There is no place like the Internet. Just recently, a line from MBC's "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" has gone viral and even topped the trending topics in the Philippines.
Fans of the MBC coming-of-age sports drama unintentionally trended soccer player Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi's surname on Jan. 16, Monday. It comes after many turned one of the drama's signature line "Do you like Messi" into another meme.
"Do you like Messi" came from the premiere episode of the MBC drama. In the said episode, Jung Nan-Hee (Jo Hye Jung) asked Jung Joon-Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk) whether or not he likes the soccer player. The latter, however, refused to answer the question.
After Joon-Hyung leaves, Nan-Hee explained to Kim Bok-Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) and Lee Seon-Ok (Lee Joo Young) how that question is a surefire way to arouse a man's interest. She said guys are attracted to girls who share the same interests as they.
Therefore, if a girl likes Messi, guys most likely want to have a drink with her. In the second episode, Bok-Joo posed this question to her first love, Jung Jae-Yi (Lee Jae Yoon). Though uncertain as to why the former asked such question, the obesity doctor discussed the soccer player with her for a moment.
Inspired by the heroine's courage, many viewers started messaging their crushes with the said phrase. As it trended in the Philippines, it left a number of people confused, particularly those who did not watch the show.
Helmed by Oh Hyun-Jong, "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo" ended its 16-episode run on Jan. 11, Wednesday. Following the heartwarming finale, Sung-Kyung admitted she was brought to tears when the MBC drama came to an end.
"I couldn't watch the last episode because I was crying," Korean newsoutlet Xsports News, as cited by Soompi, quoted Sung-Kyung as saying before the local media. "Watching the drama when it aired, I sobbed because I was so sad it was ending."
Following "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo's" end, "Missing 9" has taken over MBC's Wednesday-Thursday timeslot. Premiered on Jan. 18, Wednesday, the new melodrama follows nine individuals who were stranded on a deserted island after their private plane crashes in the ocean.
"It's a massive work," Yonhap News Agency quoted director Choi Byung Gil as saying during a press conference on Jan. 12. "Many storylines are melted in. It's a drama about people who don't give up."
Starring Jung Kyoung Ho and Baek Jin Hee, "Missing 9" airs every Wednesday-Thursday at 10:00 PM (KST). Check it out below: