This review may contain spoilers
It was going great, until episode 7!
The first 6 episodes are fantastic, but it becomes really toxic on episode 7. In episode 7, the female lead, father is verbally and physically abusive. No matter how angry we are with someone, physical abuse is not the solution unless we are defending ourselves from an attacker. Additionally, the female coach, punish the female lead (who btw, is a college sophomore) with a broom stick because she arrived late to exercise. Instead of disciplining a grown woman with abuse, why not just suspend her from the team? I dislike the fact that episode 7 normalize physical abuse.I really really really enjoyed the first 6 episodes of this drama, up until episode 7, which is toxic (it sends the message that physical abuse is discipline and thus, it's okay). I will update my review once I finish watching the rest of the episode.
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I absolutely love Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk in this drama! They've breathed life into their characters and made them their own, so much so that I can't imagine anyone else ever doing these 2 roles more justice than them.
Looking forward to the coming episodes! Hope the drama keeps on riding this momentum!
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This review may contain spoilers
It’s overhyped
I immediately started watching after seeing all the big hype about it and I was so excited but became quickly disappointed after properly seeing the reviews on this website and I’m happy I did because I decided to them read all the summaries and watch a few more episodes and I was quite annoyed and I don’t understand why people r so impressed by this drama when really it wasn’t greatActing:
I love both actors and I’ll admit it wil be hard seeing them with others I loved their chemistry and they did well in portraying the script well
Plot:
Started off really well I liked it and found it really funny and was looking forward to seeing their romance unwind after finding out they went to school together but was quickly disappointed when she began to hv a crush on Jae Yi. Now I love the guy he is such a gentleman truly an amazing character but I just didn’t like the idea that this crush lasted for so many episodes and that he is the ml brother I find that so weird that u go between brothers I just don’t understand that idea. I generally thought it would be like other dramas where she would shortly find out he has a gf and then give up on him but this lasted for ages and really annoyed me as it took away from the potential of an extremely nice friendship the ml and fl could hv made in the mean time. There’s nothing wrong with her liking someone else but I find it took ages for her to get over him and the fact Jae Yi is the ml brother made it kinda annoying. Kim Bok Joo is amazing in her own way she’s a strong woman who fights for her dream I don’t like how she hid that from Jae Yi to make her seem like a more feminine person that took away my respect for her in a way as she before kept saying she has no interest in guys but the sec she meets Jae Yi she tails after him and acts completely different there was too much juxtaposition in her character which was not helping with the plot as well as the offer for her to go higher in weightlifting kept seeming further and less important due to Jae Yi and she wanting to impress him.
I hate how it’s like she didn’t care about her career at that point just wanted to impress him I don’t like this kind of plot at all it makes a woman seem like she will do anything for a man which this was directly hinting in the storyline.
The ml was a very intriguing character from the beginning clearly talented slightly cocky but knew that he must respect others. The storyline of him losing his mother was also very interesting and I liked that quite a bit he also made sure to set boundaries immediately when his ex showed up he refused to make others uncomfortable because of her and avoided her as he did not care much of her after the break up which I found admirable as majority of the dramas have it where the ex is like welcomed back and it’s as if nothing happened but here he clearly set a boundary and was vocal about anything he disliked so she would stop. Only thing I didn’t like about him ig is that he teased the fl a bit too much which isn’t really a big issue ig so it’s not a big deal.
Second lead characters were all awesome I liked them all very much.
Overall the plot was the issue had the scriptwriters made a more sensical approach this drama would be much more entertaining.
So here is what I would change. Firstly keep the story around the development of both main leads as friends to lovers and also their career. A side story could easily be the unravelling of the mystery about Joon Hyungs mother as well as Kim Bok Joos father as he was in hospital quite a bit and that would hv been enough for plot.
Had their needed to be a rival thing the appearance of the ex gf is fine as Joon Hyung clearly set boundaries and disliked her.
If a crush at the beginning was extremely necessary they should hv maybe chosen someone that isn’t Joon Hyungs older brother I’m not Korean so maybe this isn’t odd for Koreans but I think generally no one would fall in love with one guy and then after that’s over his younger brother that’s just odd to me and causes potential issues within the brothers.
Romance scenes r cute af so their rewatch value is good but the whole thing I wouldn’t rewatch again
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Story; The 'Slice of Life' style of drama was a good choice for the characters that they made. It was an lighthearted and funny show that made me fall in love within a few minutes. It wasn't about true love or people who were destined for each other, it was about friendship and a cute and innocent kind of love and that is what distinguished it from other dramas.
Acting/Cast; Brilliant, simply brilliant. The actors and actresses were made for these roles and I don't think that I wish that they would have done anything differently. Even though the characters could be like stereotypical K-drama characters in some aspects, I felt that they were different and very loveable. The quirks of Bok Joo and her friends made my cheeks hurt from smiling, I usually don't think that K-Dramas are all that funny but this one really fitted my sense of humor.
The relationship between the main character felt so real and I loved that they didn't rush the characters into falling in love with each other right away.
Music; I don't really remember the OST of the series but I don't feel that it was something that I missed either, so it probably was fine.
Rewatch Value; I think that most people who watched it will rewatch it at some point, I have and probably will again. I miss the characters all too much for not seeing them again.
Overall; Loved it a lot as you can tell.
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MY COMFORT K-DRAMA! SWAGGG!!
I'm not a person who rewatches kdramas no matter how I loved a series, but THIS? I've rewatched a kdrama for the FIRST TIME and I didn't skip a single second in rewatching it! I find it hard to find good kdramas to watch nowadays so I thought why not rewatch some of my favorite ones? And I did! I really loved their OST ever since I was young when I first watched it until now. I remember my favorite moments of the main characters and it still hit me as it did watching it again. I really love their trope, such a healthy relationship of a couple. The ML had outright communicated with the FL immediately when he couldn't understand on why she was angry at him, which is something I don't see often in kdramas that a couple does. I really loved that, no wonder why in my future relationships I'd really want to have that kind of comfort and communication with my future partner! Both actors were dating that time no wonder why the acting felt more natural and it was definitely NAM JOO HYUK's prime era kdrama. This wasn't like other kdrama's I've watched, the story isn't common. I really loved how chaotic and funny they were together even before they got together. I'd love to have a relationship like them one day, I just love how CHALANT Nam Joo Hyuk is towards Lee Sung Kyung in that kdrama. I can rewatch it a million times and would never get bored as long as I see my comfort kdrama couple on screen! The sports academy really shows the life of an athlete like a swimmer, gymnast, and a weightlifter. I was so glad that Si-ho weren't those typical ex girlfriend's who wanted to get back with the ML even though they're already with the FL. I like her. I didn't like what she did to Bok-joo, but she definitely had some kind of character development at the end. Maybe on my sad days I'd rewatch this for some sweet rom-com moments and if I'd really need a good laugh! This will always have a special place in my heart. 🫶🏻Was this review helpful to you?
An absolutely magnificent and exceptional drama ❤️
An absolutely magnificent and exceptional drama. A real gem!!! Very few Korean or Asian series manage, even today, to have such a positive impact on viewers' morale.I have never seen a male and female acting couple on screen like Nam Joo-hyuk (Jung Joon-hyung) and Lee Sung-kyung (Bok-joo) have such a breathtaking and unified aura, so much so that I was convinced these two were really a couple in real life. Between humor, sports passion, family, friendship, but also going through emotions, humor, sorrows and joys, lack of self-confidence and the search for identity, all the narrative aspects of an excellent superior quality drama are brought together and the visual approaches are highlighted in such an intelligent and brilliant way that it is impossible not to fall under the charm of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, particularly the main duo formed by Nam Joo-hyuk and Lee Sung-kyung, which is striking and sensational. Whether dealing with the main characters or the secondary characters, the chemistry of the acting as a whole and the communion that the cast exudes is simply astounding. What strikes me is that the rest of the cast is also fantastic and let's be honest, the secondary actors have brought an even better qualitative added value. The success of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is rightfully enhanced by their imprint. I couldn't stop laughing during each of the 16 episodes, and yet I'm over thirty and I watched it years after its release, but I don't know how and why this drama managed to make me smile as soon as I looked at it. The comical moments, the comedic scenes, or the humorous quality of the narrative arc are still memorized within me. A big favorite for the character of Jung Joon-hyung, aka Nam Joo-hyuk! His performance is magical and breathtaking, and his acting is strikingly realistic; he is impressive, he brings a dose of freshness and youth that is so intense, so seductive. He exudes something indescribable as an actor, especially at the beginning.
Actress Kim Bok-joo, aka Lee Sung-kyung, is of splendid and absolutely divine beauty. She has a style that is so unique, sparkling, and different from usual actresses. But it is especially the fact of having created a female character so different from usual clichés, so atypical of what we have seen in dramas for years. Having had the brilliant idea of creating such a female character centered on altruism with a strong, joyful, comedic personality was a daring gamble and a total success in my opinion. It was a perfect idea. Bravo to creator Yang Hee-seung because this is what, among other factors listed above, made this drama even more dazzling and unforgettable! Considered today as a cult drama, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo thoroughly deserves its rating of 10/10, or even much more ❤️
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funny and well acted
I had a lot of fun watching this show. The story was nice, the script interesting as weightlifting is not sucha a popular sport dyscypline. Background knowledge on sports is sth I am curious about and it Goes for many other like soccer or baseball. the main plus is for the FL and ML very well chemistry and good acting. The comedy scenes were so good and they are the hardest to act well. I am jot suprised that both actors were to be set in new main cast roles in new dramas. Both deserved the investment in their talent to grow in new projects. Wish the can meeting on another show together.Was this review helpful to you?
I actually watched two or three episodes of this drama right after it came out because a friend of mine really liked it. I was enjoying it but because I had to travel that Summer I stopped watching and never finished. Almost two years later I decided to watch it. And that was probably one of the smartest decisions of my life. I'm not hard to please when it comes to dramas because I haven't watched a hundred of them to be THAT critical but I can say, from the bottom of my heart, that Weightlifting Fairy Kim Boy Joo will forever stay at the top as one of my favorites, no matter how many I watch. It's so perfect that it's hard to write a fair review so I'll talk about each aspect individually. From now on there will be spoilers so please don't read the rest!! If you're wondering if you should watch it: YES! yes yes yes yes, please do.
Plot/Story- Even though it's not the most complex of the plots, I think this story is absolutely fascinating just as it is. Its simpleness shines throughout the whole series and the scenes make your heart skip multiple beats. Even though it's a very lighthearted story, there are some more deep and emotional moments, like Joonhyung's relationship with his mother (which made me cry so hard I couldn't fall asleep after that episode). Unlike many other dramas I've watched, none of the relationships feel forced here because they're perfectly constructed. The friendships warmed my heart and I almost died of laughter in every single episode. I also discovered new things about sport teams and teamwork and how everything happens inside the competition world which is pretty cool, in my opinion, especially because swimming is my favorite sport and I would love to join a swimming team. It was never boring and each episode made us want more. I don't know if I've ever given 10 whole stars to a plot before but WFKBJ totally deserves them (and more).
Characters/Cast/Acting- The characters are PHENOMENAL. So so so so good. Even the "villains" were likeable because you could truly feel for them. Everyone grew throughout the show which surprised me because there are only 16 episodes. The cast was perfect, they fit their roles so well that I wonder if it's not their real personality after all. Their chemistry... GOOSEBUMPS. The kissing scenes? Jesus Christ, I literally cried in every kissing scene, I just can't deal. This drama made me fall in love with Joohyuk (like everyone else on this planet) and my goal for 2019 is to watch all of his shows. Watch me follow the whole cast on Instagram and love them for the rest of my life.
Music- I loved loved loved the soundtrack, I think it fit perfectly.
Rewatch Value- I'll rewatch this show at least two times a year until I die. Yep, that is it. Life mission right there. But seriously, I'm 1000% sure I'll never get tired of it. I could watch ten other seasons like this one that it wouldn't get boring. I guess I just love watching sports dramas and animes. Does anyone have any recommendation??
Conclusion- As of January 2019 this is my favorite drama of all time and I think it will stay this way for a long long long time. This was also my first review of the year and I'm really proud of it haha I'm so happy with this drama, I have no words. Well, I do have ONE word.
...
SWAG
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Beautiful Slice of Life
Una historia preciosa de esfuerzo, superacion y sanacion gracias al amor de todo tipo. Me encanto la relacion de los protagonistas, muy realista y con mucha quimica. Tambien me encantaron las sesiones con el terapeuta y la forma de abordar los problemas de salud mental. Lo que menos me gusto fue la forma tan simple y superficial de resolver el conflicto con la madre de el, sin q haya una explicacion logica de x medio, y me parecio un poco forzada la relacion de la amiga y el hermano. Pero la aparicion estelar de Byeon Woo Seok como un Sun-Jae de 2016 lo compenso jajajaWas this review helpful to you?
THIS DRAMA HAS CHANGED MY LIFE
I know a lot of you may think that I'm being dramatic but I'm really telling you the truth. I first watched this drama in 2017 and I ADORED IT. It was everything and made me fall for all the characters, it even made me wish that I had a boyfriend like Joon Hyung. But in 2019, I went through an extremely difficult phase of my life and I found it really hard to be happy. You see, I only wanted to be happy even if it was only temporary. I was sick and tired of everything. I love reading novels by the way and I found myself in a huge slump and couldn't even bring myself to read a single page of my favourite novel. Then I got recommended a funny scene from this show and it made me want to watch the show all over again. And this show made me happy. Ever since then, I've watched this drama so many times. I have the entire drama downloaded on my phone so that I can rewatch it whenever I want It's so lighthearted, funny, adorable and realistic. Ever since then, I started to watch a lot of new kdramas and not all of them match with Kim Bok Joo's charm but I always find myself coming back to this show 💜Was this review helpful to you?
