Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2017)

Profile
Drama: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (역도요정 김복주)
Network: MBC
Episodes: 16
Release Date: November 16, 2016 – January 11, 2017
Runtime: Wednesdays & Thursdays 22:00

Plot
This is a story of Kim Bok Joo’s journey as a weightlifting medallist/student in Haneul Sport University. Her family runs a chicken restaurant and she has 2 good friends. One day she meets with her old schoolmate, Junhyung, who is in the swimming team. Her roommate is Si-ho, who is a rhythmic gymnast and ex-girlfriend of Jun Hyung. What follows is a nice youth romance drama.

Main Cast
Lee Sung Kyung – Kim Bok Joo
Nam Joo Hyuk – Jung Jun Hyung
Lee Jae Yoon – Jung Jae Yi
Kyung Soo Jin – Song Si Ho
Cho Hye Jung – Jung Nan Hee
Lee Joo Young – Lee Seon Ok

Review
Finally took time to watch this show. they all said this was such a great drama. To be honest, i wasn’t impressed in the first couple of episodes. I liked the characters but not enough to invest in them. but i had a lot of free time and i ended up watching one episode after another until i didn’t realize how much i was so into the show, the characters and finished watching within a week.

Favorite character – Kim Bok Joo. She is positive and cheerful, she’s a great athlete, friend, daughter, girlfriend. I love how she is so cute and charming, no wonder Jun Hyung loved her despite being so simple.

Favorite couple – Kim Bok Joo and Jun Hyung. i love friends-turned-lovers story. At first i thought Jun Hyung was a cute but annoying energizer bunny but he shines whenever he stops being annoying and is always there for Bok Joo, supporting her, knowing how to handle her and what to do even without her saying. Likewise, Bok Joo looked “stronger”than him and she always tries to “beat”him or shout at him, i don’t think it’s abuse, i find it so endearing and it’s her way of showing her love for him.
Note: my 2nd favorite couple is Jae Yi and A-yeong. Sure, Jae Yi is a little bit boring and slow but they are also a friends-turned-lovers and they just matched well.

Favorite bromance – Bok Joo’s dad and uncle. Why is Kang Ki Young in every single show I’ve watched in? He’s like everywhere. He is starting to grow on me and i get excited everytime i see him in the drama. I know he will just be funny. Note: the cameo is Kim Seul Gi is hilarious! She seems to always play a sassy girl.

Favorite episode(s) – Episode 7 and 13. Broke my heart seeing Bok Joo’s heart broken from her first love. Likewise, when JunHyung met his mom. I can feel that both actors were not acting. They became Bok Joo and JunHyung.
Character I most loved to hate – Si Ho. I hated her character. Just because nothing’s going well with her life doesn’t give her an excuse to be mean to people. or force people to like her back. But she had a lot of issues to go through. the only time i liked her was during her final competition when she just let everything go and accepted herself.

I haven’t watched youth romance/drama in a long time, mostly because I think i have outgrown them. I can no longer relate to high school/college problems and issues. But this show was so good i didn’t mind watching and reliving all my college worries. I wish i can go to their university as a nuna and tell them about life after college. It was also interesting to see a show about athletes. I’ve never been one and I’ve also been fascinated by athlete’s dedication and passion to their sport. I realized they do have a lot of struggles, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Like, how would i feel if i never win a medal at a sport that i really love and one that i have practiced for so long? What happens after you retire? Where do you go?
A season 2 will be fun to watch – not exactly the same characters – it can be a totally new character from the gymnastics team, a totally new team, or maybe one of Bok Joo’s friends.