Youth Report (2020)

So much wasted potential

Sigh. This drama was a total disappointment.

Context: I LOVE Park Bo Gum. I enjoy Park So Dam. Slice of life? Sign me up! And yet something didn't quite click from the start. I hoped things would pick up, but the plot line became more convoluted and frustrating. We spent too much time on annoying side characters and side plots instead of developing our protagonists, so I didn't end up caring what happened to them.

My issue from the beginning was that the dialogue was weirdly snappy and unnatural. People didn't speak like they do in real life, and that took some of the immersion away. Another key issue was that a lot of the characters felt one-dimensional —  we only saw the bad side of our bad characters for so long, with POTENTIALLY some last-minute redemption towards the end. I suppose I can understand the parents and miserable people like Lee Tae-Su, but at what cost?

We never got strong enough development for Jeong Ha or Won Hae Hyo, and that's what bugged me the most. I would've preferred if the show took us down the love triangle line!

I did enjoy how the show was somewhat autobiographical for Park Bo Gum (lol @ his Love in the Moonlight remake), and I liked seeing his range. I liked the messages on enlistment, and the depiction of this cultural nuance that feels so foreign to outsiders. It's like homework hanging over your head, and it's an experience that unites people of all ages, socioeconomic classes, and walks of life. As far as the ending went, I was as satisfied as I could possibly be, considering the circumstances. Everything tied up with a neat little bow, although that meant some people acted ridiculously out of character. The unfortunate part is that the show was consistently so lacklustre that the ending was unfulfilling anyway.

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Good but not a very satisfying ending

(Spoilers regarding the relationship)

This drama came along just at the right time in my life when I very much needed some comfort. For that, thank you, Record of Youth :)

This drama had the most wonderful, non-toxic, respectful, kind, and not-cold ML. For the majority of the drama his and the FL's relationship was beautifully communicative, healthy, fun, flirty, and understanding. They also had great chemistry together and had their own separate lives and goals apart from each other.

I wasn't truly mad about the break-up like I thought I would be. That probably had to do with how the drama wasn't solely focused on the romance. It was more slice-of-life with a slice of romance. Lol. Pardon my lame joke. That being said, I can understand why many reviewers and commenters were upset by it. I get it. I didn't like the break-up either. I think she should have held on.

Now, aside from the romance, I loved the side characters. Hae Hyo's story was very well done in particular. And the commentary on the difficulties right from the start of being born into a poor family versus having an advantage right from the beginning was hard-hitting. He started several feet in front of Hye Joon in the race of life. Of course it would be almost impossible for him to catch up or pass him when he lacks the support and resources he has.

I hate when those in power say "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps." Easy for you to say. Sure, it's possible for someone from the poorest family in the poorest neighborhood going to the poorest school to become a millionaire someday. But, it's close to impossible. Possible, but close to impossible. And you can have all the talent and drive in the world but if you don't have connections it's almost impossible to get many jobs. They always ask if you know someone in the company/industry. And if you do you always have an edge over even the most hard-working candidate. It's sadly why the cycle of poverty continues. Generally, the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.

Anyway, in conclusion, I found this drama very soothing as well as true-to-life a lot of the time.

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20s is a Beautiful, Messy Period of Our Times

Okay, I just finished this drama yesterday, and I actually need a day to completely re-arranged my headspace and write.
As a fellow 20s-years-old, I feel like this drama resonates so well with me. Record of Youth is astory of people in the 20s, of Sa Hye Jun's, of An Jeong Ha's, of Won Hae Hyo's, and other people around them. It was messy, hopeful, uncomfortable and beautiful.

During the first episodes, I almost dropped it because it looked so cliche. A kindhearted man got bullied, scammed, doubted and being cast aside, I think Sa Hye Jun will be another Cinderella character. The family is also infuriating and a bit dysfunctional. But I went on watching, and found out it was not like that at all.

Sa Hye Jun's family became one of my favorite story in this drama. It's a family consisted of a warmhearted but guilt-ridden grandfather, a lonely and prickly father, a loving mother, an arrogant and self-centered older brother, and our main lead. They fought and clashed every so often. Not your ideal family, right? But as the episodes went by, more dramas unfolding, the family actually became more united and got closer.

An Jeong Ha and Sa Hye Jun's relationship is also one of my favorite. It's a healthy relationship, for start! It's really hard to find one among so many dramas, but theirs are one, and I'm happy to find it. At the start, it kind of felt like a Y/N story in fanfiction, with it being a romance between a fan and the idol and makes me giddy with laughter. But the following episodes turned so serious, so I think, huh, maybe not.

One point I really liked about their relationship, is that they've changed over time. Your way of thinking, your idealism, they changed as you grew up, and sometimes you found out that some promises couldn't be kept. I loved every emotion the two portrayed when they're together!

Won Hae Hyo is another thing. I really admire him. With his situation, there is probably a lot of things that could push him through the villain line, but he stood still. It really tickles me actually, how every time he looked like he's about to do something bad, he turned around last minute and choose the other way.

Oh! Also, there were a candid manager, a black hearted and toxic ex-manager, an ex-girlfriend, a misunderstood reporter, a jealous senior, a money-oriented mother, and all those actor cameos. They brought many spices to this story, so let's honor them all, except the ex-manager, I really hate you I hope you go bankrupt.

For me, I recommend watching this if you are a fellow 20-s years old currently navigating through life. This is a good one, though it will be better if you watch this in a good headspace, because if not, you will be a sobbing mess like I was.

Happy watching!

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I wanted to love it so bad! But...

This show was so disappointing! I started to watch it when it first came out and took my time on it. I read some of the reviews on here and thought everyone was nuts because it was really good in the beginning. But then it dropped off and just got worse!

Story... was good up until about episode 13/14. The main leads started to drift apart really fast after they started dating. And it went downhill from there! No communication and they tell each other that they love each other but break up???? Really?? “I love you. Let’s break up!” And she dumps him when he needed her the most! I hated her character! Like the actress but poor part she chose to play. I just can’t believe they did not get back together. She still said she loved him but could not be there for him!? She was the problem. Poor guy! I felt bad for him. Yes, they left it to your imagination if they got back together or not. But honestly I HATE that! Just end it nice and give them a clean happy ending!

Acting... was really good. I think they did a great job. But dang that storyline hurt them and the show! Park Bo Gum is a cutie and I really loved his character and thought he did an awesome job.

Music... loved! Hope I can find it on Amazon.

Rewatch? Probably not! I hate endings they way they did it. And I hate the storyline! It was disappointing. I have to agree with all those low rated reviews.

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If you are a fan of the actornor actress give it a try if not check it out for the plot

I have seen some works written by the writer so I decided to check it because of the hyped it was getting prior to watching the drama, but while it does talks about youth and chasing their dream. In the end, the second half wasn't as good as it could be and they have brought on some unnecessary sub plot and it just loss the sense of direction. However, I give credit to the actors for doing their best in their role, but it wasn't enough. If you are a fan of the actors/actress definitely give it a try or if you are a fan of the writer do not let my review stop you from watching it because this is just my opinion. You have to watch it and let yourself decide whether or not you like it.

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So bad that I need to rant

I rated this drama very low, the reason being that it somehow got me in a depressive mood whenever I watched it. "Slice of life" doesn't have to be so disheartening. I don't know how to explain it really but maybe there's too much going on in the world already and instead of I don't need my daily dose of drama to tell me that everyone breaks up anyways and life is full of struggles, nothing lasts forever etc. Even the supposedly happier moment between family, friends and lovers don't seem genuine or noteworthy.

I am not a huge fan of PBG and sometimes I'm astounded by the cult following he has. He was pretty disappointing and dull. And although PSD was part of the legendary Parasite, watching her in this show was rather dry. The chemistry between the leads was more like disinterested grandma her sleepy grandkid than lovers. The other members of the cast did an okay job, but none of them impressed me. My favourite person was definitely HJ's brother who was exceptionally charming in the short amount of screentime he had.

The positive about the show would be: great idea to tell the story of an emerging actor.

While I'm writing this I realise I'm being a little irrational, but then I watch dramas so they make me happy, and this one really sucked the joy out of me. I'll let myself be a little mad.

In my opinion: don't waste your time on this.

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As bland as plain rice

I’m going to be completely honest with you… this drama isn't the best but it isn't terrible.

I started Record of Youth solely for the cast because the plot didn’t interest me all that much. I loved the main leads in their previous roles but sadly these ones just didn’t touch my heart as much. I couldn’t connect or get attached to any of the characters :(

I jumped in without any expectations and came out feeling disappointed… There is no chemistry, no character development, the plot is loose and there's literally nothing to hold on to. I wanted to love this drama, I really did, but the story was bland and the characters were boring. This could have been interesting, talking about the struggles of the modelling and acting industry and how difficult it is to rise up, gaining fame and attention, especially when you’re not originally from a wealthy family.

I forced myself to continue watching ROY. It got really boring, it felt like nothing was ever happening. I was constantly using the skip button on my keyboard, because some scenes were unnecessary and repetitive - the family ones in particular. I LOVED the ost though.

The acting? Not much to say really, they were good but nothing incredible or mind-blowing. However, I can’t help but notice how unrealistic the dialogue is for each character, it’s just that everyone quickly knows what to respond and say as if they’re reading not acting - it seems unnatural. I wish they had focussed on the friendship between the male leads more, bromance would’ve probably made Record of Youth a bit better. The relationship between Hyejoon and his grandfather is the highlight for me.

This series isn’t that bad, it’s just boring without much depth. Ah well, at least I got to see a bit of Park Bogum’s adorable cheeky smile! I hate dropping dramas but I just couldn't get into this one and I felt like I was wasting my time. Who knows, maybe I'll try re-watching it again some time in the future.

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The shows getting worse and worse

At this point, the show is getting worse and worse. A lot of the characters are getting very unlikeable now. The story gives off this unnecessary feel to it, and I guess it's getting repetitive. The saviour now would be for it to have a good ending.

However, I think no matter what happens, the doesn't make it into my top 10. Still, not a bad show, but gets worse, but usually shows like this a satisfying ending. My version of a good ending would probably not come true, as it involves Park Bogum moving on from Park Sodam, and that is unlikely since dramas always find a way for the main leads to end up together

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Gostei do final agridoce, mas o todo...

Esse dorama começou bem, decaiu me decepcionando bastante no meio, e teve um fim ao meu ver bom, mas que não conseguiu passar por cima das falhas.

No início a história parecia prometer um enredo sobre sonhos e juventude.
Chega um ponto em que roteiro sai dos trilhos, é perseguição atrás de perseguição com o prota.
Apesar de ter entendido as intenções do roteiro para as personagens e os núcleos, acho que ele não teve sucesso na tentativa de passar sua mensagem.

Amo os atores principais, gosto da motivação das personagens, mas os diálogos ficaram insossos, os sentimentos e atitudes não tem o peso esperado. Uma pena.

A Park So-dam ficou extremamente subutilizada, especialmente no final, a trajetória da personagem me deu a sensação de estar pela metade. E não só a dela.

Todo o alarde criado em torno da insinuação de um "triângulo amoroso" foi falso ou inacabado, as situações ficaram jogadas, também sem conclusão.

O problema não é o foco não ser o romance.
É o "sobre o que é esse dorama" ficar numa área meio nebulosa, as situações parecerem não ter propósito e não apontarem com clareza a mensagem do dorama.

O personagem do amigo rico acabou sendo bem interessante, principalmente quando ele para de choramingar e assume para si mesmo seus privilegios. Um dos momentos mais bonitos do episódio final.

Confesso que os 2 últimos episódios me agradaram pelo tom agridoce, é o tipo de coisa que gosto. As situações ainda fizeram parecer um meio de história. Mas talvez essa parte seja um mérito, talvez seja sobre isso, sobre crescer e ter uma vida pela frente ainda.

Apesar dos problemas na história, consegui tirar coisas boas desse drama e também me emocionei muito com as cenas do avô e do pai no final, e tudo envolvendo os pedidos de perdão.

O final me lembrou o caminho iniciado lá nos primeiros episódios, onde jovens de 20 e poucos anos, em condições diferentes lutam em busca dos seus sonhos.
Pareceu bem a vida como ela é.
Gostei do ar de nostalgia, do sentimento de perdas e ganhos e da sensação de estarem perdidos sem saber ao certo o que vem a seguir depois de tantos términos.
Gostei ainda da conclusão de assumir as rédeas da própria vida, assumindo seus fracassos e conquistas, e no fim ser responsável por si mesmo.

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a lot of wasted potential.

[[Overall opinion]]

This is a coming of age drama with a great cast, promising plot and nice aesthetic. It portrays the lives of people in their 20s as they navigate through love, success, failure and family. The drama really touches important and moving topics, I found the romance cute and adorable and we get to see an emotional, thoughtful and mature male lead which is sadly rare. Nevertheless in the second half things started getting too complicated for the sake of pulling clichés and tropes, plots were dragged for too long, some characters lacked depth and the female lead was treat poorly. I still liked this drama a lot but I was hoping so much more of it especially for the female lead.

{{SPOILERS}}

Jinu and heena’s relationship and the way it ended was also a yes for me: just like jinu said they didn’t have enough power to go against their realities, both of them were just starting their own paths and the distance between their realities was too wide, and just like jinu said again, they could meet again in the future which I truly hope so.

I love the contrast between hye joon’s and hae hyo’s parents and how they supported (or not) each their child’s dreams. Hye joon’s dad development was great: I could totally see where he was coming from basically reflecting how he felt towards his dad onto his son, which is not okay but I can understand, at the end he comes around and is kind of awkward but he was trying and when you’re an adult your relationship with your parents is also weird at times. I loved the grandpa and the manager they were really cute and supportive.
My main problem was Jeong Ha, not her character itself but the way she was “developed” She was supposed to have this complicated relationship with her parents but we don’t see much of that or how she comes around it, we only see Jeongha’s dad when she needs the money for the salon and even when the scene where he kneels was touching it wasn’t enough. Jeong Ha’s mom is the reason she doesn’t want to depend on anyone and we kind of see why on the 2 times the mom came on screen but that’s it. They left her life to the side and revolve her mostly around the two male leads, when there so much we could see of her fighting to get a name in the industry and healing her own wounds not using her salon as a prop to meet with hye joon and hae hyo.
Sad.
At the end we see her having a career and all, but on the contrast to hyee joon who the entire drama focused on giving us his story they could at least give her an episode centered on her. AT LEAST.
I agree with the breakup, I wasn’t even sad, jeongha did the right thing her career was just starting and if they went public everyone would be after her, even her mom as we could see, people would call her a gold digger, they would demised her work, celebrities might not want to work with her to not be involve in scandals and she would most likely be harassed, just look and how bad she had it at the salon, their relationship was not in good shape either: they kept apologizing, hiding their feelings to protect the other and that led into feeling guilty and lonely.
Now hae hyo , my boy you were so plain: he had so much potential to be so much more but again it was wasted, the only moments where he shined the most were when he stood for his mom but that was what? 2 scenes? The rest it felt like he was just a backup dancer on hyee joon’s musical.
the Charlie jung plot lasted way too long for my taste. I have read some people asking for a season 2, honestly I don’t see it necessary I feel the way they ended was enough and I doubt they can fix what I don’t like in a season 2.

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The Record is only for PBG's character

If you started watching this thinking that there will be equal opportunity for all the so-called lead, pls runaway because you will be very disappointed. This drama is mainly focused on PBG character and PSD only got about 2hrs of exposure for the total 17hrs (approx.) that you'll probably invest in this. You will also get more story (record) on the mothers, fathers, grandpa, brother, managers, reporter, neighbour, father's shoulder... That is how much subplot this story has that they totally forgot about PSD's character. If you are a big PBG fan then this is definitely the show for you.

A lot has already been said, like some here I did like the 1st half but even then the screen time between HJ and JH is already very little. Then we get to the 2nd half and everything just got dropped!

Nevertheless this is the drama that actually made me like PBG. I hope he gets to be ugly in his next drama (perhaps play a character like that guy in I'm Thinking of Ending Things) . He is so beautiful (and righteous) on this drama I can't help but be bored with his character at times. As much as they made PBG beautiful they just dyed PSD's hair orange (the Fak!) and some of her outfits made her look so ordinary next to PBG! I think this is deliberate on the part of the production team to make her look ordinary but man the hair! PSD is so much prettier than her actual character.... So frustrating that she chose this project!

I will still rewatch this just to see some nice moments of HJ and JH time together but I will skip a lot of the scenes that I have no interest to see again. I will miss this couple specially their late night walks paired with authentic neighbourhood and parks.

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It could’ve been much much better

I took some time today to reflect on my feelings towards Record of Youth. Often times I’ll finish a drama and have it all figured out and my opinions will be easily formed. With ROY however I felt like the aspects I disliked the most weren’t necessarily a bad writing choice and this is what I’ll say: the plot is not for everybody, the story is not exactly likable as a whole and it’ll be challenging to watch by the end, but it is realistic.
We have very interesting complex characters since episode one, unfortunately I felt like the plot focused a lot in conflicts and problems of the main (male) characters when it could’ve easily developed the amazing cast acting skills and their roles. It was specially disappointing to see how little we had from Park So Dam’s character when her part had so much to offer, in this case the writer is to blame.
Many situations could’ve been solved quickly and were dragged for an unnecessary amount of time, such a valuable time that could’ve made this reach a better overall result.
I won’t drag this review much longer. As pros we have many interesting subjects approached in the drama, a steady first half, an amazing cast, all love goes to Park Bo Gum as Sa Hye Jun and his grandpa, all love really. As a con we get many choices from characters that will feel awful, unnecessary and even annoying (which can be seen as a realistic point from the plot in a different perspective), we get much less character development than we needed and the final half of the drama is not the best.
Where you go from here is up to you.

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