Twenty years old (2014) - Review

“Twenty years old” or “20's” is mini web drama that I watched back in 2014. Yesterday I wanted something easy and funny to watch, after the more serious “Friend”. While I was searching my hard drive I stumbled upon it and I knew this is what I was looking for. With four episodes with 20 minutes duration each, you could say it is like a movie.

What is this about:

Hae Rim, a young 20-year-old girl meets her first romance from high school again, but now he is a famous k-pop singer, Ki Kwang.

My review:

This is one of the best web dramas I have ever seen. It wisely plays with its strengths and you don’t notice the few drawbacks. 

Starting with the cast, Hae Rim is a simple girl that wants to live a romantic love with someone, but she is not so lucky. Her attempt to capture the interest from someone from her friend group was so cute. She tried her best to use make up – her friend helped a lot – and to dress well and she looked lovely. However, it didn’t end well, mainly because he wasn’t as good as he seemed to be.

We've all been there girl.

Ki Kwang is such a sweet boy. His smile can melt ice. I had no idea who he was prior to this. Apparently he is a member of a popular pop group Beast – no idea what that is – and he used his real name here. I think it is a very fresh approach to cast a kpop idol and use his real life persona as his character.

What did I say about that smile?

The directing was fresh and fun and used the limited duration of each episode to its advantage. The colours were earthy and pink, while the music consisted mainly from a guitar playing in the background which was mellow and relaxing. It also made me think about this idol culture that puts the artists in a showcase where no one can touch them. It is very sad, not only for the artists, but also for the fans to create such mentality.

The only drawbacks, which are not really drawbacks, are that this is a web drama. Obviously it doesn’t have a full fleshed story and the acting here is nothing to write about.

Why you should watch:

• Very cute romantic web drama.

• Its duration is perfect, you can finish it in one sitting.

• It is thought provoking, quite an achievement if you think that longer dramas lack in that department.

Why not to watch:

• If you want something more, this is not what you’re looking for.

• The actors obviously are new to this.

Final verdict:

8/10. This is a web drama that I can watch again due to its charm more than anything else. I recommended it if you have two hours to spend with humor and romance.