“Racket Boys” (라켓소년단)

By Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
August 19, 2021

☆☆☆☆
Yoon Hyeon-Jong (played by Kim Sang-Kyung)
Ra Yeong-Ja (played by Oh Na-Ra)
Yoon Hae-Kang (played by Tang Joon-Sang)
Lee Yong-Tae (played by Kim Kang-Hoon)

“Racket Boys” is a sweet series centering around a teenager, who’s forced to quit baseball when his father moves them from Seoul to the countryside. Disappointed and bitter, Hae-Kang begrudgingly joins the badminton team — which his father coaches — on the condition that if the team wins a medal, his dad will get them Wi-Fi at their house.

Speaking of their house, it becomes the de facto dormitory for the boys’ team, as well as the two best players on the girls’ team, which Hae-Kang’s mother coaches. A former champion for South Korea, she is as highly regarded as his father is dismissed for his goofy behavior.

Given his pedigree, it’s not much of a surprise when we see that the highly competitive and fearless Hae-Kang is an ace at badminton (just as he was at baseball).

One of the things I loved about this character was his confidence. A Middle Schooler, he’s at the age when children question their own abilities. But this boy’s cockiness manifests as a way of reminding people that of course he’ll get the job done. After all, he’s the great Yoon Hae-Kang, as he declares when people question his abilities.

And sometimes, that confidence is what makes the difference between winning first place and leaving a tournament without a trophy. He does not give up and isn’t afraid to face bullies. When he shows up with his face bruised from a beating, his mother appears relieved that he was on the receiving end rather than the one doling out punches. The implication is that he hasn’t always been the perfect kid, but he has grown up and matured.

Though Hae-Kang initially looks down on the badminton team, he grows to appreciate and care for them, especially after seeing how much they care for him and his family. There is a scene where his baby sister has an allergic attack. Her parents are at work and Hae-Kang is out buying her treats. So his teammates take turns carrying her on their backs to the nearest hospital…which isn’t near at all.

Most of the actors look like they should at least be in their final years of high school. Only Kim Kang-Hoon looks like a Middle School student (because he is in real life). Regardless, they do a good job of selling their parts.

There is a forced romance between Hae-Kang and teenage badminton star Se-Yoon (Lee Jae-In) that is cute in its depiction of first love (or, rather, a first crush). But the actress had a thankless role of playing a character who, for the most part, was directed to be expressionless. There was so much potential for her character though. When she is given the opportunity to express her emotions, Lee Jae-In is heartbreaking in her honesty.

I adored the closeness of the villagers, who know that no one wants to live in the country anymore. They all head to Seoul or other metropolitan areas. Many who return look down on them as country bumpkins.

Trivia: One of the funniest elements of this series was the casting. Woo Hyun (third from left) plays the head of the village. The actor was born in 1964. Cha Mi-Kyung (second from right), who was born a year later, plays a grandma, whom he addresses with honorifics (implying that his character is much younger than hers). Woo has one of those delightfully expressive faces that tells a story without saying a word.

Airdates: Sixteen episodes (ranging from 60 to 86 minutes each) aired on SBS from May 31 to August 9, 2021.

Spoiler Alert: There are some poignant moments in this K-drama that depict how materialistic children can be. For instance, in Episode 4, Hae-Kang has a flashback to his early badminton days when he led his team to a first place championship. His father was their coach. And to celebrate their win, Hyeon-Jong sent over burgers for the boys. But instead of being grateful for the treat, the kids complained that their coach didn’t even buy them barbequed beef. Hae-Kang saw that his teammates had thrown all the burgers in the trash bin. When his father calls to ask if they liked the burgers, Hae-Kang lies to him to spare his feelings. But it seemed like that incident — as well as the attention awarded to the school’s baseball team, which only earned 4th place — encouraged him to quit badminton and join the baseball team instead.

#TW: A couple from Seoul move to the village. Their intention isn’t to live the quiet life. Rather, they plan to die by suicide together. The story arc depicting how they find a life worth living in the village was moving and beautiful.

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