Our Blooming Youth (2023)

April 30, 2023

Our Take: A slow-burn sageuk that gets derailed by messy writing.

The Premise

Min Jae Yi (Jeon So Nee) is the doting and gentle daughter of a respected noble family in the Joseon era of Korea. Engaged to Han Sung On (Yoon Jong Seok), the son of a powerful State Councilor, Jae Yi accepts her fate with grace and prepares for the future. However, days before her wedding, Jae Yi's family gets brutally murdered. 

As the only one left alive, she inevitably gets framed for the murders and ends up on the run from government officials. After narrowly escaping death, she crosses paths with Crown Prince Yi Hwan (Park Hyung Sik), a lonely and arrogant prince who got mysteriously cursed three years prior. After some negotiation, Yi Hwan agrees to protect Jae Yi and disguise her as Eunuch Go Soon Dol in exchange for her helping him break his curse. 

With a partnership intact, they navigate their troubles as a team. Jae Yi enlists the help of her best friend and maid, Jang Ga Ram (Pyo Ye Jin), who worked closely with her in the past to solve detective cases, as well as Kim Myung Jin (Lee Tae Sun), Ga Ram's master and the owner of Manyeondang/ the Prime Minister's youngest son. Meanwhile, Yi Hwan counts on his close friend and Sergeant Sung On, as well as his Guardian Warrior, Tae Gang (Heo Won Seo), to help him ascend the throne. 

The Detective Crew

Yi Hwan is a charming Crown Prince who exhibits vulnerability and intelligence. His character is layered with depth and complexity as he straddles between filling his dead older brother's shoes and doing right by his friends, family, and the people of his kingdom. He has a contemporary take on gender norms, openly acknowledging that women are not mere objects but people capable of doing great things independent of their husbands. 

Min Jae Yi leaves a strong first impression as a skilled fighter and genius detective. Unlike the other noblewomen in her time, she's not afraid to get her hands dirty. For years, she used her wit and charm to work with Ga Ram as undercover detectives to capture criminals and help the victims seek justice. However, similar to the pitfalls of Alchemy of Souls' Mu Deok, Jae Yi's character suffers from some inconsistencies in her backstory and character development.  

It's implied she has a knack for solving mysteries and loves her family dearly, but we don't see a ton of flashbacks of her work or previous life with her family. Her character would have been much more compelling if we saw more of her life outside of cross-dressing as a eunuch beside the Crown Prince. She clearly has a vibrant personality and is a quick-witted and skilled person. But she doesn't get as many opportunities to showcase her detective work. Additionally, Jae Yi's family is a central part of her story, allowing her the freedom to do what she wants without judgment. Yet she is not given space to fully grieve her family or reflect on their past together. Incorporating more scenes of their deep bond and the pain Jae Yi felt after their deaths would have made their arc stand out more.   

Myung Jin and Ga Ram have great chemistry as master and apprentice. They play off each other well and have complementary skills that allow them to learn and grow together. For example, Myung Jin teaches Ga Ram how to read and write while Ga Ram stands up for Myung Jin when his fiancée from his arranged marriage tells him to call off the wedding because she's embarrassed to be associated with him. Meanwhile, Sergeant Sung On and Tae Gang are steady and loyal friends who stand by Yi Hwan and Jae Yi no matter what. They bring balance and add an element of fun to the rest of the group. 

A Slow-Burn Romance

While the plot sets up a love triangle between Hwan, Jae Yi, and Sung On, the drama does not focus too much on unnecessary tensions and conflicts between them. Instead, Hwan and Jae Yi naturally developed a sweet friendship and mutual love, forming the foundation of their relationship. 

Their romance is subtle, but their chemistry is undeniable. From the start, Hwan knows who Jae Yi is, yet he is not intimidated by her independence and bravery. Instead, he gives her freedom and independence to pursue her interests. While Jae Yi initially clings to Hwan out of necessity, she gradually becomes someone Hwan needs and depends on, creating a deeper love between them. 

An Overcrowded Storyline

The story starts very promisingly, with a Crown Prince who was mysteriously cursed and a noblewoman who has fallen far from grace. We have a murder mystery, thrilling fights, a death-defying escape, and fateful meetings between the main characters. However, after everything gets set up, the romance and mysteries move at an excruciatingly slow pace. 

Somewhere in the middle, the plot became convoluted and kept going around in circles until everything gets quickly resolved in the last episode. The pacing would have felt more satisfying and less uneven if the show was the standard 16 episodes instead of 20 to smooth the pacing between the middle and the finale. 

Additionally, certain plotlines felt poorly written and could have been more fleshed out. For example, Right State Councilor Jo Won Bo (Jung Woong In) is the main villain who wants to dethrone Hwan and install Prince Hyung An (Im Han Bin) as a puppet king. However, his motivations and backstory are not adequately explored, and he becomes just another politician vying for power. 

Byeokcheon is a central pillar of the storyline, with the King even sending his army there to crush a rebellion and bar people from Byeokcheon from holding government positions. However, as more details about Byeokcheon gets revealed, the scale of the supposed rebellious district keeps getting downsized until it becomes a mere village. For a place that plays such a key part in the plot, the final reveal felt underwhelming. 

All the ideas are there, but the delivery and execution get lost in translation on the way to the grand finale. However, despite some of these pitfalls, most of the characters have full storylines, and you grow to care about what happens to them. 

Final Thoughts

Our Blooming Youth is a slow-burn drama that blends historical romance with mystery and politics. The friendships, particularly between Jae Yi and Ga Ram, are highly refreshing to watch. Despite the hierarchy between Hwan and Jae Yi and their close friends, they deeply respect and love each other, elevating the dynamics between the group. However, the writers take too long to lay the groundwork for the show, ultimately making the ending feel anti-climatic even though everything wrapped up neatly.