Stove League (2019)

Great Story, Acting, and Refreshing

I believe this drama deserves a higher rating on MDL, every episode left me wanting to watch more. Note that there is no romance in this drama; I found that quite refreshing. The story was really well done, there were a lot of twists and turns. There were no characters that were frustrating, except for the antagonist, but in kdramas what antagonist isn't frustrating? There wasn't any unnecessary dragging, everything was pretty realistic to me, a person who knows absolotely nothing about baseball. Overall, I gave this drama a 10, but the rewatch score being low. I don't think this is a show you can rewatch. It isn't a light-hearted show that one usually would watch.

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Good office drama in the world of sports

A breath of fresh air, Stove League is a good choice if you want a change of pace from romcoms, suspense crime thrillers, medical, and supernatural kdramas. Stove league is more about office politics in the world of baseball. It doesn't have a lot of the actual playing baseball scenes to be honest. It's about how a smart and competent manager, who may came off as rude and unfeeling turns around the Dreams team as last place in the stove league.

Payoff is satisfying as you feel as you've been with Manager Baek and his group go through every hurdle and surpass it. Nam Goong Min gave a more controlled but still solid performance as competent manager Baek Soo. What a solid cast, from very familiar faces we've all seen as amazing character actors from other dramas.

I've been wanting to watch Park Eun Bin for a long time, and she doesn't disappoint. Her aura is so endearing and earnest. I really need to see more of her dramas, and hope she will have more main roles in the future. What I'm surprised is Jo Byung Kyoo. He is so charming and entertaining as comical Jae Hee. I can't wait to see him as lead in Uncanny Encounter. He is just so animated on screen, and watching him banter with Park Eun Bin is a delight.

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It is soo goooood!

I love it. I was hooked from the first episode. I love the trio and specially Namkoong…he nailed his character as always. It was great to watch their journey and how they all come together as one.

The story was great and I love the love/hate bromance between Seung Soo and Know Kyung specially towards the end.

You can definitely watch the drama even you know nothing about baseball as it is not really a sport drama. Its about build the team back to his glory and trying to beat all the obstacles that comes in a way. I love the ending….it would be interesting to see his next project.

To be honest I did not expected to be soo good. Not sure why I was surprised as again Namkoong slayed the role!!

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Inspiring story about hardwork, passion and leadership

Starting watching on Sunday, kept hitting "next episode" until i realized i was almost done with the show! If i didnt go out on Monday, i probably would have finished this in 2 days ?

Likes
1. Amazing performance not just of Namgoong Min but from everyone - the management, the head office, and the players. Each episode focused one 1 to 2 persons' stories and how Baek was able to help and resolve the problem.
2. I only have basic knowledge of baseball so didn't really understand the stats, but it didn't really matter because the whole point is more on how a manager was able to successful transform a low performing team to a champion. It's not just how he worked, but how he influenced the people around him to become better versions of themselves.
3. You can pick up some tips on how to manage difficult people and how to deal with difficult negotiations, Baek Seung Soo is so good at it, i wonder why he is not a hot commodity. I guess they are uneasy with his unorthodox thinking.
4. I especially loved the episodes about Gil Chang Ju, Baek's brother and Lim Dong gyu's redemption. But i didnt like episode 15, i thought it was too much and episode 16 was too simple for a finale.

Dislikes
1. If the plan was to disband the team from the very start, it didn't really make sense to bring a new GM and approve of all his changes. It then feels like all his efforts will just be a waste of time and the best players will all end up team-less. I wish the objective was very clear frim episode 1 - if he can't fix the team before the season then they will disband.
2. I wish we saw more efforts from Seungsoo to look for a buyer all throughout the show. The ending was easily resolved with just 1 company agreeing to buy the team after just 2 meetings. To think Director spent years looking for a buyer.

Other than that, everything else was terrific.

Rating: 9/10

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Superb story, cast and performance.

Namkoong Min is a powerhouse and literally steals the show. Perhaps I am biased, but he stands head and shoulders above most other actors in the genre. He plays his role to absolute perfection and I can't think of anyone else who'd be a better cast for the role of Manager Baek Seung Soo. His ability to stay cool amidst great turmoil, manage great difficulties with delicate smoothness, and come out successful, this is just another level of performance. When he takes the stage, there's no line between the actor and the performance. He is one of those rare actors who *IS* the role, the character, the story and you can thoroughly feel the realness in his work.

Park Eun Bin also plays her role perfectly, and I expected no less after watching her breathtaking performance in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo".

The story itself is nuanced with a lot of strong character development, with every episode showing us just a little more insight into the nature of the people in the drama. And yes, it's a drama about power struggles and politics, not just sports. It's also a tale of grit and determination in the face of repeated odds, about negotiation and compromise, making hard choices and doing the right thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this series.

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