Top 3 Lessons from the Coming-of-Age K-Drama, "Hello, My Twenties!"

Hello, My Twenties! is one of the most underrated Korean dramas ever. Also known as Age of Youth, this coming-of-age series is about four INCREDIBLY TEMPERAMENTAL young adults living in a boarding house called Belle Epoque. I enjoyed this series because it isn’t mushy even though it tackles romance and friendship. Just like other K-dramas, Hello, My Twenties! does not merely entertain. Rather, it also shows the impact of Korea’s socio-cultural issues on the South Korean youth.

The show’s Korean perspective makes it a unique series with universal themes that can resonate with young people regardless of ethnicity. So here are the top 3 important life lessons that the Filipino youth can take away from Hello, My Twenties!

# 3 Dead or delayed dreams can be a good thing.

In the series, two of the characters aspired to land lucrative careers in the arts and faced an uphill (if not impossible) battle in fulfilling their dreams. Far too often, adults tell young people that they can be anything that they want to be as long as they have passion. That simply isn’t true. You can be incompetent at something even if you feel passionate about it. Or so many people might be good at what you’re excelling in that there aren’t enough well-paying jobs for everyone in that field. While those situations can be disheartening, they can compel you to venture on a more suitable path that will make you happy.

On the other hand, encountering obstacles towards your dream career doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t worth pursuing. It could just mean that you need to work harder. Perhaps you should even try to achieve your goals in a way that works best for you instead of doing what everybody else does. In the process, you will develop skills and attitudes that you would not have acquired if everything had been easy.

# 2 You can be free from the bondage of your past.

All four women living in Belle Epoque harbored shameful secrets that haunted them throughout the series. Each of them overcame the problems that resulted from traumatic experiences in varying degrees by confronting their demons and making amends with those whom they had hurt. Age of Youth could still have developed better redemption arcs though, as this drama had too many unresolved issues when it ended. Jung Ye-Eun’s plotline was particularly unsatisfactory. Even if she did experience character growth, she kept on becoming preoccupied with new personal issues and was constantly in need of comforting or rescuing. She consequently became more annoying in Season 2.

# 1 Never grow weary of doing good because all your efforts will be rewarded in time (Galatians 6:9). *With spoilers*

Yoon Jin-myung and Song Ji-won are my favorite characters in this series. I like them the most because they were Belle Epoque’s kindest and most helpful residents even if they were going through a lot. Jin-myung’s problems were never-ending, especially in Season 1. Through perseverance, she eventually graduated from a top university, did well in her job, and continued to learn on her own after college. On the other hand, Song Ji-won channeled her pain towards the pursuit of justice as a journalist.

Ships That Have Sailed

Perhaps the last life lesson is what I need to hear the most. I need it because I feel like I will keep on missing out on many of the milestones and fun stuff that other young adults get to experience because I chose to help take care of my grandfather.

Although I’m only a secondary caregiver, looking after a senior adult is consuming so much of my money, time, and effort considering that I have to balance the caregiving with my day job. It has also closed many doors of opportunity for me. Even before the pandemic, I spent so much time staying in the emergency room, watching over my grandfather at the hospital, and looking after his needs at home — while my fellow millennials were dating, getting married, having kids, going on out-of-town trips, studying abroad, and doing whatever they wanted with their lives.

I take care of my grandfather because I need to fulfill this duty out of love. I don’t regret doing it. Still, I didn’t expect that my life would be this limited. After all, I never did anything irresponsible like doing drugs or getting pregnant out of wedlock. Yet circumstances compelled me to be here. I can only hold on to the truth that God faithfully rewards people for doing what’s right even if my emotions tell me otherwise.

(Photo by Jet Dela Cruz)