From sweet, innocent love stories to passionate, vibrant youthful experiences, Korean films have painted a colorful picture of beautiful youth. Each film is like a diary, recording memorable moments, genuine emotions that everyone has experienced at least once in their adult years.
“Our beloved summer”: delicate, meaningful, healing and full of youthful meaning
Subtle, healing, sweet but no less haunting, “Our beloved summer” does not possess an overly dramatic plot but still succeeds in gradually conquering fans. The film is even commented as “so profound that it hurts the viewer’s heart”.
Gentle summer footage that everyone wants to keep
Starring Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi, Our Beloved Summer quickly became a phenomenon because of its interesting plot about the love story between Choi Woong (played by Choi Woo Shik) and Kook Yeon Soo (played by Kim Da Mi) since their school days. Although it seems like just a normal name, “Our beloved summer” contains many profound meanings.
A story of friendship and gentle love in childhood
Summer is not just a normal moment, nor is it just a summer that the two have together. That “beloved summer” is also passionate youth, pure youth, and also because of their innocence and purity like summer. In particular, the episodes are extremely delicate when they are named after the blockbusters released in different summers.
The gentle yet profound film makes it unforgettable.
“Ages twenty-five, twenty-one”, first love full of torment
Set in 1998, Twenty-Five, Twenty-One revolves around the story of Na Hee Do (played by Kim Tae Ri) and Baek Yi Jin (Nam Joo Hyuk) whose dreams were suddenly taken away by the economic crisis. The way Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee Do met was poetic and innocent; when love blossomed, it was also romantic and pure; but the way they broke up was full of hurt.
First love never has a beautiful ending, gentle but painful
The film ends with the unfinished but painful love story of the main characters. Their love stopped at the age of 25 and 21. Both became a memorable part of each other's youth. Those who have experienced first love like Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee Do will probably understand. Baek Yi Jin and Na Hee Do loved each other so beautifully, they thought they could be together forever, but in the end they broke up. Perhaps because at that time they were both young, their feelings for each other were real, but their rashness, big egos, and inability to tolerate each other's mistakes were also real.
Young friendship is as beautiful as a movie
Such a beautiful first love, has changed everyone's life for the better, why can't we miss it? Someone once said that when we remember a love, we may not remember that person but remember ourselves at that time.
“Family By Choice”, a love song about family affection and young love
“Family By Choice” is a Korean drama remade from the famous Chinese drama “In the Name of Family” (2020). The work takes place in 2003, revolving around the life of a girl named Yoon Joo Won and her single father - a noodle shop owner. Yoon Joo Won always dreamed of having an older brother in the family. And then suddenly, fate arranged for her to have two older brothers.
From people with different bloodlines, the three lived under the same roof, creating a strange family.
Compared to China's "In the Name of Family", "Family By Choice" focuses more on the family story of the three main characters, instead of developing the love story of the two brothers with the female lead Joo Won. The film conveys a message about how we define real family. Family can be strangers who find common ground and then help and rely on each other. Family is built on how people treat each other, not just a piece of paper proving the same bloodline.
They healed together and had a beautiful childhood together.
“Sparkling Watermelon”, Youth Through a Thousand Shapes and Sounds
“Sparkling Watermelon” begins with the story of a young man named Ha Eun Gyeol, the only one who can communicate in a deaf-mute family. Since childhood, this young man has been passionate about music. However, he has to put aside the joy that makes his heart flutter to play the role of a good student like his parents always wanted.
In addition to a romantic story about love and passionate youth, "Sparkling Watermelon" is also a profound reflection on memories and time through beautiful poetic footage.
Until a heated argument broke out with his father, Eun Gyeol accidentally discovered a strange music store and unexpectedly traveled back in time to 1995. At this point in time, he met his father Ha Lee Chan when he was a student and discovered that his father was not born deaf, that he was once a bright, sunny teenager who could speak and sing.
A gentle, pure love story that heals viewers
From here, the story is no longer what Eun Gyeol sees, but becomes more objective through the perspective of Lee Chan, Cheong A, and the adults from that youth. Mistakes, friendships, and overlapping love relationships create countless "half-crying, half-laughing" stories, leading viewers to experience parallel emotions, both happily enjoying the feeling of light school nostalgia, and not being able to help but worry about the misfortunes that are about to happen to these naive teenagers.
Friendship is as bright as summer
Not only is it a story of youth, “Sparkling Watermelon” also cleverly exposes the hidden wounds beneath the peace and tranquility. The pains are not expressed in words, but resonate through the hands – the hands that express sign language and the hands that pluck the strings. In everyone’s life, youth is the most beautiful time. Sometimes we don’t need to do something too big, just daring to express ourselves, trying to passionately pursue our passion is enough to create an extremely memorable memory.
Painting a bright picture of youth, with both joy and sadness, where both friendship and love bloom most brilliantly, these Korean movies have taken turns making viewers' hearts flutter and throb throughout the four seasons of Spring - Summer - Autumn - Winter.
