Top sports-based K dramas. (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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With the Paris Olympics fever at its peak, everyone is taking a special interest in all kinds of sports. Thrilling game moments and heart-pounding action is not just reserved for the field. If you are also a K-drama enthusiast, we are here to serve you the best of both worlds. We have curated this list of sports based K-dramas that have the sporty spirit mixed with the perfect dose of melodrama that will get you addicted.
Lovely Runner
Lovely Runner features real life Olympic gold medalist swimmer Park Tae Hwan, who won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It stars Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon in the lead as Ryu Seon Jae and Im Sol, respectively. Seon Jae is an aspiring swimmer but ends up becoming an idol. Im Sol admires his music and is a dedicated fan. But when a tragic incident leads to Seon Jae’s untimely death, fate presents Im Sol with a golden opportunity as she time travels 15 years back.
One of the most loved sports based K-dramas, Twenty Five Twenty One stirred all sorts of emotions in the audience. Kim Tae Ri played the character of a reckless and talented fencer, and Nam Joo Hyuk was the determined and optimistic journalist. The series takes us back in time and is set in the late 1990s. Though a lot of viewers were disappointed with the ending, the series conveyed a strong message that one lost love cannot be a defining factor for a happy ending in life.
Twenty Five Twenty One is streaming on Netflix.
Weightifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
Released in 2016, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo was way ahead of its time. Another sports based K-drama starring Nam Joo Hyuk opposite Lee Sung-kyung addressed issues like body shaming and mental health issues. The series’ main character Kim Bok-joo’s story was inspired by Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi Ran. Simply put, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo is everything served on a single platter. From romance to social message to drama, it has everything that will keep you hooked.
Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo is streaming on Netflix.
W
The 2016 release revolves around the life of Kang Chul, an Olympic gold winner in pistol shooting. Just when Kang Chul feels that his life is on the right track, his entire family gets murdered. But wait, that’s not the worst part. The worst part is he gets accused of the murder! But there is a plot twist. All this is happening inside a virtual reality world of a manhwa.
W is streaming on Viki.
Bloodhounds
Bloodhounds witnessed one of the most hyped bromances in K-drama in recent times. Woo Do Hwan played the role of Kim Geun Woo, a promising boxer and a former marine. He, along with Hong Woo Jin, played by Lee Sang Yi, embark on a mission to fight against a ruthless loan shark who exploits the weaker section of society. It is filled with gruesome action scenes, and both the actors did an outstanding job at playing the characters convincingly.
Bloodhounds is streaming on Netflix.
Fight For My Way
Fight For My Way is focused around South Korea’s national sport, that is, taekwondo. In the series, Park Seo Joon starred as Dong Man, a taekwondo athlete who vows to never compete again after losing a promising fight. Ae Ra, played by Kim Ji Won, is Dong Man’s childhood friend who dreams of becoming a television anchor. The plot follows a heartwarming journey of how their bond keeps them strong through the hardships of life.
Fight For My Way is streaming on Viki.
Racket Boys
Racket Boys is a slice-of-life K-drama with the perfect dose of sporty angle. The series explored the beautiful countryside of South Korea. Yoon Hyun Jong, a badminton teacher, gets a chance to coach a countryside middle school badminton team. His son Hae Kang is a badminton prodigy who is reluctant about shifting to the countryside. But eventually he falls in love with the place and the people there through his game.
