Forgive me, it's been a while since I finished it, but it left such a strong impression that I think I can review it fairly.
First, I loooooved the two leads. Lee Sung Kyung as Kim Bok Joo is perfect! She's charming, easy to relate to, and root for, and seemed so authentic. She's matched with Nam Joo Hyuk who is nothing like I expected him to be. Instead of being the normal arrogant athlete, he is just extremely playful, and was super easy to sympathize with. It was awesome to watch their story together unfold as they become good friends, then much more.
There are lots of great supporting characters too. At the top of that list is Kim Bok Joo's crew of BFFs. They were hilarious, and fun, even at their silliest. I also love a crew that is so not cool that they are extremely cool... SWAG! Joon Hyeong's bestie was pretty funny too, and I liked that the bffs had a cute storyline of their own.
Of course the supporting character MVP in my book is the king of second leads Lee Jae Yoon! He is so good at being crush worthy, and making a viewer really reconsider what's so great about the male lead anyway. He never disappoints, and he's no different here. He also always manages to play an interesting character, and never just rests on being eye candy... delicious eye candy! *swoon*
I can go on and on about the supporting cast being great... her dad, her uncle, his parents, the coaches, the woman with the futile crush... but the only character which just didn't work for me was Kyung Soo Jin as the ex with issues. Not only did she seem out of place playing a student (looking much older than the others), her character was also uselessly emo, and clingy, which made her uninteresting. It seemed like she was only there to cause conflict and then she faded into the background. I honestly don't think her character was even necessary.
I spent a lot of time talking about characters and not the plot because there isn't much to the overall plot. This is one of those dramas where you like the characters so you are satisfied just watching what goes on in their lives without needing a strong plot. That also makes the rewatch value high for me, because I was watching for the performances, not really to see what would happen next. Joon Hyeong does have a pretty emotional story, but there is still no major plot that drives each episode, just the awesomeness of the world of Kim Bok Joo and friends.
Music... Hmm... I can't remember the soundtrack at all.
I really recommend this one for viewers who like strong (literally) and interesting female leads. It's a great coming of age story, with a romance that is solid, and kinda innocent, but not too juvenile to take seriously. If you're not a huge fan of school dramas, like me, this may be the one that changes your mind. I will file this under super cute dramas that exceeded my expectations. I'm glad I gave it a chance! Swwwwaaaaag!!!
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STORY:
When I first read the title, I was a bit hesitant about watching this drama because I didn't think a sports-themed drama could be cute. THANK GOD I gave it a shot because it was the best decision I have ever made. The plot is very original and steered clear of your usual cliches. LSK's character, Bok Joo was just so real and relatable. Not to mention I loved the character development between the two leads. This drama was like a breath of fresh air amongst all the other angsty dramas that make you extremely frustrated at the plot and the characters. Although there are conflicts in this drama, the characters resolve and learn from them. This is the only drama I have watched where it actually feels real, like you can feel the support that everyone gives Bok Joo when she's upset.
ACTING/CAST:
Hands down the best chemistry I have ever seen between two leads, and no wonder because LSK and NJH were revealed to be actually dating!! You can tell it's not fake, it's as if LSK and NJH were actually flirting with each other on camera. Even the characters I hated at first (like Shi Ho) I grew to like because the character development is really good! Bok Joo's team and her friends are so funny and supportive.
MUSIC:
OST is super cute! I found myself listening to it on spotify after I finished the drama.
REWATCH VALUE:
I've rewatched this 3 times and it never gets old! It's one of those dramas where you can just choose one random episode and just watch it while you're eating or doing something else.
OVERALL:
10/10 even 11/10 because it's so good! Give it a chance! You will love it :)
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To me, it's a perfect mix between a super sweet romance with great chemistry , a bunch of very good actors playing amazingly funny characters , and an original aspect brought by weightlifting, a not-so-commun sport.
The story is really well managed , i thought that the timing of the different events worked out really good.
The plot was kind of classic , but the weightlifting part added some spice and lots of funny situations in it.
The romance part was so sweet ( like melted caramel *^*), i really didn't want this drama to end. The acting was really good, and had its content of well done dramatic moments even though the comic part was way more present.
Appealing characters, funny story overloaded with sweetness!
If there is any negative aspects in this drama , they're easily overtaken by the good ones, so i totally recommend it !!!
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Too.... boring
Nothing happens in this drama. I think people hyped this up too much for nothing enticing to happen. Didn't care for the romance, found it quite boring considering it's the only major plot point the writers focused on.They were also at university but never seemed to have homework or anything like that. I mean the heroine was a weightlifter but even that was kinda wishy washy. It was mentioned when convenient.
The whole love triangle business was quite weird and I found myself cringing. The girl meets the hero's brother for like 5 seconds and decieds that she wants him because he held an umbrella out for her. Fast foward finds out he's a weight loss doctor and as a weightlifter and college students, she decieds it would be a good idea to use her money to go loose weight in order to get closer to him... she's a weightlifter.... and not only that it was so anticlimatic seeing as she could barely speak two words to him.
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WFKBJ doesn't have a spectacular, thrilling plot. Instead, I felt like I was on the sidelines, watching Bok Joo's real life story, following along the her journey. Watching the characters mature and go through relatable hardships really hit me because it's just too identifiable to my own life! If the sporty theme turns you off (and it did to me initially), it's not the focus of the drama in the sense that the sports are a part of their life in college but it could've been anything else: film, arts, leaderships, etc, and the drama would've still been good because ultimately the drama is about the growth of these young people in college (and sports just happened to be their specific focus/love/hobby in college)
I laughed and cried along with the Bok Joo, with Joon Hyeong, with everyone honestly. I've always liked Sung Kyung after watching her in Doctors and It's Okay, That's Love. I think she's a very versatile actress and seeing her portrayal of Bok Joo just blew me away, from her mannerisms to the warmth she brought to Bok Joo. The romance is low key and well developed because it's built up from friendship and support to finally a relationship, and when the romance finally happened, it was just the cutest thing ever and really made me yearn to have a romance like Bok Joo's and Joon Hyeong's.
I loved how Bok Joo never sacrificed her friends for her boyfriend because besties over boyfriends always. The three musketeers are the cutest and they always have each others' backs.
With all that said, I do think the drama started out a tad slow and I didn't really become invested until around a quarter in. However, WFKBJ is one of the rarer dramas that end extremely well versus starting well but slowly going down the drain near the end. I love the ending of this drama; it just makes me feel complete and left me with a smile at what's to come in Bok Joo's future, and also made me look forward to my future in college as well! I definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a fulfilling and relatable youth drama. After all, as Bok Joo would say, WFKBJ is SWAG!
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Summary: It had the perfect amount of sweet innocence of a first romance and inspiration to keep you coming back for more. The thing I loved about this drama was how relatable and applicable it is to the female audience, even though I'm sure not even 1% of the watchers were weightlifters.
[Side Note: I'm so sad this show had so much competition with other more popular dramas that garnered all the attention--Goblin and The Legend of the Blue Sea. I wish I had watched this sooner!]
+/- Plot:
The first few episodes of this drama are similar to most school dramas (the pervert, the mean girls, etc.), but don't let those be the deciding factors of continuing. This "school drama" is nothing like any other drama I've seen before. There was not a moment when I thought the writers were dragging the storyline or questioning the direction of the show. I don't think there's a thing I would change about it, and I can't tell you how many times I actually laughed out loud. My goodness, I can't express in words how cute the duo were as their friendship blossomed...?!
The themes throughout this drama were so relatable and were what made this drama so wonderful. The writers highlighted Bok Joo's struggle to find her identity as a woman and an individual, gaining self-esteem and confidence, and the importance of family and friends. I loved that even though Kim Bok Joo was a little eccentric, the writers still made her completely relatable to all maturing girls.
My favorite part of watching this show was seeing how the characters grew and developed. There really was something to learn from every character as they each dealt with their own struggles.
+/- Acting/Cast:
?????. Literally everyone in this show was so lovable, even if you were determined to dislike a character there was still someway you sympathized with them and some aspect that you fell in love with. And since I loved every single person I will only mention the main characters.
Lee Sung Kyung: She may be one of the most underrated up-and-coming actresses; in all of the roles I've seen her in (Cheese in the Trap and Doctors), I thought she did an excellent job. She portrayed Bok Joo's warm character impeccably. In all the ups and downs, the silly, cute, and loving moments, etc. there was not a moment that I questioned her character and acting abilities. From what I heard in an interview, she suffered from mild depression due to the weight gain for the role. However, I think she took those emotions and welded them into the character perfectly and am thoroughly impressed by all of her hard work.
Nam Joo Hyuk: I could literally fan girl about Joon Hyung, but I'll keep it to the bare minimum (those abs!!!!). Moving on to his actual acting, I was swept off of my feet. And, while I admit I'm an easy target for almost all main male characters, I couldn't believe how sweet and thoughtful Joon Hyung was. Joo Hyuk added the perfect amount of smirk to his jesting and teasing to make your heart flutter and fall for his charms. He played the character with confidence and I was really touched towards the end of the show. That's when I feel like his acting abilities were at its peak, he portrayed the struggles convincingly and that's what I loved.
And a special shout out to Bok Joo's two besties! Together, the trio were so cool and totally #squadgoals. SWAG!
+/- Music:
This soundtrack is perfect for this drama, every song is just as sweet and happy as this drama. It's like listening to a spring day--warm and reminiscent.
While this isn't part of the music, I have to make a shout out to all of the wonderful sound effects, my favorite was the "WHAAAATTTT???" every time there was something surprising.
Rewatch Value: This drama was such a feel good drama and I'm so sad to see it end. It's one of those that you can't seem to let go of. You know one of those you get slightly depressed that there will never be another drama that can fill the empty place in your heart? I will definitely be back to watch this show again.
[Side Note: I absolutely loved all of the references to other dramas and the character's they played. I thought it was a super cute touch added.]
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Cute Yet Forgettable
After hearing so much praise for this rom-com, I saved it for a rainy day when I needed a good pick me up. While I liked certain aspects of it, the show failed to really capture my heart.❤ The romance between weightlifter Kim Bok Joo and swimmer Jung Joo Hyeong was really sweet. It's not my favorite friends-to-lovers romance (that award still goes to Fight For My Way), but it does capture a certain charm and innocence of the falling in love experience.
❤ While I liked Bok Joo and Joo Hyeong's friends when they were together as a unit, I never felt that we got enough of their backstory to make them truly memorable as individuals. The actors in those roles were great so it's disappointing feeling like they were as much in the background as the scenery sometimes. The few secondary characters actually fleshed out in the show, such as Song Shi Ho and Jong Jae Yi, failed to deliver riveting performances.
❤ The athletic setting and storyline were interesting. Rarely do I watch sports shows (even if it does have a well-developed romance). This show did a great job of explaining the nuances of the training occurring and the effects it had on the athletes without overexplaining it.
Watch if you like: 💖 Friends-to-lovers romance | 🎓 College students | 🏋️ Athletes
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I didn't like much when i watched it first time
I gave it 6 as a rate and my review was really bad about it
After all these years i don't know why i want to watch again although i didn't like much and also i can't remember it's events
But surprisingly it was amazing
Light , joyful, funny , amazing chemistry between the main leads and the romance was very cute and made me happy
What was nice that it was a real story (biography of Olympic weightlifter)
I enjoyed every minute
Although i didn't like that the writer didn't give any space for the other side stories
But the main story was really cute full of support , understanding and love
Highly recommended ❤️
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But hear me out!
Coming out of this show, I can really appreciate the satisfying and heartwarming ending that our cast has given us. Looking back on all the growth these characters had is fantastic (more on it in the story evaluation) and left me feeling complete. But that isn't to say I was on board the entire time. The show definitely hit a few road bumps that hurt my final opinion and put me in somewhat of a daze while watching.
Story 〆(・∀・＠): I'm just going to get this out of the way... I get bored of slice of life shows pretty quickly. That's probably one reason why I didn't fall for this show as hard as others have. So if you're a massive slice of life fan, then my rating shouldn't bug you as much, since it's because of that genre that I had some problems. The plot was straightforward in a good way. All the conflicts had a reason and were resolved reasonably without being dragged on for 5 - 10 episodes. All the characters were special in their own right. Nobody was just a cookie-cutter stereotype that the writers added to increase the number of people. Each character had their own issues and their own way of doing things, which made them so much more believable. That was one thing this show did really well: make the situations and people involved actually feel real. There wasn't a perfect character, but even the "antagonistic" characters weren't necessarily evil. In fact, my favorite character coming out of the show started as my least favorite one. So that just goes to show how smoothly and satisfying the writers wrote out their development. What hit me the wrong way was the subplots. You either love them or hate them. Due to each character being written independently and rounded out well, they also had their own issues that didn't revolve around the main characters. This made them feel like real people but at the same time bored me quite a bit. I really did struggle to watch a large handful of scenes just because I wasn't invested in them. And sometimes I'd lose interest so fast that I would miss the cute romance moments that I've been waiting for. Yes, the problems were real and not too over the top, but they seemed similar to each other, all while not sticking with me. This was one of my main issues, and has been with other slice of life shows I've seen: the problems just don't captivate me or pull me to watch more. I ended up going on my phone at some parts just to keep myself occupied—something I really hate to happen during a show.
Acting ｡゜(｀Д')゜｡: The acting was done so well by everyone, not just our two leads Lee Sung-Kyung and Nam Joon-Hyuk. Before going into Weightlifting Fairy, I haven't watched anything with Sung-Kyung, but I have watched something with Joon-Hyuk. My first impressions in the past of him were extremely different from how I see him now. He was remarkable in playing a happy-go-lucky swimmer while also staying true to his struggling self. The moments where he was joking around made you feel so light and cheery, but in the moments where he switched gears to show Joon-Hyung's pain just hit me like a ton of bricks. He definitely made me see him in a different light, and when being accompanied by Sung-Kyung, the duo just felt right and worked together in every way. It wasn't only the two leads that made me feel good. As mentioned earlier, every character was rounded out so well. I enjoyed the banter of Bok-Joo's two friends as well as the relationship between her father and his brother. But my favorite character by far was Shi-Ho. She started to be nothing but a needy ex-girlfriend to me, although, in the end, I was able to connect with her the most. She was the one who went through the most hardships, suffered the most mentally, and was still able to walk out of it all with a smile. Kyung Soo-Jin did amazing and made my heart root for her! So much so that I just wished to see her more in the final, but at least I knew she ended satisfyingly.
Music ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪: Whoop whoop here comes my least favorite subject. I'll keep it extremely nice and simple. The soundtrack was definitely not the strong point of the show. Am I saying it was bad? No, not at all. It just never stood out to me in the slightest. Not even one line in any of the music stuck out to me (I don't even remember if the songs had words...) Sad songs came on at sad moments and happy ones at happy moments, but that's it. But it's a show about sports majors..... not music majors. XD
Just don't expect anything special.
Other (ง°ل͜°)ง: I am not an athlete in the slightest. I struggle to keep a ball in the air during a simple game of catch. But this show somehow managed to get me interested in individual sports. Or more specifically, it got me interested in what athletes have to go through / experience while pursuing their respective paths. It was incredibly eye-opening for me to see what goes on behind the scenes, especially in sports like rhythmic gymnastics. I was also interested to see weightlifting in a new light since I really aware of it before starting Weightlifting Fairy out. Even if you don't like sports or you're just naturally not connected with it, seeing how things are done through the eyes of a pro athlete makes you more understanding and curious about it. It's just something this show did really well, and I felt it needed recognition for it.
Although this show had so much good in it, I really can't give it all the praise as some others just because of the amount of times I got bored. It really had some interesting characters and issues but at the same time had a lot of problems I could care less for. The acting, concepts, and romance were all really amazing, I just wished that some smaller subplots had more impact and didn't put me to sleep in such a way.
But hey, everyone's different. What might be a dull slice of life to me could be something special for you.
I'd really recommend it for people who like the genre but if you're more of an action junkie like me, then this might not be your cup of tea (haha that rhymes).
Anyway....
Happy Watching <3
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no plot, annoying characters
weightlifting fairy kim bok joo was one of those iconic kdramas that i wanted to watch so badly but never had the time for. when i got around to watching it, i was pretty disappointed. needless to say, i was surprised to see a nearly 9 star rating on this.there is no plot and thinking back on it, i can't remember any major events in the story. all it is, is a love story between bokjoo and joonhyeong. right, and i found bokjoo extremely obnoxious at times. it seems like sung kyung tried too hard to portray the ugly duckling character and i could not stand that at all. that and the lack of plot was just so annoying and i didn't want to waste my time on something like this.
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Fluff at it's Finest
This is the first review I've written, and it seems a bit silly to be writing it for a drama that's been out for seven years as of now, but after just finishing Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, I felt like I had to write one to share just how much I loved this drama, from start to finish.First and foremost, if you're looking for a sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, high-suspense thriller, this is not the drama for you. There is no major villain plotting to destroy the lives of the main characters; there is no life-or-death threat looming over our heroes. Instead, this is a slice of life drama. Everything and everyone the viewers are introduced to in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is real. Chances are you know people just like them in your own life.
The characters are not caricatures and the plot is not unrealistic. They are not motivated by unrealistic things, and the results of their efforts are not unrealistic either. There are no chabeols popping up out of the woodwork throwing money at everything and everyone, no bouts of amnesia, and no forbidden love affairs. It's just young people trying to navigate and figure out adulthood. It's first loves, unrequited crushes, broken hearts, self-doubt, self-esteem issues, and lots of second-guessing. It's trying to figure out if what you're good at is something you love, or if you love something that's just not good for you.
For me, there was no bad episode. Usually, by the time a drama is done, I can name half a dozen plots that were unnecessary and made it drag, but that wasn't the case with this one. Every episode felt poignant and relevant to the story being told. I never felt like the story or plot was dragging. Honestly, I'd have loved even more episodes. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters by the time the drama came to a close, which is truly the mark of a good drama for me.
I can admit to being a bit of a crier when it comes to K-dramas, but this one got me in places even I was surprised by. Some of the most deeply emotional scenes for me are found in the titular Kim Bok Joo's experience with unrequited love and being a woman that the world doesn't see or treat as a woman. It was touching and relatable and again, so very real, that I almost felt like some of my own pain was healed through her journey. There's no bigger compliment I can give to the series and the acting than that. Maybe this series wouldn't resonate for anyone who was devoid of an awkward phase or who never had an unrealistic crush on an unattainable person, but for anyone who has, this will hit all the right spots.
Knowing anything about weightlifting is entirely unnecessary. I went in completely ignorant and was never left feeling like I didn't understand what was going on with the weightlifters or what they were doing. Everything is either explained or more or less just there. You don't need to really -know- anything at all about the sport in order to follow the plot.
The acting is perfection. Every actor and actress delivers on what the script gives them. There's not a lot of inconsistency in the performances. Everyone is believable in their roles. Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk as Kim Bok Joo and Jung Joon Hyung respectively are especially consistent and committed to their roles to the point I plan on seeking out additional dramas with them in it. The supporting cast is just as solid.
I am used to a pretty solid score/OST in my dramas, and that was something Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo actually lacked. For me, the score should be a character in the drama as well, but you don't really get that here. There's not a lot of music, and what is there really doesn't feature so much as just occasionally play in the background. It's not distracting though and what is there fits the narrative. I will be getting the soundtrack, but I would've liked the music to be a bit more prevalent.
The rewatch factor for this series is limitless for me. I am going to rewatch this one regularly, I just know it. It's just so feel good and comforting, that it will now be my go-to for something that's going to brighten my mood and take me away from life's worries for a little while. I've only just finished it, but I'm already thinking I'll give it a rewatch in the very near future, it was that good for me.
If you're looking for something to make you smile while you cuddle under a blanket and eat some popcorn, this is the drama for you. I cannot recommend it enough.
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