I didn't like Ji Woo as Eun Jae at all. I found her acting to be over the top and not true to Eun Jae's character. I would have preferred it if they said Eun Jae had to move out temporarily and they had a new character. But as a fan to accept Ji Woo as the new Eun Jae was frustrating. Eun Jae season one was timid, shy, innocent and passive. Eun Jae season two was argumentative, at times mean, obsessive/stalkerish... I couldn't connect to the new Eun Jae at all, and cringed when she was on screen. If they make season 3 I would like Park Hye Soo to play her again. And please can we have Kang Yi Na back, she is a breath of fresh air when she made guest appearance.
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This review may contain spoilers
Carried by Ji-Won + Sung-Min
Plotwise and sismance-wise, I liked the first season a lot better. But my overall rating for Season 2 is higher than Season 1 for one big reason: this season focused on Ji-Won, my favorite character.First of all: the actress change for Eun-Jae. I didn't like Eun-Jae much in Season 1 either, and I knew that the change would have thrown me off a little, but I ended up completely hating Eun-Jae, both because of character and acting. If I thought the acting was awkward in Season 1, it was even worse in Season 2. Her facial expression just always looked like she saw a ghost or was stumped about a math question. It was like the actress was trying to act like another actress acting like Eun-Jae. And Eun-Jae's entire character arc really didn't help, because she became clingy and annoying. It was as if the writers also realized how boring her personality was, couldn't think of a story for her, and just thought "hey, let's try that romance thing all over again."
I also really missed Yi-Na and her fiery personality, but the moments she did appear were really refreshing. Jo-Eun was an okay addition, but it took me a long time to warm up to her, because her purpose felt like Eun-Jae's in Season 1—the "let's get to know everyone" character. She got better and I liked her with Jang Hoon, but I something about how her friendship with Ye-Ji left much to be desired, because the way they just fell out felt very sudden, though they explained it by calling it "drifting apart."
Overall, I thought the plot was a little predictable, even Ji-Won's. But I didn't have a problem with that at all, because I LIVED for Ji-Won + Sung-Min screentime. Even their friendship is goals, and every moment they had together was *a moment*, if you get me. The end scene killed me, and I'm praying for a Season 3. Ji-Won has been one of my top characters from the very beginning, and one of my notes for Season 1 was that she didn't have much depth. This season completely remedied that, and I loved how Ji-Won centric it was, even though each character had their own stories as well.
Ye-Eun was my second-to-last favorite in Season 1, but my second favorite in this one. I loved that she was a little more mellow, a little more strong, and I really appreciate the emphasis on dating violence and trauma. Jin-Myung's story wasn't that interesting to me this time around, but part of that is that I'm not a huge fan of the office/workplace setting. The one episode where I really liked Jin-Myung was the one where they were on the apple-picking trip, and the audience saw how Jin-Myung was, in a way, the glue holding the entire group together.
A lot of people said that the ending felt like a cliffhanger, maybe in regards to the sexual assault case, but I thought it was the perfect half-open ending. I'm satisfied with not seeing EXACTLY how the case played out, and since we saw that another victim stepped up, I'm under the assumption that all went well.
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Changing the actress for Eun Jae aside, her character was drastically changed, as she seemed to be getting more confident and talk about what she dislikes in the first season, this season reset her back to her introverted state.
Although Kang Yi Na only appeared briefly throughout the season, it seems like she grew back her hair and hit on the first boy she met near the house.
I like the change in Jung Ye Eun although I miss her cheerful side.
Hopes up for a better and more consistent season 3, and hope the teaser they released in ep13 gets scrapped.
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And while Age of Youth 2 certainly didn’t beat Age of Youth in terms of quality, or how good it was, I can’t say that this was a bad drama. This was still the story of five girls and all the ups and downs in their lives. Even if it did not feel as fresh or new, but then again, to me, it was never going to since it was coming after the first season. It was a lovely continuation in my opinion, was what it was supposed to be. A continuation. And I think I have to judge it based on that.
At first people were concerned about how many changes were made (and some people it was just too much) but these changed didn’t affect the story itself too much, though it did a little. Even if they added more male roles, they did not take any (or not much) time from the girls and their story. It was still all about the girls.
When it comes to both seasons of Age of Youth, they are mainly about the girls in Belle Epoque, their lives and their friendships.
The boys are just on the sidelines, featuring in the stories of the girls and it wasn’t super heavy on the romance. And while there are some people who find the focus of the series have shifted a little more from the story of the girls, and into the story of the girls and all these ships, I personally never saw it that way.
A good part of the first series was dedicated to these ‘ships’. Ether those who were there from day one (Yeun and her boyfriend) or the ones that slowly formed during course of the drama. (Jinmyung and Eun Jae and their men). The fandom might have shifted its focus more on these ‘ships’ in a second series, but the story itself didn’t.
I think this focus on these couples within the fandoms has more to do with the fact that the underlying story of Age of Youth 2 was not as captivating or compelling as in the previous season. Or it didn’t feel as tight. I like the stories that were featured in this season, but at the same time I did not feel like these stories had too much to do with each other, as they did in season two. This season didn’t have any ghosts in the shoe-closet to connect all these story-lines and make it all more symbolic.
There were many interesting stories going in this series, but they didn’t have too much to do with each other, and we did not quite get these individual episodes that we got into the previous series, which added so much to these characters. The connection that these stories had with each other was mainly that the girls all lived in the same house.
To me, Song Ji Won, one of my favorite last season, got the biggest, heaviest and probably the best storyline, compared to the previous season where she was mostly on the side-lines. Which is great since Park Eun Bin is a great actress, one of the strongest in this drama and Song Ji Won deserved her own spotlight.
Her story had the greatest weight and depth in this season, and we got to see more of her and Im Sung Min, which I appreciated (cuz I ship them). I was over the moon over it and though that story took us to some rather dark place at times, it was handled quite well.
It took her character to another level and made her into such a complex characters. To me she is the star of Age of Youth 2. To me she was the main character of this season.
Drama was still only in trying to make the story darker, or more dangerous, than she had to be (in order to be edgy) in my opinion. But those items did not appear to be dry, or out of nothing, and just being there to make us feel uncomfortable.
Yeun and Jinmyung both got to continue on with their stories from the first season, as Jinmyung lays his first step into the adult, working-world, and Yeun is struggling with the follow-up of the violent relationship she had with her former boyfriend. And I thought that was very done, how Yeun and the drama managed to handle that problem and how she slowly began to become more confident. I was very happy with that progress.
Jo Eun, the new girl, who moves (after Yi Na moves away in episode 1) and although I found her friendship with the girls, how she opened herself up bit by bit, and her relationship and Jang Hoon was very sweet. But I didn’t feel like story stood out a lot.
But Eun Jun, my favorite character in the first series (with Song Ji Won), got another actress who did very little for that character - though I blame it mostly on how she was written. Eun Jun really pulled the shortest straw when it came to plot in AOY2. All she did was break up with her boyfriend, for god knows what reason, and then she moaned over that the whole season. I never really understood what the scriptwriter was trying to go fir. All her parts just seemed to act as a filler, and she didn’t really act like herself. For me it was by far the biggest minus about Age of Youth 2.
If Age of Youth was four and a half star then Age of Youth 2 was a solid three star drama. It had some really good moments; I was very excited about watching each episode, and overall had a pretty good time watching it. But it did not reach the same height as the Age of Youth did. I did not cry over t. The story was, in my opinion, a little disjointed at times and could have been tight. There was something missing in that department. We needed something to keep going back to, and added a bit of depth to the underlining story, like the ghost in the shoe-closet.
I thought t was a good follow-up, I loved visiting Belle Epoque again, as well as the characters. Not all the stores left as much behind as the stories in the first season. But it is hard to re-create that magic. I just wish I could have gotten a bigger closure to some of these stories. Because we have been sitting through 14 episodes of these stories, so I think it is better to not leave things too open ended. It doesn’t leave as much behind.
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But I want to say that I enjoyed this season a little more than the first! At first I was really sad to see that Ryu Hwa Young wouldn't be on this anymore because she played one of my favorite character, but since she had some cameo I was happy about that.
The new character played by Choi Ah Ra was great, I wasn't into her at the beginning because for me she was like an intruder, but I quick liked her and her relationship with Kim Min Suk, they were so cute!
I didn't have much trouble to see Ji Woo replacing Park Hye Soo as well.
On this one I was a huge fan of the character of Park Eun Bin, this girl can definitely act and make you love the drama even more.
Also the songs are better in this season (well there wasn't a lot of songs in the first one so maybe that's the reason), they went really well with the story.
Just like me don't be afraid to watch it, just do it and enjoy~
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To all the people who are wondering if this is a good watch, go watch Age of youth first.
I have been in love with Yoon Eun Jae and her character (may be because it reminded us of our awkward days) and that was the only part that disappointed me completely.
Genre : Slice of life, Sisterhood, rom-com, mystery
Story : Although i have had a negative impression till now, i will try to give out a non-biased review.
Our girls are back. Hurt, experienced, doubtful, stressed out and tired. The characters stayed the same except Kang Yi Na's. The story is framed a year later with a single mystery related to Song Ji Won as hinted in the last episode of Age of Youth. Jo Eun moves into the house as a new room mate and her story is beautiful. Choi Ah Ra is the latest addition to the house and the main theme is continued and the characters play their parts well. A lot of stereotypes are destroyed and a lot of taboos are touched just like the original story. What keeps you hooked to this show is the ingenuity in the stories and the emotional upheaval that everyone goes through at some point of their lives.
But the OTPs are missed desperately and you start feeling miserable trying to fish something out of it. (Yoon Jin Myung and Park Jae wan, Yoon Eun Jae and Yoon Jong Yeol forever) Song Ji Won and Im Sung Min are the only OTP left.
Acting : Before i start my rant, all i want to say is sometimes, its the fault of the actors.
Ji Woo : The only drama i have seen her in other than this was Star of the Universe, i was honestly upset by her acting. Yoon eun Jae was one of my favourite characters and she wrecked it beyond repair. I am pretty sure they might have tried really hard to cast someone as similar to Park Hye Soo but there were some points when she just got really annoying. To the point that there were times when i was seriously thinking if ii should give up on the show. From her laughter to her style of talking, you could clearly see the awkward way she was inexperienced in portraying an introvert. There were times she tried really hard but the character was completely destroyed all thanks to her.
Lee Yoo Jin : While Han Seung Yeon perfectly showed how a patient of anxiety, depression and self-denial acts, Lee Yoo Jin's acting was pathetic to the point you cannot taking him seriously. There is an inexperienced actor and the seriousness to his character and story that needs to be expressed is lost. I don't think the story or direction had any fault, only the actors were strangely inexperienced. What upset me was in both the cases, the bad portrayal of charcaters made them show normal things as mental extremities.
Park Eun Bin's character goes through a lot of changes and i think she was the only actress in the whole series who knew exactly how to bring out the different charms of her character. Song Ji Won does not dissappoint you. I haven't seen Choi Ah Ra's work before and i think this is her debut into acting and she is a delight to watch. I don't know if she was being herself or she really is a great actress but compared to others, she was absolutely flawless.
Will i Watch it again? I don't think so. I downloaded the first series but i dont think i will download this.
Will i recommend it to anyone? To everyone who wants a closure on the first series (though i would advice the fans of Yoon Eun Jae to stay away). First timers might feel a little clueless watching it.
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An upgrade from season one!
Age of youth is a series that takes about daily life of young girls around the age of twenty,it talks about dreams,job,love,hope and friendship! The drama was very well written just like season one! The storyline,scenes and characters were very relatable. This show tells you the reason why I love slice of life dramas,perfectly!! The story of each character is something actual people go through in real life, which made me super impressed!The dialogues hit the mark each time! The osts and the music played throughout the show which included Pentagon bsides made me a happy Pentagon fan. I was LIVING each time a member comes on screen!
I think this season had so much to offer, fresh and interesting and was definitely better than the last,in all aspects, therefore higher ratings!
The few issues I have are maybe the whole story line of eun jae and the actor change for eun jae really annoyed me. Her story was dragged and uninteresting. Her character changed so much this season which really dissapointed me.
Still a really well written and well shot show!
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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?
Getting into the details, I would have to say that this season is inferior to the first one, but it's certainly not disappointing.
The story and subplots were solid, but none were particularly as outstanding as the ones in the first season. It did get melodramatic at times, but maintained a good slice-of-life balance, as it was realistic in depicting how life gets tough and dark, yet life goes on. The first episode was definitely the best; it was a great and dramatic return to the belle epoque we know and love. Jiwon's development arc was amazing, as she gained a bigger focus this season, Yeeun's arc was a bit stilted, but it did fine in articulating a sensitive topic of trauma. It was also awesome seeing our loving motherly Jinmyung finally paving her path in the world, and since season 1 was her success story, she played more of a supporting role in the plots of others, which was still great to see. The addition of Joeun was great as well; she has a relatable subplot, and the actress is completely charming and adorable. Unfortunately, I personally found Eunjae's arc to be highly unsatisfying and unconvincing. It was mostly due to the writing and partially to do with the recasting. I'm not going to blame the actress because her hands were really tied by the fact that Park Hyesoo had defined Eunjae too well as her own character and the writers not being more adventurous with her development.
As always, the music is fun and sets the mood really nicely throughout the drama. The girls are hilarious and this slice-of-life is totally rewatchable. The acting of all the girls was great; I wasn't particularly impressed by the male actors except for Kwon Hochang's actor, becuase that was a tough portrayal.
Overall, this is still an amazing follow-up drama, but I wouldn't say it has the strength to stand apart from it's explosively well received predecessor. Give it a watch!
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Well I started watching it a bit late but I've got to say I was happy with this season. Even the new additions were nice and we got to see more and more of Sung Min and Ji Won. I actually liked Jo Eun and Seo Jang Hoon. Nice referencing on the name and height though XD
The only, only, only negative I've got to say is about Eun Jae's character. Park Hye So made her character adorably awkward and it was impossible not to like her character but Ji Woo just made it annoying. Kudos for PHS on an amazing job at portraying Eun Jae perfectly. I actually skipped all of new Eun Jae's scenes. I honestly don't know what happened to her even in this season. Other than this was perfect. Can we please have a third season with all the original members? We need more Sung Min and Ji Won.
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I really love Song Jiwoon ???????? I wish she's not so dumb to notice Songmin. But her sense of humor is really something. I'm never sick of her!
Joeun (the new character) stole my heart! She's so cute even though she's so tall lol.
The realistic element of the story and the lessons I learned wasn't something I expected.
After completing it I'm overwhelmed with happiness. I wish there's another season.
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Belle Epoque... A beautiful time of my teens.
I watched this drama Summer 2021 with a big bowl of salad next to me and the sun shining outside. The cold breeze of the late afternoon felt nice as I watched this show for the first time. Now, 3 years later, Belle Epoque is one of my favorite summer memories of my teens - a breath of fresh air and a series which feels like home.I loved and love everything about the show. The girls, storyline, OST, cinematography... EVERYTHING. It's a unique work of art, where you can find quite the variety. You don't really get bored and the girls are really relatable, all going through different normal problems of the early twenties, or late twenties as it was for our lovely Jin Myung.
I liked how well the characters were individualised - a similar feel like in Hospital Playlist, another favorite of mine.
It's just one of those shows you don't know why it holds such a big place in your heart... or maybe you know. ;)
Now yes,
Thank you "Hello, My Twenties!" for being summer 2021 to me! For being home and for being the place I come back to every single summer. <3
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