Directed by Jung Dong-yoon, starring Namkoong Min and Park Eun-bin.
Watched 26 July - 25 August 2024 — 16 episodes (NETFLIX)
*Finally finished this critically acclaimed sports drama about a baseball team named Dreams, the worst team in the league for several seasons. I started watching this series with my sister but she dropped out around episode 5/6. I admit the pacing is slow at times and some of the baseball specifics can be difficult to understand and tend to be boring. It was nice, though, to learn about what happens during the hot stove league, which is a baseball phrase to indicate the sport's off-season. I actually liked the episode with the contract signing and the salary negotiations (despite dragging a bit).
*Heart and soul of the series are the characters and the team building. "You may not be strong, but it's okay because we'll help each other." It's all about the team of baseball players and the staff, they really felt like a family. In the last episode Namkoong Min as Baek Seung-soo says that he always was responsible for someone but that one day he realised that all his colleagues around him were also taking care of him. He's aloof and reserved, to the point of rude and heartless, but he comes to care about his team and they care about him.
*I love the episode where Seung-soo gets fired and spends time with his parents at the hospital where his father is admitted after a stroke. More backstory about Seung-soo is being revealed and why his brother is sitting in a wheelchair. It explains Seung-soo's cold behaviour and why he's not an approachable person.
*We also learn that Seung-soo's wife lost their baby and as a result they got a divorce. When he weeps while holding Gil Chang-joo/Robert Gil's baby, I really felt for him.
*Love Namkoong Min! He plays so well and he looks good, especially with the turtleneck sweater.
*Also love Park Eun-bin as Lee Se-young and how she trusts Seung-soo. I love their interactions. I knew there wasn't going to be any romance but I still loved how Se-young's mother kept making remarks about her daughter and Seung-soo ("A jobless man is still a man.").
*I didn't like Kwon Kyung-min (played by Oh Jung-se, seen him in Jirisan), the president of the team and junior managing director with Jaesong Group (the owner of Dreams) but I love how he redeemed himself and stood up to the chairman. He also seemed to care about baseball and in the end his respect and admiration for Seung-soo is palpable.
*Love the final episode with a guest role for Lee Je-hoon as the CEO of the firm that's buying Dreams. Also, the scene with Seung-soo and Se-young at the stadium (where she finds out he's not included in the deal) is emotional and got me teary-eyed. When Se-young walks away, we see Seung-soo in a quiet moment, keeping his emotions in check. Such a great acting moment of Namkoong Min. Though I would have preferred for him to stay on as general manager, the ending provided with him leaving and taking on another sports team to lead is the better option.
*I love how Seung-soo pointed out in the final episode what it is all about. It's not just about money and winning. Dreams' faithful fans truly care about their players and treasure the memories they have of their team. They might not remember if the team won or lost but they will remember visiting the game with their father and having fried chicken.
*Despite not being the masterpiece I was expecting, I get why this show won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Drama and why it's praised by so many K-drama fans. It's a feel-good and heartfelt show with good performances and well-written characters. In the beginning I could hardly keep the baseball players and coaches apart but by telling their individual stories they all get a face.
*I had hoped for one more encounter between Seung-soo and Dreams in the final moments of our show but it wasn't going to happen. I understand the writer's decision not to show whether Dreams comes out as the winner. It probably wouldn't be totally believable if they'd win. It isn't about winning after all, but about friendships and becoming a real team.