Why everyone is obsessed with K-drama Record Of Youth
PHOTO: Instagram/sodam_park_0908
PUBLISHED ONOctober 04, 2020 5:00 AMByGerald Tan
If you’ve been on Netflix, you’d notice on K-drama has been trending recently: Record of Youth.
Hot on the heels of smash hits such as Crash Landing On You, The King: Eternal Monarch and It’s Okay To Not Be Okay, the streaming giant has added Record Of Youth to its burgeoning roster of notable Korean dramas that we’d happily spend our weekends binge-watching.
Making its debut on South Korean cable channel tvN on Sept 7, the ongoing 16-episode series stars Park Bo-gum, Park So-dam and Byeon Woo-seok as 20-something hopefuls from various societal backgrounds looking for their next big break in the entertainment industry.
From the looks of it, Record of Youth is a slickly produced drama that boasts the same standards we’ve come to expect of productions hailing from the land of K-beauty brands, BTS and Blackpink. Here, we list the reasons why you should include the show in your playlist of Netflix favourites.
1. The Cast
We’ll admit it – we’re fans of 29-year-old actress Park So-dam, who’s best known for her stellar performance in 2019’s Parasite, the Oscar-winning film directed by acclaimed auteur Bong Joon-ho. Record of Youth marks her return to the small screen following the success of Parasite on the film festival circuit.
In the drama, she plays Ahn Jeong-ha, a plucky make-up artist who is a fan of struggling model-actor Sa Hye-jun, brought charismatically to life by the boyish-looking Park Bo-gum.
Meanwhile, Byeon Woo-seok plays Won Hae-hyo, a rising star who enjoys a head start in the industry because of his family’s connections and affluence. Fun fact: The handsome 28-year-old made his debut as a model IRL.
2. The Fashion
If you’ve been following So-dam closely on Instagram, you’d have noticed her understated way of dressing. In an industry where looking over-the-top is sometimes a virtue, her personable style feels like a breath of fresh air. And it seems this same sense of ease has translated onscreen as well.
An oversized blazer look her character sported in the show – topped off with a small crossbody that proved the mini-bag trend isn’t going away anytime soon – was especially memorable.
Guys, take note – you’ll want to take a leaf out of the way Bo-gum’s character is styled in the series, which is perhaps best described as a deft mix of menswear classics that don’t require too much effort to pull off.
Think: Sporty hoodies layered under understated two-piece suits. Or suede jackets worn with faded denim jeans. We’ve already spied a Maison Margiela collarless jacket, plus a multi-coloured Loewe Puzzle bag, on his character.
3. The Plot
The budding romance between Bo-gum and So-dam’s characters may be a highlight of Record Of Youth, but the overarching theme of the drama focuses on the pursuit of one’s dreams. Especially poignant — given the strange times we live in now.
And even though it is only four episodes in at the point of writing, Record Of Youth has already touched on topics such as social media fame, as well as highlighted the trends shaping South Korea’s digital realm.
For example, Jeong-ah (So-dam’s character, if you’re still keeping track) is shown “make-up busking”, where she stations herself at a busy thoroughfare in Seoul and records herself dispensing make-up advice to passers-by. How ingenious is that?
4. The Soundtrack
Any Hallyu fan will have you know that the soul of every Korean drama lies in its soundtrack. From rousing ballads to retro tunes, the wide-ranging selection is also representative of the Korean music industry.
It’s not just K-pop—in fact, the country’s eclectic music scene offers a wide selection of genres, each one special and thriving in its own little ways.
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That said, we can’t get enough of the song that accompanies Record of Youth’s opening credits. While very little information about it is available at this point of time, fans of the drama series are guessing it’s sung by Janet Suhh, an under-the-radar artiste who’s lent her voice to other renowned dramas and behind performances like this.
