The scandal of “Snowdrop” in the past weeks has inadvertently brought “Youth Of May” (a KBS2 drama that premiered in May) back into the spotlight.
What both these dramas have in common is that they are set in a controversial period in Korean history. So the comparison between these two dramas is inevitable.
As each drama follows a different story, let’s compare and see which main couple has better visuals and acting.
Go Min Si & Lee Do Hyun – Youth of May
Both Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun are potential new stars of the Korean film industry. While Go Min Si made an impression by looking similar to actress Kim Min Hee, Lee Do Hyun made people remember him for his outstanding acting talent. Their collaboration in “Youth of May” made the audience curious about how they would perform.
In terms of visuals, this couple is not exceptionally considered god and goddess of the film industry, but their looks are still attractive with their own charms. What is very interesting is that both are quite suitable for the old-style fashion in the drama, thanks to which their beauty becomes more convincing to viewers.
All of the above are just additional factors, for an actor, acting is the most important thing. Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun did not disappoint viewers with their impressive performance in the drama. In scenes of them enjoying happiness and joy together and moments of sadness and despair when they know that the person they love is no longer in this world, the two’s acting are very emotional.
Lee Do Hyun is already known for his good acting skills, but Go Min Si‘s performance with such a heavy role is very surprising. “Youth of May” did not have high ratings and did not receive much international attention, but with the hard work of the film crew in all aspects and the nearly perfect performance of the couple Go Min Si – Lee Do Hyun, this is still a worth-watching drama of 2021.
Jisoo & Jung Hae In – Snowdrop
The first thing that catches the eye of the audience in “Snowdrop” is the top-notch beauty of the leading couple Jisoo and Jung Hae In. Go Min Si – Lee Do Hyun are also gorgeous but when it comes to visuals, perhaps the face combination of Jisoo and Jung Hae In is more solid. Jisoo and Jung Hae In standing next to each other immediately brightens the screen with their dazzling visuals.
Snowdrop marks Jisoo’s first acting gig as the female lead in a drama. For an idol-turned actress who lacks experience, Jisoo’s acting exceeds the expectations and is not bad, but she still shows many weaknesses.
Jisoo does a good job in crying scenes, but in other emotionally challenging scenes, her eyes lack emotions and overall expressions look somewhat stiff. Moreover, Jisoo sometimes overuses surprised wide-eyed expressions a bit, making the viewers uncomfortable. Notably, the biggest problem with Jisoo’s performance is her unclear pronunciation and intonation when delivering her lines. This is a common mistake that seems to be made by almost every idol-turned actor in the early stages.
As for Jung Hae In, his acting is good and pleasant to watch. However, compared to D.P. released earlier this year, so far, Jung Hae In’s performance in “Snowdrop” is not so special.
In addition, the audience’s reaction to the leading couple of “Youth Of May” is much more positive than that of “Snowdrop,” not only because of the differences in the storylines but also how the actors approach their roles.
Go Min Si – Lee Do Hyun studied history through legit documents, went to places where real events took place, and even visited and met with people who lived during that period to get more material for filming.
On the other hand, Jung Hae In drew heavy criticism by sharing that he “learned history through the script“, while the script of “Snowdrop” is the biggest cause of backlash over historical distortion the drama is facing.
