I can't remember how long it took for us to finish this one. But I'm glad that we saw it through the end. Because while it was not spectacular, it was not that bad either. And hey, anything with Song Joongki can't be bad! :)
Plot
My Youth tells the story of Sunwoo Hae (Song Joongki), a former child actor who had to leave the limelight after his family got involved in a financial scandal. Life became very difficult for Hae from then on. His mom (Yoon Hyun Gil of Hospital Playlist 2) passed away. His dad, Chan (Jo Hanchul of Juror 8, Spring of Youth, Love Next Door, Gyeongseong Creature, Reborn Rich, Hometown Chachacha, Jirisan, Vincenzo, and Romance is a Bonus Book), abandoned him, and worse, left with him a stepsister, Nuri (Choi Jungwoon of Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born), who was a little girl at that time to take care of all by himself. Hae vowed to live a quiet life, as a secret author and tending to his little flower shop. However, life had other plans for him as he found himself reconnecting with people from his past, specifically his high school classmate and crush Jeyeon (Chun Woohee) and former co-actor Taerin (Lee Joo Myoung) and going back to an industry he loathed so much, all while battling a serious illness. The story takes us through how Hae tries so hard to resist his fate but ends up gradually accepting the life he has been dealt with and the people sent his way.
Song Joongki as Sunwoo Hae
Yes, there's no denying that my Noona's list member has aged. Life, and more importantly, fatherhood, happened. But Song Joongki is still as dashing as ever. Despite his age, he can still pull off the role of Hae with his boyish, innocent charm that makes him so easy to love.
Yes, we've seen Joongki in Reborn Rich, Vincenzo, and Descendants of the Sun. And the great thing about him is how he is able to give life to even the most complex characters. He does not rely on his good looks alone. I loved the delicate balance with which he portrayed Hae - all cool, chill, and nonchalant outside, but still very much burdened by his past traumas and insecurities inside.
Of course, I don't agree with how Hae handled the issue of his illness, pushing away those around him and further complicating things. I wished he just came clean about it or if he really didn't want them to find out, he should have just pretended he didn't have it to avoid all the awkwardness and the feeling that he was being a burden to them. But this one's not on Joongki. It's more of a K drama thing, I know.
It was definitely nice to see Joongki again in something lighter and not as serious and complex as his previous roles.
Chun Woohee as Sung Jeyeon
We loved (hating) Chun Woohee as the meanest villain in The 8 Show. And it was so refreshing to see her in a more "normal" role. She's pretty! Oppa couldn't stop saying that she resembled Joongki's ex-wife, Song Hyekyo (The Glory, Now, We are Breaking Up, Encounter, Descendants of the Sun, Worlds Within, and Full House). :D
And Jeyeon was lovely as well. I loved her sensitivity towards the people around her. As a road manager, Taerin aptly described her as someone who was very perceptive. She was ready with whatever Taerin needed. Heck, she even carried a little fire extinguisher in her bag. And she knew when she had to shield Hae when he had a panic attack with the cameras.
While she's very cute and small, Jeyeon is not someone to be messed with. She's very, very feisty especially in defending the people she loved. She had work troubles when she hit a colleague who was badmouthing Hae.
Chun Woohee is definitely on our radar now and we hope she'll give us more content.
Hae and Jeyeon
Their first meeting in the present time was awkward but Hae and Jeyeon's chemistry was undeniable from the start. They were in sync, especially their banters. I admit though that later on, things became a bit boring because they seemed more like siblings or friends who were arguing all the time.
Yes, they were so hung up on their broken past, both individually and as a couple. And I can't really blame them. Those were part of who they were after all. And I guess it was necessary to emphasize these to show that despite all these difficulties, they never gave up and they kept trying their best.
Hae overcame his trauma of the entertainment industry by agreeing to work on a docu to see Jeyeon more. And she was there to comfort and hold him when his old scandal resurfaced. He had an unorthodox way of confessing and asking her out. But he graciously accepted her rejection although he did break down when he was alone. Her confession was anticlimactic, given his illness. And I knew that with how predictable K dramas tend to be, things were going to get more complicated with Jeyeon facing her own troubles at work. And knowing how these dramas love having characters who keep major secrets from each other, things were definitely not looking up for them.
And as expected, the whole thing about Hae breaking up with Jeyeon because he was ill sucked. Yes, he tried to make amends and own up to his mistakes. And she did listen to him, she accepted whatever little information he gave her, and she respected his decision to still break up because as he said, he can't see things through the end and he didn't want to make her cry and lonely. But all those lies and pushing away felt a little too unnecessary. Jeyeon was right. Hae was a coward for his initial unwillingness to gamble on them. And I liked how that story of Hae teaching Jeyeon how to ride the bike was the perfect metaphor for their situation - how Hae should stop looking so far ahead and imagining things that might not even happen and just simply go forward.
I was grateful that Jeyeon was very patient with Hae. And I super loved that letter where she bared her feelings. Ahhhh, the lost art of letter writing. I miss receiving them and writing them for people who read them and truly appreciate and value the effort that comes with these letters.
Jeyeon gave Hae his much needed space. She asked thoughtfully if he wanted her to join him in his doctor's appointments. And when she saw him hiding his pain, she kept her distance, content with watching him from afar. And she appeared to be keeping it together even if she was silently very scared inside.
And of course, her very selfless take of letting him go for a clinical trial. How what she said made sense, she didn't want them to be together only to end up resenting each other because they were wearing down one another. And how he acknowledged that even before they talked about it, she already sent him away in her heart. (And I thank the show for not making them break up despite the long distance relationship!!!)
Hae and Jeyeon showed me everything (almost!) I love about mature relationships. Less drama and more real talk. They're proof that couples like this are more likely to last longer together.
Taerin and Seokju
Forgive the show for having characters that run in very, very small circles. Seokju (Seo Jihoon of Prison Playbook) is Hae's stepbrother as the son of the current wife (Jin Kyung of Love in Contract, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Oh My Venus, and Wonderful Days) of Hae's dad (and she's also the CEO of Jeyeon's company). He's also schoolmates with Hae, Taerin, and Jeyeon. And he's the love interest of Taerin (Lee Joo Myoung of Twenty Five Twenty One and Hospital Playlist).
It was nice to see Lee Joo Myoung in something more substantial and serious. I still love her comedic timing like when she told off her co-actor for chewing too loud. And I absolutely adore her for always being there for Jeyeon.
Seo Jihoon was charming and cute in his own little way as Seokju. He definitely grew on me, especially with how he was around Taerin - telling her he can't go to her office because he was part of her personal life.
And these two are definitely good for each other. I loved how Taerin respected Seokju's space when the latter needed comforting after learning about Hae's illness. She stayed with him, no questions asked and she let him cry all he want.
Execution
First off, let me say that I totally found the title misleading. The characters' youth was just a very little part of what the show was. Yes, there were references to it and they all met in their youth. But that was more like the little back story and it was really more about having second chances in love and how true love that's meant to be will always find its way back to you.
And yes, there were moments when the storytelling was quite jumpy and all over the place. There were points when the stories didn't seem flowing and seamless.
But the show got me hooked with the beautiful sceneries, with nature in full display through the pretty flowers and plants Hae grew in his shop, the hiking scenes, the sea in their hometown, the wide windows, etc.
But what really made me see this through the end was the storyline on families - that came in all forms, shapes, and sizes. The greatest of which was probably Hae's love for Nuri, whom he took care of even if she was not related to him at all. Among all the people he could possibly leave behind when he dies, Hae was definitely most worried about Nuri who has always depended on him. And how Nuri paid that back by being super considerate of Hae, especially after she reconnected with her mom. It was so heartbreaking to see Nuri bawling when she found out he was sick. And how she admonished him not to keep things to himself and endure things on his own because they were family after all and how that was capped off with a group hug with Seokju. I loved how Hae asked Nuri to take his photo before he left for the clinical trial. I was scared that it was going to be for a funeral photo but Hae immediately corrected that by saying it was for his new book. I loved how Hae thoughtfully left a bouquet that won't wilt for Nuri's graduation.
Of course I also loved the bromance between Hae and Seokju. It was so easy for Seokju to hate on Hae and side with his mom. Yet Seokju relied on him like a big brother. And Seokju always made sure he was there for Hae (and Nuri by extension), knowing that he didn't have family and friends. And I know Hae trusted Seokju with his life too, with how he sprung that surprise on him by bringing Seokju along to his doctor's appointment so he'll hear about Hae's illness from the doctor himself. And how broken Seokju was afterwards.
Hae had a stormy relationship with his dad. It was painful to hear him say he resented his dad and wished he could afford to be irresponsible like him. But I'm glad they got their much needed closure eventually.
Hae definitely had a complicated relationship with his stepmom/Seokju's mom. I got this feeling that stepmom adored and hated Hae at the same time. Was she helping him because she genuinely cared for him or was it because she pitied him for being abandoned by her husband? But I guess I got my answer when she selflessly allowed her husband to join Hae overseas when the latter joined the clinical trial.
Hae's dad and Seokju's mom had a weird relationship too. I couldn't figure out what their deal was in the beginning. Were they just together for companionship? They were so cold towards each other. But the challenges they faced turned out to be blessings in disguise because it drew them closer. And as Hae's dad put it, they might have fought a lot but one thing remained that's why they stayed together, and that was their love for each other.
Even Nuri had a special place in the life of Seokju's mom. Yes, she stayed with their family when Hae had to leave for military service (if I recall correctly). But I always got the impression that she hated her. Only for Nuri to reveal later on that Seokju's mom played bubbles with her and that mom was instrumental in her discovering her love for the camera and photography.
And how all of these crazy and interlocking relationships were capped off by Hae's dad, Seokju's mom, and Seokju accompanying Nuri when she took her practical exam for college.
I also liked how Jeyeon went back to her own mom (Kim Soojin of 1987: When the Day Comes, Perfect Crown, Hospital Playlist 1 and 2, Hot Stove League, and Prison Playbook) when she was having a hard time. That was a very timely reminder about how kids, even if they're adults living their own lives, need their parents more as they grow older. Yes, we can sometimes be too proud to admit that but hopefully, it won't be too late before we realize that.
I also loved Hae's friendships with the restaurant owner (Yoon Byunghee of Perfect Crown, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Our Blues, Soundtrack 1, Vincenzo, Hospital Playlist, Hot Stove League, and Mr. Sunshine) and the bookshop owner (Lee Jinhee of Escape from Mogadishu and Hometown Chachacha), who both looked out for him like family.
I liked how the show took a swipe at the entertainment industry, especially with the pressure (and even exploitation) that child actors experience.
And I loved the snow episode where everyone spent time physically or by talking with the ones they loved.
Overall, the ending was okay because things were tied up together nicely, giving me the warm feels I often look for in K dramas. I liked how Seokju and Taerin were "outed" to Seokju's mom when they all met by accident in that drinking tent. And how Seokju's mom seemed to be more gentle with the people around her, even perceived competitors.
My only complaint was that Song Joongki was away for like 75% of the finale. I get that he had to be away for the clinical trial but a video call with Jeyeon or shots of him writing his new book would have worked. I get that he probably recovered because he came back but if you watched this show primarily for Song Joongki then prepare to be disappointed with the final episode.
My Youth was definitely not consistent but it somehow managed to get its message across and touch me with its story and characters, so I guess, it worked.
Oppa says...4.2.
Noona says...4.