the stove league.
Payoff is satisfying as you feel as you've been with Manager Baek and his group go through every hurdle and surpass it. Nam Goong Min gave a more controlled but still solid performance as competent manager Baek Soo. What a solid cast, from very familiar faces we've all seen as amazing character actors from other dramas.
I've been wanting to watch Park Eun Bin for a long time, and she doesn't disappoint. Her aura is so endearing and earnest. I really need to see more of her dramas, and hope she will have more main roles in the future. What I'm surprised is Jo Byung Kyoo. He is so charming and entertaining as comical Jae Hee. I can't wait to see him as lead in Uncanny Encounter. He is just so animated on screen, and watching him banter with Park Eun Bin is a delight.
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A Perfect Blend of Emotion, Suspense, and Baseball! ⚾
Hot Stove League was such an incredible watch, and I absolutely loved every second of it! I went into it expecting a sports drama, but what I got was so much more. The storyline was brilliantly written, filled with suspense, workplace struggles, emotional moments, unexpected turns, and characters that genuinely made me care about what was happening. Even without knowing much about baseball, I found myself completely invested in the Dreams and their journey.Namkoong Min was absolutely fantastic as Baek Seung-soo. I loved his character so much! His calm, serious, and almost emotionless approach made him incredibly fascinating to watch, especially as the story gradually reveals more about the person behind that composed exterior. Namkoong Min's acting was, as always, outstanding, and he brought so much depth to the role. I could honestly watch him in anything, but Baek Seung-soo is definitely one of the roles of his that I have enjoyed the most.
Park Eun-bin was equally amazing as Lee Se-young. I absolutely loved her character, her determination, her passion for the Dreams, and the way she stood her ground. Her chemistry and dynamic with Namkoong Min worked beautifully, even though the drama isn't primarily focused on romance. Their interactions were one of the things I enjoyed the most, and Park Eun-bin's performance added so much warmth and emotion to the otherwise intense storyline.
What I loved most about *Hot Stove League* was how it constantly kept me interested. The suspense, emotional moments, team dynamics, behind-the-scenes conflicts, and the feeling that something could change at any moment made it incredibly addictive. It doesn't need nonstop action to create tension because the writing does all the heavy lifting. The cast, storyline, emotions, suspense, character development, and overall execution came together perfectly for me. I genuinely loved it all, and Namkoong Min and Park Eun-bin made the experience even more memorable. Absolutely loved this drama! ❤️⚾
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It is soo goooood!
I love it. I was hooked from the first episode. I love the trio and specially Namkoong…he nailed his character as always. It was great to watch their journey and how they all come together as one.The story was great and I love the love/hate bromance between Seung Soo and Know Kyung specially towards the end.
You can definitely watch the drama even you know nothing about baseball as it is not really a sport drama. Its about build the team back to his glory and trying to beat all the obstacles that comes in a way. I love the ending….it would be interesting to see his next project.
To be honest I did not expected to be soo good. Not sure why I was surprised as again Namkoong slayed the role!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Inspiring story about hardwork, passion and leadership
Starting watching on Sunday, kept hitting "next episode" until i realized i was almost done with the show! If i didnt go out on Monday, i probably would have finished this in 2 days 😅Likes
1. Amazing performance not just of Namgoong Min but from everyone - the management, the head office, and the players. Each episode focused one 1 to 2 persons' stories and how Baek was able to help and resolve the problem.
2. I only have basic knowledge of baseball so didn't really understand the stats, but it didn't really matter because the whole point is more on how a manager was able to successful transform a low performing team to a champion. It's not just how he worked, but how he influenced the people around him to become better versions of themselves.
3. You can pick up some tips on how to manage difficult people and how to deal with difficult negotiations, Baek Seung Soo is so good at it, i wonder why he is not a hot commodity. I guess they are uneasy with his unorthodox thinking.
4. I especially loved the episodes about Gil Chang Ju, Baek's brother and Lim Dong gyu's redemption. But i didnt like episode 15, i thought it was too much and episode 16 was too simple for a finale.
Dislikes
1. If the plan was to disband the team from the very start, it didn't really make sense to bring a new GM and approve of all his changes. It then feels like all his efforts will just be a waste of time and the best players will all end up team-less. I wish the objective was very clear frim episode 1 - if he can't fix the team before the season then they will disband.
2. I wish we saw more efforts from Seungsoo to look for a buyer all throughout the show. The ending was easily resolved with just 1 company agreeing to buy the team after just 2 meetings. To think Director spent years looking for a buyer.
Other than that, everything else was terrific.
Rating: 9/10
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