4
Cringey one joke wonder
I was excited about this show because it is the same director who helmed Gaus Electronics. Gaus is zany and quirky but has hearts. One of my fav, yes please!
Spoilers! While it starts with a hint of that quirkiness, it ended up being cringey, claustrophobic and forgettable.
Ok, let's start with the good points. It is good to see the "love yourself" message in a k-drama where beauty can be skin deep. The show tries to highlight some societal issues as well. The romance of the leads is cute but more on that later. There are some comedic moments that land but . . .
And it is a big BUT because this show has issues. While setting the whole series in a rundown gym has a lot of potential, what we got is less than the sum of its parts.
On the one hand we have the worthy health and body image stories, but the delivery is inconsistent and confusing. While the show offers different perspectives, it is a zero-sum game for most involved. For instance, the regular members treat the gym like a social club. They make a mockery of any healthy living messages.
Taking a step back, the A-plot centres around the ML being a famous bodybuilder who operates a rundown basement gym. The FL wants to lost weight to make herself attractive again hence the meet cute. It is tropey but it has potentials.
Fundamentally, the ML's persona is purely based on his past achievements and that he was a preterm baby. He alternates between roleplaying He-man and a dorky gym junkie with a cheesy grin. He is earnest and honest, but he has zero EQ and he can't hold a conversation without referencing his muscles/training. It is kind of cute in the beginning but by the halfway mark, it was wearing thin . . very thin.
He does "grow" as the drama progresses, but it is contrived. Like when he realises mums of young children need more help than just having a personal trainer. We see his lightbulb moment, and he tried to help but it is largely forgotten by the next ep. That is a recurring problem. Most subplots are very transient.
While most subplots have the memory of a goldfish, the central romantic storyline is draggy. The FL fell in love with the ML fairly quickly but the ML was totally ignorant of all the signals from the FL. Honestly, if the FL doesn't have Stockholm Syndrome, she would have run away in despair. They didn't get any clarity until EP.11 and the show has to rush to dial up the fan service.
Oddly enough, the 2CP is firing from EP.1. They alternate between sex crazed and pining for each other after nonsensical breakups. I don't know their backstory and they are just there to chew up screen time. It is telling that the more I watch their antics, the less I cared.
That is a fundamental problem with this series. While it is an ensemble drama, most support roles are one dimensional.
The end of this review is nigh and it is usually where I would comment on the HEA ending but I am numb after watching it. I guess the rooftop, fully exposed, outdoor gym is their last attempt at humour. Enough said.
In the end, our talented actors are wasted in this production. It is watchable in a mindless way. It is such a departure from the cleverness of Gaus Electronics, I am beyond disappointed.
Rather than using the gym as a source of engaging human dramas, we ended up worrying about plumbing and broken equipment. Peace.
Spoilers! While it starts with a hint of that quirkiness, it ended up being cringey, claustrophobic and forgettable.
Ok, let's start with the good points. It is good to see the "love yourself" message in a k-drama where beauty can be skin deep. The show tries to highlight some societal issues as well. The romance of the leads is cute but more on that later. There are some comedic moments that land but . . .
And it is a big BUT because this show has issues. While setting the whole series in a rundown gym has a lot of potential, what we got is less than the sum of its parts.
On the one hand we have the worthy health and body image stories, but the delivery is inconsistent and confusing. While the show offers different perspectives, it is a zero-sum game for most involved. For instance, the regular members treat the gym like a social club. They make a mockery of any healthy living messages.
Taking a step back, the A-plot centres around the ML being a famous bodybuilder who operates a rundown basement gym. The FL wants to lost weight to make herself attractive again hence the meet cute. It is tropey but it has potentials.
Fundamentally, the ML's persona is purely based on his past achievements and that he was a preterm baby. He alternates between roleplaying He-man and a dorky gym junkie with a cheesy grin. He is earnest and honest, but he has zero EQ and he can't hold a conversation without referencing his muscles/training. It is kind of cute in the beginning but by the halfway mark, it was wearing thin . . very thin.
He does "grow" as the drama progresses, but it is contrived. Like when he realises mums of young children need more help than just having a personal trainer. We see his lightbulb moment, and he tried to help but it is largely forgotten by the next ep. That is a recurring problem. Most subplots are very transient.
While most subplots have the memory of a goldfish, the central romantic storyline is draggy. The FL fell in love with the ML fairly quickly but the ML was totally ignorant of all the signals from the FL. Honestly, if the FL doesn't have Stockholm Syndrome, she would have run away in despair. They didn't get any clarity until EP.11 and the show has to rush to dial up the fan service.
Oddly enough, the 2CP is firing from EP.1. They alternate between sex crazed and pining for each other after nonsensical breakups. I don't know their backstory and they are just there to chew up screen time. It is telling that the more I watch their antics, the less I cared.
That is a fundamental problem with this series. While it is an ensemble drama, most support roles are one dimensional.
The end of this review is nigh and it is usually where I would comment on the HEA ending but I am numb after watching it. I guess the rooftop, fully exposed, outdoor gym is their last attempt at humour. Enough said.
In the end, our talented actors are wasted in this production. It is watchable in a mindless way. It is such a departure from the cleverness of Gaus Electronics, I am beyond disappointed.
Rather than using the gym as a source of engaging human dramas, we ended up worrying about plumbing and broken equipment. Peace.
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