Title : Into the Ring, The Ballot, Memorial, Execution Table
Episodes : 16
Genre : Comedy, Politics, Drama, Romance
Story : 9 out of 10
Characters : 9 out of 10
Cinematography : 7 out of 10
Into the Ring is an unexpectedly enjoyable drama, with a subtle but cute romance and a vibrating female lead.
Story
Goo Se Ra is the “Queen of Civil Complaints”, as she has a strong sense of justice and she always sends complaints to the local civil office. She, however, finds it difficult to maintain a job position and she is often in a bad financial situation.
And, after another failed attempt to get a proper job, and her boyfriend failing to support her, she makes the crazy decision of running for the district people’s office. There, she will come face to face with her ex-coworker and childhood friend, Gong Myung, with whom she often collided due to the difference of their characters.
But now, they will work together to fight corruption and help the civilians.
Korean drama ‘Into the Ring’ started with a pretty basic storyline, with a struggling and odd girl, a cold guy and a corrupted system. However, even though it didn’t start with a bang, the drama was solid entertainment.
The political conflicts did not confuse, nor did they become complicated and tiring to watch. The drama also blended the comedy element nicely with the romance and the small cases that Goo Se Ra had to fight for.
The romance was subtle and did not interfere with the main story, giving space to the female lead to shine and develop. The couple, moreover, had chemistry, as their personalities kind of completed one another, and their love story felt fresh and realistic.
In addition, the political cases were interesting and heartwarming, keeping things entertaining. But the main reason why this drama was such a breath of fresh air was the main character. She was a delight to watch and she pretty much dominated the whole drama, even though she was a quirky character with many flaws.
However, the last episode and a bit of the fifteenth were rushed and felt like they were random scenes edited together to present the next few years as quickly as they could. That was a bit disappointing, as up until then the drama was pretty steady and enjoyable.
Characters
Goo Se Ra is a positive, bright young woman who struggles to find a permanent job. She, however, believes in herself and so she runs for office at the local elections, and she wins. But now she has to deal with corrupted politicians and a series of complaints that she feels she has to answer.
Nana was one of the best surprises of 2020. She nailed her role as Goo Se Ra and she dominated every scene she was in.
Watch Nana in her previous drama K Drama Kill It
Gong Myung is a cold man who likes to be precise and efficient. He is on of the best civil servants and he often looks down on those who don’t meet his standards. However, he will soon understand Goo Se Ra and her motives and he will decide to help her with her cause.
Park Sung Hoon was the best match for Nana’s character, taking up a very different role compared to his previous one.
Catch up with Park Sung Hoon by watching his other drama KDrama «Psychopath Diary»
Hee Soo is the only other woman in the council. She is trying hard to keep her position and, therefore, she has often sacrificed her beliefs to please the rest of members.
Yoo Da In did a good job with her character and she mixed the comedy parts with the dramatic ones well.
Watch Yoo Da In in her drama KDrama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bog Joo
Min Jae is Goo Se Ra’s boyfriend and the Chief of council’s secretary. He often opts to choose his work over his girlfriend, even though she is displeased with him.
Han Joon Woo gave a nice performance, though he wasn’t a really strong second lead.
Watch Han Joon Woo’s other dramas KDrama Be Melodramatic and KDrama Hyena
Cinematography
The drama had a nice pace until the last episode, but the camera work was a bit odd, with many close-ups and high camera angles that sometimes made the actors’ faces look weird.
Overall
My overall rating for the Korean Drama Into the Ring is 9 out of 10. The last episode was a bit disappointing, but the drama as a whole was very entertaining.
Take a peek at the trailer for Into the Ring
Disclaim : I do not own the pictures or videos on this post. The links for those are under the pictures. Credits to the owners
K&J Reviews 
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