Dentro do Ringue (2020)

truly a hidden gem: a breath of fresh air

there is no better way to describe this drama than a "hidden gem." I had heard the name once or twice, but truly dismissed it until I had some free time and I wanted an "easy watch." I was so pleasantly surprised by this drama. the story and characters were lovely, I found myself crying nearly every episode, whether it be from a moment of melodrama or some of the many moments of pure hope and human connection that the story highlighted.

however, what really stood out to me about this drama was the atmosphere. the producers knew exactly what "vibe" they were going for and fully committed in a way you see so rarely. it had a very unique, whimsical style to everything from the dialogue, to the cinematography. it was visually a delight to watch.

a narrative of finding your place in the world, and learning how to use your talents and passions to add value to the community around you...this drama was truly a breath of fresh air.

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El romance más adorable y relajante que podrás encontrar en el 2020.

El romance más adorable del 2020 y la prueba viviente que sí se puede hacer una buena pareja sin tanto drama... La historia no es del otro mundo, no busca ser innovadora o crear tramas complicadas; ella es simple porque así lo quiere ser, se contenta con ser buena y lo logra. Y aunque sea así de sencilla atrapa al espectador en esa aura tierna y relajada desde los primeros capítulos, ver esto es dejar el estrés en la puerta y prepararse para una hora de dramas and chill, porque aun si pueda sacarte de quicio alguno que otro personaje y la forma en que tratan a nuestra protagonista, la manera en que se resuelve todos los problemas y en cómo las relaciones (entre los dos protagonistas, entre los amigos y entre los familiares) son retratadas, alivia el dolor casi de inmediato; todo esto gracias a la comprensión y el apoyo que hay en el aire, es simplemente magnifico. La pareja principal es quizá una de mis favoritas de los últimos años, es lo que siempre busco en los dramas románticos y nunca encuentro: naturalidad, entendimiento entre las partes, madurez, verdadero apoyo y amor del bueno ¡carajo! no hay más palabras para describir lo que hicieron con el romance en esas 16 horas que Perfecto, al finalizar cada capítulo mi cara me dolía de mantener la sonrisa de estúpida por tanto tiempo. Es el mejor romance de este año por mucho, y me agradezco a mi misma por haberlo empezado aun si pensaba que no era lo mío.

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gem of all kdramas!

if you are thinking of giving into the ring a try, DON'T HESITATE A SECOND! i was in awe the whole time watching it and still am once i finished it. i've watched numerous shows but into the ring is such a fresh air and outdid MANY k-dramas in all aspects. you've got wonderful leads with exemplary chemistry. i'm extremely picky with my romance but oh my god someone hand nana and sunghoon their flowers cuz they genuinely had me giggling up and down every time they just popped up on the screen!!!! as well as just as wonderful supporting characters who you will learn to adore or dislike (most probably the district representatives). you've got one of the most (if not the best) cinematography i've seen which just compliments the theme and quirkiness of this show. every shot in the show is so beautiful to the point where i had to take some screenshots to commemorate their artistry. super addictive soundtrack that i'm actively listening to since it was that good! this show was so well thought out, well produced and executed! not once did i feel any sense of boredom in any scene. it's very refreshing to see how the writers were able to blend in what are always expected to be heavy themes (politics) with light hearted slice of life, romance & comedy themes but executed them perfectly, leaving nothing overshadow or left behind. i truly believe this is one of the hidden gems of k-dramas and definitely deserves to be noticed but once you check it out, you'll be glad to be one of the people that have been blessed to watch it! ps. make sure to stick around to the end of every ep to enjoy itr's epilogues!!!

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Excellent show

A delight. The build up to the romance is subtle and slow burn, it's not the kind of show that got my heart fluttering right away, but here slow and steady wins the race because the leads are such lovable characters and watching their chemistry build was fun. Their dynamic is so wholesome, sweet, and funny. No dumb tropes to deal with either. No noble idiocy break ups, no sudden trips abroad, no contrived miscommunications, just lots of cuteness and mutual growth and supportiveness.

Thankfully the plot is accessible even if you don't know know anything about Korean politics. The practical and emotional stakes of the various issues that come before the district council are clear, and the show does a good job depicting the small victories and petty corruption of life in local politics with a lot of heart. The only thing I wish the show had dove deeper on was the relationship between the ML and his father.

The heavy use of fish eyes lenses and extreme wide angle shots were bold creative choices that paid off well. The director did a good job of visually emphasizing to the audience the offbeat nature Goo Se Ra's personality and the distorted perspective made comedic scenes funnier and office scenes more intense. I also love the super vivid color palette and how many close ups we get of the main actors' faces, allowing them to really shine as performers. Watching this makes me lament Nana hasn't done more rom coms because she's obviously extremely well suited to the genre. She's such a force of nature here.

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I love each of these characters, I love the main leads. Watching their cute scenes makes me wonder, am i watching a real couple or they were just acting. Because it felt so real!

I love the story as well, usually, the man would be the strong-minded one. While in this drama, it’s the opposite. About the pace of the drama, I think I’m fine with it, it's not too slow nor too fast.

I adore how NANA portrays her character, she's cheerful, she did not give up when it seems like she's not favorable to run the office.

While the man leads, he might seem like he’s not a strong character but he is! It just that’s how he appears as. I love that he always be there for her, when she runs the office.

When IRL, the woman is portrayed as the one behind the success of the man, this one is the opposite.

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Best Drama I've Ever Watched

I've been watching kdramas forever and Into The Ring is one of the only ones that kept my interest the entire time. I didn't find myself skipping around and every plot point was interesting.

The FL was amazing though honestly at first I didn't know if I could watch her for long. She's over the top and blunt but to a realistic extent. The ML was also amazing with his interesting backstory and chemistry with the FL. I loved every character that came on screen and found myself sympathizing with even antagonists. Characters were also flushed out and every character had a clear propose and wasn't just there to fill up time.

The camera work in this drama is phenomenal too! So many interesting shots that add layers to what you're watching, especially when paired with this shows beautiful music.

The one thing about this show is that, at least for me personally, this show isn't focused on romance as they are on what people do for those they care about. The overall story of this is more based on politics and the tone is overall the average person vs the government. Especially towards the end I felt like the focus shifted away from the relationship and more towards the other plot points but I felt it worked very well.

I would urge anyone to watch this show even if romances aren't typically your thing! It's definitely.a show many can enjoy!

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That’s what we need!

What a gem! Super well made, great cinematography, witty, full of subtle emotions and bold colours. All characters are brilliant, great acting all around. Most importantly, there was minimal use of tropes - thanks goodness! The storyline was delivered neatly, with no need for sausage filling.
This drama is super smart, and I will be looking out for more such good work coming from the writers and directors.
This is the kind of drama we need, enough of tired (and tiring) formulae. Let us use our brains, let us laugh out loud. Let the characters have personality.

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An actual kdrama that is made for young people

I know the bar is extremely low for rom-com kdrama. But Into the ring is probably one of the winning horses in this genre. I don't know how much popular it is so can't say exactly if it's underrated or not but it deserves more attention for sure.

As for my quick review, as I mentioned earlier bar is extremely low but Into the Ring took some tropes and subverted them in a way that feels special.

1) Characters are not fucking virgins or sexually allergic.

2) Ex bf/gf or potential other love interests are not dramatically great/bad people, Neither they act out of character.

3) The vibe is extremely " muted " be it drama or romance. I don't have the right way to explain it but this show does a thing where they build up to a moment just to let the moment pass and focus on something else. It's a risky thing to do because it could ruin the pacing and flow. But it makes the show feel realistic and relatable. For example - They will show you characters fighting for election and it's extremely serious but 10 minutes later, it's been 1 week since the election and they are just vibing now and the election is irrelevant. I think succession does this too a lot.

4) The characters have lots of conflict and stuff, they don't fix it and none of the characters try to fix the other person. But the show does a good job keep it subtle while treating them as a real human with human problems.

5) Finally a fucking kdrama that doesn't look like wet cement and shit. I don't know why they use that yellowish Colour palette. And most of the time the camera usage is so boring that it looks like shooting a skit on stage.
But Into the Ring team probably had lots of fun on editing. The zoom focus for dramatic effect and then the cinematography around just a normal conversation scene are some of the biggest pleasures I have in kdrama. ( Minus Stranger & My Liberation Notes)

For flaws, the only problem I had was " Repeat scenes " like I know why they did that but it was so "spoon-feeding ". I mean I get it, 1 hour show you have to complete the runtime so you will add 5-6 minutes of filler. Also if you reveal something on ep13 which is hinted on ep2 then you have no choice but to show what happened in ep2, I wish shows do it in a way that it doesn't feel so stuffy.

Nevertheless, it was a very good show. Probably one of my favourite considering how much I drop highly acclaimed kdramas. An actual show that is made for young people.

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