This drama is at times enjoyable, but overall is quite a disappointment due to the bad script and bad acting.
The lead actress Park So-dam, who got fame as the daughter in Parasite, showed surprisingly a lack of range. Her expressions: happy, sad, or angry were all bland and similar. I did not believe she was a real person. The 2nd lead male actor played by Byeon Woo-seok deserves some acting lessons. It was just aweful and painful to see him "act". His controlling tiger mom, played by Shin Ae-ra, was overacting and was unsympathetic not because of her character, but her annoying portrayal.
However, some cast members were very good. Park Bo-gum, playing the protagonist Sa Hye-jun, was a strong male lead and brought his character really to life. The family of Sa Hye-jun was the highlight of the drama. Special praise in particular for his funny brother played by Lee Jae-won and the touching scenes with the grandfather.
The mixed performance of the cast could be overlooked if the story was well written and the different plots believable and relatable. But you end up confused, not understanding the morale of the story, and empty-minded. Record of Youth is a record of disappointment.
