My First KDrama - Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo :D
Hello again internet. It's been awhile since I've put my heart into writing. It has been an interesting and event-filled start for the year with a boatload of emotions, stress and general life issues but all is well with me. My new job has disrupted life as I knew but the sense of maturity and adulthood that comes with it does provide new perspective to life. I do, however, have to warn that the text ahead do contain plot details and my thoughts which may spoil the show for you if you have not already watched it yourself.
I lied. Weightlifting Kim Bok Joo isn't the first KDrama I've watched. On the topic of lying, Weightlifting Fairy has based most of its drama complications on withholding of truths and well, blatant lying. My virgin experience with KDrama was more than 10 years ago and went to the iconic show Dae Jang Geum (or Da Chang Jin for us Chinese folks). Since then, K-Culture has spread like wild fire with Korean influence inseminating its influence in all facets of modern media. The sudden influx of K-Culture was slightly off-putting to me as the Kraze went slightly absurd at some points. My true distaste for everything K came after a few episodes of Running Man as while it was entertaining, the overly staged and (presumed) scripted scenes felt like the directors were testing the intelligence of its viewers. There were shows that I felt were slightly more positive in vibe such as "Law of the Jungle" but mainly because I bask in watching shows which hold educational notions that enrich the mind. That aside, I decided to take a step out of my comfort zone and revisit the world of K.
ok? K.
Kim Bok Joo
The overall plot of the show revolves around the main protagonist Kim Bok Joo and her life and relationships with her family, friends, passion and of course, love interests. The show starts with showing how circumstance and environment had molded the tall weightlifter into the tough and masculine figure whilst hiding the insecurities of a young adult female in her hard exterior. They then proceeded to slowly break down her shell with introduction of male characters to the point that her character was viewed only as just another coming of age female who had a passion for weightlifting. I really liked this aspect of the show as it reminded audiences to not judge people based on their exterior or circumstances and really to just look deeper. The whole journey of self-discovery could also be viewed as empowering for young females.
Jung Joo Hyung
Now what's a story without a handsome male lead? With a backstory filled with early childhood trauma and a miraculous near-death experience which defied the laws of physics, the male protagonist certainly had enough reason for his happy ending given the laws of drama. Personally, I grew a keen liking for this male lead as our similarities are uncanny. We're both blessed with amazing good looks, immature (yet sweet) tendencies and are both suckers for cute girls who boast tough exteriors. Hell, even our initials are similar (J-H) :3 However, it is crucial to point out that we do have some incredibly stark differences though - the Korean is taller and I am fatter so that pretty much puts us on par. :D I do find it such an amazing coincidence that JH grew to be a socially adequate height for his female counterpart though, like what are the odds that 2 giants just happen to have a common back story and ended up in the same storyline - FATE?
Love
What is love? A variety of ideas were explored in the film regarding love. There was the love for the sport which the respective athletes indulged in, a safe haven of sorts for some. There was the intial young love (or crush) of the female lead. There was the love which was filled with acute resilience. There was the love brought forward by sacrifices and by choice. There was of course the love of family as portrayed by the parents of both leads.
Of course everything ends well in KDrama-world as long as love prevailed but it is keen to note that maybe real life isn't that much different.
Why Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo was SSS-WAGG
Honestly, the plot of the show was horrendously simple and easy to figure out. There were no amazing plot twists or incredible revelations. It was what it was. However, I do have to give credit to the backstories of most of the characters and believe that if there were more episodes, the layers of each characters could have definitely been explored further. To me, this show was truly catered for an audience of teenage girls. In spite of all these, I still loved the show (because I'm secretly a teenage girl on the inside). The reason is 'simple'. <-- SEE WHAT I DID THERE :3 In its simplicity, the show managed to pull me to its side with the idea of relatability (not sure if I spelt it right here). The show portrayed characters who took on different roles given different situations and somehow reflected to many of my own life's emotions and thoughts.
This was relevant in scenes of love, jealousy, friendship, happiness and depression and all the likes (Man, that depressed scene truly hit home). It felt so easy to imagine oneself in the shoes of the characters (every single one of them) and that truly was the winner for me.
Final Thoughts
Well, this KDrama was enjoyable for me and I did bask in being a sweet teenage girl whilst watching all the cheesy scenes of affection. At only 16 episodes short, I would definitely say its worth the watch and I definitely did not regret watching it. Personally I don't think I'll move on to another KDrama too soon whilst I am still savoring the scenes in my memories. Am I a convert? Maybe.
Till next time and may Love prevail. SSSSSS-WAAGGGG
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