Because This Is My First Life (2017)

Like a well-done novel adaptation

Story: Plot focuses on different personalities of three women(and men) and their love/dream issues. It was written beautifully except episode 15. I love how they end each episode with their actions and thoughts fully explained and justified. Some might find this boring because the depth of their dialogues may not be understandable to some but this will serve as an art for those who can appreciate the simplicity and subtlety of the impact of their message.

Acting: I think they are all convincing despite a few forced stiff acting of Se Hee, while the cuteness of Won Seok didn’t help him with his dramatic scenes. My favorite character though is CEO Ma, I believe he outshines everyone in this drama, especially in terms of acting.

Music: I love the ending song and the one with the jazz-like bgm.

Rewatch Value: I don’t think it’s a rewatchable drama but I will still rate this with a high score because it should be shared with everyone and it may resonate to those who are also struggling with their lives. Perhaps to those who are having middle-life crisis or to those who don’t know what they want to do in life and feel like age is not just a number.

Overall: I would have rated this a 9.5-10 if it wasn’t for episode 15. Ji Ho’s intention was good and understandable but the execution wasn’t justifiable or not well executed enough for me that I felt disappointed after watching it. At the same time, Se Hee’s rash decision regarding his beloved house was quite questionable. I love the ending of Sang goo oppa and soo Ji’ s story however, rang and wo seok’s ending was quite bland and I felt like their space was for nothing, they just realized they still love each other and still decided to keep on going and not clarifying their own issues(her wanting to have a family and him still working on a job that chokes him). There wasn’t much character development but more on realizations and lessons from the changes in their lives and opening up with somebody else other than their friends.

The gist: We all have different dreams in life, some people want to be a successful company owner, some women are satisfied with being a mom or a housewife while some just want to have a simple and peaceful life. As a friend or a family, all we have to do is to support them and not judge them or be a hindrance of what they want to be or what they want to do because it’s their lives...not yours.

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The strength of the series does not lie in the plot, which falters a bit at points, but rather in the characters and their very real moments of vulnerability and crisis. All the characters in the show are written brilliantly, they have their ups and downs which feel so real at times that you can't help but compare it to events that happened to you or to someone you know. The female lead is the character I found to be the most relatable, every time she went on a monologue about the difficulties of trying to live as a single woman in a city, the difficulties of trying to 'settle' into a career, the insecurities and uncertainties you feel when you don't know if you are going towards your goal or away from it. Ji-ho is a beautiful character for me, I can see myself in all of her vulnerable moments, but I can also see that she's a wonderfully strong character, strong in a very 'real' sense, the strong women I have met in my life, soft spoken and polite, caring but headstrong.

One particular line has struck me in this series. It is when Ji-ho says: "All my twenties I have tried to work to be someone who was needed." This feeling of trying to have a career or life in which you are needed, is what plagues me as a twenty-something person. Like Ji-ho I also do not know if I am going towards my goal or away from it, I don't even have a goal as such right now in my life. But any goal is worth living for, getting married, being your own boss, being in love - all of these are goals good enough. I love how ordinary and real this series is in terms of these things, showing moments of happiness, sorrow and companionship which most of us experience, pointing to the fact that sometimes after a horrible day what you need is only a place to sleep in.

Cons:
We don't get to see when and how the ML falls into love.
The plot is interesting in the first half, but it falters later on.

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A K-Drama that comforts the beginning of my adulting phase

One of the Korean Dramas that serve as my opening to the world of being an adult. Life after school is about facing the real world; the struggles and hardships that one must overcome. I learned a lot from the show and it gives me guidance on the possible barriers I may encounter after my graduation. Although it took me years before I found this gem and binge-watched the show, I guess it’s the perfect time for me since I was preparing for my own path after becoming an adult.

Each character holds a specific journey for living their lives to the fullest. But sometimes we realize that the things we dream about when we are young are so difficult to achieve. Most of the time, we don't have any other choice but to let go of our dreams and re-entered the path that will make us survive in our daily life. Reality slapped us so hard, a painful awareness we came across after turning to an adult. Even though we worked so hard and did all our best throughout the journey, it may not still guarantee us to be able to grab the dream we’ve been waiting for so long. This is the sad reality of life.

The scene where Ji-ho was sexually harassed by the assistant director makes my blood boiled up. She has no other place to stay and the pervert takes it for granted. The next scene makes me even angrier when the crew group together at a dinner table and pushes Ji-ho to forget the mistreatment she experienced at that night. During those moments, Ji-ho suffers alone. Having friends and family isn’t always the first option we think about when having some problem. Most of the time, we choose not to bother the people around us because we think that they also have their own lives to process and we find it so hard to ask for help from them. You only have yourself, you comfort your own, endure all the pain by your own, because at the end of the day, we only have our own selves to lean on.

“Not every friend knows everything about each other. No matter how close you are to them, there are sides of you that you don’t want to show. And sometimes, your family feels the farthest of all.”

The show also presented how serious and crucial a wedding is. Se-hee and Ji-ho’s wedding ceremony was the scene that made me cry the most. Her mother's written message to Se-hee as Ji-ho’s husband was so deep and emotional. Weddings are such big events that involve the people around the couple. Witnessing the heartwarming connection of the mother-and-daughter was really a teary scenario. I am so glad that they ended up registering their marriage for real after so many ups and downs. Also, the term “love” is now elaborated in their relationship.

That intimate kiss at the sea was my favorite, it was done in the most excellent way. I love how calm yet fierceful the energy coming from both the couple and the scenery, their exchange of dialogues, and the way they open up their feelings with that super lovely kiss. The beginning of their real romantic feelings.

After all, Ji-ho and Se-hee deserve to be the main couple of the show. The greatest yet hardest obstacle they overcame was entering their “Room 19” that both of them built upon themselves. I love how they add the creative story of the popular book from the story of the show. Humans, no matter of age, have always had a side of them that they didn’t want to open up for others. Living inside their specific Room 19 alone is enough to make them happy and comfortable. A personal secret that someone doesn’t need to know.

Se-hee’s past shocked me because I didn’t think that he suffered from a tremendous heartbreak before that made him unlikely to believe in romance anymore. The closure of Se-hee and the CEO ended up the wound they carried for a long time. Alongside Ji-hoo and CEO’s unexpected bond that didn’t make their past and future contradict their present. They choose not to fight with each other and become not dramatically inclined to the fact that Se-hee can be the cause of their hatred from one another. The kind of closure that is delicate, fresh, and real.

Lee Min Ki and Jung So Min were some of my top favorite actors in the industry because they always delivered the best and perfect kind of emotions needed in the story. Their chemistry speaks so loud and they fill the whole show with so much intimacy and passion.

Soo-ji and Sang-goo’s relationship is a healthy one too. He helped her to choose the path that she wanted for so long. It’s a good thing that after Soo-ji took a risk from building his own business, she succeeded and even changed her mind about marriage. Sang-goo was always a soft-hearted character from the show. From being a friendly CEO to being openly accessible to Soo-ji and her disabled mother.

On the other hand, I now get the hatred that some of the viewers feel about Ho-rang and Won-seok's relationship. The girl is obsessed with being a motherly figure that leads her to indirectly push his boyfriend to propose to her numerous times. The boy doesn’t even think about marriage not until he figures out that it was the desired wish of his girlfriend. Obviously, they’re relationship tends to become toxic from time to time. A couple for 7 years who are in their 30’s who keep fighting over small things then after a while reconcile again. The same kind of process was empathized by her friends at the start of the few episodes. In fact, if they can only be critical enough, their problem can easily be fixed with simple, sincere, and proper communication.

Because This Is My First Life generally teaches the viewers to always choose the best decision that they don't regret about in the future. Marriage, Relationships, Careers, Family, etc. We are living our life for the first time, so we tend to commit mistakes from time to time but the most important thing to do is to live our life seeking for our own happiness. A light drama that allowed me to always be grateful for the things that made me happy and alive. From now on, I am going to “Live like it was my last!”

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cuteee!

Gw surprisingly suka BGT sama ni drama pdhl gw nontonnya ngasal bgt????? Kaya gatau plotnya gimana, terus reviewnya gimana. Nonton ini pure karena mau liat somin 🤣 eh taunya kepincut. Beneran sebagus itu!!!!! Yg suka romance-slice of life, bakal cocok sih sama ini. Dan gatau knp ini tuh somehow relatable sama jaman sekarang??? Kayak???? Pelajaran idupnya juga banyak tentang cita2, perjalanan hidup, sampe hubungan romansa. Menurutku ini cocok sih untuk dihype bareng kaya cloy, rep1988, tapi ternyata ini underrated parah 😢😢😢😢 cowoknya juga!!!! Menurutku agak mirip sama karakter beberapa cowok jaman skrg ((bagian kakunya)) #pengalaman. Back to the topic, ini ostnya jagoan bgt yg can't go - ben! Ternyata gw sering dengerin ostnya bjir tp bru nonton dramanya skrg 🫠 actingnya ok, KOCAKnya dapet asli dah. Aku ketawa mulu di awal2 eps soalnya kelakuannya pada gabisa ditebak 😭 aku di hari pertama nonton ini bisa sampe ke eps 10 apa 11 gitu, trus lanjut lagi di hari berikutnya karena sebagus itu!!! Sinematografi juga ok aja. Paling yg aku kurengin adalah 3 eps akhir sih. Sumpah gw ga nyangka bakal ada konflik di situ anjay soalnya dari awal dibuat haha hihi doang 🥀🥀🥀😩 emg juara bgt sik, endingnya ga nyangka bakal nikah beneran wgwgwgwgwg tp tetep gwe #happy

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The Contract Marriage That Turned Into a 16-Episode Therapy Session

Because This Is My First Life : 8.5/10 – The Contract Marriage That Turned Into a 16-Episode Therapy Session

📃 WHY IT WORKS (AGAINST ALL LOGIC):
A man who treats life like a software update meets a woman who’s one unpaid bill away from an emotional meltdown… and somehow, romance??
Lee Min-ki plays a sentient spreadsheet with commitment issues. Jung So-min channels every overworked creative who’s this close to moving to the mountains.

This isn’t your average romance. It’s two socially awkward people trying to out-depress each other until someone folds and catches feelings.

🐈 THE “I’M LAUGHING BUT ALSO KINDA DYING INSIDE” MOMENTS:

When he asked her to move in like it was a Craigslist ad.

When she said “sure” like she wasn’t signing up for a slow-burning existential crisis.

The cat judging everyone’s life decisions? Oscar-worthy.

👀 REAL TALK:

Watching them fall in love is like watching a Wi-Fi signal reconnect. Slowly. Painfully. Triumphantly.

Every kiss = two traumatized adults hesitating like they're defusing a bomb.

Side characters living entire dramas while our leads try to figure out if eye contact counts as flirting.

💢 FLAWS (AKA WHY IT’S NOT A 10):

Pacing? Like molasses in winter.

Some episodes feel like IKEA instructions written in haiku.

Emotional payoff takes so long you’ll be filing taxes by the time they hold hands.

🎯 VERDICT:
“Because This Is My First Life” is like journaling your pain, but someone made it a drama with cats, rent, and low-key gender commentary.

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Great watch!

A really good drama about what thirtysomethings go through! Wedding pressure, getting a house, having the best position in your career, etc... The characters are trying their best while dealing with all these problems. Add the parents who sometimes are just complicating things even more.
The actors and actresses are fabulous, Lee Min Ki simply is perfect in such a role mocking arranged weddings and other hypocritical society stuff. The female lead is cool and independent not blindly led by love, the CAT is very important too, what a cutie ♥
The secondary characters are very endearing as well. Esom's badass female office worker who's totally open with her sexuality is definitely a favorite! Se-Hee's best friend is such a cool dude, this guy added even more fun to the show while being very classy.
Kim Min Kyu's character was strange and funny at the same time, but can't say more!
Some scenes are just iconic and hilarious like that flip over the bicycle LOL
Honestly, until the end you don't know what's going to happen and thankfully there's a real closure!

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I started watching Because this is my first life because I am intrigued by the title. The only main lead in the drama I am previously familiar with is jung so min,in playful kiss. I will not try to enter into the story line ,instead I will give you an account of what I felt while watching this drama. If I have to describe this drama in one word I would say captivating. This drama is so much more than a contract marriage drama.There are three different couples,the contract marriage couples Nam se hee and Yoon ji ho, the long term couple won seok and Ho rang,the newly formed not so serious couple soo ji and sang ho. There are dramas which make you fall in love with certain characters, there are dramas which leave you with feelings such as happiness,sadness,agony,inspiration, frustration,satisfaction and so on. This is that drama which I can relate to a great extent. I live in a patriarchal society like ji ho. Even though my situation is not like her ,at some scenes I felt like that is me on the screen .I can't pinpoint where but her character resonates to me in every level.ji ho and friends remained me of my friends.Nam se he is a stoic nerd but I felt that he is greatly responsible one. Like ji ho says we all are living this life for first time and we all make mistakes and only through open communication you can get over it. If you are going through the emotional war of an arranged marriage perspective watching this drama will give you hope and may calm your nerves,so this is one therapeutic drama. This drama has my most number if favourite quotes,the one with room no 19,the visitor poem she recites when she visits her house with se hee. The way she says why she love snails,his reason for loving cats. This drama tells even if your heart break once it doesn't mean you'll never get your destined love. There is no book that can teach how we live life perfectly,each one of us has different lifes so we have to find it by living and loving to the fullest. With heart fluttering moments and captivating romance stories this is a highly pleasurable watch with calming effect and rollercoaster of emotions. You may understand the deep thoughts drama put forward after a second watch and you will relate to it more.

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Because this is our first life!

A short disclaimer. I watched this drama about half a year ago, so I do not remember everything that quite well any more.
What I do recall nonetheless is that I totally loved it and that it was addictive to watch.

The drama is about Yoon Ji Ho who lives a miserable life. She is a drama-writer and gets used by her boss. She is not allowed to write what she really likes and gets sexually assaulted by her colleagues. Furthermore, her little brother got his girlfriend pregnant, and her parents kick her out of the house, she paid all the bills for. She quickly needs to find a place to stay and rents a room online. Because of her name the owner of the house is not aware that she is a woman and due to their daily schedules they do not see each other for a couple of days. However, when they find out that they are living together with the opposite sex, they are drafting a contract to get married. Nam Se Hee an (Owner?) of a dating-app company needs a wife to receive money from his father, and that is why the marriage comes handily for him, too.
Next to the main characters, we meet their best friends and love interests. Yang Ho Rang's goal is to get married to her boyfriend and have a family. Her boyfriend Shim Won Seok also works at the same company as Nam Se Hee and is unsure about what he desires. Yoon Ji Ho's other friend Woo Soo Ji works in a huge company, in which women are treated awfully, she needs to fight her way to the top.

So, what was so special?
What I absolutely enjoyed is that the drama felt very realistic, and the characters stayed true to themselves. Yoon Ji Ho is rather a silent girl. She is not good at standing up for herself and she gets an amazing character development, but she is never portrayed like not herself. This accounts also to the other characters (but with different traits, though).
Also, the drama talks about couples living together, having sex and many girls talk.
I would compare it to a very good mix of the general Korean standards of a drama but with rather western features, if that makes sense.
Yoon Ji Ho and her girls squad are hilarious, and I enjoyed their interactions. They very much reminded me of my two girls. Also, one in a long term relationship and the other making carrier and me being somewhere in-between and nowhere:D.
Every story was nicely built, and all the relationships developed differently. There were also a lot of twists and turns.

So do not hesitate any more and give it a go. :)

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IF YOU HAVE HIGH EXPECTATION OF THIS DRAMA...THE DRAMA WILL STILL EXCEED THEM

Its only been 5 mins since I have re-watched the drama...Yeah it was go good I re watched it, I don't know how to explain my feelings, Its in my TOP 3 dramas for sure....I don;t know if it is weird coming form a guy but this drama has my fav kissing scene!!! I mean the kissing has a actual plot development...It has a meaning to it...K dramas has very memorable romantic scenes but this one takes the win for me...I think I should stop here

About the story- I don;t know where to start...Its show is about marriage if I have to simplify it...this show asks questions that I know I have to ask myself when I get married...If 2 people love each other is marriage the last option or is it a beginning!! This Drama also tackles some social topics...I can't name all of them but the show handled them very well...but the strongest part of the drama for me was the overall message I got form the show...I used to think that actions are enough for someone to understand but as I am getting to older and will soon enters my 20's, I understood the meaning of words and telling how I actually feel...This drama has many lines that will fill your heart
The characters grow as we progress with the story ...This is not a type of drama where you can shut your mind and relax...for me this this drama had some value in my life...Hope you like it too...Thank You


And a message for myself if I ever read this review in the future...and anyone who will read It guess...We all know its okay to make mistakes but people expect us to make no mistakes as we get older...Yes we get mature and have some understanding but why the world expects us to feel nothing as we get older...I am not even 20 but I have experienced it...Its okay to cry, make mistakes, be embarrassed...it does not matter if you are 20,30,40 because we all are living for the first time

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