Editorials 
Overall Alright
Had a good Start but halfway through got quite verbose. Especially the last 3 Episodes. I dislike unnecessary misunderstandings to prolong a Story.For the Female Lead it was unfortunate to see her Personality decline the Moment she realised her feelings. That often happens in Korean Dramas and they're constantly sad until the sudden Change at the End.
But it's also the most Marriage Propaganda Drama I've come across.
I overall give it a 6.0 but since Female and Male Lead shared good sensual kisses (and didn't only press the mouthes together) it gets a +1
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This review may contain spoilers
Cliché plot, but worth the watch
Most dramas I've seen under the romance category revolve around the same plot of sharing a house or being in a contractual relationship, but I think what makes this stand out is the maturity of the characters. I really appreciate the fact that the main leads aren't the typical rich man, poor girl, but rather people of a more equal social status dealing with their own issues (and in the journey to understanding what marriage is). I also enjoyed how each episode contains a lot of quotable quotes and strong realizations in life (especially in the life of the characters). I feel like I'd pick up different realizations from the drama each time I re-watch it.I'm not very fond of re-watching dramas because the whole plot becomes predictable and of course the drama loses the thrill, but I decided to re-watch this drama as I've been recommending this drama to others for a while now and I've realized that I have forgotten the exact plot. Now that I have rewatched it, I felt that I did not fully appreciate the drama to its fullest during the first time I watched it, rather I was only watching it for the "cliché" plot. ( this was the first few Asian dramas I've watched) I'm not sure if I'm being overly absorbed in the drama, but at one point I felt that the dialogues of the characters were in a sense inspiring and relatable.
I agree with how some people say that the plot towards the end of the drama was not at par with how it started, I also remember my frustrations and my verge of dropping the drama the first time watching this. Apart from that, I also dislike the lack of strong chemistry among the main lead (not sure if it has to do with the ML character). But overall, I do still think this drama is totally worth watching.
*side note: I love the OST for this drama, it's one of the few songs that I still listen to after watching it for the first time last 2017.
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Basic and not so much memorable but this show was shockingly relatable, and sometimes even touching, that there are moments I cried my eyes out. Who knew a romance k-drama can be capable to have such meaningful plot like this?
It covers all the problems the working people the society are currently facing, from work, dating, relationships, friendships, family, marriage, and even housing, this show has it all.
Because This Is My First Life had the right casting, characters, and plot, but i don't know what it was, it got a bit slow and draggy for me in the middle. I think it was because it came to a point that there's already too much going on? What made me stick to this show was the curiosity of how Ma Sang Goo and SooJi's relationship will end up, I was rooting for them! All the other couples were cute too though!
Acting wise, everyone did so well especially Jung So Min, Lee Min Ki was still but i'm not sure if it is because his character required him to be one?
What we can get from this drama is that, love is not really found and given through big gestures, but in small ones like simply caring for another.
This might not be my favorite, but I enjoyed watching the show.
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The drama was so enjoyable in the beginning. The story was strong, the characters understandable and some relatable. The character relationships were everything and things weren’t too unrealistic or cringey.
Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, episode 13, 14 and 15, things just started happening for no logical reason. Conflicts seemed to come out of nowhere to create problems for some relationships. For other relationships, their issues were resolved equally as fast and seemingly out of nowhere. It just… things just started to lose sense and logic.
The ending, was a typical happy ending, but felt unsatisfying because of all the nonsense that happened in the immediate episodes before it.
Overall, I guess I would say I enjoyed the drama. I feel like I was cheated genuine excitement and joy over the ending because of how thing went in the last few episodes. I would probably still recommend this, but with a warning attached.
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The delicacy of love
This show for sure is not one of the masterpieces you can find around, but still has its solid what&why which make it more than worthy of being watched.The story is obviously focused on the two leads, but also the other main roles are well encompassed and developed, which make the show a chorused one, since the stories of the three couples are all well tied the ones to the others, due to the strong and amazing friendship shared by the three women leads.
The story is a love story, or better (as said) a chorus of love stories, each one with its peculiarities and its identity. The psycho one, between the two leads Ji-ho and Se-hee, the normal one (so much normal that fell into a huge crisis) between Ho-rang and Won-seok, and the special one between Soo-ji and Sang-goo which I found simply captivating and perfect. Around them there are the support roles which are actually well convincing and functional for the story itself.
The main characters were well casted, even physically: I found all of them perfect, each one in the respective role. My preferred one: Soo-ji for sure. The kind of strong, unconventional, and independent woman, well performed by Esom, who breaks the rules of a society often still too much traditionalist, conservative, patriarchal and sexist, who finally finds her way to self-make her life and success, and who at the same time still believes in feelings as soon as she found the partner who's able to complete and support her (and Sang-goo did it excellently). I found them shiny together. As well as the performers were really nice (and surprisingly I found Park Byung-eun unrecognizable after having saw him in Eve). But that does not mean that the other two couples were bad. Instead, I have to say that their stories were captivating too. Ji-ho and Se-hee because they are actually more affine to me (and to my partner: ok tonight I will die) in their being a bit psycho (in the good way) and actually not banal. I liked a lot the way they faced the issues coming from the conventionalities well identifying the traditionalist Korean way of life. And I appreciated their path toward their liberation, as individuals and as a couple from those constraints, and from the miseries of their past lives. They actually growth together, in a sort of transfiguration well depicted eventually by the transition from the formal to the unformal speaking. Jung So-min and Lee Min-ki well performed two roles which actually were not banal. Last but not least the classic love story, the apparently banal one, the normal one, the one so normal and adherent to the traditional way to live a love story that very realistically exploded, because of its forced normality, predictability, conventionality, The story between Ho-rang and Won-seok is all of that. And as very often happens in the real life, the couple exploded because sedimenting upon the wrong premises. Both of them looks naive and banal, but actually also them eventually experienced a transfiguration which finally led them to reconciliate upon new premises. Both Kim Ga-eun and Kim Min-seok were able to perform their characters successfully, to include their irritating traits.
It looks like the underlay message in the end is: no matter which are the adversities, no matter the hindrances, Love will always find its own way to make it...
As said already, the rest of the support roles were well sorted and casted: Bo-mi, Jung-min, and (a bit less essential) Bok-nam well played their key roles in pushing our heroes to make their choices.
You will not cry, but you can find some things on which thinking. Nice photography and direction and convincing plot: just tell the director that cats are not so continuously meowing :)
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not bad but overrated
i really wanted to give this drama a better score than 7, but it's so full of tropes - though well executed - that i cant help it! the ML is really Mr Perfect, the FL is Miss Innocence, the parents are way too typical, the coincidences are never ending! it's also very predictable, slow, and... boring? after the first episode, all the action flows one direction. still it takes forever for anything to happen!the woman-chases-man-first trope put me off - the FL acts clingy sometimes.
the old story of cohabitation and new love that heals past traumas is only saved by the good-looking faces - though i suspect filters were added - and the adorable cat... cinematography is excellent, benefits from modern technology.
everything is too polished to give the illusion of reality, like - the numerous expensive coats worn by the part-time waiter FL on a daily basis? seriously, her wardrobe wouldnt fit into a small rented room. this goes for the other characters as well.
support cast is excellent, though not necessarily needed to the main plot. a lot of scenes could be cut/skipped with no loss.
also... i'm not into narrative movies, i dont need that voice to teach abt what we see and what we should think.
watch it if you wanna kill time.
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amazing series!!
‘just because you lived today, doesnt mean you know everything about tomorrow’ - jung so minits a great series, the relationship dynamics in this are so nice to watch. the slowburn between so min and min ki is very entertaining and i love them as a couple, i have a few episodes yet left but i can already tell you its amazing. the subjects it explores and touches on so far are done in a tasteful way and i find it relatable, because of this i feel really connected to so min and i adore her as a character. i like that shes presented as quite innocent and kind but she also can stand up for herself and be strong too.
i would definately recommend to those who enjoy slowburns, as well as opposites attract type dynamics.
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Addictive drama.. main couple acting was great
I loved the chemistry between the main characters. I was no sure about the drama when I saw the drama main photo but when I started watching I didn't wanted to stop and finish in 2 days. The main characters are more than just pretty face as other dramas these days, they really acted so well that I can get the feeling of dramas of old days.I wanted to see more of this couple, and got frustrated with female character in the few last episodes because she didn't explained herself well. I won't give spoilers so just watch it. It's good and addictive 😀
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Contracted Love
This drama was a great binge worthy drama for me, honestly I loved their chemistry. The overall drama is had its ups and downs but it was definitely more different than the other dramas I have watched. I would recommend this drama if a person wants to try something new. As the characters in this drama are normal and had a problem that everyone could relate to. There were 3 couples, it's not necessary really, but their different dynamic were good, I loved the main leads more than the other two though. I wish this drama gets more recognition as i haven't seen much edits with them.MAIN LEADS:
Honestly watching this drama made me realise I was sleeping on Lee min ki, since he did a awesome job playing a lowkey chill guy, who'd think 5 steps ahead to save money and time. I have always loved Jung so min and this is certainly not my first drama with her in it. She delivered her character perfectly like her acting wants you to pity her, feel bad but she's also unhinged in a way.
THEIR LOVE LANGUAGE:
Their love language was definitely silent care and understanding. They were both very awkward to begin with but they understood eachother, they never questioned eachother, but they were ready help one another. They didn't have any other love language rather than these.
LIKES:
I love the slow subtle change that you could see as episodes go by. Them getting closer, more comfortable, It just feels natural and real to me. It definitely thought some lessons about life , Jung so min portrayed the character of a girl who doesn't know what to do with her life and doesn't have a plan for her future, she teaches those short life lessons throughout the drama. I liked when the ml who who'd never like waste a penny did something for the fl, eventhough it was not something he'd do , he was so cool doing it.
DISLIKES:
At the end i felt like it had so much going on, with unnecessary characters and drama, and the fl did something that i felt like it rushed the drama at the end, but it was all worth it, cause i felt satisfied. They're were many unnecessary characters but it gave some good scene for the leads. The side leads were good, but it felt like they were just there just for filling in the spaces, i never was that interested in their stories but atleast their hardships were realistic.
QUOTES:
" Words are born in people's mouth ,And die in their ears, but some words don't die, they go into people's heart, and survive"
"Don't worry too much
It's not like you know everything about today,
Because you lived yesterday "
FINAL CONCLUSION:
A great underrated drama, Has clichés but was enjoyable. Every quote was relatable and beautiful words to describe life. I recommend this drama definitely!. Worth the watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
OMGF
i just finished this amd wowwww.... from lee min-kis acting omgmgmgmgmg im so amazed he played the role so well the slight angst towards the ending and the perfect start THE BABYYYYYYYYY omg i 100% recommend this for people who love sweet kdramas with slight angst, idk i could feel how in love they were OMGGMGGMMMMM this made me cry i love this. this show is srsly one of my faves i love this sm..the side couples and the amount of perfect screen time they were given along with how much emotion each story has. Ji Ho was really an interesting character and the way she spoke to Se Hee made me fall inlove the deep talks and the way he listened was so sweet. During the crying scenes in the kdrama that was amazing it was so realistic i fell in love with the actor..
please watch this, this is an amazing kdrama..
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A very very slow burn, but once ignited, it is lovely
I once started this because of the fake relationship tag and watched about halfway before dropping it as I was so confused at the extremely slow plot. I decided to come back and give it another shot and was very pleasantly surprised at how lovely the story developed between the two main characters.This is not a slow burn, this is a barely smoldering ember you could leave alone for days and not worry about any change or damage. I would honestly say any actual plot only started around episode 10, and up until then was just a lot of character development and laying of the foundations of their relationship. It was a bit of a slog to be honest, but they came together in such a natural way that all the slog in the beginning made sense. A true strangers to friends to lovers (or I guess, strangers to spouses to friends to lovers). It was beautiful, but I don't think I could rewatch it lol.
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing in spurts, but the last three episodes killed the main romance.
There are moments in this series that are truly amazing. Moments that will make you cry, moments that will make you giddy, and moments that will make you laugh out loud. I was completely hooked on it in spurts. During those spurts this drama is one of the best I have seen. Unique plot for the leads, minimal to medium amount of cliche for the other couples, and the catharsis from some moments is just breathtaking. At the end of episode 11, I was so happy I was fist pumping a la Michael Jordan because of the ending which was a first for me when watching Korean Dramas.But the last 4 episodes absolutely killed the the main romance for me. The ending of the main romance and how the story got there completely wrecked the foundation that the prior episodes provided. Such a shame. If you are interested in watching the drama, consider episode 12 as the last episode, and look at the last four episodes as bad follow-up movies they should not have done.
Is this series still worth watching? Absolutely. Just be warned that the main romance fizzles quickly from a cute and unique budding romance at the halfway point of episode 13, into a toxic and dangerous sewer by the middle of episode 16.
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