[Beanie Recs] Sports drama with heart
by DB Staff
Ahoy, Beanies! It’s time to gather your collective genius for a recommendation series that features you and your drama knowledge. Each week we’ll drop a drama conundrum and leave it up to you to provide a drama rec, and the appropriate rationale behind it, be it long or short. Respond below!
My Lovely Boxer made realize how much I love sports dramas that give me the feels. I’m looking for other good sports drama recs for shows that get your heart involved (because otherwise what’s the point).
Have a very particular drama itch that needs scratching? In need of a Beanie Rec? Email us at hello @ dramabeans.com and we’ll feature your topic in a future post.
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Tags: Beanie Recs, Drama recommendations
![[Beanie Review] When the Phone Rings](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WhenThePhoneRings_reviewb.jpg)
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1 Bunny Sonaki
October 3, 2023 at 8:11 PM
Twenty Five Twenty One
Weight Lifting Fairy
Racket Boys
Hot Stove League
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2 geminirat
October 3, 2023 at 8:34 PM
Prison Playbook, one of my favorites
Fight for My Way
Run On
Cheer Up
Thumping Spike
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Seon-ha
October 4, 2023 at 5:56 AM
Run On gets my vote on this one too.
It’s about sports (track runners), but mainly it’s about watching people hide away (run from) relationships, watching them rush into (run towards) relationships, and sometimes watching them get hurt in (run smack into) relationships.
There are around four pairings of people (and some individuals) trying to figure out what love and connection means to them in this drama, and I found most of the conclusions to these love stories pretty satisfying—something I know is hard to come by in K-dramas!
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3 jillian
October 3, 2023 at 8:55 PM
In no particular order:
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo - both leads are involved in sports, weightlifting and swimming.
Hot Stove League - baseball
Love All Play - badminton
Cheer Up - cheer dance
Twenty Five Twenty One - fencing
Reply 1994 - baseball - Chilbongie!
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4 lapislazulii
October 3, 2023 at 9:02 PM
Love All Play has a lot of heart ('too much' even if you're averse to angst, but imo even if you, are it's worth it).
I'll sneak in a C-drama rec too - Skate Into Love, nothing new but it's really cute and reminds me a lot of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.
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indyfan
October 3, 2023 at 9:26 PM
Yes! 💯 Bonus: You'll fall in love with CJH just in time for his turn in Castaway Diva.
Pro tip wise Beanies passed on to me: If the home-stretch angst starts and you're not in the mood, skip those episodes and read the recaps, and then tune into the finale. It made the show so much more enjoyable for me.
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pickleddragon
October 3, 2023 at 11:50 PM
Skate Into Love has Steven and Janice (*hearteyes*), could you ask for more. It did get a bit frustrating in the middle, and I think it's longer than it needs to be, but it sure is a sports drama with heart.
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lapislazulii
October 4, 2023 at 4:54 PM
For sure! I think towards the end third especially, we could've cut out some of the miscommunication stuff BUT it still was a very cute drama and also Steven and Janice 😍 indeed!!
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5 Lostpanda is celebrating My Ajusshi 💔
October 3, 2023 at 9:21 PM
Twenty Five Twenty One: the sport of ripping my heart into shreds.
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6 💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
October 3, 2023 at 9:22 PM
... Alas.
Hot Stove League is excellent though.
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Alluvial_Fan
October 4, 2023 at 5:48 PM
Mr Incredible is the title of the NYT article about Ohtani Shohei. A phenom born in Japan who is shredding every MLB record available.
"Mentally, physically, health-wise; being able to handle all that" is a quote from a writer geek.
You can read it in the NYT magazine 10/01/2023.
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7 technicat
October 3, 2023 at 9:28 PM
Triple
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technicat
October 3, 2023 at 9:59 PM
I didn't finish it, but I thought Taerung National Village (on Kocowa it's The Path to Glory) about Olympic athletes was nice. Features a young Lee Min-ki and Lee Sun-kyun.
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8 🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 3, 2023 at 10:45 PM
I was very invested in Ahn Hyo-seop and his friends rowing in Still 17 ... and the won a medal ...🏆 🏅 😄 ...yay!!
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Kurama
October 4, 2023 at 2:39 AM
There was Lee Do-Hyun too.
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🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 4, 2023 at 3:05 AM
Very true ... when I saw Still 17 couldn't see beyond Yoo Chan and his samchon! Still low-key wished she'd choose uri Chan-a.
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Kurama
October 4, 2023 at 3:20 AM
Oh, no.
I prefer Yang Se-Jong!
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🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 4, 2023 at 3:26 AM
Of course he was the best. Sometimes when I see benches I still remember him taking out his measuring tape. My favorite was when he kept crying and no one was able to tell him that his girl is "not" going abroad after all.
Isa is always time travelling
October 4, 2023 at 12:49 PM
I admit having SLS there. I wouldn't have minded if she had chosen Chan.
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♡Peach_Mochi♡
October 4, 2023 at 8:20 AM
“Don’t think, feel!” One of the most satisfying drama endings ever, imho.
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🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 4, 2023 at 9:56 AM
Absolutely... everything was just perfect about that drama. One can go on and on ...
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Goyangi and the Camel Crickets
October 6, 2023 at 8:22 AM
This was a fun show! The only part I didn't get was the anonymous 4th rower who was apparently not part of the team ...
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🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 6, 2023 at 8:28 AM
Yes ... it was rather strange.
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9 jerrykuvira
October 3, 2023 at 10:55 PM
Mental Coach Jegal.
Fight For My Way.
Twenty Five Twenty One.
Racket Boys.
Hot Stove League.
Love All Play.
Just Dance.
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parkchuna is Scouting for Stars in Hanyang 🍉
October 4, 2023 at 6:53 AM
I was sure no one remembered Just Dance, but here it is. So, yay!
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pickleddragon
October 4, 2023 at 9:46 PM
Does Just Dance count as a sports drama? If yes, heck of course it definitely has a LOT of heart! Such an underrated show, it got everything right and more. I even wrote a long essay on it on my fanwall some time back, I loved it so much!
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parkchuna is Scouting for Stars in Hanyang 🍉
October 4, 2023 at 11:41 PM
Yes i think so. It’s dance sport right.. hehe
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Isa is always time travelling
October 5, 2023 at 1:21 AM
KBS Special “Socialization: Understanding of dance” was a very nice TV movie too.
A beautiful relationship between ML and FL.
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parkchuna is Scouting for Stars in Hanyang 🍉
October 5, 2023 at 6:34 AM
KBS Specials are kinda hard to find though..
Isa is always time travelling
October 5, 2023 at 7:06 AM
@parkchuna
I watched that KBS Special on YouTube with English subs :)
10 Isa is always time travelling
October 3, 2023 at 11:20 PM
Of course, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. A rom-com where sports plays a great part. The lovely main couple will bring lots of heart.
25-21 is my favorite sports drama, but not everybody accepted the ending. I highly recommend it, though. It's a coming-of-age about those times and loves that never come back.
Navillera. If classic dance counts, this one is a beautiful story about a special friendship and accomplishing lifetime dreams.
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Isa is always time travelling
October 3, 2023 at 11:24 PM
I forgot to mention Prison Playbook, which happens to be my favorite k-drama, but I don't know why I don't think of it when I'm asked for "Sports dramas".
It's a masterpiece.
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Unaspirated
October 4, 2023 at 4:00 AM
I just looked through my list, and Prison Playbook is literally the only drama that I've watched that could ever count as a "sports drama". But I agree, it's a total masterpiece! Highly recommend.
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Cay_sbtgoG
October 4, 2023 at 9:55 PM
The fact that it wasn't the thing that we fell for from that drama could be the main reason. I'd put it under 'found family/friendship' theme more.
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11 Kurama
October 3, 2023 at 11:22 PM
Racket Boys : It was really good! The kids were so cute and lovely. I liked the story took place in the countryside.
Hot Stove League : I know nothing about baseball but it was really interesting. But the ML kinda stayed this mysterious guy during the whole drama.
Love All Play : The ML was great but sadly, he never got the love he deserved. It frustrated me very much. But the second couple was cute.
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pickleddragon
October 3, 2023 at 11:48 PM
Racket Boys was a clean coming of age sports drama. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
I watched Hot Stove League after it finished live airing, and was not as gripped as everyone else seemed to be.
Love All Play started off so well, but aargh it got super annoying. It held a lot of promise as a true young adult romcom (not about school kids), but failed in execution.
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Seon-ha
October 4, 2023 at 6:02 AM
Me too, @pickleddragon! I didn’t seem to enjoy Stove League as much as everyone else. For me, I think it’s because I had just seen Chief Kim. NM plays similar taciturn heroes in both, and I much prefer him in CK.
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Cay_sbtgoG
October 4, 2023 at 9:47 PM
Hot Stove League: Me too! I wasn't entirely hooked with the story; most likely because sports theme isn't my cup of tea. But I l loved Marathon movie though I'd say it focused more about the struggle of Cho Won and his family; mainly his mom, so it resonates with me.
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Isa is always time travelling
October 3, 2023 at 11:59 PM
I have not watched any of these, and all of them are on my list. The more dramas I add to my "plan to watch" list, the more I'm conscious it's an impossible task. That's why I have to learn how to drop dramas without looking back. That's the only way.
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Kurama
October 4, 2023 at 12:09 AM
I really liked Racket Boys and Hot Stove League. Both of them were great and I have no regret.
For Love All Play, it had one of the best ML and the actor was the cute and sexy Chae Jong-hyeop. But the story was quite frustrating.
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Isa is always time travelling
October 4, 2023 at 12:21 AM
Other dramas which are on my list will probably be ruled out in the future (I'm never in the mood for some of them), but I'm sure I want to watch these three, for different reasons :)
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12 pickleddragon
October 3, 2023 at 11:52 PM
At the time of watching it, I seem to recollect reasonably enjoying the short kdrama Short, not least for Kang Tae-oh, but I cannot now remember why I liked it 😂 I guess it should be a part of this list, maybe?
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Goyangi and the Camel Crickets
October 6, 2023 at 8:31 AM
That one was ok, not great but good, speed skating.
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13 Cay_sbtgoG
October 4, 2023 at 12:40 AM
I think not many dramas that fall into this category (pure sports), mostly it's just the background or side story. As with heart; it's highly arguable. Kdramas are known for it, that even its thriller or horror can be full of heart.
Anyways, these are sports related shows I've watched:
Crash Course in Romance
18 Again
30 But 17
Prison Playbook
Hot Stove League
Glory Jane
Perfect Game movie
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technicat
October 4, 2023 at 9:32 AM
Oh yeah, nice baseball theme in Glory Jane! Would have preferred more of that than the corporate shenanigans.
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Cay_sbtgoG
October 4, 2023 at 9:49 PM
I forget the plot entirely, but I still remember watching it. It was my first time watching Park Min Young.
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Kurama
October 5, 2023 at 12:36 AM
But he played one match and then became of rookie in a compagny... She wasn't a nurse neither. This drama was so weird.
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Cay_sbtgoG
October 5, 2023 at 1:36 AM
When did you watch this? You seem to still remember the story. It's over a decade ago for me, plus I'm sure I personally graded it only watchable, hence not remembering the story.
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Kurama
October 5, 2023 at 1:56 AM
When it aired... But it let an impression because of the plot precisely. The fact they both had a job and did something completely different during almost the whole drama 😅
14 🌸 Seeker 🌸
October 4, 2023 at 6:09 AM
Weightlifting Fairy reminds me that Lee Sung-kyung played an aspiring archer in Call it Love. We have perhaps only a scene of that but there are several callbacks to the fact that she was an archer. Also she hits the bulls-eye - with her left hand - in a dart competition with the 2ML who then agrees to leave uri Dong-jin alone. So that was a win! 😀
In W: Two Worlds Lee Jong-Suk played an Olympic pistol shooting champion. 🏅
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Diana Hansen
October 4, 2023 at 7:35 AM
Do saeguks count? In Sungkyunkwan Scandal they had exciting archery contests! I love sports dramas so all listed are good ones. Especially Prison Playbook, Mental Coach Jengal, and Hot Stove League. I learn a lot about each sport through them.
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15 Goyangi and the Camel Crickets
October 6, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Fight My Way
I love friends to lovers dramas and this is a good one.
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Goyangi and the Camel Crickets
October 6, 2023 at 8:39 AM
All of my favorites were already mentioned: Weightlifting Fairy; 25/21; Hot Stove League I liked for PEB but didn't love this one; Run On; movie Dream was ok but I like the idea of supporting people in need; and special mention does holding your breath underwater count as a sport because if See You in my 19th Life nailed it!
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16 immawish
October 9, 2023 at 2:11 PM
Read the title and Love All Play (or if you prefer the authentic 'Going to You at a Speed of 493 km' like me) is the one that pops up right away. If you define 'heart' as being heartwarming and full of emotion, its entirety relies on it. If you define 'heart' as having overflowing chemistry, it also has the best of it. Probably my favorite leads for both Park Jihyun and Chae Jonghyup to this day.
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