Spring of Youth first impression: A K-drama that badly needs Netflixification to rescue its fresh faces, old-school charm, and Byeon Woo Seok vibe

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Spring of Youth went as far as to give the show a real-life touch, onboarding actual K-pop idols Ha Yoo Joon, vocalist of the band AxMxP, and Lee Seung Hyub of N.Flying. Though the storyline might seem familiar if compared to its tvN predecssor, all the past life connections, recurring dreams, swooning over the K-pop idol of a fictional band, and romance-packed elements— the makers insist Spring of Youth is meant to follow the legacy of the 2009 sensation You’re Beautiful, another musical romance drama, which was the biggest hit of the time. 

If you’ve already tuned in and want to give it a try — Spring of Youth follows the lead trio forming a K-pop band of their own after Sa Gye gets kicked out of his label for something he saw six years ago that he wasn’t supposed to. Jo Han Chul is clearly hiding something, and Kim Bom, our female lead, is his top target. Sa Gye, who fell for her at first sight, blows his last shot with the label, which tells him to either lay low, serve in the military, or vanish abroad. He ends up renting a room in Bom’s building after losing all his assets and going broke. Bom wears a strange necklace with a tune Sa Gye claims he hears every morning in a dream, one that always comes at 5:45 am and includes visuals of a little girl. His romantic interest on the other hand, says it’s a song she wrote for her mother. Believe it or not, the storyline is very much acceptable, but take it from someone who’s not just riding the Netflix wave of K-content, but has been in since we were swooning over the cringey yet heart-fluttering lines of Boys Over Flowers, School 2017, W, Strong Woman, and more, what didn’t hit the mark this time was the acting, which has been pretty meh from the start.

Lee Seung Hyub, even with limited screen time and the typical second-lead treatment (aka: zero chance with the girl), still manages to leave a mark, like he did in Lovely Runner. But, our male lead despite the visuals, he doesn’t deliver. Blank expressions, zero emotional weight, and a character arc that just doesn’t stick. That lack of real emotion, that disconnect from the chaos of actual life, that’s where the show starts losing its audience. By the finale, the fandom will be divided again with second lead syndrome because as the K-drama says, “A boy and a girl, who meet on the first autumn rain are destined to fall in love.”

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Spring of Youth: Binge or pass?

The big Netflixification of K-dramas and K-reality shows has definitely come at the cost of classic storylines. Only a handful are managing to break through; the rest, even with big budgets like When Life Gives You Tangerines, Weak Hero, and more, aren’t even trying for domestic stardom anymore. They’re gunning straight for the big global platforms. With so many ongoing dramas already out and a fresh wave dropping next week, whatever little charm Spring of Youth has might vanish before it even finds its footing. It plays out like a fast-forwarded reel of mismatched scenes, casually ticking off every outdated rom-com cliché from ten years ago. I wouldn’t call it straight-up bad—but let’s be honest, it’s not exactly good either. Still, I’ll be giving this one last shot to see if Episode Three hooks me into a full run.