Jung Il‑woo, Lee Soon‑jae, Kim Bum, Park Min‑young, Kim Hye‑seong
Similar
Personal Taste, The 1st Shop of Coffee Pri, My Princess, Moon Embracing the Sun, She Was Pretty
High Kick! (Hangul: 거침없이 하이킥; RR: Geochimeopsi Haikik; lit. "High Kick without Hesitation", "Unstoppable High Kick") was a popular South Korean situation comedy revolving around the life of the Lee family, taking place in Seoul at the same time as the broadcast (Winter, 2006 - Summer, 2007). The title of the show "High Kick!" has several implications, one of which is the oft-depicted high kicks of Yoon-ho, one of the main characters. The show aired in South Korea from Monday to Friday in sitcom format. Due to its popularity, the show filmed more episodes than were initially planned. Many of the characters starred in commercials and advertisements in Korea. The show's popularity also led to High Kick Through the Roof, which aired in 2009-2010, and High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged, which aired in 2011-2012.
The head of the Lee family, he works alongside his daughter-in-law at his Korean medicine hospital. Being the oldest in the family, he can be harsh and strict toward his family members, and thinks only about himself. He always kicks or hits other members of the family. Due to this aggressive behavior, Soon-jae acts as the dictator of the Lee household and no one opposes what he says.
Soon-jae's wife, she is incredibly strong and has an enormous appetite, which she passes on to Joon-ha. Despite her age, she does all of the cooking and cleaning, and looks after Joon-e (Min-yong's baby). Since Soon-jae and Hae-Mi often berate and insult her, she often has daydreams of them suffering. Like Min-Yong, she is annoyed by Hae-mi, and would do anything to embarrass her.
Son of Soon-jae and Moon-hee. A huge strong man with an enormous appetite, nicknamed as the "Lord of Gluttony". Laid off from the company he was working, he spends his time at home as an unsuccessful investor and depends on the earnings of his wife, who is the main doctor at his father's hospital.
A late-born son of Soon-jae and Moon-hee, he works as a P.E teacher at Pungpa High School where his nephews attend. Min-yong is the opposite of Joon-ha in many terms. Min-yong is a slim man with straight hair, less lazy, more handsome, and employed, but has the nasty attitude toward Soon-jae and Park Hae-mi, while Joon-ha is more like Moon-hee; a plump man with curly hair, very lazy, dumb looking, overweight, and unemployed, but more sympathetic than Min-yong. Returning to his parents house after a short-lived marriage with Shin Ji, he lives in an expanded and modified storeroom upstairs, which is connected with the main house with a firemen's pole.
The wife of Lee Joon-ha. A doctor that works with Lee Soon-jae. Hae-mi was in love with another man before her marriage (Yeoung-Chol). Accepting Joon-ha's proposal was to rival the lover who had dumped her, which Joon-ha finds out in one of the episodes. She gave financial support to Soon-jae's hospital when it was near the brink of closing down, and much more popular than Soon-jae as a doctor.
The eldest son of Lee Joon-ha and Park Hae-mi. Being very bright, but physically small and soft, he is often portrayed as a "mama's boy," and always quarreling with his younger brother Yoon-ho, who is in the same class at the pungpago. An easy target to bully due to his weak appearance, while Yoon-ho would simply fight back no matter the odds. The contrast between the two brothers is one of the main themes of the show. At school he sits in the very front of the classroom along with Kim Buem, who has been best friends with him for a long time, and they embrace each other in a sign of friendship.
The youngest son of Lee Joon-ha and Park Hae-mi. He is a tall, strong, and handsome boy known for his high kick. He also narrates the story of the show. He is also a motorcycle maniac. He is very popular among the girls in Pungpa High School, though his grade is low and he sometimes demonstrates his utter ignorance. As one episode disclosed, Yoon-ho was as bright as Min-ho in his childhood, but after riding on the back of motorcycle of a friend of Joon-ha's, he became completely absorbed in fighting and motorcycles; Joon-ha is blamed by Hae-mi for Yoon-ho's bad grades and delinquent behavior. Yoon-ho is often misunderstood and sometimes blamed for things he did not do.
The ex-wife of Lee Min-yong and the mother of Joon-e. Loves music, and is trying to get a job at a music industry, singing CF songs and taking auditions for musicals. She asked for a divorce from Min-yong, wishing to study abroad in Moscow, but came back to Korea in short time. Min-yong and her take turns in taking care of Jun, though Joon-e seems to be in the Lee household most of the time presumable due to Shin Ji's busy schedule.
An English teacher at the pungpagothat Lee Min-yong teaches at, and the homeroom teacher of Min-ho, Yoon-ho, Bum, Chan Seong and Seung Hyun. She rented the apartment that Min-yong and Shin JI used to live in, and lives there with Shin Ji after her return from the short and unsuccessful attempt to study in Moscow.
Lee Min-ho's best friend, desiring to become the proper member of the family. The two boys are very close and care for each other. He had a crush on Yoo-mi later in the sitcom.
Lee Min-ho's girlfriend. Very pretty but extremely poor at studies, always getting lowest scores at school. She is also secretly three years older than her schoolmates, but only Kim Bum, Lee Min-ho, Lee Yoon-ho,and Lee Min-yong, who doesn't care about that so much, know it.
Minor characters
Gaeseong-daek (개성댁, Lee Su-na)
Na Moon-hee's best friend. Currently jailed in prison for murdering her sister. Escaped from prison and fled to Moon-hee's house many times but each time Soon-jae turned her in.
Yum Seung-hyun (염승현, Yum Seung-hyun)
Another classmate of Min-ho and Yoon-ho and the rival of Yoon-ho. In the later episodes, he even competes with Yoon-ho for Seo Min-jeong's attention.
Hwang Chan-sung ( 황찬성, Hwang Chansung)
A friend of Yum seung-hyun, One of Yoon-ho's rivals & a trouble maker in Pungpa high school, but after being betrayed by Seung-Hyun he became Yoon-Ho's friend.
Jun (준, 고채민, Go Chae-min)
Min-yong and Shin Ji's infant child. At the very beginning of the show, the grown-up Jun appears as an astronaut. He can be seen in nearly every episode in a few scenes but never does anything apart from sleeping or just crying.
Na Hae-mi (나해미, Na Hye-mi)
A classmate of Yoo-mi, transferred from a different school in the later episodes (starting from Episode 116). She chases Yoon-ho around, publicly broadcasts herself as Yoon-ho's girlfriend, lies to him for drawing his attention, and deeply annoys him.
Nurse Yoo and Nurse Park
Two staff members who work at Soon-jae's hospital and act as his secretaries somewhat. Yoo is younger than Park and nothing much is portrayed about her except working at the reception desk.
Yoo-mi's parents
Yoo-mi's father is a somewhat mysterious man with a hidden agenda. He eventually dies, apparently shot in the chest and found by Min-yong on one stormy night. It is revealed that he worked as an agent for North Korea but changed sides, which led him to being hunted by his former comrades, who later killed him.
Hong Sun-chang (홍순창, Hong Sun-chang)
Vice Principal of Pungpago. He is extremely sarcastic.
Lee Seo-hyun (이서현, Yoon Seo-hyun) (Detective Lee)
He is a detective and is usually seen handling the cases behind Yumi's family. He also has a crush on Shin Ji.
Seo Joo-hyun (서주현, Noh Joo-hyun)
Seo Min-jeong's father. He is opposed of the relationship between Min-yong and Min-jeong.
Han Young-min (한영민, Seo Hyun)
Han Young-min is part of the staff in a musical Shin Ji played in. He has a crush on Shin Ji even though he is younger than her, they go out for a short period of time.
Special teacher at Pungpago. His crush: Min-jeong.
Cho Won-seok (조원석, Cho Won-seok)
A person trying to cast Shin Ji.
OST Part 1
Unstoppable High Kick - Moogadang
Love U Like U - Moogadang
Why Is It - Moogadang
Sambuja Song - Moogadang
OST Part 2
Love to ride - Lee Gyeong-mi
In place - Lee Eun-ju
OST Special Edition
Love to ride (Full Ver) - Lee Gyeong-mi
International broadcast
It aired in Japan on cable channel KNTV from May 21, 2007 to January 8, 2008.
It aired in Vietnam on HTV3 called Gia đình là số 1 from November 11, 2009.
It aired in the Philippines on TV5 beginning April 5, 2010. Chicosci Song Diamond Shotgun Were Used As The Philippine Themesong Of The Series.
Adaptation
In Vietnam, the series was adapted by Điền Quân Media & Entertainment to be produced in 2016. The first episode was on air on every Monday through Thursday, beginning from January 18, 2017.
