Fight For My Way (2017)
Title: Fight For My Way
Hangul: 쌈 마이웨이
Writer: Im Sang-choon
Director: Lee Na-jung, Kim Dong-hwi
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 16
Fight For My Way Cast and Characters
Park Seo-joon as Ko Dong-man
Kim Ji-won as Choi Ae-ra
Ahn Jae-hong as Kim Joo-man
Song Ha-yoon as Baek Seol-hee
Kim Sung-oh as Hwang Jang-ho
Jin Hee-kyung as Hwang Bok-hee
Fight For My Way Plot Summary
Fight for My Way follows the lives of four friends who are struggling to achieve their dreams. Ko Dong-man and Choi Ae-ra are childhood friends who dream of becoming successful in their respective fields of mixed martial arts and broadcasting. However, they face numerous obstacles and setbacks, including financial difficulties and societal expectations. Meanwhile, their friends, Kim Joo-man and Baek Seol-hee, face challenges in their long-term relationship amid external temptations and career pressures.
Is there a love triangle in Fight For My Way?
There are three love triangles in Fight For My Way.
- Ae-ra, Dong-man, Ae-ra’s love interest Moon-bin (played by Choi Woo-shik)
- Ae-ra, Dong-man, Dong-man’s ex-girlfriend Hye-ran
- Seol-hee, Joo-man, and the intern at their company
When do they get together in Fight For My Way?
Dong-man and Ae-ra get together and kiss for the first time in episode 10 of Fight For My Way.
Do they break up in Fight For My Way?
Both couples in Fight For My Way break up in the back half of Fight For My Way.
- Seol-hee and Joo-man break up in episode 12.
- Dong-man and Ae-ra break up in episode 15.
Fight For My Way Ending Explained
Does Fight For My Way Have A Happy Ending?
Yes. Fight For My Way ends with the Crazy Fantastic Four, Ae-ra, Dong-man, Seol-hee, and Joo-man all getting their happy ending. Dong-man has defeated Tak-soo in a fair fight, a victory 10 years in the making. Ae-ra and Dong-man are getting married and Seol-hee and Joo-man are back together.
What Happened to Ae-ra?
In episode 15 of Fight For My Way, Ae-ra’s dream of becoming an announcer comes true. She is initially presented with two different job opportunities: a TV anchor position at KBC or an MMA announcer position.
The two interviews are scheduled for the same time but Ae-ra ultimately decides to attend the MMA interview, abandoning her dream of being a TV anchor. Ae-ra nails the interview and gets the MMA announcer job.
So Ae-ra’s dream of becoming an announcer is fulfilled, albeit not in television as she originally envisioned.
In episode 16 of Fight For My Way, Ae-ra continues to grow in confidence in her new career as an MMA announcer. At the workplace, she is more assertive and refuses to wear the skimpy outfits she’s presented with.
Ae-ra also discovers that Landlady Hwang is her mother when she discovers a childhood toy in Landlady Hwang’s apartment—a teddy bear with her younger self’s voice.
The revelation leads to a confrontation where she accuses her mother of abandoning her. Ae-ra was led to believe that her mother was dead.
However, Ae-ra’s anger and hurt are short-lived as she learns that her mother had secretly supported her throughout her life: attending school events and paying for her tuition.
The two reconcile and Ae-ra even changes the contact name on her phone from “Landlady” to “Mom” showing her willingness to have a relationship.
Two months later, Ae-ra is tasked with announcing Dong-man’s rematch with Tak-soo. Which is a bit awkward since she and Dong-man are still broken up.
READ: Love to Hate You Review & Ending Explained
What Happened to Dong-man?
After his fight with Tak-soo at the end of episode 15, Dong-man temporarily loses his hearing. The doctor reveals he has a serious skull fracture and if Dong-man gets injured there again, he could lose his hearing permanently.
Dong-man is unbothered by this but Ae-ra is concerned and ultimately makes him choose between her and MMA. Dong-man is heartbroken but chooses to continue pursuing his dream.
Dong-man reconnects with his sister, Dong-hee, after being estranged for 10 years. She visits him at the gym and gives him a scrapbook documenting his achievements.
Dong-man trains intensely for his rematch with Tak-soo. He also has a new jujitsu coach who works him to the bone.
During the rematch, Dong-man defeats Tak-soo, knocking him out with his signature roundhouse kick.
After his victory, Dong-man proposes to Ae-ra in the ring during their post-match interview, asking her to live with him and she accepts.
Some undisclosed time later, Coach Hwang reveals Dong-man’s future plans to Ae-ra. Dong-man will run the gym as a business with Coach Hwang and train students.
But Dong-man will also continue MMA during fighting season.
READ: Bo-ra! Deborah Ending Explained
Do Ae-ra and Dong-man End Up Together?
Yes, Ae-ra and Dong-man end up together and Fight For My Way ends with the two of them on the morning of their wedding day.
But first, Ae-ra and Dong-man go through the requisite kdrama break-up.
In episode 15 of Fight For My Way, Ae-ra gives Dong-man an ultimatum: quit fighting or lose her. Despite his love for Ae-ra, Dong-man refuses to give up his dream for her, and the two break up.
Two months later, Ae-ra and Dong-man remain broken up.
After he wins his match against Tak-soo, Dong-man proposes to Ae-ra and she accepts. After Dong-man’s victory, he proposes to Ae-ra in the ring, asking her to live with him. Ae-ra is initially shocked but eventually accepts Dong-man’s proposal.
Some undisclosed time later, Ae-ra and Dong-man are shown making preparations for their wedding. Dong-man is putting the wedding invitations into the envelope and doing an awful job.
The fantastic four wake up on the day of Ae-ra and Dong-man’s wedding on the villa rooftop. Dong-man plays a prank on Ae-ra, leading her to believe that they aren’t getting married and it’s all a dream.
READ: Business Proposal Ending Explained
What Happened to Seol-hee?
In the last episode of Fight For My Way, Seol-hee is not chosen for a full-time position at work but that’s fine because Seol-hee is tendering her resignation anyway. Her plum wine business is thriving and she has decided to focus on the business full-time.
Seol-hee continues to rebuff Joo-man’s persistent attempts to win her back.
READ: Reborn Rich Ending Explained
What Happened to Joo-man?
Joo-man continues his efforts to win back Seol-hee, providing her meals and showering her with gifts. Despite Seol-hee’s resistance, Joo-man remains persistent and continually shows his affection for her.
He even endures a beating from Seol-hee’s brothers for a chance to kiss her on the cheek.
Joo-man also learns that he’s up for a promotion at work.
While celebrating he encounters a new female intern having trouble with the printer. But Joo-man remains professional, demonstrating to the intern how she can fix the printer on her own.
Growth!
Do Seol-hee and Joo-man End Up Together?
Yes, Seol-hee and Joo-man end up together.
Fight For My Way doesn’t show or say Seol-hee and Joo-man getting back together but all signs point to a possible reconciliation.
Seol-hee and Joo-man attend Dong-man’s match together and while celebrating Dong-man’s victory, Seol-hee allows Joo-man to hold her hand. But she insists it means nothing and she doesn’t forgive him.
Some time later, Seol-hee and Joo-man are caught together in Joo-man’s apartment by Ae-ra and Dong-man (though Seol-hee tries her best to avoid being spotted by hiding inside a trunk). Seol-hee feebly denies they’re back together but it’s apparent that they are.
READ: Call It Love Ending Explained
What Happened to Landlady Hwang?
Landlady Hwang is revealed to be Ae-ra’s mother and her absence from Ae-ra’s life is explained.
Landlady Hwang worked as a production assistant who had dreams of being an actress. Her dream came true and she starred in a critically acclaimed film that was screened in Cannes.
She left Ae-ra and Ae-ra’s father and fled to Japan because Ae-ra’s grandparents forced her out due to the media smear campaign. Her reputation was ruined after a TV special aired exposing her career as an actress.
After the truth is revealed to Ae-ra, Landlady Hwang initially decides to go back to Japan with Nam-il because of Ae-ra’s anger towards her. But the two eventually reconcile with Ae-ra deciding to start calling her “Mom” much to her delight.
Ae-ra asks her if she’s rich now and Landlady Hwang reveals that she’s had three previous businesses fail so the villa is heavily mortgaged.
Despite her previous business failures, Landlady Hwang remains optimistic and pitches opening a soondae business with Coach Hwang while drinking together.
READ: Her Private Life Ending Explained
What Happened to Nam-il?
Nam-il gets over his insecurity about his Ae-ra and his place in his adoptive mother’s life. He looks at Landlady Hwang’s flip phone and finds not only photos of Ae-ra but also photos of himself through the years. He realizes Landlady Hwang truly loves him as a son.
He gives the flip phone full of photos to Ae-ra and tells her that Landlady Hwang didn’t abandon her setting the stage for the mother and daughter reconciliation.
At the end of Fight For My Way, Nam-il decides to move back to Japan without his mother. He tells Landlady Hwang that he had her as a mother for 14 years so now it’s Ae-ra’s turn.
How did Nam-il and Landlady Hwang Meet?
Nam-il and Landlady Hwang first met in Japan when he was fifteen and he pickpocketed her.
He was a Korean orphan all alone in Japan and reminded Landlady Hwang of Ae-ra. Landlady Hwang tells Nam-il that he isn’t an Ae-ra replacement and that she truly views him as her son. She lived for him since they met.
What Happened to Coach Hwang?
Coach Hwang continues coaching Dong-man while also running his soondae business.
After Dong-man’s victory over Tak-soo, he and Coach Hwang decide to be business partners and run the gym together.
What Happened to Hye-ran?
Post-divorce, Hye-ran has no money and bleak career prospects after being blacklisted because of her wealthy ex-husband. As a result, Hye-ran is present during the MMA announcer interviews with Ae-ra. But she leaves without even doing an interview.
Despite moving into the villa for Dong-man, Hye-ran doesn’t put much effort into actually winning him back or causing much trouble for Dong-man and Ae-ra.
She even apologizes to Dong-man for coming between him and Ae-ra!
At the end of Fight For My Way, Hye-ran moves out of the villa though she jokingly tells Ae-ra she’ll return if she sees an opportunity to get him back.
She leaves Dong-man and Ae-ra a wedding envelope in Ae-ra’s mailbox, wishing them luck and happiness in their marriage.
What Hye-ran plans to do without money or a career is not revealed.
What Happened to Kyung-koo?
Years ago, Kyung-koo harassed Ae-ra, making her ostracized to convince her to date him and Dong-man punched him in the face while on military leave.
But surprisingly, Kyung-koo turns out to be not so terrible after all.
He’s now a changed man with a wife and daughter. His daughter was bullied at school by a boy with a crush, reminiscent of Kyung-koo’s behaviour towards Ae-ra and this is what spurs him to seek out Ae-ra and atone for his past.
Kyung-koo’s show portrays Dong-man’s story positively and also reveals Tak-soo’s underhanded tactics (the illegal headbutt). His show also prompts Dong-man and his youngest sister to reconnect.
Fight For My Way Ending Review
Fight for My Way ends on a happy note but I was a bit let down both by the execution and how everything was neatly tied up.
Ae-ra and Dong-man
The main appeal of the drama from Episode 1 is Dong-man and Ae-ra’s relationship and Park Seo-joon and Kim Ji-won’s phenomenal chemistry. But near the end of the drama, I felt their screen time was greatly reduced and the focus was on the different side plots that weren’t nearly as captivating as our main couple.
Fight For My Way is one of the few dramas that made the main couple’s break-up interesting.
Normally, the last-minute break-up before the end makes me roll my eyes over how forced it is. I didn’t feel that with Fight For My Way. Both Dong-man and Ae-ra stayed in character, the break-up made sense and I was sympathetic to both Dong-man and Ae-ra.
In episode 8 of Fight For My Way, we saw Ae-ra cover her face and ears during Dong-man’s fight and I like that the drama circled back to her fears/concern for him and made that the catalyst for their break-up.
I wish Fight For My Way had more episodes or the break-up happened earlier so more time could’ve been spent on Dong-man and Ae-ra finding their way back to one another.
I’m unimpressed with how quickly Dong-man and Ae-ra got back together. We didn’t get to see them working through the issues that led to them breaking up in the first place! Dong-man proposes and Ae-ra just magically gets over her fears over Dong-man fighting!
A complete waste of a compelling and nuanced conflict.
Seol-hee and Joo-man
Out of our four leads, Seol-hee’s growth and journey was my favourite in Fight For My Way. I enjoyed watching her build herself up and finding her way without Joo-man. It was lovely watching her slowly grow in confidence. I also loved watching Joo-man suffer a bit post-break-up while she thrived.
I didn’t see the relationship between Seol-hee and Joo-man worth salvaging and I was SO disappointed to see the couple get back together.
I don’t think Fight For My Way did a good job of making me care about their relationship before Joo-man emotionally cheated with the intern.
If the drama had, I wouldn’t be so opposed to them getting back together. I usually complain about kdramas relying too much on flashbacks but in this case, I think Fight For My Way would’ve benefited from them when it comes to Seol-hee and Joo-man.
What did you think of Fight For My Way?
