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.
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.
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.
“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.