A retired postman twirls in his ballet shoes. A former taekwondo champion returns to his roots. These are just a few of the many uplifting stories about characters who stopped at nothing to chase after their dreams.
It’s always heartwarming to see people reach for the stars even when the odds are stacked against them. A lot of courage is required to ignore naysayers and focus on what makes them happy. Seeing individuals put their happiness and dreams first gives us such positive, feel-good vibes.
1. “Navillera”
“Navillera” is about 70-year-old Sim Deok-chul (Park In-hwan) and 23-year-old Lee Chae-rok (Song Kang) helping each other strive after their dreams. Entering the final chapter of his life, retired postman Deok-chul wants to learn ballet before it’s too late. He finds a teacher in Chae-rok who started ballet late compared to his peers and is struggling with harsh realities. Deok-chul’s enthusiasm for ballet reignites Chae-rok’s passion and they encourage each other’s dreams.
2. “Do You Like Brahms?”
“Do You Like Brahms?” shows violin student Chae Song-ah (Park Eun-bin) experiencing difficulty finding her footing as she started later than her peers. Despite the fierce competition and discouraging comments from people around her, Song-ah continues to play violin because of her pure love for it. She learns that personal success should not be defined by other people’s expectations. Sometimes the journey of pursuing a dream is fulfilling in itself and can lead to other worthwhile adventures.
3. “Fight For My Way”
“Fight For My Way” centers on two long-time friends whose lives and careers aren’t working out the way they had hoped. Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-jun) is a former taekwondo champion who had to quit his dreams due to a painful incident. Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) aspires to become an announcer, but is working as a department store employee in the meantime. While they don’t have super impressive resumes, these underdog friends encourage one another to not give up on their dreams.
4. “Hello, Me!”
“Hello, Me!” tells the story of Bahn Ha-ni (Choi Kang-hee) who leads a miserable life and feels unsuccessful. She has nothing to boast about in regards to her career, finances, love life, and basically everything at the age of 37. At the moment she’s ready to accept death, she’s greeted by her 17-year-old self. Being confronted by her spunky younger self, Ha-ni realises she deserves more in life and makes positive changes. Even when you want to be done with life, there are more dreams and blessings for you to encounter.
5. “Romance Is a Bonus Book”
In “Romance Is a Bonus Book”, Kang Dan-i was a talented copywriter prior to getting married and raising her daughter. Unfortunately, life didn’t pan out the way she expected with her husband cheating on her and divorcing her. To add on salt to the wound, Dan-i is struggling to find a job and a home. Despite her difficult circumstances, Dan-i is resourceful and doesn’t give up on getting her career and life back on track. She’s a smart and diligent worker, and gradually gets recognised for her kindness and brilliant ideas.
6. “Second 20s”
“Second 20s” features Ha No-ra (Choi Ji-woo) who sacrificed her dreams upon becoming pregnant at the age of 19. Since then she has focused on being a good wife and mother. However, at 38 her life is turned upside down when her husband demands a divorce. She decides to finally live for herself and experience college for the first time. College life proves to be interesting with her son also entering as an incoming freshman, her husband starting to work at the same university, and her old high school friend being her professor.
7. “Kkondae Intern”
Lee Man-sik (Kim Eung-soo) is hardly sympathetic in the beginning of the story as a condescending manager. However, he finds himself out of a job after losing his chance at a promotion. Man-sik is a smart and talented worker, and chooses not to give up despite his age not being appealing to employers. He’s not above starting from the bottom as an intern, determined to be a successful worker once again. In the process, he learns valuable lessons as he’s given a taste of his own medicine.
Grab your cup of motivation and catch these inspiring stories and more, only on Netflix!
