I’m a KDrama fan since 2003, I watched maybe a hundred of them for the past years and it’s my first time to write my thoughts about a drama that I recently watched.
It may contain some spoilers but I still choose to write the things I love about this Drama Youth of May.
The drama was set in May 1980 when Gwangju Uprising took place which is known to be one of the bloodiest revolution in South Korean history. Based on the setting alone, the screen writers already gave us a hint, that this will not be another typical romance story with a happy ending. However, my hopeless romantic heart chose to adhere to the thought that it maybe the other way around, hoping that the writers will decide not to give the fans a heartbreaking ending.
The skeleton found through excavation on the first scene will ignite your curiosity to find out to whom that skeleton belongs to. And the pocket watch, why do they always use that poor little thing to every drama with the same plot (Chicago Typewriter, Mr. Sunshine) to incite anxiety and compassion to whoever owns it. In addition, the mysterious man standing near the railway. All that pointers will make you want to transport back to that year, to learn what had transpire then and how the stories of these people will conclude. Prior I finished the drama, I was one of the few who was also busy making up theories and creating possible alternate endings for the main characters.
The story revolved between the two main characters, Hwang Hee Tae (Lee Do Hyun) a medical student of Seoul National University and Kim Myeong Hee (Go Min Si) a high school drop-out, who works as a Nurse in Gwangju. Their love story unfold when Hee Tae went back to Gwangju to help a friend but ended up going to a blind date, as part of a deal he made with his cunning father Hwang Ki Nam (Oh Man Seok). On the said date, he unexpectedly met Myeong Hee, who pretended to be her best friend Lee Soo Ryeon (Keum Sae-rook) a law student, from a rich family and an activist. Myeong Hee was expecting to earn money for a plane ticket as she was granted a scholarship to study in Germany. The first meeting went smoothly on Hee Tae’s part but not to Myeong Hee, since her sole purpose on going to that date was to get rejected. Little did she know, Hee Tae’s already knew who really she is and just decided to play along since he started to develop feelings towards her. Yes, he was smitten the first time he saw her in the hospital defending a colleague from a pervert patient being treated in the hospital. Myeong Hee wasn’t described as someone who is super pretty which somewhat makes her character more relatable but she has fair share of admirers, in fact she is quite a good catch because of her strong, hardworking and compassionate personality. Contrary to Hee Tae, I think during that time he is someone you can described as an ideal boyfriend, he’s more than just a handsome face, he is rich, intelligent and everything about him is pleasing to senses. Though, I’m still curious if any of them realized that they first bumped into each other in Hye Gun’s studio (Hee Tae’s friend and an activist). Personally that scene is one of my favorite, since it screams so much of a love at sight, the glances they gave each other, the slow motion and that background music, literally can give you that butterfly in stomach feels.
The 1st two episodes were light and there were lots of cute heart-fluttering scenes which will make you think that the drama will be less stressful despite of it’s setting and timeline. Hee Tae and Myeong Hee came from totally different family background but both of them suffered from painful and dark pasts which according to Hee Tae made them interesting person that they are. As expected after few planned and unplanned meetings the two fell in love. Like most of the male leads Hee Tae was the pursuer, he was straight-forward to admit and show her admiration to Myeong Hee, while Myeong Hee was more reserved and skeptical that nothing will work out for them since she will leave the country in a short while. Thinking that she can save themselves from heartaches, she chose to ignore and sacrifice her feelings. There were few push and pull as their relationship progress, the jealousy, the holding back, Hee Tae’s evil father and angst put all together which will surely pinch your heart. But all were necessary for their characters development. I loved when Myeong Hee’s finally allowed herself to fall in love and decided to put her happiness first. She is the type who is selfless and always hiding and Hee Tae managed her to break free from the things that holding her back. Consequently, Myeong Hee also helped him to recover from his trauma. The two were determined to continue seeing each other despite of the odds and adversities their relationship might encounter in the future.
Apart from the two main characters, there are few more characters who also won my heart. They are fictional characters too, who represent the lives of the people of Gwangju.
First, Lee Soo Chan (Lee Sang Yi), Soo Ryeon brother who secretly like Myeong Hee, I would say that his character is the most honest one. I cried so much when he was caught and tortured. I also flinch every time I see him in pain. He love and is loyal to his family and Myeong Hee. I’m glad that the drama didn’t really focus on building up a love triangle among the main casts. He and Soo Ryeon are lovable siblings who also deserve love and happiness.
Second, Police Officer Choi Jung Haeng (Jung Wook Jin), I know I wasn’t the only one expecting a love line between him and Soo Ryeon. I love how he sacrificed himself to help those people in need. That scene with Soo Ryeon broke my heart into pieces.
Third, Kim Hyun Chul (Kim Won Hee) you know it’s a good drama when he is one of a cast, portraying father of the main leads or even if it’s just a cameo role. He embodied the most loving and caring father to Myeong Hee and Myeong Soo. He never stop caring for his children no matter how rebellious Myeong Hee was and how he keeps up with Myeong Soo mischievousness.
Forth, Lee Jin A (Park Se Hyun), this cute high school girl represents all Hee Tae’s fan girls. Her facial expressions are on point. A typical teenage girl dreaming of being successful but don’t like the idea of studying hard. Although some says that Hee Tae sort of used her to get close to Myeong Hee, I totally disagree because the two developed genuine friendship as the story goes. I also love her father and brother. Their story somehow is a proof of that the rule of Karma does exist “what goes around comes around”. To be honest there are more scenes like that, which parallel and connect to that saying. I can’t explain those further, just watch the drama and see your self. Nonetheless, Jin A’s family is my favorite out of 4 families presented in the drama.
Fifth, Hwang Jung Tae (Choi Seung Hoon) and Kim Myeong Soo (Jo Yi Hyun), these two cute besties made the show more interesting, from being rival to besties. Jung Tae a handsome boy and a tsundere in the making, seems cold at first but cool and kind-hearted half brother of Hee Tae. The little bear Myeong Soo, some will hate him towards the end of the drama but this little boy also suffered so much. I want to hug him and assure him that he was also a victim of the circumstances and he did nothing wrong.
Honestly speaking I love the casting, everyone seems perfect for the role they portrayed. You can love or hate them and you know that the directors did not only care about the cinematography but they also did well in ensuring that the actors will be able to translate their feelings accurately and effectively, they made sure to keep the viewers interest with few cliffhangers at the end of each episodes and the connection of some characters to the skeleton shown on the first episode. I can’t contain my fondness to the strong chemistry the main characters exhibited. I know everyone is simping over Lee Do Hyun. I wasn’t really surprised with his acting because he always nails every role given to him. Go Min Si’s acting was also superb. Her eyes, she knows how to use them to convey emotions and her girly aura made her suited for the role. I hope these two will win awards for this drama in the future. You’ll never understand how excited I was every time they appeared on the screen together, from their cute dates, their soulful conversations, their bickerings and the way they hold hands, glance and smile at each other. Their visuals were also outstanding. I love all their hug and the kiss scenes, everything were gentle but pure of emotions, nothing was force and done in a respectful manner. I also loved that their relationship was God-centered, although some of their decisions may be rushed and not carefully thought of, both are considerate to each other feelings, the way they tried their best to compromise and be each other source of strength. They never really utter the L-Word but they were able expressed their love in the purest and most sincere way. The writers also put so much effort on their dialogues, there are so many quotable lines, I adore how poignant and poetic their choice of words were. I also like that the producers opted to used some English songs (John Denver’s Annie’s Song and Bette Midler’s The Rose), for non Korean-speakers viewers to enjoy. In general, I’m ok with all the songs on track list.
The production team hard works were evident, they were able to diligently execute and put everything all well, the retro vibes, the sceneries, music, clothings and the styling which will transpire you and make you feel and experience the lives of those people from the 80s.
Apart from the main story which I romance; culture, economy, politics and religion were also given emphasis and how these affected the lives of the people of Gwangju. There were few scenes that dealt street demonstrations and rallies, students and even innocent people were tortured and killed. They did not show so much blood but they managed to give the audience the glimpse of how people of Gwangju suffered from the dictatorship and oppression. The way the government manipulated the military to go against the people, how they ruthlessly hurt and abused the weak ones. How some personalities allowed themselves to be used for their own personal gain and ambitions. Those scenarios eventually put the whole country in turmoil and lead not only to the death of some characters in the show but also to the dreams and aspirations of the people of Gwangju. That historical event that stole people’s peace of mind and changed their lives forever.
Although there were only 12 episodes, in my point of view the show was able to demonstrate how people endured the consequences brought by the uprising, not only for the victims but more on the people who were left behind, their loved ones, families, colleagues and friends. All episodes were well put together, no scenes were repetitive (flashbacks that seem unnecessary), how characters progressed in each episode, how we sympathized to their losses and feel the pain they’d been through. I’m not a Korean but my heart also cries for the victims of the uprising. Here in my country we also experienced the ruling by Martial Law but that was lifted before I was born, it was also cited in some history books that the revolution that happened in my country was considered a peaceful one and I thank God for that. However, we cannot deny the fact that there were victims of violence and their families are still seeking for justice, there are unresolved cases and there are people who are still missing. In any country where there’s an oppression it’s the people who suffer the most, some lives will be sacrificed as a collateral damage, mostly they are the innocent ones and the people who took the courage to fight for what is right and freedom. Youth of May, made me understand why most of the South Koreans are patriotic and how sensitive they are whenever they feel that there’s an attempt to alter the history and we should never invalidate that. The families of the victims continue to live and survive despite of the pains and sufferings they felt but they will never forget what took place in May 1980 and we have to respect that. Just like what Hee Tae’s said to Jin A “If you don’t review your past, you will never move forward.”
Youth of May is one of the KDrama that I was really attached to, primarily because I love it’s historical background. It’s not your typical drama with happy ending. The main characters fate towards the end really broke my heart, I cried a bucket because it made me really sad. Did I regret watching it? Why? The answer is NO, simply because I fell in love with the story, although heartbreaking, I think the whole production made the most realistic ending. This drama also made me realize so many things about life and love. Our life story doesn’t always need to be happy to be considered beautiful. No matter how good and concrete our plans are, time will come that our faith and courage will be tested. It’s true that destiny is a matter of choice but we cannot force and halt the things to or not to happen if these are not God’s will. Karma does exist and every actions has its consequences. If we have to choose between good or bad, choose to be good no matter what. Let our lives be guided with prayers, answers may not be given right away but it will, in God’s perfect time. Nothing is loss if you love sincerely. Will I recommend this KDrama to my fellow fans? My answer is MAYBE if you have a brave heart like me, then go watch it with all your might. If you are a type who don’t want to feel pain but you still like to witness a beautiful and heartwarming love story, then at least you give it a try, you’ll never how strong you are unless the only option who have is to be strong. Let’s be inspired by Myeong hee’s prayer “Let’s all have the courage to swim forward and safely through this life”.
A Mediocre Life 