'Record of Youth' viewers say they prefer 'Start-Up' as Park So-dam is wasted: 'All she does is smile and nod'
Park So-dam rose to international fame with her role in the Oscar-award winning film 'Parasite', and a reference to this is even made in her recent show 'Record of Youth'. With a stunning star cast that includes Park Bo-gum's last starring role before he enlisted in the army, the expectations and buzz surrounding the show was high. However, the show has made fans extremely unhappy for many reasons and the main one being actor Park So-dam's unimpressive role. Especially in the past few episodes, the chemistry between the lead actors has dropped to indicate that the romance between their characters Hye-jun and Jeong-ah has turned cold. However, there has not been much plot growth in terms of where the main characters are headed.
On the surface, especially at the beginning, Jeong-ah seemed like a refreshing character who would portray the need for stability despite giving up on a stable 9 to 5 job. She is independent and has a clear idea of where she wants to be when it comes to her career. Her thoughts are clear as crystal when she is pondering on her life in the solace of her own company, however, it is the moment that she sees Hye-jun that Jeong-ah's thoughts get scrambled. Sure, she had said that she did not want to bother him with details, with worries, and anything negative because of the very brief time the two of them have together. However, that is not convincing the fans enough.
One frustrated fan wrote on a Reddit post-episode discussion thread, "It's official, I've lost interest in the show with Start-Up catching my attention over the weekend. I'm only watching this show until the end since it's already episode 13," further adding, "I agree with the comment from a previous episode discussion thread that this show feels like just a series of scenes with very minor 'conflicts of the week' thrown in. It's like every episode, there's some character who appears (or reappears) only for the purpose of complicating Hye Jun's career somehow (to no avail). Speaking of the aforementioned Start-Up, I now wish Park So Dam had been offered Suzy's role in that show instead."
Another member agreed and stated, "Yeah feels like all Park So Dam does is smile and nod, what a waste." One fan also wished that the fact that Jeong-ah was a fangirl was explored a bit further and wrote, "Don't get me started on Start-Up. I can't believe I have to wait a week for the next episode. You've mirrored my feelings at this point. I'm carrying on because I'm not a quitter, but I really wish they'd explored the 'fangirl' storyline a bit more. It may have been more interesting than what we were given."
One fan wrote in response, "Can't blame you. I came in for Park So Dam and really wish she had been given something better to do. At least the ratings are good so it won't hurt anyone's careers."
Many were upset that the show hasn't shown much growth in terms of plot development. One pointed out all the loose ends that need to be tied up with just three episodes left. This fan wrote, "So we have Hae-hyo's career, the little sister's relationship with the friend, the dad's injury, Jung-ha's shop and relationship with parents, the main relationship. Probably a pair the spare romance for the manager (maybe with Hye-hun's (Hye-jun) big bro), grandpa's modeling, the ex-agent and his actor."
