Currently Watching: Age of Youth (Kdrama)

by Ceki, August 15, 2016

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Warning: the article contains some minor spoilers!

Episodes seen so far: 6/12

Age of Youth (2016 Kdrama)

Episodes seen so far: 6/12

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

This drama is about five university girls who share a boarding house called Belle Epoque. As you can imagine, each one of them has her own qualities, faults and unique traits. So what happens when five completely different women find themselves under the same roof and get forced to share basic life necessities? A disaster? You could say so, but this drama manages to show that people can grow closer and understand each other despite their differences, all while doing so in a hilarious and touching way.

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THE CHARACTERS

1. The shy and introverted YOO EUN JAE (played by Park Hye Soo) is the freshman and the newest arrival to the boarding house. She is shown as mousy, anxious and anti-social (which is obviously caused by some trauma from her past.) She is also from the countryside which makes her transition to urban university life harder.

Additionally, since she is the newest member to the household, it takes time for her to get adapted to the senior girls and vice versa. This makes Eun Jae frustrated but it also helps her break out from her shell.

2. The childish and immature JEONG YE EUN (played by Han Seung Yeon) appears as the perfect girl-next-door: she has a handsome boyfriend, nice looks and a cheerful personality. However, beneath this bubbly facade, is hiding a girl who is mistreated by her almost, abusive boyfriend. As a result, most of the time she lies to herself and everyone else by pretending to be happy.

She often clashes with the other girls because of her selfishness; however, the truth is that she is a vulnerable and immature person who has very low esteem. I really hope that she will dump her boyfriend for once and all and finally learn to respect herself.

3. The eccentric and pushy SONG JI WON (played by Park Eun Bin) is a very direct and open girl who often times has no filter - e.g. showing that she is sexually frustrated since she is unable to find a boyfriend. Her directness and unique style are refreshing even though her pushy behavior can be over-the-top and humiliating sometimes. She can also be very funny and confident at times, although my guess is that she is insecure so she is purposely going overboard and making men run away from her.

I can smell certain vibes between her and her male best friend. I have a feeling that he may be the one who will embrace her eccentricity, because she certainly deserves that. We'll see, we'll see.

4. The independent and foxy KANG YI NA (played by Ryu Hwa Young) is beautiful, bold and not afraid to say what's on her mind. She also appears to bear some scars from the past because she avoids emotional relationships and romance. So much so that she has become an escort. I personally like her boldness and I hope she softens a bit because she definitely can be emotional - she cares about all of the girls deeply and calls them "her babies".

Many may find her reckless behavior irritating, but I see her as a person who would do anything for whoever she loves and respects, and that means much more than being 'moral'.

5. The mysterious and boyish YOON JIN MYEONG (played by Han Ye Ri ) is the oldest among the dorm members and also the most mysterious, as she does not speak much. She is very hard-working and appears to have many family problems (her brother is in coma). She is handling a couple of part time jobs in order to pay the bills, and that is one of the reasons why she hasn't finished her studies yet. However, even though she seems quite cold and emotionless, there are the times when she opens up and laughs with the other girls. This shows that she may just be too afraid to let herself loose. Seriously gurl, just accept that hot chef already!

WHY DO I LIKE IT & WHY SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?

I like this drama because it is quite refreshing and it deals with serious, everyday issues that many people can relate to. For example, how many of you have shared a dorm with someone who turned out to be a dorm-mate from hell? Exactly. I also like the fact that the story is quite realistic and oriented towards mature (college) audience. That also means that there are many sexual innuendos and kudos for that! Oh, there is romance and cute scenes, but they are not making me cringe.

Another thing that I'd like to praise is the character development. When I was watching the first episode, I was afraid that these girls would remain stuck in their stereotypical roles. Especially Yoo Eun Jae, because I simply cannot stand the "I'm afraid to raise my voice so I speak like I'm defective" type of characters. It simply becomes unbearable if they never move forward. I just can't. Period.

I was also afraid that they would turn Jeong Ye Eun into the typical spoiled-princess-and-bitchy character, but she kinda developed as well. Luckily for me, the girls are starting to show more depth by moving away from these 'oh so stereotypical' and boring roles. I'm quite enjoying the show right now, and to be honest, it is the only drama I'm looking forward every week.

This is a great drama for all of the girls out there (or curious boys), because it will make you laugh, cry a bit and probably remind you of some events from your life. I believe (and hope) that each of the five characters will get their happily ever after, plus there are already two really strong romance side stories in full swing. There is even a certain supernatural thing going on that I think is just a metaphor for their ghosts from the past; but I wouldn't mind if they go so far as to make it 'real'.

We can only wait & watch because the show ends in two weeks and I wonder if I'll love the ending as much as I loved the first half.