7 Day Queen

7 Day Queen

9/10

7 Day Queen

Genre:                                Episodes: 20                          Year: 2017

Historical

Romance 

Melodrama

Synopsis:

The story follows the events of King Lee Yeok and his wife, Shin Chae Kyung, from childhood to Chae Kyung’s dethronement after being Queen for just seven days.

Cast:

Park Min Young (Shin Chae Kyung)

Yeon Woo Jin (Lee Yeok)

Lee Dong Gun (Lee Yoong)

Ko Bo Gyeol (Yoon Myung Hye)

Chansung (Seo No)

Jang Hyung Sung (Shin Soo Geun)

Kang Shin Il (Im Sa Hong)

Son Eun Seo (Jang Nok Soo)

Do Ji Won (Queen Jasoon)

Park Shi Eun (Young Shin Chae Kyung)

Baek Seung Hwan (Young Lee Yeok)

Choi Min Young (Young Seo No)

General Thoughts:

Waaahhhh- my heart! My soul! This drama was just so incredibly incredible. It’s exactly how a sageuk should be- dramatic (without being annoying), romantic (without being slow), and pretty historically accurate (as far as my limited knowledge of Korean history can tell).

Dare I say it- the perfect sageuk

This is what I expect most historical K-Dramas to be like, but then they all tend to lose the plot about halfway through (‘Moon That Embraces the Sun’) or fall into irritating angst mode (‘Moonlight Drawn by Clouds’) or both (‘Scarlet Heart’). However ‘7 Day Queen’ manages to avoid being boring or annoying. It’s not that the show isn’t angst-filled, because it totally and completely is, it’s just that the angst is justifiable and there isn’t an easy way out that the characters just ignore.

The ever-present angst

In my mind, this is what every historical K-Drama is trying to be. Plot-wise, there’s really not a lot going on. Similar to most other sageuks I’ve watched, most of the story revolves around political tensions in the royal court. It’s these political goings on that usually bore me to tears, and yet here it’s part of what I found so intriguing about the show. It’s not like ‘7 Day Queen’ did anything drastically different, but the plot was so airtight and the characters so endearing that I cared about how the politics would affect them and how they would overcome the difficulties thrown in their path by all the political shenanigans. The broken bromance was the true tragedy of this story- or at least one of them. Both the King and the Prince had some sort of desire to live with each other and be in peace, but due to the manipulations of those around them (and some jerk words from their father), the two end up constantly doubting each other and ready to strike each other down. And of course we have our poor heroine trapped right in the middle of their fight. It was a good choice to have us open on the scene of Chae Kyung’s dethronement and impending execution, as it let us know exactly what the stakes were.

I'm still kinda surprised that she managed to make it out alive...

Many dramas try and play up the life-and-death stakes without really putting the main characters in any danger, so it really upped the intensity of the show to start out with our heroine about to be hung for treason. It instantly made me want to know how she got there, and more importantly how should could possibly escape the situation. Then we go back 5 years to see where it all started.

Adorably sassy

The childhood section of the story was just delightful. The two young actors had uncanny resemblances to the adult versions of their characters. They acted out the bickering friendship well, and it was a believable turn as they slowly started to become closer. Rather than just smacking them into an engagement, or having them be young lovers, it was far more enjoyable to watch the two develop a close friendship. The immature bickering was cute and fun, but it was seeing them come together as friends that was the most rewarding. It was clear to see why Yeok came to care for Chae Kyung- she cared about the people of Joseon and was willing to intervene in any situation that she believed was unfair, all the while Yeok’s family is telling him to close his eyes and block his ears to anything that could get him in trouble. Yeok clearly always had a desire to help the unfortunate and to right injustice, but it was meeting Chae Kyung that really brought it out of him. It was nice to have young Chae Kyung meet the King as well, as it really set up the dynamics of the adult relationships well, and made it clear why Chae Kyung was able to influence the King so much- because he’d met her and enjoyed spending time with her before he started to go crazy. It was almost like Chae Kyung was his key back into a time when things were so much simpler and before Yeok was a threat.

Wait, is this our villain? Why is he so darn loveable?

Again, I loved that the show started with Chae Kyung and the King as friends first before the King realised his romantic feelings for her. Somehow, it just makes all the relationships feel more genuine when they start out as friendships, as it can come off a bit shallow having a character fall for someone at first sight and be willing to go to the ends of the earth for them without really knowing who they were. In this case, because both of the brothers had been such good friends with Chae Kyung, it totally made sense as to how they fell in love with this girl, who politically wasn’t a great option to fall in love with, and why they would constantly put themselves in danger for her sake.

That moment when you decide to marry the woman you're in love with to your brother and political rival

It was the mutual love between the three characters and how that love became so warped and so damaging that was the real draw to the show. Because we had a general idea of how these characters would end up, it just became endlessly fascinating to watch how these three people were manipulated and used by those around them so that they ended up hurting rather than protecting each other.

The epitome of being caught between a rock and a hard place

Of course for a story of this magnitude to work, you really need a brilliant cast backing it up. Park Min Young is brilliant in whatever she’s in, and she really embodied Chae Kyung. She was the perfect fit for the role, as she’s so beautiful and delicate that she really suits the Joseon era. She always has a sweet yet stubborn disposition that leads to adorably spunky heroines that can remain ladylike while still holding their own. She was able to portray Chae Kyung’s innocence without causing the character to appear daft. Chae Kyung’s willingness to trust Yeok and the King never seemed like a stupid thing to do, as while we as an audience were more clued in to why Yeok and the King might lie to Chae Kyung, she herself really had no reason not to trust them. Park Min Young’s best moment in the series by far is the moment she realises that Yeok has been lying to her all along and is in fact part of a resistance movement against the King. She so clearly shows Chae Kyung’s disappointment and feelings of betrayal, but also that despite those feelings she was still deeply in love with him. Admittedly, at that point in the show I myself was getting a little irritated (in a good, this will lead to character development way) with Yeok for not being more forthcoming with Chae Kyung. In fact, I was pretty disappointed in him when he married her without giving her a heads up about what situation she was getting herself into.

Highly likely to die if you marry her. Highly likely to die if you don't.

Yet, due to Park Min Young’s wonderful display of anger mixed with devotion, I could never bring myself to hate Yeok. I was angry and sad, just like Chae Kyung, but I never hated him. Of course, part of what made that possible was also Yeon Woo Jin’s acting of our hero. Despite not agreeing with all of Yeok’s decisions, it was hard to get too angry at him, as Yeon Woo Jin always made it clear that Yeok was doing what he thought was best for them both.

Talk about a lose-lose situation

He was so good at portraying how his character was really stuck between a rock and a hard place. When he was interacting with his friends he always seemed to be thinking of his wife at home who was sure to be implicated by their actions, and when he was with Chae Kyung there was always a small part of him that was feeling guilty for choosing his happiness over what was better for the country. The chemistry between the two leads was sweet, but most importantly heart-breaking. The two of them were just so good at showing how much they loved each other, but also how deeply hurt and unhappy they were in the situation that had been thrust upon them. While the chemistry between the leads was perfectly enjoyable, I actually really loved the chemistry Park Min Young had with Lee Dong Goon. The two had such a relaxed as easy rapport, even when things started to go horribly wrong. Regardless of their actions, it was always painfully clear just how much they cared for one another, despite constantly being the ones responsible for hurting the other. While all scenes of the two leads together were immensely enjoyable, it was moments between the King and Chae Kyung and how unfortunately twisted their relationship was becoming that was so deeply fascinating.

Back in happier times

In regards to the side characters all the acting was pretty good. Chae Kyung’s parents and nanny were all delightful, especially Jang Hyung Sung as her father, who was in a similar position to Chae Kyung- torn between loyalty to his King (and brother-in-law) or his daughter. Ko Bo Gyeol is a new actress for me (as in I haven’t seen her in anything else), and she did a pretty fair job here.

Not bad, not great

I wouldn’t say I liked her character, because I didn’t (AT ALL), but she did a good job at bringing around her redemption, despite how convincingly b*tchy she’d been previously. The only cast member I found a little lacking was Chansung. It’s not that he was bad, he did an okay job, it’s just that all the other cast members were just so good. Seo No was a pretty important character, and I thought he really should have been acted out by someone who could pack a little more punch. Chansung was good enough for sure, but I couldn’t help but wonder how much more heartbreaking and meaningful the character (and his death) would have been had the role gone to someone who was really good at providing side characters with huge depth. It’s not that anything was taken away from the series, but maybe something could have been added if Seo No had been cast differently. I still felt horrified when he was executed and it made sense as to why Yeok would return to trying to become king after witnessing it. The moment itself was still highly emotional, but this was due to the soundtrack and clever use of flashback rather than the acting. Speaking of the soundtrack, boy was it impressive.

Now imagine the amazing soundtrack

Early on I found myself really drawn to the music in the drama, and it had a wonderful way of tightening the emotions in any scene- particularly scenes of longing and heartache. One of the better aspects of the soundtrack was that the music itself was a sort of foreshadowing. ‘Dreaming’ was such a beautiful song- it had a sadness and a wistfulness about it. Having basic knowledge of how the story was going to end (due to the drama’s opening sequence and also the actual historical events) happy moments, particularly during the childhood scenes, suddenly became laced with sadness just by playing this song.

Cue uncontrollable weeping

I also think the moment I cried hardest in this drama was as the King died- playing only the vocals from ‘Dreaming’ made the scene so much more heart-wrenching, and fit the events perfectly. The directing was brilliant, and each shot was extremely beautiful to watch. The camera angles, costumes and locations were just breathtaking- I wouldn’t change a single thing.  

What Was Great:

Everything Made Sense:

How rarely can you say this about a sageuk? This is an exceptional feat not only because it happens so rarely, but because the audience already has a pretty good idea of what is going to happen.

The beginning of the end

The writers already had some boundaries to work within- they couldn’t very well just blatantly ignore the historical facts, but they made it work for them. Rather than feeling like we know where the story is going, we start to wonder how these three individuals wind up so far away from how they wanted to live, and what sort of situations brought them there. Despite knowing what choices may have been the wrong ones, we still feel an immense amount of sadness and pity for our characters. It’s so clear that they’re doing their best in awful situations, and rather than getting angry with them for doing things that are likely to backfire, we sympathise with how those choices seemed like the best ones at the time. Such as Yeok’s decision to marry Chae Kyung. We all know that it was this desire to marry her that led to so many issues- the king’s jealousy, political complications, and Chae Kyung becoming trapped in the middle of the brothers’ war for the throne, but at the same time you can’t really criticise the man for wanting to marry the woman he loved.

Darling girl, you should have moved back to the country when you had the chance

Similarly, even though I disagreed with Yeok keeping so many secrets from Chae Kyung, it was easy to see how he thought that would be best. He can clearly see that she’s already struggling being stuck between her husband and the King, and by lying to her he prolongs the time before she has to make a decision about which brother to lie to and which brother to protect. I hardly ever enjoy series where the characters are acting like noble idiots and tend to classify any choice to leave to save the other pain as a stupid choice, but in ‘7 Day Queen’ I could fully understand Chae Kyung’s decision to leave Yeok.

Also, he did kinda bring about the downfall of her entire family

Due to her family’s political ties to the previous King, the ministers were never going to accept Chae Kyung as Yeok’s Queen once he claimed the throne. There were always going to be people trying to discredit, ruin, or even murder Chae Kyung, and if Yeok went out of his way to prevent that he would become politically weak. Chae Kyung could then also be used as a pawn to manipulate and threaten Yeok now that he was King, as we saw with Myung Hye’s uncle.

Soooooo many mistakes...

If they stayed together it was highly likely that one of them was going to end up dead- with Chae Kyung being the more likely. As such, her choice to leave wasn’t only to protect Yeok as King, but also to protect her own life which has constantly been in danger since she married Yeok, so you can’t really blame her for that. The ending itself was just so perfect. The brothers’ reconciliation was handled so delicately and came off really well. Once the weight of the throne was taken off the previous King he calmed down a lot and was able to see his own mistakes more clearly- all because his mind was no longer clouded by suspicion as he’d already lost what he’d been trying to protect. When he revealed that he’d trusted Chae Kyung’s father all along and had acted betrayed just to distance Chae Kyung’s father from himself and the palace, my heart just broke. I was relieved that he knew there was at least one person that was truly loyal to him. His reveal that he’d never hated Yeok, but rather that he’d hated his own suspicion of Yeok was just so poignant. The line was delivered so perfectly and was the perfect way to bring the previous King’s story to a close.

Couldn't have been done better

Rather than finding out if Chae Kyung and Yeok were going to be together (because we all really knew that they weren’t going to be), I was much more interested in finding out if the brothers would be able to be honest and resolve their differences, and I’m so glad that they were. The absolute icing on the cake of this ending was having Chae Kyung return to the palace as an old woman as Yeok was dying.

The throne is a lonely place

I usually loathe these kind of endings (as I’m more of a ‘what’s the point if you’re not together’ kind of person), but it was just so picture perfect. Yeok needed to be King to right the wrongs of his brother, and Chae Kyung couldn’t be with him as he did that. Her reasoning behind refusing Yeok’s offers to reinstate her as Queen was also perfect- knowing that any children they had together would be caught up in the same political war that they were a part of (as Yeok already had a son and heir by that point) was perfect reasoning for the two to remain apart. Having Chae Kyung return at the end solidified that no matter what had happened in those years they had been apart, they still loved each other, and had been thinking of each other all along. Going from the older actors to the adult actors to the child actors and then back to the adult actors again was really the best way that the show could have gone out. It solidified that the love between them really was a lifelong love, and now that Yeok had finished his duties as King they could finally be together- even if it wasn’t for very long. It was the most brilliant, bittersweet ending we could have hoped for.

A truly epic saga

Despite how tragic the whole thing really was, what the writers managed to accomplish was expressing that this really was the best scenario for our leads. At first I was quite angry with Yeok for insisting on marrying Chae Kyung as it put her in such an awful, uncompromising position,

They tried every option

and he was essentially forcing her to choose between himself and the King- and the wrong choice would mean her death. But as the story progressed I realised that perhaps marrying Chae Kyung was the best thing Yeok could have done for her. She remained safe(ish) while the King was in power due to the King’s affection for her, and once the King was disposed and Yeok became King she was safe(ish) due to her marriage to Yeok. Had Yeok not married her it was highly likely that she would have died with her parents during the revolution. There was no easy way out for our characters, no sneaky loophole that could have guaranteed everyone’s safety and happiness, no dammit-Rose-there-was-room-for-Jack-on-the-door moment. The plot was completely airtight and made absolute sense, letting us get completely lost in the drama and free to enjoy our tragic love story.

The King:

As excellent as the leads were and as dramatic as their story was, it wouldn’t have been half as interesting if not for the King. He’s just such an excellent character. I always really love characters that aren’t wholly good or evil (such as Park Bo Gum’s character in ‘I Remember You’), and the King fits that description to a tee.

When talking about the King you can't ignore how perfect Lee Dong Gun's acting was

As we’re being introduced to the character in the early stages of the drama we see his love for his brother. The tension is there for certain, but it’s the King’s affection that wins out over his fear. He chooses to ignore those trying to turn him against Yeok, and multiple times we see him choosing to trust his brother and his brother’s intensions. Had the two been left alone perhaps they could have coexisted in harmony.

Before master manipulators got their claws in the brothers

The King is surrounded by people placing doubts in his head about Yeok’s desire to take the throne, and Yeok’s action, innocent and unintentional as they may be, could be pretty damming. It was heartbreaking to see the King’s faith in his brother slowly start to fade and the suspicion really start to take hold as he is manipulated by those around him. Perhaps if his father hadn’t told him he would ruin Joseon he would have been a more confident and less suspicious King. Or perhaps the weight of being king was always going to be too much for him. It was these sorts of interesting facets to his character that made him so fascinating to watch on screen. His descent into madness, and thus tyranny, was just heart-wrenching. This man once loved his brother and this girl so much, yet due to all his fear and suspicion he becomes the one most likely to hurt them. What was truly gutting about the King’s character is that there were always glimmers of goodness underneath that made him so pitiable and so hard to hate. It didn’t excuse him of his actions, but it made him seem more relatable and more understandable than your usual crazy Joseon King.

Doesn't hurt her even as she betrays him...

With just a few kind words from Chae Kyung he started to change his behaviour, and for a while there was even being an okay king to his people. But as soon as Yeok returned and brought back that fear of losing the throne, he returned to his cruel and manic ways. And yet no matter how far down the dark path he went, he never actually hurt (physically at least) Chae Kyung or Yeok. Sure, he was always ranting about how he had been betrayed by them and how he was going to kill them, yet whenever he had the opportunity he never did.

Dammit woman, would it really have been that hard to give him just a little love?

As Yeok often said, the fact that Yeok lived was evidence that the King never intended to kill him. And even in the King’s last moments as king when he realises that Chae Kyung has tricked him and a revolution is under way, no matter how furious he was he never raised a hand to her. It was just so gut-wrenching to have this man so desperate for love that he was willing to ruin his family, is friendships and his kingdom to get it, never fully realising that it was these very actions that were pushing people away. His demise was really his own undoing and there’s just something so achingly sad about watching a man who once had so much love to give just tear himself apart with fear and suspicion. It was fitting that once the throne was no longer his that he no longer had that manic energy about him. Once he’d lost what he’d been so afraid to lose he became more reasonable and relaxed and was able to see where he’d gone so wrong. The show didn’t try to absolve him of all his sins, but nor did it condemn him completely. The love story between the leads may have been the centre of the show, but it was the King’s trajectory and his broken relationship with his brother that I found truly tragic. 

The result of suspicion

Not A Wallflower:

Chae Kyung is one of my favourite heroines in K-Dramaland. When watching a historical drama you’re almost guaranteed to have a heroine that is very pretty and sweet and innocent, but fails to do absolutely anything during the show’s run.

She will literally whoop yo ass

Chae Kyung was not one of those heroines. She often took things into her own hands-standing up for what she believed was right and ready to speak her mind. She wasn’t afraid of telling the King when she thought his methods were wrong, and she certainly wasn’t afraid of getting in a fight to save her man. Chae Kyung always did everything in her power to get herself out of difficult situations without relying on someone else to save her- which only made the moments someone did save her more interesting. I can’t tell you how much I loved that she was willing and able to pick up a sword and fight to save herself and Yeok. She was also a reasonable political player. She could reason with the King (for a time) and was a key player in helping Yeok win the throne. She never let anyone else make her decisions for her, and went out of her way to shape her own future, rather than sitting around waiting for some man to do it for her.

What Wasn’t:

No Consequences for Mum:

There really isn’t much I would change about this drama, but the only thing I was perhaps a little disappointed with was the way that the Queen Mother somehow managed to walk out of the whole situation completely unscathed. All our other ‘villains’ face some sort of retribution, and considering what a large role the Queen Mother played in the whole situation I was a little bummed when she got to have her cake and eat it too.

No, Chae Kyung-ah- don't bow to the likes of her!

The King lost everything he held dear, was dethroned, exiled and died. The King’s main manipulator Secretary Im was murdered by his own man. Myung Hye’s Uncle was humiliated and stripped of all his titles. And yet the Queen got to see her son become King and remain in power. She was one of the biggest causes of tension between the two brothers-

You suck, lady

rather than telling them that as brothers they should love and protect one another, she was sowing seeds of doubt in Yeok’s mind and searching for a secret document that would name Yeok king- and it was these behaviours that really fed the King’s suspicions of Yeok and aided in destroying his trust in his younger brother. Perhaps if the Queen Mother had loved the King as a son rather than trying to replace him with her birth son, things would have turned out differently. She was also one of the biggest political players that was against Chae Kyung being Queen. Despite all that Chae Kyung had done for Yeok, the Queen Mother was ready to throw her under the bus as soon as Yeok was king. I just wished that she’d faced some sort of consequences for her actions- such as Yeok no longer wanting anything to do with her. As it was, I felt like she was one of the biggest manipulators in the show and somehow just managed to get her way with everything. A small dark patch on a cloud that is otherwise pure silver.

Recommend?

This is an amazing drama so of course I would! It really has everything you could possibly want in a sageuk. 

So sad, yet so satisfying

Age of Youth 2

Age of Youth 2

7.5/10

Age of Youth 2

Genre:                                Episodes: 14                           Year: 2017

Romance

Comedy

Mystery

Synopsis:

Set one year after the conclusion of Season 1, Kang Yi Na is moving out of the Belle Epoque share-house. Jin Myung has found a job, but struggles after having to fire an employee she grew close to, Ye Eun is still recovering from her kidnap and abuse from the previous year, Ji Won searches for the truth behind a lost memory, and Eun Jae is struggling with her first breakup. A new housemate, Eun, arrives after finding a threatening letter addressed to Belle Epoque.

Cast:

Han Ye Ri (Yoon Jin Myung)

Han Seung Yeon (Jung Ye Eun)

Park Eun Bin (Song Ji Won)

Ji Woo (Yoo Eun Jae)

Choi Ah Ra (Jo Eun)

Kim Min Suk (Seo Jang Hoon)

Son Seung Won (Im Sung Min)

Lee Yoo Jin (Kwon Ho Chang)

Ahn Woo Yeon (Heimdal)

Shin Hyun Soo (Yoon Jong Yeol)

General Thoughts:

I love Age of Youth! As soon as I’d finished watching the first season I was wanting a season 2, and now that I’ve finished Season 2 I want a season 3. It was nice to come back to the house and the housemates that we loved so much in the first season, and it’s good to see that not much has changed (though there ARE some noticeable big changes).

I missed you guys!

The second season really does feel like an exact continuation of the stories in the first, and that’s a big achievement considering how successful the first season was. While the two shows are delightfully similar (same pastel colours, same hint of dark mystery, same painfully realistic problems), the actual stories in season two managed to be vastly different. So while the show is a continuation of all the things we love from Season 1, it’s not a repetition.

It's kinda like being welcomed back home

Obviously Kang Unnie has departed the house so we have a whole new housemate to learn about, but the girls from last time are still growing and developing and having to face new challenges in their lives. The structure of the episodes was also a little different. Rather than having one girl take centre stage and narrate the episode, each of the stories were pretty evenly spread out in every episode, and each of the girls shared the narration. Despite this change in format, the individual stories actually felt much more individual than they did last year. At times I found myself missing the interactions we had between the girls previously as the stories this time around were much more event-based as apposed to character-based. I was actually happiest with how Yoon Sunbae’s arc went. It might have seemed a little strange to some, but I personally enjoyed it a lot. Yoon Sunbae was much more relaxed than she was last season, but still had her semi-prickly exterior, and was still the mother hen to the other girls.

With all her baby chicks

When the character descriptions were released for Season 2, I was sad that Chef wouldn’t be playing a major role, and thought that Yoon Sunbae was getting a new romance. It was a delight that Yoon Sunbae was still dating Chef, even if he was far away, and it made her Noona-Dongsaeng relationship with Heimdal really sweet to watch.

Dorky and kinda cringey- but still cute

I’m glad the show through in a few snippets that suggested that Yoon Sunbae might have been reminded of her younger brother when she looked at Heimdal, but regardless of if she did or didn’t she obviously felt some sort of responsibility towards him. Despite how much she wanted to not care, she just did. Heimdal didn’t have a lot in common with Yoon Sunbae- he was following his dreams and believed if he worked hard enough his effort would pay off. Perhaps Yoon Sunbae felt that way herself once, before she was saddled with debt and had to work any job she could just to survive. It was heartbreaking to watch Heimdal slowly realise that he would never achieve his dream of being a famous idol, but it was almost more heartbreaking for Yoon Sunbae to already know that and have to watch him discover that his dreams were just too out of reach and no amount of hard work or effort would get him there. Ji Won seemed to be making up for the lack of story she got last season, as her story this time around definitely got the most amount of screen time. Hers was the only story this season that had an air of mystery to it, and it was carried out quite well. The show dropped enough hints that by the end we were aware of what had happened without the show needing to blatantly spell it out for us.

The saddest of the 'Age of Youth' stories so far

My favourite part of the mystery was less about the actual events and more about the character responses to the event. Once it became clear what had happened between the two young girls and the art teacher, it became less important what the exact details were and much more important how Hyo Jin and Ji Won reacted.

Sherlock Song and her adorable Watson 

I appreciated that Hyo Jin didn’t hold too much resentment towards Ji Won for what had happened, and that in the end it was about gaining closure and revealing the art teacher’s crimes rather than about revenge. It’s a tricky topic to navigate smoothly, but the writers did an excellent job at keeping the yuck-factor to a minimum while dealing with the fallout of the situation, and I think a lot of that was due to revealing just the right amount of information and of that information just the right amount in flash-back form. I much preferred gathering an idea of what happened from hearing Ji Won discuss things with others rather than seeing an overload of flashbacks with a creepy teacher and a young girl. Ji Won’s reactions to her discoveries were always perfect and fit in well with how her character had been developed previously. She latched onto the mystery as soon as there was a mystery to latch on to, but she didn’t shy away from what she was uncovering. Ji Won was ready and willing to accept any responsibility and/or punishment for any wrong she might have caused Hyo Jin- as was evident in the hostage situation.

So much of Ji Won's personality got explored this time around

She was scared and shocked, but she never backed away from her involvement with the incident, which was so in line with everything we knew about her character. Despite the fact that most of what she was going through was something personal and individual, I adored the friendship and support that Sung Min offered her. Their interactions and hilarious banter quickly became a highlight of the show (after being offered so little of it in Season 1), and no time spent with the two was wasted time. Though I do wish that they’d actually got together on screen rather than just having it being heavily hinted at. Again.

Just kiss already!

Ye Eun’s story picked up pretty much exactly where we left off in Season 1. I appreciated that her story really revolved around her anxiety and other issues caused by her violent boyfriend the year before. I was glad that the show was very realistically addressing her mental health issues and gave her a nice, steady progression throughout the series.

Never before has a taser been so sweet and sincere a gift

It was satisfying and rewarding to see Ye Eun start to come out of her shell again, but it had an air of realism in the few steps back along the way. While her progression was steady, it wasn’t smooth at all. There were moments when Ye Eun became more fearful and there were situations that would set her into overdrive. The show defiantly didn’t suggest that there was a quick-fix to her trauma, and was actually hinting more that this was something that would always stay with Ye Eun and something that she would have to learn to deal with rather than ‘fix’. I also appreciated that the show didn’t just throw another man at her to fix the problem. It would have been easy to give her a strong, confident, capable man and say ‘there, now she feels safe’. Instead it was satisfying to have Ye Eun make those steps towards feeling confident and safe on her own. Ho Chang was a great partner to help Ye Eun help herself. As a victim of bullying himself he could sympathise with her and offer slight assistance, but he never forced Ye Eun out of her comfort zone, nor did he suggest that he would be able to keep her safe. It was a cute and sweet romance that never once suggested that Ye Eun needed to rely on Ho Chan for safety or anything else.

She relied on him because she wanted to, not because she needed to

Unfortunately, this time around I found Eun Jae’s story a little exasperating. I really loved her Sunbae romance last year, so I was pretty disappointed when I read in the character descriptions that they’d broken up. At the start, Eun Jae’s obsession with her ex was mildly annoying, and she herself became a smidge irritating. It was all just a little unclear where the show was trying to take her story.

Sorry Eun Jae...you just...weren't as fun as you were last season

For a long time there I thought she was going to get her ex back in the end. Once it became clear that the story was actually more about Eun Jae realising her mistakes and having to let go and move on, I was much more interested and much more sympathetic towards her character. Because getting over a heartbreaking first breakup is much more interesting than watching a girl try and win back a guy she dumped herself. Finally, we arrive at Eun. Last season we came into the house with Eun Jae and learned all about the housemates through her, so it was a nice parallel to have us learning about the new girl through our old housemates. On paper Eun’s story is pretty simple, but it still managed to have its interesting aspects. Thankfully, her story left behind the mystery of the revenge letter pretty early on in order to focus on her own issues. When I think about it, not a lot actually happened, but it was interesting enough to watch Eun, who had become so protective of herself over the course of parents’ separation, slowly start to open up towards Jang Hoon. As enjoyable as her relationship development was with Jang Hoon, I do wish that her female friend had been phased out a bit earlier.

Get rid of her. Like now.

Overall I liked the commentary on their relationship and how having to let go of that toxic friendship was still hard for Eun (as they’d been so close for so long), but I just found the friend so freaking annoying. She was just the worst. I didn’t find her cute and I didn’t find her fun, and she actually sucked a lot of enjoyment of of Eun’s story arc for me personally. Acting-wise everyone was pretty good.

And Min Sukie is even wearing his high shoes

The three girls from last season were all splendid and slid perfectly back into their roles. They felt exactly like they did last yer, but were still able to show how their characters had changed and how they were continuing to develop. Choi Ah Ra was pretty good most of the time, but sometimes I did feel like she got outshone a bit by the other actresses. She was very good at acting the awkward, soft-on-the-inside-hard-on-the-outside sort of character, but I think she struggled a little when it came to portraying Eun’s increasing comfort around the other characters. Ji Woo really had the hardest job of all as she was coming into a character that had already been so loved and so well received when played by a different actress. Overall, she did an excellent job. If given a choice I defiantly would have loved to have Park Hye Soo resume her role as Eun Jae (as she was one of my favourites from Season 1), but Ji Woo did wonderfully at making the actress change as unnoticeable as possible. Her take on Eun Jae was enjoyable and sweet, and she really could have played Eun Jae in Season 1 to the same success that Park Hye Soo had. It’s just so difficult when a show has to recast a character- for both the actress and the viewers.

An excellent job at a difficult task

The boys were all excellent, no questions asked. Kim Min Suk has been a favourite of mine since his ‘Shut Up Flower Boy Band’ days and I adore him in everything he’s been in. Cute, funny roles suit him well (though he can bring the heavy emotion too when called for), and he was undeniably sweet in this series.

Delightfully dorky

It was hilarious to have his height be incorporated into the show’s humour, especially when paired with Choi Ah Ra’s height. It was an unconventional, but still delightful pairing. Ahn Woo Yeon was excellent as the unpopular idol, and I really felt for him when his story arc came to the more emotional moments. He could play the optimistic dreamer well, but it was his moments of grief for his lost dream where he really got me. I was a little disappointed when Onew lost his chance to star in this show due to a rather unfortunate and over-exaggerated scandal, but I completely forgot about him (sorry, Onew) once Lee Yoo Jin made his appearance. He was hilariously endearing as the quirky nerd, and he absolutely nailed all of Ho Chan’s odd, nervous habits and made them look completely natural. And of course Son Seung Won was perfect- when is he not? Thankfully he got much more screen time than he got last season, so he was really given space to sparkle. Not to mention his chemistry with Park Eun Bin is just ridiculously addictive.  

If we're all being real- this is what we came for

What Was Great:

The Girls:

The stories are all fun and are all enjoyable to watch. Season 2 returns with a familiar every-day vibe even when the events aren’t all that every-day. Each of the girls have their own problems to face and each of them deal with their issues in very unique ways. Much of the success of the series comes from how different these girls are and how well developed and structured their characters are.

I love our girl gang

When you consider how often leading heroines feel the same as each other, it really is a marvellous achievement to populate a K-Drama with unique, distinct female characters that have their own identities. Yoon Sunbae would never react to a situation the same way that Ji Won would, and that is clearly showcased in the series. Each character is entirely her own, and there’s no overlap in the house. 

The Guys:

One of my longstanding favourite aspects of ‘Age of Youth’ is how secondary the men are to the girls. It’s not saying that they’re unimportant (because they’re not),

I also love the lads

but the story really focuses on the girls themselves rather than the romance, which is kind of refreshing. In saying that, the boys are are still excellent characters. One of the show’s strengths is having these completely capable, wonderful girls open up and share experiences with these completely capable, wonderful men. Rather than focusing on the romance in the situations, the show really focuses on the relationships- there may be romance involved or there may not be. Similarly to the girls, each of the boys is a fully developed and nicely constructed character. Each of them have their own past and histories, and their own hopes and goals for the future. Jang Hoon’s feelings about his approaching enlistment were particularly interesting as a foreigner watching, as I have really had no experience with that issue before, and I’ve not watched a lot of K-Dramas that present army enlistment as an issue. I also enjoyed how, as the landlord, Jang Hoon was a little bit involved with each of the girls. Previously each of the boys were only really around the girl whose story they were a part of, but Season 2 did a pretty good job at bringing the boys and the girls together. It wasn’t only Jang Hoon, but the other boys also came along for some more group moments- such as apple picking. It was enjoyable to see our boys interacting with each other as well as with the girls, and really made the individual stories feel as though they were part of a greater whole.

Even Chef made an appearance!

What Wasn’t:

No Closure:

I understood the lack of closure in Season 1 as it was clear the writers were angling for a Season 2, but the lack of closure this time around was a little unsatisfying- second seasons are rare, and third ever rarer. I still feel like we never made it to the bottom of Ji Won’s story.

So...so close...

Yes, we discovered what had happened with her and Hyo Jin and had a pretty good understanding that Ji Won would be successful in her trial after another victim stepped forward, but I would have liked to see that play out a little more. And then the biggest disappointment is that she never actually starts dating Sung Min. This is a relationship that has been hinted at since Season 1, and while their interactions as friends is cute and fun in its own way, I really was waiting for them to express their feelings. Ji Won admitted that she thought of Sung Min as more than a friend and Sung Min even went as far as saying he was interested in Ji Won- but then nothing happened! We’ve been waiting two seasons to see these two finally admit that they liked each other, only to have it NOT HAPPEN. I need Season 3 just to see who cracks and confesses first. I also felt there was a little more to explore with Eun and her parents. Seeing her hatred towards her father and his new family start to fade was a good start, but I really wanted to see Eun stand up to her mother.

There's still more Eun to unveil

Her mother has been a hurtful presence in Eun’s life, telling her that she was abandoned by her father and constantly bringing her down (Eun’s short hair being a constant reminder of that), and I thought the show really needed a moment where Eun stood up for herself. Acknowledging that her friendship with Ye Ji had become unhealthy and hurtful was a good place to start, but being the new addition to the house I kind of wanted a little more development for Eun.

Recommend?

Of course! It’s a very similar style as the first instalment of ‘Age of Youth’ and I got just about as much enjoyment out of it. If you liked the first season, you’ll like the second.

Here's to Season 3!