6 Sports-Themed K-Dramas To Watch In 2022

Here’s the list of 6 Sports-Themed K-Dramas To Watch In 2022. With each new k-drama, a new love for life emerges. While k-dramas such as ‘Doctors’ and ‘Hospital Playlist’ has motivated many fans to pursue a career in medicine, k-dramas such as ‘WWW’ and ‘Start Up’ have raised audience interest in technology. However, k-dramas with main characters who have traditional occupations such as lawyers and doctors are immensely popular. Finally, sports-themed K-dramas are on the radar, and they’re receiving the attention they deserve.

K-dramas with sports themes have been around for a long time. They’ve always been popular with fans. However, many k-dramas are scrutinized due to the celebrity cast, the passage of time, and, of course, the public. While k-dramas such as ‘Fight For My Way,’ ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,’ and ‘Run On,’ starring Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won, and ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo,’ starring Nam Joo Hyuk and Lee Sung Kyung. Here are several new, vintage, and lesser-known Korean dramas to add to your Netflix queue. From single athletes to those that need to work as a team.

6 Sports-Themed K-dramas To Watch In 2022

Here are some of the best sports-themed Korean dramas to watch if you’re looking for some extra encouragement to work out! Spot the 6 Sports-Themed K-Dramas To Watch In 2022. 

1. Racket Boys

The coming-of-age k-drama 2021 is one of the most touching sports k-dramas ever made. The cast of ‘Racket Boys’ is diverse, ranging from young to senior. Kim Sang Kyung and Oh Na Ra are the seniors. Tang Jun Sang, Son Sang Yeon, Choi Hyun Wook, Kim Kang Hyun, Lee Jae In, and Lee Ji Won are the juniors. The storey follows the middle school boys’ badminton team in Haenam, rather than professional athletes. Yoon Hyun Jong, a badminton player, becomes a coach at the school in order to support his family. When they learn that the team is on the verge of disbanding and is down to only three players, they try to salvage the situation.

‘Racket Boys’ is a sweet tale about underdogs finding their way. It focuses on several personalities and demonstrates how they reclaim their identities after becoming lost. The k-drama also uses a screenplay technique similar to that of the ‘Reply Series,’ which made fans nostalgic. ‘Racket Boy’ is more on the backstage life than the glossy drama, focusing more on the friendship and teamwork aspect of sports. Each episode lasts 1 hour 10 minutes and has a total of 16 episodes.

Where To Watch: Netflix

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2. Prison Playbook

‘Prison Playbook,’ a 2018 Korean drama, received little attention until Park Hae Soo’s role in ‘Squid Game,’ which catapulted him to popularity. Jung Kyung Ho, Krystal Jung, and Jung Hae In also star in the k-drama alongside Hae Soo. Prison Playbook features Kim Je Hyuk, a star baseball player. There isn’t much hidden in this film, yet it’s still a gem. The player ends up in prison for employing excessive force while attempting to save his sister from a sexual assaulter. Je Hyuk meets Lee Joon Ho, a boyhood buddy and fellow baseball player, while serving a year in prison.

After an accident, the former player retired from baseball and now works as a jail guard. While serving his sentence, the baseball player encounters a variety of people as he prepares to reclaim his life after being released. ‘Prison Playbook’ has a reputation for being breezy, fluffy, and heartwarming for a sports k-drama.

The k-drama is about finding purity in the midst of adversity and seeking warmth in a cold, bleak period. The characters develop with time, and the plot moves along smoothly. The k-drama also delivered viewers one of the most famous romances, in addition to the outstanding lead. Each episode lasts 1 hour 10 minutes and has a total of 16 episodes.

Where To Watch: Netflix

3. Hot Stove League

The worldwide audience missed the 2019 Korean drama ‘Hot Stove League.’ The k-drama is one of the best baseball k-dramas, starring Nam Koong Min, Park Eun Bin, Lee Je Hoon, and Jo Byeong Kyu. The show’s title is derived from the term ‘Hot Stove League,’ which refers to baseball’s off-season. During the frigid winter season, baseball fans congregate to debate the various clubs, players, and their futures. Dreams is a baseball team in the Korean drama. For four years in a row, they’ve had the worst record in the league.

Baek Seung Soo, the new manager, joins the team with the goal of improving the team’s condition. They go on a voyage of hard work alongside Dreams’ Operations Manager, Lee Se Young, and the players. In every manner, ‘Hot Stove League’ is a masterpiece and, according to the audience, a must-see.

Unlike most Korean dramas, the show does not include a simple love storey. And the focus is solely on the sport. The k-drama has left fans wanting more, from outstanding writing to excellent acting and good directing. I’m hoping for a second season. ‘Hot Stove League’, however, will not have a second season. Each episode lasts 1 hour 10 minutes and has a total of 16 episodes.

Where To Watch: Netflix, Rakuten Viki

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4. Twenty-Five Twenty-One

‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One,’ a 2021 k-drama, is now one of the most popular k-dramas. Nam Joo Hyuk, Kim Tae Ri, Bona, Choi Hyun Wook, and Lee Joo Myung star in this film. Through the perspective of her daughter, the novel traces the life of mythical national fencer Na Hee Do. The storey recounts Hee Do’s rise to prominence as a notable fencer in South Korea after her school fencing team disbanded following the IMF crisis. In addition to the sports topic, the k-drama focuses on love and friendships in the lives of young adults.

One of the most fascinating things to see is four teenagers and one adult navigating their lives. The k-drama is currently airing, and spectators are hooked to their televisions, wondering what will happen to the lead romance. Each episode lasts 1 hour 10 minutes and has a total of 16 episodes.

Where To Watch: Netflix

5. Reply 1994

The ‘Reply Series’ is unquestionably a classic. ‘Reply 1994,’ starring Go Ara, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon Seok, Kim Sung Kyun, Son Ho Jun, Baro, Min Do Hee, Sung Dong Il, and Lee Il Hwa, is the second part in the series. Six university students from various provinces of the country are featured in the storey. With the story’s narrative swinging back and forth between 1994 and 2013, we get to experience many significant milestones in the lives of the characters.

It’s more of a sincere k-drama that takes us back in time, depicting the rise of K-pop groups Seo Taiji and Boys, as well as the establishment of the Korean Basketball League. Despite its imperfections, ‘Reply 1994’ is nostalgic and feels like a warm hug to fans. With baseball being such a popular sport in South Korea, the k-drama depicts how it all began. ‘Reply 1994’ covers everything important in life, from athletics to love and friendship. ‘Reply 1994’ features a total of 21 episodes, each lasting 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Where To Watch: Netflix, WeTV, Rakutan Viki

6. Short

‘Short’ is a 2018 mini k-drama starring Kang Tae Oh and Yeo Hoe Hyun. Kang Ho Young, a short-track speed skater, is the protagonist of the storey. He meets Park Eun Ho, the “King of Short Track Speed Skating,” after being scouted by Kangbaek University. As time passes, the two compete against one another while also forming a bond. Things start to change when Yoo Ji Na, a k-pop idol trainee, enters the picture. Bromance abounds in this Korean drama. Characters are well-developed.

While some fans referred to it as a movie with multiple sections, others praised it as a mini-drama because there wasn’t much to the tale other than the main characters. With four episodes totaling roughly 50 minutes in length, ‘Short’ can be binge-watched in a single day.

Where To Watch: Rakuten Viki

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