Youth of May – Full Review
Welcome to Youth of May – Full Review. In May of 1980, a young nurse falls in love with a handsome medical student, but their lives are changed forever when a student uprising rocks their small town. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Youth of May
♥ Aired: May 3 – June 8, 2021
♥# of Episodes: 12
♥Where to Watch: Viki
♥Genre: Historical Romantic Drama
♥Starring: Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si
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The Story
In May of 1980, the Gwangju Uprising ripped apart a small town caught in the throes of a violent and bloody fight for democracy. Against this real-life backdrop is the story of a young nurse whose life is changed forever when she is unwittingly thrown into the middle of it all. Kim Myung Hee meets a handsome medical student when she agrees to go on a blind date in place of her best friend. But against all of her best intentions, she feels an instant connection with him that leads both of them down an unexpected and troubled path.
The Leads
Lee Do Hyun as Hwang Hee Tae
Hwang Hee Tae is a model medical student who dreams of competing in the campus music festival. A trip to his home town to do a favor for a friend leads to a life-changing chain of events. He meets and falls in love with a young nurse named Myung Hee. But Hee Tae’s father, the ruthless head of the Anti-Communist Party in Gwangju, doesn’t approve of their relationship. The couple plan to run away together, but before they can get out of town the city is torn apart by violence. Putting their own desires on hold, Hee Tae and Myung Hee stay to help treat the injured, but what will they sacrifice?
Hwang Hee Tae lost his mother at an early age and is forced to move in with his cruel father, who is only interested in using him for his own financial and political gain, and a step mother who sees him as a threat to her own financial security. Hee Tae pretends to be cheerful and optimistic, but he has always been hurt by the people who should love and support him. When he falls in love with Myung Hee, he finally feels like he has someone who will stay by his side. Lee Do Hyun is amazing in this role. The depth of emotion that he channels is stirring and realistic. I can’t imagine anyone who could have done a better job in this part.
Go Min Si as Kim Myung Hee
Kim Myung Hee is a young nurse who dreams of escaping the poverty of her family and going to study abroad. When she makes an agreement with her best friend to go on her blind date in exchange for an airline ticket, Myung Hee plans to turn the guy away and never see him again. Unfortunately, despite all her efforts, Hee Tae falls hopelessly in love with her. And the longer he pursues her, the more difficult it is for her to turn him away. But when the lives of everyone she cares about are threatened because of their relationship, she decides to marry Hee Tae and run away. When their town erupts in violence, she finds her nursing skills are in high demand and she can’t turn her back on those in need. But her choice to stay will result in heartbreaking consequences.
Kim Myung Hee is reserved and determined. Her troubled relationship with her father has caused her to keep people at a distance, with the exception of Soo Ryun. She feels a lot of resentment toward life for how unfair it all feels. But after meeting Hee Tae, we see her find more balance and joy. Go Min Si has a quiet strength that resonates through the character of Myung Hee. I found her to be relateable and sincere. And she has a natural chemistry with all her co-stars that made her scenes fun to watch. I especially loved her interactions with her younger brother.
Kim Myung Hee is reserved and determined. Her troubled relationship with her father has caused her to keep people at a distance, with the exception of Soo Ryun. She feels a lot of resentment toward life for how unfair it all feels. But after meeting Hee Tae, we see her find more balance and joy. Go Min Si has a quiet strength that resonates through the character of Myung Hee. I found her to be relateable and sincere. And she has a natural chemistry with all her co-stars that made her scenes fun to watch. I especially loved her interactions with her younger brother.
Supporting Characters
Geum Sae Rok as Lee Soo Ryun
Lee Soo Ryun is Myung Hee’s best friend. She is a college student from a wealthy and influential family. Although she could easily enjoy a life of freedom, she has chosen to be active in the student protests, as they fight for the rights of democracy. But when the freedom fighters who have been her friends and allies, find out who she really is, they refuse to trust her.
Lee Sang Yi as Lee Soo Chan
Lee Soo Chan is the older brother of Soo Ryun. He has just returned from university and has a new job working as a pharmaseutical representative. He has always had a crush on Myeong Hee but he missed the chance to confess to her before she met Hee Tae. As the oldest son, he works hard to protect his father and sister, which becomes increasingly difficult amid the turbulent political climate.
Oh Man Suk as Hwang Gi Nam
Hwang Gi Nam is the villain of this drama. He is Hee Tae’s father and the head of the Anti-Communist Party. He is ruthless and cold, and is known for torturing the innocent to force a confession. His goal is to climb the political ladder at any cost. His second wife and their son live with him, but he is more concerned with his political career than his family.
Things I Liked
♥ Raw Emotion
I can’t say enough about this amazing cast. “Youth of May” is a bittersweet story full of aching emotion. It could easily have lost it’s power of sincerity with a less skilled cast. But instead, each role is portrayed with a depth of character that leaves us heartbroken in all the right ways. The leads had a subtle chemistry that was poetic, the young boys reflected the beauty of freindship in a touching way, and the parent/child relationships showed some of the struggles we all encounter as family.
♥ Burden of Privilege
In times of conflict, there are always those whose birth and privilege protect them. I loved how Soo Ryun and Soo Chan portrayed this guilt. Soo Ryun threw herself into the middle of the student protests because she couldn’t stand to stay quiet and see people’s rights threatened. Soo Chan does his best to stay out of the fray, which is easier since he is no longer a student. But when he is wrongly arrested and beaten, he sees first hand the pain of injustice and the cost of his silence. And yet he is honest enough to confess that he is relieved when he is released and sent home, even though many other innocent people were still there suffering. It’s easy to be a freedom fighter when it effects your life personally, but it is harder when you don’t have anything to gain and everything to lose.
♥ Fresh Historical Perspective
The Gwangju Uprising is not an easy topic. Even now, people fail to agree on what really happened or how many were killed. This event has left a scar on the hearts of many Korean citizens, and I felt like this drama did a nice job of speaking for the innocent people who suffered through it. For me, it was a valuable lesson on an event I was totally unaware of. And while the theme of violence was a difficult one, “Youth of May” also gave us some balance with a beautiful coming of age story that is memorable and sweet.
Things I Didn’t Like
Hwang Gi Nam Ending
I think it’s safe to surmise that Hwang Gi Nam didn’t get his happy ending, but I would like to have seen more closure to his story. As the one responsible for all the other characters’ misery, it would have been nice to see him get what he deserved. It’s probably better that they left this up to our own imaginations, and there is a subtle message here that life isn’t always fair and those who deserve it the most often go unpunished. Our final glimpse of him, as he tries to comfort an injured Jung Tae and is shaken off, is actually the most fitting punishment he could receive.
That Stupid Watch
Okay, actually it was a brilliant cinematic technique to use the watch to build suspense, but I just have to say it made me want to scream as I saw the watch change from person to person. I was already pretty sure it would end up being Myeong Hee’s body, but a girl can always hope for a miracle happy ending. And each time a new person got the watch, I thought, just maybe, it wasn’t her after all. But that final change of hands sealed her fate and broke my heart. I have to hand it to them, I watched each exchange with bated breath.
Kwon Young Chan
Quite the opposite of Gi Nam, we see Kwon Young Chan living a life of punishment he doesn’t seem to deserve. I know that it’s important to remember the young soldiers like Young Chan who were forced to act against their own consciences by greedy politicians hungry for power. But it broke my heart to see Young Chan at the end, still bearing the scars of a war he never wanted to fight.
The Ending
It’s hard to believe that the ending of “Youth of May” was even more heartbreaking than I anticipated, but they really went in for the kill with this one. We see a short reunion between Hee Tae and Myung Hee’s brother, who is now a priest, as well as Soo Ryun and Soo Chan, who seem to be doing well. And Hee Tae exchanges a brief nod with Young Chan at the police department that acknowledges the suffering they both have been through. Hee Tae also makes a brief phone call to his mom to check on Jung Tae, so we know they have managed to keep the family together at least a little bit. I guess the only shadow of a happy ending is an adorable cameo from Choi Won Young as the adult Hee Tae. Life hasn’t been easy for him, but he is still practicing medicine and offering support to those in need. Seeing the physical scars he bears from the times he tried to escape that difficult life is tragic and heartwrenching. But with the discovery of Myung Hee’s body, he seems to have found some closure and the will to answer Myung Hee’s final prayer that those left behind wouldn’t drown in their sorrow.
Should I Watch
“Youth of May” is a historical drama of first love and the tragedy of violence and war. The true life events of the Gwangju Uprising give this beautiful love story a somber tone that is poignant and heartbreaking. So, if you are looking for light and fun, this is definitely not one for you. It is not a spoiler to tell you that this story will break your heart. It’s supposed to. We would not be human if we did not grieve the ravages of violence and it’s effect on the innocent. This story is emotional and well written, and the cast does an excellent job. For those who want a serious historical drama that doesn’t go all the way back to the Joseon era, this one is a touching coming of age series that reminds us of the innocence of first love. I give “Youth of May” an 10 out of 10 ramen.
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