He helps her do what she wants on her list, he gives her space when she needs it, and wears his heart on his sleeve. gives Bok Joo respect, while revealing that he has feelings for her. Weightlifting Fairy takes this and triples it by 100, because even when Joon Hyung finds out he's in love with Bok Joo, he doesnt become a stalker maniac with a penchant for supreme wrist grabbing aggression. All that has changed is that you're now romantically involved. You've already seen their bad side, you know everything about them, you know how they feel and what they like. Having strong feelings as friends, which eventually lead up to romantic feelings, builds upon an already stable relationship. This creates foundations between two people. Sure, they had secret feelings hidden, but they basically were there for each other without seeing each other as potential partners. Take Fight My Way, another drama I love, where the two leads had been friends for like 20+ years. THIS DISH APPEARS IN THE FOLLOWING KOREAN DRAMA/S: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016-2017) - MBC CHEF REGGIE'S TIPS SUBSTITUTE I like using grated. I honestly feel that most dramas that have the leads start out as friends are some of the best. They act like total nerds around each other, and show each other their worst and best sides, all while maintaining that beautiful friendship. They don't even start out as potential lovers in each other's eyes. The mutual respect you see between the two of them is astounding. No :clap: one :clap: can :clap: tell :clap: me :clap: that :clap: this :clap: romance :clap: is :clap: not :clap: one :clap: of :clap: the :clap: best you :clap: have :clap: ever :clap: seen. Reason #3 - No Background Plot or Character Was Useless It was a show where I walked into love along the way, feeling pain when it ended completely, because the characters had made me see them come to life. It's a show that I didn't immediately fall in love at first sight with. Joon Hyung didn't even realize he was competing for Bok Joo's attention until episode 11 when, at the end, he realizes he likes her. The love triangle itself was treated delicately as well. We don't have a love triangle with a second lead. We never have Joon Hyung immediately forgive his mother for only coming for money. We never see Bok Joo's depression shown as something funny. The drama was always usually light-hearted, while also taking its serious moments seriously. The pacing was perfect, and every episode seemed to matter. It didn't suddenly change genre part way through, introduce a random kidnapping scene to cause tension, or pull any BS plot twists that would break the feeling of the show. The show was always unapologetically itself. The plot itself was a pretty average SoKo romcom, but it never overextended itself beyond its means.