The plot was something that originally drew me in. It sounded very original and worthy enough to watch at least the first two episodes. While watching Age of Youth, there were so many moments that either relatable, touching or just plain hilarious. The writer did a fantastic job of the script. With the characters, it took me a few episodes to love all five of them (especially Jung Ye Eun) but each and every one of them, they had a story to tell and all made massive development with their lives. Yoo Eun Jae I grew attached to straight away because I felt a small connection with her and wanted her to grow stronger. Jung Ye Eun was annoying at first (and still can be), but her passionate personality made her admirable. Song Ji Won is the weirdest but most wonderful housemate, and always made a lot of scenes better. Kang Yi Na seemed to have an easy life, but had problems that she kept to herself and solved herself - her pride is something we should all aim to have. And finally, Yoon Ji Myung. I think everyone who has watched Age of Youth can agree that we all wanted to her to be happy as she deserved it the most. Her issues at work, with her brother and mother always caused her to be unhappy and we viewers did not want to see her suffering. All five of them were perfect, unique and lovable. Also, the boys - thank you for all being beside the girls and supporting them (except Ko Doo Young of course). My only issue with the story was the small ‘supernatural’ element that introduced some of the characters’ problems - I wish that was done in a different way.
The acting was on point and this drama was a huge stepping stone in the actors careers. I know I should talk about each actress individually, but I feel like I expressed my feelings a lot in the previous paragraph as their acting was what helped to make each of the characters the best they could have been. The five actresses were amazing, stunning and won my hearts over. None of them wavered in their acting styles, they consistently stuck with their character and continued till the end. I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for their next dramas because I want to see how they all grow.
Music worked extremely well with each scene and every single track was gorgeous to listen to. If you ever have spare time, just stick on the Age of Youth soundtrack and fully appreciate the audio because it will be worth it. My favourite track is definitely the main one, Butterfly by Sogyumo Acacia Band - it has that perfect, young vibe to it.
There is no doubt about it, I would rewatch this right now if I didn’t have so many dramas to catch up on - but I most definitely will be watching this again before the end of the year.
Age of Youth is worth everyone’s time and for me, is the drama of the year - maybe of the decade/century as well haha. If you love a simplistic and cute story with well developed characters and immersive backstories, this is the drama for you.
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PLOT:
Anyone looking for a fast-paced action packed drama, should look away now. This show really defines slice-of-life. I am sure everyone watching this drama could relate to one of the girls or even just a situation faced by the girls. I was able to relate to different situations and aspects of many of the girls personally and also have seen other friends/family facing similar situations:
- Jin Myungs hardships! I could especially relate to her feeling lost.
- Ji Wons non-existent dating life
- Friends who have faced similar situations as Ye Eun in their relationships/love life
- Eun Jae's hesitation, timidness
- Yi Na questioning herself and her decisions in the last 2 episodes or so
There have definitely other aspects. I just listed some that were especially relatable to me.
I was really glad that the plot focused on the girls the most and not the boys. It didn't take a detour. It was consistent. Each girl's individual storyline and character growth was moving, and the different episodes focused on different stories perfectly. The show shows us how the girls are important as individuals as well as their relationships with each other. It was very apt and moving that throughout, the relationship between the girls, them as a 5, was way way more important then their relationship with any of the guys/ or any one else tbh. They valued each other and nothing came in between them. It was very realistic in portraying their relationship, even though they lived together, and despite the closeness, each individual has their own personal hardships (defo last ep), and you don't share every single detail with everyone. Another point was that they didn't try to force the 5 girls being close to each other equally, it made perfect sense for some girls to be closer to each other then to others - this never undermined their bond as a 5 though. I could ramble on about this but I'll stop.
CAST/ACTING:
I don't have any complaints. I could imagine the actors as their characters perfectly. Never once did I doubt the acting, or imagine anyone else doing a better job. I was immersed in each and every character and that is partly due to the actors job (also story/director etc). The guys played their part really well, and very convincingly. I didn't think the acting was over the top or anything.
MUSIC:
The songs were so perfect! I have been replaying Sogyumo Acacia Band - Butterfly. There is something about the song that makes me just want to reminisce my youth and think about stuff (lol). It fitted the show so perfectly. It was subtle yet it did its job.
REWATCH VALUE:
I gave it a high rewatch value, because I'll probably rewatch this at some point - probably after university finishes and I miss my college days. Though I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. It has already made me feel so much, and taught me a few life lessons, I don't want to rewatch it and make it less impactful on 2nd watch. Its too soon now.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The highlight of this show is definitely the girls. The only negative I have is the shortness, but they sure packed a lot in 12 episodes. I know each girl's story didn't complete (in kdrama completeness - happily ever after sense), esp YE EUN at the end, but in true fashion of this drama and its genre: life isn't start and stop, its ongoing for them, they don;t all need to have a boyfiriend or everything figured out, because thats what life is for. They only showed us a snippet of their life and so we can't expect everything to end completely and perfectly.
[A lot of comments going around earlier about when Jin Myung will develop her backbone. Speaking from life experience, I know someone in similar situation who had and still has many many hardship, but keeps quite and deals with it all. It took her many many years before she finally came to realise that this is her life, and she needs to live it her way, that she need to speak up for herself and not put up with people who hurt her. So people don't just change overnight. It takes a lot of self-realisation and growth. And I'm glad the show touched on this the way it did, for everything to reach a limit before you finally break down]
Age of Youth was definitely one of the best written, acted, and directed kdrama I’ve seen so far this year (this and Signal). And I sincerely pray for a second season!
This is so long.
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STORY
The drama centers on five girls living together. It is comparable to other dramas that center on women and their problems. Here we talk about young adult problems (20s). Five girls, five different personalities, five different stories, one house. Each girl has a story; every girl has different fears, goals, problems that hold them back. The drama presents not only how they work through them but how they need each other to do that. This is why friends are important; they are there when the whole world is against you.
Each girl’s story is brilliant, touching, relatable and yet what makes this drama really a small hidden gem is that in all its simple nature all the stories feel so real, so natural, so unforced that make you not only invested in all the girls but make you feel like you are there with them sharing your life and troubles. Truly magical
Want to get to know them a little better already?
Meet Eun Jae, the youngest, maknae of the group. She is warm-hearted, (overly) polite completely shy and she believes the whole world is against her. Lesson learnt: Nobody wants to harm you, you just have to be a little stronger.
Ye Eun, she’s girly, bright, a little obnoxious and very self-conscious. Her low self-esteem doesn’t let her to properly recognize and appreciate herself which leads to boyfriend problems. Lesson learnt: Nobody will love you, if you don’t love yourself first.
Yi Na, she’s sexy, seemingly strong and hot headed but she’s remorseful and ashamed deep inside. Her questionable way of living is actually a way to punish herself for things that she had no control over. Lesson learnt: Punishing yourself won’t get you anywhere, forgive and move forward, you deserve it.
Ji Won is funny, pushy, a little over the top and quit desperate. Ji Won was mostly used as a comedic relief. I like to think of her as the magical friend who is always there when you have a difficult time, ready to drop their life and problems for you because she/he cares!
Jin Myung, the oldest and wisest of the quintet. She’s a fighter, and you’ll love her more than you expect. She’s living a hard life and she’s the borderline melodramatic plot of the story. Lesson learnt: Being happy is a choice, being happy is in our mind and we can choose that every day!
Believe me when I say you will feel very close to all of them, curse and hug your screen while watching. The first 4 episodes center on one character each while the other stories develop in the background. Starting from episode 5 all the stories develop simultaneously and all the girls get equal screen time.
The drama does a great job addressing problems of young adults in every aspect of their lives, family, romantic relationships, academic and/or job goals, friend and co-worker relationships, work ethics, personal issues ect. They all seem real, presented in a very genuine way without being boring, overdramatic or superficial. You will still get to have a good laugh and an even greater lesson from every story.
Romance is present here but it is not the main focus of the drama. You won’t miss your boys and ships but they’ll probably don’t get the screen time you expect and probably want.
ACTING
Acting was overall pretty solid. Each actress fits perfectly in their roles, from the girly Yeeun to the sad Jin Myung, the casting is brilliant. Honorable mention to Ryu Hwayoung who totally delivered in every section of her role, being sexy, being strong yet vulnerable, being a bitch and yet caring and special mention to Han Ye Ri for being absolutely impeccable in delivering every beautiful aspect of her wonderfully complicated character. Definitely an actress to have an eye out for!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
I don’t rewatch dramas and yet I’ve rewatched the first 4 episodes. This is really so beautiful that it becomes rewatch-worthy. I’d recommend this everyone. Rom com lovers, melodrama lovers, slice of life lovers, this is a gem that is not to be missed. I doubt anyone could hate this, how can you hate real life itself?
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I loved the music, when I rewatched this series I was always singing along to the intro (which is really catchy)
I've already rewatched this 3 times, sooooo
overall this is an amazing tv show where you will grow to the characters and I would reccomend this 100%
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It is short for a kdrama (only 12 episodes). But still manages to tell a good, well-fleshed-out story. It is all about friendship and fighting the ghosts in your life, together or alone. No matter in what shapes as sizes they come.
There is a scene at the beginning of the drama where Song Ji Won tells the other girls that she sees ghosts. And there is a ghost living in the closet by the door. All the girls ghost interpret in their own way and it gives the show a bit of a gloomy atmosphere.
It was not always easy to watch , since it became a lot gloomier and darker than I expected it to be. And at times I did feel like it was trying to hard to be that way. But it was still always grounded in reality. And there are also many light and funny moments between the gloomy bits. As well as very heartwarming moment between girls, and other characters in their lives. I felt like the drama did manage to strike a good balance between all these different moods.
The relationship between the girls is so well done. It felt real. they care so much for each other. Even if they all come from different places and all have vastly different personalities and different problems to deal with. And they mesh very well together, most of the time. But they also argue a lot. Each of them gets their own part to tell their story. Although some girls get a heavier history than others and are therefore get bigger story line. Which is something the production could have balanced better.
You can yourself a bit in every one of these girls. Or at least empathise for them. But at they can annoy you as well at the same time. Just like real friend do. None of them were one-dimensional in any way, since they all got a time to explain their side of the story. I felt for these characters and I loved them all. I could put myself in their shoes. Although I had never experienced most of the things they were experiencing.
The girls were the center of the story and nothing else. Not even the romance, like I thought it would be at first. Since I thought it was about a youth drama all about campus-romance. But instead I got something much better. The romance was a big part of the show, but the drama was not about finding a boyfriend.
The romance was both sweet and cute, and sometimes a little sad. But it isn’t the centre of things. The drama is, for me at least, mainly about friendship and growing as a person. But it manages to be really good a mix of all of these things.
It’s rare to get a kdrama like this one, where we get to follow five young women and their lives. And this is entirely about them. The rest is just extra. It was refreshing. I felt like this show was made ??by women (although the director is a male), about women, for women.
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Instead what we get is pretty serious, one of the closet slice of life dramas I've seen. Oh, don't get me wrong they're are plenty of laughs! Warm hearted moments and hijinks of youth indeed. All balanced out by the realities of life. This is a story of 5 girls ranging in ages in their twenties—though more early—and they're struggles to deal with life. For me I found something in each girl to sympathize with. They're all different, but I understood and could relate. The drama starts out with showing Eun Jae first coming to college and the hard ship of something new. The fear and soon realizing that the other girls have struggles. Sometimes one episode focuses more on one character, but each girl has a story to tell with where they are in life.
I will admit that I liked it starting off as a simple slice of life drama following the every day ordinary girls on their journeys. Of course we had to have something more drama worthy and the girls ended up all having be secrets that need to be revealed. Each girls past and secret had very strong and important messages. Sometimes subtle others a bit heavy handed. Addressing ones' self worth and what you need to do to live for yourself. A bigger overlay is that one girl claims to be able to see ghosts and this sets off how the other girls secrets slowly begin to come to light. The question of whether this girl can actually see ghosts is fun to ponder about.
One thing that bothered me is that the more outgoing and in your face girl could never find a man. I really wonder if this is such a problem for this type of personality in Korea? Here I know they're usually the ones to get dates first. At least in my neck of the woods. That aside I think the writer did a great job of taking the “usual” suspects for female characters and making them real. Totally relatable.
More realistic is that these girls do start out as strangers. They don't always like each other, but in the end become friends. Even realizing that they've lived together for sometime and really don't always know each other. The friendships that grew are amazing, and I love the womance between many of the characters. I also loved the older woman who owned the apartment they were renting. I love how she looked out for them and silently supported them from the sidelines. She didn't judge.
However, I think that the most important message is that no one is normal. We're all weird and the events of our lives are what make us who we are. Age of Youth delivers an ending that gives us closure, but I do feel like it leaves their lives moving forward. Forward enough for a season 2 please! With it only running 12 episodes I do feel like a few things got cut out or rushed a tad to fit it in. I'm sure they didn't know if the show would catch on. I still applaud the writers for not wasting a moment and creating a well paced work. The music, cinematography, and writing was all brilliant. Most importantly that each girl was wonderful in their own way, even if certain traits my have grated on nerves. That's what made them more real and relatable. In the future I know I'll be revisiting my girlfriends again from Age of Youth.
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Although the whole cast did a great job, for me the one who was the MVP has to be Song ji won. I laughed out loud countless times thanks to her character and her antics. She is very relatable or we all have someone we know who can relate to her. This is a must watch drama if you enjoy slice of life dramas! P.S. It also has an amazing OST.
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I found out that the script was written by the writer of White Christmas. I couldn’t say enjoy because there’s no way that plot was enjoyable. Ha ha. But I was amazed by that drama. With that, I started watching Age of Youth with just knowing this and that it’s about five female college students living in the same apartment.
The Story
The drama is about the daily lives of the five female college students. I am currently in my 20s so I could somehow relate with their lives. The girls started with a lot of tension because of how different they are from each other but then soon realizing that it was normal for different people living in the same house have conflicts. The girls are in different levels in college and their personality suits them well. Their diverse personality matches well for a great dynamics among the housemates. It helps that each episode centers on one topic and that we get to see the point of view of each of them.
I was shocked and creeped out that there was a bit of a mystery to this slice-of-life drama. The mystery was incorporated well in the story for us to know more about each of the girls. I ended up invested on each of their story and kept on rooting for them with their lives and their love lines.
The Cast
I love the girls. At first, I don’t like Ye-eun that much because she’s the typical chic girl with all her clingy tendencies with her boyfriend. After having a few episodes knowing her point of view on things, I find her relatable and just like every other girl. Sunbae Yoon is someone to respect and Kang Yi-na is definitely a unique character but she I definitely learned a thing or two from her on the value of life. Song Ji-won is the life among the crowd and I love how funny she was most of the time. I sympathized early on with Eun-jae maybe because that is just how I am initially when being in a new environment and meeting new people.
Five girls means a lot of love lines to ship (my favorite is that of Eun-jae’s. Honestly, after watching so many Kdramas, this was the first time that I felt so lonely that I’m single. Haha.
I don’t specifically like any of the other girls because at some point in my life, I’ve been one of these girls.
Rewatch Value
It wouldn’t hurt that much to rewatch a 12-epsiode drama :)
Overall
This is a slice-of-life for women and college students on how they experience life, problems, and love at their very first stage of their adulthood.
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On the surface, this drama seems like your average slice-of-life/romance/comedy drama, but beneath all that, AoY has a more serious tone and many valuable lessons to be learned. This drama is only 12 episodes long, but each episode is packed with laughs and tears. Another thing that I loved about the plot structure is that each girl has a dark secret, but writer-nim doesn't expose them all at once. It keeps us as viewers guessing and speculating.
The entire cast is amazing. This was my first time watching many of the actors, but they've already blown me away. I'll be definitely following their upcoming works. In some dramas, the main character's 'feeling' or aura changes so much that you wonder if it's the same character, but that doesn't happen in this drama. The characters are very consistent; we get to watch them go through challenges and grow. I love how the girls communicate and comfort one another. Overall, Age of Youth is a wonderful drama with great lessons :-)
The final verdict: unique and unpredictable. easy to binge xD
Also check out:
- Reply 1988
- Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
- Age of Youth season 2!
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Of course, there are plenty of great k-dramas out there where women drive the plot; in those stories, though, the female protags usually share equal space with male leads. And there are a few gems I've come across that aren't about romance, but these examples are very much male-driven (Misaeng, SUFBB, White Christmas — all of these shows respect their women, but none of them are *about* the women).
Age of Youth, however, is an anomaly in revolving around a main female ensemble with all male characters being pushed down to supporting character rank (just check out the cast list here). This is in itself is a little bit momentous, and it's the kind of thing there should be more of.
Don't get me wrong, in general you can count on k-dramas for female characters with points-of-view. Still, the bulk of them follow the YA novel tradition of revolving around *one* girl, meaning that relationships between different women are rarely fleshed out (or at least, not as fleshed out as that of the female lead/male leads). Age of Youth, however, isn't about one girl. It's about five girls — five girls with their own inner lives, goals, and ghosts-in-the-closet (thanks to Jiwon for that unnecessarily dramatic metaphor). These stories might feature romantic subplots, but they're not the main event. The way these girls relate to one another is the real emotional core of the series.
Since I've sung my praise, for the sake of fairness I'll touch on a couple of the show's weaknesses.
Being such a short drama, AOY is definitely hurt by trying to do too much with a lack of time. The upshot is it suffers from the typical ensemble show problem of uneven character work. While some arcs are fully realised and flawlessly constructed (particularly, the growth of Hwayoung's character), a couple of others sadly fall to the wayside. (Han Seungyeon's character is the most egregious. If I didn't know there'll be a season two, I'd find the lack of time given for Ye Eun's post-traumatic arc absolutely unforgivable. Since there *will* be a season two, though, I aggressively expect this to be the #1 priority.)
My other gripe is about tonal inconsistency. Again with the trying to do too much, AOY teeters between realistic slice-of-life and... dark psychological thriller? Let it be said that it's much more successful at the former. Some of the darker story-lines work because they're *character-driven* (again, not sorry about Yina's narrative), but most of the show's dips into other genres are unfortunately half-baked. Considering that lack of time thing, AOY would have been more cohesive by cutting the excess.
THAT BEING SAID, these flaws stick out only because AOY is so quality in every other way. If you want a drama that actually cares about women's stories (and why wouldn't you), you arguably can't do better than Age of Youth.
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