For someone who is considered a foreigner to Korean culture and lifestyle, I have come to realize that baseball, considered as American’s favorite past time, has now become a big part of their lives. As they say in this drama, who in Korea can avoid baseball?

Despite the many terms and jargon on this drama, it is easily relatable and easy to understand. Yes, there might be a challenge in reading through the translation and at the same time concentrating on the analysis part to go with the whole flow of the story, still, Hot Stove League is a very good drama. Deserving of its 19.1% ratings.

I have come to appreciate our male lead Mr. Baek Seung Soo (Namgoong Kim) when he appeared on an award-winning Korean variety show, I Live Alone Episode 323. He had shown the clips where he needs to go to Hawaii to shoot for this drama. Then he had dinner with our supporting male actor Jo Byung Kyoo, who also has his life story of being alone featured on the same variety show. Byung Kyoo plays Han Jae Hee, assistant of the operations manager, Lee Se Young (Park Eun Bin).

This is somehow a refreshing change of genre for me and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Reading the long conversation has its perks as I watch the whole intriguing plans, all those strategizing and for everything to come in full-circle is just so worth your time. I recommend you shifting genres from time to time. I will always be the fangirl of rom-coms and love stories but I also need to hype up my brain once in a while.

I have to applaud the antagonists in this drama. I wonder how some of the characters could stir up vent-up emotions that you wouldn’t know you have all along. They are good actors in that sense. Witness Oh Jung Se (he played Sang Tae in It’s Okay Not To Be Okay) in a different role here, far from his role in IONTO.

POINTS TO PONDER. There are always two sides to a story. One should always listen to both.