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This review may contain spoilers
For a show that I had no intention of watching because it didn't sound like anything I'd remotely enjoy, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo turned out to be a really sweet romance and I enjoyed it so much. It was warm and full of heart. The awkwardness of youth and first loves felt real. The characters were on point. There is nothing to complain about in this drama. For a fluffy youthful rom-com, this is up there as one of the cutest and sweetest ones I've watched.I loved both Kim Bok Joo and Jung Joon Hyeong. They were spectacularly adorable together. Joon Hyeong is like a puppy that just wants Bok Joo's attention at first. Or a little boy that likes a girl so he pulls her pony tail. But, as their friendship grows, he realizes that he is falling for her. And he moves from being the pesky puppy to an adoring boyfriend. He respects Kim Bok Joo and her dreams. He admires her strength. The problems they and the side characters face all feel very real. I enjoyed each character in this show, not just the main leads. There were no missteps in this story and they cleared up misunderstandings quickly and do not drag anything out needlessly. It also perfectly showed the nostalgic days of ones youth and how we grow and mature.
I'm not a big re-watcher, but I could totally see me watching this again one day. It is just a completely feel good romance that isn't just pure fluff. If the whole weightlifting thing is putting you off, don't let it. Just give it a chance and I believe that you will be pleasantly surprised at how this show and the characters touch your heart. Everything flowed along so nicely and each episode made me feel good and happy to watch it. I'm not saying that it's some masterpiece that broke the mold on dramas, just that it mixed all the right elements to make a fairly flawless romance and friendship story.
***ETA - slight spoilers ahead***
Rewatched end of 2022. This one didn't hold the same appeal on rewatch. It was still a sweet romance, but there was so much crying in the first 2/3 - I didn't remember it that way. I also thought the ex-gf was completely unnecessary and a bit boring.
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The plot is quite simple, a young rookie detective on his first day in the force finds out that his assigned partner is no one else that his father; who abandoned him many years ago (and apparently they haven't speak with each other in a long time).
As a detective/investigation drama it fails horrendously. The cases make almost no sense at all, and when they do, they're very predictable. But the great thing about this dorama is that it doesn't take itself seriously; and as a comedy is a great success.
Every case depicted is an excuse to see the fantastic interactions between father and son.
Obviously none of them wants to admit that they really care for each other and having such different personalities there's a lot of humor involved.
And speaking of humor, the rest of the detective division, "the team", although full of clichés, are hilarious. You have the chief, the girl, the nerd, the ladies man, and so on.
The two protagonists make a fantastic job in their roles, and the rest of the cast is pretty good as well. Some people may find the "japanese acting" a bit over the top, but you'll get used to it in no time.
In short, it's a great comedy with bits of thriller, (almost none) romance and (quite a few) sweet family/friendship moments that it's really worth your time.
Also, the music is pretty tv standard but the main theme is terribly catchy! (I can't stop singing it my head :P)
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When Joon Hyung realized his feelings, he didn't deny it like it is typically done in kdramas. On the contrary, he made many sacrifices to prove to Bok Joo that he was the charming, caring man worthy of her love. What started out as a hilarious, cutesy friendship transformed into a beautiful romance. They shared their sorrows and celebrated their victories together.
Moreover, this drama emphasized Bok Joo's relationships with her father, uncle, friends, classmates, and inspirational coaches. Her strong, enthusiastic, (and awkward!) personality shined throughout the whole show. So did her obvious flaws, but that's what made it all the more relatable for all of us. Issues such as eating disorders, mental health, and the dilemmas of young womanhood were realistically portrayed. The characters' fight to realize their dreams was far from forgotten; it was magnificently intertwined with everything in between.
Most of all, congrats to Lee Sung Kyung, Nam Joo Hyuk, and the rest of the cast for breathing life into this lovely drama! Their facial expressions and overall acting was priceless! What began as a comedic drama had a supremely sweet and emotional ending that has managed to engrave this show in my heart.
Now for the final words of the drama that sums everything up perfectly...
"Everyone spends their youthful years. It's a time made more beautiful...because we are immature, awkward and clumsy. We're not afraid because we have nothing to lose and our hearts flutter because we can have anything, everything. I am a 24 year old youth. I'm not complete yet, I am still uneasy and nervous...But I'm more than perfect already"
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Anyway, that being said, this drama is truly a "coming of age" story. The characters were so relate-able and all the actors were phenomenal. Perfect casting! The leads were obviously the main attraction and their chemistry was great. The relationship represented by them is the definition of cute. Every time they were on screen, I couldn't help but smile. They were absolutely adorable. And not so much in a cheesy way either, like I like cheesiness but there's always a limit. Here they were just so natural and sweet.
Of course, no drama is 100% perfect, so I guess my only complaint is some of the secondary couples I didn't care too much for. I just couldn't seem to care for their story but other than that, I just loved this drama a lot. I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to watch a relate-able and sweet story.
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It's a great tale about the importance of love and how this affects friendship, both in a good and bad way! Would definitely re-watch this again. Jasper does a great job in evoking the emotional and happy moments in this drama. Even the supporting female was so relatable to me!
TL;DR
Starts off happy and a bit 'ehh' at some times. But the further you go, the further the characters grow! Worth watching for sure. I tend to be impatient with my dramas and drop dramas a lot if I don't like it. But i gave this one a chance and I sure don't regret it :)
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A drama filled with so much beautiful meaning into it. A very healthy, sensible, genuine kind of story as to friendship, family, love, goal, career and priority. It is really funny especially with that "WHAAAAAT!" lol. Plus this drama is such a TROLL not everything you'd expect will happen, It will take you by surprise and you'll find yourself laughing. The edge of this drama from the one's I've watch? It's not the feels but the message it brought me, It was truly amazing.
CHARACTERS
Kim Bok Joo and Joon Hyeong is the best love story I've watch, a kind of relationship that would bring out the best in you, filled with overload cuteness, realistic a normal one. Phasing of their story is slow but slow kind of stories turned out to be awesomely perfect! They are so friendship and relationship goaaaals!!
Kim Bok Joo
This girl is totally relatable, when she's in love, to music taste, to clothes, to fangirling activities. Everything about her is suweeeeeeeeeeg!
Let's talk about the male lead. Joon Hyeong, ok I'll keep it short his character is so boyfriend material, a kind of guy you want to keep in yourself, in your life.
Ex girlfriend: OK she's the "only one cliche" here like a kind of clingy ex you'll hate but her existence didn't much affect me.
Friends: yes a very fun friends to be with
Abujji and samcheon: You'll love the father and daughter relationship, samcheon is very sweet, likeable and so kind plus funny.
Actors and Actress:
Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk both are great and I know it's not related here but I just want them to date for life. lol
Edit: They are officially dating not as characters but as real life couple!!!! Confirmed by Papa YG this month of April 2017. According to dispatch they've been dating since month of January 2017
Everyone else of the cast is so good ofc!
LESSON: Every girl deserves to be treated as a girl, a woman despite of any career she's into like Police, Carpenter, Judo, Boxing, Weightlifters.... Those fields are mostly for men so they're like boys into other people's eyes but ...Hell they shouldn't! They are girls too! Who would love to wear dress, wears clip, wears lipstick and wants to be beautiful especially when they're In front of the guy they like. I think they're the coolest girl ever with a suweeeeeeeeeeg!!
(There's more into lessons, life, meaning into this drama I just give you some points about it. Kekekke)
RECOMMENDATION:
Even though I so love this drama. I would not recommend it for everyone, this is a kind of a kind of drama that targets a certain group of viewers. I'd highly recommend it to the youth like from age bracket of teenagers to 25 years or if not by age depends with your personality like if your happy go lucky one, or if you love reading my review and it keeps your interest, the genre is your style then you'll definitely love it despite of your age. This drama is slow yes. Could be an advantage or disadvantage. You just gotta be patient with it and everything will be worth it and it will perfectly fits into place.
Music:
I always enjoy the sound effects in funny scenes that's the best thing like "WHAAAAAT"!
Rewatch Value: I thought one time viewing is enough or just rewatch a certain scene would be enough but as I watch more episode I become more attached with the story and I was like I need to watch this as a whole over and over again.
Overall: one word, SWAG!
Writing a review feels like I'm saying goodbye to this drama for the second time around that it hurts so much.... *Wiped tears*
Kim Bok Joo and Joon Hyeong is so lovable, I would not mind watching another season with them or another drama from LSK and NJH..~
Warning: if you deeply love the story, the characters, once you complete this drama you'll feel incomplete, a happy one but it will make you sad.
It will always have a special place in my heart.
Ok before I end my review I have a question for you. Ummmm... Do you like Messi? Hahahaha!! Nevermind. Anyways hope my review helps!!!
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I don't know what to say! But i am gonna miss this drama! So much!! When i watched this, i feel happy, it seems that life is full of hope and dreams, i feel that the world is such a happy place. I cannot stop smiling and feeling so much love from this drama.
Kim Bok Joo and Joon Hyung is the first couple that i ship so much and i mean it. Their r/s is the strongest one. They don't have bullshit going on and can resolve their problems together. They are the cutest, sweetest couple i have ever seen. Period.
Weightlifting kim bok joo, not only that it has different plot than other k-dramas, but all the characters here are well written and well liked. They have growth in this dramas, i don't hate anyone here and i don't feel annoyed at all watching this coz i understand each different characters in this drama well.
The story is simple yet very engaging, it revolves around their teachers, their friends, their family's problems, their dreams, their passion, their studies, their struggles, believe me, you won't be bored watching this. It is a proof that a well written drama does not need an A-List and super famous actors to make people love it. A well written drama will outshine in the long run when people start to realize and watch it from ep 1.
Yang Hee-Seung writer nim, i adore you, i will definitely watch your next drama.
Highly recommended.
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I gotta say it took me a while to get invested in it and care about the characters, the band members. I enjoyed it on an episodic basis. Something light and funny, to watch after a long hard day without much to think about. However, as I started to see more of the main and recurring characters, I did grew fond of them. And by episode 7-8 I realized there was a solid storyline being built up, and everything becomes clear by episode 10.
The plot is about Tatsuya a rookie detective who gets wrapped up into becoming an idol in a boy band, in order to infiltrate the entertainment industry, and catch a powerful figure there. The band members are all colourful individuals, we've got the creepy, the loser, the dumb one, the cool one, and the hopeless romantic. Honestly the one I had the hardest time with is the creepy stalker, but his character grew best of all, along Tatsuya. It was great seeing each member get influence or swayed by the show-biz and how they learn to deal with it.
First and foremost, this drama is a parody of talk-shows and idol programs, and how ridiculous they can be. It's also about the people in the show-biz industry and how far they're willing to go for popularity. The music used in the show perfectly matched the world they're portraying.
I think what I enjoyed the most is the acting. It's over the top fitting perfectly with the premise. Nakamura Aoi was hilarious and perfect for the role. He says every single cheesy line there, and was the most fun to have on screen. Matching Tatsuya's cheesiness is Aoyama Misato's craziness for the sake of popularity. Morinaga Yuki was also noteworthy as desperate Teru. Kataoka Tsurutaro as the ex-drama star and current public figure was great at mirroring both sides of his contradicting characters. The rest of the cast were on point with their characters. I think it tool a while for the chemistry to get built up between the cast, but once it's there, everything in the show started to feel much more endearing.
One weakness here is that the show takes a long while to get us hooked up. I guess if things had happened a bit faster with the overarching plot, it would engage viewers faster. Another that could be considered a weakness, depending on preferences, but they did go a bit too seriously in the last 2-3 episodes. Episode 10 was especially serious with a whole different tone. It would've been nicer to keep the tone light.
In the end if you're a person who enjoys parody shows, talk shows and game shows, you might find this interesting, and even fun.
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This is how good “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” is.
In short, for those of you who are impatient, is a very sweet, yet very real drama, about friendship, family, love and coming of age.
But there’s so much grace in how it’s done, that it deserves a more detailed explanation.
The plot is very (very) simple, yet very well written. The story follows Bok Joo; a young girl in the campus of a sports university (?), that happens to practice weightlifting. That’s nearly all you will get to know about weightlifting (it could have been golf and there would’ve been no difference, so worry not about the topic. I’m mentioning this because I know the “weightlifting theme” could been a throwback to some).
Bok Joo has a group a friends; a romantic crush; a family; a passion (weightlifting of course), all the things and problems that any standard teenager experiences. The hole plot revolves around her and (again) the normal things that could happen to a normal teenager. The difference to other dramas, is that everything FEELS real. And that’s rare.
How many times did we found ourselves hating the protagonist or wanting to smash the TV because we couldn’t understand the decisions they made? Of course, deep down we now the writer makes them do that in order to fulfill the number of episodes that they need. But nothing like that happens here. The characters (and their dialogues) are delightfully written; each one consistent with each personality (which are very rich and most important, real life people), and they are incredible lovable. The writer skillfully makes you fall in love with each one of them (including the ones you initially “hate”) because you get understand them all.
Also, the character development is done very progressively (although that doesn’t mean that the show is “slow”); I’ll assure you, you will enjoy every second of Bok Joo & friends, as they discover who they are, and who they want to be in the world.
The acting not only is superb (everybody does their job so well and they’re SO believable); but the chemistry between Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
I was really surprised by Lee Sung Kyung! At first I was really skeptic but despite her character being adorably written, she also does a fantastic job in making you believe her. Her expressions and her body language is fantastic.
The music is very good also, and it respects the tone of the series, really sweet, but it's something that I rarely pay attention to, so there's not much I have to say about it.
Finally I wish to remark that despite all the good things I said, that alone it's not enough to be one of the best dramas I've ever seen (and the only one that has a 10 on my scores), it is because adding to all that there's the way it makes you feel. This drama is sweet, so sweet that every episode you'll watch it will feel as a warm ray of sunshine (and not cheese at all, that's only my poor metaphor choice). You'll find yourself smiling at the TV at all times. And that doesn't mean there aren't any sad moments, because there are, but it's not kdrama tragedy, it's real life problems/sadness. And the show has a very optimistic way to portrait it; instead of having you crying about how unfair life is, you'll be rooting for the characters as they (not without effort) overcome their problems and grow up in the process.
This drama accomplishes the (almost) impossible: It's sweet, joyful and innocent, (without feeling cheesy) and at the same time it's mature and realistic.
So, I'll definitely recommend this to anyone, despite what your preferences are, I'm sure you'll enjoy it and it will bring you joy.
Kim Bok Joo is SWAG! :)
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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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