Dentro do Ringue (2020)

This is a hidden gem! No insipid FL for you!!

People this is kind of the unicorn of dramas.

You know when we always complain about cliches and "dumb, clumsy, insipid " female leads? Well here is the answer to your prayers!!

OMG Goo Sera is one of the most awesomely weird female leads I've ever encountered (and I have seen A LOT of dramas). She is this weird mix of cuteness, smarts and stubbornness. I love her, and if she existed I would love to be her BFF.

So the plot revolves around her (a commoner with no political background) getting into politics just to get a nice paycheck. The catch is, she hates injustices and so she gets embroiled in political disputes and really funny situations because of this trait.

I gotta be honest some of the disputes may be a tad boring, but Goo Sera makes your time worth, because she has the best reactions, the best replies and the best sidekicks (the male lead is really cool, also her family and friends are so funny).

Also the bad guys are really relatable, not because you agree with what they do, but because you see this kind of people all the time ir real life (I mean a politician putting his/hers interests before the people's is not the far-fetched).

I confidently recommend this drama, give it a chance, you'll like it!

Leia Mais

Story:
This was outstandingly paced and written for the most part. The story is always moving, whether it's the political story or the relationship between Se-Ra and Gong-Myung, it was very exciting and engaging. The introduction of our characters leaves a big impression and is able to sum up the characters perfectly. Gong-Myung being proper and rather up-tight regarding the simplest rules and Se-Ra being determined and out of the box. I love how these two interact with each other as well as the other characters ranging from low-key shady politicians, one of whom is the father of the male lead, to well meaning parents who don’t always help in the ways they should. It was the perfect blend of comedy and romance with the influx of political dealings too. It can be frustrating seeing how Se-Ra is immedaly isolated in this new world but it makes it more satisfying when she is able to overcome it, developing her life goals as well as her fledgling relationship with Gong-Myung.

Acting/Cast:
The acting and chemistry between the leads was incredibly strong. Nana is a former idol turned actress, which normally will produce some “pretty, but not great” actresses in the industry but she is on-point with her quirky attitude. Her actions mixed with Gong-Myung’s reactions are comedy gold at times. The dark moments are well done by the main leads when called for it. This is mainly a light hearted but it captures other tones as well thanks to the cast being as consistent as it was. Ahn Nae Sang was brilliant as the drama’s main villain (of sorts), Jo Maeng Deok. He captured the subtle craftiness of the political role really well. To the point where he seems like a decent person at times.

Music:
This was a safe, backtrack that was used well. There was some funny comedic timing with the main song too.

Rewatch Value:
Is there much rewatch value in this? I believe so. The story isn’t one note and layered deep enough to make it worth revisiting again. And the mysteries are riveting still, even in hindsight.

Leia Mais

Usually drama-watchers value script and acting over other important factors and that's usually fine considering its television but I've seen some comments about how “weird is the direction” and that made me curious. After watching, I can definitely say I love the way is directed but also can understand how “weird” it may seem cause it goes a bit out of the way is usually made.

Direction in K-Dramas can be tricky considering it can vary from genre to genre and it's the one who should be one of the most valued (as it usually goes with movies for instance) because it sets the tone and the rhythm for the whole thing. A drama like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim for instance, the script in there isn't exactly the most groundbreaking and interesting (and I like that drama a lot) but what really makes it that watchable and fun is the (no, I'm not going to say the Park Seo-Joon shower scenes!!) directing work and, of course, the great actors who portray the main couple with that amazing chemistry. In here the direction really helps to maintain the sarcastic and sharp tone that political comedies usually go for in movies, but is not heavily handed like let's say Something in The Rain, where the director in that probably wanted to make a 16-hour long art house movie and it was hard to go through the whole thing without feeling bored or frustrated.

Everything in this drama is well-balanced to the maximum of its own strengths, which don't exactly make it a perfect drama, but a very solid watch that you can be sold to the idea by moment one or confused and annoyed right-away too. As for script and acting, Nana really nailed it, her character is fascinating cause it goes against the 'screaming quirky female lead' towards something more of a 'chaotic good and loud female lead'. She is really charismatic and even if she is supposed to be this annoying lady, it's so hard to be annoyed by her (at least for me). I'm not familiar with the male lead actor, but he made a good job too and their chemistry was really matched, specially with clever changes in dynamics. The reverse 'male boss — female secretary' was so fun to watch and now I want a whole show of that, please a reverse Secretary Kim please please Korea.

Now concerning Romance X Political Plots. If you're in for romance and romance only, you may find yourself a bit frustrated considering the show isn't 100% focused on that aspect (it's more or less 50/50) even tho the couple smooch each other a lot in the kissing scenes. And yeah, there is a bunch of political plots and sub-plots. Not that Serious Political stuff, because they deliver most of the comedy tone in those, so it's a lightweight watch with a few low points and a frenetic rhythm. Give it a try, if you're still not feeling it by episode 2 or 3 you can drop it without guilt.

Leia Mais

Into the ring was one of my favorite surprises of 2020. I started watching with zero knowledge of the plot, and only because one of my favorite singers, chuu from loona, was part of the ost and since I adore the song I decided to give it a chance and I'm so glad I did. I ended up loving the story and getting obsessed with it.
The acting was really good, the leads had a great chemistry between then and we love a healthy relationship, they are the most obvious in love couple trying too keep their relationship a secret while is clear to everyone that they love each other and I'm ALL FOR THAT.
Extra kudos for Goo Se Ra for being iconic, her scenes are so good and I laughed a lot.
This drama is painfully underrated and it hurts because I had such a good time and loved watching it ♡

Leia Mais

This drama is soooooooo natural!

I haven't finished watching it, but for me what stands out is that it feels very natural. Don't get me wrong, I know it is not. Actually, it is written and directed from a very histrionic angle, which plays good for the humor. But what I mean from natural, apart of the way the romance has developed so far, is that you can feel the heart of the characters, at least the most important ones.
Se ra, for example, is totally transparent and I love that about her. She one of my most beloved female leads just because she is honest about everything she does and she has a very healthy self esteem.
Politics are even interesting in this drama, and even the sketchy characters, you feel you want to know what they are up to.
The music is great!
Side characters are funny too.
Overall, I can't help but recommend this show.
I will tell you more when it's over.
Have fun!

Leia Mais

Boring as hell

I don't understand why this show has such a high rating and so many positive reviews.

The show was so boring that I couldn't stand it. I dropped at episode 12 and picked it up again to give a change... should have dropped it at episode 12.

The premise was boring, the characters were uninteresting and you couldn't care less for the story progression.

There was no chemistry between the main cast... The premise of abusive main heroin doesn't sound very appealing for me.

I watched the last episodes while browsing my phone and fast forwarding just to say that I completed it and give it a fair review.

I feel like there was some hype around a specific actor or actress and that's why there is so many 10's reviews, there is no other way to describe why is the rating so artificially inflated.

This goes to one of my worst kdramas that I've watched.

Leia Mais

Cute couple

I finished this drama because Seo Gong Myung and Goo Se Ra. I loved their interactions and how natural and comfortable they were with each other in their relationship. This is the first time that I watched Nana and Park Sung Hoon in a drama and I think they did well. I hope to see more dramas from both.

I am not much into political dramas so wasn't into that part of the story much. It was quite frustrating that Goo Se Ra did not get any credit for her work, it was always snatched away from her in the end, but I think it was realistic as she was not a politician and quite naive on how politics worked.

So going back to Gong Myung and Se Ra, I liked how they supported each other throughout everything.

Leia Mais

Weird in the best way

Into the Ring is a really cute story. If you’re in the mood for an underdog tale or if you’re having a bad day and just want to watch a girl and her long lost best friend be adorable, I’d totally recommend. But when it leaves the main cast, it’s not nearly as fun to watch.

At first, I think this show knew that its strength was the couple at the center, and it never strayed away from them for very long. While not laugh out loud funny, the directing was off-kilter in a good way and the heroine was delightfully weird. I even liked the some of the odd side characters. The female lead’s two friends and the little boy they babysit are all fun to watch, though I wish we got to know them more.

I’ve been trying to pin down what didn’t work for me. It’s not the writing; I think the plot moves along pretty well. The story wasn’t slow, but it was just kind of boring… the cute scenes stopped being enough for me after a little while. The villains are the corrupt politician types, and while I think Ahn Nae-sang was good in his role, I didn’t particularly like or care about him or any of the other sketchy politician people.

Nana was pretty great, especially at the beginning. I'd totally watch Park Sung-hoon be a serial killer. These two made this show watchable. The OST is low-key, but it's got a couple songs I really liked.

All in all, Into the Ring was alright; it just needed a more compelling main conflict. It’s a simple show with some really sweet moments that I think I’ll remember it fondly.

Leia Mais

serotonin boost

Usually it takes me 1 to 2 weeks to finish a drama but it only took me 5 days to me finish watching Into The Ring. I honestly enjoyed every second of this drama, most of the time I was giggling like a child because of sera and gongmyung. I love their banters so much and the little things that they do for each other. The way that their relationship developed feels so natural, they were also able to bring out the best version of themselves together.

The story was a good balance of politics, romance, and comedy. the characters were interesting and a breath of fresh air. Goo Sera embodies the youth of today, hopeful and determined. Seo Gong Myung is also a refreshing male lead. He may seemed stoic and uptight but he was just shy and cute bean. I was always looking forward to the scenes where he's smiling.

On other rom-com dramas, when the leads are already together, their relationship becomes flat and corny. However, Sera and Gong Myung were able to maintain their good dynamics. Their on-cam and off-cam chemistry is also cute! I'm also glad Sera and Gong Myung were able to avoid that cliched i-love-you-but-we-need-to-break-up plot around ep 13/14 skjdksd. Their healthy and supportive relationship is definitely the best among the kdrama pairings!

Into The Ring is undoubtedly one of the best dramas this year and probably my current favorite rom-com drama. Bonus points on the cinematography, loved the wide-angled shots!

Leia Mais

The politics plot wasn't realistically portrayed but we still get to see the insides of it. My least favorite side of the sorry if I'm being quite honest. The family, the friendship, the good vs evil, and the love between the main leads are what kept me hooked.

There were a lot of things that weren't shown or revealed but I think that's part of the beauty of the story like we can't judge people until you know the full picture and the writers gave us a chance to draw conclusions on our own.

The main character, I loved Sera. She's not perfect but tries her best, not smart but knows what's right and wrong. She loves her friends and family without showing it. The only thing that I didn't like about her was how she was really physically aggressive towards Gong Myung.

Gong Myung was stoic but with Sera with him, he found the perfect balance. I just love their relationship. There should be more couples like this in Kdrama, couples who talk about their problem and resolve them immediately.

The OST in this drama is one of the best!

Leia Mais

Quirky Take on Politics

This certainly wasn't a drama that was about taking itself seriously. I like the style of this drama but the execution of the plot was inconsistent at times. Being silly, in essence, gives the drama leeway on this fact.

I was onboard with the quirky female lead because it was a new take on the typical K-Drama Kongji & Patji dramas. She's a lot stronger FL than most, and not trampled on hardly at all. Her setbacks are all situational and manipulated but not from a specific case of those "out to get" her.

Towards the middle her character turns less dogmatic about the things that drove her choices which felt a bit out of character. Even the ML pointed it out in passing a few times. I was irked a bit, but they brought her back around to be more in character, and she never lost her passionate side or strength one time. Being quirky sort of meant spacy and she flies from one train of thought to the other but not in a ditzy or chaotic matter. It's just more messy at times.

The ML is stoic but with a heart of gold. He's the calm in the storm. The passion for doing the right thing match the FL, and they make great leads with wonderful interactions that come across genuine and natural. It's refreshing, and the drama around them drives them forwarding as characters rather than stymie them.

This was a fun ride although the ending felt as if they production didn't know how to end things. The time jumps were a bit awkward, and the characters either when in a strange direction or ended up, after all that forward movement, back to where their character's personality was before everything started. But, again, this is on the quirky side so it played to the style of the drama. I just prefer to have a more wrapped up ending.

Leia Mais