“Fight for My Way” garnered a lot of attention prior to its premiere. The drama marks Kim Ji Won’s comeback project in over a year, after the widely successful “Descendants of the Sun”. It also starred other big names like Park Seo Joon and Ahn Jae Hong. But is this experienced cast enough to make me recommend this drama?
The Plot
“Fight for My Way” is a coming-of-age drama, surrounding the lives of Ko Dong Man (Park Seo Joon), Choi Ae Ra (Kim Ji Won), Kim Joo Man (Ahn Jae Hong), and Baek Seol Hee (Song Ha Yoon), as they transition into adulthood.
Given their “third-rate” qualities and circumstances, they are forced to forgo their dreams and work at undesirable places. Dong Man, dreamed of becoming an athlete, works at a pest control company. Meanwhile, Ae Ra, who wishes to become an announcer, works at the information desk of a department store.
As the story progresses, Dong Man and Ae Ra, who are extremely fed up with their lives, decide to quit their jobs and follow their dreams. As per usual, they are faced with obstacles along the way, and the drama portrays those challenges throughout the sixteen episodes.
Here’s the thing. Without me spoiling the rest of the plot, I am sure you can already guess the ending. It’s typical, but that isn’t a bad thing.
The storyline is easy to follow and well paced, so despite starting the drama a few weeks late, I managed to catch up within a few days. This indicates that the plot can’t be too terrible.
The Cast
The four main leads, dubbed “The Crazy Fantastic Four”, are the pillar of the entire drama. In other words, their chemistry really does make-or-break the series. Fortunately, perhaps due to their similarity in age, they really do seem like close buddies that care for one another.
The two love lines in “Fight for My Way”, between Dong Man and Ae Ra, and Joo Man and Seol Hee, are also well depicted. With that said, I prefer the latter pair for they seem more realistic, as they battle through more ups-and-downs.
As mentioned earlier, “Fight for My Way” is Ji Won’s first drama in over a year. Compared to her previous work, she takes on a completely different character this time around — one that is filled with lots of agyeo.
While most netizens seem to appreciate this treat, I am kind of on the fence with this one. Ji Won’s tough image left such a strong impression on me from “Descendants of the Sun” that I just have a hard time adjusting to her character as Ae Ra.
Speaking of impressions, Dong Man’s martial arts coach Hwang Jang Ho (Kim Sung Oh) certainly surprised me with his comedic scenes. He easily wins the scene-stealer award for this drama, and his presence is one of the reasons why I would recommend this series.
The Verdict
“Fight for My Way” doesn’t have a plot twist. It also doesn’t leave a lot to be desired. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give this drama a chance. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed all the episodes.
As someone who was stressing out with assignments and exams, this was a perfect series to help me relax and keep me motivated.
Without a doubt, the moral of the story is cliche: If you keep fighting and believing, you can always achieve your dreams — no matter what gets in your way.
But hey, sometimes, we just need that friendly reminder. Along with the wonderful cast, this was exactly the reminder I needed. It might just do the same for you, so I suggest giving it a shot.
If you have watched “Fight for My Way”, what’re your thoughts? Do you prefer the tougher or cuter side of Kim Ji Won?