Everything would have been awesome if not some issues that seriously interfered with my enjoyment of the show.
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This show feels too long. I've never imagined, i would say that about a series of 12 episodes, but Age of Youth has an extremely uneven tempo, where in the beginning it is excruciatingly slow and overextended. Adding the fact that the episodes are all over 1 hour long, it really tried my patience at times. And it's not like i didn't enjoy what was happening on screen but seeing some situations almost on repeat (like Kang Yi Na talking with older dude in the bar again and again, seeing Yoon Jin Myung sitting in that store without much happening and so on) didn't leave a very great impression to me.
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The show feels bloated with unnecessary dark and heavy drama which fails to feel genuine and realistic, because it's just too much of it stuffed in the later episodes. I like that all girls were treated almost equally, but i dislike the fact that 4 of 5 girls has some dark, heavy element or secret in their lives. It made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief. Some parts like the latter stuff with Jung Ye Eun's boyfriend, felt really poorly written and ridiculous, thus making supportive cast quite unimpressive compared to main five. That's why Song Ji Won felt like a superior character to me, because her parts weren't bloated with dark past or heavy drama. And i am not saying that characters shouldn't experience any hardships or can't have any past that haunts then, but when every character is like that it makes the show feel really unnatural.
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Other minor complaints:
First episode was too melodramatic. Creators didn't manage to introduce a new girl without a pool of tears.
The story about previous tenant was basically forgotten and never brought up again after the first episode, thus feeling like an afterthought.
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CONCLUSION
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Age of Youth is at its best, when it's just genuine slice of life show depicting simple, yet unique stories of 5 girls living together. Unfortunately it fails with its uneven pacing in the first half and lots of unnecessarily dark drama at the second half.
P.S. Extreme praise to Park Eun Bin for the depiction of Song Ji Won - extremely funny, well acted and lively character.
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Maybe the issue is that Korean 20-something issues are not the same as those here in North America. But I don't think that's quite true — the struggles laid out among Joon-Hee's female friends in Something in the Rain felt very relatable, for example, as were the struggles of those in Because This is My First Life (although those were 30 year olds... am I just getting old? Eep!). I mean, the Belle Epoque house definitely made me feel nostalgic for the time I was in school, living with 7 housemates that became so ingrained in my day-to-day life. The first episode showed this best — how housemates naturally grate on each other through little things that add up. But after that, this aspect of co-habitation barely played a part in the rest of the story.
The friendship moments were the most gratifying, like the time the gang filled in for Yoon Sunbae's shift or went to beat up a certain kidnapper. The party prep scene was also hilarious. But they were too few and far between!
Romance-wise, our little maknae romance was THE BEST. So cute, except when there was a bit of hot-and-cold action. I wish this show did more to explore the idea of "firsts" during this formative period in life though. This relationship would've been perfect for that. I also loved Ye Eun's romance story, for depicting a completely different situation (one's first toxic romance). Yi Na's arc was wonderful as well, because it showcased a totally different way of living. Wasn't as big a fan of the other two romance stories. Also, we have to commend this show for depicting some good boy-girl friendships a well, although they were both hinting at something a bit more by the end (please no!).
I think this is one of the first shows that I've seen universal hype for. I came in with expectations through the roof, but ultimately felt that it played into a lot of common drama tropes (frozen kisses, kidnapping, murder mystery plots, wrist grabs, etc.) and was shockingly unrelatable, despite being in my early/mid-20's. Unfortunately, Age of Youth didn't quite hit the mark.
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Fantastic ensemble cast, relatable stories and rewatchable moments
Story: This series is very character-driven and I liked that almost every character had an arc and a development. The series ending left me satisfied and yet wanting more. (thankfully there was season 2) Watching this drama felt as though I know these characters in real life. (although in real life I don't have such friends, which is a good thing I guess?) I could relate to the trials and joys of these characters who are about the same age as me, even though my life experiences are no where as dramatic as theirs. (spoiler alert? but it isn't too dramatic vs other k-dramas)Acting: Perfect. All of them were best characters, even the supporting cast.
Music: The opening theme makes you look forward to watching their lives unfold. The other songs were pretty solid as well, it supported the different moods/scenes. I especially love 'on your collarbone' by jordan klassen. (I generally like acoustic-ish songs haha)
Rewatch value: As the ending credits roll with the opening song, I really felt like I wanted to rewatch the series or thought that it wasn't the last episode. Did I forget to mention that this series has a lot of life lessons/teachable moments? (lol that sounded serious) Besides that, there are hilarious moments in this drama, making this a very rewatchable series :) There are clips in YouTube to rewatch if you are lazy like me haha
Conclusion: I really don't have much to critique... maybe it might seem a bit slow-paced/less melodramatic? But so is life...?
TLDR: I think the main message of this series is that navigating this messy thing called adulthood, which brings about maturing/romance/heartbreaks/accepting oneself, doesn't have to be a huge burden when you have a close group of friends, not necessarily sharing same interests/hobbies/personalities.
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Also it seems like a happy go lucky show but it has its own mysteries and that’s actually fitted and written well in the show.
Ive already rewatched it twice and I probably will rewatch it again soon lol.
It’s so good, so precious and so youthfully.
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this will be the shortest review i wrote ever
VERY SHALLOW & WEAK DRAMA WITH VERY LAME ROMANCE
it wasn't romance nor suspense
the directing is bad insufficient, sequences, with imperfect events
& the story doesn't explain much
two characters bothered me soooooo Han Ye RiYoon Jin Myung
(THE FRIDGE GIRL Park Hye Soo) & THE NAIVE GIRL
there is no even character improvement
EXCEPT for (Ryu Hwa Young) i saw her really the best character in that mess
as if the writer didn't had enough
from that mess so he decided to dazzle us with season 2 which was much worse than season 1
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My biggest issue with this drama was it's plot. The strongest and most interesting storyline was of course Yoon Jin Myung's, who's tale of overworking, romance and character development was definitely the best to watch. Yet very quickly her inner and outer conflicts are resolved, which is the same for all of the other storylines. The slow, gradual plot development which was so strong in the beginning is very much rushed towards the end. Some storylines are disjointed and strange, especially the kidnapping. Some storylines should have lasted longer, and some characters deserved better ones - most notably Song. However, it must be said that this drama does deal with a view important issues and I admired that. Plus there was a lovely mix of comedy and dark storylines too.
What carried this drama the most was 100% it's characters. They were the main reason I kept watching; they held up the plot. You feel really connected to the protagonists and their experiences - while they all have major flaws, they're still ALL likeable. Plus, their relationships with each other as well as their romantic relationships had a lot of chemistry. Props to the actresses.
Age of Youth also has a perfect OST!!! It has a very homely feel - very indie style. Each character had their own theme which fit them perfectly. You can't really listen to any of the songs from Age of Youth without thinking of the show afterwards. They couldn't have picked a better soundtrack to be honest.
I would rewatch this drama, mostly because of the humor and my attachment to the characters. However, it's not one of my favourites, nor is it exceptional. Overall, it's a soothing but dark drama with good characters and storylines that are a little weak at times.
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No matter whether you are rich or poor or come from a large city or small, everyone has its own issues to deal with along with secrets they keep from the outside world.
Every character had their own development and i can't wait to see them in season 2! Definite must-watch.
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This review is for S1 specifically
Season 1 of this drama is one of my favorites- One of the best female friendship focused stories I have seen in the K-Drama sphere. However, season 1 I enjoyed a lot more than season 2 (The main FL's portrayal by S1's actress was a lot more nuanced in my op, while S2 as a whole felt a bit sillier and has less depth). However, I did enjoy the tackling of LGBT+ identities in S2 and the new roommate introduced. Highly highly recommend season 1 - S2 can be a skip, but it is interesting in it's own merit.Was this review helpful to you?
refreshing and relatable!
I typically go for more romance-themed dramas rather than slice-of-life, but Age of Youth had me HOOKED. Watching this made me cherish my existing friendships even more. I love the differences in each characters' personalities. It was also nice to see that it wasn't a "hello here are the characters! they just met and oh look they're all best friends now!" type of scenario. Each of them go through miscommunication, arguments, and disagreements and along the way, they grow together. It provides an accurate representation of relationships in real life because you DO get into arguments with your friends and loved ones; it's not just a smooth road and this drama proves it. Additionally, the struggles each character goes through is very well thought out with a raw portrayal.If you feel lost in living through the beginning of "adulthood," this is a good drama to watch then. It makes you feel less like you're navigating situations (good or bad) alone and more like everyone goes through these things in one way or another too.
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This review may contain spoilers
This Kdrama is mostly slice of life with simple realistic daily life settings, but I gave full pts cause the story is very unique, dark but bittersweet and full of flavors.. The story also develops really good until the end, no draggy. Wish I'd have such a deep friendship like that too, that's really not easy... the men are mostly so so.. tbh I like the first guy with the long sleek hair and tacky fashion more, why is there a stereotype that she has a bad taste if she like that kind of guy, I wish she would have gobek to him directly at the beginning and not believing in the other guy. All the girls are experiencing very intense life and all of them turns out to be very weird in their own way, but they inspire me! <3 Was this review helpful to you?
Some love for a wonderful drama!
When I first started watching kdramas my first recommendation was Hello my Twenties (Age of Youth). For some reason I didn't start it until recently. I actually love it, all the characters are great and I love all of the side stories for each character as well as their growing relationships. Of course there are two kpop idols in there as well which is a bonus, Ryo Hwayoung from T-ara who I loved but was super disappointed she only cameos in part 2 (more on that when I do my final thoughts for part 2) and Han Seongyeon from Kara who took a while to grow on me but I love her in part 2. My favorite character of course is Park Eunbin's character. She is super funny, creative, eccentric and someone I would have a blast with. I just can't get enough of her. I've started the second season and I actually may like it better than the first so far, we shall see.Was this review helpful to you?
The story revolves around five roommates with different personalities in their twenties and thirties. There's the beauty queen, the talkative one, the introvert, the hardworking and the obsessed one. Each episode tries to follow the story of one girl in particular so that you can get a glimpse of her personality and her insecurities. You can relate a lot to all of them, because they were realistic characters who lead a common life that was interesting. It could be a slice of life drama, with every story trying to tell something to the viewer and explore an issue. The writer tried to get deeper into social issues and it was very profound I actually got very emotional at times. And it had a little bit of mystery and suspanse as well, so it wasn't just an analytic piece.
The acting was very good. The actresses and actors in this drama had different ages and some of the couples that were pictured on screen had a big age gap between each other, but it wasn't evident at all because they luckily had a nice chemistry. The five girls actually looked like real roommates, they were very credible in their roles despite they are usually casted as minor characters on dramas of non-cable networks.
The music was nice. There were songs in english as well, and every character or situation seemed to have the right background music. In perfect "Belle Epoque" style, the drama opened with "Rien, je ne regrette rien", which is also the feel of the drama, the age where you should do what you like because these moments won't come back anymore.
If you look for a short drama with simple storyline but unpredictable and deep meaning, start watching this now. It is a rare drama where there is drama but not the over the top type, as it looks very realistic and tries to indulge into hot and sensible themes of the society of today and young people.
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