A Juventude de Maio (2021)

Beautiful love story during Gwangju uprising

The acting is great and Do Hyun never disappoints.

Is is a love story set during Gwangju uprising. The main couple had to go through some many obstacles to get their happy ending which last probably one minute but it is such a beautiful story. The last episode is very emotional and you will cry. I was hoping for a happy ending but I guess the ending made it more realistic about what really happened in Gwangju.

It is very well written and also it states all the facts about cruelty of the military and that thousands of innocent people lost their lives.

I really love this drama. You need to watch it!

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I am not typically into heavy melodrama, unless I count those teenage years of watching British shows about royals, or those childhood days of watching Hong Kong drama series about corrupt cops and dishonorable politicians. But Youth of May was a surprising pick that brought up memories of Martial Law when I was living in my home country. While my experience with martial law pales in comparison to the martial law imposed during the Gwangju uprising, this drama certainly puts into perspective how people have suffered and sacrificed their lives in the fight for democracy.

The drama starts with the discovery of the remains of one of the victims of that fateful event in 1980, but we don’t know who had died. It could be any of the characters the drama will introduce later, except we know that a broken pocket watch was found along with the ruined corpse, and that watch could belong to anyone. So there will be death, we’re almost sure of that, and it would not be pretty.

Then the show takes us back to the days before the uprising, when innocence and love can still bloom despite the political oppression surrounding the area. The chance meeting of a nurse and a medical student turns out to be destined, as fate later brings Hee Tae and Myung Hee together when the latter’s bestie asks her to stand-in as proxy for her blind date with the son of the Head of the Anti-Communist Investigation. This arranged date was supposed to bring the two families together as political allies, with the Hwangs gaining a rich businessman as an in-law and their resources to facilitate the government, while the Lees try to take advantage of political clout to release Soo Ryun and her friends from being incarcerated.

But of course, the activism in Soo Ryun doesn’t allow her to collude with the opposition as she and her friends regard Hee Tae’s father as no more than a government lackey intent on suppressing the democratic freedom of its people. At first, it was funny how Soo Ryun coaches her best friend on how to be rejected by a suitor, but all the tricks and tips Myung Hee deployed did not prevent Hee Tae from wanting to see her again. Although Myung Hee does not seem to mind the affections bestowed upon her, she realizes that she cannot entertain these feelings as she plans to leave the country in a few weeks.

Undeterred, Hee Tae launches an all-out charm offensive, despite his father’s warnings, and pleads with Myung Hee to take a chance on him, even if it’s momentary. The chemistry between Myung Hee and Hee Tae is palpable on screen. Lee Do Hyun’s playfulness balances out Go Min Si’s wistfulness, and they are certainly better matched than Lee Do Hyun with Song Hye Kyo (that romantic pairing as dry as a flatbread). Both leads brought their A-game to this drama and carried so much weight that their characters, despite their flaws, are humanized. The rest of the cast also bring life and color to their respective roles, even the actor portraying the hated Ki Nam who lords over the city, or the actors playing Soo Chan and Soo Ryun who were grappling with the dilemma that their protected status almost exempts them from further investigation, while the poor suffers injustice.

The cinematography and fashion are on point as it paints the 80s cultural vibe against a political backdrop, where they separate the haves and have-nots. The pacing of the plot also sets the urgency of living in the moment when they still can and while Hee Tae and Myung Hee navigate their feelings for each other, they are faced with the reality of the struggles happening around them. Their personal choices on continuing with their star-crossed romance hinge on the plight of their friends and the citizens of Gwangju. Whereas Hee Tae wants to hightail out of the city at the first real sign of political trouble, Myung Hee feels obligated to stay and help those who are victimized by the soldiers.

Although I should commend Myung Hee’s compassionate nature, I sometimes got irritated at her reluctance to leave that put herself and Hee Tae in dangerous situations. Following in her footsteps is her brother who also decides it was a good idea to bolt when he feels like it and causing his sister grief. If only he stayed in place where he should, Myung Hee wouldn’t have gone and tried to save him more than once. Their father is no better, with his attempts to cross military zones and roads that have been closed due to volatile circumstances. Everyone seems to be trying to be a hero and recklessly go into perilous situations that can be avoided.

I understand that cowering and hiding inside your own house is not the solution either, nor I am suggesting that the government at the time had the right to impose martial law or that the soldiers are justified in beating innocent people senseless just because they look like students who are about to protest, but when the situation calls for you staying inside your house for your own safety, I don’t see why you would go out of your way to incur danger.

So kudos to those who are brave enough to die for their beliefs; without them, there will be no calls for change. And Youth of May serves as a reminder that those who came before us paved the way for a better future.

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Another Frustrating Romeo and Juliet Story

I don't like the categories for rating on here. 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.

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Hermosa historia de amor en tiempos de caos.

Para mi ha sido un 10/10.
Me ha gustado todo: cuando se conocen y ella se hace pasar por la amiga 👗💄... y aún así él se acaba enamorando de ella y deciden luchar para estar juntos.También amé el papel de la amiga y su minihistoria con el policía. 👮‍♂️
La relación de ellas 👼💞 y saber que nunca tendré una amistad como esta 😭 y la amistad de los hermanitos y que el hermano de ella encontrara ese "algo" más importante cuando se hizo adulto (se hizo sacerdote)
Me parece muy acertado que en el futuro los actores ya de adultos se transformaran en jóvenes, eso lo hace demasiado emotivo. 💞 Lo único que no me gustó es que me spoilee el final 😩 antes de empezarla.
Él la esperó durante 41 años 😳 demasiado impactante, lo único que no entiendo es porque pusieron a un actor tan joven para hacer de su version adulta (el personaje debería tener 67 y el actor tiene 45)

Y no, no me costó shippear a los protas aunque los haya visto como hermanos en Sweet Home jsjs 💞

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A beautifully crafted drama capturing the reality of the Gwangju Uprising.

Youth Of May is a melodrama set in May 1980 during the Gwangju Uprising. Its about Myung Hee and Hee Tae navigating through the trials of this hectic period of time.

First of all, the acting is amazing. Literally a 11/10. Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun played Myung Hee and Hee Tae in an amazing way. I like how they literally brought the characters into life and brought a memorable performance. They had great chemistry and their acting just felt so realistic.
Everybody portrayed their characters well.The writing and the whole story was good and overall I loved watching the show entirely. The OSTs were giving off the sad vibe which I enjoyed listening to and also I also came to know about how harsh 1980 May was in Gwangju and how much the people were actually suffering for no reason.

I definitely recommend this drama to anybody who loves watching realistic dramas with no fiction. If you enjoy politics too, then this drama is for you. It's totally worth the watch and is one of the best dramas that I've seen.

Leia Mais

Such a beautiful drama. (No direct spoilers but some things are implied)

Probably one of the most emotional dramas that I've watched, binge watched the entire thing... Such a beautifully sad story, it was so well written. My heart quite literally hurt watching this drama, cried a thousand rivers frfr. The acting was one of the best in the K-drama scene, which I expected from Dohyun cause he's such a great actor, didn't get to watch anything from Go Minsi but she was also a great actress. They had great chemistry, and their good acting made me feel everything they felt cause they just expressed it so well. All the characters played so well. Okay not gonna lie though, I did kinda drop the drama when I reached about 4 episodes, so it was a tiny bit boring for me at the beginning (Maybe just for me though), but I decided to complete and DAMNNNN.
I remember when I was secretly watching this in class my friend tried to warn me, she told me it was going to be SAAAD but I brushed it off and said it couldn't be that bad. But BRO T-T . Oh how wrong I was.

I would definitely recommend this but you will cry, I don't care how tough you think, you are you will cry. Even if you're not an emotional person this drama will turn you into one.

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Objectively good, subjectively devastating

If I were to rate this drama purely based on how good I think it is, it would easily get a 10/10. It is masterly crafted, a powerful story about an actual event told with incredible cinematography, acting and with lots and lots of heart. However, I rate based on enjoyment, not on how objectively good I think a drama is. And I did not enjoy this drama at all.

It starts out light enough, but it gets rough pretty quickly. I normally don't mind tragedy if at the end of it all I feel like I've gotten something out of it. That's not the case with this drama. I'm not usually a skipper, but I had to skip many scenes because I mentally could not handle watching it. It was suffering, upon suffering, upon suffering.

If you're interested in history, and don't mind watching a devastating drama, then I can definitely recommend this one to you. But what you'll get out of it is anxiety and worsened mental health. If that's a price you're willing to pay, then it's definitely worth it. I for one am probably going to watch some comedies now to purge this sorrow from my mind.

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Youth Of May does a fantastic job of bringing its story to life via our characters, their experiences, and their relationships.

A rollercoaster of emotions that’s not easy by any means, but that’s completely worthwhile. The leads were amazing and so were the supporting characters. I loved how they showcased different points of view; from the soldiers, police, college students as the protestors, nurses and doctors, and the commoners.

Youth Of May is both sweet and bright, and at times reminds of the traumatizing past in a subtle way. It probably might be the best underrated drama of 2021.


My Rating : 8/10

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My love for this drama runs deep.

I loved this drama. You know those scenes in a drama that make you feel like you're intruding on a private moment? That's how I felt watching this. I haven't rooted for any other couple in dramaland more than the leads in Youth of May. Lee Do Hyun is phenomenal, and paired with Go Min Si, they become a powerhouse duo. The story was believable, and I was thoroughly invested the entire time. I would 100% wish the ending was different, but I can't be angry at this masterpiece. If you're looking for a drama with an '80s feel, a devoted hero, and a no-nonsense heroine who completely falls in love, this is your drama. But brace yourself for a wave of emotions.

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Aquel mayo que quedó enjaulado

Sería difícil encasillar este drama en un solo género porque todas las capas que lo componen logran formar una historia que encuentra su valor en esa variedad de temas. La historia política y la lucha contra el abuso de poder se desarrolla a niveles que logra interesar al espectador sin llegar a abrumarlo, un balance que se intensifica con el correr de los episodios y que vuelve al drama una historia creíble y emocionante. Bajo esas condiciones se desenvuelve una historia de amor que brilla intensamente a pesar de su brevedad y que sufre las consecuencias de un contexto político donde prima el horror, donde la democracia peligra y que lo único que no pudo detener fue la elección de seguir adelante de los dos amantes.

El guion puede ser flojo en algunos momentos, aunque, desde un punto de vista general, construye una historia que se sostiene y se acompleja gradualmente. Lo que en un principio pareciera una historia repleta de clichés (falsa cita a ciegas, matrimonio arreglado, viaje próximo) pronto sorprende al sumar elementos políticos y familiares que vuelven el drama uno mucho más cautivador. Personalmente, tenía muchas ganas de ver el drama por confiar en otras reseñas, pero esa complejidad gradual podría ser un motivo por el que pudiera haber dejado de verlo al segundo episodio, es un arma de doble filo.

Me hubiera gustado conocer más sobre el gran villano ya que creo que se pierde un poco el motivo de su accionar, especialmente para aquellos que no sepan cómo funcionaban aquellos centros de inteligencia ilegales y tal vez no hayan logrado entender del todo la seriedad del asunto. También la historia de Heetae, como hijo extramatrimonial, podría haber sido explicada mejor desde su pasado porque, aunque el trato que se le da dentro de la casa alcanza para entender que no es querido en la familia, no me fue suficiente para comprender qué tan importante fue para él crecer allí. En general, hay algunos cabos sueltos en lo que respecta a la historia previa a la década del 1980 y eso es lo que me impide ponerle 10 estrellas.

Es una historia bonita, que no considero que sea para todo el mundo pero que, aun con el nivel de dramatismo que carga, es muy disfrutable y sin dudas voy a recordar por mucho tiempo.

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