The realities of life on a university campus, where the main characters struggle with their individual issues, misconceptions, relationships and futures.
Well acted and a strong cast. There are some very abusive and parasitic 'friends' of character Yeo Joon and I have to say, apart from their personalities, the look of them really added to the level of disgust I felt at times.
However, in some ways, that is stereotypical, as people who use and bully others do not always look the part.
Park Ji Hoon perfectly portrays his role as Yeo Joon; a wealthy background, good looks, a bright personality and model student. However, unbeknown to others, he is estranged from his family and lonely.
This character was really brought to life by PJH ~ his mannerisms and ability to shine brighter than the sun one minute and have the saddest eyes in the most hurt face, the next, was captivating.
The relationship between Yeo Joon and the anxious, unsure Kim So Bin (another worthyy performance, from Kang Min Ah) was very sweet and the actors made it believable. They take a lot of strength from each other, which was so nice to see. I also liked that even though she is a couple of years older, she is happy to be lead as well as lead, and listens to Yeo Joon.
The relationship with his polar opposite, Nam Soo Hyun, was one of my favourite things, as Joon seemed able to relate to his frostiness more easily and I felt was drawn to the fact that his cheerful exterior and money could not buy Soo Hyun's friendship.
There is one sided love, with some friendships bordering on more, but the fear of loss preventing the move forward.
Adult responsibilities having to be taken on too soon, with the onus of providing for family whilst juggling studies, also features.
Jealousy, resentment and low self esteem are in some way part of several characters, with each reacting to these unpleasant traits in different ways and affecting how they perceive and interact with others.
There are some unpleasant and painful scenes in Yeo Joon's childhood and adult life, with the problem of violence in the home being tackled and pretty well, at that.
There are some laugh out loud moments too and some very warm moments, as barriers get dismantled and characters open up.
I also like that abusers didn't always get away with stuff and had to deal with the consequences of their actions.
The title eludes to the fact that youth is supposed to be bright, fun, carefree and happy, but up close, for too many, it is anything but.
When the young are betrayed by those who are supposed to nurture them, or forced to take on far more than they are mentally capable of dealing with, youth is in fact hell.
The drama also highlighted how wealth does not necessarily equal happiness.
The only aspect I found irritating, was how slllllllowly So Bin walks in it! Honestly it drove me nuts and once noticed, I couldn't un-see it, almost every time; and, whilst I liked the pop music score, I didn't like the mismatched violin and harmonica pieces. I love both instruments, but I felt that the pieces picked were too old fashioned sounding, for a drama of this era.
All in all worth watching.