Early Access: Our Blooming Youth E1, E2

E1. So.. I like what I see so far, but I don't love it - yet?

It's weird, but I kinda feel like I've just been on a blind date with a great guy with all the right specs; handsome, polite, nice personality, and has a stable job, but at the end of the evening, I feel like I just haven't felt any real spark of us hitting it off?

But, I think this initial first date is promising enough, that I'd go on at least several more dates with him, in hopes that the spark of real connection will eventually come?

And so, in a weird way, I feel like I've gone on a date with the second lead in a drama? 😅 He's nice, but there's no spark? 🙈

That's pretty much exactly how I feel about this show, so far.

I feel like Show's doing a lot of things right, albeit in a rather formulaic sort of manner, but it's just not popping for me, just yet.

I really want to love this one, though, so I'm definitely hanging in there, at least for a while, to see if all Show needs, is a bit of time to settle into its groove.

Meaning, according to my analogy, I'm hoping Show turns into a bona fide male lead, instead of the nice guy second lead who doesn't manage to get the girl. 😅

On the upside, I think Show is really quite pretty to look at.

For some reason, the color composition in this one really appeals to me, from the very first frame; the colors feel balanced and rich, and I find it very aesthetically pleasing, generally speaking.

I find the central premise interesting, in that I'm curious know what's really going with the curse that our Crown Prince, Hwan, is supposedly under. Is there a real curse at work?

I'm also curious to see how our leads cross paths, and come to the agreement, to help each other, as per what the promotional materials have told us.

In terms of what I mentioned earlier about Show feeling rather formulaic, that might have to do with the fact that I watch a fair amount of dramas, and therefore, sometimes have that, "been there, seen that," sort of reaction.

It's very possible that if you haven't watched all that many dramas, you might find everything much more novel and enjoyable. This is just how things work in general, after all, yes?

From where I'm sitting, though, in terms of setting up our story, it feels like Show is going through a formula of tried and tested beats, in order to get the job done.

Nothing inherently wrong with that, since it gets the job done - like those gossiping eunuchs and court ladies get the job done, in expositing the rumors that are plaguing Hwan.

It just doesn't feel very fresh to me, is all, and again, like I keep reminding myself, these are early days yet, and Show could still surprise me, by really finding its stride, to set itself apart from the average sageuk.

I'm mainly here for Park Hyung Sik, as many of you already know, so a very important question, is, how do I feel about Park Hyung Sik as our Crown Prince, so far?

Well, I like him in the role so far, but I want to love him in the role, and so, this is falling short for me, by a bit, for the time being.

I'm trying to put my finger on just what it is, that's missing, for me, and I'm reaching for the thought that while Park Hyung Sik's delivering his lines and the emotion of the character well, I'm missing a depth and gravitas that I expect from a Crown Prince character.

Maybe that will come later, though, because where we are now, in our story, Hwan is feeling insecure and uncertain, because of the curse that he's enduring, and that certainly provides a narrative reason for him to project, well, the opposite of gravitas.

So, even in the scenes where Hwan shows stronger emotions, like anger, frustration or sorrow, it's entirely possible that Park Hyung Sik is simply threading all that through, with the insecurity and fear that Hwan is living with - and that's why he's not popping with gravitas like I instinctively want him to. 😅

On a very, very shallow note, I have to confess that I am slightly distracted by the hair piece that they're using for Park Hyung Sik's topknot.

Is it just me, or is that hair piece just a tad too, uh, bulbous? 🙈 I feel like it's just that little bit too bulbous, such that it calls attention to itself and therefore makes the entire look unnatural, whereas if it were a little less bulbous, I think it would sit more naturally. 😅

Sorry. I can be a very shallow fangirl sometimes. 😝

As for our female lead Jae Yi, I did come across some online derision at the way she's able to fight off so many soldiers, being all small and petite.

After thinking about it, I conclude that I don't have a problem with the idea of her being able to fight off the multiple soldiers on her tail, because it's possible that she's learned to fight, even though that's not typical of a noble lady in Joseon times.

But, if her father were open-minded, which I'm thinking he was, I could imagine him allowing her to learn to fight in secret.

Therefore, my problem with those fighting scenes, is not with the fact that Jae Yi is able to fight the men off, but in Jeon So Nee's portrayal of the fight scenes.

There's something a little too flaily about her actions, that implies that she's not quite in control of the sword in her hand. That is the key thing that makes these scenes unbelievable, I feel.

If she's so flaily, then obviously her ability to fight those soldiers comes into question, and of course it all looks unnatural.

But if her movements were sharper and stronger, then at least I'd be able to reach quite easily for the conclusion that she must be trained in swordsmanship, and that's why she's able to defend herself so well.

And yes, there is, of course, that fall from the cliff, which plunges her deep into the water. I totally call artistic license on that one, since you really need to suspend disbelief, that she's able to survive that fall.

BUT, since so many other sageuks have done this before, I'm parking this more under formulaic than logic-stretchy.

In a somewhat refreshing twist, our Left State Councilor doesn't appear to be the scheming one, in this drama world (so far, at least?). That honor goes to the Right State Councilor (also listed as Chief State Councilor).

For everyone who's wondered, in the past, why it's always the Left State Councilor who's got treasonous goals, this little detail might offer a bit of a kick? 😁

It's also slightly unexpected for me, to see Hong Soo Hyun play our Queen, because it feels like not very long ago, that I saw her in The Princess's Man, for our group watch.

To my brain, it kinda-sorta feels like Hong Soo Hyun jumped into a time machine or something, because in my head, I somehow still see her as her 2011 self (most likely because I don't seem to see her all that much). 😅

Like I said, this was a solid first episode, even though it didn't blow my socks off.

And, as we end off the episode, Jae Yi's almost within reach of the Crown Prince, with whom she's desperate to gain an audience, while Hwan is suddenly faced with the very real possibility that his best friend Seong On, might be turning on him, just like the curse prophesies.

My gut says this is a fakeout - but let's see?

E2. First things first - overall, I still have the same initial reaction to this show, in that, I like it, but am not yet loving it. But hope springs eternal, so I am ever hopeful that "like" will turn to "love" soon enough. 😅

Second of all - I was right, it WAS a fakeout!

Maybe Seong On will turn on Hwan later on in our story, but it's much too early for that, and so, it was all a fakeout. Seong On was aiming his arrow at a hawk, and not at Hwan.

I actually like the idea that Jae Yi's there to look for Hwan, not only to seek his help, but also, to protect him, because that's what her father had told her to do, with his dying breath.

And, how interesting, that Jae Yi's the person behind all those solved cases, which had been reportedly solved by her brother.

I guess Jae Yi's been working under her brother's name, in order to get around the Joseon system, where she, as a noble lady, has no business investigating cases.

I like the idea that Jae Yi's not only smart, but experienced in solving cases. That in itself makes her a more interesting female lead, for sure.

And, I like that with that background, it actually makes sense that she would be able to tell Hwan exactly how someone might have faked the blood on his brush, using a trick that shamans tend to use.

If Jae Yi is right, and someone (and not a ghost) is working against Hwan, and faking the entire curse, I'm really curious to learn the details around that.

Clearly, the supposed curse has gotten under Hwan's skin, such that he dreams about it, and even avoids using his right hand as much as possible, because it appears that him using his right hand, tends to bring on the supposedly cursed incapacity.

I'm sure there's a lot of Hwan's own mental stress at play, so I'm curious to see where the stress stops, and the actual plotting begins - if that's what this is.

It feels very promising, that Jae Yi's explanation helps Hwan prove to the court officials, that someone had tampered with his brush and water, in order to create the appearance of the fake blood.

This gives her a quick measure of credibility in his eyes, I'm sure.

How curious, though, that Hwan insists that he never sent any secret letter, and yet, Jae Yi's able to quote the letter that he'd written, word for word? Hwan thinks that he'd burned all the letters that he'd written, but clearly, someone saved that letter and sent it on his behalf. But, who?

I'm slightly suspicious of Hwan's eunuch, Eunuch So, not for any other reason, than the fact that Choi Dae Chul, the actor who plays him, tends to play shady characters a lot of the time. 😅

But.. maybe Eunuch So had been the one to send the letter, out of concern for Hwan?

I don't know how I feel about Resident Crazy Dude Kim Myung Jin, who's got that forced laughter going on, way more than I'd prefer.

Show's making him out to be a little crazy, but very capable of doing useful things - AND, he's on Jae Yi's side. Not only does he somehow know that she's the one who'd solved all those cases, he's in love with her as well.

I don't enjoy his character very much at the moment, but my gut says that it's very possible that he will somehow become a bit of an MVP, in our story. Let's see.

I'd originally hoped that Hwan would be more open to working with Jae Yi, especially after her theory about the water and wood proves true.

But, I suppose, since Hwan's in a place where he finds it hard to trust anyone, I can rationalize that he wasn't ready to trust her, but since her theory had helped him, he's willing to let her go.

I like that Jae Yi speaks up for herself, and shows him that him letting her go, is as good as him telling her to die.

And, I can believe that Jae Yi would speak recklessly like that, because desperate times call for desperate measures, and the way she sees it, she's as good as dead, if nothing changes, anyway.

As we close out the episode, we've got Hwan intently clamping his hand over Jae Yi's mouth, to prevent her from yelling out his secret.

I'm preetty sure that we're on the cusp of an actual agreement for them to help each other, and I'm looking forward to us crossing that milestone.

Reluctant partnership, here we come?

Next episode notes will be out on: Friday, 17 February 2023!