Netflix has dropped episode 1 of “Record of Youth” starring Park Bo-gum, Park So-dam, and Byeon Woo-seok. Here’s our thoughts about the new coming-of-age drama from tvN.

Chasing dreams

“Record of Youth” gives us a peek into the lives of twenty-something individuals struggling to pursue their dreams. 

Park Bo-gum is Sa Hye-jun, a model who dreams of becoming an actor. His father and older brother think that Sa Hye-jun is wasting his time pursuing a pipe dream, following the footsteps of his grandfather.

In episode 1 of “Record of Youth” we see a different Park Bo-gum. Unlike his almost too good to be true characters in the past, Sa Hye-jun is a bit of a rebel. He’s an accurate depiction of a headstrong youth who chases his dream despite numerous failures.

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Park So-dam’s character Ahn Jung-ha is quite the opposite. She’s practical and level-headed. Despite being a talented make-up artist, she defers to her senior who often chastises her for being proactive at work. At a young age, she was able to buy a house for herself.

Meanwhile, Byeon Woo-seok’s character Won Hae-hyo seems to have it all. Aside from his good looks, he was born from a privileged family. His mother will do anything for his son’s career, even going to the lengths of bribing the casting staff. Both Hae-hyo and Hye-jun are after the same role. For now, the two remain supportive of each other but conflict will most likely arise in the coming episodes.

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Reality bites

While reflecting over his career woes, Sa Hye-jun is shown browsing through his best friend Won Hae-hyo’s Instagram feed. Social media envy is real as Hye-jun looks at how his friend has been ‘living the life’ with his overseas travels. Meanwhile, he has to do multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet. Not only is he being pulled back to reality by his financial situation, Hye-jun has also received his military draft notice. He decides to give his acting dream a final push before enlisting in the military.

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“Record of Youth” is a drama that is relevant to those who might be experiencing anxiety over the direction of their lives. But even if you’re not in your twenties anymore, there’s a lot to relate to from this drama. The language is current and depicts how social media permeates our lives today. 

Episode 1 of “Record of Youth” is now streaming on Netflix.

Myla writes news stories for a living and watches K-dramas for leisure. She enjoys doing both for Hallyudorama.

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