the best k drama of 2021
i didn't think it would have a sad ending but that sad ending has a really good meaning I really liked the story and the acting was so perfect and smooth between the main roles I especially like the role of lee do hyun he became one of my fav heroes after watching this drama and the slang they speak shows how much hard work they have done to learn that slang but I will definitely recommend you, people, to watch this drama this one of my ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv drama in 2021Was this review helpful to you?
A love story about family, fighting and youth
That was a beautiful yet tragic storytelling i'm never going to forget. The genuine portrayal of love towards family and humanity, truly got my heart, I was touched by these characters and their stories. It shows the contrast of the darkest point of humanity fighting with the purest love for people. This series deal with the loss of someone you deeply love in such a bright and even poetic light. The soundtrack and cinematography helps you feel this love, this losing. It's cruel, emotional and lovely.Was this review helpful to you?
Fantastic blend of fuction with facts
A commendable job to each and everyone who is involved in this project from writers to actors to production team each one have excel it.Firstly, the OST of the series is so beautiful eventhough i don't know the language i still felt connected.
Hung-tae and myeon hee portyal was done so beautifully you will adore them till last episode.
One will get familiar with the korean hostory as well.
The aesthetics of the scenes just made me go crazy they were simple but personified greatly.
Overall, you must add this drama in your list
PS:- if you think 25-21 was sad then this will be remorseful for you
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Loved, loved, loved
An amazing show, even if you as myself have heard of a sad ending I still encourage you to watch this show. I loved that it was a bit shorter than usual as thats what works for me (hate fillers and have bad attention span). The story begun lightheartedly,fun and interesting it caught my attention rigt away and I couldn't wait til the next episode. It started out with characters having normal, typical issues but then later led into with more depth. Majority of the characters and character developement where they realized things about their life and relationships. I honestly thing star crossed lovers/sad romances are my thing becuase although at times it was gut wrenching and painful between the two lovers it made the times to they were together and happy even more meaningful. It felt more realistic and giving. I loved the historical setting, although its usually something i stay away from I loved it here and taught me things about the gwanju uprising. When it comes to the ost it wasn't anything extrodinary. The normal ones were good nothing in particular. They also had 70s music which was a nice touch. One thing I noticed was that it seemed that were working with a lower budget? mabe or something or they prioritize it somewhere else. Due to the sets, there wasn't a big variety imo, in the beginning there was toawrds the end it felt very like repetetive some of the sets also seemed a bit lower quality. I knoe they had to adapt considering its set in a differnt time so its a lot of props and so one that arent typical however i've seen better prepared historical sets in other shows. Another thing was that since medicine was a pedning topic as well as the protests (duh) injuries were shown on screen. I felt that some of the injuries, blood, medical talk could have been a bit better (might just be because I'm watching GA at the same time). Other than that I loved it. Actors did an amazing job. I thought it would be weird for me becuase i recently watched sweet home where the mains are siblings but they did amazing. Their chemistry was great and i was really inmpressed by do hyun honestly hes becoming a favourite. Characters and plot were written beautifully. One more thing is that I felt the last episode (at least the first half,second half was good) was a little rushed? A lot happenend in no time and at the same time therefore it felt a bit rushed and poorly directed.SPOILERS
I just need to say this, okay I know its a justa show and it had to happen but still.
in myeong hees last moments, in that shot/scene they zoom onto thr brother to show that he is close, in danger, basically explanation for why she does what she does. He's pretty close and within range so its understandable that she tries to protect him. However in the next shot with kung soo? and the little brother they seem to be much farther away considering the way it looks (no soldiers, sister, lights etc), how they act after hearing the gunshot (if they were as close or close to what was insinuated in the previous shot they would have been able to look around and see what had happened) and from the gunshot sound itself. Sounded prettyyyy far away. So why she gotta jump :(
Gut wrenching moments (from what i remember)
when the sister and brother were hiding behind the rock, the promise she made (how its a recurring theme)
the five minute promise before they split up
the turn around turn around the second time, first time was cute
him in the café with the fliers, aka he never found out until the end ( that kyung soo moment when thet communicated with their eyes :() the song festival playing on tv. It had been so important in the beginning and it felt like he had many obstacles against it and in the end it seemed like such a small and trivial thing. Like so much had happened remember the time he just wanted to write songs. so i broke down with him.
And when she said she was afraid of him after the whole studying abroad thing.
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Sweet Sadness
From the very first you can feel the sadness. A young man was visiting hospital for his friend who was in coma. Then came the sad love. There was sorrow of each family. There was sorrow of each relationship. There was unfulfilled loves. Not only love between male and female but love for freiends, love for siblings, love for parents - it all remained unfulfilled. Lee Soo Reyon was such a lovely character. Her momentary affection for Hwang Hee Tae made the story more sad. And her effort for the people's freedom was extraordinary. All the characters of activists students was so real. You will definitely feel like themselves. And for the main couple I have nothing to say. It’s just natural to have those feeling for each other. In every country in the independence movement many people lost their loved ones. But after all these sadness there was a hope, an encouragement for doing all for democracy. At the end they got what they faught for.Was this review helpful to you?
This Hidden Gem is a Must-Watch
This show told such an amazing story, and I am so glad that this show was created. This show began as a fun dating story, with the twist of the character switch, but as the story went on, this show got way more complex. The love deepened, but the turmoil of the era also intensified. To put it simply, this kdrama told the beautiful story of two lovers who just wanted to be together, but were caught up in a storm that tried to tear them apart. This idea is not particularly unique, but this show did it amazingly. Also, the show did a good job with getting the audience invested in the characters, I know I was invested and I was really rooting for the characters. The villain in this show was also perhaps one of the best villains in a kdrama I have seen, I truly hated them. With a strong OST and great characters, this show is a must watch. The setting also makes this show both unique and so fascinating. The student protests and the Gwangju uprisings were so interesting to watch, and it evoked a lot of passion and fire from the audience, so if you watch this I promise you will definitely feel something. This review will not do Youth of May justice, but I urge everyone to find a way to watch this show, it was never boring, and the story arc is done so well that this will not disappoint.Was this review helpful to you?
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Forever within a numbered days
There’s really something about tragic love stories that I really like. Call me a masochist but I really really love watching these types of dramas and bawling your eyes out.The plot and number of episodes were perfect because just like the story of our leads, it was short and straight to the point.
Just like the ML here, I too lost my other half. Not to a gun shot but to a terminal disease. I think that is why I feel for his character more especially during the last part where he was looking back to all the years that has gone by without the FL and how he coped up with everything. This drama made me think also of all the what ifs that could’ve been but it also made me realize that things do happen for a reason.
I think the only thing I’m missing from this drama is what happened to the people who were left behind? Like the FL’s family? What happened to the ML’s dad and stepmom? How did everyone moved on from what was happening?
I recommend this drama to anyone who wants to have a good cry and watch a heartwarming love story. Really really worth it!
Now, unto the next one
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A lot to like, but flawed delivery
Essentially this is a love story set against the background of the Gwangju Uprising. It is not so much about the politics but rather a serious piece of social commentary that explores the impact on the people involved. There is a lot to like about this production that carries you through the flaws in the plotting, writing, staging and direction.The story centres around coercion on multiple levels: personal, family, business and political. We all make choices in life that reflect our response to current circumstances and when those circumstances turn increasingly oppressive the trigger point for each individual is different. Although our choices are our own to make, what we decide to do will impact those around us. At what point does the greater good triumph over family responsibilities? What is the cost to the individual if they choose family? What is the fallout if they choose the greater good? What is the tipping point, if there is one, to change from one to the other?
The drama sets up a number of scenarios to explore these dilemmas: from the nurse who has been impacted by her father’s decisions, to the student who chooses action regardless of family. The drama illustrates the human and emotional costs involved and shows that social change is only possible through the sacrifice of not only innocence but also the innocent.
The pluses of this drama are the performances, not just by the leads, Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si, but also some of the supporting cast. Oh Man Suk was excellent as Hwang Ki Nam and had a very credible ruthlessness. Lee Sang Yi as Lee Soo Chan made a memorable impression as a good man forced to recognise and embrace reality. The lovers had a beautiful and believable chemistry and that made it easy to go along with their instant love.
There are also some very good character development arcs, as various characters get to grips with these issues. For me Lee Soo Chan, who is memorably played by Lee Sang Yi, is the best illustration of wilful ignorance to action. But others in the story are forced to come to terms with themselves in less favourable lights. There is a sense that we all would hope to be a hero, but the show reveals the courage needed just to survive, let alone take action, and does it with a certain amount of compassion.
Although the concepts within the drama are well thought through and delivered by the writer, Lee Kang, the actual structure and plotting is not always good. There are many times, particularly with the leads, where motivations are forced, or jarringly out of character, in order to serve the purposes of the plot.
The direction did little to help the lacklustre tension and was far too static and slow. It was in the mode of a romance which means it failed to do justice to the dynamics of the setting, which was in the middle of an uprising. At times we needed to see more anxiety and less stoicism. There needed to be more frequent and more marked changes of pace. This was partly the script but the greater responsibility lay with the director and how the scenes were played out and edited. Passages of dialogue in dire situations were delivered in calm measured ways, instead of urgent, desperate whispers. The editing interrupted impending threat by giving the actors all the time in the world to be romantic. It also often jumped erratically between the different scenarios leaking tension like a sponge, rather than building it in layers.
Overall, this is a good drama and well worth watching if you are prepared for patches of frustration along the way. It provides good food for thought and reveals multiple perspectives to reflect on.
What my rating means: 8+ A great drama with interesting content and good writing, direction, acting, OST, cinematography. But didn’t quite have the requisite sparkle to bump it into my all-time fave list. Worth watching.
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A Brilliant Story
Hands down, this is probably the best Kdrama that I’ve ever watched.I started watching this Kdrama without really knowing what the plot was about, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this masterpiece.
The pacing is marvellous and I’m glad they kept the episodes capped just right at 12. There was not a single bad episode. Unlike countless dramas that reach a rut in the middle of the series, this Kdrama seriously had me shaking throughout the series. It explores themes of family, democracy, and justice and as someone who, admittedly, idolized South Korea as the place to be, giving its citizens their right to freedom of speech, I saw the opposite in their tragic history. It gave me a completely different perspective.
A mystery planted in the beginning kept me wondering about how the story's events would unfold. The plot then transports us to 1980’s Gwangju and a scenario that all drama fans would be familiar with. A small lie blows out of proportions and ends with people getting hurt. However, added on top of that was the setting of the plot, astounding chemistry between the cast and astounding development for each and every character that truly made it special. I am truly blown away by the characters; what great writing and acting!
Finally, at the eleventh episode, I finally knew for certain that the last episode would not give me an idealistic ending. However, upon completing the entire series, I finally realized what the purpose of this drama was. It was to portray the lives of people who went through this point of history and how they are carried forward into the present. Whereby the premise of Gwangju in the ’80s was not merely an extra afterthought to spice up a typical romance drama plot, but a to show the unfiltered reality of hardships during that time. Since it ends with the characters now in the present day with the events in 1980s as a memory, it shows how this past has affected them in the present and made them who they are today.
Overall, this Kdrama is definitely a heart wrenching one paying homage to the people who had experienced this moment in time and deserves a watch.
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Tragic.
I dragged this drama for way too long because I wasn’t ready for the angst that was promised, and in the end I binged the last six episodes because I knew that’s the only way I would be able to finish it quickly. In the process, I learnt about a very painful part of Korean history. I’m not Korean, but felt that this drama did a spectacular job in showing the tragic events impacted everyone. Episode 9 was a heartache, in fact everything from 7 gets sadder and sadder, it’s almost like each episode is competing with the former to beat the threshold of angst. Knowing how it ends for the couple, I was prepared and yet was able to feel the pain when the time arrived.What I loved about this drama is how well the characters were written, their dialogues so realistic and the acting was top notch! The chemistry between these two was perfect. I also loved that we got a kind of closure in the final minutes of the drama. I wish that the people of Gwanju would have been able to live a life of normalcy, reading up on the history and watching it unfold was brutal.
In the end it’s a very melancholic drama, there’s sadness but happy moments too. There are scenes that will leave you frustrated but they find redemption too. It’s a heartbreak of a drama, definitely on one of my favourite angst watches.
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