Our Golden Days opened with a 13.9% viewership rating.
The first episode of the KBS 2TV weekend drama Our Golden Days (directed by Kim Hyung-seok / written by So Hyun-kyung / produced by Studio Coming Soon, Studio Bom, Monster Union) aired at 8 p.m. on the 9th (yesterday) and depicted the warm family dynamics of Lee Ji-hyuk (played by Jung Il-woo) against the backdrop of his family's bitter reality.
The first episode opened with Lee Ji-hyuk (played by Jung Il-woo) skillfully managing a crisis caused by a rookie employee's mistake. He quickly identified and solved the problem, exuding a calm charisma. Offering advice to the Director General of the client company, Jeong Bo-ah (played by Go Won-hee), who was struggling due to love, he said, "My heart is mine. I must control it," firmly establishing his character as rational and strong-willed.
Lee Ji-hyuk's father, Lee Sang-cheol (played by Chun Ho-jin), who had quietly worked at the same company for 33 years, faced retirement. Although he appeared indifferent on the outside, he couldn't completely hide the emptiness of leaving the company to which he had dedicated so many years. Fortunately, he had a position as a consultant lined up, which helped him cope with his bittersweet feelings as he silently accepted this major turning point in his life.
To support Sang-cheol, the family showed their caring intentions by preparing a surprise event. Ji-hyuk, along with Lee Soo-bin (played by Shin Soo-hyun) and Lee Ji-wan (played by Son Sang-yeon), planned gifts, while Jang Ok-rye (played by Ban Hyo-jung) and Kim Da-jung (played by Kim Hee-jung) thoughtfully filled the table with Sang-cheol's favorite foods. Ji-hyuk's close friend Park Sung-jae (played by Yoon Hyun-min) also appeared to deliver a surprise gift, adding warmth to the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the reality faced by Ji-wan and Soo-bin evoked bittersweet empathy from the viewers. Ji-wan showed a clumsy side as he was visibly flustered in front of a female gym member, in contrast to his charming demeanor with his girlfriend. Soo-bin faced the harsh reality of being dismissed as a jobless person when she sought a perfect romance and visited a marriage agency, swallowing her disappointment.
On the other hand, Ji Eun-oh (played by Jung In-sun), who has secretly loved Ji-hyuk for a long time, exuded a confident charm as an interior designer from her first scene. She assertively dealt with a difficult customer and left a strong impression with her passionate approach to fieldwork.
Additionally, Eun-oh fell victim to a fraud while trying to acquire supplies for a volunteer activity. However, Eun-oh relentlessly chased after the fleeing fraudster, and Ji-hyuk joined in to help capture the scammer. The two shared a joyful high five after handing over the fraudster to the police, drawing attention to the budding relationship between the two.
The love triangle involving Ji-hyuk, Eun-oh, and Sung-jae also caught viewers' attention. Sung-jae created a mysterious atmosphere by waiting in front of Eun-oh's house, pretending to run into her while taking her to the volunteer activity. When Eun-oh subtly probed Ji-hyuk about his dating situation by saying, "This relationship seems to be lasting a while," Ji-hyuk firmly drew the line. Eun-oh then hinted at her feelings with the comment, "It's not someone else's business." Viewers are intrigued by how the complex relationships among the three will unfold.
Toward the end of the broadcast, Ji-hyuk heightened the tension in the plot by revealing a different value system regarding marriage from Sang-cheol. The unmarried Ji-hyuk secretly found an officetel to live independently and informed his family about it during dinner. Sang-cheol and Da-jeong were taken aback by the sudden declaration of independence, foreshadowing conflict with Ji-hyuk.
In this way, Our Golden Days intricately weaves together the personalities and narratives of various characters from the first episode, significantly raising viewer expectations. The writer So Hyun-kyung's unique dense storytelling, director Kim Hyung-seok's delicate direction, and the actors' passionate performances perfectly combined to captivate the home viewing audience.
The second episode of the KBS 2TV weekend drama Our Golden Days will air at 8 p.m. on the 10th (today).
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