A Juventude de Maio (2021)

Too tragic for a drama. Made this into a docuseries instead?

Please forgive me, regional folks, this is not meant to disregard or disrespect your history and the tragic horrors behind it.
This is more a reminder for me to never watch this again.
If I had read that this was so Tra gic, I would've never watched it.
If truly this particular romance was so tragic, I would've preferred to see the actual people, their real names, careers etc.
In short it could have been a true story or a true documentary which are made very aesthetically now.

To take history, put your own spin on it again is fine.
But to take history, put your own spin on it, heavily load it with beautiful romance and then kill the lead is like pulling the rug from under our feet and bring us crashing down, breaking our teeth, heart and everything else.
Not acceptable for me.

So yes, it was a tremendously beautiful drama - music, cinematography, costumes, hair make up etc of the '80s, and every actor was stupendous.......but sorry, the ending destroyed it.

Leia Mais

terrible main characters ruined a potentially good drama

I have been following this show since the day it started and now that i finished it i can say that this was one of the worst experiences of my life. I actually liked the first half of the show the setup for the romance seemed very interesting but as the show went on it just seemed stupid. Let's talk about what started to go wrong. Around halfway through the story myunghee and hee tae's "conflict" didn't even feel like a conflict at all because it would get resolved so easily and they'd get back together and the same thing got repeated over and over again so i really don't see any point of the conflict and not like the conflict was different it was the same thing just done too many times. Next, let's talk about how hee tae and myunghee are the most terrible and selfish people i have come across. When the gwangju uprising started they were busy trying to run away from that hospital even though they could clearly see how terrible the state of the country was and hee tae being a doctor and myunghee being a nurse just couldn't care less about any of that. Like that seemed very odd to me aren't main characters should be more empathetic than that? They didn't have any sense of humanity or responsibility in those trying times at all and it was actually very upsetting because these characters were shown as good, conscientious people from the beginning? Now let's talk about how myunghee was terrible to her dad and never even tried to understand his part of the story she just needed someone to blame for her dumb mistakes so she just took it out on his dad and i would have understood if his dad was a terrible person like herself but he seemed like someone who was trying to make it right. Then, let's talk about how myunghee didn't even care about her family all she cared about was her god forsaken romance with hee tae. When hee tae was kidnapped she literally kept acting like a brat and hence his dad and brother had to face the military which lead to his death but this whole time she literally didn't seem worried about them and didn't even cared that they got into all this because of her bratty behaviour but she was busy planning her marriage with hee tae. And all of this would have been understandable if they had some deeper romance going on they literally met each other 2 weeks ago and suddenly they want to risk it all for each other sorry but i am not buying that? Moreover, we kept seeing the side characters risking themselves so hee tae and myunghee can have a good life together which imo they don't deserve but myunghee and heetae didn't even care about anyone else but them. And they kept justifying that with bullshit reasoning that how being selfish is okay because they love each other? I wouldn't have any objection with them being selfish if these characters were originally like this and if the other supporting characters didn't act like they are they second coming of jesus but i think the show intented hee tae and myunghee to come across as good people which i really didn't see. Also the show couldn't wrap up anything well we don't know what happened to the side characters and a lot of things with that. Moreover, it is shown as hee tae is madly in love with her but he couldn't even bother to find myunghee's dead body and pay her respect? So yeah idek what to say anymore but that's what i think don't watch this terrible show.

Leia Mais

Another Frustrating Romeo and Juliet Story

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

Sorry, but I really hate Romeo and Juliet, so keep that in mind.

Acting/Cast: This is the first area that began nagging at me. I wasn't a fan of the female lead's acting. It felt stiff. Even the male lead's acting felt a bit stiff. Maybe it's a lack of chemistry between the leads. I was never able to fully get on board with their relationship. Really, they hardly know each other. I thought the side characters did good though. The strongest performance was probably from the 2nd female lead. The male lead's mom stands out to me too. 4.5/10

Writing: The drama started strong with an entertaining premise (although cliché). However, once the plot took a turn and became depressing and angsty, it quickly became frustrating and predictable as well. Yes, I get it's a tragedy, but the entire drama was just a bunch of characters continually making horrible decisions. If the plot requires a death of a major character, at least don't let the cause of their death be their own fault. It's not as much of a tear-jerking moment otherwise. I thought the second female lead ultimately had a more interesting story with a lot more potential (although she was pretty annoying in the first half), but unfortunately none of the plot points in her story were expounded. With her character, it was just dead end after dead end. She was even completely abandoned by the writers at the drama's conclusion in favor of the main storyline. Another issue I had with the writing was the plot line between the female lead and her father. It was predictable and unrealistic, which kept me from being able to connect with the female lead. Also, the male lead's father didn't make sense to me - a really abusive and seemingly psychotic, power hungry dude that sees his family members as objects, suddenly develops feelings and a sense of familial love. Throughout the entire drama they kept emphasizing how much he doesn't give a crap about them, so the sudden drastic change at the end left me trying to rationalize his behavior in my head. On a positive note, me favorite aspect of this drama was the storyline with the kids. I liked how their friendship developed as well as the character development of the male lead's little brother. Ugh...it's so frustrating because there were so many interesting facets that either weren't explored enough or weren't explored at all. 2/10

Direction/SFX/Music: This drama did have an old vibe to it, which seems completely intentional because it takes place in 1980. I don't like the style though. I loved Snowdrop, which takes place in 1987, and that drama feels like it has a much higher production value without feeling too modern. The OST is fine, but it's not my style either. 5/10

Entertainment Value: It was fairly entertaining. I had no desire to drop it, but I also put off finishing it and watched other dramas instead. I had a good idea of how it was going to play out, so I wasn't too bothered about finishing the drama quickly. I had a hard time connecting with the leads, but there were other characters that I was interested in. Too bad the writers weren't as interested in those other characters. In the first half of the drama, the leads were more compelling to watch, but in the second half everyone else became more compelling to watch. 4/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 4/10 mainly due to my hatred for Romeo and Juliet and how frustrating everything was. Oh gosh... the game of hot potato at the end with that damn watch was so annoying.

Leia Mais

This is basically a romance set during the 1980 Gwanju protests. I thought that the Romeo and Juliet couple, beautifully acted by Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si, pulled all of the appropriate heartstrings. But the characters surrounding them leaned melodramatic and simplistic. The evil villains, for example, were simply evil, whose evil acts were motivated by evilness. The troubled relationship between Kim Myung Hee and her father did not resonate with me because the whole thing seemed kind of over the top but, at the same time, petty. The Lee siblings’ characters had little depth or complexity. And the Gwanju protests and why and how everything went horribly wrong seemed to be simply background noise, albeit terrible background noise, to move the love story along.

Leia Mais

This reminds me of Titanic but with a weaker storyline

Youth of May is a 12-ep melodrama that follows a romance between a nurse and a son of a dictator. They fell in love during the Gwangju Uprising conflict, and because of their parent's background, their relationship gets complicated. This show has 12 episodes.

What got me interested in Youth of May is the characters and their effort to overcome the conflict. Youth of May is absolutely what I would call a plot-driven show. There’s basically no breathing room to really feel comfortable, nor to get invested in a few of the relationships that were formed within the show.

The problem that stands out to me is the romance, yes even though I appreciate the actor's performance and their setup for this romance at first, the pair actually get together, and there's great tension, but no chemistry. As soon as they do get together, their relationship milestones and choices all seem mindless. I don't get why they act a certain way. Their story progression feels slow to me and I don't personally feel as connected with them.

The midpoint episodes were quite a drag for me to get through. I didn't find any character growth, nor did I enjoy watching them. Instead of dealing with the conflicts, the drama shows a lot of self-inflicted misery which contributes a little to the progressions of the story and makes me bored.

I found the ending so dissatisfying, I really felt nothing. In the last two episodes, I wasn't shocked by any of the climaxes, I wasn't sad, I was pretty emotionless because I could see that the show was ending and I just didn't care. It seems that Youth of May gains popularity due to the "based on real event“ cover, but the storyline is weak and unfocused so it doesn’t buy my sympathy. So my overall rating for Youth of May is 5.5/10

Leia Mais

breathtaking and emotional

I think it's pretty clear from the start how there's going to be a tragic ending...Nevertheless the entire series was a piece of art. The shooting style as well as the overall tone the drama gave was so on point. I regret not educating myself more about the Gwangju Uprising and its history before watching this because then things would have made a lot more sense.

The cast was impeccable...expected nothing less from the main leads Dohyun and Minsi (came from Sweet Home aha) as well as the second female lead (she did so well in Class of Lies). This drama felt similar to "When the Weather is Fine" where it was so relaxing and satisfying--until chaos strikes and nothing goes right. This melodrama was great depiction of reality merged with fiction. The harsh reality of what was politically going on especially amongst those who were hierarchically involved.

The joy and sorrow were expressed so well from the characters. I shed a few tears especially towards the ending episodes because the storyline was so moving. The OST played a big part in the success of the film. If you are someone who likes a nice drama with a peaceful and realistic vibe, definitely watch Youth of May.

Leia Mais

devastatingly beautiful

Youth of May is in many ways a traditional kdrama romance. It uses several common tropes of the industry and the romance genre. The first episodes, while sweet and silly, could be part of many other romances we've seen. The script and the acting are really strong, adding unique charm and flavour to each of these characters.

But this traditional aspect of the drama only makes what we know will come more immensely devastating. From the beginning, we know tragedy will strike, and if you're even remotely familiar with the history of the Gwangju Uprising, you know the extension of that tragedy. All of our characters, even with their unique stories and quirks, are common everyday people. Our protagonists fall in love, face drama and hardship, the prejudices of other people, and have to make tough choices as they grow up into adults. But in the middle of all of that, the uprising happens and the military is sent to Gwangju.

The series does an incredible job of showing the surprise and the betrayal the Gwangju felt at the time and provides no excuses for the brutality of the regime. And in relation to our protagonists, how historical events like this cut the life of people in two. As someone coming from a country with a recent history of state violence, what stayed with me the most was this. How our leads are just everyday young people, with a sweet romance, a bunch of things happening in their lives and the possibility of a future ahead. Suddenly history happens and nothing it's the same again.

My favourite thing about this series is how it makes multiple nods to how the story of our leads is tied to the story of so many people whose stories we don't know. How it's a romance but it's also an exercise in memory.

Leia Mais

Right Person Wrong Time

The chemistry is hands down the best part of the drama and I think the show did a fantastic job of intertwining historical events with the personal story of two people who just happened to meet and fall in love with each other during that time. The first few episodes were more lighthearted and fun, and even as the story became heavier and life became more difficult, I felt like we still saw the soft moments between the two leads, the stolen moments of safety and comfort. It really felt like two people against the world.

Maybe my only gripe with this is the ending. I have no problem with the plot itself, but pace-wise it felt like a rushed and forced tragedy and the aftermath wasn't explained well either.

Leia Mais

A perfect cast i must say

LEE DO HYUN NEVER DISSAPOINTS ME . when i heard he is on this new drama cast , i was excited for this . waited for this also , i must say this was worth of wait . All the characters PLAYED THEIR ROLE SOO WELL. i dont know much about this gwangju uprising story but definitely i loved . they potrayed 80's days so perfectly . never got bored at all. GO MIN SI slayed her role . i loved her at sweet home as well as at this series .

i literally hated hee tae s fathers role . i dont what was he after but he ruined many lives .

you wouldnt regret watching this .

Leia Mais

Beautiful and bittersweet!

I decided to watch this after I found out that Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun (who played as siblings in Sweet home,) were going to be the main leads as romantic love interests! I was pretty excited because I have always shipped them after watching Sweet Home and wanted to see them finally playing as a couple.

I don't know how to describe the type of drama this is but it did revolve quite a bit around a lot of protests, democracy, and corrupt governmental stuff that I did not understand and wasn't really my cup of tea. However, the plot itself and the chemistry between Do Hyun and Min Si made the story a lot more interesting and intriguing to watch.

The chemistry between Hee Tae (Do hyun) and Myung Hee (min si) was just spot on. It felt like they were star-crossed lovers of the typical rich man who falls for poor girl type and rich man gets forced into an arranged marriage with someone else. Personally, I felt the romance in this drama is not just the typical rich man/poor woman love story, it had some small twist in it where Myung Hee's best friend, Soo Ryun, get forced into an arranged marriage with the man Myung Hee loved. Hee Tae and Soo Ryun don't like each other but they couldn't get out of it. I feel like you don't see a lot of these type of scenarios in kdramas. I always see arranged marriages happen with just a random girl popping up midway through the drama or something like that, but never a best friend.

I love Hee Tae because of how straightforward and persistent he was in winning Myung Hee over. Myung Hee of course was trying to be distant because of the circumstances but Hee Tae really didn't care and was willing to just drop everything to be with her. I was really hoping they'd be end game and stay together after the whole war or protest thingy going on ends. Unfortunately, Myung Hee died trying to save her brother and went missing for years, which I feel is so messed up. Like why must you directors end her life in this way LOLOL. I mean I don't mind sad/bittersweet endings but I just don't think Myung Hee' being killed off was necessary. Like her dad just gave her his whole bank account for her to use, live on, and take care of her brother but that same day ends up dying too like wtf. LOLOL.

Anyway, despite the ending, the story in general and chemistry between the two made this drama worth watching and I'm still satisfied. I really hope to see another miracle happen where they end up in a drama again together and maybe this time with both being alive and have a happy ending LOL.

Leia Mais

Not worthy in all means

After watching complete drama I got one confusion that what the director wants to tell or show. It’s neither shown the Korean history nor the love story properly. The most satisfying thing is that it has only 12 episodes otherwise it would have wasted some more of my precious time. Throughout the drama the ML or FL or some other characters keep on making wrong decisions and keep on suffering for that. If you see those wrong decisions you will get confused either they are brainless or the one who is watching that.
My review might be different than maximum of others who wrote here but this is my true feeling after watching this drama.
This is the main problem with Korean dramas, they try to impose feeling in a very brutal way,(spoiler alert) I don’t know exactly why they did a bad ending for this drama even after they(ML FL) struggled so much for being together. Frankly speaking I thought in the same way that the FL doesn’t deserve the ML because of annoying annoying decisions, she never listened or prioritise the ML first, most of the times she made bad decisions and hurt the ML. Really I pity on ML, he always respects her decision and love her deeply but in the end he got nothing.

Leia Mais