I finished Into the Ring and words cannot express how much I enjoyed this drama. I dare say it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever watched. It was so wholesome, inspirational, magnificent, and effortlessly hilarious. The OTP was pure bliss, so much so that I feel I degrade their relationship by coining it with such a common kdrama term, “OTP.” They were a relatively ordinary pair of characters but how is it that they leave such a lingering impression?

GOO SE RA! Has there ever been such a lovely heroine? I’ve already read so much praise for her and I can’t properly describe her to do her justice. But she was that girl that a lot of us aspire to be, well at least I do lol. Perhaps my favorite thing about her was how she was brave and resilient when it came to standing up for what was right but she was still vulnerable and needed a strong support system. Whether it be Gong Myung’s hugs with words of encouragement, a cactus in her office, or the pink slippers her dad bought for her, those were the little things that helped her move forward. I feel like a lot of shows fail at developing a character like this. Many shows start off with a spunky and outspoken heroine only to tumble her to a damsel in distress. But Se Ra was a refreshing and realistic balance. You can be brave and still be vulnerable at moments but with the right support group you find the Liu Bei within yourself and keep fighting the battle even if it means you’re the last one standing. What’s so satisfying is that she was also there for her friends, family, and Gong Myung. Seeing her and Gong Myung be on the same wavelength and complement each other so well was a huge part of why I liked them. They were equals and supported each other but always respecting each others boundaries as individuals. And to top it all off Se Ra was so much fun. She was wacky but it made her such an endearing character. I could watch her wink and giggle all day!

Surprisingly, I never found any of the characters to be annoying which I believe is due to great characterization. From Gong Myung’s dad, to Yoon Hee Soo, to Se Ra’ ex (I really appreciate the fact that Min Jae wasn’t used as a clingy ex plot…yes I’m looking at you Dinner Mate), I never felt exhausted. They weren’t cartoon villains; they were well rounded individuals even when they were wrong.

Episode 16 was bittersweet as it summarized Se Ra’s journey. I found it interesting that a lot of the moments that she looked back on were moments were onlookers could say she had lost. But that just goes back to how she kept fighting even if it seemed like a lost battle. At first, I felt like I wanted to know more on what happened with the Smart City development or the arsenic issue but then I realized that the battle isn’t over and people just have to stand up for the cause.

And I can’t end this post without a shout out to the last bus stop scene, which I admit I teared up at. Se Ra notes to Gong Myung that the bus stop still has the name Sarang but it will eventually change too. Then Gong Myung assures her it’ll be okay because they’ll still be there. It was so poignant, especially as Memory was part of Eun Shil’s campaign. It hit close to home because sometimes you fear the world will forget that person but as long as there are still people who remember and cherish that person, thing, or memory, it’ll be okay.

For being such a beautiful gem to end my 2020, for making me laugh, and for inspiring me to keep trudging forward, thank you Into the Ring. I’ll definitely be revisiting this drama soon. Nana!! ❤

P.S. It’s embarrassing how many times I’ve replayed the 3 seconds of Se Ra giggling while calling Gong Myung pretty.