SeanFletcher

My Youth is one of those shows that starts off with so much promise. It has a strong sense of being based on an actor (Hae) now a florist, who was one of a pair with Mo Tae Rin, is considered the nation’s sweethearts when they were young.

The way the protagonists were brought together through Hae’s rediscovery was so well done. The acting at this point a delight.

The back story was overdone ie with too much focus, however, it soon balances itself out. We get to see the full palette of characters, with some, I think, not fully explored.

The father is self centred. Shown as inept but somehow loved by three separate women with two different children. However, somehow I liked the relationship between this delinquent book publishing CEO and Hae. I have never seen Jo Han Chul in a bad role. Jin Kyung, as his first love and now partner, CEO of a drama production company and therefore step mother to Hae, a good role.

Chun Woo Hee as Je Yeon, once again made things look easy. Hae and his relationship with his sister was also a highlight. As were the secondary couple.

So, where did it go wrong for me?

I didn’t have a problem regarding Hae’s illness. However, how it was portrayed and the way it unfolded seemed all over the place. The last four episodes were reflective of this. I felt disengaged. Suddenly, show lost its momentum, becoming unsure of how to treat the lead’s relationship. It was unsure of how the ending should be.

In short, there were many components that somehow no longer seem to fit together.

With such a cast, show should have been great. It started off so strong. Key elements were interesting and inviting. Then they were sidelined. The writers didn’t know how to stick the landing. The filming was superb, as was the acting. In the end, show was harmless.