426. Into the Ring 출사표 (2020) Korean

Nana, Park Sung Hoon, Ahn Nae Sang, Yoo Da In, Han Joon Woo

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A

I had to watch this one because I needed to see my psychopath being a male lead. He did a good job. I loved his chemistry with Nana. They had the friends thing down so great, especially when they were like opposites attract and complement, but they also transitioned to lovers well. Yeah, this is a romantic comedy. It's a political one too. Warning to all who don't like that type of drama. This is a story about a girl who goes from being a chronic civic complainer (you know the type that notify city all about all the lights out in town and potential hazards, etc) to running for city council to make both money and a difference. It's about smaller town politics (it still happens in the Seoul Metropolis, I believe, but in a suburb district) and the pettiness of politicians. Seriously, they acted like they were all in some high school clicks.

So, there are multiple things going on in this show, and it really has a lot of character development. The best part is that our female lead is so likable and keeps up her unconquerable, tenacious spirit the whole time, that even though most of the show things are not going her way and she has everyone hating on her like the petty politicians they are. She is still spunky, but the type to complain and binge eat when she is sick of it, and then keep going. She definitely gets mopey, but the show was never mopey. Maybe because her moping and trying to run away was always comedic and light hearted instead of soul crushing for the viewers. But that's not to say that it didn't still weigh heavy where appropriate and bring some tears every once in a while. Especially when everything is backed by the classic tragic accident.

This all goes back to the overarching plot of the political corruption and pushing to build the Smart City project on the site of a hotel/resort thing that ended in a terrible accident that killed a lot of people and was placated by a memorial that was long forgotten. Now that the construction is beginning again, there are a whole lot of cans of worms trying to be kept unopened by the corruption that our girl has a talent for forcing open. The point to hopefully clean up some of the corruption. But there is always the problem of finding problems in places not expected and hopefully solutions as well. It's a good balance of goofy, realistic, and political, with plenty of heart, so that it was enjoyable to watch the whole time. I loved it.