Jordan Chalmers
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?
I really can't express how much I fell in love with this drama, it is probably the best I have seen. Maybe as someone who actually lived their teenage years through the eighties and early nineties it really helps because there were a lot of things I could connect with. I went through a lot of the same feelings when I was young, had a lot of the same happy memories, a lot of the same struggles though culturally it was very different. But I loved that aspect of it as well, the fact you are culturally immersed within the drama, get to experience things that are different, that are the same. It really was a beautiful experience.
I also experienced and felt a lot of the pain, love and struggle of what you go through as a parent having raised two of my own. I understand a lot of how they felt throughout the drama, the worry, the love, the frustration, being proud of your children, the connection to other people and their struggle as well. The parents in this drama were just as important as the children which I loved.
The acting in this drama was outstanding, I really can't say there was one main character that I didn't really love. I did have a few favorites though, Hyeri's character Deok Sun I totally fell in love with, she really held her own and solidified the story for me. It was so fun to watch Hyeri of Girls Day, who you know is an excellent singer and dancer act so completely goofy with some of the worst dancing skills you will see lol, she really nailed her part. I also loved Song Dong ll's character as Deok Sun's dad, such a great character who I really connected with, though I am much more open about my feeling with my children. His interactions with another favorite character Sung Bora are some of my favorites, especially at the end. Lee Dong Hwi's character Ryu Dong Ryong was probably one of my favorite male leads in the series, he was hilarious and was always cracking me up. Let's not forget the three main mom's in the series as well. What great acting skills, those three really helped bring a sense of family and friendship to the drama. Really I could gush over the cast all day.
I think one of the best things about this drama is how it makes you feel, I cried at least once in more than half the episodes, you really feel a connection to all the characters. But don't worry, you will laugh a lot as well. You will root on the main love interests, you will feel frustration and anger when they feel it. You will cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, it is just amazing how immersed into this story you become. Hell I even know that feeling of exhaustion from work and life as a parent Deok Sun's dad feels through the drama. The feelings you feel throughout Reply 1988 is one of the best things this drama does.
In the end if you couldn't already tell I highly recommend this drama, it will leave you with a warm heart and fond feelings of everyone you got to meet along the way.
I'll leave you with some parting words from Deok Sun herself:
“I could not return to my youth or that street either. Time always flows. Everything passes by and ages. That might be why youth is beautiful. Because it shines, blindingly bright at a brilliant short moment. But you can never go back (to it). A time when many tears were shed – like my youth.” -Deok Sun-
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The serial killer line was really good but the romance between the 2 main characters was what really made this drama special. You just need to watch it to see what I mean.
I do have one gripe, the last episode seemed a bit rushed and left a few holes but it could be I just wanted more and didn't want to see it end.
I definitely recommend.
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Loooooooooove
I will have to say that I looooooooved the 2nd part of Hello my Twenties (Age of Youth). I think I actually liked it better than the first part. I was actually disappointed when I found out Ryu Hwayoung wasn't going to have a main part but her cameos were hilarious. It was also weird they got another actress to play Yoon Eun Jae but she grew on me and some of the jokes about her looking different were pretty good add-ins. I fell in love with Choi Ah Ra's character, I looked her up and saw she was a famous model, I was like wow that is awesome. The story was much deeper this season and at times it was very emotional. I'm really going to miss these characters, I got very attached to them so ending the show feels like watching good friends move away.This one really connected with me. I hope for a season 3 as there wasn't much closure at the end. I recommend this for sure.Was this review helpful to you?
First of all let's start with the story:
I loved it. Me and my son were watching it and I was like this reminds me of the Reply series and he was like uuuuummmmm that's because it was done by the same people lol. My favorite drama is Reply 1988 so it hyped my enthusiasm right off the bat. There were times in the story where I was like wth these were like main characters and with no warning, poof gone. Also the way they handled the drug portion of the story and Looney kind of annoyed me but more on that later. Other than that it was fantastic, You really fall in love with the characters and their struggles in prison. Also the back stories were pretty good as well for each character.
Characters:
I usually write the actors name and I may mention them but for now I will stick with their screen names.
Kim Je Hyuk: I actually love this character. He was a super great guy who just got the crap end of the stick for protecting his sister and really it was self defense in the end. He was pretty dense but also very caring about those around him. I will say you definitely did not want to mess with the people he cared about. He did a very good job of holding the story together. Plus he made me laugh quite a bit.
Lee Joon Ho: His best friend and corrections officer. Talk about charisma, I loved him and his acting was top notch. He was super smooth and hilarious as well. His relationship with Je Hee was super sweet.
Ji Ho: This is Krystal from f (x), I really liked her character but she didn't play a huge part but did add some really good relational aspects to Je Hyuk's personality which I enjoyed.
The Inmates in cell #7:
Kim Min Chul: Omg what a great character, even though he had done something terrible his persona in the prison was quite gentle but you def did not want to mess with him. In all actuality, his later parts were probably the only ones I teared up on. I was just hoping the best for him throughout the series.
KAIST: This guy was hilarious, his relationship with Looney totally cracked me up. He was a total conman but you still felt for the guy which is a testament to the excellent writing in this drama. When he left a few episodes before the end all of the sudden it was a total disappointment, it left the story of the character without any closure at all which sucked because he was a main character in the series.
Looney: What a hilarious character. At first he kind of annoyed me but later he was an indispensable part of the story line. I will say I just hated the way they portrayed drug abuse since some of it wasn't based in reality at all. I'm wondering if they were forced to portray drug abuse in this way to discourage viewers from taking drugs but some of it was ridiculous like how he was in withdrawls for almost a year, wth was that. The way they ended his character was also extremely disappointing which is one reason along with Kaist and Dr. Ko's characters I had to dock the drama a half a point.
Captain Yoo: Man did you feel for this guy. His whole story showed how the justice system in Korea is quite flawed. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. You'll be yelling at the screen going why in the hell is he still in there. It will just make you mad and show you just how slow the system actually is. On a brighter note, he was a super sweet guy and his interactions with Looney were absolutely priceless.
Croney: Now at first his character really pisses you off but by the end you love him. When Je Hyuk gets discharged and he hugs Hyuk and says you were the only person who ever treated me like a human being was very touching. I wish they would have extended his ending so we would have gotten some closure at least.
Another aspect of the drama were the guards who did and excellent job. One in particular, Lieutenant Paeng, was excellent. He really added heart to an otherwise cold system. Rough and rude on the outside but a real teddy bear on the inside. Without him the drama wouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was because he really added to the feels in the whole story.
Only a couple of gripes. The ones I mentioned before, like characters just abruptly leaving and the way drug abuse is portrayed really annoyed me. Also this is less about this drama in particular but Korean drama in general. I freaking hate how the last episodes go almost to the end with the main story instead of giving us any real type of closure. I mean they rush the wrap ups and leave us high and dry for some of the characters with little closure to their stories at all which is very disappointing. For me I wish kdramas would do a better job of wrapping up the characters and giving fans a bit more closure.
That being said, this was one of the best kdrama has to offer, I really can't recommend it enough!
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I will talk about my favorite part of the drama and that is character relationships:
First there is Son Oh Gong and Jin Seon Mi,
What a wonderful relationship that really grows throughout the show, in the end you really feel the love they feel for each other. Watching them grow as a couple was really fun and sometimes very frustrating to watch, it's like just tell each other how you feel damnit lol. Lee Seung Gi is an exceptional actor and was as arrogant and full of himself as the great Monkey king should be and Oh Yeon Seo was so warmhearted and loving through her performance that only she could have tamed O gong's heart. Just beautiful.
Second is the relationship between PK and Richie,
Now this relationship really broke my heart. I won't give anything away but the last time you really see Richie and how PK acts afterwards is just heartbreaking to me. Needless to say Lee Se Young did an excellent job as Richie and even her character afterward. I mean I just fell in love with her, what a wonderful soul she played, you can bet she made a forever fan with this role. Lee Hong Ki did an excellent job as well, you could really feel how much he cared for her and how gentle he was when it came to her. This relationship really made an impact on me.
And last is the Devil King and Ms. Ma,
I really loved this relationship. It was super fun and great to see the loyalty Ms. Ma showed the Devil King. Cha Seung Won was actually quite hilarious but really cool when he wanted to be. He was actually a big softy but it was funny watching him try to hide it. I liked Lee El's character here, it was a refreshing change seeing her as a fun character rather than a dramatic one like in the drama Black. I really enjoyed their interactions.
When all was said and done I will have to say I am sad to see it end. I will definitely miss the characters a lot. I would recommend this for sure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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Loved it !
I really liked #YuriOrAnother #YuriDanoKanDano starring #KojimaFujiko as Ninomiya Kairi and #BabaFumika as Shinohara Yuri. This was my first GL drama. I would argue this is much more about true friendship than a romantic relationship. I mean they both definitely had feelings that blurred the lines between friendship and romance but in the end I still think it was much more about becoming true friends forever. I've seen a lot of people talking about how messed up this drama is but it really touches on serious issues and the the rather dark actions and feeling that result from being in those types of situations like being a junior idol. It was beautiful that Yuri and Kairi found each other, Yuri could really empathize with Kairi and connect with her in a way only she could and Kairi wanted to protect that aspect of Yuri until the very end. I thought this drama was much deeper than most people realize. With that being said the best parts of this were about Kairi and Yuri most of the other actors and actresses weren't that great and the production was meh. A lot of the GL scenes were more exploratory and funny though I found them awkwardly cute. Though I don't think this was a full on GL drama I really enjoyed it and really think it's worth watching. I honestly wish they made more dramas like this.Was this review helpful to you?
