Youth of May (2021)

Another Frustrating Romeo and Juliet Story

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

Sorry, but I really hate Romeo and Juliet, so keep that in mind.

Acting/Cast: This is the first area that began nagging at me. I wasn't a fan of the female lead's acting. It felt stiff. Even the male lead's acting felt a bit stiff. Maybe it's a lack of chemistry between the leads. I was never able to fully get on board with their relationship. Really, they hardly know each other. I thought the side characters did good though. The strongest performance was probably from the 2nd female lead. The male lead's mom stands out to me too. 4.5/10

Writing: The drama started strong with an entertaining premise (although cliché). However, once the plot took a turn and became depressing and angsty, it quickly became frustrating and predictable as well. Yes, I get it's a tragedy, but the entire drama was just a bunch of characters continually making horrible decisions. If the plot requires a death of a major character, at least don't let the cause of their death be their own fault. It's not as much of a tear-jerking moment otherwise. I thought the second female lead ultimately had a more interesting story with a lot more potential (although she was pretty annoying in the first half), but unfortunately none of the plot points in her story were expounded. With her character, it was just dead end after dead end. She was even completely abandoned by the writers at the drama's conclusion in favor of the main storyline. Another issue I had with the writing was the plot line between the female lead and her father. It was predictable and unrealistic, which kept me from being able to connect with the female lead. Also, the male lead's father didn't make sense to me - a really abusive and seemingly psychotic, power hungry dude that sees his family members as objects, suddenly develops feelings and a sense of familial love. Throughout the entire drama they kept emphasizing how much he doesn't give a crap about them, so the sudden drastic change at the end left me trying to rationalize his behavior in my head. On a positive note, me favorite aspect of this drama was the storyline with the kids. I liked how their friendship developed as well as the character development of the male lead's little brother. Ugh...it's so frustrating because there were so many interesting facets that either weren't explored enough or weren't explored at all. 2/10

Direction/SFX/Music: This drama did have an old vibe to it, which seems completely intentional because it takes place in 1980. I don't like the style though. I loved Snowdrop, which takes place in 1987, and that drama feels like it has a much higher production value without feeling too modern. The OST is fine, but it's not my style either. 5/10

Entertainment Value: It was fairly entertaining. I had no desire to drop it, but I also put off finishing it and watched other dramas instead. I had a good idea of how it was going to play out, so I wasn't too bothered about finishing the drama quickly. I had a hard time connecting with the leads, but there were other characters that I was interested in. Too bad the writers weren't as interested in those other characters. In the first half of the drama, the leads were more compelling to watch, but in the second half everyone else became more compelling to watch. 4/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 4/10 mainly due to my hatred for Romeo and Juliet and how frustrating everything was. Oh gosh... the game of hot potato at the end with that damn watch was so annoying.

Lire davantage

Hermosa historia de amor en tiempos de caos.

Para mi ha sido un 10/10.
Me ha gustado todo: cuando se conocen y ella se hace pasar por la amiga ??... y aún así él se acaba enamorando de ella y deciden luchar para estar juntos.También amé el papel de la amiga y su minihistoria con el policía. ?‍♂️
La relación de ellas ?? y saber que nunca tendré una amistad como esta ? y la amistad de los hermanitos y que el hermano de ella encontrara ese "algo" más importante cuando se hizo adulto (se hizo sacerdote)
Me parece muy acertado que en el futuro los actores ya de adultos se transformaran en jóvenes, eso lo hace demasiado emotivo. ? Lo único que no me gustó es que me spoilee el final ? antes de empezarla.
Él la esperó durante 41 años ? demasiado impactante, lo único que no entiendo es porque pusieron a un actor tan joven para hacer de su version adulta (el personaje debería tener 67 y el actor tiene 45)

Y no, no me costó shippear a los protas aunque los haya visto como hermanos en Sweet Home jsjs ?

Lire davantage

minha alma saiu do corpo

confesso que comecei a assistir Youth of May só por causa dos trailers fofinhos dos protagonistas, sem ler direito a sinopse do dorama e sem saber que ele se passava numa época tão conturbada da história da Coreia, não sabia que era um melodrama também, caso contrário eu não teria tido tanto interesse pra assistir....
eu não lembro de ter chorado tanto num dorama como chorei em Youth of May, de 12 episódios os únicos que não chorei foram os 2 primeiros que eram introdutivos e não dava pra saber a desgraça que tava vindo.... minha gente pra assistir esse dorama tem que ter nervo viu... é uma montanha russas de emoções em uma hora você tá feliz com as cenas dos protagonistas e poucos minutos depois você tá chorando pq deu algo de errado. as emoções que os atores passam são extremamente sinceras e tocantes, impossível não se comover com a história desses dois, aliás com a história em geral do dorama que é retratando um acontecimento histórico que deixou tantas vitimas... a parte histórica do dorama é MUITO interessante eu só ficava receosa a todo momento com medo de algo acontecer com os protagonistas, os cenários são lindos, a fotografia, o dorama é simplesmente lindo e magnifico, o amor entre os personagens embora tenha sido curto foi muito verdadeiro e se fez presente durante o resto da vida que o Hee Tae teve, uma obra prima!!
infelizmente não é todo mundo que tem a sensibilidade e informação suficientes (ou ignoram essas informações) pra entender o quão triste foram as ditaduras e os processos de busca pelo direitos, na reta final do dorama o Hye Gun sofreu o pão que o diabo amassou, foi torturado, se negou a "dedurar" os companheiros que estavam juntos com ele e no final, se sacrificou p/ o comando de defesa não machucar a família dele, Hye Gun não existiu apenas em Youth Of May, muitos jovens se sacrificaram por um bem maior, para que hoje tivéssemos o mínimo de liberdade que temos.. o mesmo caso com a Myeong Hee que morreu tragicamente na mão desses cretinos p/ salvar o irmão e o corpo ficou desaparecido durante DÉCADAS pq o próprio exército ordenava que tudo que pudesse identificar o morto fosse descartado do corpo dele... ainda hoje aqui no Brasil há corpos que não foram encontrados do período da ditadura, "pessoas desaparecidas", várias pessoas como a Myeong Hee que tinham pais, irmãos e que eram o amor de alguém, o dorama me deixou revoltada na maioria dos episódios pq toda vez que passa a cena dos protestos pacíficos e dos estudantes sendo agredidos e mortos automaticamente eu lembrava que isso não era tudo ficção, foi a realidade da Coreia do Brasil e de muitos outros países durante ANOS, e pra mim é inadmissível um líder (presidente da republica) como o do Brasil tratar esse período da história com tanto desdém e ainda os seus apoiadores defenderem a volta de uma época tão terrível como essa, então a dorameira que tem esse tipo de pensamento espero que pelo menos através desse dorama que não é só sobre amor, tenha aprendido a ter o mínimo de consciência da história que um dia também foi a do seu país, e de brasileiros, que assim como os estudantes de Gwangju, também tiveram seus direitos pisoteados e suas vidas perdidas.
não lembro também de um protagonista que tenha sofrido mais do que a Myeong Hee, ela perdeu literalmente tudo que tinha de mais precioso: o sonho de estudar fora, o pai, por diversas vezes perdeu o amor da vida dela e no fim perdeu também própria vida, tudo que ela perdeu, perdeu injustamente porque foi mandado... não foi um acidente abrupto que tirou isso da vida dela, foram as próprias pessoas que em teoria deveriam proteger os cidadãos mas tiraram tudo deles.
sobre a Lee Soo Ryun eu me irritei muito com essa personagem, a priori o fato dela ser uma protestante me animou bastante, mas depois que eu vi que ela não assumia as consequências dos atos dela, deixando os outros sofrerem com algo que ela deveria se responsabilizar, me decepcionou muito... principalmente ela sendo egoísta com a Myeong Hee, que sempre tinha colocado ela em primeiro lugar e deixado de fazer as vontades dela pra fazer as da Soo Ryun, e a Soo Ryun não fazia o mínimo pela Myeong Hee... mas no final ela teve a redenção dela, embora ela fosse privilegiada e não precisasse estar em nenhum dos protestos ela mesmo assim ia de boa vontade, pq tinha os ideais dela e lutava pela conquista dos direitos que seriam usufruídos por todos, assim como o irmão dela que se uniu a ela nesses últimos episódios. ambos privilegiados, mas fizeram muito mais coisa do que outros jovens mimados por aí. a inteligência dela e o interesse por politica sempre me deixaram encantada, a personagem poderia ter sido desenvolvida de uma maneira diferente na metade do dorama, pq como eu disse ela só teve a redenção dela na reta final, então durante todo o dorama ela nada mais parecia ser do que uma pessoa hipócrita.
sério, a cena final desse dorama do Hee Tae escrevendo a carta acabou cmg... recomendo Youth of May pra qm tem emocional pra assistir pq eu tô saindo dele destrúida...

Lire davantage

Such a beautiful drama. (No direct spoilers but some things are implied)

Probably one of the most emotional dramas that I've watched, binge watched the entire thing... Such a beautifully sad story, it was so well written. My heart quite literally hurt watching this drama, cried a thousand rivers frfr. The acting was one of the best in the K-drama scene, which I expected from Dohyun cause he's such a great actor, didn't get to watch anything from Go Minsi but she was also a great actress. They had great chemistry, and their good acting made me feel everything they felt cause they just expressed it so well. All the characters played so well. Okay not gonna lie though, I did kinda drop the drama when I reached about 4 episodes, so it was a tiny bit boring for me at the beginning (Maybe just for me though), but I decided to complete and DAMNNNN.
I remember when I was secretly watching this in class my friend tried to warn me, she told me it was going to be SAAAD but I brushed it off and said it couldn't be that bad. But BRO T-T . Oh how wrong I was.

I would definitely recommend this but you will cry, I don't care how tough you think, you are you will cry. Even if you're not an emotional person this drama will turn you into one.

Lire davantage

Objectively good, subjectively devastating

If I were to rate this drama purely based on how good I think it is, it would easily get a 10/10. It is masterly crafted, a powerful story about an actual event told with incredible cinematography, acting and with lots and lots of heart. However, I rate based on enjoyment, not on how objectively good I think a drama is. And I did not enjoy this drama at all.

It starts out light enough, but it gets rough pretty quickly. I normally don't mind tragedy if at the end of it all I feel like I've gotten something out of it. That's not the case with this drama. I'm not usually a skipper, but I had to skip many scenes because I mentally could not handle watching it. It was suffering, upon suffering, upon suffering.

If you're interested in history, and don't mind watching a devastating drama, then I can definitely recommend this one to you. But what you'll get out of it is anxiety and worsened mental health. If that's a price you're willing to pay, then it's definitely worth it. I for one am probably going to watch some comedies now to purge this sorrow from my mind.

Lire davantage

Youth Of May does a fantastic job of bringing its story to life via our characters, their experiences, and their relationships.

A rollercoaster of emotions that’s not easy by any means, but that’s completely worthwhile. The leads were amazing and so were the supporting characters. I loved how they showcased different points of view; from the soldiers, police, college students as the protestors, nurses and doctors, and the commoners.

Youth Of May is both sweet and bright, and at times reminds of the traumatizing past in a subtle way. It probably might be the best underrated drama of 2021.


My Rating : 8/10

Lire davantage

Aquel mayo que quedó enjaulado

Sería difícil encasillar este drama en un solo género porque todas las capas que lo componen logran formar una historia que encuentra su valor en esa variedad de temas. La historia política y la lucha contra el abuso de poder se desarrolla a niveles que logra interesar al espectador sin llegar a abrumarlo, un balance que se intensifica con el correr de los episodios y que vuelve al drama una historia creíble y emocionante. Bajo esas condiciones se desenvuelve una historia de amor que brilla intensamente a pesar de su brevedad y que sufre las consecuencias de un contexto político donde prima el horror, donde la democracia peligra y que lo único que no pudo detener fue la elección de seguir adelante de los dos amantes.

El guion puede ser flojo en algunos momentos, aunque, desde un punto de vista general, construye una historia que se sostiene y se acompleja gradualmente. Lo que en un principio pareciera una historia repleta de clichés (falsa cita a ciegas, matrimonio arreglado, viaje próximo) pronto sorprende al sumar elementos políticos y familiares que vuelven el drama uno mucho más cautivador. Personalmente, tenía muchas ganas de ver el drama por confiar en otras reseñas, pero esa complejidad gradual podría ser un motivo por el que pudiera haber dejado de verlo al segundo episodio, es un arma de doble filo.

Me hubiera gustado conocer más sobre el gran villano ya que creo que se pierde un poco el motivo de su accionar, especialmente para aquellos que no sepan cómo funcionaban aquellos centros de inteligencia ilegales y tal vez no hayan logrado entender del todo la seriedad del asunto. También la historia de Heetae, como hijo extramatrimonial, podría haber sido explicada mejor desde su pasado porque, aunque el trato que se le da dentro de la casa alcanza para entender que no es querido en la familia, no me fue suficiente para comprender qué tan importante fue para él crecer allí. En general, hay algunos cabos sueltos en lo que respecta a la historia previa a la década del 1980 y eso es lo que me impide ponerle 10 estrellas.

Es una historia bonita, que no considero que sea para todo el mundo pero que, aun con el nivel de dramatismo que carga, es muy disfrutable y sin dudas voy a recordar por mucho tiempo.

Lire davantage

A beautiful love story story

A beautiful and touching love story that I've seen in a while.

The drama starts with a typical setup of a Rich boy and a poor woman. Generally, the story itself holds nothing unique, but the thing that makes it extraordinary, first of all, is the historical arrangement, this drama addresses a tragic incident in South Korea during a dictatorship period. The '90s decor incredibly summed up the charm of the drama.

Second, the acting just stole the show. There are only a few times when we get to see a perfect cast.

Lee do-hyun left me an open mouth with his acting and allure, and the way he fits into the character is making me lose at words for how to admire him.
He came to be my favorite character of all time.

Go misi, Queen ate it and left no crumb. She was a scene stealer in every bump.
Their chemistry was just insane.
Side characters also help to lift the drama additionally.

Now, let's bring up the ending, I knew from the beginning it was going to be an emotional and straining ride for me and regardless I took the risk and honestly I'm not regretting it. Trust me it was worthy of all my tears.

In conclusion, I would speak out even if you are not a fan of the sad ending, still give it a try cause actually the sad finishing off is itself satisfactory.

Lire davantage

One of the best

A stonking series but very sad!

The pacing is perfect and the romance feels sweet and natural. The historical backdrop is not overdone and the plot keeps you engaged throughout. Both Go Min-si and Lee Do Hyun do a great job balancing drama and humour in their exchanges. They are quickly becoming some of my favourite k-drama actors. This series is refreshing because it feels more adult than most. It does not rely on typical k-drama tropes and the element of danger feels genuine. The script is tight with less convoluted side plots and filler. It's also subtle and foregoes the usual 'I'm narrating what I'm thinking'. Hint to script writers - adult themes and 12 episodes are the way forward. It's no surprise that the ending is a tear-jerker but I think that is testament to the plot and actors. One of the best K-dramas I have watched yet.

Lire davantage

No tears left to cry... :D

Where shall I start? It is very hard to express my feelings in words.
Youth of May is a drama one of a kind. It is funny, aesthetical, shocking and sad.
I do not know if you would consider this a historical drama, but thinking of usual historical dramas they are set to play more than 500 years ago, at least. 1980 was 41 years ago, and this is why it hits that hard. The people are living just like we do now, just with less technical stuff.
Altogether, I wished there was some more background information about the happenings, which was apparently not needed for the intended audience but my international a$$ :D. But, after recruiting the internet on the topic, I understood the situation better.
Otherwise, it was a first slow and then very fast pacing story. We saw the relationships between the characters develop, the fundamental problems were explained and decisions were made, and I totally could understand why (of cause only on the civil side).
I really do not give away too much of the story, so I keep my thoughts short.
The cast acted amazingly, especially the kids.
For me, there is the need to talk about Lee Soo Ryun. She knew what she wanted and what she believed in. Of course, that made her ignorant at times, but she never forgot who her friends are. At parts, she absolutely blew me away.

I was really shocked about the happenings and cried many times through the drama.
It is really heavy but worth watching. You just need to be aware of it.

Why not 10 points? At parts, I found myself being on the phone, so it could draw my attention for an entire episode.

Lire davantage