#aoyrewatch

Or, nichester’s mixed feelings on the first episode of age of youth

On the one hand, I think it's really well written and directed, but I also wonder if it's the best possible introduction to the show and the characters that it could be. The first time I watched it, I questioned whether I would enjoy the show and almost stopped watching. Luckily, Ji-won (and her crazy announcement) brought a breath of fresh air into the show at the end and I decided to stick with it for another episode, giving the show time to demonstrate their intended structure: rotating between viewpoint characters. My hesitations mostly came down to Eun Jae. She was a very frustrating character for me to watch in the pilot episode--I understand her and I appreciate her journey, but I thought she would be too passive to make an interesting protagonist. I was really happy that we got a chance to explore their different perspectives over the two seasons. This balance--a true ensemble--was what made the show so special. I genuinely don't think the show would have been as good if it had stayed inside Eun Jae's head, no matter how much she grew, because the charm of the show is how different all of these girls are and how close we become to all of them (and them to each other). 

Ji-won's arrival at the end of the episode brings much needed energy and drama into the show, changing up the tone drastically. These tonal shifts are characteristic of this show, which is ostensibly a slice of life, but which deals with some intensely dark themes. It’s a weird beast and difficult to classify when I recommend it to people! However, I think it was smart to save Ji-won's entrance for the very end. As much as I love her, she has a tendency to draw the viewer's attention as well as the other characters around her, and I think she would have overpowered more subtle characters like Eun Jae. Also, it was important to see Eun Jae resolve her fight with the other girls herself, without any mediating presence from Ji-won.

Hey :) I’m going to rewatch Age of Youth (Season 1)

from May 22, 2020 to June 27, 2020

and if you’re interested, you’re welcome to join whether you’re watching it for the first time or rewatching it like me! I will take it slow and watch it at the same pace as when it aired (two episodes a week - Friday and Saturday one episode each).

I will use the tag #AoYrewatch (besides the regular tag #age of youth), reblog some stuff and probably post some new edits while I’m rewatching. Of course you can use that tag, too, if you’re watching with me and want to live blog, post commentary, edits etc.!

Here’s the detailed schedule:

May 22, 2020 (Fri) - Episode 1

May 23, 2020 (Sat) - Episode 2

May 29, 2020 (Fri) - Episode 3

May 30, 2020 (Sat) - Episode 4

June 5, 2020 (Fri) - Episode 5

June 6, 2020 (Sat) - Episode 6

June 12, 2020 (Fri) - Episode 7

June 13, 2020 (Sat) - Episode 8

June 19, 2020 (Fri) - Episode 9

June 20, 2020 (Sat) - Episode 10

June 26, 2020 (Fri) - Episode 11

June 27, 2020 (Sat) - Episode 12 (final episode)

Don’t worry if life gets in the way and you slow down or take a break from (re)watching. And no one prevents you from binge watching either. lol So no one really has to stick to this schedule... it’s just an outline. ;)

See you soon (maybe)!