Into the Ring is a really cute story. If you’re in the mood for an underdog tale or if you’re having a bad day and just want to watch a girl and her long lost best friend be adorable, I’d totally recommend. But when it leaves the main cast, it’s not nearly as fun to watch.

At first, I think this show knew that its strength was the couple at the center, and it never strayed away from them for very long. While not laugh out loud funny, the directing was off-kilter in a good way and the heroine was delightfully weird. I even liked the some of the odd side characters. The female lead’s two friends and the little boy they babysit are all fun to watch, though I wish we got to know them more.

I’ve been trying to pin down what didn’t work for me. It’s not the writing; I think the plot moves along pretty well. The story wasn’t slow, but it was just kind of boring… the cute scenes stopped being enough for me after a little while. The villains are the corrupt politician types, and while I think Ahn Nae-sang was good in his role, I didn’t particularly like or care about him or any of the other sketchy politician people.

Nana was pretty great, especially at the beginning. I'd totally watch Park Sung-hoon be a serial killer. These two made this show watchable. The OST is low-key, but it's got a couple songs I really liked.

All in all, Into the Ring was alright; it just needed a more compelling main conflict. It’s a simple show with some really sweet moments that I think I’ll remember it fondly.