The Message Behind ‘Fight My Way,’ According To Park Seo Joon

Fight My Way continues to win viewers with its relatable characters and plot, ending at 10.9 and 9.8 percent nationwide ratings for its seventh and eighth episodes. It is no surprise that even the actors starring in the KBS2 drama can relate to the roles they play.

According to Soompi, during a press meeting on June 13, Park Seo Joon shared that he sees himself in his character, Go Dong Man, a former taekwondo athlete who had so much promise when he was young. He eventually had to give up on his dream because of a mistake and ends up in a miserable job of being a pest exterminator years after, enduring the nasty treatment of his superior. One day, Dong Man decides to take control of his own fate and starts chasing after his dream again.

Seo Joon reveals that as he plays the character Dong Man, he remembers his past self. The actor recalls the time when he was just starting out in the business and lived in a 285-square-foot studio apartment. That is why he feels nostalgic every time he’s on the set of Dong Man’s tiny flat.

The actor also shared that he thought Dong Man’s line in Episode 4 summed up Fight My Way’s overall message.

“Even if I don’t succeed, I’m going to just go for it!”

Seo Joon further shares his experience after being discharged from the army, when he thought that things would go his way and work out exactly as he wanted them to. He later realized that this was not the case, and while he faced reality, the world just kept on spinning, regardless of his situation.

“I realized that I am just like a speck of dust in comparison to the world. So, there may be those who saw Dong Man’s sudden outburst as just humor, but I strongly tried to portray that line so that it could be impactful to those with big dreams.”

Meanwhile, Episode 8 treated fans to a squeal fest as actress Kim Ji Won’s character, Choi Ae Ra, confessed how she’s starting to feel toward her best friend, Dong Man. The confession flusters the clueless future MMA star but gives him the luxury to evaluate his own feelings for her.

The episode oozed with the sweetness experienced between friends who have only recently discovered that the other makes their heart flutter. One funny instance was when Dong Man wondered why Ae Ra kept getting prettier, when before he only saw her as resembling Star Wars’ Chewbacca.

Aside from the fluff, the K-drama also tackles the reality of job application and just how unfortunate some job seekers are because of the content of their resume — or the lack thereof. The K-drama showed that while most employers favor applicants who were educated abroad or had enough training just because their parents can afford it, people like Ae Ra who prioritized earning a living because she had to are not given a level playing field. This is the reason why some would forgo their dreams, not because of lack of trying, but because they simply are not afforded the chance.

This is why Fight My Way continues to be one of the K-dramas to watch this month. More than its steady ratings, viewers find that it is just the right blend of fun, fluff, and reality.

Fight My Way airs every Monday and Tuesday on KBS2 in South Korea. Viewers from North and South America can watch it via OnDemand Korea.

[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]