Hi there! This is a segment on my blog where I review Korean Dramas (also known as KDrama) spoiler-free! I’ve been watching KDrama for a while and I love the way these shows are made, specifically with the intention of showcasing a particular human thought and insight that gives you a refreshed perspective of your own life. So, I hope you enjoy it! All these opinions are my own and I do not own any media used below. All rights reserved with original owners/publishers.

I absolutely, wholeheartedly enjoy KDramas with a strong friendship storyline. If you have read my review on Hospital Playlist, you know that nothing gets to me more than a group of friends that you can fall in love with, almost as if they were your own.

And Racket Boys is that and more.

Racket Boys Netflix

Snap Summary: A badminton coach from the city migrates to a village, where he navigates the trials of shaping up the small badminton team of a middle school. But, it’s also about the lives of 4 middle school boys, how they handle growing up, making friendships, first loves, understanding their family all the while learning about competition, realizing their potential, and overcoming the hurdles that come with the sport.

It doesn’t hurt that there are a bunch of cute BTS references sprinkled in the show. In fact, the Korean name of the show is Racket Sonyeondan and BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan. So I already knew this was something I am going to love.

What I Learned From The Show:

1.     Children are very open about their emotions and their decisions. They do things because they think it’s right, or because they don’t want to. They are upfront, honest, and also straightforward with how they feel. Because of this, they lead a life that’s a little less uncomplicated and more in tune with the present moment. There is an innocent sense of justice to their actions that we can definitely learn more from.

2.     Adults, however, make the situation more complicated than it needs to be. They are the ones that induce unnecessary emotions and overthink. And sometimes we create scenarios and sow seeds of thoughts in children to fulfill our selfish agenda. It’s no wonder that children don’t often trust adults. Because we manipulate them with our own disfigured reality instead of molding them to be prepared.

3.     No matter how much you want to protect someone, often the only way for them to learn and become independent is to face the situation and handle it on their own, in their own way. Life lessons can be lectured, or experienced. The experience somehow proves to be a better teacher.

4.     Everyone needs a little guidance, no matter what the age. There is always something to improve, learn, apply and reflect no matter how old you become or how much expertise you gather. And if you pay attention, a lot can be learned from children :)

5.     Family aren’t always the ones that share your blood or last name. They can be found within your community, your friends, or anyone else who genuinely care about you and your well-being. Sometimes, we need to pay more attention to who these people are and value how much they contribute to our lives.

Favorite Quotes

“Kids get excited when they have a new goal or something fun to do. They just run towards it instead of overthinking like us grown-ups.”

“I am sure you guys already know that efforts don’t guarantee good results.”

“But people don’t always win. That doesn’t mean they didn’t work hard.”

“They say top players lead the game, but ordinary players can turn the tide”

Why You Need To Watch It:

1.     Their ever-expanding friend group is so heart-warming. How they support each other, how they fight, how they reconcile and just have fun the way kids are supposed to. Excellent acting, though I do hope they are good friends in real life.

2.     The sub-plots with the village folk add a good variety to the main storyline. Yes, they were disconnected at times, but they navigate their own rollercoaster of emotions. And they have their own lessons to learn.

3.     I have never seen a KDrama do product plugs so well and it’s so funny! The charming point of this show was definitely the laugh-out-loud moments and the childhood innocence of the humor.   

4.     While children are guided and come to a lot of self-realizations, I loved how the adults also managed to pick some traits from them and reflected on their own lives. It really goes to show, you can grow at any age.

5.     Best shows make you feel like you are a part of their family. And this show did just that. Please do pay attention to the small gestures, glances, meaning of the setting, and moments where you are so pleasantly surprised once you realize the intentions behind some of the character’s actions.

Why Do Racket Boys Have A Low Rating?

I was actually surprised to see why this show had such a low rating online. I read a couple of articles to find out that there was a certain racist controversy in Racket Boys. Especially in the scenes of competition between two countries that depicted a negative sentiment. Since I do not belong to that country, I can’t really comment on their choice of opinions. But personally, showing another country’s sportsmanship (even showcasing competitiveness in a negative light), could have been done better.

Also, I wondered how old were the actors in the show. In real life, they were all between the ages of 12-19 at the time of filming. And in the show, they were supposed to depict 16-year-olds, which is not that far off. They looked young, acted superbly according to their ages and the youngest team member Kim Kang-hoon (who plays Lee Yong-Tae) is so talented!

I am not sure if the actors in Racket Boys really play badminton competitively in real life, but they did train quite extensively for the show. And you could see it in their moves. All I can say is pay attention to the cameos too!

And if you loved the introspectiveness of this show, you will love Prison Playbook as they have the same writer. Also, another epic show and one of the highest-rated KDramas of all time!

All-in-all, sometimes we all need to be reminded about the importance of chasing our dreams and having something to look forward to. It keeps you hopeful, it keeps you motivated, it brings in some amount of youthful energy to your routine that refreshes your perspective of life. And I am so happy I can realize this in the simplest things like Korean TV Shows.

Life truly is about the small moments that often go unnoticed. And I hope this show teaches you how to relearn how to identify what are the things that really matter. :)

Living for a life that’s better than any KDrama,

Niki :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the media used above. All the rights are reserved with original owners/SBS