Impression of Youth – Series Review & Episode Guide

Yu Xing is an art grad student. He's just one assignment away from finishing his credits and graduating for good. However, his professor isn't happy with his work and rejects it. Apparently, Yu Xing took a shortcut by painting scenery from photos instead of actually going outdoors. The prof allows him to redo the assignment, but there's a condition. Yu Xing has to take a summer job as a substitute teacher at a high school in a coastal town. Since he really wants that degree, Yu Xing reluctantly packs his bags and accepts the deal.

Yu Xing finally arrives in town and checks into Homelike Homestay. It's a cozy little guesthouse run by two brothers. Lu Xi is the older one. He's 28, single, and a super friendly host who goes out of his way to welcome his new guest. Lu Hui is the younger brother. He's 18 and currently in his senior year of high school. After their parents passed away in a car accident, Lu Xi has been the one raising Lu Hui all on his own.

Lu Hui loves to paint, and he's actually quite talented. He wants to study art and turn it into a real career. He even applied for an art academy. When Lu Xi finds out, Lu Hui admits he didn't think his older brother would support him. After all, being an artist isn't an easy path to take. However, Lu Xi is actually supportive. He doesn't want Lu Hui to just stay in this little town running a guesthouse forever. Lu Xi encourages him to chase after his dream. At the end of the day, he just wants his younger brother to be happy.

After welcoming their new guest, Lu Xi discovers that Yu Xing is a fellow artist. He actually studied art, so Lu Xi wants Yu Xing to mentor Lu Hui. Lu Hui is on board. He really admires Yu Xing's talent and looks up to him. However, Yu Xing isn't so sure at first. He's only there to be a substitute teacher for the summer, not to take on a protege. Still, Yu Xing changes his mind after Lu Xi convinces him how much this mentorship would mean to Lu Hui. Growing up in a small town means there aren't many opportunities to learn art. Once Yu Xing agrees, the art lessons finally begin.

Recently, some noisy construction started up next door to the guesthouse. Lu Xi investigates the disruption and meets Bing Chen, a fellow small-business owner. Bing Chen plans to open a coffeehouse. Lu Xi develops a crush almost immediately. Tall and muscular, Bing Chen is exactly his type. However, Bing Chen is healing from a broken heart. His wife died from terminal cancer years ago, and he hasn't been able to move on ever since. He's even starting this cafe to honour her. Lu Xi realizes that Bing Chen isn't emotionally available for a new relationship yet.

Impression of Youth takes place in a coastal town during the peak of summer. Wanna know what this series does well? Capturing that perfect midsummer feeling. Time on the beach… Fireworks lighting up the night sky… Ahhh, everything about it feels bright and breezy. Also, it looks amazing! Between the warm colours and the gorgeous panoramic shots, each episode offers a postcard-worthy view. Since the story is about art, it makes sense that they'd go all out with the visuals. Impression of Youth is full of atmosphere.

This drama reminds me of Call Me by Your Name, like the Taiwanese version of the famous gay film. Yup, I see the parallels! Both stories are set in these sun-drenched towns, where the teen protagonist goes through an artistic and sexual awakening under the guidance of an older mentor. While there are some differences, I'm sure CMBYN is a huge inspiration behind this series. At times, it pulls off a successful imitation. I enjoy the scenes where the leads relax on the beach or paint a mural side by side. Impression of Youth nails the dreaminess. This iconic summer feels like it's gonna change Lu Hui's life forever.

Unfortunately, Impression of Youth also gets many things wrong. This series is drowning in cliches. I recently watched Exclusive Love, a Taiwanese BL that came out around the same time. It featured two brothers whose parents died in a car accident. Sound familiar? It's the exact same family tragedy as this story! That's just one example of the overused tropes you'll find here. Every plot point feels derivative, like the writers lifted ideas from CMBYN or other BL dramas. Impression of Youth looked at someone else's assignment and copied their formulas.

Another issue is the problematic romance between Yu Xing and Lu Hui. Their teacher-student dynamic makes me so uncomfortable. During the day, Yu Xing is teaching this kid in a classroom. At night, he sleeps with him in the bedroom. Yuck! In Episode 7, Yu Xing's friend calls him out on his inappropriate behaviour. She says what I thought the whole time: "You met this boy a month ago! He's your student!" Beyond the ick factor, these two have zero chemistry. Their scenes feel like an adult hanging out with a teenager. I have no interest in this couple whatsoever.

Lu Xi, the older brother, is my favourite. His character has a charming personality. The actor (William Wen) looks hot with his tanned complexion. Also, I enjoy his romance with Bing Chen. Since their storyline had such a gentle vibe, I was shocked by their steamy moment. Whoa! These guys go feral, almost like I'm watching raw prison cell sex! Even though the secondary couple is way better than the leads, they aren't well-developed enough to win me over. Not enough scenes. Not enough focus. I like them, but they can't save the series and make up for all the other problems.

Unlike his cool brother, Lu Hui acts like a total brat. His immature behaviour constantly reminds us that he's just a kid. Every tantrum reinforces that he's too young for a romance with an older man. In the finale, the leads (Muji Hsu and Andrew Chien) give poor performances during the big emotional scenes. The story wants us to be happy that they found love, but I don't support their icky relationship. If I'm actively rooting against the main couple, that's a massive red flag. Even though the series has a few bright spots here and there, my final impression is very negative.