'Record of Youth' Episode 1: Parasite's Park So-dam, Park Bo-gum show introduces struggles of chasing dreams
'Record of Youth' Episode 1 starts with Sa Hye-jun (Park Bo-gum) auditioning for a role which might see him play a news announcer, followed by which we see him as a bodyguard. This is a man who takes up multiple odd part-time jobs to make ends meet while keeping his passion for acting alive. An Jeong-ah (Park So-dam) is a junior make-up artist who works for a top makeup shop in the city. She is a fan of Hye-jun who works hard and hopes to meet him when she has grown into a capable individual. Hye-jun, on the other hand, is struggling to survive with the money that he makes.
While Hye-jun is a hard worker, he is now frustrated because he has not landed a single acting role despite being a successful model. He has bills to pay and from what he first said, it also seems that our young lead doesn't have too much time. Turns out, Hye-jun was being conned by his agent who had refused to pay him. They also did not get him enough assignments for him to support himself financially. The man who owns the agency that he worked with for seven years hasn't paid the only model who works for him out of loyalty and Hye-jun decides to break his contract and leave his agency. However, the CEO who doesn't pay him also doesn't want to let Hye-jun go easily. Instead, he tells Hye-jun that he will never make it as an actor. He also tells Hye-jun repeatedly that he as too naive or that he can never compare to his top model best friend.
The only difference between Hye-jun and his friend Hae-hyo is the fact that Hae-hyo is from a family that is economically well-to-do. There are privileges that Hae-hyo has which Hye-jun can never dream about. For instance, Hye-jun has to support himself while chasing his passion. Hae-hyo, on the other hand, can afford to spend all his time and effort on pursuing his dreams. The CEO's attempts to poison Hye-jun's relationship with his best friend is not fruitful as we see the two of them continue to bond just like before.
We also learn that Hye-jun's mother works for Hae-hyo's family. This might lead to conflict later in the show but for now, we see how each of their youth is ridden with struggles and obstacles. This mainly comes in the form of the families that the two of them belong to. Hye jun's father is not supportive. Contrary to this, Hae-hyo's mother is overly involved in her son's life and also uses her connections to get him assignments. This is despite him telling her that he wants to make it in the industry without any help from his family. Sure, at first glance many would write Hae-hyo's struggle off because of the privilege that he comes wrapped in. Is that okay though? After all, we are speaking of a young man who is trying his best to not abuse the privilege that he was born with.
Then the episode takes a slightly biographical tone as we see Hye-jun receive the notice to be drafted in the army. He has climbed the ladder to become a top model over the years, however, he is yet to make his mark as an actor in show business. Being drafted at this time is not the best thing for his career. If he decided to complete his compulsory enlistment at this time, that would mean that Hye-jun is giving up on his dreams of becoming an actor. With his family, his agency, and many others in his life putting the pressure on him to take life a bit more seriously and live in reality, Hye-jun might just sign up to be drafted in. In real life, actor Bo-gum was drafted on August 31. However, contrary to the show, he has been a part of popular movies and highly rated TV shows.
Then we have Park So-dam, in her first role since the successful outing of 'Parasite'. As Jeong-ah, she is also someone who has given up on a corporate job to follow her dreams and that is to become a make-up artist. She has decided to live solely for herself in a society that pushes a lifestyle that supports and cares for one's family more than oneself. Amid the busy work schedule, the time she spends fangirling over Hye-jun is her happy place. In the first episode, she meets the model that she has been fangirling over for the first time as a makeup artist who works on his show, and that marks the beginning of their relationship.
So far, we have met the main characters and the first episode also leaves us with food for thought! As we watch Hye-jun being forced to listen to the advice of well-meaning family members, colleagues, bosses among others, he comes to the realization that people who comment on other's lives and give advice without being asked for it barely think about what is best for you. They usually have something to gain, a self-serving purpose that needs to fulfilled and such anecdotal experiences add to the show's vibe. This is a show that attempts to capture the true slice of life through its main characters.
'Record of Youth' originally airs on tvN on Mondays and Tuesdays in South Korea and can be streamed on Netflix in the US.
