I'll open the dances here :)

My Lovely Boxer for me was a beautiful surprise. One of those rare dramas that make you a bit obsessed in that perfect way.

This is probably because of the two leads who I loved to pieces and found absolutely delightful. Both very talented, both perfect for the roles and electric during their scenes together.

My Lovely boxer is a drama about sport, about life, about finding your place in it, about trying your best. Because when you give your best then the result doesn't matter all that much. It is also a beautiful love story tha really made my heart flutter. Two very different people find confort and strenght in one another.

Each side of the story is well balanced. The drama can be funny, very emotional, full of angst and at times tender. There is also space for a beautiful friendship between the FL and her enemy on the ring, which is always a big plus.

I would have loved to stay with these characters for a couple more of episodes. But that is okay. This is my fave drama of 2023.

If we remove the match rigging business and the ending scene kiss that felt forced and rushed to me, then this is one of the hidden gems of the year.

I can't really find the words why I love this drama so much so I'll try to do a very barebones pros and cons list instead:

Pros -
1) really great writing that will keep you engaged throughout
2) lots of satisfying character development
3) The ML - dude's a great actor playing a very morally grey and complicated person on a path to redemption
4) adorable FL, who goes on her journey of acceptance and healing
5) positive female representation, lots of good examples of female & male friendships
6) all the side characters are written to be very sympathetic, esp ppl like Areum and Ara; you empathize with and root for them
7) beautiful BGM and OST
8) heartwarming relationship between the leads, I shipped so hard

Cons:
1) villains are really evil & you'll grow to hate them, but they're not handled very well imo
2) age gap relationship, that's a bit rushed but YMMV
3) absolutely annoying SML who takes way too much screentime

What I liked about this drama:

- ML (Lee Sang Yeob) and FL's (Kim So Hye) acting and interactions.
- Little drawings on the screen.
- OST.
- Some beautiful moments here and there.
- When it was cute, it was really cute.
- Kim Hee Chan as the FL's coach.
- Slice-of-life style.

What I didn't like:

- Lacklustre writing and editing. Too many times I found the script unnatural.
- Kim Jin Woo's acting was so-so.
- Boxing. It seems I hate it even more than the FL.
- Bad guys sub-plot. I'm fed up with mafias and gangsters in dramas.
- The young actors who played ML and his best friend didn't look alike their adult versions. At all. Maybe they should have exchanged their roles...

For me, the drama was perfect in every respect when I watched it. I cannot say objectively whether this is the case. For me, drama is perfect when it captivates me, draws me into its world, when I emotionally experience the fate of the characters, I like them regardless of their character, whether they were bad or good. This drama fascinated me from the first episode to the end. I don't regret a single second spent watching the episodes.

I’ve always liked Lee Sang Yeob and i’m so happy there’s finally a drama where he’s the lead, that i loved. He’s one of those that’s equally fantastic at playing hero or villain (i actually enjoy when he’s a bad guy esp. when i think about his kind of bumbling naive nature in variety shows).

The FL also held her ground opposite him and absolutely nailed the role. Because of the actual age gap n the young nature of her character, it could’ve been totally icky, but she balanced the naivety and showed the character’s development perfectly.

Sure there’s boxing, match-fixing and some thug stuff going on, but the core (and heart) of the story is really about how these two people met at a time when they were struggling and overcame the challenges together. Such a gem this one! ⚾️ 🥊