What would it have been like if ‘Pure Boxer’ had taken the place of ‘The Real Man Has Appeared’?

[Enter Media = Novelist Ginger Park’s Side TV] KBS’ ‘Pure Boxer’ is a drama that shows the second fight in the lives of boxer Lee Kwon-sook (Kim So-hye) and agent Kim Tae-young (Lee Sang-yeop). The main character of ‘Pure Boxer’ is Lee Kwon-sook, who suddenly disappeared from her top position and went into hiding for three years. Kim Tae-young finds Lee Kwon-sook, who has disappeared, and brings her back to the world of her ring.

The reason why Lee Kwon-sook and Kim Tae-young enter the ring holding hands is not pure. Lee Kwon-sook leaves her boxing world because she is tired of her adults seeing her as a product. However, even after her death, her media and officials continue to pursue her as she disappears. Kim Tae-young said that she would definitely give Lee Kwon-sook a defeat that would send her falling off her cliff. Taeyoung Kim’s plan is as follows. By building up Lee Kwon-sook’s bubble and engaging in a match-fixing match, her agent pockets a lot of money from her and Lee Kwon-sook disappears as her loser.

However, ‘Pure Boxer’ is not a drama that depicts the evil match-fixing between Lee Kwon-sook and Kim Tae-young. Basically, both Lee Kwon-sook and Kim Tae-young are men and women with pure hearts. So, contrary to their initial plan, as time passes, they begin to look at boxing with pure hearts again.

‘Pure Boxer’ is a drama with no major flaws. It is also a drama that leans on humanity and humanity, fitting for the public broadcaster KBS. The plot continues comfortably without any eye-raising scenes. The characters’ conflicts and concerns are also resolved in a way that is understandable.

What is a bit disappointing is that the single hook is a bit lacking. For a drama to be successful these days, whether in terms of dialogue or situation, it needs a punch that can deceive people. However, I don’t feel that kind of hook in the lines or situations in ‘Pure Boxer’.

However, for that reason, it is not easy to exceed 2% in viewership ratings. The reason for the low viewer ratings of ‘Pure Boxer’ may have nothing to do with the drama’s production quality. The sentiment of ‘Pure Boxer’ is in line with the era of KBS writer Kim Woon-kyung’s ‘There is a Bluebird’. If it had been 20 to 30 years ago, it would have resonated with the heart, but for viewers who are accustomed to OTT, which is full of all kinds of unconventional and fantasy, it is a story that feels a bit boring.

The word ‘pure heart’, which means a pure heart, is not something that already resonates with me. Also, the shy romance of ‘Pure Boxer’ is not particularly appealing to today’s viewers. There is no device to incorporate trendy romance elements like tvN’s ‘Twenty-Five and Twenty-One’ or to dilute the slightly outdated new wave sensibility with a star cast and gorgeous directing like tvN’s ‘Our Blues’. There are also a few humorous scenes, but the overall heavy atmosphere also makes it easy to turn the remote control.

In this way, ‘Pure Boxer’ started with a difficult chance of success from the moment he first entered the ring. However, the fact that it is difficult to recover viewership ratings to this extent seems to be proof that the era of humane, simple, and ‘pure’ dramas has completely passed. However, ‘Pure Boxer’ may have a different approach to viewers who feel that the current popular dramas are too provocative and light. This is because ‘Pure Boxer’ is a work where you can feel the simple humanity of old dramas.

In that respect, I think ‘Pure Boxer’ would have received a better response if it had been made for a KBS weekend drama. This is because the setting of the third daughter, a secret boxing genius, seems to be a good card in a weekend drama that basically builds on the boredom of a family drama. If that were the case, ‘The Pure Boxer Appears Bravely’ might have received a much better response than ‘The Three Brothers Appeared Bravely’ or ‘The Real Man Appeared’.

Columnist Ginger Park pillgoo9@gmail.com

[Photo = KBS]