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This drama gives more focus about their parents and the time traveling part might be made by Hwan's father (intro scenes centered during the fire incident of Cein's mother + the dead man said he died several times + Hwan's father forgot his memories).

Based on the synopsis, Hwan's own time travel for his friends will only start in the end (which could end up in a cliffhanger).

Yeah everything happening so far in this drama takes place in their highschool part, before the main plot of their tragedies.

But this change to Jooan's father and family situation is tricky since they're also making Jooan like him and stay by his side. It's such a big difference from the original which might not be aligning to Jooan's main arc 🤔

This drama is only showing their highschool part and also focuses on their family backgrounds which is like a prequel from the main storyline. There's still many things that will happen to the boys after they get separated and that's when Hwan starts time traveling/looping to save his friends from their tragic fates (so Ep 12 is where the Save Me webtoon starts). This drama might end in a cliffhanger, so Season 2 is needed.

So far, it's indicated that the fire incident of Cein's mother is where the time loop is happening. Others' theories is that it's Hwan's father who tries to save her. That's why the boys got involved since he was using them. (In the book, it was revealed that Hwan's father was also in a time loop while saving his friends in the past, but he failed so he forgot his memories.)

My heart is really soft for Haru and Jeha. Haru is fragile and it looks like he'll break in any second, I really want to protect him. While Jeha is the youngest and feeling secluded on his new family, so he finds solace from his friends especially Cein. I understood their loneliness. But to be honest, they're also twisted so they kinda creep me out sometimes.

Out of the 7, my favorite character is probably Hosu. I love his bright and optimistic personality. The other boys are more serious and introverted, but Hosu is the ball of energy and sunshine of their group. It's amazing how he's open about his struggles and background, that's why he's not afraid to get judgements from other people. He already accepts his flaws. But his flaws also includes having a "twisted" part of him and it was so emotional watching his confession scene with Doogeon 😭

Honestly, it throws me off how they tried to tame Jooan's father in this drama when he's originally an abusive bastard. They only showed him punching Jooan once (while the rest of his violence that caused Jooan's hearing lost wasn't shown). And currently, he's just a weak sleepy drunkard and Jooan is blindly affectionate to him because of their "good past" of playing baseball (it's actually sad that he's having a stockholm syndrome). They even ate out together and Jooan managed to demand his father which is so unexpected.

In the original storyline, Jooan grew up in an abusive environment and he really hates his father, that he even ended up k*lling him while protecting his sister. But in this drama, the sister is away from them while living with the mother.

So does that mean Jooan's crime and imprisonment might not happen?

People are shocked with the ending of Ep 8 where it looked like Cein hit Jeha with a brick... But I don't believe it. I think Jeha suddenly collapsed and Cein hit the wall so it's his own blood. Or if Cein really hit him, it could be accidental where Jeha shields the hit for his brother.

Whether Cein did it or not, that will be the reason why he'll get expelled from school. As I said before, the timeline is still on their highschool part. They will face problems and fight each other, it will break their friendship and cause them to separate 💔

I really hope they don't change it too much.... If they stick to the original time travel/loops of Hwan, it might end in cliffhanger and they need to continue it on a new season... It's just their school days where they fight. And there's still many things to happen after they get separated like Cein burning his apartment, Jeha jumping off a building, Hosu and Haru together in the hospital, etc.

Those scenes are during the fire incident of Cein's mother. The time loop in the drama might be occurring there and the dead man on the beach is probably the time traveler, so it's more focused on their parents' problems. (Edit: It looks more like it's Hwan's father who's the time traveler).

But in the original BU storyline, Hwan starts his time travel/loops to save the 6 boys while facing their own problems after they got separated and out of school.

There's a lot going on and it doesn't look like it can fit to the last 4 episodes. So if there's no season 2, they might've changed the parts of time travel/loops...

I just realized, the title of this drama is "Begins ≠ Youth" and the title of Ep 12 is "Begins ∞ Youth" with the infinite symbol.

Ep 12 sypnosis: “The boys, while adapting to their own lives and beginning to find individual solutions, are confronted with unbearable tragedies that repeat like a treadmill. The boy who realizes the truth takes a step from the end toward a new beginning.”

So the entire drama could just be the introduction to their backstories? Based on the synopsis, the boys will get separated in Ep 11 and the time loop might start in Ep 12. It's the HYYH prologue and there could possibly be a season 2 as the actual beginning where they extend the storyline with characters growing into adulthood. (It also includes the Highlight Reels where they're in a new timeline meeting girls after Hwan's time loops attempts.)

It's only Ep 8 so far and sorry if I'm speculating a lot because I'm worried that the time loop parts might get changed/excluded/cut 😭

Compared to the original storyline, this drama gives more focus to their parents and it's centered on the fire incident of Cein's mother. From the intros of each episodes, it's gradually revealed how the boys are somehow involved in the fire incident and it looks like a man planned it by ordering them to do things. Why do I feel like it's the man who died on the beach? Before it, he talked to Jooan's father that he died "several times" which hints that he was stuck in a time loop. And Hwan's father forgot his memories, which spoils that he also did time travel but failed (it was actually revealed in the book, it happened when they were students). With the repeated flashbacks of the fire incident in this drama, did the dead man tried time traveling there to save Cein's mom? (Edit: It looks more like it's Hwan's father who's the man in the fire incident.)

And Hwan's time travel might be related to their parents' past mistakes? I've seen others saying this on Twitter, but I don't know... I'll honestly be sad if the time travel/loop only happens on that fire incident to focus on their parents, and they won't expand the plot of the boys growing into adulthood where the main part of time travel/loop is about them.

I put Hwan's father at first since he has power and also secretly involved to other's problems which Hwan will forcefully bear. Jooan's father was originally the worst but they kinda changed him in this drama that Jooan unfortunately still likes him.

Everyone has different situations but all suffering because of their bad families. The boys don't deserve them 💔

“This is the beginning. An unknown but familiar, endless start.” — a line from the trailer that refers to the time loop.

This drama is an adaptation and it's common that there are changes from the original source. There are already some changes and the drama's plot added more details regarding their parents' past compared to the original source. Apparently, the timeline in this drama is in Year 19-20 (Hwan's age), while the overall mvs/short films/books are in Year 19-22. In the book, the boys' friendship broke up in highschool so they separated, then years later, Hwan goes back to Korea and founds out the tragic fates that happened to them. He starts time traveling in Year 21 and his time loops stops occurring in Year 22.

In this drama, the time travel might start in Part 3 (ep 9-12). The time travel/loops is one of the important parts of the storyline and I really hope they don't make big changes to it. There's so many things that happened during the time loops and it looks like it can't fit in 4 episodes if they include it all. This drama feels like a prequel that introduces their backgrounds and "if" there's a season 2, the main storyline of BU might continue there?

The boys' families are horrible and if I have to rank them:

1. I really hate Hwan's father for controlling and grooming him into a dirty politician like him.
2. I really hate Haru's family especially his mother for manipulating and shaming him for his mental illness.
3. I really hate Jeha's family especially his stepbrother for ostracizing and abusing him.
4. I really hate Hosu's mother for abandoning him alone as a child.
5. I really hate Jooan's father for beating him and blaming him for his mother's leaving.
6. I don't like Doogeon's mother for being irresponsible and letting him do all the work.
7. I don't like Cein's father for not protecting him after his mother's death.

But out of all, the principal is the worst. He's hella creepy and it feels like he's playing with them. I think he's the mastermind behind the bad things that happened since their parents were students. He controlled and groomed Hwan's father, and now Hwan's father is doing the same to Hwan. Their parents are connected and it's also generational trauma.

One of the scenes that made me cry was in episode 2 when Hwan woke up after their birthday party. It's not really sad, but it's still emotional how he dearly looked at the other guys who's sleeping together. Like he's thinking and realizing: "I'm glad I met these people. This is what real family is." 😭💕

The time loop will begin when they're out of school.

Actually, the characters are in different ages and the actors started filming this drama in 2020:

• Kim Hwan - 19 years old
Seo Jihoon - 23 years old
• Min Cein - 18 years old
Noh Jonghyun - 27 years old
• Kim Dogeon - 17 years old
Seo Youngjoo - 22 years old
• Jeong Hosu - 17 years old
Ahn Jiho - 16 years old
• Park Haru - 16 years old
Kim Yoonwoo - 20 years old
• Kim Jooan - 16 years old
Jung Woojin - 24 years old
• Jeon Jeha - 14 years old
Jeon Jinseo - 14 years old

Most actors are in their early 20s but they suit the characters well. The plot/years will eventually flow when the characters aren't in school.

A lot of people are clueless and misunderstanding the production companies behind this drama, so here's an information:

BTS/BU/HYYH inspired drama "Begins Youth" was initially announced in 2019. The production started in 2020 and the filming ended in 2021. It's a co-produced drama by Hybe Corporation + Chorokbaem Media + Fingerlabs.

• Hybe — Founder/Investor
• Chorokbaem Media — Filming Production
• Fingerlabs — Distributor
• Xclusive — Platform

BigHit/Hybe owns the BU storyline/IP, but since they're a music production company that don't produce dramas, they sold the rights to a different company that expertise on that area. Hybe gave the budget while the drama production is made by Chorokbaem Media, then Chorokbaem Media partnered with another company Fingerlabs for distribution which created their own OTT platform Xclusive that uses blockchain.

[November 2021] In its statement, Chorokbaem Media said that the K-drama is currently in post-production in order to improve the “quality” of the series. In addition, the production company also noted that it will soon begin discussions with an unnamed “global OTT platform” for distribution and broadcasting of the series. (https://www.nme.com/news/tv/bts-universe-k-drama-youth-production-finished-filming-3102377)

This concludes that Chorokbaem Media has more control on this drama instead of Hybe. Hybe hasn't released any statements regarding this drama since the announcement when it was still BigHit in 2019-2020. In the contents, Chorokbaem Media's name comes first before Hybe. And on the website of Xclusive's creator Fingerlabs, Chorokbaem Media is in the lists of their partners, but not Hybe. People are blaming Hybe and asking to put this drama on Netflix or other platforms, but they're actually not involved with the Xclusive platform and it's impossible to move it 😔

PS. To those who have knowledge about this business stuff, feel free to correct me.

From what I know, BigHit/Hybe owns the storyline, but since they don't produce/manage dramas, they gave the rights to a different company that focuses on that area. Hybe is responsible for the budget while the filming production is made by Chorokbaem Media, then CM partnered with another company Fingerlabs for the distribution which created their own platform Xclusive (that sadly capitalized it).

Since the start, "Begins Youth" is a new type of experimental drama which is originally adapted from BU (BTS Universe), that's why it's not presented in a normal way like common dramas. But I think if Hybe solely owns this drama, they would've released it on Weverse or Disney+ like their other contents. This drama kinda feels like a waste since it didn't had a proper promo and platform. But I'm glad it's still getting popularity since ARMYs are hyping it on social medias.

PS. Actually, the updates for this drama started since May 2023 with the teaser snippet. But it's messy since they would also get quiet in some months in between until giving new updates again. It was around March 2024 when the official released date was confirmed.

Oh I see. Something feels fishy about it when I first saw the scene especially when it showed their group photo, so it made me think of a theory 😂 But of course, I don't want the male lead to die.

The cat will appear when Hwan gains the ability to time travel and he'll know about the smeraldo while meeting a girl in the new timeline after his time loops. I assume it would probably be around episode 8-9 in this drama.