THE SHORT VERDICT:
A show that manages to showcase friendship, romance, family, and reaching for your dreams, all in one cozy, ragtag package.
Despite bits of heightened drama, Show manages to feel organic and relatable pretty much all the way through. A thoroughly believable & sparky OTP, a solid supporting cast, and a breezy OST all come together to make this a warm, cracky, comfort-food sort of watch.
Homey and heady, at the same time, in the best way.
THE LONG VERDICT:
I’ve always liked the concept of friends-to-lovers stories, where besties-for-years suddenly find themselves attracted to each other, and bumble and fumble their way towards romance. But, I must say that in actually watching friends-to-lovers dramas, I haven’t ended up loving that many.
Case in point: 2007’s 9 End 2 Outs (also known as Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs; also known as Two Outs in the Ninth Inning – yes, it’s complicated), which most viewers seem to love, but which left me, well, kinda cold, if I’m being brutally honest. I just never really managed to get into it, even though I faithfully watched it from beginning to end.
I’m happy to report, though, that Fight My Way has totally and unequivocally bucked that trend; I found this one easy to like, and right away too. Woot!
OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE
Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.
STUFF I LOVED
1. The slice-of-life feel
Right away from episode 1, I loved Show’s homey feel. It reminded me of the Answer Me franchise (which I very much enjoy – reviews here, here and here), except that this story isn’t set in the past, and is less family-centric. A romance with Answer Me vibes? Yes please, and thank you.
One of my favorite things about this show, is that it’s about ordinary people living in an ordinary world. It’s somehow extra relatable to have characters that are not just regular people, but are regular people who are struggling in life, and have shelved their dreams, and have had failed relationships, and generally feel like losers. I imagine so many of us have felt like that at some point in our lives.
On that note, I also love that this show makes a point of driving home the idea of continuing to pursue your dreams, even if nothing’s gone your way and life seems to suck big time. That’s a loving kick in the pants for all of us, I feel like, heh.
I love that through it all, the characters in this drama world deal with love, loss and everything in-between, in very relatable, everyday ways.
[SPOILER] For example, in episode 12, we get a couple of very sweet, understated reconciliatory scenes between Dong Man (Park Seo Joon) and his dad (Son Byung Ho). Beneath the gruff exterior, we see that Dad cares about Dong Man a whole lot, and that Dong Man returns the sentiment. I thought it was really sweet, that they both expressed their care in the same understated way: by slipping a bit of money to each other, when the other person wasn’t looking. Such an ordinary-looking gesture, but one that said so much about the heart behind it. Likey. [END SPOILER]
2. Park Seo Joon as Dong Man
I just luff Dong Man.
If I had to describe Dong Man, I’d say he’s like a big ol’ dim lug, with a giant, simple heart who loves big and gives big. He sees things in black and white, and is therefore bewildered by any grays in-between. He’s simple and honest to a fault, and doesn’t seem to possess a mental filter to sift the words that come out of his mouth.
So basically, kinda like an overgrown, very large toddler, who happens to also be very buff, and whose body seems to be very.. er, aware of the female-ness of his best friend (more on that later, heh).
Park Seo Joon does a fantastic job bringing the adorably dim, earnest Dong Man to life, and I found myself becoming very fond of him very quickly.
Even though Dong Man’s no-filter honesty is a bit of a running joke in the show, I found that I loved him all the more, for his childlike, artless lack of guile. With Dong Man, I never felt like I had to piece together what he was thinking. He’d actually be the first to verbalize what he was thinking; a trait which I found very refreshing, and quite disarming.
Largely because of Dong Man’s adorkability, and Park Seo Joon’s seamless portrayal of said adorkability, I loved rooting for Dong Man as he pursued his dreams – and his dream girl – all the way to the very end.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Here are just a couple of my top Dong Man highlights.
The impulsive straight-shooter
There’s something very endearing about Dong Man giving his honest best shot at life.
I loved the moment in episode 4 when Dong Man puts Tak Su (Kim Gun Woo) in his place, and then quits the job he hates, to pursue his fighting dreams. I also love that right away, he rushes to hug Ae Ra (Kim Ji Won). Instinctively, that’s what feels right to him, even if his brain hasn’t processed that he might like her. He just wants to share his highs with her, and simply goes for it. Gotta love that.
And then there’s episode 12, when Dong Man decides to grab life by the horns and give it his all without holding back. That’s a badass, cool sentiment, and one that I really dig. I love how he expresses that he’s deciding to fight Tak Su now instead of later, to rid himself of the ghost of that non-fight from 10 years ago. AND, I love even more, how he expresses it to Ae Ra, literally shouting his love for her at the top of his lungs. It’s all kinds of adorable and super endearing, and makes me wanna burst, a little bit. ❤️
The hyperaware clueless sexy boy
Being as simple as he is, for a good long stretch, Dong Man has no clue that he actually might have feelings for Ae Ra. In Show’s early episodes, Dong Man regularly finds himself reacting in very strange, acute, toe-curling ways to Ae Ra’s proximity, and his unsettled discombobulation is simply gold.
Major props to Park Seo Joon for delivering those moments in such detailed, painful, hilarious glory. Every time Dong Man is discombobulated by Ae Ra’s nearness, I felt like I could feel his every fiber reacting to her. Like the time in episode 9, when Ae Ra touched his ear. That shot of his feet squirming felt like such a inside, intimate peek at the way his insides were reacting to her touch. Mmph.
On a related note, as clueless as Dong Man appears to be, boy’s got moves when the occasion calls for it. The way he pulls Ae Ra down into a lying down position in episode 14, with just one tug of her legs, and then leans over her, is so sexy, and so manly. Swoon.
[END SPOILER]
3. Kim Ji Won as Ae Ra
I’ve had a soft spot for Kim Ji Won for a long time, and despite my heightened expectations of her in this role, she absolutely did not disappoint. Kim Ji Won is, in a word, awesome as Ae Ra, and I love her.
First of all, I like that Ae Ra is so relatable as a lead character. She doesn’t have perfect hair days, wears slouchy t-shirts at home, and has moments of low self-esteem. She doesn’t have it all together, but she wants to have it better together, and is working to figure out her life. Isn’t that just like so many of us?
Besides being relatable, I also found Ae Ra pretty inspirational too. Through events big and small, we see that Ae Ra is truly a good person; the kind of person who loves fiercely and wholeheartedly, and doesn’t hesitate to help, especially if it’s her friends who are in need; the kind of person who often puts others before self; the kind of person who has compassion for others.
[SPOILER]
One of my early favorite Ae Ra moments is in episode 5, when she cuts short her date with almost-boyfriend Moo Bin (cameo by Choi Woo Shik), just so that she can be there for Dong Man during his debut MMA fight, even though she desperately doesn’t want to – cannot bear to – see Dong Man get hurt. That just says so much about how much she cares for Dong Man, and how she puts his needs before her own. What a sweetheart.
Another Ae Ra moment that really stands out to me, is the time in episode 14, when Ae Ra gets the job instead of losing out to the very annoying Hye Ran (Lee Elliya). I seriously love that the first thing Ae Ra does when she steps out of the room, is to marvel that she got the job. She doesn’t stop to gloat over the fact that she was chosen over Hye Ran, even though Hye Ran’s always lorded it over her. In fact, it feels like the thought doesn’t even occur to her. That one thing stands out to me, so much, as a profound statement of the kind of person Ae Ra is. She’s made of good stuff, she is. ❤️
[END SPOILER]
4. Dong Man & Ae Ra together
Not gonna lie; my absolute favorite thing in this show, is when Dong Man and Ae Ra were together on my screen. Whether they were just friends, newly dating, or feeling their way through the uncertain, murky territory in-between, they were always a delight to watch.
Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won are fantastic together. They have such a shared, natural, easy vibe, that when I watch them, I truly believe that Ae Ra and Dong Man have been close for years and years, and as a result, feel super comfortable around each other.
[SPOILER ALERT]
As friends
These two bicker a whole lot, and don’t hold back at all, when they’re around each other. In fact, it kinda feels like they get a special kind of satisfaction ribbing each other.
To the casual observer, it might look like these two can barely stand the sight of each other, but what really got me, is the magnitude and unwavering nature of the underlying care and affection that these two have for each other. I absolutely love the friendship between Ae Ra and Dong Man. Every clue that tells me about much they care about each other – as friends – makes my heart swell up with the warm fuzzies.
As a bonus, Show dishes out regular flashbacks of Dong Man and Ae Ra, both of when they were just little kidlets, and when they were in school. I loved all of the flashbacks; it just felt so satisfying to watch their friendship, even then.
Exhibit A: I’ll rescue you; you’ll rescue me
I love how they fly to each others’ rescue in episode 2, when Ae Ra gets targeted by the bunch of sneering rich guys. Dong Man promptly beats up the guys who are giving Ae Ra a hard time, and Ae Ra then gets Dong Man out of trouble and the holding cell, by threatening the guy right back. They are just so fiercely protective of each other. Aw.
Plus, afterwards, there’s encouragement and crying and hugging at the end. Which of course had to end with a punch to the head. These two are so cute. ❤️
Exhibit B: I’m there for you, even when I don’t think I want to be
It’s super adorable in episode 3 when Dong Man is grumpy about Ae Ra summoning him to the department store, but quickly gets all proud-excited when he realizes she’s about to make her first announcement. The way he puts his phone up to the speaker to get a good recording, and then beams with happiness, is so cute.
In the same episode, Dong Man has a particularly bad day, getting humiliated by his senior at work. I love how Dong Man goes to Ae Ra, as an automatic response. I love even more, that when he sees her, he can tell she’s had an epically bad day too. Most of all, I love that he doesn’t say a thing about his own sucky day, and extends himself to be her shelter and pillar of support on her bad day, so that she can cry it out. Awww.
Essentially, I just love-love-loved the closeness between Dong Man and Ae Ra.
From the way she bawls at him in episode 6 for allowing himself to get hurt, to how they reflex-leap into a hug at the news that Ae Ra’s gotten an interview in the same episode, to the way Dong Man looks at Ae Ra in episode 9, when she’s on stage doing her MC thing, with so much affection, endearment, confidence and pride, it’s just a whole lotta warm goodness packed up in a bickery, prickly, affectionate package. ❤️
The hyperaware in-between
Possibly even better than Dong Man and Ae Ra being the best of caring chums, is the growing, confusing, often hilarious hyperawareness between them. Like the time in episode 6 (above), when Dong Man’s legs literally almost give out under him as he realizes belatedly that he’s been hugging a braless Ae Ra. Just priceless.
Along with the confusing physical reactions, we also see both Dong Man and Ae Ra experiencing confusing feelings as their brains struggle to keep up with and make sense of their hearts. It’s funny, poignant sweetness all around, and I giggled and melted through all of it.
Exhibit A: I don’t want you to date him
In episode 4, when Ae Ra finds herself caught between Moo Bin and Dong Man, I love that Dong Man basically puts his foot down, without even realizing why.
When Ae Ra tells Moo Bin that she and Dong Man are like siblings, Dong Man retorts, “We aren’t siblings… I don’t want you to date him whether it’s official or not.”
Ae Ra counters, “You have never meddled with my dating life before,” and Dong Man answers simply, “I don’t know. But I don’t like it now.”
I gotta confess, I swooned a little at Dong Man’s matter-of-fact declaration. And then giggled at the dorkiness of Dong Man tagging along on Ae Ra’s ramen date with Moo Bin, and getting all petty-jealous in his own corner.
Exhibit B: reflex couple behavior
There a lot of times when we see Dong Man and Ae Ra behaving in couple-like ways, even as they are officially just friends. I find it all very endearing and sweet, that by reflex, they already treat each other as significant others.
We see a lot of this reflex couple behavior in episodes 5 and 6. Ae Ra drops everything to go to Dong Man when he asks, and then bawls when he gets hurt. When she gets mad at him, he tries to apologize through the closed door. He rushes to the hospital when she gets admitted, and gets mad when he sees another man kissing her. Also, they each always rush to explain things to the other. Dong Man explaining that he didn’t ask Hye Ran to come; Ae Ra explaining that the kiss isn’t what it looks like.
This is what people do with their significant others, and it’s just quite charming that Dong Man and Ae Ra already function this way, without their minds or hearts any the wiser.
Exhibit C: You make my heart flutter
In episode 7, Dong Man rushes to Ae Ra’s side in the wake of her split with turned-out-to-be-an-asshat Moo Bin. It’s so sweet how Dong Man promptly kicks off his own shoes the moment he realizes that Ae Ra doesn’t have shoes, so that she can wear his. And I do love that when she starts crying, he knows just what she needs; something to hide her crying face, and a hug. It’s no wonder her heart flutters. And it’s little wonder too, that she blurts it out to his face.
“What’s it to you whether or not I date another guy? Why are you hugging me? I told you to stay out of it. I told you you’ll regret it.”
“Would I get involved if you did anything right? It’s because you always get hit and step on turd…”
“I’m saying you make my heart flutter.”
“What?”
“My heart flutters… every time you do that. That’s why. My heart flutters. Something’s wrong with me.”
Aw. Gotta love that can’t-hold-it-in honesty in their relationship, heh.
As our OTP
I enjoy Ae Ra and Dong Man together, so much. As a new couple, their years of friendship mix endearingly with their new, adorable shyness around each other. Through the new-couple gingerness, they are refreshingly candid.
In episode 11, I love that Ae Ra tells Dong Man that he is actually Wrist Guy, and I love that she does it so matter-of-factly. She doesn’t try to hide it from him so that she won’t appear at a disadvantage for liking him first. She just tells him, and I love it.
I also love how guileless Dong Man is, as he approaches his new girlfriend. When he’s thinking out loud and stating that he’d like to kiss her, it’s super endearing. And when he’s articulating something that he’s thought about – like how if it’s all or nothing for them, then he’d like it to be all (swoon) – he comes across as so earnest and childlike. I luff him.
Here are just 3 of my favorite OTP moments in the show.
Exhibit A: I’m in trouble
In episode 8, Dong Man wins his debut fight against his bullying sunbae. First of all, I love how Dong Man is so precise and swift, in winning the fight. I also love how matter-of-fact and nonchalant he is, after the fact. He isn’t at all blinded or distracted by the lights, attention, reporters, or questions. He completely ignores everything and everyone – including Tak Soo and Hye Ran – and beelines straight for Ae Ra.
I freaking love that he spots her in a crowd so easily, even when he’s in the ring and fighting, and she’s got her face and ears all covered up. And his final pronouncement is so perfect.
“I’m in trouble. Now you look pretty even when you’re crying.”
AHHHH. OHMYGAH. I LOVE IT. That’s such a PERFECT way of flipping around Dong Man’s perpetual phrase, that Ae Ra looks ugly when she cries. ❤️
Exhibit B: Let’s date
In episode 10, Dong Man finally moves to make things official with Ae Ra. That moment when Dong Man suddenly moves his hands to cup Ae Ra’s face, I swoon. It feels so intimate; his gaze is so steady and gentle as he searches her face, and his hands look so large and sexy.
Love the kiss, and the way Dong Man says, “Let’s date.” And he says it again, and then again, each time searching Ae Ra’s face, with an almost pleading undertone in his voice. I love that he tells her he is going to kiss her again, that he wants to kiss her again.
It feels like there’s so much pent-up emotion that he’s finally allowing expression, and it’s all kinds of swoony.
Exhibit C: Does your stomach not hurt anymore?
In episode 13, while Ae Ra is mid-babble about how Dong Man used to be her errand boy in school, Dong Man interrupts thoughtfully, saying, “You’re eating tteokbokki well now. Does your stomach not hurt anymore?” And then he pulls her in for a proper, smoochy kiss.
Flail.
I love that Dong Man’s been holding back his desire for sexytimes with Ae Ra in consideration of her IBS acting up. And that moment when he pulls her in for a proper kiss, because her stomach is ok, is hawt. He’s been holding it in all this while, just patiently waiting for her to be relaxed enough so that her stomach doesn’t bother her.
So sweet and so swoony. ❤️
[END SPOILER]
5. The quartet of friends
In line with my affection for the long-time friendships in the Answer Me series, I also had a soft spot for the quartet of friends in this show. It’s sweet that they’ve known one another since forever ago, and still hang out on the regular now, as adults.
I love the little touches of them spending time together in their everyday routines. Like the way they have breakfast together in one apartment coz they all live literally within shouting distance of one another. Or the way they hang out on their secret balcony, with snacks and drinks, and chat the night away, while basking in the moonlight together.
These four were like a little hodge-podge family, and I found it altogether very endearing.
Special shout-out: the bromance between Coach Hwang & Dong Man
I found the reluctant bromance between Dong Man and Coach Hwang (Kim Sung Oh) a pretty endearing thing. I found it really cute, the way Coach basically fusses over Dong Man like a concerned mother hen. [SPOILER] Like the way Coach becomes all emotional in episode 8 after Dong Man gets his first MMA victory. Barely able to fight back tears, Coach wonders aloud how Dong Man could’ve held it in all these years. So cute. [END SPOILER]
On a tangent, I have to appreciate both men’s dedication to the role. Park Seo Joon definitely got buffer for his role as Dong Man. And so did Kim Sung Oh, who is literally looking the sexiest I’ve ever seen him. Rawr.
STUFF THAT WAS OK
The relationship between Joo Man and Seol Hee
The relationship between Joo Man (Ahn Jae Hong) and Seol Hee (Song Ha Yoon) is one of those things which added up to neutral for me, in this show. I didn’t love their story, but, I did feel like theirs was a story worth telling. On top of that, I also felt that they were a great foil for our main couple, to showcase that beyond the first flush of giddy courtship, couples often have issues to work through, and it’s not all a bed of roses.
[SPOILER ALERT]
The way we’re introduced to this couple, with Seol Hee as Joo Man’s hidden girlfriend at the office, I immediately felt sorry for Seol Hee. Not only was she Joo Man’s hidden girlfriend, it appeared to me that she seemed much more into Joo Man that he, her.
Even though Joo Man was sometimes sweet to Seol Hee, most of the time, it seemed like he was borderline ashamed of her, and that confused me and repelled me at the same time. Joo Man purposefully remaining in vague territory about his relationship status, and allowing people to think he was available when he wasn’t, is the thing that bugged me the most about his character.
Additionally, when Ye Jin (Pyo Ye Jin) actively started to pursue Joo Man, he didn’t encourage her, but neither did he actually discourage her. And the way he wasn’t being entirely honest with Seol Hee about the whole thing, made me so mad.
In episode 8, by the time Joo Man talked to Seol Hee about marriage, it sounded like he was giving in, a little bit, rather than like he actively wanted to marry her. I was pretty done with Joo Man by this point, to be honest.
By episode 11, I was actively rooting for Joo Man and Seol Hee to split up, and I was so happy for Seol Hee, when she finally did break up with him, and started to live her own life again. Not gonna lie, I found it pretty satisfying to see how miserable Joo Man was without Seol Hee, and I was happy for her, that she found a new purpose in life. I loved that she started her own little business, and did well at it.
In the end, though, I wasn’t very pleased with where Show left us with these two, but I’ll talk more about that later.
[END SPOILERS]
STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE
1. The clingy ex
I really disliked Hye Ran, who played Dong Man’s clingy ex to the hilt. Every time she turned on the aegyo and simpered in Dong Man’s direction, I disliked her more. Which probably means that Lee Elliya did a good job of the role.
To Show’s credit, Hye Ran eventually gets more humanized and becomes a more sympathetic character. Which I didn’t mind – as long as she left Dong Man alone, heh.
2. Show’s various missteps [SPOILERS]
Even though I enjoyed this show as a whole, there were a few times when I felt that Show could’ve done better. Here’s a quick spotlight on those things. Most of them aren’t huge deals, but I do feel like if Show had handled these things a little differently, I would’ve enjoyed my watch a little more.
E3. I feel like the big love ballad thing scoring slo-mo hero moments is getting old. This is the third kdrama I’ve seen it in, using the exact same song from The Bodyguard. First, it was in The Man Living In Our House. Then, it was in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. And now, here. I’m genuinely curious: did the networks share the cost of the copyrights to this song, and are they now milking their investment for what it’s worth?
E13. I kind of didn’t want birth secrets in this show, but Show insisted on it, and by episode 13, Show had used the mysterious landlady (Jin Hee Kyung) a few times in key narrative ways, and hinted at potential parentage to either or both of our leads. I didn’t enjoy this angle. Why did Show have to hint at faux-cest between Dong Man and Ae Ra?
E15. The so-called turnaround by Kyung Ku (Kang Ki Doong) is kind of lame, to be honest. It’s not a result of smart writing or clever editing. He had clearly been set up to appear malicious in earlier episodes. And now, to flip it around and position it as all a misunderstanding, and paint him as a good guy who’s turned over a new leaf, just doesn’t work for me.
THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]
The penultimate lead-up
Generally speaking, I felt satisfied with the penultimate episode, even though we are served with a fair bit of angst.
The dilemma for both Dong Man and Ae Ra feels real, not manufactured. Dong Man’s dream is to fight, and Ae Ra can’t bear to see him get hurt. I can believe that even though she knew Dong Man wasn’t likely to give up fighting because of her ultimatum, that she was desperate enough to keep him out of harm’s way, to risk her relationship with him and use herself as collateral. It’s a believable deal-breaker between them, and I wasn’t even sure how Show was going to resolve this one, since I couldn’t imagine either of them believably backing down.
Kudos to Park Seo Joon, whose delivery of Dong Man’s wide-ranging emotions this episode felt so real and raw. The desperation on the roof, as he tried to persuade Ae Ra not to break up with him; the overwhelming sense of loss and pain, as it begins to sink in what’s happened between them; the burgeoning sadness in his eyes, as he asked Bok Hee to take care of Ae Ra, because it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to, anymore.
So heartbreaking. Sob.
On another note, I felt satisfied with the treatment of the birth secret, in that at least it doesn’t make Dong Man and Ae Ra siblings. And I can see the similarities between Ae Ra and her mom; they both shine in the limelight and are opinionated and independent women, so at least Show has been consistent in their characterizations.
The ending itself
That said, I have to say that I felt distinctly underwhelmed – let down, even – by Show’s last episode.
Don’t get me wrong; I was rooting for a happy ending pretty much all-around, for our characters. I just feel like Show kind of gave up working to feel real and raw, and sorta copped out and conveniently gave everyone a neat bow, with cutesies thrown in, never mind if resolutions felt robust or well-earned.
For one thing, I felt kinda peeved when Show gave Joo Man and Seol Hee a sudden we-can’t-help-it romantic reconciliation. Sure, Dong Man had been miserable without her, but, Seol Hee had been doing so well without him, that I wanted her to keep on living her own life, and being strong, and learning to be whole on her own, at least for a little while longer.
I thought it would’ve been more powerful, for these two to have reconciled as friends; for them to have been able to accept and care for each other as part of the quartet, despite having split up as a couple. I would’ve been happy to have left them as friends who were learning to appreciate and care for each other all over again, with an open ending for possibly more, in the future.
As for our lead couple, I felt like the ultimatum from the previous episode had all of its gravitas robbed from it, with Dong Man’s proposal and Ae Ra’s sudden acceptance. Whatever happened to not being able to watch him get hurt in the ring?
I mean, I get that people can come to compromises, and people can change their minds about what is a deal-breaker and what isn’t. But, Show didn’t give us any of that. Instead, all of our OTP’s problems seemed to have been poofed away by one (admittedly rather swoony, resolute) marriage proposal.
In the face of all this convenient happiness, I acutely missed Show’s raw touch from the episodes prior. I wanted my real and raw characters to have an ending that felt real, raw and truly happy. I felt like with the convenient happy ending, that these characters were getting shortchanged – as were we, as an audience.
In the end, though, despite my disappointment with Show’s treatment of its final episode, I must admit that I loved many other things in this drama, and I will continue to think of this show, and Dong Man and Ae Ra in particular, with a great deal of fondness.
THE FINAL VERDICT:
A tad short of perfect, but still a nicely balanced mix of real & raw, with warm & bright.
FINAL GRADE: B++
TEASER:
MV:
Loved it. I think it’s always the down to earth characters or the absence of annoying chaebols in a kdrama which sells it for me. Lol.
I see you didn’t find the Seol Hee and Joon Man relationship story that good but I feel there’s more to their story than that.
Full disclosure. I loved them together.
There’s a very sleight chance I’m biased in terms of Joo Man because of ‘Be Melodramatic’. But let’s ignore that! Lol
Cuz I really liked him here.
It’s a ‘perspective’ thing if you ask me.
Just to be clear I do believe Seol Hee wasn’t wrong in dumping him and her actions were justified.
Firstly Joo Man was never shown to be ashamed of Seol Hee.
He wouldn’t have stood in front of his family if that was the case.
He also stood up for her at work announcing they were dating as well.
Also most of his actions show love and affection for Seol Hee (even though they have been dating for 6 years).
Also his affliction towards the intern was not specifically cuz he was swayed by her
She reminded him of how he felt with Seol Hee. Which made it difficult for him to completely ignore her or be Stern with her or be more assertive with her when was initially setting the boundaries.
He was being nice cuz she reminds him of her and so couldn’t be hard on her.
I’m not saying “it was all just misunderstanding” and I’m sure the show wasn’t going for that either. Joo Man messed up. He didn’t clearly set up the boundary with the intern. He should have told her to back off.
But it’s the context that’s important here.
He loved Seol Hee and always wanted to keep her happy and felt inadequate when he was unable to do so (even though she was happy regardless of anything of that)
Of course feeling inadequate in definitely a negetive trait but at the same time we need to view them as humans and not morally or emotionally perfect characters.
Also I loved Seol Hee as a character too and her being content with life is something I’m personally jealous of!
I was heartbroken after their break up (did see it coming though) but I’m glad she worked on herself more and her self worth during that phase.
I just loved them both. And was rooting for them more than our orignal OTP.
(And Their breakup phase was painful for me)
Also I think we can discount ko Dong man’s ‘fighting again in seasons’ bit in the end as a Gag in a show (even if the showrunners didn’t intend to)
Yeah…let’s just pretend he’ll just work with the coach and Not Fight!. Yup. He’ll not fight. There solved! 😊
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First of all, let me say that I am relatively new to k-dramaworld (although I had watched Boys over Flowers back in the days – and pretty much hated it,) and that I use your reviews as a guide – a real one, like I am watching only the shows that are in your A list, or at least B+ list.
This show, I really liked, mostly for its lack of chaebols, its relatable characters and, of course, Ko Dongman who must be the best guy on a drama ever (k dramas do tend to give their main leads a touch of arrogance or toxic masculinity that I never got around to appreciate). Ko Dongman, on the contrary, is such a kind person, albeit being a MMA fighter, and he is perfectly played by Park Seo Joon. That being said, I think it is in the flashbacks that we get what a sweet generous person Dongman is, when he gives his extra candy to little Ae Ra because the teacher told him to be kinder to the ugly rabbit or when he pretends he’s the one who has let gas so that the kids don’t pick on Ae Ra.
My views on the ending: I get what you mean about the marriage proposal feel like a gloss over. It was definitely legitimate for Ae Ra (how I loved Ae Ra too!) to worry and to want her man to quit this admittedly very brutal sport. Honestly, if my man was into that, I would consider breaking his legs to make him stop (just as Dongman’s mom was contemplating). On the other hand, I was really touched by Dongman’s despair saying he could not go back to moving packages or exterminating ticks. This is a guy who is supposed to be a force of nature, a natural born fighter, and who has spent 10 years of his life in a quasi-depression mode trying to get by doing menial work (he is not supposed to be smart or educated enough to do anything else, and he does not seem to want to anyway). So it would have been so unfair if Ae Ra forced him to stop and go back to a life he hated. And I think she realised that when she opened her eyes during the final match.
I do agree though that the show could use a final talk between those two. As you say, people’s red lines may change, and I would have appreciated a scene where it is shown that Ae Ra realises that she has to accept him the way he is, MMA included, at least for a while. The way it was done, with the only hint that she has accepted him being that she opens her eyes during the fight, that scene where coach says he will fight during the season and Dongman replies “Ι told you to wait until we register the marriage” feels a little as if he’s trying to trick her into marrying him.
Joo Man and Sul Hee, I have so many thoughts on them, but I will spare you. But although I was super happy she dumped him, I was also pretty ok with them getting back together. So, that came up neutral for me.
The whole mother plot was, to me too, really not necessary, although I liked the character and the actress pretty well. I admit that I didn’t exactly understand why she left in the first place, but I didn’t get any faux-cest vibes at all, I think it was pretty clear that the only one missing a mom was Ae Ra.
So, that’s it for me! I will now go to your list and pick the next show to watch!
Oh, I didn’t realize you’re relatively new to kdramas, Natalia! From your other comments, it sounded like you’ve watched a fair number already! 😉 I’m very pleased to know that you’ve found the reviews helpful as a guide; I hope you’ll continue to find them useful! 😀
Yes, this one is much more relatable than shows with the usual chaebol characters, and Dong Man and Ae Ra are so warm and lovely. 🥰 I thought they were super cute together, and I loved this show a lot, even though the ending underwhelmed me. I agree with what you said; it really did come across like Dong Man was trying to trick Ae Ra into marrying him, without telling her about his decision to fight, and that was not cool. I would’ve much preferred if they’d settled this with an open conversation, where she decides that she can’t give him up, even if he chooses to fight. That would’ve felt so much more satisfying to watch, I think!
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Why am I sad that this is not in your A-list. 🙁
Aw, it’s not on my A-list, but I did like it very well overall! 🙂
This is an amazing review, and I always follow all the reviews you put up. It’s such a pleasure to read it. I just finished Fight My Way, and I LOVED it. And your review plaged a major role in pushing me to that drama, so thank you!
This is the third time I’m reading thos review, and I just noticed that in the third paragraph about the ending, you’ve written about Dong Man and Seol Hee,when it should be Joo Man and Seol Hee .
Kumao!
After reading NM’s comment and re-reading that part of Kfangurl’s review, it made me want to rewatch Eps 15-16, so I did. I then wrote a detailed comment listing out everything that happened and the amount of time that progressed before the wedding plans. I’ll just say a shortened version here – Dong man made a promise to quit to Ae ra before she agreed to marry him. (Although it was not straightforward of saying “I won’t fight”). After his final match with Handsome Dude, She asked “What’s your choice?” He replied “You. It’s you. It’s always you “. They move forward with wedding plans. Dong man told Ae ra (off camera but it’s implied by events) that he and Coach will be running a weight loss clinic. Coach let’s it slip that Dong man will compete in a few matches for publicity for their weight loss clinic-gym. Dong man says “I told you we weren’t going to tell her until after we registered the marriage!” So Ae ra never wavered. Dong man pulled a slick one on her.
Eek! Thanks for pointing out the typo, NM! I appreciate it very much! It’s been fixed now – phew! 😅
PS: I’m so glad you enjoyed this review, AND, that you basically allowed me to persuade you to check out this show. Thanks for trusting in my recommendation! <3
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Really loved all your reviews. My first time writing in. I rated this higher just bec, cast chemistry, script, humour & OST just blended seamlessly for me. Like the reason why I did not enjoy Jealousy Incarnate at the start was bec there were too many annoying unneccessary side characters & plots that kill the show. This show one drawback for me, as you mentioned, was the landlady role in making us think of a faux-cest. I would have prefer more scenes of the 4 leads instead of wasting time on these side characters who does not add anything to make the show better.The 4 leads’ chemistry, to me, were so engaging & the chemistry was perfect, just like DOTs & JI. I agree that the ex-girlfriend was super annoying but she was good & added some spiciness to stir the relationship.And PSJ is totally manly as a fighter & super for kissing scenes-love love him. KJW is turning out to be one of my fave female lead after DOTs, Am waiting to see her with SJK in her next drama! SJK is my No 1 fave.Tons of thanks for your honest & insightful reviews-a must read for any K-Drama addict!
Aw, thanks Elle – I’m so glad you’re enjoying the reviews! 😀 And yes, Fight My Way is a very solid watch, almost all-around. Loved PSJ and KJW in this.. I thought they were really great together! <3
PS: If SJK is your #1 fave, you might be interested in the Pure Pretty post that I did in his honor. If you haven't checked out the post, you can find it here. 🙂
really look out for your verdict! i’m a huge fan fangirl 😀
Aw, thank you Marge! <3
You resume with one prhase what it didnt like about this drama: all of our OTP’s problems seemed to have been poofed away by one (admittedly rather swoony, resolute) marriage proposal. I mean, wtf xD it was like magic.
I also didnt like (not even a single bit) The relationship between Joo Ma and Seol Hee. It was too unafair for Seol Hee.
Yes, it DID feel like magic! 😆 That annoyed me, because the rest of the show had felt so emotionally real and raw, and the magical proposal felt so convenient and UNreal. 😝 I do agree the other loveline was unfair to Seol Hee. I really wish they’d just left them broken up, instead of having her take him back, because she just couldn’t help it. :/
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Just binge watched this as I wanted something light and fluffy this weekend and Park Seo Joon may be the long-lost love of my life. I enjoyed it for the reasons you enjoyed it, disliked the things you disliked and generally felt the show’s flaws didn’t matter in the overall scheme of things because it was super sweet and a lovely watch.
I usually walk out of kdramas thinking the male lead was an amazing actor given a meaty role and the female lead is lacklustre and cliched. This was one of the few dramas (along with SWDBS and INAR) where the female lead was just as meaty and just as interesting and so Kim Ji Won was given great material in which to shine. She did an excellent job with Ae Ra’s mix of intelligence, guts, vulnerability and mother-hen protectiveness. Not quite a Park Bo Young but pretty close.
I was confused by one thing in your review though because I thought that Dong Man made it clear in the proposal that he was choosing her over fighting and was giving it up to run the gym with Coach. He’d achieved what he wanted to and now he could choose her without regrets.
Aw, I’m glad you enjoyed this one, Dame Holly!! <3 You're so right, Ae Ra was far from lackluster, and was just as interesting – if not more interesting – than Dong Man himself. I loved that, and I loved watching them bicker with each other, and nitpick at each other, and just generally be two adorkable peas in a pod together. So much fun! <3
As for the ending, if memory serves, Dong Man's plan was to keep on fighting, while running the new training school with Coach Hwang. So, fight only during the on season, and then teach during the off season. Which, to me, did nothing to address Ae Ra's issue, which was about him getting hurt in the ring. Plus, who fights during the off season anyway, right? 🤔
You’re right, that was his plan. I remember when he was proposing to her and I was thinking “he’s not dealing with the main issue here” and then she asked him what he chose between her and MMA and he said, “You, You, You!” So I think I scrubbed that other part from my memory. I do remember now he was planning to tell her that part of his plan after they registered the marriage, which… nobody ever said he was smart. Oh well, I’ll just stay over here with a perfect version in my head where he doesn’t fight anymore.
I did appreciate that this writer didn’t do what a lot of kdrama writers do and go, “TIME JUMP – everything was resolved offscreen!” or “just forget that conflict, here’s some puppies and rainbows”. You know this is an issue they’re going to be dealing with on an ongoing basis, it’s just that they decided to deal with it together.
Giggle. I understand your brain’s preference to scrub that memory. Your version makes way more sense! 😂 And YES, I’m so glad there was no magical time jump, even though the finale was definitely not as good as I wanted.
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I actually didn’t like this drama. I didn’t dislike it but there wasn’t anything that kept me interested. I too was rooting for Seol Hee to move on without Dong Man, I was actually hoping for an ending where she married or started to date someone else, but that didn’t happen. And I the acting was good but I didn’t particularly connect with the humor. I also felt that a lot of events were randomly placed into the drama (the cheating bf, the stalker, the ex girlfriend…) and many parts of the plot seamed cliché but incomplete at the same time. At the end of watching this drama I was neither impressed or disappointed, just numb.
Aw, that’s too bad that this one didn’t work for you, Lia. I guess that’s the funny thing about dramas.. what works really well for someone, may not work at all for someone else. I personally liked this one pretty well, except for the ending. Somehow, the humor was ok for me, and the random arcs you mentioned, still acceptable to my eyes. I guess the biggest draw for me, with this one, was the relationship between the OTP. The chemistry felt real, sparky and organic to me, and that’s what provided the crack factor for the stretch of the show that I loved. Hopefully we’ll be more on the same page with another drama another time! 🙂
OMG 😍 Daebak!! Haha! I just love your interpretation of each scene’s backstory. You said it so well! And I agree about that stalker of Aera. If he’s really sorry for what he did to Aera, he could’ve confessed it to her / Dongman earlier on rather than stalking her again like how he followed her to Daecheon. On the other hand, I love how realistic Jooman and Seolhee’s story is. I think their story truly reflects the problems people on long term relationships usually have. But of course, I would have to admit I love Dongman and Aera’s more because of their amazing chemistry and their lovable character 💞 Not a fan of PSJ before but since watching this drama, I’ve learned to appreciate him and Jiwon a lot. Like a lot that I couldn’t watch any other drama since it ended 😆 Anyway, hands down to your review! I’m gonna rewatch it again for the nth time in a diff kind of perspective 😅
Glad you enjoyed the review, KL! 😀 And I’m so pleased that you feel this review will add perspective your next rewatch of the show! 🙂 Plus, what a bonus, that this show introduced you to Park Seo Joon’s brand of awesome. I’ve enjoyed him a lot since seeing him in Witch’s Romance. <3 Which is a cute noona romance that I do recommend, if you're in the mood for one 🙂
Yeahoo!!!! Your review is spot-on, as always. My mind too on the Show’s weaknesses. I think there will be 2 couples from this drama that up to Best Couple Award; Park Seojoon X Kim Jiwon, Park Seojoon X Coach.
And I forgot to mention – the only show I know of where Coach (Kim Sung-oh) is the romantic lead – The Return of Baek hee a/k/a Becky’s Return. It’s a 4-hour (4 episodes) show with a weird quirky humor.
Oh! I’ve had The Return of Baek Hee on my list for a while, just that I never got around to actually watching it. Knowing Coach is in there playing romantic lead definitely helps bump it up the list. Thanks for the clue-in, beez! 😘
Hi there azleenaa! Great to see you again 🙂 And yay that we feel similarly about this drama! I wouldn’t be surprised if Park Seo Joon & Kim Ji Won got a Best Couple Award, they are so great together. Park Seo Joon & Coach would be a cute nomination, though I doubt they would actually win 😉
This is my favorite of the romance dramas thus far for year 2017. It just has a whole down to earth vibe that worked for me. I totally agree with your review. I feel like the writer threw in the mom/birth scenario for some makjang drama at the end but had the audience hooked on the romance and didn’t really need it. (Though I liked the actress that played the mom.) I would have much preferred the landlady be someone who worked her way up herself, and she decided to pay it forward. I think that actually would have been lovely.
I also agree the other couple should have stayed broken up because just like longtime friends might become romantic, it is also true that young sweethearts often don’t survive the hardships of life and move on.
Regardless, the main couple was key and that relationship really worked for me and credit to both the actors. So happy for them both. Also, I laughed….so many rom/coms aren’t that funny but that fake aegyo/aeygo will forever crack me up. Sure the drama had it’s dramatic melo moments but I had some laugh out loud moments as well.
The drama team did a good job with the little kid scenes at the end of the drama episodes. They weren’t just thrown in but actually helped us understand their adult relationship. I will also credit PSJ (and the coach) for all the working out that no doubt occurred. Yes, he looked gorgeous but he also looked believable as a MMA fighter. So happy for KJW that her first lead role went well. She worked hard and paid her dues and I know picking a drama is a crap shoot so I’m glad it worked out for her.
Kat!! Always great to see ya, and hear your thoughts! 😀 And YASSS, we are in deep agreement, once again! 😉
Oh, I MUCH prefer your version of events with the landlady! Coz as you pointed out, we were more than hooked with the main romance, and Show didn’t need the extra drama. So a cool landlady paying it forward would’ve been much more meaningful, I feel. Also, you’re so right, young sweethearts often break up later in life. It would’ve been perfectly ok for Joo Man and Seol Hee to have stayed broken up. That would’ve been more in line with Show’s raw-reflection-of-life vibe, and a great opportunity to show the world that one doesn’t need to be in a relationship to be happy. And, to please the die-hard romantic sentiment in dramaland, Show could’ve hinted at a potential reconciliation sometime in the vague future. I would’ve preferred that so much more.
HAHA, yes, that fake aegyo was hysterical. Not just Ae Ra’s terrible fake aegyo, but Dong Man’s response fake aegyo was super funny as well! 😂 Also, I feel ya about not finding many romcoms funny. The humor in this one hit just the right funny bone, for me. It didn’t feel try-hard or too much. It was just funny, and I enjoyed that a lot.
Omigosh, I LOVED the little kid flashbacks. They were so well done, and as you said, they weren’t just cute filler fluff, but actually added depth and dimension to our understanding of our OTP bond. I looked forward to all of the flashbacks, and loved that Show was consistent with putting one at the end of each episode.
Also, great point that Park Seo Joon actually was believable as an MMA fighter! So many times, we get an actor who buffed up for a role, but in the execution of the action stuff, whether it’s modern day fighting, or sageuk sword wielding, you can see that it’s all pretend. In this case, I’m with you, I actually believed that Dong Man was a tough, skilled, fighting man-machine. So well done. <3
I really enjoyed watching this drama it wasn’t perfect but it hit the right spot for me. Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won are fantastic together, they have such a easy natural chemistry and I would love to see them reunite in another drama down the road. Fight My Way was my first introduction to Kim Ji Won and I have to say that I am very impressed with her as an actress and will definitely look forward to her being in more leading roles. The OTP of Ae Ra and Dong Man will go down as my favorite relationship (friendship and romantic) this year.
I have to agree with you on the things that didn’t work for the show. I would have liked for Joo Man and Seol Hee to break up sooner then spent the remaining time trying to navigate being former lovers and maintaining their group dynamic with Dong Man and Ae Ra. The ending could’ve been better but I was still satisfied with it overall. I know you stated that a few friends to lovers drama’s didn’t work for you but have you ever tried watching a Taiwanese drama called ” In Time With You” w/ Ariel Lin and Bolin Chen, it is a slice of life drama using the friends to lovers premise and I would definitely recommend watching it.
Oh yes, I would LOVE to see a Park Seo Joon-Kim Ji Won reunion! 😍😍 They have such great chemistry together <3 And absolutely, I second your idea of having Joo Man and Seol Hee break up earlier in the game, so that there'd be enough screen time left for them to learn how to accept and appreciate each other as friends. I seriously feel that would've been more meaningful than the "oops-we're-together-again" thing that Show did.
Thanks for the recommendation on In Time With You! I've had that show mentioned to me, so it's on my list, but I haven't gotten around to checking it out yet. I do like the sound of slice-of-life, so I'll bump it up the list! Thanks Danielle! 😀
I fell in love with Park Seo joon in this. Before Fight My Way I couldn’t figure out what everybody was so enthused about.
My addition to kfangurl’s first Exhibit A – the fact that Ae ra KNOWS, she has no doubts whatsoever, that Dong man will come to her rescue. So much so that she sincerely warns the bullies to run so they don’t get hurt just before he gets there.
And let’s not forget my own personal bias Kim Sung Oh, which nobody else can see the sexy but me. (kfangurl, check KSO out in Love 911 (Love 119) in a supporting role as a firefighter. Hawt!
The ending: I thought Dongman stopped fighting after that one last match?
It’s okay that I don’t remember because reading this has made me decide to do a rewatch using this blog as a guide to which episodes to rewatch. Thanks Kfangurl.
Aw, if this show helped you to appreciate the Park Seo Joon awesome, then that makes this show extra special, doesn’t it? 😉 Yay that you’re now on the Park Seo Joon appreciation train beez! You know we fangirls love company! 😉
Yes to your addition to my first Exhibit A! It didn’t occur to me before, but you’re absolutely right! She just KNEW and trusted that Dong Man would absolutely come to her rescue! Not a flicker of doubt whatsoever. Aw! I love that! <3
As for the ending, if memory serves, Dong Man's plan was to keep on fighting, while running the new training school with Coach Hwang. So, fight only during the on season, and then teach during the off season. Which, to me, did nothing to address Ae Ra's issue, which was about him getting hurt in the ring. Plus, who fights during the off season anyway, right? 🤔
Thanks for the tip on Love 911 – I'll check it out! Coz I did see the Kim Sung Oh sexy in this show 😉 Enjoy your rewatch of Fight My Way, my dear – and the feeelz <3
I agree 100% with all of the points you made. I also felt let down by the ending. This was one of those dramas where I watched the calendar to make sure I had the TV on as soon as it was subbed. I really looked forward to each new episode.
I’m a big fan of Park Seo Joon. It is not just because of his puppy dog eyes. He brings a depth of emotions to every character he plays. He always seems real and natural to me and he is getting better with each drama. I also liked Kim Ji Won in this drama. The two of them had such great chemistry. Thanks KFangurl!
Great to see ya, phl!! 😀 And YAY that we are in such complete agreement about this show! While I was watching this one, I found it so warm & cracky, and then the ending happened and I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet. 😕 Where had my sensitive, endearing, relatable drama gone, and what was this factory manufactured imposter doing on my screen??! 😫
Still, Show was awesome for most of its run, and it did give us the wonderful pairing of Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won, who were both perfect. So I guess we can’t complain too much? 😜
Hey kfangurl! *hugs!* great review! those 3 are also my top otp scenes, (watched it repeatedly with a stupid smile,hehe). it really showed the Man in Dong Man! i’ve always loved Park Seo Joon, but this character allowed him to show more of his acting skillls. I mean, i kinda know he studied his facial expressions, tones and all, but his delivery was just so effortless, so real you can almost touch him! his stares, his pauses when he’s about to say something so heartfelt, even his kick on that kitchen counter..(i can go on and on!)
I also didnt like how they wrapped it up with Joo Man and Seol Hee. It would have been a great opportunity to show how past lovers could end up still staying friends… But i love their conflicts, kinda understand both so though I didn’t like Joo Man, i dont hate him..hehe.
Hi5 nonie!! 😀 I must say, I replayed those OTP scenes as well. I was especially taken with the scene after the fight, where he just honed in on her. It felt almost hypnotic. 😍 Park Seo Joon really was wonderful as Dong Man, and I agree that he brought his acting A-game. I felt like he was Dong Man, down to his every cell. <3
And yes to Joo Man & Seol Hee demonstrating that past lovers can be friends. I would've much preferred that to the completely unsubstantial reconciliation that Show served up. Oh well. I guess we can't have it all? 😉
Those he-man roars he was giving before the fight. *rawwwwr*
Hee! Yes ma’am, every time Dong Man did his manly, manly thing, I saw – and felt – the rawr. 😍
I love how you nailed all the points I liked and disliked about the drama. This review made me want to rewatch the show just to get more feels from it. 😍 I admit, I always loved Park Seo Joon, but there was something just extra special about him here, that drew me so much more to him. As for Kim Ji Won, I admired her acting always, but from being the annoying girl in “To The Beautiful You”, the bratty and snobby Rachel in “The Heirs”, the cold but loving girl in DoTS, this was such a beautiful, open, charming role for her that made her fall in my list of favourite actresses. She had the natural flair that would draw anyone to her.
Beautiful, open, charming – yes, yes, and yes! You totally hit the nail on the head, Jinships! I found Kim Ji Won so endearing and charming as Ae Ra. This is hands-down my favorite role of hers to date. <3 And yes too, to Park Seo Joon bringing something extra special to his role as Dong Man. 😍 Glad we feel similarly about this show, and the feels that it gives. So feel-good and warm-fuzzy. <3