Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Re-watch value: 2 out of 5 stars
SYNOPSIS
*From MyDramaList*
This is a drama about the growth record of young people who strive to achieve their dreams and love without despair in a generation where dreams have become a luxury and the passionate record of young people who beeline for their dreams in their own way, presenting excitement and empathy. Sa Hye Joon is smart and handsome. He is a nice guy and a popular model, but what he really wants is to become an actor. He has auditioned for many acting roles, but hasn’t found success yet. Unfortunately, Sa Hye Joon doesn’t have much presence as an actor. Meanwhile, Ahn Jung Ha works as a make up artist. Bright and cheerful on the outside but lonely on the inside, Jung Ha takes out her stress and frustrations by fan-girling over idols.
RAMBLING
*beware of spoilers*
Full disclosure: I finished Record of Youth last year and never wrote down my rambles.
I had high expectations for this drama with Park So-dam coming off that huge Parasite run at the Oscars and it being Park Bo-gum’s (PBG) last starring role in a drama before military enlistment, but I’m sorry to say that this show wasted its excellent cast. It didn’t take the plot in any direction that truly piqued my interest. In other words, it was pretty boring.
Let me be clear: I didn’t have a problem with the acting. These actors just weren’t given much to work with.
I liked how realistic the show was when it came to developing its characters. I appreciated Jung-ha’s hustle: she had a full-time job, a condo that she proudly owns, career aspirations to be a famous make-up artist with celebrity clientele, and she worked hard to honing her craft, even busking on the street as a live stream make-up artist, giving advice and consultations to passersby. I loved that she had a schedule, that she was busy—once or twice a week she recorded her YouTube makeup tutorials and was building a brand.
She wasn’t this damsel in distress when it came to the romantic relationship with PBG’s Hye-joon. She was down-to-earth and practical; she understood his life was in flux, but she was passionate about his success and being there for him when he needed and, conversely, backing off when he needed. I thought she was one of the most intuitive female leads I’d seen in awhile.
As for Hye-joon, I found that the show made him maybe too passive a character. People with more power and influence than him were raging against his dreams, yet he wouldn’t retaliate, wouldn’t give in to the pressure, was slow to give clarity to the frenzied media when they cajoled him and wrote incendiary pieces about him. He was all about defense and no offense… But a good player does both.
I hated that the major drama of the show was him fielding inquiries about his sexuality and the suspicious nature of his relationship to that famous gay designer who committed suicide. As a Westerner, this obsession with the fact that Hye-joon might be gay and this being a career killer was outrageous. And because so much emphasis was given to putting out this fire, I felt the show kept spinning its wheels, unsure of how to wrap up this scandal.
The romance with him and Jung-ha was at various times sweet but at all times realistic. I loved their moments in the library/bookstore. It felt very quiet and poetic to me—them using this space as a church, a sanctuary of a kind. I love going to Barnes & Nobles just to browse, take in the peacefulness of the store, smell the fragrance of paper… it’s almost a meditative experience, a reprieve from the world that rushes in. The books have no agenda or schedule; here you can spend a second with yourself and the words. I felt that their meetings in the bookstore had that vibe to them; they got to know each other a little better and find some measure of solace in each other.
As far as steamy moments between them, I loved that kiss they had in the car, with Hye-joon asking for permission first? Gotdam, I need more of this shit in my veins omg. “There’s something I want to do, but I need your permission first.” He doesn’t even have to say what it is he wants to do; she reads his expression and gives him permission. Then they have this amazing soft kiss (reminded me of that “church tongue” soft kiss from The Wedding Singer). She follows that up with “I’ve thought about it, and you’re always allowed. Can I be too?” YES GIRL. And Hye-joon says, “Do whatever pleases you.” BYE. I’VE ASCENDED. ON THE FLOOR, DEAD AND GONE.
I really connected with their relationship sort of fracturing and growing apart as he becomes more famous. At one point, they have this tense conversation where she sincerely asks him (and I’m paraphrasing), “What will happen to me after we break up?” The power in that beat of silence (define: pregnant pause) from him before he asks, “Are we breaking up?” Oof.
I could not care less about the second male lead and the complex he developed as a result of his mom buying him Instagram followers and wheeling and dealing behind the scenes to get him chunkier acting roles. I certainly thought it was a cruel joke on him considering he was a decent friend to Hye-joon and was not malicious in any way. But the crocodile tears and insecurities? Gimme a break.
I was more invested in the family dynamics in Hye-joon’s household. That father was busted in the head to think that he could and should degrade his son over his big dreams and career goals, thinking that would snap him back to reality. It’s just rude and makes him into a bigger villain than even Hye-joon’s previous company CEO. It’s not a good look for the dad to be so aggressively hostile and say things you should never say, much less to your own child. The mom and Hye-joon’s grandpa were his only advocates, and really, the grandpa was a huge part of what I liked about the show. He was super cute, super sweet, and loving in a way that even the mom wasn’t.
Shout out to Hye-joon’s manager-turned-entertainment CEO (played by Shin Dong Mi), because I’m watching this actress in The K2, and I can’t believe it’s the same lady. She is just vile in The K2 but so endearing, like a quirky aunt, in Record of Youth. Also! In Episode 9, Park Seo-Joon made a cameo, playing a version of himself named Song Min-su. Sat a little straighter for that one!
I absolutely loved the different shows and movies that Hye-joon starred in—shows within a show. It was frustrating, however, when these clips of fake shows were more compelling and irresistible than the real Record of Youth show. I wanted to know more about that medical ER drama where he was going hard as the second male lead. I wanted to know the backstory on that sageuk character he was playing. Can I get a copy of that dark noir action movie he filmed? Please, all this show-ception was the biggest tease!
The show mirrored real life in that Hye-joon is postponing his mandatory enlistment in favor of building an entertainment career, until finally he does enlist. A time-jump later, we get our finale. The way the show resolved left much to be desired. You want our couple to get together, reunite in at least a semi-grand fashion; they belong together. And we don’t really get that. It’s like, they see each other on the same on set location, each working in their respective fields. They both got what they wanted as far as their careers, but they didn’t seem like they’d pick up their romance where it left off. They interacted more like good friends who haven’t seen each other in a while; the bulk of their relationship was behind them, and now they just look at each other with fondness. (Reminded me of La La Land, actually) It was par for the course with this slow show, but I think making tweaks to that final interaction probably would have improved the whole entire show.
Here’s to hoping Park Bo-gum’s comeback show after his military service is a banger, though!
Did you watch Record of Youth? Tell me your thoughts below!
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