Weightlifting Fairy finds its male lead doctor in Lee Jae-yoon

40 September 5, 2016September 5, 2016

Weightlifting Fairy finds its male lead doctor in Lee Jae-yoon

by chickachunga

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju has lined up its lead actor: Lee Jae-yoon (Oh Hae-young Again) has been cast as Jung Jae-yi, an obesity clinic doctor and older cousin to swimmer Jung Joon-young, played by Nam Joo-hyuk (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo). He’s the latest addition to the youth sports drama starring Lee Sung-kyung (Doctors) in the title role as weightlifter Kim Bok-ju, and co-starring are Kyung Su-jin (Bluebird’s House), Kim Jae-hyun (Modern Farmer), Jo Hye-jung (Cinderella and the Four Knights), and Jang Young-nam (Dazzling Temptation).

The upcoming MBC sports drama is about a driven 20-year-old female weightlifter and her tempestuous first love, inspired by Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. It’s a coming-of-age story detailing the intense lives of aspiring athletes chasing their hopes and dreams, experiencing the awkwardness of first loves, and growing every step of the way.

Lee Jae-yoon’s character is described as being a very attentive and mild-mannered man who’s friendly to everyone. He swam in his youth, but an injury thwarted his dream of becoming a professional athlete. As a result, he turned to his books, and his conscientious studying paid off with acceptance into medical school.

He became an obesity doctor because he can’t stand the sight of blood, and thanks to his winning smile and kind personality, the number of female patients at his clinic continues to increase. He’s also the heroine’s favorite Daddy-Long-Legs. Naturally. Seems like he’ll be playing the opposite of his vengeful character from Oh Hae-young Again and taking a page out of the nice-guy book as a Dr. McDreamy sort. Fine by me!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju is written by Yang Hee-seung of Oh My Ghostess and High School King of Savvy fame, with PD Oh Hyun-joong (Level 7 Civil Servant) set to direct. It’ll air on Wednesdays and Thursdays in November after the end of Shopping King Louie, the followup to W–Two Worlds.

Via Daily Sports

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1 yucaesar

September 5, 2016 at 2:09 PM

I'm alright with this casting. I can sense him being a kind of character he was in Heart 2 Heart, as he's described as a "Daddy long legs". It would suit him.

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frabbycrabsis

September 5, 2016 at 10:28 PM

I'm perfectly happy with this, it's Lee Sung-kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk I'm annoyed about. Hopefully, she'll tone her body for the role and his character won't infuriate me.

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2 don'tknow

September 5, 2016 at 2:16 PM

I really liked his acting in OHY, I also love Lee Sung-kyung she has this ability of making you feel for her character whatever it is. I actually liked her more than PSH in Doctors.

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3 Rachela

September 5, 2016 at 2:21 PM

YESSS I've been waiting for him to be a lead ever since I fell in love with his emotionally unavailable doctor character in I Have a Lover. :) :) :)

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4 blnmom

September 5, 2016 at 2:24 PM

An obesity doctor? Who's going to be obese in this drama? Lee Sungkyung?

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Curious1

September 5, 2016 at 2:35 PM

That's never gonna happen, unless they put her in a fat suit or she's been overeating after Doctors ended.

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asdfasdf

September 5, 2016 at 2:38 PM

obesity doctor doesn't always focus on his clients losing weight but managing them - with athletes, especially in sports where being in the right weight class is really important, the clinic focuses on making sure the client maintains his or her weight in a healthy manner.

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blnmom

September 5, 2016 at 3:39 PM

Oh, ok, that makes sense. Yeah, now I remember the wrestlers in high school going on crazy diets before meets to make their weight class even though they were already thin.

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michykdrama

September 5, 2016 at 4:02 PM

Really? If you are right then that's kind of misleading to call them "obesity doctors" then. I doubt this an official name if so- more like weight management doctor right? Since in this case it's probably more to help her build muscle mass and keep a healthy weight like you said.

I don't know. I was already not very happy that they chose such a skinny actress to be the weight lifter (wasted opportunity to cast someone more realistic!) and then now they have an "obesity" doctor in a show with likely no one even being overweight, much less obese. Gives the wrong connotations and may give young girls body dysmorphic disorder...
Oh well will wait for the actual show then see I suppose. Maybe everyone will be in a fat suit ?

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michykdrama

September 5, 2016 at 4:16 PM

Just to clairify- The reason I object to "obese" being loosely used is that there is an actual medical definition for obese and it's related to increased risk of certain health problems. That's why doctors want this group of people to lose weight for better health. So to call someone an "obesity doctor" and then not deal with obesity at all is rather disrespectful to those with this actual medical problem.

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confusedturtle

September 5, 2016 at 4:49 PM

He doesn't have to be her doctor.

michykdrama

September 5, 2016 at 6:09 PM

Yeah ok fair enough. But I'll believe it when the show comes out and they have actual actors/actresses as his patients that are obese instead of being just not stick-thin.

I hope I am wrong because it would be a great thing to highlight the true problems with obesity (instead of just giving young girls self image problems). I had a friend who wasn't skinny but wasn't in any way obese, and she exercised and went on a crazy diet to reach an "ideal weight" and then became anorexic. So maybe this is a bit personal.

fab

September 6, 2016 at 2:42 AM

Sports Doctor, anyone?

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5 Napkiin

September 5, 2016 at 2:27 PM

I'm sorry, how the heck is Lee Sung Kyung gonna pull off looking like a weight lifter? She's a stick

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_cautious_

September 5, 2016 at 2:40 PM

My thoughts exactly. She's got no muscle and she's too tall

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brian

September 5, 2016 at 3:05 PM

I agree. You can't change your body type for a role -- sure you can go from fat to skinny, but trying to swap out for a body with a much lower center of gravity (which all olympic weightlifters have) is going to need to involve CGI.

I suppose they are showing her years way before she becomes competitive, but still, her frame is totally not in keeping with the sport at all. It's like putting a 6 foot woman with an hour glass figure in olympic women's gymnastics.

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purpleowl

September 5, 2016 at 9:54 PM

It’s like putting a 6 foot woman with an hour glass figure in olympic women’s gymnastics.

Omo, I actually snorted. I love it.

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niniko

September 6, 2016 at 2:24 AM

and because of all of this reasons, i already hate this drama...

Napkiin

September 5, 2016 at 4:22 PM

And really, obesity doctor? *snorts* I work in a hospital and we don't have "obesity doctors" >_>

Maybe Lee Sung Kyung will put on some kind of suit to make her look 'bigger'...

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gureum

September 5, 2016 at 4:45 PM

correct me if i'm wrong, but obesity doctors are more often than not private practitioners. they are people that one would consult by referral or personal desire rather than find in the local hospital.

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michykdrama

September 5, 2016 at 6:00 PM

There are doctors that see patients who are obese. Usually they run clinics that are called weight management clinics or something similar (I'm not sure about in USA but they may have another name) but they are in public hospitals as well. Because it usually involves dieticians and physiotherapists and psychologists as well as doctors.

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Napkiin

September 5, 2016 at 9:49 PM

@gureum @Michykdrama

Yes, if you're obese they will refer them outside (outpatient) to a dietitian, but not really a doctor (as in MD or DO). Since technically there isn't a doctor who specializes in weight management since everything gets taken care of by the dietitians. I used to work in outpatient :)

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6 mary

September 5, 2016 at 2:38 PM

He's really the lead? As in lead lead? It'd be nice to see him playing a totally good guy at last. (But LOL at the doctor who is scared of blood)

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fanwho

September 5, 2016 at 6:05 PM

He played a doctor in 'I have a lover' and he was one of those cold outside/warm inside type and did great.

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7 Peeps

September 5, 2016 at 3:36 PM

Jung JoonYoung? Are my eyes seeing this clearly? Why name him Jung JoonYoung?

Every time I see that name, I think of 1 Night 2 Days' resident fortune teller/ rocker Jung JoonYoung.

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8 CR

September 5, 2016 at 3:39 PM

Mannn, I've wanted to see him as a lead forever, but I don't think I'll be watching this drama. I don't have a ton of faith in how they'll treat the average weightlifter's body type, especially since they cast a totally opposite body type to play her and this role's an obesity doctor? even if that's a weird translation for nutritionist, it's not something I see playing out in a way I'm comfortable with.

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Dezzy

September 5, 2016 at 7:03 PM

I'm a bit conflicted because I really like him but had already decided to pass on this because I'm bothered by the female lead casting. Hmmm, still pass I think.

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9 Kehinde

September 5, 2016 at 3:44 PM

A doctor that is scared of blood? Reminds me of the PBS show "Doc Martin".

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windsun33

September 6, 2016 at 3:41 AM

Next season's stupid plot premises may include:

1. A baker that is allergic to flour.
2. A chef that is afraid of knives.
3. A lawyer with dyslexia.

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Maggi

September 6, 2016 at 8:36 AM

@windsun33

"Witches Castle" This drama actually had the female lead who is a chef- but she is so afraid of fire that she cannot even turn the burner on! Go figure.

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10 youcallitwinter

September 5, 2016 at 4:09 PM

(I came in expecting to see comments about how this is called Weightlifting Fairy, but there's radio silence on that, so I'm just going to quietly slink back out.)

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Curious1

September 6, 2016 at 9:31 AM

Didn't find it weird coz Kim Yuna is like their figure skating fairy and Son Yeon-jae is the gymnastics fairy. So "weightlifting fairy" isn't much of a stretch imo

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11 bd5

September 5, 2016 at 4:37 PM

1st time seeing Lee Jae-yoon was in OHYA and thought upon early impression that had all the makings of a leading man - good-looking, well-built and could act decently (tho, more of a K-film type actor than K-drama as leading men go).

Frankly, didn't see why Eric's character in OHYA was any better than LJY's - as he did the whole "revenge" thing 1st.

Good to see that LJY getting a leading man shot so soon.

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junny

September 5, 2016 at 5:07 PM

Lee Jae-yoon wasn't too bad either in Heartless City, even if his character kinda stagnated somewhere along the line.

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12 Laylar

September 5, 2016 at 5:40 PM

Am I the only one who thought Jung Joon Young the singer would be in the drama?

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13 TJ

September 5, 2016 at 5:44 PM

It's about time he got a lead. He's handsome and he can act. I've been waiting to see him in a lead since Heartless City. I'd also like to see Yoon Hyun Min get a lead part but I guess that's asking too much.

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14 matcha and the beer

September 5, 2016 at 7:53 PM

Oh yeaass, finally Lee Jae Yoon as leading man...

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kororo

September 6, 2016 at 8:26 AM

+1 T_T fighting oppa !!!

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15 purpleowl

September 5, 2016 at 10:58 PM

I'm torn for various reasons

◆ Lee Sung Kyung vs Nam Joo Hyuk
◆ Weightlifting vs the actress' build - though she doesn't have to be more than "average" *sorry I don't know how to put it*, she has to have some muscle and lower center of gravity
◆ Kyung So Jin/Kim Jae Hyun - not a versus because I've only seen them in one project each and am iffy on them
◆ Bae Jo Hye Jung vs Jang Young Nam who I've seen in 3 dramas but can't place so maybe that's okay.
◆ And now first love vs actual romance.

I thought it would just be a crush story. Then pushed it out of my head when Nam Joo Hyuk was cast even though he wasn't lead. I don't know this older actor. He is very handsome. But I would like if female lead doesn't end up with male lead.

Show, you have 1.25 dramas in between to convince me that I need this in my life. I'm out the moment she wears fake extra skin though.

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16 K T

September 6, 2016 at 8:25 AM

I like Lee Jae Yoon. It's about time he takes a lead role already. He hasn't had much luck with dramas, even though he debuted quite a while back.

But he might be out of luck again here. Lee Sung Kyung would be ridiculous as an aspiring weightlifter. Casting Lee Guk Ju might have been more believable.

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Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju