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The drama has 12 episodes (one hour each). One might think it would not be possible to fit in five stories in twelve episodes, but watch it first before doubting. I found it amazing as to how the team was able show everyone's stories without shaking off the scenes' transitions. And that the story's direction was clear enough to be followed by the audience.
Age of Youth was able to depict the realness and pureness of a person. Everyone has their own struggles in life. They have their own ways to overcome those. Others may need someone to lean on, someone whom they can easily share their thoughts with, someone who would understand them. While on the other hand, there are those who would rather keep everything to themselves and try to solve it on their own for they have built a wall separating them from the outside world. It may seem pathetic and frustrating but baby, it happens and there are people living this way.
Throughout this whole process, the five leads were able to slowly open themselves up to each others and from being mere strangers, they have grown to appreciate one another that eventually leading to them treating them as sisters.
It was a story of what life is when you are young. You feel lost. You feel like you are not enough and the world does not deserve you so you better perish as you think you are doing a favor for everyone's sake. But no, youth is when you gain experiences that would be your foundation for the next decades of your life. Here's to when you would gain and lose friends. You would would experience love and heartbreak. Youth is nothing but a series of events which requires you to surpass in order to live your life to its extent. Youth is where you must enjoy your life the most.
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In terms of the acting, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of pretty much every performance. What originally piqued my interest in the drama was Park Hye Soo's portrayal of Eun Jae. Most times I find that actors playing socially awkward characters always fall short for me, as in I can just tell they're trying to act awkward. Hye Soo, however, had me convinced by the first 20 minutes that she was legitimately the shyest, awkwardest person on the planet and I fell in love with her character. The way she interacts with her fellow housemates and classmates is just so adorably bumbling and so believable. The performances by Han Ye Ri, Ryu Hwa Young, and Han Seung Yeon were equally as impressive. Who really impressed me though, was Park Eun Bin. This drama begun my love affair with Park Eun Bin and all of her work. Just the pure confidence that she brought to Ji Won made her my favorite character throughout the entire series.
In terms of the story, there were strong and weak points. I loved each and every one of the romance lines. I thought every couple had an unreal amount of chemistry, especially Jae Wan and Jin Myung. The crazy situations and quarrels that all the roommates find themselves involved in just creates the most fun, lovable atmosphere that anyone who has or had roommates can relate too, and there were often points where I found myself legitimately laughing out loud. I will say however, that parts of the plot did seem a little disorganized. I feel like the supernatural element, as well as Eun Jae's backstory were either not explained well enough or just didn't fit in to the story as well as other storylines. I also felt like it was wrapped up quite quickly in the last two episodes and a lot of loose ends were left open for interpretation. I'm assuming this might be due to the second season, so it doesn't bother me as much.
Whatever Age of Youth lacks in story, it makes up for in music. I don't usually cry watching kdramas, but there were quite a few scenes that made me shed a few tears because of the beautiful music choices. Every song was so beautifully matched to scenes and just elevated the storytelling. The soundtrack itself is beautiful and I highly recommend listening to the entire OST on its own, but it really did complement the tone and the feeling of the drama. Even now that i've watched however many more dramas, I still haven't found a show that quite matches the effect music has in this one.
I haven't re-watched the show yet, but as soon as I finish season 2 and have some time I am definitely planning to. I truly feel that this is a drama everyone should watch at least one. The heart warming friendship, laugh-out-loud comedy, and wonderful soundtrack just can't be missed. I would highly recommend this drama.
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All that is left unsaid
If you enjoy watching well developed characters show as much through what they don't do and say as what they do, you will enjoy this show. Here, writer Park Yeon Sun allows silence and subtext to do the heavy lifting, and challenges us to understand what's beneath the surface. It asks us to consider whether our assumptions about people's motivations are correct when we base them only on what we have seen when we don't know someone's inner thoughts or history.Half way through this drama, I realized that the writer made many intentional decisions that paid off well. Despite a few inconsistencies, the strategy and planning was evident as you continue watching. This was far more dramatic than the posters indicate, with lots of depth of acting talent. I appreciate the focus on females as well as the very important challenges they bring forward, such as sex, personal trauma, workplace abuse, and relationship abuse. I also liked the way the writer handled the relationships between the ensemble. Like real life, housemates don't have to be close friends or share all their deepest secrets with one another. The five women actually share far more dialogue with people outside the house than they do with each other. This allows us to get to know them as individuals with their own storylines, even if, at times, it is frustrating that they share so little with each other. I will note that there is a change of pace in season 2 that allows us to see more dialogue between the characters now that we know them, which was another great intentional choice.
The actors were fantastic. There are a number of stand-outs for me. Han Ye Ri as the eldest woman, Jin Myung was one of them. She portrayed her anguish and depression about her family and workplace challenges in a melodramatic way without overdoing it or manipulating our heartstrings. I also liked Ryu Hwa Young as the sassy, sexy and strong Yi Na dealing with her personal childhood demons and her various relationships with men. Her portrayal was mature and thoughtful. Finally, I rarely enjoy crazy, silly characters, but Park Eun Bin as our feisty journalism student Ji Won was spot on. She played her part with such depth, which allowed her character to bring the entire ensemble's stories together and connect them all. Even though her own story took a back seat until season 2, the time she spent on screen was genius and delightful. She has so much talent!
There were a couple holes in the story, and the pace in season 1 seemed like it was racing toward a finish line. This kept things very exciting and surprisingly, it never lost depth, but some of the dramatics never gave us the chance to breathe. However I did enjoy how the actors broke the fourth wall in the fun little epilogues that play after the final credits of various episodes.
To sum up, this was a surprisingly strategic show with a lot of pre-planning that pays off later. The characters and actors brought tons of depth to the story, and it was entertaining as well as heartfelt. It would be a fantastic re-watch if you enjoy looking for hints and figuring out all the little details the writers included across both seasons.
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The Story: Its a slice of life drama revolving around 5 twenty-something girls. I was pleasantly surprised by how relatable and realistic it was. And for a person who often googles "Realistic drama/manga/novel" you have nooo idea how pleased I was. I caught myself thinking " That is so me" many a times while watching AOY.
Here are some quotes from the drama to give you an idea of what a gem it is:
“Every time I have to face new situations, I have a nightmare. To me, new things make me anxious rather than excited.”
“Everyone has their own circumstances to deal with. And until you know the circumstances they’re in, you can’t tell people how to live their lives. I’m sure you have something like that about you, too. Something that others can’t understand about you, but you can’t help. That’s why you can’t judge people willy-nilly…”
The cast: Though I'm a bit biased towards crazy Ji Won, the entire cast did a phenomenal job and it's as if they were meant for their roles. Perfection!
Music: Butterfly!!!!
Rewatch value: This drama will never get old.
Overall: Brilliant. Praying for a season 2! Puh-leeeeeeeeeeeease!
Similar dramas: Reply 1988.
And that is all folks. Hope this review was helpful. Sooo, if you haven't watched this already, watch it NOW. Like right now....go on. Now!!
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Either way this drama is a must watch. I would give this a trigger warning for violence especially against females.
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I completely fell in love with each of these girls. They were all unique and interesting. And even as a guy, I find them all very relatable. While of course there are still extremes, like multiple characters having dark pasts coming back to haunt them (as well as a psycho ex), it still never fell into cliches or silly situations that we are so used to in most dramas. It told it's story with care, with mostly relying on the girls' relationship with each other to push the story further, rather than throwing extreme situations or crazy plot twists at them. They had such great chemistry with each other that you really felt that they were roommates. They were close and friendly, yet also awkward and weary of each other, and that felt real.
I did not want it to end. Twelve episodes was not enough. The way it ended didn't even feel like it should have ended there. They could come out with another episode now, and it wouldn't even feel like a new season, just a proper continuation. I really hope there is another season, but that is a rare thing in K-dramaland, so I won't get my hopes up.
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This show is a gem.
Story:Age of Youth took me by surprise. I came to find out about the show through recommendations that summarised the show in a way that led me to believe that it would be a simple slice of life show following the lives of 5 people in their twenties. This is true but I didn't expect it to go in the direction it did. I expected relatable but more light-hearted and even surface-level situations and instead I got in-depth storylines that made me take a step back and evaluate some aspects of my own life and ideologies.
The storylines for each character felt real and relatable. My favourite plotline is Yoon sunbae's because of how at first I didn't expect much from it but by the end of it, I felt so invested in not only her plotline but also her character and the burdens she bears. Seeing her being able to be willing to try something out freely by the end of the show warmed my heart.
The show managed to balance both light-hearted/humourous moments with more serious and darker ones. I cried and laughed in so many moments and it didn't feel forced.
Acting/Cast:
The cast is simply amazing. Each character felt fleshed out to certain degrees and that's something I truly appreciate. Their struggles and how they coped with them in their own unique ways made this even more enjoyable to watch. Yoon sunbae is my favourite character for the development she shows by the end of the show and Ji Won a close second because her personality just made me happy.
The cast's acting was phenomenal. They brought their characters to life and made me actually want to be friends with the characters if it was possible.
Park Hye Soo's portrayal of Eun Jae is my favourite. The way she portrayed Eun Jae's introverted-ness and shyness is something to be treasured. She doesn't make the character come off as unbearable or annoying. I remember thinking I wouldn't like her character but to my shock by episode 3 I realized I quite like her character and seeing her slowly get more comfortable with the other girls was a treat.
Han Ye Ri also did a stellar job with her portrayal of Yoon sunbae. I felt the character's pain, burdens, loss, relief and hope throughout the show.
They all did an amazing job, even the supporting cast did well and I commend the entire cast.
Music:
The OST for this show is probably my favourite and I'm going to look for the OST album and play it on repeat for a couple of days. I barely pay attention to drama OSTs because sometimes I find them either too distracting as they don't blend with the show or I find them dull and forgettable. So, the way the music of Age of Youth encapsulates the themes of the show while not being too distracting is something I'm grateful for.
Rewatch Value:
I'd say the rewatch value is pretty high for this show. The friendship between the five is something I could watch over and over again.
Overall:
Age of Youth, a story about women in their twenties trying to navigate life while forming bonds, is a true gem of a show.
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One of the biggest upsets I have with Korean dramas in general is the weak female characters. Often times, they're portrayed as a damsel in distress (see Park Shin Hye's Eun Sang in Heirs) or "Candy" girls (see Han Hyo Joo's Go Eun Sung in Shining Inheritance), which can be frustrating when you're wanting a strong female lead with development and with more spunk instead of being dragged around all the time. Age of Youth, being a slice-of-life and romantic drama, manages to avoid that by showcasing the different personalities of five different women who each have their own story to tell.
While romance and lovelines certainly do play a part in the drama, it's really the relationships between the girls that really give this drama that special touch. It's about letting down your walls and allowing your friends, roommates, and significant others to care for you and tell you that it's okay when you're feeling like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Through this drama, you'll discover (or maybe rediscover) just how precious friends can be, sometimes even more so than family.
Park Eunbin is perhaps quite easily the most breakout star of this drama. She certainly has this wonderful presence on the screen that grabs your attention and is one of the most memorable characters as well. Han Yeri is also one of the more memorable characters as well. She has this great control of subtle facial expressions and is able to convey many emotions through her gaze, which is quite impressive. Ryu Hwayoung also deserves an honorable mention, as she's been playing side characters for a while and has continued to show steady improvement and growth in her acting. Her character was perhaps my favorite; strong on the outside and very straightforward in her words but she knows when to soften up and really take care of people.
While I do love this drama, if there's one thing I would say I'm dissatisfied with, it would be the ghost storyline. I feel like we've only barely scratched the surface of the stories behind the girls, and some were barely touched upon (such as the backstory of Yoon Jinmyung's brother and Jiwon's tendency to overexaggerate or overdo things at times). It would be great if we had more episodes to really flesh out the stories and get to know them better. At the same time, I can understand why we only get glimpses of their backstories as well; it's not the past that matters, but who they are now and how they choose to move forward from here on out. As people, we shouldn't live in the past, but rather keep the memories in our hearts and move forward. That's the greatest service we can do for the people we care for and the people who are not here with us today to join in our happiness and sorrows.
I would definitely rewatch this drama again. It's a pretty light-hearted drama, so if you're looking for something to sort of pass the time with, I definitely recommend this.
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