Kayosai
Racket! SON~YEON~DAN~
Ahhh, what a show! Racket Boys was my happy pill for a long while these past couple of months. It started off with a bang and gave me all the sweet childhood Reply 1988-style vibes for the first half. Unfortunately, the show dragged a bit in the back half — at some point, I felt like there wasn't much plot left, so we filled the time up with badminton scenes that felt repetitive. We also lost a bit of momentum due to COVID, but thankfully, the series wrapped up on a high note. I found myself grinning and laughing as all the loose ends got tied up! I'll miss this crew, and I'm glad we got to see them grow and mature.
By far, the strongest cast members were the kids. All of these child actors are all stars, and they all have such bright futures ahead of them! Tang Joon Sang + Baeksang, WHEN? I hope one day, we'll look back on this cast and marvel at how they were cast on one show together (think: The Heirs). Unfortunately, the adults weren't all quite as strong. I found the dad particularly irritating; he acted so pitiful, irresponsible, and childish at times. You are too old to be acting the way you do. Even by the end, his climactic moment with the kids was still all about HIM rather than the KIDS. I also felt bad for Hae-in; her parents totally neglected her.
Speaking of neglect, the initial storyline of the family dynamic seemed a bit contradictory. The mom wasn't around at first and there was a whole episode on the mother-child dynamic (done so well), and then the problem seemingly... disappeared completely?! We could've gotten a fleshed out struggle (and Oh Na Ra OBVIOUSLY has the talent to handle a more dynamic character), but instead we got her sitting around folding clothes for the whole family as though she were always attentive and present. I did love all the other boys' family dynamics though — the productive and proud Bangs, Woo Chan's gruff and protective father, Yong Tae's alternative father, and In Sol's involved father all offered nice contrast to one another. I also found it odd that In Sol was seemingly added to the main cast halfway through, but dude deserves it. I just wish he had more time to play.
At its best, this show shone — I loved the curry scene, burger scenes (both of them!), Daegu birthday and construction moments, and the first nervous walk in the greenest potato fields. I also loved all the references to BTS, pop culture, and Prison Playbook. There were some clunky moments in between, like the clearly shoe-horned preachy perspectives (on gratitude, country vs city living, etc.) and the dialogue in the father-themed episode that mirrored Reply 1988's first episode heart-to-heart but without any subtlety. And sometimes I felt infuriated by all the screen-time wasted on village meetings and feuds with visitors. But on balance, Racket Boys was a wholesome and heartwarming watch.
By far, the strongest cast members were the kids. All of these child actors are all stars, and they all have such bright futures ahead of them! Tang Joon Sang + Baeksang, WHEN? I hope one day, we'll look back on this cast and marvel at how they were cast on one show together (think: The Heirs). Unfortunately, the adults weren't all quite as strong. I found the dad particularly irritating; he acted so pitiful, irresponsible, and childish at times. You are too old to be acting the way you do. Even by the end, his climactic moment with the kids was still all about HIM rather than the KIDS. I also felt bad for Hae-in; her parents totally neglected her.
Speaking of neglect, the initial storyline of the family dynamic seemed a bit contradictory. The mom wasn't around at first and there was a whole episode on the mother-child dynamic (done so well), and then the problem seemingly... disappeared completely?! We could've gotten a fleshed out struggle (and Oh Na Ra OBVIOUSLY has the talent to handle a more dynamic character), but instead we got her sitting around folding clothes for the whole family as though she were always attentive and present. I did love all the other boys' family dynamics though — the productive and proud Bangs, Woo Chan's gruff and protective father, Yong Tae's alternative father, and In Sol's involved father all offered nice contrast to one another. I also found it odd that In Sol was seemingly added to the main cast halfway through, but dude deserves it. I just wish he had more time to play.
At its best, this show shone — I loved the curry scene, burger scenes (both of them!), Daegu birthday and construction moments, and the first nervous walk in the greenest potato fields. I also loved all the references to BTS, pop culture, and Prison Playbook. There were some clunky moments in between, like the clearly shoe-horned preachy perspectives (on gratitude, country vs city living, etc.) and the dialogue in the father-themed episode that mirrored Reply 1988's first episode heart-to-heart but without any subtlety. And sometimes I felt infuriated by all the screen-time wasted on village meetings and feuds with visitors. But on balance, Racket Boys was a wholesome and heartwarming watch.
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