Sports stories were never my thing and I never thought this kind of scenario would be a special part of any drama in my opinion. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo changed that for me. Even though that’s not the main focus of the story, it was an essential element of the story and I rooted for the characters and suffered with their (often problematic) training all along the show.

This is a very sweet and fresh slice of life romance and I recommend it to anyone that’s looking for a light-hearted coming of age romance. About that, my opinion is a bit biased because Nam Joo-hyuk is the ultimate eye-candy for me and his chemistry with the equally stunning (and loud) Lee Sung-kyung is very cutesy. Yes, there’s a bunch of whining and screaming, but, all of that seem very insignificant compared to all their loving moments and constant support.

One of the best things about this drama is that Kim Bok Joo doesn’t exist solely for her romantic interests, a common problem in rom-com stories. However, I feel like the characterization of Jung Joon-hyung felt short and this burden was transferred for him. Don’t get me wrong, I really like his character, but I pity that his background was under-explored considering what was initially presented. I wish we had seen more about his family and his relationship with swimming, dealing with his trauma.

I do have to write a word about the weight issues in this drama though. I don’t know a thing about weightlifting so I might be talking silly, but I felt Kim Bok Joo should be, at least, more muscly. Specially considering the athlete she’s based on (Jang Mi-Ran). It was nice to see a bit of light in the weight requirements both in sports and society - how draining and dangerous that can be. On the other hand, the character representing the “fat” and “chubby” was not even 60kg. Maybe that’s very accurate for South Korea, but it seemed a bit scary to consider that standard. All the eating and suffering was a bit relatable, but also a bit triggering too. However, the drama did discuss the topic and there are hints of self-love here and there.

When it comes to rewatch value, I think it falls under the category “rewatch favorite scenes only” - which I’ll certainly do. I’ll miss the “WHAT” sound effect and the “SWAG” of the girlfriends. I will miss our quirky Kim Bok-Joo. And my, oh my, I will surely miss Nam Joo-hyuk.