Mental Coach Jegal (2022)

“Even if you failed yesterday, even if you crumbled today, another tomorrow awaits us”

And we did crumble so many times watching this show - all the tears, all the frustration, all the healing after. This show is a long journey and even though at times exhausting, it’s so worth it.

What I really loved about Mental Coach Jegal was the complexity of the characters. The flaws were not just random setbacks - they all had a solid explanation and served as an amazing character development arc. I liked how the show kept reminding us that what we see is neither the beginning nor the end of their journey - they had their own struggles in the past, they have their own motivations for the future, and what we see is just the present self that keeps changing.

It’s like that for Je Gal Kil,Cha Ga Eul, Park Seung Ha, Lee Moo Gyul. There is more to these characters than we initially think. I honestly enjoyed the majority of them from the start, and even Goo Tae Man was impossible to hate.

That said, the character I found difficult to accept at first was Park Seung Ha. I honestly found her more unlikable than the bad guys themselves. It was too hard to ignore the lack of professionalism in her previous conduct in her professional life. The drama is magical though, and I started to appreciate her more and more as the story progressed, and her past actions, while not excused, were explained in a way that I could move on and see her for who she was - a flawed human being, like the rest of the characters.

I think that's the overall positive aspect of the drama - it's rich in different contexts and (both internal and external) factors that influence the characters, and the solution is not easy to find, since no one solution can solve all the problems.

Then we had the villains and antagonists - some better, some worse. I feel like the main villain was underwhelming in terms of the lack of depth. With all the characters being so complex, he just did not fit that picture. As if the last stroke of the brush in a masterpiece was done by a 5 year old child.

Then we have Oh Dal Sung - trash, the truest cockroach of kdramas. At some point I was not even frustrated or angry about his character, I was just tired. I wonder if there was any other way to deal with his story without hurting the overall quality of the plot and other characters’ arcs…

That said, for a show that is focused so much on the internal fights and struggles within the characters’ mentality and approach, the writers did quite a good job with presenting the villains that overall did match the plot and pacing. Although some were more of a plot device, not individual characters, I still found a certain value in the way they were written.

About writing - I don't think I've ever watched a drama where I really wanted to write the quotes down. I’m more of an “appreciating in the moment and moving forward” type of person, but here - the narrations and dialogues were so well written I just had to pause the scene many times and type down the words to share with others. They just hit all the right spots and were relatable on an indescribable level.

“??? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???'? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???'?. ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ????, ??????? ??'? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??????.”

Big picture wise, Mental Coach Jegal addresses many important issues, both specific to the sport related environment, but also the things everyone can experience in their lives. I am amazed how they managed to make it all logical and have a significant impact on the plot and the characters. Without going into any details, the various traumas and issues the characters had to face, different ways they all dealt with them, whenever victims have any responsibility in what happened to them and how they should or should not handle the aftermath, the lack of support, inadequate support, shame, psychological issues - there are so many themes and topics it’s impossible to write them all down. And I honestly feel like the majority of them were dealt with proper respect and maturity from the writers.

To the acting. Jung Woo is a master of chemistry. He truly made a perfect team with each and every character. There was not one interaction he had that felt boring or flat. He could talk to a tree and I would find it the most entertaining thing ever. Him and Kwon Yool are a duo I will miss for weeks. The way he found a perfect balance between the comedy and seriousness, how Jegal was both eccentric and relatable. I am truly amazed.

I expected a phenomenal performance from Lee Yoo Mi and it is what I’ve got. I started the show because of her and I was not disappointed. She perfectly embodied the idea of someone being both vulnerable and strong.

All the rest of the cast did an incredible job. I cannot think of one performance or scene that was lacking in any aspect.

The production had a similar effect on me as the writing - I could not stop myself from screenshotting. I especially liked the use of the wide shots - they often looked like beautiful paintings.

All that said, the drama was not perfect, even if at times it felt like it is. Few things that could have been improved and can be seen as flaws.

First of all, Je Gal was introduced as a famous mental coach and writer. He was not a nobody, he was like a celebrity. But his fame was downplayed and non-existent after just a few episodes. I feel like him having rather high social status would be an issue for the plot to unfold the way it did, so that fact was just… ignored and removed from the equation.

Rather poorly done transition between the leading genres/plots. At first the show was more or less a sports slice of life with comedy. At some point it changed into a political drama with comedy, and that transition was not done smoothly. You can literally tell which episode is the turning point and it’s a clear cut deal. I did not mind where the plot went, it made sense. I was bothered with how it was executed.

Not utilizing enough “No gold medal” club. I feel like they either should have been even more in the background, or more prominent. They were neither the supporting characters, nor just a filler background - somewhere in the middle that I could not get attached enough to truly care about, but also not insignificant to just accept whatever happens to them. Since I loved each and every character in that group, I did wish we had seen more of them, especially in the middle part of the show.

Some questionable relationship developments I could do without. While they made sense character wise, I also felt like they were not truly needed plot wise. I could understand why they happened, but I also asked myself - did it have to happen?

To sum it up - it was not a perfect show, but for me it was close to perfection. By the end, I was so attached to the characters I honestly feared the day the show would end. I was not ready to say goodbyes.

I think a great show is not a perfect show, since these don’t exist, but one that makes you ignore/forget the flaws. They seem so insignificant compared to all the positive aspects, you just don’t mind them. Mental Coach Jegal did it for me. And I’m known for complaining about the most minor details ever. Mental Coach Jegal had some convenient solutions by the end, but I can’t bring myself to lower the rating, even if some aspects were not perfect in my book.

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Could Be Better Without Romance

Going in to this drama, I thought it was fresh and entertaining. It was a good opportunity for viewers to realize what athletes are experiencing as they navigate into their career—their struggles, pain, dreams, problems and hopes. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this drama, esp. when they introduced the No Medal Club.

I also like listening and watching the mentoring scenes and advices given between the counselors-counselee. It would greatly benefit even the viewers since it tackles our mental health and how deal with our own pains and traumas.

However, when the dynamics began to shift and the female lead expressed her romantic interest and kissed her mental coach, I cannot lie to myself. I am not comfortable with it, esp, when all throughout the show Coach Jegal kept saying that Ga Eul was never a girl as far as he can see, and just a “kid.” I trusted those words, only to get betrayed in the end. There was a sense of betrayal for the viewers since boundaries was always laid, only to break them down on the last five minutes of the finale.

Not only it was unethical for the profession, I was hoping the writers had something on their sleeves and tackled transference/countertransference in a mature, pro way. Only to get disappointed from this point on.

The male and female lead have more chemistry as friends (older brother) /father figure than lovers. It surely left a bad taste in the mouth as they met together at the end wanting to try “love”. That was the deal breaker for me in giving this show a good rating. It was successful for giving me discomfort than healing as it ends. The drama can stand on its own without the romance.

I hoped they’d just ended it a deep platonic friendship, which could be done beautifully. It is entirely possible as it was done in “My Mister” by IU and Lee Sun Kyun.

Overall, I won’t recommend it to my friends. Neither this drama is even worthy of a rewatch.

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winning a medal is not everything

tw// sexual assault, rape

what this drama gave me was more than i asked for. i'm not in any way saying that this drama is simply a warm hug or full of happy pills but it's like a comforting way of saying, "it's okay. you're having it rough right now. it's okay to accept that feeling" similar to the dilemma of 'push or pull' situation, this drama teaches you to 'feel' and not suppress your emotions.

it's clear that ga eul has been mistreated and abused. that's why she locked her feelings and emotions inside a cage. the moments where someone is nice to her, she views it as a form of manipulation. the complex thoughts of "can i trust this person?" was wonderfully portrayed through this character.

in a competitive sports industry, it doesn't help that coach oh is an annoying virus that uses his power to his advantage. while i would've loved it if he got destroyed earlier on, it shows the reality that there are monsters like this in the real world that are favored by big hands. there are those harrowing stories that are not documented but they are very much happening at this minute.

now, let us look at some of my fave parts of this drama:

-a galore of inspiring quotes
there are so many lines spoken that are worthy to be engraved in gold for how much it resonates to the audience. my favorite aspect of this drama is how it emphasizes that weakness is not something to be ashamed of. instead, it can be a sign of growth. to open yourself up to people and be a bit more carefree, you are allowed to embrace yourself more in many ways other than weighing everything on your shoulders. if i were to include my fave quotes, it would take up my whole review.
here's one: "If the world won’t change, I must change. Only then can I survive" -Jegal Gil

-beautiful use of symbolism
i specifically liked the use of crustacean and camel as a metaphor for ga eul. while these are the only examples of symbolism, they both swayed my heart to the fullest and wrecked my heart because of its meanings.

-good combo of comedy, action and melo
there were sad moments. there were also hilarious and badass ones. no medal team was perfectly fitting to the picture. this group involves people who have gone through a lot yet they stand tall and fight against injustice. it's quite a shame they were only used as plot armor when more could've been explored.

-no cardboard characters
everyone in this drama has shit going on. yet, we get to see characters develop wonderfully as the episodes progress. ga eul, lee mookyeol, the whole skating team. heck, even park seung ha started to grow on me (even a lil bit) in the end.

-a lovely twist
as the drama was halfway reaching its final episode, there was a point where i was slowly losing interest. thankfully, the unexpected trio happened. as though an elephant was in the room, this sudden twist somehow converted my worries to laughter and full on wholesomeness. who knew 'he' could work with the very same person he's been trying to crack down this whole time? i just love it.

-important topics were carefully addressed
i'm tired of sexual assault and rape being brushed off like it's nothing. in here, we see how much it affects a person and how hard it is to bury such a horrifying memory.

"Did I bring it upon myself?"

this. it's so sad that even though she's the victim, there is a part of her that makes her feel like it's her fault. in addition, there is an inhumane side to society that shame victims into thinking it's their fault or that they were 'asking for it'.

-the sismance
“Alone, I will not be able to achieve anything. And you’re the one I want to race with” -Cha Ga Eul
although we didn't get to see much of oh sun ah and ga eul, they were the ultimate tsundere duo. they didn't express it through their face but their actions showed they cared for each other.

while i loved this drama, i can't say it's perfect. midway or somewhere the last few episodes, i was having mixed emotions with how the drama sort of shifted from this healing drama to something else. personally, i feel like this drama would've done better with sticking to the way it was. the romance was just so out of the blue for me.

despite the frustration i felt from the final episode, i can't take away my love for this drama. at first, this was an astounding 9 for me but we can't have everything our way. in my heart, this drama did more good than bad so i'm going to let the it slide.

to anyone searching for healing dramas, you're on the right track.
do you have to know about sports to enjoy this drama? no.
'mental coach jegal' isn't just about sports. it's about healing, hope, self-acceptance and anything else that helps you get back on your feet.

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Are you ready for your first drama counselling?

This is an unexpectedly good watch. I just randomly selected from the list of series I plan to watch and bumped on this hidden gem drama. Aside from Lee YooMi (that I've watched from All Of Us Are Dead) I don't know much about the other casts or I haven't seen them from other dramas that's why I'm a bit hesitant to start watching it but I'm really glad I did.

The story is so heartwarming and it brings up my emotions throughout the series and it taught me how to accept my wounds and start healing from them. And I love seeing the journey of the characters' ups and downs. It's never an instant medicine but it's a process and sometimes long process to heal from our emotions. Even if I'm not an athlete, I was able to relate to this series and I'm sure this will touch your hearts too. I find Jegal Gil funny too with his recklessness and attitude so I really enjoyed watching it.

If you're having second-thoughts about this series, don't fear and just watch it. It will be inspirational and worth your time so I definitely recommend it specially if you're going through something, you might find some healing on this series like I did.

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It was ok

The story was very different and something I haven't seen before. It was really great.
The actors were good, too. I liked the actors a lot. They played their roles well. I especially liked the actor Jung Woo. He is a good actor.
Another actor I liked is Kang Young Seok. He acted so convincingly in the drama Insider and I was glad to see him in this drama. Unfortunately, he only had a supporting role here as well. That's really a shame.
I think what bothered me the most was that suddenly so much happened at the end. Too much drama. And the romance was also completely out of place in my opinion. It just didn't feel right. The beginning of the drama was really good, but towards the end I wished for a different ending

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HEALING DRAMA

If you're here because you don't know if you should watch it: press play now.

I was in the same position but I decided to give it a chance and I am delighted. This drama is healing and inspiring. Especially if you are a person who is a perfectionist, responsible and rigid with your values. If you are a student who has to get a job or you are an athlete or you are just fighting for something you want and lately you feel sick about it. In my case I am not an elite athlete like the characters in this drama but I find myself studying for a competitive exam that requires a lot of mental strength and dealing with a lot of problems like stress, anxiety or depression. And watching this drama made me find comfort and perhaps relief in its dialogues.

It's not a perfect drama and sometimes there will be things that you will say are surreal but the imperfect is made perfect. And this drama is funny, though very hard. It will make you smile and cry in equal parts.

The casting is interesting as the usual actors are not there and seeing new or unfamiliar faces is a breath of fresh air. So run, press play and immerse yourself in the competitive world of elite sports.

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A Mental Coach

The drama kicked off with a solid start, drawing its audience with a compelling premise and a cast of captivating characters. In the first half, emotions ran high as we were watching the dynamics between coaches and athletes. The character development was superb, and the storyline was peppered with unexpected well written materials that sat the expectations high for what's to come. However, as the drama progressed into its second half, it seemed to lose some of its momentum. The pacing felt uneven, with certain plotlines dragging on longer than necessary while others seemed rushed and unresolved. The writing got a bit lazier and less profound. It couldn't deliver the same impact as the first half, even with its climax. Despite these shortcomings, the drama still had its moments of brilliance, particularly in its character development and for its strong promising start.

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For the undecided...do press play

With two episodes in..i can tell it covers greed,selfishness,ambitions,hardwork,corruption and unfairness in the sports world.
First episode definitely dragged heavily in the middle.
It had a good start, a snooze fest middle but heavily adrenaline pick up towards the ending.
They got the acting part in the bag so i have no complaints on that.
A heavy sports theme but with heartache stories behind the participants. Definitely feels like a reality on the constipated world. The world is ugly with no fairness and the first episode uphold the helplessness that those not in power live by.
Definitely have the viewers chest feeling stuffy.

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