A new housemate and a new mystery for Age of Youth 2
by tipsymocha
It took a little while to get used to last season, but I can’t imagine an Age of Youth without the somewhat eerie underlying tone in the Belle Epoque house. The dissonance between that vaguely sinister feeling and the overall slice-of-life atmosphere of the coming-of-age JTBC show was really interesting and unique, so much so that I ended up loving the tone of the show by the end. While the circumstances surrounding Eun-jae’s father’s death was resolved last year, we’ve got a new mystery this season involving a threatening letter.
The newest teaser starts with new character Jo Eun, played by Choi Ara, browsing in a bookstore and coming across a piece of paper that has Belle Epoque’s address written on it. The chyrons read, “It all started with that letter,” as a voice wonders how someone can be wounded if there was no one to inflict it. Jo Eun makes her way to the house, but she’s not exactly met with open arms, as the original housemates think her a bit suspect and are convinced she’s hiding something.
Ever-stoic Jin-myung (Han Ye-ri) is definitely in a better place a year on, having gotten a stable job, but that comes with its own hurdles, as she’s seen chugging drinks at a company dinner. Ye-eun (Han Seung-yeon) is still haunted by the events of last year, flinching, stopping in her tracks, and even falling to the ground at the sight of men. Hopefully, pure-hearted engineering student Kwon Ho-chang, played by Onew (Descended From the Sun), will help her heal and learn to trust again.
Eugh, if this next loveline doesn’t (re-)start, I’ll be so mad at you, Show! Eun-jae (Ji-woo) has an awkward encounter on the street with her sunbae ex-boyfriend Jong-yeol, (Shin Hyun-soo, Ruler—Master of the Mask), who haltingly asks whether she’s okay. Eun-jae narrates, “When feelings cool, that’s the saddest reason there is.” Uh-oh, looks like energizer bunny Ji-won (Park Eun-bin) is also dealing with something serious as she collapses in a club and mumbles something about pretty heels. At least she has her buddy Sung-min (Sohn Seung-won, Person Who Gives Happiness), to catch her when she falls.
The teaser ends with Jo Eun wondering who the letter was intended for: “So, who is it? Who wrecked someone else’s life and continues to laugh like that?” The content of the letter is superimposed by flashes of the housemates’ faces, and at the bottom of the page, the last sentence reads, “I’ll kill you.” Yikes, that’s ominous. The four original housemates sit around their dining table laughing, and Ye-eun calls out for Jo Eun to join them.
Hmm, so I wonder what Jo Eun came to Belle Epoque to do, exactly. Is it to find the person who wrote the letter? To enact revenge on the person it was addressed to? Or just simple curiosity? Whatever it is, I look forward to the dynamic playing out because, if last season is anything to go by, it’s that these girls come together in the best ways when a fellow housemate is in trouble.
One question mark hanging over the production, however, is what will happen to castmate Onew, who was accused yesterday of sexual assault after a drunken encounter at a club, and although the complainant has since dropped the charges, there’s been some backlash regarding his participation in the show. For now, there’s no indication that he will leave, and there are only about two weeks left until Age of Youth 2 airs its first episode, which isn’t much time to come up with an alternative. I can only hope this news doesn’t negatively impact the show too much.
Age of Youth 2 will follow Woman of Dignity in JTBC’s Friday-Saturday slot on August 25.
Via Sports Chosun, Seoul Shinmun
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Tags: Age of Youth 2, Choi Ara, Han Seung-yeon, Han Ye-ri, Ji-woo, Onew, Park Eun-bin
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1 Delurker
August 13, 2017 at 2:37 PM
"Onew, who was accused yesterday of sexual assault after a drunken encounter at a club" = was far too drunk and grabbed a woman's leg for support, twice, according to witness accounts (the woman was standing on a platform above his table). I really hope he doesn't have to drop out; Onew was a big layer of icing on the cake for me, sigh...
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hannaehh
August 13, 2017 at 4:07 PM
I know right! When I first read the news about his scandal, first thing that came to my mind is "oh no, what's gonna happen to AoY2 ratings." I really hope this drama won't be affected by the scandal.
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xiao jingyan
August 13, 2017 at 8:03 PM
I don't want to sounds like I am defending him but that sounds like an accident, if he acknowledges his mistake and cooperates, that should be enough.
I read it yesterday and it said he can't even stand up so it's not a sexual assault if he is too drunk and somehow grabbed a leg of a woman who is standing above his table to stand up.
He is wrong and should apologise but he is not a predator, the word sexual assault make me think of predator.
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Mia
August 13, 2017 at 8:07 PM
So everything can be justified using drinking as a reason?
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xiao jingyan
August 13, 2017 at 8:26 PM
I am not saying he is right,
what I mean is this an accident and he needs to apologise, held accountable for letting himself in that drinking stage,
accident happens all the time in the clubs and it's on his own,
but to call it sexual assault is an overreaction,
He didn't purposefully touch the girl, just instinctively held onto her to prevent himself from falling down.
If you accidentally punch someone after getting trashed, will you be held accountable for trying to murder someone?
No, because the punch is an accident and it's not with malicious intent to harm you.
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jin
August 13, 2017 at 9:49 PM
You'd be held accountable for punching them though lol. What kind of analogy...
Listen, I'm glad the guy isn't a predator. I'm still gonna side-eye the hell out of him though for get so shwasted that he accidentally violated a girl.
xiao jingyan
August 13, 2017 at 10:37 PM
@jin
I think that's when we differed,
as I read it late, like after many witnesses and the dispatch things,
what I know is he grabbed the leg to stand up and that's not violated a girl or anyone, does he grinding on them?
how does he violate a girl by using their leg to stand up?
Where is the analogy goes wrong?
you punch people, you get accountable for that.
I don't get why there is no point of view to be said for someone that clearly knows his mistake, is under investigation for doing it accidentally and it's a touch, not a grope.
fay17
August 14, 2017 at 2:27 AM
@xiaojingyan The Korean news said other wise unfortunately. That he was almost passed out and grabbed that girl's legs two times. That 'holding her leg for balance'? That part was an addition from his agency, so this is a 'may have' case. The agency said,'it was a drunken act', and the girl's friend said, Onew did it two times, so next the girl called the police. So I don't really know if he's totally free of blame :/. And as Jin said above, I feel the drunken state shouldn't work as an excuse for this kind of behaviour. It is absolutely risky, and that means in that state he could basically do everything and get away with it, just cause he was drunk. I really don't understand, why they[the ones who have been in radar lately for same acts] are so unstable when they have even good projects coming up.
2 mary
August 13, 2017 at 2:40 PM
I wonder if it's related to the ballerina ex-roommate from season 1. Ye-eun and Ji-won said she got pregnant but there was some serious Shifty Eyes™ in that scene. Plus, she ran away when Eun-jae wanted to ask about Belle Epoque...
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fay17
August 13, 2017 at 2:53 PM
Or it could be just a red herring as well lol. I remember how ji won also said something weird about the ghost in the closet, and it made all the housemates scared as hell, but ultimately that was another big fat lie from her. ? So maybe this time too, the mysterious letter will make everyone question their motives in life, like previous season. The slice of life drama with the undertone of mystery and the darkness totally got me last time.
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mary
August 13, 2017 at 2:56 PM
I'm up for being fooled again! :D
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3 Diraito Teson
August 13, 2017 at 2:57 PM
Netizencrap says they won't drop him
http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.al/2017/08/age-of-youth-2-will-not-be-dropping.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&m=1
And I am glad that for once someone is being strong in SK. I am fricking tired of everybody whining about every single stupid thing and big companies folding like houses of cards.
It's a tv show, it's on pay-per-view, ain't nobody showing it down your throats you crapizens.
Season 1 was extremely loved by us internationals while there the highest was 3%. So thank God for the PD and Writer deciding to grow a pair once and finish filming and do their story for once.
Hopefully KBS will follow their example and not pull a dumb move about the low ratings of Manhole. I am done with having to lose the things I like for people who spend their whole day chained to the computers because they have no life
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shoppingking
August 13, 2017 at 10:11 PM
"Every single stupid thing?" Sexual assault is not a stupid or small issue, and people have every right to not want to support a person, show, or network because of a scandal like this. From what I've seen, it seems like the woman said it was a misunderstanding and dropped the charges, but my point still stands. Had Onew actually done something to that woman, I think that ignoring/excusing it because he's on a tv show and in a band sends a very bad and dangerous message.
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xiao jingyan
August 13, 2017 at 10:43 PM
it's not a stupid and small issue and that's why I also have the problem with calling it a sexual assault if it actually not.
I have many friends who got called for unintentional touch in a busy environment so I don't think it's right to quick on labelling someone for something that may not happens.
Let just hope for the investigation, if he did wrong, he needs to go with the law but from what I read, it's a misunderstanding and not intentional, apology and statement from the victim should be enough.
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xiao jingyan
August 13, 2017 at 10:44 PM
*for the victim
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4 judilicious
August 13, 2017 at 3:22 PM
Pardon me but does sexual assault and sexual harrassment mean the same thing? From the reports he was accused of harrassment which is a whole lot different from assault # just saying. Not dat i support either but eye witnesses even deny harrassment. Knets should pls take a chill pill, considering their drinking culture i wonder why they r pointing fingers
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5 Abbie
August 13, 2017 at 3:50 PM
I'm really looking forward to this, but I didn't know about Onew's supposed assault. I hope he can still do the show, because I like him as a member of SHINee and as a person. I don't see him as someone who would assault someone else, but who knows? And if the charges were dropped, then it shouldn't affect his participation in the show. I hope that he stays in it.
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6 Ek Ladhki Thi
August 13, 2017 at 4:31 PM
Onew's scandal is extremely unfortunate considering the character he is playing, but they said he wasn't being dropped from the show. I mean it's way too late for that now. Besides, Ye-eun's story is extremely integral to the show. I'm willing to give Onew the benefit of the doubt since the reports state that there was no malicious intents in what happened. However, him drinking so much that he can't even stand is an extremely irresponsible to do.
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DongniPongni
August 14, 2017 at 5:26 AM
I couldn't agree more. It's a bad enough thing to be accused of as it is but the character Onew's playing just makes it even worse. I can just tell what the comments will be like from some K-nets and i-nets, not being able to believe his character and whatnot.
Onew's had drinking problems for a while, one good thing coming out of this incident is if it makes him cut down on the drinking.
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7 bbstl 🧹
August 13, 2017 at 4:42 PM
Well, we don't know if she can act yet but does anyone agree with me that we need a gender bender drama with Choi Ara, she looks more convincing as a boy than anyone since or before YEH (and Choi Ara has the height for once)! Let's have a double gender-bender, her male-as-female costar can be Gong Myung who looks soooo beautiful as a God in BotWG.
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8 astromantic
August 13, 2017 at 4:57 PM
It's still going to take me ages to get used to new Eun-jae. :(
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lush
August 13, 2017 at 9:50 PM
i recently rewatched the first season again and this is exactly how i'm feeling atm haha. park hyesoo was absolutely adorable as eunjae
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meliyasha
August 14, 2017 at 12:06 AM
I was thinking to rewatch the first season before this season starting but after awhile I think it'll just make it more difficult to connect to the new Eun-jae :(
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astromantic
August 14, 2017 at 1:52 PM
Yeah, Park Hye-soo has a really cute, lowkey vibe and while I don't think we're losing/gaining anything when it comes to performance, I sorta don't feel like the new actress has that. The feeling is different, lol.
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fay17
August 14, 2017 at 2:38 AM
@astromantic IKR :'( ? PHS was the reason I got glued from the get go. Hers was the first story that we got introduced to on season 1. And she has kind of a unique face, IMO. New characters introduction > actor swapping, any day for me huhu.
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9 callie
August 13, 2017 at 5:18 PM
Wow, there couldn't be a worse coincidence with the character that he's supposed to be playing.
*grumbles* We didn't need more guys to begin with... How many more thing can go wrong with this poor show?
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⭐ Sera The Ms Temper ⭐
August 13, 2017 at 8:46 PM
"We didn't need more guys to begin with.."
You're right.
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astromantic
August 14, 2017 at 2:02 PM
Totally agree with your second point. The charming part of the first season was that the focus was on the girls, their friendship/sisterhood, and their development... so I find it totally unnecessary for AoY 2 to be bogged down with lovelines and the like. :( It's nice as a side dish, but not as a main course, you know? /RANT, lol
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10 es
August 13, 2017 at 7:30 PM
ahh i'm still wary about having a new eun-jae but that brief glimpse of jong-yeol in the teaser really makes me miss their season 1 loveline all of a sudden. why did you have to break them up, show??? ?
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11 keiru
August 13, 2017 at 8:20 PM
Excited excited ! XD
I still have 4 episodes left from their season 1 though.. It's so hard to make time for old drama let alone my current airing drama..
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12 Shinko
August 13, 2017 at 9:12 PM
Does anyone know if this has been picked up by any of the streaming sites?
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13 Seaweed
August 14, 2017 at 1:24 AM
I'm still undecided. Yoon Park and Park Hye Soo's romance with Sunbae were my favorites last season. I don't know how I'm going to feel without them.
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14 mintkiri
August 14, 2017 at 3:33 AM
Comment was deleted
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15 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials
August 14, 2017 at 6:20 AM
I come to the comments for giddy excitement. What I get is very different.
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16 Sanada
August 14, 2017 at 11:36 AM
I don't stay on top of the SK celebrity news so this was the first I'd read about Onew. It's really difficult to comment intelligently on a situation when so little is known about it, so I'll just say I hope the victim involved is okay, whether it was a misunderstanding or something else. It's important to remember that having drunk strangers pull at you to hold on and avoid falling down can be a very serious shock to the system, even if that's all that happened.
In any case, obstacles pile up but I'm determined to love Age of Youth 2. If she can act, Choi Ara is inspired casting that could really help round out the crew.
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