No matter whether you are rich or poor or come from a large city or small, everyone has its own issues to deal with along with secrets they keep from the outside world.
Every character had their own development and i can't wait to see them in season 2! Definite must-watch.
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Age of Youth is definitely one of those dramas that hits differently each time you watch it.
"Age of Youth" (also known as Hello, My Twenties!) is a Korean drama that aired in 2016, followed by a second season in 2017. The show revolves around five young women living together in a shared house called Belle Epoque, each with their own unique personalities, struggles, and secrets.*What Makes It Special?*
1. Relatable & Realistic Storytelling
Unlike many K-dramas that focus on extravagant romance or high-stakes drama, Age of Youth captures the everyday struggles of young adulthood—financial issues, relationships, career uncertainty, trauma, and self-discovery. It’s refreshingly grounded and emotionally resonant.
2. Diverse and Well-Written Characters
- Yoon Jin-myung (Han Ye-ri): The responsible, overworked eldest member, juggling multiple part-time jobs while dealing with deep personal pain.
- Jung Ye-eun (Han Seung-yeon): A bubbly, appearance-conscious girl who struggles with toxic relationships and self-worth.
- Song Ji-won (Park Eun-bin): The eccentric, loud, and hilarious member, often providing comic relief but hiding her own wounds.
- Kang Yi-na (Ryu Hwa-young, S1) / Jo Eun (Choi Ara, S2): The confident and glamorous one, with a mysterious past.
- Yoo Eun-jae (Park Hye-soo, S1 / Ji Woo, S2): The shy, introverted newcomer who gradually finds her voice.
3. Themes That Hit Home
The show explores themes like love, friendship, mental health, domestic violence, and career struggles with a level of maturity and sensitivity rarely seen in typical rom-coms.
4. A Mix of Heartfelt Moments & Humor
While the show has deep and emotional moments, it also balances them with humor, particularly through Ji-won’s antics and the girls’ interactions. The friendships feel authentic, making you wish you had a squad like theirs.
5. Season 2: Does It Hold Up?
The second season maintains the heart of the first but introduces a new housemate, which changes the group dynamic. While it’s still a solid watch, some fans feel it lacks the same magic due to cast changes and a slightly darker tone.
6. Final Verdict
⭐ 9/10 – If you love slice-of-life dramas with deep character development, strong female friendships, and a touch of mystery, Age of Youth is a must-watch. It’s emotional, funny, and incredibly relatable.
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refreshing and relatable!
I typically go for more romance-themed dramas rather than slice-of-life, but Age of Youth had me HOOKED. Watching this made me cherish my existing friendships even more. I love the differences in each characters' personalities. It was also nice to see that it wasn't a "hello here are the characters! they just met and oh look they're all best friends now!" type of scenario. Each of them go through miscommunication, arguments, and disagreements and along the way, they grow together. It provides an accurate representation of relationships in real life because you DO get into arguments with your friends and loved ones; it's not just a smooth road and this drama proves it. Additionally, the struggles each character goes through is very well thought out with a raw portrayal.If you feel lost in living through the beginning of "adulthood," this is a good drama to watch then. It makes you feel less like you're navigating situations (good or bad) alone and more like everyone goes through these things in one way or another too.
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This review may contain spoilers
This Kdrama is mostly slice of life with simple realistic daily life settings, but I gave full pts cause the story is very unique, dark but bittersweet and full of flavors.. The story also develops really good until the end, no draggy. Wish I'd have such a deep friendship like that too, that's really not easy... the men are mostly so so.. tbh I like the first guy with the long sleek hair and tacky fashion more, why is there a stereotype that she has a bad taste if she like that kind of guy, I wish she would have gobek to him directly at the beginning and not believing in the other guy. All the girls are experiencing very intense life and all of them turns out to be very weird in their own way, but they inspire me! <3 Was this review helpful to you?
Some love for a wonderful drama!
When I first started watching kdramas my first recommendation was Hello my Twenties (Age of Youth). For some reason I didn't start it until recently. I actually love it, all the characters are great and I love all of the side stories for each character as well as their growing relationships. Of course there are two kpop idols in there as well which is a bonus, Ryo Hwayoung from T-ara who I loved but was super disappointed she only cameos in part 2 (more on that when I do my final thoughts for part 2) and Han Seongyeon from Kara who took a while to grow on me but I love her in part 2. My favorite character of course is Park Eunbin's character. She is super funny, creative, eccentric and someone I would have a blast with. I just can't get enough of her. I've started the second season and I actually may like it better than the first so far, we shall see.Was this review helpful to you?
I loved the first season to death. Drama, fun and colourful moments - it's all there.
This is so far the best East Asian drama I've watched on Netflix! The others were too fluffy, going overboard with emotions, but Hello, My Twenties! didn't have much of these elements. The males are not extremely territorial, neither do they have a huge ego, something I think seen is like a staple in East Asian dramas. I like the fact that each character has layers and a unique personality and that they develop through the course of time, rather than unrealistically remaining stagnant. This show is hilarious, touching and cute all at the same time.Was this review helpful to you?
It was not what I expected....
I started it expecting it to be a sitcom like WELCOME TO WAIKIKI but it was different from it. It had comedy, suspense, drama and romance. It dealt with heavy and dark topics that women have to deal with like workplace harassment , abusive and manipulative relationships and trauma. At first the 5 protagonists were not very likable but as the story progressed I began to connect with the characters and like them. All the main characters are so well developed and interesting. They all deal with their own struggles in their own ways. The bond and friendship between these girls is so cute. They all support and protect each other like family. All the actresses did such a good job. It is such a good drama to watch with friends. I think it is not as appreciated as it should be.Was this review helpful to you?
Wish it was longer
Im fully aware that there's a second season, so my headline doesn't make a lot of sense, but i don't think I'll be able to watch s2 after the cast changes, it's too distracting to me.With that being said, lets get into the review:
The first episode, at the beginning at least, didn't excite me as, I felt like the girls all represented a female stereotype and were kind of annoying. Having watched the show now, I realize that the choice of stereotypical characters was intentional because every girl's personality gets expanded and the stereotypes the represent are there to be deconstructed for the most part.
All the girls feel very human, they're not perfect by any chance but they seem like real people that form a genuine friendship that, ngl became my favorite part of the show.
The drama is very easy to watch, slice of life tends to get called boring by many( sometimes im one of them) but in this case its done really well and never makes me skip any scenes.
My biggest 'complain' if you can call it that, is the stort runtime of the show that left me with a gap in my heart and rushed the progress of some storylines. The romantic arcs are the ones that suffered the most from this so they all kind of fell flat in my opinion, but it's nothing too jarring considering they don't take up a big amount of screentime. Some more important storylines also got a faster resolution than expected due to the short time, like Yina's arc but i won't spoil it for you.
The mystery aspect of the show is not quite what i expected and im glad for that, because I truly don't think a Sherlock holmes-esque mystery would be a suitable fit for this drama. I liked how they embroidered the mystery aspect into 2 of the girls' backstories and showed how these experiences shaped them the way they did. I'm also glad that the ghost thing is not that apparent and that it represents each girl's own struggles and things that ' haunt ' them.
The ost was quite memorable and catchy, which i find very unusual considering the songs rarely stick with me. I'll admit its a little out of place sometimes though, like we have a gut wrenching scene one moment and then the happy go lucky song lmao
Anyways totally recommend it, its a very simple and sweet watch!!!
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The story revolves around five roommates with different personalities in their twenties and thirties. There's the beauty queen, the talkative one, the introvert, the hardworking and the obsessed one. Each episode tries to follow the story of one girl in particular so that you can get a glimpse of her personality and her insecurities. You can relate a lot to all of them, because they were realistic characters who lead a common life that was interesting. It could be a slice of life drama, with every story trying to tell something to the viewer and explore an issue. The writer tried to get deeper into social issues and it was very profound I actually got very emotional at times. And it had a little bit of mystery and suspanse as well, so it wasn't just an analytic piece.
The acting was very good. The actresses and actors in this drama had different ages and some of the couples that were pictured on screen had a big age gap between each other, but it wasn't evident at all because they luckily had a nice chemistry. The five girls actually looked like real roommates, they were very credible in their roles despite they are usually casted as minor characters on dramas of non-cable networks.
The music was nice. There were songs in english as well, and every character or situation seemed to have the right background music. In perfect "Belle Epoque" style, the drama opened with "Rien, je ne regrette rien", which is also the feel of the drama, the age where you should do what you like because these moments won't come back anymore.
If you look for a short drama with simple storyline but unpredictable and deep meaning, start watching this now. It is a rare drama where there is drama but not the over the top type, as it looks very realistic and tries to indulge into hot and sensible themes of the society of today and young people.
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WHAT A BEAUTY!!!
First of all, although it is slice of life type drama, but it is not that traditional melancholic types. Every character has an interesting story to tell.It's the story of 5 girls who share a renting house, and bond over time with each other, sympathising with each other, cheering upon on one another .
I think this is the drama, whenever I'll watch it, I'll become a person better than the present version.
This drama has made me think and feel so much, that I don't have words to express myself.
Music was perfect. The whole album is just so precious, and it is still on my playlist. Actors did a perfect job.
Frankly speaking, everyone should atleast watch this drama once in their life.
I would very soon go to watch this again!!!
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I've rewatched this show twice now and it has so much rewatch value. The characters snag a piece of your heart. This show is just completely wholesome and if your thinking about watching it just do it already
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