K-Drama Flashback: ‘Fight for My Way’

Fight for My Way (2017) is a refreshing alternative to things sensational and helps you enjoy simple everyday moments—the joys, frustrations, defeats, and victories of characters whose lives mirror our own.

Four friends struggling to get by set the tone for this story, with Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) at the forefront of things. The most pressing difficulty for them is that they are going after careers they lack while also getting around a realization that their long-standing friendship is evolving into something much deeper. The drama dwells on their day-to-day lives and dreams, set against a picture of the social and cultural pressures they face, making it something that hits all the right buttons for an engaging “slice of life” narrative—a series of intense, passionate, and hilarious occasions spread throughout 16 episodes.

Ko Dong-man, Choi Ae-ra, Kim Joo-man (Ahn Jae-hong), and Baek Seol-hee (Song Ha-yoon) are closest buddies, giving you moments to reflect on their experiences, and you soon realize they hit home with you in some or perhaps many ways—especially in their relentless pursuits exploring the issues of growth in life and work, the closeness of friendship, and the journey of love through various challenges.

Dong-man, a former taekwondo sensation, now finds himself in a different arena, trading his illustrious career for the gritty world of mixed martial arts. Amid lingering thoughts about what happened to him before and the emotional scars that he received, he now wants to reinvent himself for success. As he fights for his way to reclaim the spotlight, he begins to see Ae-ra differently. She’s this determined, beautiful woman who, despite all odds, won’t give up on her dream of being an announcer, inspiring those around her, but most importantly, fluttering Dong-man’s heart.

On the flip side, Joo-man and Seol-hee, who are trying to make it in their separate careers, will be tested as they navigate their long-term relationship. Fight for My Way is a window into the familiar through the overlapping stories of these four friends. And that best makes the drama what it is—an image of reality drawing on common events and emotions.

Speaking of emotions, the series is one with superb performances, particularly what comes out of Park Seo-joon and Kim Ji-won’s chemistry. The central narrative element that gives the drama depth and emotional impact is the burgeoning romance between Dong-man and Ae-ra, who have been friends since childhood. As they find a delicate balance between what they were and what they are growing into, their dynamic—colored by a playful and childlike rapport and banter—highlights nuances of friends-to-lovers relationships. It’s crazy how well they match! In terms of romantic scenes between the two, Fight for My Way has plenty of them—you’ll feel spoiled for choice!

The essence of friendship lies in an unbreakable bond—a constant source of support for the characters in the story. It’s so relatable in its candid moments—eating and drinking together, comforting each other, sticking together through thick and thin, and all that comes in between—a genuine portrayal of friendship that makes Fight for My Way very dear to me.

I also like how Fight for My Way underpins that women’s roles have shifted from an emphasis on family and marriage to a focus on fulfillment and independence in life. It implies a bigger change in perceptions that slice-of-life dramas have played a significant role in both expressing and influencing. It breaks stereotypes, addressing the intricate details of the female experience as it digs into Ae-ra and Seol-hee’s personal and professional lives.

Director Lee Na-jeong’s Fight for My Way speaks about misfits who are trying to fit in a competitive, complex world and fighting for their places, but it also conveys that, at the end of the day, what most counts is love and friendship and the simple joys in life, reminding you of the beauty in what’s basic and commonplace.