Youth of May (2021)

I know I should not have come. Whenever I think of you, I know that I will eventually cause you pain. But I want to be with you… And stay by your side. Can I come closer, Myung Hee? – Hwang Hee-tae

Youth of May Synopsis: Hee Tae becomes the pride of Gwangju when he enters Seoul National University College of Medicine with top marks. His best friend Kyung Soo, an avid pro-democracy activist, insists that they open an illegal clinic for students on the run from the government. One day, a factory worker is injured during a protest. In exchange for the costs of discreetly transporting himself and the factory worker to his hometown, Hee Tae must go to a meeting with a potential marriage partner arranged by his father. At this meeting, Hee Tae meets Myeong Hee, a nurse persevering through the hardships of life. She only agrees to go to this meeting in place of her friend Soo Ryeon, because she needs to come up with the airfare to go study in Germany. However, Myeong Hee and Hee Tae end up falling in love. In May of 1980, amidst the heated passion and cries for democracy that reverberated throughout Gwangju, Hee Tae and Myeong Hee find themselves in a twist of fate. (Source: Viu)

 

MAIN CAST

• Lee Do-hyun as Hwang Hee-tae
  A Medical student who has a sly and mischievous side, but is determined and goal oriented underneath. Although Hwang Hee-tae entered Seoul University’s medical school with top scores, he postpones his graduation due to a trauma. Hee-tae appears to be carefree and lighthearted, but he’s a figure who is more thoughtful than anyone else on the inside.
• Go Min-si as Kim Myung-hee
  A nurse three years into her career, Kim Myung-hee is a fighter who has already gone through all sorts of hardships in her young life. When facing injustice, she isn’t afraid to stand up to her superiors at the hospital, and no matter what difficulties life throws her way, she determinedly chases her dream. Additionally, despite her relatively young age, Kim Myung-hee is a responsible breadwinner who works hard to scrape a living and sends money to her younger brother back home. After crossing paths with Hee-tae, Myung-hee begins to change in subtle ways and shows new sides of herself.
• Lee Sang-yi as Lee Soo-chan
  He is a businessman who works at a trading company after returning from his studies in France. With a three-years age gap, he is the oldest child, who places more importance on family than on himself. Lee Soo-chan relates with Myung-hee because she similarly faces hardships as the head of a household.
• Keum Sae-rok as Lee Soo-ryeon
  A law student who desperately fights for social justice, because she feels responsibility for coming from a wealthy family. Lee Soo-ryeon is longtime friends with Kim Myung-hee. While trying to help her friend with her dream, she finds herself starting an unexpected relationship with someone that leaves her conflicted.

 

FANGIRL NOTES

• Genre: Melodrama / Period drama
• It premiered on KBS2 on May 3, 2021 until June 8, 2021 for 12 episodes

 

K-DRAMA FEELS

• Youth of May is a historical melodrama done right
• The series will make your heart flutter but at the same time suffer.
• What makes this drama unique is the depth of emotions that the actors portrayed so well. Everyone really became their characters and left such a strong and deep impression on me as a viewer.
• This drama will make you fall in love with Hwang Hee-tae’s charming personality and look up to the Kim Myung-hee’s hardworking and selfless personality.
• Even if it’s not the ending that I wanted, I still love the ending.
• This 12 Episode drama is worth my time. A must watch series.

My Overall Rating – 8.5/10 (A heart-wrenching and bittersweet drama and it had the perfect length to finish it in an amazing way without including unnecessary or filler scenes.)

 

Have you watched Youth of May? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

 

FANGIRL RECOMMENDS

• Melodrama – Encounter (2018)
• Lee Do Hyun’s Drama – 18 Again (2020)

 

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