There is something more outstanding than the beauty of an individual: youth. Just as the saying “you are only young once” goes, the power held by younger generations is undeniable. This is exactly what the new South Korean drama titled Cheer Up aspires to convey, as this newly released series is expected to give encouragement to young viewers in their lives. Most importantly as a coming-of-age series, its story is based on Yonsei University and its real-life cheering squad, where it follows the ups and downs of the female protagonist as she joins her university’s cheer team.

Almost every South Korean knows the longstanding rivalry between Korea University (KU) and Yonsei University (YU). The two prestigious universities have competed against each other in the Ko-Yon Games every fall, where students from KU and YU join to celebrate their annual sports rivalry. This event is symbolic as it promotes various activities that students participate in, establishing deeper bonds between both universities. In fact, the main spectacle of this event is the distinctively unique cheer battle, where the two opposing teams dress according to their school’s respective colors and chant along with their respective cheers. Now that the Ko-Yon Games have resumed for the first time in three years, the latest K-drama Cheer Up flawlessly mimics this yearly event.

Finding the Passion in Life

Cheer Up is specifically set to target the recollections of university life. Taking place at the fictional Yonhee University, the series presents a suspenseful yet romantic storyline that emphasizes the theme of reliving the splendid and precious moments of youth. The story centers around the main character Do Hae-yi, a budding freshman from a low-income family who continually struggles to support her family. Due to her family’s dire financial situation, Do Hae-yi barely lacks the time to place priority on finding her own dreams. 

Under this monotonous life, Do Hae-yi comes across her school’s cheerleading team Theia, where she gets a secret offer to get paid when she would decide to join the team. Willing to do anything for money, Do Hae-yi takes the deal for granted and becomes an official member of the cheering squad. From the moment she begins her journey with Theia, she gets to experience an enlivening passion that she had never felt in her life. Although it was a decision met with unexpected pleasure, Do Hae-yi soon realizes herself being engrossed with her experiences in Theia, slowly realizing that it has become the true satisfaction in life that she had been missing out on.

Cheer Up is a series that depicts the passion, energy, and exciting campus romance of individuals gathered in Theia. Han Tae-seob, director of Cheer Up, thinks of youth as a moment that never comes back, emphasizing the cheering squad as the best way to express that overwhelming moment of life. As Cheer Up alludes to university cheering teams that have never been dealt with before in Korean dramas, Han explained in his written interview with SBS that Cheer Up is a bright and cheerful story of young people who endure their sadness in life with hope, and he looks forward to it being a work that embraces the hardships of life with pleasant laughter and cheer.

Reviving the Campus Moments

Although this form of “cheering” may be unfamiliar to some, students who were not able to experience the lively campus life during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic could feel secondhand satisfaction as the series continues to show the nostalgia and vitality of college life. Going to membership training (MT), studying at the library late at night, and drinking with friends are just some of the clips where the drama depicts the lively atmosphere of students’ lives on campus, further enlightening the interactions of college life that help bring about relatable memories to viewers.

To gather further insight into what KU students think of the series Cheer Up, The Granite Tower (GT) interviewed a student who is currently a member of the KU cheerleaders.

GT: What do you think about the drama *Cheer Up*?

Anonymous: When I first heard that a series related to “cheerleading” was going to air, I was doubtful if it would become a hit. Although I do not watch the drama, I was quite surprised to hear favorable reviews about it. I think it may have appealed to viewers as it covers new content that people have not heard much about in the media.

GT: As an actual member of KU Cheerleaders, do you think Cheer Up accurately represents the cheering squad's atmosphere?

Anonymous: In fact, I do think that the drama conducted heavy background research on actual cheerleading groups as they described several events of the Ko-Yon Games and cheerleading moves precisely. However, I felt that the atmosphere and the internal organization of the actual cheerleading team were not 100 percent accurate as they had to be adapted into a fictional drama.

GT: Do you think Cheer Up depicts the passion and vitality of college life?

Anonymous: The biggest reason why I think Cheer Up garnered huge attention was that it indirectly gives audiences the lively atmosphere of college life. There definitely are differences between drama and reality, but I think that Cheer Up faithfully depicts the passion and vitality of being an actual member of a cheering squad.

It may be quite odd to feature “cheerleading” as the main theme of a Korean drama series, but Cheer Up does not fail despite this. The series is filled with the energy of passion and youth of young people with different purposes gathered in Theia, finding ways of bringing meaning to their lives. Cheer Up is a mixture of various stories, including diverse episodes of, romance, family history, and unexpected mysteries that continue to keep audiences entertained.

Television Series Information
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Mystery,
Director: Han Tae-seop
Starring: Han Ji-hyun, Bae In-hyuk, Kim Hyun-jin, and Jang Gyu-ri
Running Time: 70 minutes
Streaming Platform: SBS