Wistful first loves are gaining traction among Korean dramas and movies.
1. 20th Century Girl
Coming out near the end of October, “20th Century Girl” starring Kim Yoo Jung was a movie about youth through a nostalgic lens, dotted with sweet details. The story’s upbeat and joyful opening did not promise a happy ending when it took Bo Ra (Kim Yoo Jung) 20 years to learn of her first love’s death.
2. Twenty Five, Twenty One
The series “Twenty Five, Twenty One” captivates the audiences with its nostalgic colors and early 2000s setting. Na Hee Do (Kim Tae Ri) and Baek Yi Jin (Nam Joo Hyuk) crossed paths because of the ongoing crisis and spent the most spectacular days of youth with each other. They shared deep feelings for each other but gradually strayed apart because of geographical distance. The series ended on a cliff-hanger where the audience did not even know where Baek Yi Jin’s life would head.
3. The Classic
“The Classic” lives up to its name as a mainstay in Korean cinema, telling the tragic love between Joo Hee (Son Ye Jin) and a poor student whom she stumbled across, Joon Ha (Cho Seung Woo). Despite their intense feelings, the duo could not come together as Joo Hee had an engagement with Tae Soo (Lee Ki Woo), a close friend to Joon Ha. The love story took a dramatic turn when Joon Ha decided to join the military and was blind and met his death at a young age when he had not had a complete happiness.
4. Youth of May
“Youth of May” presented the viewers with an utmost sorrowful love story. Hwang Hee Tae (Lee Do Hyun) and Kim Myung Hee (Go Min Si) were two young people with a cause, who wished to make their ideals into reality during a chaotic time. Their relationship started out with a substitute blind date and ended with the heartbreaking death of Kim Myung Hee. 40 years until her body was found was the 40 years Hwang Hee Tae felt the pain and loneliness while seeking his first love in desperation.
5. Snowdrop
Also set in the Gwangju Independence Movement, “Snowdrop” also had a tear-jerking ending when one half of the couple met their death early on. Eun Young Ro (Jisoo) was a beautiful and carefree student who crossed paths with Lim Soo Ho (Jung Hae In), a North Korean agent with a strong responsibility for his country. The series took the tragedy to a next level by letting Soo Ho be shot in the arms of Young Ro.
Source: k14
