Early Access: Record Of Youth E1

E1. Not gonna lie; I was almost afraid to start this one, in case I hated it. Now that I've finished the first episode, I'd say that this wasn't love at first sight. In fact, it kinda felt like an awkward blind date, where you're trying to make conversation and everything feels kind of scattered. But, at the end of the date, you feel like there's enough there, to try a second date, to see if this might turn into a meaningful connection, given the chance.

That's exactly where I am, with Record Of Youth. This episode felt kind of scattered to me, and the conversations and relationships between characters don't quite pop for me, in that it kind of feels like I'm watching people acting, rather than getting a glimpse into these people's lives. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this drama world isn't translating so well for me, so far. I also can't quite explain why, but so far, the dialogue feels orchestrated, to me.

I'm hoping that this is just initial teething issues, and that everything will come together in a way that feels more organic, going forward.

I have a big ol' soft spot for Park Bo Gum, and it's rather poignant seeing him on my screen, knowing that he's up and gone to serve his military service, and won't be back for 2 years. He's perfectly solid, as I expect him to be, because I think he's a very skilled and talented actor. But perhaps because of how I feel like everything's coming across as quite awkward and scattered so far, I'm not feeling his character as much as I want to.

I do feel sorry for Hye Joon because it feels like he's having not just a long, bad day, but he's actually having a long, hard couple of years. Not getting paid for modeling work, not seeming to make headway in pursuing his acting dreams, having to do several part-time jobs to make ends meet, feeling like his best friend is leaving behind because he's so much more successful, and to top it all off, feeling looked down on and unwelcome by members of his own family.

It's a lot, and it's little wonder that Hye Joon's sweet disposition is laced with cynicism and frustration. I guess I'm not used to seeing Bogummy play a mix of sweet and cynical, so I do need to adjust my lens and expectations a bit. But, I do find it realistic that all of this would wear down even the sweetest tenderheart. And, Park Bo Gum is injecting his character with his characteristic layers of soulful emotion, so I do have good hopes for enjoying Hye Joon's character as a whole.

I do like Jung Ha quite nicely, pretty much right away. I mean, she does get bullied at work, but I like that she's good at what she does, grateful for opportunities given to her, and sensible and focused. She's got her own apartment, knows her priorities, and doesn't crumple because of the bullying, and chooses to pep talk herself instead. She might have some Candy traits, but she doesn't strike me as a Candy. She's just too grounded and sensible for that.

I also like that she's got her head on straight when it comes to fangirling. She gets respite from fangirling Hye Joon, but her fangirl crush on him doesn't bleed into her real life goals. She is firm about not wanting to get married, and states that even Hye Joon won't be able to change her mind on that. Ok, I mean, I know that she's likely to change her mind on that, since she and Hye Joon make up this story's OTP, but I just like the idea that she's such a down-to-earth fangirl. Such a different species of fangirl than those who dream of marrying Oppa.

Despite my feeling that this episode is kind of scattered, I do find it thought-provoking and sobering to be reminded that the beautiful people on social media might be struggling, as we see from Hye Joon's situation. He has some success as a model, and a following on social media, and yet, behind the pretty pictures, there's so much frustration and uncertainty.

I think that's why I like where we end the episode, because after all of this discouragement, I like the idea that Hye Joon would be encouraged to know that he has a fan in Jung Ha. I'd like to see more of them interacting too; they only meet each other pretty late in this first episode, so I'm curious to see more of how they spark off each other.

So far, I don't have strong feelings about Hye Joon's friendship with Hae Hyo. I think I like it more in concept than in execution. In concept, it's nice that they have a longstanding friendship, and have promised to do everything together, including going to the military. But I have to admit that, for now, I feel like there's a hollowness in their banter and interactions. Maybe it's because of my nagging feeling that everything's very scripted. Or, maybe that hollowness is intentional, because of how things have been evolving, with Hae Hyo gaining a competitive edge because of his mother's interfering. We'll see.

Hye Joon's family dynamics are still settling, for me. I get that Dad is frustrated and dissatisfied, Gyeong Joon is judgey and harsh, and Mom is protective of Hye Joon, while Grandpa is the quiet sweet cheerleader who believes in his grandson, but it's just not grabbing me, so far. But hopefully, it will, given time.

Like I said, not the greatest first date ever, but I feel like there's enough here to give me hope for better dates to come. Fingers crossed.