Pump Up the Healthy Love Season 1 Review – A wholesome K-drama that grows on you
Season 1
Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 9 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 10 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 11 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 12 -| Review Score – 4/5
They say that all good things come to those who wait and this is particularly true of Pump Up the Healthy Love. The K-drama starts with a very unserious tone that can catch you off guard. Hyeon-joong is a fitness fanatic who constantly flexes his muscles and smiles in a way that makes him look insane. Mi-ran is equally dramatic about her recent breakup, the latest one in a long string of bad romantic experiences.
When the two meet, Hyeon-joong convinces Mi-ran to join his 24-hour gym to gain control of her body and, therefore, her life. What follows is an over-the-top depiction of Mi-ran's fitness journey, including fantastical sequences where our characters are transported into a period drama while fighting over food. Later, we see them in Hell where Hyeon-joong is picturised as the devil forcing Mi-ran to keep jogging.
You're also introduced to a wide variety of characters around the gym pretty early on, including Rosa and Alex who are on the staff, Roy who opens up a rival gym across the street, and three women who are the gym's regulars. Each character has their quirks and dynamics — the three gym regulars often snack in the gym while Rosa and Hyeon-joong frequently butt heads over how the gym should be run.
It's all very lighthearted and silly, including lots of hijinks and at one point even a song and dance sequence. But over time, the 24-hour gym and its people win you over. Slowly, the drama dives into these characters and uses a blend of comedy and emotional beats to make you care for them. While it does not immediately grip your attention, a little patience goes a long way.
The problem with the series is its messaging. Pump Up the Healthy Love Season 1 tries to talk about exercise through the lens of health and gaining control over one's body, rather than making it about weight or appearance. But it's never consistent with this and keeps falling back on tropes like Mi-ran wanting to fit into a smaller dress. There's also a particularly problematic flashback involving a fat person and suicide.
This mixed-messaging is a shame because the K-drama is actually pretty sensitive when it's tackling some other themes, such as the importance of rest or how hard it can be to let go of people. This is often depicted through the characters, who we see grow and change and help each other through the season, and voiceovers at the end of the episode musing on these ideas.
It's not always consistent, though. While each episode tells its own story, the series does not stitch it all together into a whole. It picks up new, smaller storylines like Rosa's entry into bodybuilding but it drops them just as quickly in order to move on to the next. These are well-written segues that often throw light on supporting characters but the transition ends up being a tad jumpy.
The heart of the s,how though, belongs to its leading characters. Mi-ran and Hyeon-joong are both incredibly compelling. They're both funny, dramatic and have their own set of quirks. Jung Eun-ji and Lee Jun-young both do a great job in bringing their characters to life and making their idiosyncrasies seem endearing. In a sense, they match each other's crazy.
Put them together, and you get a delicious recipe for a couple who would not only offer plenty of comedic moments but also challenge each other to grow. Unfortunately, Pump Up the Healthy Love does not deem us worthy of watching this intriguing relationship form and grow. The characters are, of course, deeply involved in the gym and each other's lives. However — mild spoilers here — their romance only properly kicks off at the end of Episode 10!
Two episodes are way too less to offer a fully fleshed out romance. We do get some really sweet moments, particularly with how Hyeon-joong realises he has feelings for Mi-ran. We get the giggles and the secret dating as well as the heartfelt, emotional conversations.
But it's all incredibly rushed and you don't get to enjoy it as much as you wanted. It's a shame and you can't help but think of all the lost potential. Having an ultimate foodie paired with a food-conscious physical trainer? A golden opportunity that is lost in the trend of having shorter seasons.
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