Into the Ring

Presentation

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Analysis

Synopsis

​Goo Se Ra is a young woman struggling to find her path. She has strong beliefs and opinions, is very upright and wants what’s best for her town. Therefore, she is known as the Queen of Complaints which leads her one day to participate in the local election as an independent candidate. In her task, she becomes entangled with Seo Gong Myung, a fifth-grade civil servant who has a peculiar personality as well.  

My Opinion (No Spoilers)

“Into the Ring” happened to be quite the surprise when I watched it. At first, I was a bit worried that it would be too close to another drama called “My Fellow Citizens”, in which a rather atypical man decides to run for election. Even though it seems to be going that way at first, “Into the Ring” managed to bring so much more than just this back story. Indeed, there was humor in every scene, especially because of the uniqueness of the two main leads, the drama was also quite the emotional roller coaster and really reliable in many ways. 

Moreover, I think that Nana displayed her best role in this drama! I had previously seen her in “Kill It” and was a bit apprehensive when I started “Into the Ring” because her acting had previously displeased me. Yet, I was astonished to see how well she embodied that bright, funny and crazy woman. 

If you wish to see a political drama, made up off puns, twists and turns and unpredictable behaviors, I really recommend this one! It was a drama that I didn’t see coming and that I am glad to have stumbled upon! 

​Analysis (Spoiler Alert)

Characters: Goo Se Ra (Nana) is bright, positive, strong-headed, upright and very determined. She is not afraid of speaking the truth nor saying what she thinks. Her inability to hold her tongue has often played in her disfavor, making her lose many jobs and positions. Yet, she has quite the fighting spirit and is hardly disheartened after the first hurdle. I simply loved that state of mind, that I found admirable. She knows that she is not necessarily qualified to become a politician mostly because of her background (she has studied design). Still, her love for her community and her will to make the town a better place catapults her on the front line. She becomes the candidate you didn’t see coming and a force to be reckoned with among Assemblymen. 

I really loved how Se Ra’s character was created. Everything about her turns her into a sort of psycho crazy person: the way she walks (it is so hilarious by the way), the mimics on her face (how she looks at people and manages to destabilize them) and so many other little gestures that make her also quite charming and an endearing character. To me, she is the perfect embodiment of “crazy”, but that’s why I loved her so much and why she can fight in the political arena so well. She’s not a quitter, she is a turbulent storm that never stops ravaging what’s has been established and needs to change.

​Seo Gong Myung (Park Sung Hoon) is as atypical as Goo Se Ra, but in a very different way. Indeed, he is not very talkative, very strict about his job and quite cold and unfriendly with people. His distant personality makes people around him uncomfortable. He is quite hard to approach or to befriend. His father is an assemblymen Jo Maeng Duk (Ahn Nae Sang), with whom he cut ties after the death of his brother (in his childhood). He has had a sad and hurtful upbringing, despite the fact that he was born in a rich family. 

Se Ra and Gong Myung were actually friends when they were little and they just happen to reunite, when Se Ra becomes an assemblywoman. More than that, they become involved in a sweet and cute relationship. Even though at first they seemed to be worlds apart, I could totally see how well-matched they actually are. They both have strong beliefs that align, they don’t like injustice and protect those who need it. Therefore, they are willing to stand up against corruption and misbehavior, even though that means being the one taking the hit. Indeed, Se Ra loses her job and position, even as an Assemblywoman several times and Gong Myung is transferred to the civil complaint service, when he was actually working for the top team. 

Romance: Even though everything has not always been easy for our characters, they end up forming this incredibly strong duo, taking on the world. Apart from being a professional team uncovering politicians’ misdeeds; they also form a beautiful couple. All the scenes filmed with just the two of them professing their love for each other, were cute and heartwarming. After spending more than 8 years in a relationship, Goo Se Ra finally found her equal and partner in crime with Gong Myung. I loved seeing them trying to act casually at work and becoming that cheesy couple outside the District Assembly. Their kiss scenes were by the way incredible and the chemistry is literally over-the-top! Plus, they like to tease each other, reinforcing their bond, episode after episode. 

Finally, can we talk about their crazy spot! It is perfectly designed for romance!

Goo Se Ra’s entourage (friends, parents, colleagues): It is true that Goo Se Ra and Seo Gong Myung are atypical, but the strength of the drama resided in the fact that everyone is “weird”. Goo Se Ra’s parents are a comic and dynamic duo. Her father appears to be the responsible one, while her mother is always putting herself into money troubles. Yet, they are like kids, arguing and then reconciling in a split second. Even Goo Se Ra’s friends are somewhat different: the amazing friendship between Jang Han Bi (Shin Do Hyun) and Kim Ja Ryong (Choi Go) is awesome to see and Kwon Woo Young (Kim Mi Soo) is a very intelligent woman, who is not afraid of what other people think. Goo Se Ra’s colleagues are no better, Yoon Hee Su (Yoo Da In) and other politician are like children, fighting at the playground (that is the Mawon District Assembly). All of them bring some comic elements to the story!

Ambiance: Since the action takes place at Mawon District Assembly and that the main subject is politics, the drama could have rapidly become a very hard and serious one; emphasizing its intrigue on corruption and power. However, the tone of the drama was totally different, because the originality of the characters created a lighthearted atmosphere. Even through life struggles and difficulties, the brightness of Se Ra, her friends’, her parents… enabled the drama to end on a positive note. This of course doesn’t mean that her path was made up of only victories. The humor was also a very important ingredient when creating that warm and lovely ambiance; yet some grave elements were tackled as well. This turned the drama into an emotional roller coaster, that was still manageable to deal with (it was not too intense like other dramas). That’s the reason why I loved it so much: because of their ability to mix tragic events with funny ones, giving a quite relatable picture of what life is about. 

What are the themes tackled? 

The political world: The drama focuses its work on the political sphere, its actors and its display. One interesting thing to look at is the interpretation of the title, that actually allows us to focus on various angles depending on how we translate. Indeed, following the Korean title, “Chulsapyo” literally means “The Ballot”. This translation highlights the voting ingredient and particularly Se Ra’s unexpected career path as a politician. This also shows of important voting is and how good candidates need the people to back them up, when they actually don’t have any connections or help. In Goo Se Ra’s case, her campaign was solely designed around her capacity to make complaints and her good will. This touched citizens’ heart, to the point that they decided to vote for her, hoping that the corrupted political world would actually change. Being elected was also a turning point in Se Ra’s life, especially if you consider that she didn’t go for it because of her beliefs but rather because of the money; so definitely not for the right cause. 

Interestingly, as Se Ra continues her journey as a politician, we actually discover the hidden side of that world. In her quest, she is guided by her predecessor’s diary, acting like a map full of secrets.The experience is as eye-opening for Se Ra as it is for us, and we take on her challenges and battles with her. Being an outcast and the only one trying to fight for justice, without pushing forward her own interests, is tiring to see and to witness, but the important message here, is that at least, Se Ra is trying. And the more you try, the more chances you have to change mentalities. By the way, the accent is also put on the need today to have more young and “normal” people in order to have a fresh eye on politics. Indeed, “Into the Ring” reflects the political world quite justly and shows how a town directed by wealthy and old people actually disserves the citizens, because there is a gap between those making decisions and the law, and those suffering from them. The drama is an invitation to reflect on these problems and change the current situation. In that matter, Se Ra is a ray of hope and a glimpse of a much wanted future. 

Now, if you understand the title differently, considering the English translation “Into the Ring”, you actually get to see a totally different side of the story. From that point of view, the emphasis is made on the cruel world in which characters evolve. Either it’d the political one (I already mentioned Se Ra’s numerous battles) or the actual one. Indeed, each character has its struggles and difficulties. Se Ra’s parents are financially struggling, especially because her mother gambles and throws money out of the window. Woo Young is a single working mother, a very difficult position in South Korea today. Plus, she happens to be very gifted in marketing and very intelligent, but her talent is shadowed by her social situation. I was really rooting for her because life is not easy. Yet, she is hardly disheartened and fights with all her might to destroy clichés and stereotypes. Han Bi also has her share of sadness. We discover that she used to be a judo player; but during a match she unintentionally hurt her opponent’s leg; breaking her dream to become a professional player. This crushed her to the point that she herself put an end to her promising career. These two characters give us some insight regarding broken dreams and having to confront reality and move on. Yet, they still go for it and keep fighting. 

“Into the Ring” could also refer to the various sides among politicians; choosing their sides depending on their interests and gain. The District Assembly is an arena in itself, in which every fighter has his/her own weapon (words, strategies, alliances…) and the best of them wins. By being elected, Se Ra also enters the arena with her own weapons. Finally, the struggle is also real for the citizens. Indeed, throughout the drama, we get to discover the lives of several people, for whom Se Ra is trying to uphold justice. The guards, the old lady near the golf club for instance are one of the numerous examples of life struggles, the difficulty to fit in and epitomes of the influence that a single decision can have on an entire community. 

Finally, if you decide to understand the drama based on the last translation “Memorials”, you actually take on a serious and grave story in the drama. Indeed, half of the action is related to the Sarang Resort accident, that happened many years ago. Still, the gravity and the horror left a traumatizing presence in the town. What happened is that a fire occurred suddenly and many children died that day. Several direct consequences unraveled: Gong Myung lost his brother, many parents lost their children as well and wanted justice for that, the old lady became obsessed with the location of the Sarang Resort (since her child died there, she needed a place to grieve). Other consequences are the product of that tragedy: the building of the Smart One City is undergoing on that location; when it is a place for grievance and the soil is not made for it; the name of the neighborhood is to be changed for another one; Gong Myung and his father had a fallen out because his father used his brother’s death to his political advantage. During the drama, Se Ra and Gong Myung try hard to stop the construction of the Smart One city that is destroying workers’ health, town’s memory and founded through bribery. They manage to get small victories, for example the memorial stone of the drama is moved to the school and the construction halted. Yet, it is only temporary before life takes its course again. So the title “Memorials” really has an impact on this drama’s backstory, explaining partially the several problems occurring in present days. 

Ending: I really loved the ending of the drama, even though there were several time jumps. First, Se Ra stops her political career but goes back to it in the end, when it was actually not planned. Second, her friend Woo Young decides to take her place as the next independent candidate taking the number 5 as well and becoming part of the District Assembly, fighting for her rights as a citizen and a mother. Third, Han Bi makes peace with her traumatizing past and becomes a judo instructor. Fourth, the female candidate who abandoned the course, leading to Se Ra’s victory, went back into politics, supported by Se Ra herself. During their campaign their slogan was “Memory, Safety, Promise”. A perfect slogan that for me summarizes perfectly the whole drama. Fifth, the memorial stone, like I said, is moved to the school, after children have voted to place it there. Sixth, Goo Se Ra and Gong Myung continue their lovely relationship without much trouble. Last but not least, we get to assist to a very pleasant mise en abyme thanks to Ja Ryong writing a manhwa retracing Se Ra’s life as a politician. Funny, since from the very beginning Ja Ryong’s life and hurdles were a sort of mirror reflecting Se Ra’s own situation. 

The ending in itself was very satisfying and I was really sad to have to say goodbye to all those characters, but still very happy to see them evolve the way they did!

P.S.: You should really listen to the different OSTs like Dreamcatcher and “New Direction” by Youra!