Youth of May

8.3
20211h

Production

Logo for Arc Media

A budding love story between a medical student and a nurse takes place in May 1980, during a time of civil unrest and military oppression in Gwangju.

Trailers & Videos

Thumbnail for video: Youth of May (2021) Official Trailer | K-Drama Trailer | 오월의 청춘 | Lee Do Hyun, Go Min Si

Youth of May (2021) Official Trailer | K-Drama Trailer | 오월의 청춘 | Lee Do Hyun, Go Min Si

Seasons

12 Episodes • Premiered 2021

A budding love story between a medical student and a nurse takes place in May 1980, during a time of civil unrest and military oppression in Gwangju.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 1: Everyone Running Their Own Race

1. Everyone Running Their Own Race

9.0

Hwang Hui-tae heads to Gwangju to fulfill a patient's last wish. Kim Myeong-hui gets a chance to study abroad, but is short on airfare.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 2: The Shoes That Fit Me

2. The Shoes That Fit Me

9.0

Myeong-hui attempts to leave a bad impression on Hui-tae, hoping to never see him again. Hui-tae, rather enjoying the act, seeks to prolong the affair.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 3: Your One Month

3. Your One Month

8.0

Hui-tae and Lee Su-ryeon keep up the charade a little longer, using the situation to their advantage. Hwang Gi-nam keeps track of his son's whereabouts.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 4: Crossing the Line

4. Crossing the Line

8.0

When Myeong-hui is unable to make time for Hui-tae on her day off, he volunteers to follow her wherever she goes. Su-ryeon gets a mysterious phone call.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 5: A Good Woman

5. A Good Woman

8.0

Upon Myeong-hui's request, Hui-tae makes a surprising announcement to Su-ryeon's family. Myeong-hui finds help getting her passport processed on time.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 6: A Cough, Love, And...

6. A Cough, Love, And...

10.0

Myeong-hui's choice to follow her heart is met with strong pushback. Lee Su-chan calls Hui-tae up for drinks, but offers a word of warning instead.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 7: The Unbreakable Tie

7. The Unbreakable Tie

Myeong-hui's dreams drift further out of reach. Hui-tae tries to persuade his father to leave Myeong-hui alone, but it only provokes him to double down.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 8: After the Door Closes

8. After the Door Closes

Myeong-hui stays occupied with extra chores and hours at work. Hui-tae also carries on as if nothing happened, until Su-ryeon breaks her silence.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 9: Warning Signs of a Disaster

9. Warning Signs of a Disaster

Overnight, Gwangju is overcome with violence, and victims pour into the hospital. Hui-tae and Myeong-hui put their plans on hold to help.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 10: Goodness, Hypocrisy, Utmost Effort

10. Goodness, Hypocrisy, Utmost Effort

Once patients with gunshot wounds fill the ER, Hui-tae realizes that they'll have to leave now or never, but devastating news holds Myeong-hui back.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 11: Mudeung Stadium

11. Mudeung Stadium

Myeong-hui decides to stay put at the hospital, despite her family's plea to get away together. Hwang Jeong-tae witnesses a horrifying sight at home.

Still image for Youth of May season 1 episode 12: The First of May

12. The First of May

In a simple ceremony with just the two of them, Hui-tae and Myeong-hui exchange prayers as wedding gifts. The tender moment is cut short by tragic news.

Cast

Photo of Lee Do-hyun

Lee Do-hyun

Hwang Hee-tae

Photo of Go Min-si

Go Min-si

Kim Myeong-hee

Photo of Lee Sang-yi

Lee Sang-yi

Lee Soo-chan

Photo of Keum Sae-rok

Keum Sae-rok

Lee Soo-ryeon

Photo of Oh Man-seok

Oh Man-seok

Hwang Gi-nam

Photo of Kim Won-hae

Kim Won-hae

Kim Hyeon-cheol

Photo of Uhm Hyo-seop

Uhm Hyo-seop

Lee Chang-geun

Photo of Hwang Young-hee

Hwang Young-hee

Choi Soon-nyeo

Photo of Shim Yi Young

Shim Yi Young

Song Hae-ryeong

Photo of Park Cheol-min

Park Cheol-min

Choi Byeong-geol

Photo of Lee Hwang-eui

Lee Hwang-eui

Han Seok-joong

Photo of Heo Jeong-do

Heo Jeong-do

Lee Gyeong-pil

Photo of Kim Bo-jeong

Kim Bo-jeong

Kim Min-ju

Photo of Jung Wook-jin

Jung Wook-jin

Choi Jung-haeng

Photo of Rho Sang-bo

Rho Sang-bo

Hong Sang-pyo

Photo of Kim Eun-soo

Kim Eun-soo

Lee Kwang-gu

Photo of Lee Kyu-sung

Lee Kyu-sung

Jung Hye-geon

Photo of Joo Bo-young

Joo Bo-young

Park Seon-min

Photo of Kwon Ji-woo

Kwon Ji-woo

Kim Kyung-soo

Photo of Park Se-hyun

Park Se-hyun

Lee Jin-ah

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Reviews

P

ParkMin

4/10

It seems the drama excuses itself way too much and too often under the umbrella of "real life events" which denotes for a lazy writing. Moreover, the antagonist in the drama is portrayed as an omnipotent being who possesses an uncanny awareness, insight, and control over everything and everyone. Practically a god! It undermines the believability of the story and weakens the conflict by eliminating any sense of balance or potential for meaningful character growth and development. This kind of characterization is only passable for makjang shenanigans, mindless action or goofy adventure flicks. Instead of crafting a compelling tragedy, it turned into an extensive series of self-inflicted misery, unreasonable maneuvers and forceful entanglements. This is not how to make a tragedy!

The brothers playing the big turning point for the climax were only brought to attention in the last 2-3 episodes. How do you expect the viewers to care? While some of the support characters may receive attention initially (or eventually like the brothers) but they ended up being underdeveloped and lacking depth. Their presence feels inconsequential and fails to contribute meaningfully to the overall story. Either give them a proper investment or don't waste unnecessary scenes. The 12 episodes run already feels too long! Despite dealing with potentially emotional and poignant themes, the drama fails to delve deeply into the emotional lives of its characters. Instead, we got a superficial, quick and dry cuts that were barely sufficient to progress the story.

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