Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si have been owning their characters in Youth of May.
Owing to that, it’s really impossible not to be affected by their love journey. The series feels like a visual book of the tried and tested rich-boy-poor-girl premise. It could heighten to another trite picture of you-and-me-against-the-world. But its predictable picture interestingly makes the narrative all the more engrossing.
abbyinhallyuland watches Youth of May on Viu
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 & 04 | 05 & 06 | 07 & 08 | 09 & 10 | Finale Week + Review |
What Has Transpired So Far In The Series?
When medical student Hwang Hee-tae (Lee Do Hyun) returns to his hometown in Gwangju to prepare for the surgery of a patient he met through a friend, his life romantically changes. Forced to go to an arranged date, he met Kim Myeong-hee (Go Min Si), a nurse who agreed to be a stand-in for her friend Soo-ryeon (Geum Sae Rok).
Mutually feeling the connection, Myeong-hee and Soo-ryeon eventually learn that Hee-tae knows their secret as he already saw the former as a nurse working at a hospital.
When Soo-ryeon was pushed to the edge to salvage their family business, she pleaded Myeong-hee’s help to convince Hee-tae to be engaged with her. Sacrificing her own feeling, she pleads for her best friend’s engagement instead of answering his dating proposal, and Hee-tae relents.
But on the night of the engagement party, Myeong-hee finally made up her mind to follow her heart. Meantime, Soo-ryeon also follows her selfish heart by not revealing she started the whole ruckus. Because of that, Hee-tae’s merciless father orders the abduction of Myeong-hee after a blissful date with her lover.
Youth of May Mid-Series Musings
Being abducted after sharing a kiss was quite a traumatic experience for an imaginary world character. It sure is the same for me and I can’t help but sympathize with Myeong-hee and Hee-tae.
Hating the villains in Youth of May is really easy. We have Hee-tae’s father, Hwang Ki-nam, suiting up as the trademark antagonist who does not see any reason but his personal benefit. Meanwhile, Soo-ryeon who valiantly fights for social injustice is practically the best example of a self-sacrificing woman who is also self-centered.
Myeong-hee’s “sure okay” attitude was explained to have sprung from her mistake of being too kind when she was young. Smartly connecting the sacrifice she made which also involved Soo-ryeon when they were in high school convinces us more to be on her side. Because we too, want her to be happy. That emotional scene with her father was as superb as her confession to Hee-tae that she lied about being strong.
Initially, I thought Lee Do Hyun would take the bulk of the emotion of the series, but it has since melted Go Min Si to the picture. Both are really making the drama worth investing our time. Likewise, the supporting cast is also functioning well especially the antagonists.
Past the midpoint of the series, Youth of May continues to be a sedating retro-romance story. The kind that you can earnestly look forward to each week. The kind that you wish for a happy ending to really befall on its love pairing.
Where We Are Heading In The Story?
Next week’s preview is not looking good for our love pairing. Hopefully, there’s one sane mind who can come up with the rightful solution to the problem caused by Soo-ryeon’s thread of lies. I think Su-chan (Lee Sang Yi) would play a crucial role. Or Soo-ryeon finally wakes up to give a redeeming moment and bargains with Hwang Ki-nam.
If the series would go for a time-jump scenario, I would not be surprised. The same way that the political situation set for the series might also be fully enforced. Will Myeong-hee
Youth of May airs on KBS 2TV every Monday and Tuesday.
Photos: KBS2 | Screencap from Viu
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