If you're looking for an accurate depiction of badminton techniques, or what it is like to train as an athlete who plays badminton, or even what the tournaments are like- this show is not for you.
This is a slice-of-life show masquerading as a sports show with a coming of age story.
It's supposed to be a heartwarming feel good show.
Initially it does seem to have the bare bones of an almost interesting (if cliche) plot. But after the lead character overcomes his dilemma regarding which sport he'd prefer to play, the show loses its edge.
Once two of the players join the national team, the remaining team members are sidelined and relegated to messing around with the village elders and their silly antics.
Training? What's that??? Their coach certainly doesn't know. Discipline? The kids are certainly not going to learn that from the coach.
The show does however vaguely allude to issues in sports cutlure- how female athletes have a different set of problems to face than their male counterparts, how sports media tries to get inside athletes' heads and can try to psych them out, how people may try gain favor with judges using small tokens or gifts or connections, the issue of abuse that is prevalent in most sports and even more so in the hierarchy at colleges, also how nationalism can cloud how people play against those of foreign countries, but also how athletes are usually friends in spite of being rivals.
These themes might not have been handled well enough, but I applaud the attempt.
This is a slice-of-life show masquerading as a sports show with a coming of age story.
It's supposed to be a heartwarming feel good show.
Initially it does seem to have the bare bones of an almost interesting (if cliche) plot. But after the lead character overcomes his dilemma regarding which sport he'd prefer to play, the show loses its edge.
Once two of the players join the national team, the remaining team members are sidelined and relegated to messing around with the village elders and their silly antics.
Training? What's that??? Their coach certainly doesn't know. Discipline? The kids are certainly not going to learn that from the coach.
The show does however vaguely allude to issues in sports cutlure- how female athletes have a different set of problems to face than their male counterparts, how sports media tries to get inside athletes' heads and can try to psych them out, how people may try gain favor with judges using small tokens or gifts or connections, the issue of abuse that is prevalent in most sports and even more so in the hierarchy at colleges, also how nationalism can cloud how people play against those of foreign countries, but also how athletes are usually friends in spite of being rivals.
These themes might not have been handled well enough, but I applaud the attempt.