This drama series reunited Yoo Ah-in and Shin Se-kyung, who previously starred together before on Fashion King after three years.
Title
The Korean title of the series is in Old Korean, nareushya is a pure Korean word, which means nara oreuda (날아 오르다) or "soar up to the sky" in modern Korean. Thus the literal translation of the title is "six dragons soaring up to the sky" (여섯 마리의 용이 날아오르셔서).
Plot
Six Flying Dragons depicts the ideological and political conflict between Prince Yi Bang-won (later King Taejong) and Jeong Do-jeon, the man instrumental in helping the prince's father Yi Seong-gye (King Taejo) establish the fledgling Joseon nation. Jeong Do-jeon wants a country ruled by ministers, while Taejong wants absolute power.
Poster revealed for ‘Age of Youth’ drama that first aired on July 22, 2016.
Saturday was the twelfth and last episode of the Korean drama, Age of Youth, or in Korean, ‘청춘시대.’
Age of Youth follows the lives of five girls who all reside under the same roof at a house called the Belle Epoque which means “beautiful era” in French. The name of their house may be a reference to the title of this drama as well as the ages of these girls who are all currently in their twenties. Each episode explores the various livelihoods, events and daily life experiences of each girl. Although they all live inhabit the same house, they all have very different personal, financial, and romantic situations.
The characters are well-made – each of the girls are easily differentiated. The oldest member of the house is Yoon Jin-myung, but usually referred to as “Yoon sunbae” by the girls, as she is the eldest. She is reserved, intelligent, hard-working, diligent in her studies, works many part-time jobs, and may have seemed standoffish in the beginning, but is concerned about her younger roommates. She is also stubborn and has endured many hardships but never complained. She is selfless and doesn’t take proper care of herself.
Then there is Jung Ye-eun, whose nickname is “Madame Jung.” She is the feminine girly-girl who may seem superficial at first, as she only seems to pay attention to her outer appearance. However, she is caring about her friends, very affectionate towards her boyfriend and is actually naive about romantic relationships.
There is Song Ji-won who is cheerful, talkative, friendly, a mood-maker and an extrovert who likes to act cute. She has a strong sense of justice, outwardly protective of her friends and outspoken. However, she does have insecurities about herself because she’s never dated anyone.
The youngest is Yoo Eun-jae, who is probably the polar opposite of Ji-won, as she is an introvert who is quiet and shy. She is also innocent and may appear bright on the outside, but is actually holding a lot of secrets which has been bothering her for a long time.
Last but not least, there is Kang Yi-na, who is the only girl who is not a college student. She is beautiful (and uses it to her advantage). She loves shopping and living a luxurious life. She has no real job and is funded by older, wealthy men who give her money and gifts in exchange for her company. She is strong, and may seem dependent on men, but she is using them to live in leisure and lead an extravagant lifestyle. She is not afraid to speak up, is honest,and is protective of her friends in a subtle way.
Out of all these girls, there is definitely a character you can relate to. Another great aspect of the drama is how real it is. It discusses the reality of dreams, friendships, school life, romantic relationships and so on. It tackles issues as well, from breakups to job-hunting to struggling with an abusive boss at work, to dealing with debts and the lack of financial security.
Age of Youth is realistic and is not your typical romance drama. I tend to watch many dramas that have romance as one of their big themes and many of those dramas are unrealistic and very cliche. A recurring plot line for those far-fetched dramas is how a poor and naive but kind girl falls in love with a rich cad, who is often a womanizer. The scenes in those dramas are so improbable and and redundant that it makes the drama actually comical and somewhat watchable. However, those dramas are just amusing and something to watch when you’re bored.
But this drama, is worth-watching and worth your time. This drama forces you to ride on a roller coaster of emotions, there will be times when you smile at their silliness, laugh with these girls, cry with them, sob for them, get frustrated with them, want to protect them and so on. You grow with these girls in the six weeks and care about them even though they’re not real people. But that’s the thing – these girls are so normal and familiar, that they could be a real person somewhere out in the world. It almost feels like you have become their roommate and have joined their circle of friendship. This ordinariness of the girls, the plot line, the stories of each character is what makes this drama extraordinary.
One very interesting concept of this drama as well, is at the end of each episode they interview the actor and actress, but in the role of the characters they are playing. The director asks the characters questions to try to understand them and inquires for explanations for their actions in that respective episode.
The cinematography is great too. Most television shows have the same opening theme with each episode. However, for this drama, there is a video montage of different clips that relate to the title and overall theme of that particular episode.
Out of all the dramas I have watched, this is definitely the best. I will definitely watch all twelve episodes all over again. If you want a real drama that depicts real situations and if you want something you can relate to, this drama is a must-watch.
Age of Youth aired on Fridays and Saturdays for six weeks at 10:30 KST on the South Korean cable channel JTBC. Each episode is about seventy minutes and if you’re interested in watching this drama, you can watch all the episodes here with English subtitles.
Kill Me, Heal Me was a huge success, developing a cult following, and was one of the most successful dramas in 2015, winning many awards at various award functions, including a Daesang for Ji Sung.
The human body is capable of all sorts of things to survive difficult situations. Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung) is a third-generation business heir who developed dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) in the aftermath of several life-threatening traumatic events. He tries to regain control over his life with the help of Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung-eum), a first-year psychiatric resident who helps him secretly. But Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On (Park Seo-joon), is a writer who is determined to uncover the unscrupulous lives of the rich and starts following Do Hyun around. Can Do Hyun take control over his condition before one of his seven personalities takes control over him instead?
A wealthy businessman with a warmhearted personality who loves to help others. He is the main personality of the body. However, after realizing that he suffers from dissociative identity disorder (DID) 11 years ago, he has been desperately trying to hide this fact from his families and friends. In Episode 17, it was revealed that Cha Joon-young is his real name. He has six other identities:
Shin Se-gi: A vehement guy with a devil-may-care demeanor who appears when Cha Do-hyun experiences violence. He may be violent, but he never hurts children and women. Se-Gi endures all of Do-hyun's pain as he is the only identity to have all of Do-hyun's memories. His first love is Oh Ri-jin.
Perry Park: A 40-year-old man with an affinity for fishing and building bombs. He appears when Cha Do-Hyun missed the sweetside of his father before they came back into the mansion. The name "Perry Park" came from the promise Do-Hyun (Joon-young) made to his father, which is to buy a boat named Perry Park Boat for him. He speaks with a Jeolla dialect.
Ahn Yo-seob : A suicidal, intelligent 17-year-old boy and an artist. He first appeared when Cha Do-hyun attempted to commit suicide when he was in High School. He is Yo-na's twin brother.
Ahn Yo-na : An extrovert and mischievous 17-year-old girl who loves idols. She appears when Cha Do-hyun undergoes a great deal of pain or mental stress, and needs to endure it clandestinely. She has a crush on Oh Ri-on. She is Yo-seob's twin sister.
Na-na (Cha Do-hyun): A 7 year-old girl who owns a teddy bear named Nana and revealed that her name is Cha Do-hyun . She is the embodiment of Do-hyun's childhood fears as well as Ri-jin's younger self.
Mr. X: A mysterious guy who is later revealed as the father of Na-na.
Oh Ri-on's twin sister. A first-year psychiatry resident who tries hard to maintain her seemingly perfect image to cover for her real personality. At first glance, she looks elegant and gentle, but she is actually messy and short-tempered. Ri-jin then becomes Do Hyun's secret psychiatrist, and slowly falls in love with him. In Episode 16, it was revealed that Cha Do-hyun is her real name .
He is Oh Ri-Jin's twin older brother. Ri-on often gets mistaken for a goofy simpleton, but he is actually a famous mystery novelist under the pseudonym Omega who investigates about Seungjin Family. His other name is Oh Hwi which is used to flirt with girls.
President of ID Entertainment, he is Do-hyun's confident and competent cousin. Ki-joon and Do-hyun are rivals, with both competing to inherit their family's company.
Kill Me, Heal Me was well-received among the audience in South Korea and globally, mostly due to the story line and Ji Sung's vivid acting skills. It developed a cult following too and is one of the most viewed K-Dramas on internet in 2015.
I think ever since I have known that there are such things called 'dramas', this particular one called '1 Litre of Tears' exists. Wherever I looked for drama recommendations this one was always included. Now I know why. 1 Litre of Tears falls nothing short of a masterpiece. While I sincerely thought it was not flawed, there are a couple of annoying characters in it.
The story is absolutely brilliant. The fact that this happened in reality and that there are still thousands of people suffering from this disease is truly saddening and heartbreaking. I can the portrayal of a person's disability in it was 100% accurate. It was so realistic that I felt like it was actually happening in front of me. The main cast gave outstanding performances- especially Sawajiri Erika. She was so convincing that I felt her pain.
Apt to its title, this drama could make you cry a lot- depending on you. I am going to confess that there were a few times I absolutely teared up. In fact, I think not tearing up while watching this would be inhumane. Anybody who is capable of feeling sorry for the physically disabled or people suffering from painful diseases will be able to feel it here too. Aya (both the fictional and real one) is a very inspiring person. The things she recorded in her diary is deep and moving.
The way they showed the transformation of an ordinary girl's life after she encounters Spinocerebellar Atrophy was the main focus of the drama. More than her struggle, it was also focused on how it affects those around her- be it friends, parents, siblings, teachers or regular people you meet on the street. It makes me think of all the physically disabled people I have seen in public. I think I can understand their feelings more clearly now.
This drama is almost like a documentary made on Aya's life. Neither is it happy to begin with nor does it end happily. But the sadness and tears aren't the only things in it. Most of all- it will remind you to treasure life and be thankful for what you have. There's a deeper underlying meaning to it too. It also showcases the kindness and cruelty of humans and their attitude towards such people. In a lot of countries, people are still not aware of hardships such people have to go through and treat them badly. Just like Aya said, "Why did it choose me?" The matter of falling ill was not by choice but only cruel fate.
This drama is one of the rare gems that you should definitely not miss out on.
Title: 琅琊榜 Nirvana in Fire Episodes: 54 Region: China Broadcast Period: September 19, 2015 – October 15, 2015 Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5
Summary:
Prince Qi and the Chiyan Army were framed for attempting to stage a coup and committing treason. The Chiyan Army was massacred under the Emperor’s orders, and 19-year-old Lin Shu, the son of General Lin Xie, was one of the few to survive. However, he was poisoned from the Poison of the Bitter Flame. Treatment for the poison changed his appearance, weakened his body, and shortened his life. He spends the next 12 years establishing the Jiangzuo Alliance under the alias Mei Chang Su and planning out how to clear Prince Qi and the Chiyan Army’s name as traitors.
When he is finally ready to enact his plan, he enters the capital under the alias Su Zhe. In the fight for power between the two favored prince, the Crown Prince Xian and Prince Yu, he becomes a political strategist. On the surface, he works for Prince Yu, but the prince he is truly trying to bring to power is his childhood best friend, the unfavored Prince Jing. Prince Jing is the only prince whose morals he agrees with and the only prince who would ever attempt to reveal the truth and clear the Chiyan Army of its name.
Overall Thoughts:
I am normally very hesitant about watching dramas over 30 episodes long, so it took a lot of convincing to get me to start watching this drama. But I am so glad I finally gave in because this is one of the best historical dramas ever made. It kept my eyes glued to the screen, and I finished all 54 episodes in less than a week. This drama was fast-paced and filled with brilliant strategies and maneuvers on bringing down the favored princes and raising the unfavored prince into power. Cinematography, acting, and script were all amazing and top-notch. One could not ask for more in a drama.
SPOILER WARNING
Thoughts on Characters:
Hu Ge as Lin Shu/Mei Chang Su/Su Zhe
Hu Ge was phenomenal in this role. His eyes were so expressive! No matter what he was saying, you can tell what he was really feeling just by looking at his eyes. All the pain, all the yearning.
As Hu Ge mentioned in an interview, Mei Chang Su isn’t just Lin Shu. Mei Chang Su is the combination of all 70,000 Chiyan soldiers who were wrongfully accused and want justice. He is a very intelligent strategist and is always a couple steps ahead of everyone else. He has a strong network that provides accurate information and does what he needs to get done, and he’s very good at anticipating what others will do. He always has the end goal in mind. When things don’t go as planned, he is very quick to improvise, and he always does it successfully. He’s also extremely patient… I mean, carefully planning for 12 years takes a lot of patience!
Fortunately for the world, he uses his intellect for good. He establishes the Jiangzuo Alliance and is greatly admired and respected as the chief. When you can easily find 10 people who are willing to give up their lives for you, you know you’ve lived your life the right way.
Wang Kai as Xiao Jing Yan, Prince Jing
Chen Long as Meng Zhi
Hu Ge as Lin Shu/Mei Chang Su/Su Zhe
Wang Kai… where do I even begin? It’s no surprise to me that this drama escalated his status as an actor, and I am so glad it did because from now on, I will probably be following all of his future dramas.
Prince Jing is a prince who sticks to his guns and would never sacrifice his morals for power. He hates strategists because they use innocent people to achieve their goals. His stubborn personality and his strong belief that his brother Prince Qi and the Chiyan Army were not traitors caused a rift between the Emperor and him, so he was an unfavored prince for a long time.
Mei Chang Su was adamant about keeping his real identity from Prince Jing because he knew that if Prince Jing knew Lin Shu was his advisor, he would hesitate in everything that he did for fear that it would harm Lin Shu. It was so heartbreaking for me to watch Prince Jing cry in front of his mother because he missed Lin Shu so much, but didn’t realize that Lin Shu was right there by his side.
Meng Zhi is extremely loyal and is the best fighter in the drama. Although he is not the fastest when it comes to understanding the situation and the consequences, he is the first to recognize that Su Zhe is Lin Shu. He recognizes him at first sight and never doubted it. So, to me, this makes up for all the other times when he’s a little slow or simple-minded.
Liu Tao as Princess Ni Huang
Hu Ge as Lin Shu/Mei Chang Su/Su Zhe
Maybe I just need to do some research, but I was surprised that a woman was leading an army in this era, especially since she had a brother. Princess Ni Huang is a skilled fighter and the general for the army guarding the southern boarder. I loved how she was so independent and so in control of her own destiny. When the Emperor was trying to marry her off, she managed to get him to agree that she didn’t have to marry anyone who couldn’t beat her in a fight. And of course, she ended up beating all of her suiters.
She was betrothed to Lin Shu and is the second person to recognize that Su Zhe/Mei Chang Su was actually Lin Shu. I loved how she was able to recognize him, despite his changed handwriting and changed appearance. I guess we can call that true love. When I was watching, I was waiting for Prince Jing to connect the dots the way she did, but alas, he wasn’t so quick on the uptake/he was more hesitant to believe that Mei Chang Su could be his friend. It’s really too bad that her love with Lin Shu just wasn’t meant to be. When I was nearing the end of the drama, I secretly hoped that she would be pregnant so that we could get a somewhat happy ending, but I guess the writer didn’t have the same thoughts.
Victor Huang as Xiao Jing Huan, Prince Yu
Gao Xin as Xiao Jing Xuan, Crown Prince Xian
Prince Yu is ambitious and is described as the prince who most resembles the Emperor. He was adopted by the Empress after his mother died, and he didn’t know who his mother was until the end. His strategist was Qin Ban Ruo, whose motives were not so pure. One thing I didn’t understand was why he didn’t consult with Mei Chang Su more (the way he consulted with Ban Ruo) when he thought he was on his side. Whenever Mei Chang Su gave him advice, it always helped his case, so I’m puzzled by why he only consulted with him whenever there was a crisis.
Despite his ambition, Prince Yu knew his place and was going to give up his quest for power after the whole Wei Zhang situation backfired. It’s too bad that Ban Ruo managed to convince him to make one last attempt for power and go all out by attempting a coup.
Crown Prince Xian is a prince who’s not very capable, but he has very powerful supporters. His primary pillars of support are his mother, the favored Noble Consort Yue, and high-ranking Marquis Xie Yu. I assume Marquis Xie Yu sided with the Crown Prince because he wasn’t as competent as Prince Yu and is therefore easier to control. Otherwise, I don’t see why someone so powerful would support someone so incapable. Ultimately, the Crown Prince brings about his own downfall because he shows the emperor that he’s truly incapable of leading a country.
Jin Dong as Lin Chen
Wu Lei as Fei Liu
Oh Lin Chen, why couldn’t you be in more of the drama?! If you had showed up more, I’m sure your brilliance coupled with your fun-loving nature would’ve made you my favorite character. Too bad you were only in the beginning and the end, so it was hard to get too attached to you.
Lin Chen is the master of Langya Hall, a skilled physician, and Lin Shu’s loyal friend. In terms of intelligence, he is probably on Mei Chang Su’s level. He is quick to deduce and quick to plan countermeasures. As the master of Langya Hall, he is also very resourceful. If he had wanted to aid another prince in the battle for power, I’m sure he would’ve given Mei Chang Su a run for his money.
Fei Liu is Mei Chang Su’s cute, fun-loving, loyal, simple, and pouty bodyguard. Despite his age, he is a highly-skilled martial artist and makes it almost impossible for anyone to attack Mei Chang Su. His interactions with Meng Zhi and Lin Chen always made me laugh and the way he treats Mei Chang Su always melted my heart.
Guo Xiao Ran as Yan Yu Jin
Cheng Hao Feng as Xiao Jing Rui
Xiao Jing Rui and Yan Yu Jing had one of the best bromances of the drama. I’m so glad that the most tragic character in the whole drama, Xiao Jing Rui, had the playful and carefree Yan Yu Jin as his best friend. Xiao Jing Rui is very skilled with the sword and uses his skills to protect others time and time again. He has such a big heart and is probably the most innocent in everything, but sadly, due to his identity, was a major chess piece in the game for power. Xie Yu used him to make Zhuo Ding Feng do a lot of the dirty work, and Mei Chang Su used him to break up the tie between Xie Yu and Zhuo Ding Feng. It’s even more heartbreaking that one of the worst days of his life turned out to be his birthday.
For someone whose father ignored him for over a decade, Yan Yu Jin is quite a positive person. He’s the kind of guy that everyone would want to be friends with because he’s just so playful and fun to have around. But it was nice to see his serious side as the drama progressed. And I love that Mei Chang Su helped convince his father to spend more time with him.
Thoughts on the Ending:
I may be in the minority, but I loved the ending and thought it was the best way to end this beautiful drama. We knew early on that Mei Chang Su/Lin Shu didn’t have long to live, so we could predict that he’d live until the Chiyan Army was cleared of treason but not too much longer after that. Yes, a miracle could’ve happened – Lin Chen could’ve created some cure. He could’ve lived happily ever after with everyone, but that just doesn’t fit the tone of the drama. So early on, I knew the drama would end with Mei Chang Su’s death. The question was when, where, and how. Would he just die peacefully, surrounded by loved ones after he’d cleared the Chiyan Army’s name? That would be kind of a weak ending, given how strong the rest of the drama was. So no… his death was so much more. Although he was able to clear his name, Mei Chang Su could never go back to just being Lin Shu. It really is the best ending that he was able to go into the battlefield one last time to protect the country that he loves, to really show his intellect in the field where he truly shines, and to live as Lin Shu one last time. His death was inevitable, and he died doing what he truly wanted to do after doing what he really needed to do. What more could you ask for? And Jing Yan renaming the northern army as the Changlin Army shows that his friend will always be with him. Mei Chang Su and Lin Shu were a huge part of how the country came to be the way it currently is (moral, protected, and for the people), and Jing Yan honors that by naming the army after both of them.
Final Comments: GO. WATCH. NOW. Especially if you like historical and political strategizing (scheming) dramas. And if you like Hu Ge or Wang Kai… or any of the cast members because they were all great.
