Plot twists and cliffhangers are front and center of Hot Stove League (Stove League). Sherlock-esque, the Main Lead (Baek Seung Soo) solves each turn, mostly on his own, with the big reveal happening after the resolution. Just through pure storytelling, the drama delivers quite an emotional punch, which is surprising given its subdued character development. Do not let Stove League go under your radar with its compelling and heartwarming message.

Story:
The realism and relatability of the niche topic of off-season baseball highlights the main strength of Stove League. No challenge seems ridiculous, though some resolutions are a tiny bit far fetched. There is a real feeling of distress with each downturn and a huge sigh of relief with each problem solved. It makes the drama easy to look forward to on a weekly basis.

The only drawback is that so much time is spent on presenting and solving each issue, which leaves little time for other types of character development. Sherlock is Sherlock in each mystery, and Baek Seung Soo remains true to his style throughout the show. The lack of character growth is worse for the female lead, Lee Se Young, who mostly gets dragged through BSS’s antics. Luckily, the “main” side character of each plot arc gets significant development in comparison. This is doubly true for the antagonist, Kwon Kyung Min.

Acting:
Tight storytelling makes it easier for the actors to play their role while weak character developments hurts their ability to shine. Baek Seung Soo’s past frequently appears on screen, and the actor Nam Goong-Min admirably plays his past-self well in contrast to his present character. Unfortunately, Park Eun-Bin’s character does not get enough opportunities to perform. Even supporting characters get more character development as their arcs are completed over the course of 1-3 episodes. In that sense, the supporting cast did a great job of acting given their window to shine. Oh Jung-Se especially left a good impression by the conclusion of the drama.

Music:
At first, the music of Stove League seems bland, but it grows on viewers with each re-listen. The musical cast leans more on Korean rock than kpop or kballad. The change is refreshing. It somehow blends effortlessly with the plot and premise of the Stove League, akin to the fight songs or victory songs of real-life sports teams.

Rewatch Value:
Stove League, as mentioned, is a solid watch, especially as it aired, but it does lose much of its shine when the outcomes are known. On the other hand, the feel good nature of the overall message cannot be overstated. So, I will recommend another hardworking drama, Chief Kim, which shares the same male lead and a similar character vibe (i.e. talented and misunderstood) as I fondly remember Hot Stove League.