THEEEE BESSTT
Honestly, Because This Is My First Life is such a gem! It doesn’t follow the typical K-drama formula—it’s actually a lot more grounded. The main characters, Se-hee and Ji-ho, aren’t your usual romantic leads. They’re just real people dealing with real issues, from career struggles to the weird pressures society puts on marriage and success. Their relationship starts as a convenience, this quirky contract marriage to solve each other’s problems, but it grows in the most genuine way.What I love is how it handles these little moments. It's not just about the romance, though that’s there too—it’s about the little life decisions and figuring out what really matters. And the side characters? They each have their own story arcs that bring so much depth to the show. You feel like you’re getting a full picture of what adulthood is for different types of people. It’s sweet, it’s introspective, and, honestly, it’s just so satisfying to watch.
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IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE LAST 3 EPISODES, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN MY SECOND 10/10
Like the title of my review states, this drama would've been my second ever 10/10 K-drama if it weren't for episodes 13-16.I'm aware my review is 9 years too late, but I want to get this off my chest, seeing as thoughts about the drama keep popping up.
I loved it so very much, just to be disappointed in the end. But, if I can objectively help someone else with this review, please read on. Spoilers ahead!
What a refreshing and wonderful story! I was so glad I came across a drama that would tackle everyday life, heavier topics, and just "normal" people. I'm not a fan of overly stylized and polished shows, so to me, this was a plus as soon as I started the first episode.
And that one had me hooked! I loved the introduction of the FL. She was still searching for her place in life, searching for who she wanted to be, while struggling to keep a roof over her head. I found her to be quite endearing, naive, but also, surprisingly, strong.
Yes, she sometimes came across as young and inexperienced, but she also had to put up with a lot of patriarchal shit while growing up. Still, she didn't just give up; she kept going and tried to take care of her own problems and make her life work. Oftentimes we see women portrayed as helpless damsels, or they are forced on us as strong women just to keep the show going. I didn't get this vibe from Ji-ho at all. She is simply a normal girl finding her way in the world, and I loved that and was constantly rooting for her.
I have to say that my favorite character was the ML. I have a thing for the quiet, almost antisocial, tsundere types who secretly have a soft nature. Se-hee wasn't the very loving type, and we'd find out eventually why. But what I loved about this character was that he was consistent. He set boundaries and didn't go over those boundaries. Still, he made sure Ji-ho was safe, even though that was not in the contract or his job.
A lot of reviewers tend to find him off-putting, mechanical, or even unlikable. But we have to keep in mind that A: he was written that way, and B: he went through some shit in his past and he is trying to protect his heart. Not everyone can go through life with their hearts on their sleeves, and not every drama should be about a man lusting after a woman like an overheated puppy. I found Se-hee quite wonderful because he started out as stoic, antisocial, selfish, and inflexible, but we ended up with a hero who learned to open up his heart while staying true to his nature.
Both leads showed remarkable character growth throughout the drama, and then came episode 13.
All of a sudden, it felt as if they switched writers, directors, producers, or whatever when they started working on episode 13. Ji-ho turned into an idiotic, selfish, and toxic girl. I don't even want to go into detail regarding her stupid choices and thoughts, but I will just to get this off my chest.
Some of us love slice-of-life dramas because they often mirror our own lives. And I feel it would've been much better if they'd stuck to that until the end, rather than using the miscommunication, idiot damsel, and separation tropes to create some sort of fake climax. Not every story needs to be overly dramatic.
What I hated most from episode 13 onwards:
The fact that Ji-ho stopped communicating directly and clearly. She started speaking in metaphors and keeping her feelings and thoughts to herself. I mean, girl, you know Se-hee is almost a robot. Speak your m-fing mind and tell him what bothers you. The man isn't stupid, but he also can't read minds!
She decided on her own that they should break up because he hadn't uttered those stupid words people cling to. Hellooo: "I love you" means absolutely nothing without actions to back those words up. But noooo, she needed to feed her ego. Even after Su-ji told her Se-hee was planning to confess, Ji-ho still found it necessary to get divorced and leave the man.
I understand some of you will think I only mind what the ML is feeling, but no. Imagine you've been living in hell for 10 years. You kept your life private, only opened up your heart to your cat. Then comes along a beautiful, fresh girl, and she thaws your heart up to the point you decide to give life and love a chance again. Then she ups and leaves you because you haven't said the words out loud. Uhm, okay? And yes, I get that at this point Se-hee could've uttered the words and maybe stopped or appeased her. But remember the boundaries I mentioned earlier? The man was protecting the walls SHE put up. He isn't overly dramatic in showing feelings, so it would be unfair to expect he'd do so at this point.
As I said, consistent.
But here comes the worst. After she left, she was supposed to go find herself; she hadn't really lived her life up to that point. So I get that she planned to travel and see the world. We all understand that, right? What did she do though? She went to the fucking neighborhood sauna, chilled with girlfriends, and wandered around the same fucking city!
To make matters even worse: one random day she decides it's time to start their day one. Absolutely no consideration for the man she left alone, broken in pieces. She baked a cake and thought: hmmm, I'll take this to the love of my life and tell him we're on again. Girl, what?
Forget the previous worst, here comes the worst-worst.
She slides into bed with him. Notices he thinks he's dreaming of her. Doesn't correct him. Lets him think he's still dreaming. Falls asleep next to him. The next day when he wakes up, she acts as if he's crazy. The man wanted to seriously talk to her about what happened and about his feelings, and she went on and on about breakfast. WTF, did one of the writers fall on their head? Seriously.
Look, I'm glad they eventually got back together, because I love happy endings. But this was lazy, sloppy, and we're not young and impressionable viewers. If you write a drama which deals with everyday topics like housing, sexual harassment, trauma, and such, you should stick to that until the end and not fall back on mainstream tropes just to insert unnecessary drama.
Instead of the drama, they could've tackled these points:
- Why didn't they delve into the bruised hands of Se-hee after he beat up Ji-ho's attacker? Maybe that would've opened her eyes more.
- Why did she really turn down the writing contract?
- Se-hee wasn't feeling his ex; he showed her as much by waiting for Ji-ho even after he ran into the ex. Why didn't that sway her a bit?
To me the drama would've been a more "perfect drama" if these were explored:
Instead of forcing a separation in the last three episodes, they could've explored the relationship part better. They were two people starting off as landlord and tenant, got married to make life easier, and started loving each other. They could've shown us how they really took the plunge. I mean, both Se-hee and Ji-ho weren't fans of conventional and traditional Korean marriages. Explore that! Show us how they would've done it better. No slave-like activities at the in-laws.
Respecting each other's Room 19. Really having your own space whilst being together.
I loved that they renewed their contract yearly. They could've dived deeper into that.
Anything, actually, would've been better than what we got.
Anyways, I don't want to rant anymore. This has been the only drama I would've watched back-to-back just like I did CLOY. It left an emptiness in me, and now I'm disappointed at the ending. I'm in no way saying you shouldn't watch, because it started too beautifully and stayed that way until episode 13.
All in all, it's really worth the 9.5 I rate it.
Oh, forgot to even mention the side characters. Loved all of them. I only think that Won-seok and Rang should've stayed separated; they were not meant to be together anymore.
Sidenote: the two first leads made a cameo in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I read the writer wanted to give the fans some joy by putting them together again, even for something small. Good idea, bad execution.
I wish the cameo was really about Ji-ho and Se-hee. Maybe a collaboration between Lee Young-joon and Se-hee? The form in which we got the cameo left a bad taste in my mouth.
Anyways, I'm done now. Don't let my frustrations stop you from watching this beautiful story.
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I really like this story
the good story of because this is my first life the two best roles just started being roommates and their love story started with a fake relationship until they discovered in each other that they were learning to love each other he also had a mix comedy but at the end of the story it's a tearful story of six friends who until the end their love remained with each other I recommend that you watch it it's beautiful and there is a twist to its story lee min ki is one of the best acting and also kim min seok but the lead female os also good in actingWas this review helpful to you?
Not my cup of tea
I had a hard time watching this. I got bored during a lot of it and I found a lot of the characters and their choices to be frustrating. I wonder if maybe I missed out on some of the cultural understanding, but I couldn’t believe how much they wanted to talk about “marriage is this” and “marriage is that”. I guess, as a married person, I just don’t buy into the relationships they were trying to sell me. I was quite frustrated at the choices made by the characters. The desires of some of the characters made me feel like they were selfish and that was never addressed. Considering the show was about marriage, I felt like I didn’t see enough of the developing relationship between the characters. For the one who had a difference in opinion about how long they should wait to get married, the show gave us no indication as to how that difference of opinion was solved beyond a couple of words about a plan. For the main relationship, there was a huge lack of communication and we didn’t really get to see the characters together. It’s hard to call it love when you only see it for such a small period of time. I also felt like some of the characters were just thrown in without much thought as to why they were there. The stalker storyline… the incident with the assistant director… those were just barely there to the point of “why bother?”Was this review helpful to you?
A Chill Drama
I don’t think it was boring but it also wasn’t the most interesting drama. A lot happens but at the same time nothing really happens if that makes sense. The main characters are cool and not annoying like other dramas I’ve watched. The whole plot is nothing but your typical 30 something year olds’ problems. It is a nice break from the usual dramas though. Not bad.I also don’t remember any of the OST. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen this drama but ig it wasn’t memorable.
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Fake Marriage, Real Chemistry, Excellent Supporting Chaos
📝 Review (WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage)So this drama is perfect for that cold ML. Lee Min Ki played this role to perfection—starting out cold and aloof, then slowly warming up. This was also my first “Fake Marriage” trope experience, and it’s what led me down another rabbit hole. I’ve got so many of those now, I could probably take over all of Wonderland with the mentality of a mix between the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat.
What really elevated the drama, though, was the supporting cast. These characters don’t just exist to prop up the leads—they enhance the story, adding layers of humor, heart, and chaos that make the whole experience richer. Their interactions make the world feel lived-in, and honestly, without them, some of the emotional beats wouldn’t hit nearly as hard.
Seriously though, I really did enjoy this drama. It’s smart, funny, and the little domestic chaos between the housemates is endlessly charming. The pacing and the emotional beats never felt forced, and it’s absolutely on my rewatch list (even if I haven’t gotten around to it yet).
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I love this drama. Inject it into my veins.
Honestly, I don't even know what to say. I cried several times when I watched this.While the drama's premise was a bit silly to me at first, I grew to love and appreciate it. Jung So-min was great, her portrayal of Ji-ho was amazing. I got super attached to her and the rest of the cast as time went on. I don't know, man. I just love what the drama is trying to say - that this is our first life, and just because we've experienced things that brought so much pain, does not mean that there aren't good things that can come in the future. That we have to be gentler with people, because we can never truly know who they are and what they've been through. Life is a struggle for everyone, and we can't always get it right all the time.
The show also explores how fucking hard it can be to get something you want, to achieve a dream or to move on and have a life you've always wanted. I love how it drops gems like how, in this world, the best you can do is stay out of people's way. Idk man it's such a great show with awesome dialogue.
This show definitely focuses on the relationships that each character has with their respective partners, though. I can see how that can bore some people, but I for one loved it. Soo-ji and Sang-goo's relationship is one of the absolute best ever, and I loved how supportive and loving Sang-goo was. The relationship between them is just *drama perfection*. Ho-rang and Won-seok's relationship was kinda meh for me, but I didn't hate it. It felt a bit dragged on, but I'll give them a pass because the rest of the drama was just so darn good. Ji-ho and Se-hee though. At first I didn't really care if they got together or not but in the end I found myself rooting for them.
I also love how Jung-min wasn't the typical crazy ex girlfriend. Love that for her.
Ah, I just remembered Ji-ho's wonderful relationship with her mother. This drama just hits all the right spots! Very rewatchable, too. The OST slaps as well (listening to Marriage, This Life, and Shelter makes me cry all the time).
Overall, this drama is so, so good. Please watch it!
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What I thought 'My beloved summer' would be like....
This series was what I thought 'My beloved summer' would be, Slow paced but full of deep and introspection things, especially aroung love and marriage. The approach to understand marriage by getting into a contract marriage isn't necessarily a new one, but did not feel cliched here (along with other ideas which could have been).Definately more suitable for mature audience, but can be enjoyed by everyone.The beginning was so damn good and even the lines were much more hard hitting in the beginning. The ending felt slightly weaker (could have been a 9 for me if they could carry the momentum of the starting till the end) since the beginning was so damn good, but still overall it was a good series!!
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THIS IS MY OPINION
alr so very straightforward. I hate it okay so it’s so slow i was abt to drop it and don’t get me wrong I like the idea it’s good and all and I LOVE the actors especially jung so min she did such a wonderful job in alchemy of souls. but this drama was really not it for me😭and as much as you will try to convince me I honestly hated the 2nd couple. so I absolutely dont get the hype of this drama and it’s not bad it’s just very mid. SO DONT ATTACK ME GUYS :( I love enhypen i love enhypen i love enhypen i love enhypen.Was this review helpful to you?
The story talks about a homeless woman and a house poor man.Under some circumstances they stated staying in same house and got in to a fake marriage.Also the storyline focusing on other two couples..The plot seens to be realistic and we can even relate to most of the situations.
I would really recommend this drama to all the views.
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it started off really well…
i liked the drama quite a lot at the start, around ep 1-11? i especially liked how they embedded quotes and metaphors into the show, ie room 19, or the quote about how it would be better to be seen as a crazy b’tch than a pathetic wench. well a lot of these stories/quotes took quite some time for me to wrap my head around but that was the fun of the show imo. slowly figuring out what they mean through the scenes they showed us was definitely enjoyable, it was the main reason why i rated the plot as a 7.i really loved nam sehee, how he was awkward but sincere, he’s bad with words but his affection shows anyway. episode 11 where he was stunned after meeting his ex again but showed more concern towards jiho and made her tea :((
i think ceo ma and sooji definitely CARRIEDD the show towards the end, i was just much more invested in them. in comparison, horang and wonseok were so toxic. they had completely different things they wanted and they were stressed out by their differences. i really dont think it would have worked out, they were just pressuring each other and straining themselves in the name of love. i cant believe they got back together. in comparison to sooji, horang was just portrayed a lot more dumber and just childish imo?? i didnt like how they portrayed how she wanted to get married so badly or maybe it’s my fault for not understanding the desire to get married.
compared to how much i liked sehee, i think jiho definitely paled in comparison. she constantly looks lost and half of the time i cannot comprehend her actions, especially towards the end. i even preferred the ex at some point LOL because she was cooler and more mature imo. the two exes talked it out calmly and maturely like adults should and jiho the stupid idiot ran away in the name of “love”, completely unnecessarily hurting sehee in the process. she’s so questionable, she goes around telling everyone (the ex, the father-in-law etc) that shes in love with sehee, then LITERALLY RIGHT AFTER THAT tells sehee that she wants to divorce. most heartbreakingly, that was the day sehee was going to confess, for the first time in his life.. and he was to forced to hold it back and got his heartbroken after he finally opened up. i cannot forgive her for breaking his heart like that. she’s running around like a headless chicken i cant understand her intentions, why is she hurting herself and the one she loves for no reason?? it was seriously upsetting watching her have fun at the sauna with horang when sehee legit looks like he was on the verge of death… he literally felt depressed man,, eating half cooked chicken and saying he didnt care so as long it filled his stomach, walking around and seeing jiho’s shadow everywhere.. it was so unfair that only sehee actually seemed to be suffering when jiho was just chilling?? having fun?? directing her own sad play?????????????? unbelievable tbh. and she came back to his old house and acted so frustrated he moved away and incredulously kept saying “why” like the whole bloody audience doesnt know youre the problem :)
was it because it wasnt working out? it was just hurting her?? i feel like it could have been clearer and not like im just throwing blind guesses in the dark trying to understand her. understandably, that contract had to end in a way, if they actually want to get together properly. was it meant to represent a fresh start? all it felt like was her directing her own play and running away on her own and causing sehee pain. could she not have communicated that she wanted a break and then a fresh start?? instead of leaving him depressed as shit and coming back looking for him saying she wants to confess… an actual clown 😭😭
but then again, as the title said, this is her first life, it’s everyone’s first lives. maybe she couldnt execute the clean start properly because of this? ugh this drama makes me feel so lost towards the end. but shouldnt she at least be as heartbroken and depressed as sehee… that really broke my heart because it felt so unfair 😭😭
i swear i have NEVER EVER EVER disliked a drama mc more than the love interest before:( i always hate the love int first because its portrayed in the mc’s pov,, it just seems to justify most actions
but HOLY SHIT JIHO you are a breath of fresh air!! i cant understand her and i ended up hating her after ep 13… how did she go from being so likeable to such a hateful toxic walking red flag at the end :)
anyways as you can see, it really kills you towards the end for me. still a great drama?? it just might not be for me?? maybe im not at the age/maturity to understand love and marriage problems as portrayed in the drama. maybe ill come back when im 30 and ill finally understand it :) or i could still hate after ep 13 jiho
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CLASSIC STORY FILLED WITH EARNESTNESS
"Going through this life is the first for all of us anyway."Unlike my other drama reviews, I have to first preface this one by saying that this drama could very well be universal, one size fits all type of drama. Because through three interwoven stories, everyone and anyone can find themselves reflected in at least one character.
Now back to my usual form of writing.
To start off, the good sides of this drama are heartfelt, true and educational(strangely enough), but it doesn`t mutually exclude the fact that they aren`t, at the same time, fluffy, somewhat funny and easy to watch. Every actor does a phenomenal job of living in their role, as their character. I thoroughly believed in these people, their struggles and way of living. No one here knows exactly what they`re doing or if what they are doing is right by default. But that doesn`t mean they don`t try. The absurdist comedy and lessons presented throughout are much of the time spot on in helping us see each person for what they stand and how. Because we do the same thing. We all have our quirks, routines and principles some might not agree with. Yet we press on. In the midst of relatable scenes that hit harder than most love confessions, my two favorites are:
1.When Ji-ho is walking through a dark tunnel in her pajamas aimlessly, after enduring sexual abuse and barely avoiding ra*e, talking about how your family could, at times, be the biggest strangers to you. How she was ready to take on every toil due to the fact that she chose to be a drama writer. She knew her path would be lonely and dark, like the tunnel she was perusing at that moment, but she still didn`t know the extent of it all. For personal reasons, that spoke to me in this exact moment of time. It was effective, clear and loud without being preachy or coming off as compensating.
2. When Se Hee was subconsciously consoling Ji-ho at that bus stop, which is probably the most well-known scene of this drama and what probably drew YOU to check it out and find out more about it. By watching this scene, I was also consoled on a deeper level not any drama could even touch, let alone soothe.
And this is where the magic of this show is contained. In its earnestness and good understanding of adult life as such. We all love admiring capable, ambitious and focused individuals(like Woo Soo Ji) without realizing that this is life...is a first for all of us. Such a simple truth is sadly almost never relayed in media. Despite being one, if not THE MOST depressed generation of our lifetime, you would never guess it by most pieces of the media we consume. And that`s such a missed opportunity this show tries to highlight. We shame others for being at crossroads, for not knowing what to do or where to turn to. And as this show so clearly expresses...we shouldn`t. Like that poem Ji-ho finds(which became my favorite as well), people are fragile, chipped away by time and situations they had to face by this point. Instead of accepting that and letting them heal, we berate them, rejecting what they can be in the process. It`s such a fruitless cycle. I get this review might be regarded as somewhat of an ode to life crisis, but it`s just an observation of young life and what awaits us as society. The fact that a show got me to think about these ideas and concepts is, in my opinion, an accomplishment on its own. It helps that it`s coupled with some visual cues movie buffs like myself appreciate even more. The OST is also subtle, but appropriate, boosting the atmosphere and letting scenes breathe on their own time. This isn`t a drama which needs emotional songs to relay its message, but when they are put in, it doesn`t hinder the feeling either.
After these compliments, like any drama, there are some drawbacks that got me thinking. First one is the pacing of it, though most Korean dramas suffer in this regard. It can at parts be too long. Especially if you`re not invested in the story, which admittedly, isn`t all that original. It`s the way they decide to present it what defines it. Without it, this is just another cohabitation story between a cold ML and a ditzy FL. To be honest, I can`t fault it for anything else, because it`s a great slice of life drama. One of those I like the most. Unassuming, changing and memorable. Kind of like life itself.
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