Overview of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo is a 2016–2017 South Korean television series starring Lee Sung-kyung in the title role alongside Nam Joo-hyuk. The drama with lovable characters is a fun package that will keep you smiling.
Who doesn’t like a charming coming-of-age story that gets you into the lives of the characters? The heartfelt coming-of-age drama portrays the life of a clumsy girl Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) who has a strong determination to become a successful weightlifter. The campus sports drama also depicts the lives of various athletes engaged in weightlifting, swimming or gymnastics.
Profile
- Drama: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
- Director: Oh Hyun-jong
- Writer: Yang Hee-seung
- Network: MBC TV
- Episodes: 16
- Release Date: November 16, 2016 – January 11, 2017
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
Cast
- Lee Sung-Kyung as Kim Bok-joo
- Nam Joo-hyuk as Jung Joon-hyung
- Lee Jae-yoon as Jung Jae-yi
- Kyung Soo-jin as Song Shi-ho
Supporting
- Cho Hye-jung as Jung Nan-hee
- Lee Joo-young as Lee Seon-ok
- Choi Moo-sung as Yoon Deok-man
- Jang Young-nam as Choi Sung-eun
- Oh Eui-shik as Bang Woon-ki
- Moon Ji-yoon as Sang Chul
- Ji Il-joo as Jo Tae-Kwon
- Kim Jae-hyun as Kim Jae-hyun
- Kim Woo-hyuk as Kim Woo-hyuk
- Choi Woong as Kim Gi-seok
- Cho Soo-hyang as Soo-bin
- Ray Yang as Sung Yoo-hwi, Coach
- Ahn Gil-kang as Kim Chang-gul
- Kang Ki-young as Kim Dae-ho
- Yoo Da-in as Go Ah-young
- Park Won-sang as Psychotherapist
- Yoon Yoo-sun as Kim Jung-yeon, Joon-hyung’s biological mother
Synopsis
Kim Bok-joo (Lee Sung-Kyung) is a hot-tempered young girl who lives an ordinary life with her father, who runs a small chicken restaurant. Growing up with her father, who was a former weightlifter, Bok-joo is inspired to follow his footsteps.
She joins a sports university, Hanwool University and soon joins the university’s weightlifting team. Training as a professional female weightlifting athlete, Kim Bok-joo doesn’t have much confidence with her appearance.
Bok-joo and her friends of the female weightlifting team are not popular, and they are not on good terms with the university rhythmic gymnastics team. She hangs out with her best friends, two weightlifter athletes her age, and off-campus, she helps her dad.
She meets Jung Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk), a 21-year-old swimmer on campus. Joon-hyung and Bok-joo were childhood friends when they were in elementary school. At first, when they meet, they do not recognise each other until an incident occurs that refreshes their memories.
Flashback to Childhood
A skinny young boy, Jung Joon-hyung, accidentally falls from a window. Young, cute, and chubby Kim Bok-joo catches him, and they both end up on the floor. They sit up and look at each other. Bok-joo spits her mouthful of food on Joon-hyung’s face, but he simply smiles at her and she smiles back.
Jung Joon-hyung’s mother, Kim Jung-yeon (Yoon Yoo-sun), leaves him behind and moves to Canada, where she starts a second family. Joon-hyung is raised by his aunt and uncle, along with his cousin Jung Jae-yi (Lee Jae-yoon). Jae-yi has a kind and gentle personality, and he is a former athlete who became an obesity doctor due to an injury.
Joon-hyung suffers from childhood trauma, which often affects his swimming tournaments, making him disqualified. The unspoken anxiety hinders him from unleashing his maximum capability at the pool, even though he has skills and body stamina.
Bok-joo and Joon-hyung gradually become friends. He enjoys teasing Bok-joo but gradually falls in love with her. Bok-joo lives a life full of fierce competition and intense training. Although her life can sometimes feel heavy, Kim Bok-joo always has two supporting friends, Jung Nan-hee (Cho Hye-jung) and Lee Seon-ok (Lee Joo-young).
One day, Bok-joo bumped into the charming doctor Jung Jae-yi and fell for him at first sight. It’s all good until Bok-joo learns that Jae-yi is Joon-hyung’s older brother. Bok-joo and Joon-hyung’s friendship slowly turns into love.
Their relationship is complicated by the arrival of Song Shi-ho (Kyung Soo-jin). Shi-ho is a top-class rhythmic gymnast who won a silver medal at the Asian Games at the age of eighteen. She returns to the sports university due to a decline in her performance and becomes Bok-joo’s roommate.
Shi-ho’s Past
Shi-ho and Joon-hyung were in a relationship. Shi-ho is an overachiever who has a psychiatric eating disorder. She is stressed about her skills and weight, and as a result, she often behaves rudely towards Joon-hyung, ultimately leading to their breakup.
Shi-ho still feels for Joon-hyung and initially becomes jealous of his strong affection for Bok-joo. Bok-joo has low self-esteem because of her chubby appearance, and she has been visiting a weight-loss clinic. Shi-ho exposes this to Bok-joo’s father and coaches out of jealousy.
Later one day, Shi-ho met with an accident. Bok-joo saves her life and sends her to the hospital on time. After that, Shi-ho’s relationship with Bok-joo gradually turns into a friendship.
Ending Explained
Joon-hyung hears the shocking news from Jung Jae-yi and his parents that his biological mother, Kim Jung-yeon, has returned to Korea for money as his half-sister is ill. Joon-hyung is disturbed after hearing this news. Although his relatives try to make him understand that his mother loves him, Joon-hyung walks out of the house.
In the meantime, Kim Bok-joo gets selected for special training at the Taereung National Training Center in China. However, instead of being happy about this achievement, Bok-joo is worried about Joon-hyung. She searches for him everywhere and finally finds him at the indoor swimming pool of Hanwool University.
Bok-joo helps Joon-hyung recover from the trauma and encourages him to work hard to get selected for the national team. Shi-ho had her final competition and she bravely finished her career as a gymnast.
Bok-joo wins gold in the weightlifting competition, and Joo-hyung has completely gotten over his swimming competition phobia.
Theme
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo gives a deep insight into the struggle to achieve dreams and aspirations. The key to happiness is acceptance and having peace of mind over whatever circumstances may come your way.
Friendships that stay in usual situations are nothing special but ones that stick during chaos are indeed admirable bonds. The trio of Kim Bok-joo, Jung Nan-hee and Lee Seon-ok portrayed in the drama shows true companionship.
Joon-hyung’s love for Bok-joo has influenced her journey towards self-acceptance. Bok-joo, who always stood with Joon-hyung in overcoming his trauma and phobia, shows exceptional love.
Just like any other youth drama, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo brings happiness with its power to relive those faded memories of friendships, love, and life.
Awards
- 35th MBC Drama Awards – 2016
Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries, Lee Sung-kyung
Best New Actor, Nam Joo-hyuk
Interesting Facts about Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
- The screenplay is motivated by real-life South Korean weightlifter Jang Mi-ran.
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo takes over MBC’s Wednesday and Thursday 22:00 time slots previously occupied by the 2016 South Korean drama ‘Shopping King Louis’.
- The first script reading occurred in August 2016 at MBC Broadcasting Station in Sangam, South Korea.
- Lee Jong-suk filmed a cameo scene on October 15, 2016, at an outdoor set in Nowon, Seoul, South Korea.
- The 14th episode of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo was originally scheduled to air on Thursday, December 29, 2016, but instead, it aired on Wednesday, January 4, 2017.
FAQs
- Who is the writer and director of ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo‘?
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok- joo is written by Yang Hee-seung and directed by Oh Hyun-jong.
- What is the genre of ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo’?
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok- joo falls into the sports, coming-of-age, and rom-com genres.
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How many episodes are in ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo’?
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok- joo has concluded a successful 16-episode run. - Is the K-drama ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo’ worth watching?
If you are looking for something funny and romantic, the story that revolves around new childhood friends-to-lovers is a must-watch. - What is the Instagram ID of Lee Sung-kyung?
heybiblee is the Instagram ID of Lee Sung-kyung. - What is the Instagram ID of Nam Joo-hyuk?
skawngur is the Instagram ID of Nam Joo-hyuk.
