See You in My 19th Life

Untapped potential

I would like to preface this review by saying I was a webtoon reader of this story before it became a drama. Therefore, some of my thoughts may be a bit biased towards my feelings on the webtoon instead of viewing this show as a singular entity outside of the source material.

With that being said, I was a little disappointed with how this drama went.

First, some of the characters and relationships were underdeveloped compared to the webtoon. Yes, I am talking about Doyun as a character and his relationship with Chowon. Doyun was much more layered and given a proper backstory in the webtoon than then brief comments we got about it here. His relationship with Chowon had more depth as well and got a lot more page time than they did screen time.

The friendship between the four of them was also not as strong. They did a great job with some individual bonds but as a whole the writers missed the mark a bit on the found family the four of them had with one another.

With less time spent on the relationships between the characters, there was time spent on pretty meaningless ones. I still don’t know what the point of Ms. Jang and her son was. It literally held no one’s attention or interest. Much of the same can be said for Jiseok who was a much better character in the webtoon. I would’ve preferred they done away with his character entirely than transform him into whatever he was here.

Also, I definitely disliked the change up of Jieum’s first life. The whole point of Seoha & Jieum’s relationship is that they AREN’T fated to be together. That they chose one another in the present, in the now, not whatever the past held. Making them know one another in her first life kind of defeated the purpose of the whole webtoon in my opinion. I was also sad at the writers for doing away with Jieum’s original storyline for her first life. (Spoiler for the Webtoon) Her and Doyun always bickered like siblings so it was almost perfect that they were siblings in her first life. Again, point to the found family potential that didn’t hold as much weight here.

Now, that I have made my grievances clear, I do want to specify that despite all my ranting above there were still some great aspects to this drama.

The cast is the obvious standout. Genuinely do not think they could’ve found better people to play these characters. Maybe that’s part of the reason I’m more upset than I should be at the lacking areas of this show, bc the cast was so perfect. Shin Hye Sun was fantastic as she always is. No one else could’ve truly played Jieum and I stand by that. Ha Yoon Kyung was also a perfect Chowon. She captured her sensitivity but determination wonderfully. She truly became the epitome of a spring sunshine character (iykyk). I, like a lot of the webtoon fan base, was pretty apprehensive to Ahn Bo Hyun being casted as Seoha. Not for his lack of acting ability, but because his image drastically compared to that of Seoha’s. And yet, he was outstanding. I admire him so much for taking such a big shift from what he usually plays and taking on a softer role that he absolutely aced. Now I can picture no one else but him as Seoha. The same can be said of Ahn Dong Goo. I had only seen him in Our Beloved Summer previously and if you know his character there you know how different they are compared to Doyun. Again, he did a great job. This cast was such a great ensemble and I hope we get a few of them in other projects together one day.

The cinematography of this show was also stunning. The director really outdid themselves here. The OST was magical and really fit the vibe of the whole show. I will have ‘Juicy’ stuck in my head for the foreseeable future.

As much as I complained about the changes from the webtoon I didn’t like, there was one that was a very welcome addition. I loved Ae-gyeong and the relationship she had with Jieum. We get a bit of that in the webtoon but it’s not focused on as much so I really loved that they did here. I also did like the little role reversal at the end of this show. Really highlights how much Seoha & Jieum love each other.

Overall, despite my ranting I did enjoy this show. I don’t think there is a version of these characters that I wouldn’t fall in love with at the end of the day. Seoha, Jieum, Chowon, and Doyun have always meant a lot to me and that is something that will never change.

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I booed out loud at the end

As others have mentioned, the series started off with an interesting premise and I enjoyed the first 4-5 episodes. Then, it became clear that the story was really about her first life, which wasn't particularly interesting. The same poorly lit/shot/designed scenes from her first life were repeated over and over again.

Spoilers follow: While one must throw logic and reason out the window when considering the premise of many kdramas, I had to question what the likelihood was that most all of the leads in the show were also in her first life. And they were also all at the same ages as they are in their current life. Which leads me to the biggest headscratcher of the series: When she finally unties herself from her past life and subsequently forgets about them, how is it that she also forgets about the relationships that she has built in her current life? Yet everyone else can remember them. She eats kimchi as Kim Ae-Gyeong's restaurant--where she supposedly had lived throughout her teens--and can't remember it? However, she ended up being the same senior engineer? Huge plot hole.

I'm guessing that the writer(s) was willing to overlook this due to their desire to set up the finally scene at the hotel swimming pool. As if none of the people who knew about her prior lives are not going to tell her about them anyway?

Still scratching my head.

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Started great but second half made me wanna drop

WHY TO WATCH THIS VS WHY NOT TO

WHY TO WATCH:
+great second couple (their chem was great)
+good acting, casting (cast was picked well)
+new story line (remembering previous lives is new)
+visually pleasing (overall aesthetically pleasing)
+you should watch this at least once

WHY NOT TO:
-second half (the story line got lost)
-male lead is useless for most of the parts
-couldn't execute the story line as great as the manga

Not for people looking for:
comedy
thriller

but for people who are looking for:
great second couple
romance

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Muy buena

sinceramente me encantó, tanto la trama como la actuación, el OST, podría decirse que básicamente todo. Me encantó la química entre los actores y cómo se va desenvolviendo todo, lo único por lo cual no le doy un 10 de 10 es por la cantidad de capítulos que tiene, siento que debió de tener 16 capítulos porque algunas cosas quedaron un poco inconclusas y debieron de darle un poco más de profundidad ,pero la verdad que lo hicieron demasiado bien para tener
tan pocos capítulos.
también me hubiese gustado ver un poco más de romance entre los protagonistas pero igual no me quejo.

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Started strong ended weak

I'm going to have to come out of 'review retirement' to share my opinion of this drama. The trailers made me believe this was going to be the next "blockbuster" drama that I've been waiting for - the next masterpiece. Sadly, this show did not live up to the hype for me. The first few episodes were interesting and fun. But it gradually became a little boring and ended with plot holes for days.

The actors did a decent job. Shin Hye Sun is one of my favorite actresses but she did not nail this role. Especially in the flashback scenes to her first life (and where she was 'seeing' her first life from the present). I know she's a wonderful actress, but these scenes were heavily overacted and grating. She is so much better than this that it made me think it was a directorial choice rather than her own. Ahn Bo Hyun was a bit wooden, but I found him to be somewhat similar in Yumi's Cells. I found myself much more interested in the second lead's romance (Ha Yoon Kyung as Cho Won and Ahn Dong Goo as Do Yoon). But we got a lot less of them than I would have liked.

Due to the condensed number of episodes - only twelve, a tighter storyline was really necessary. There were a lot of unnecessary things they could have cut out that didn't advance the plot at all. There were so many flashbacks that could have been cut down. The side plots could have been cut out as well - things that added nothing to the main storyline. And the plot just completely fell apart once the shaman - Min Gi was introduced. I realize that they were working off an established webtoon, but I've never seen the source material so I don't know how closely they stuck to the original story. I thought that the solution to the issues was very weak and ended up with a lot of plot holes in the end. So many things about the ending made no sense at all. Like where did she think she lived? Why was she back at her old job? Wouldn't there be OTHER people that knew her that would have asked about why she was there again? Did she just get complete amnesia? How does she forget also meeting these people in her childhood as Ji Eum? Wouldn't they have photos of them together? Why is she still wearing the couple ring and has no idea how she got it? Seo Ha approaching her like he did in the end probably would have made most women run away thinking he was some sort of stalker or crazy in some way. None of the ending made any sense to me at all. I thought she was just going to forget how she knew them before - and that could have worked. I was just extremely disappointed in how this drama played out.

The one redeeming thing from this show was the song "Star" by Colde - loved this song and I've added it to my Drama OST playlist!

Would not rewatch this and I don't think I would recommend it to anyone either. This one is a pass!

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Amazing!

I absolutely adored this drama from start to finish! But i just felt like the ending wasn’t really satisfying for me. I wished they had at least extended the episodes and showed how she (female lead) fell in love with him again, and i also wanted to see more of the second couple!. But overall, i would say The show was executed flawlessly, with every episode delivering the perfect combination of romance and drama and The emotions were truly top-notch, and I found myself completely invested in the characters and their stories. Overall, I would highly recommend this drama!

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"잊기 싫어. 기억하고 싶어."

Have you ever wondered what your closest friends would feel like if you died? What would they do? How would they remember you? Moreover, would you want to witness their grief yourself while being around them as a completely different person? Those are the challenges the main character Ban Ji Eum has to navigate on a daily basis.

🔸️The drama explores grief and the ways to cope with it - letting people go or holding onto them at all costs. Do dearest memories outweigh traumas? Should we live in the moment and forgive? Ji Eum has 19 lives worth of suffering, and worth of happy moments too, but she can't erase one and keep another. She has to make a choice between her long desired happiness and her friends' wellbeing. I feel like the plot relies too heavily on inyeon 인연, but I like that the characters still have to overcome challenges in their next lives to end up together, like Secretary Ha and Cho Won.

🔸️The drama is heartwarming, not heartbreaking, and it kept me engaged very well. Except for the truck accident for which I still don't understand the motive. I absolutely adore the child actors who all did an outstanding job, and not just for their age. Shin Hye Seon is truly amazing, especially in the emotionally intense final episodes. And Ahn Dong Goo? Where did this guy come from? He has an incredible quiet energy.

But I was more interested, how did Ji Eum's gender identity and sexual orientation change as Ji Eum was reborn in both female and male bodies?

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Worth Watching

This was pure joy to watch. I know it was also sadness, frustration, fear and a lot of anger and heartbreak, but it had all the good feelings too!

It is of course a very passionate and sweet love story, one of those epic love stories that transcends time and space and no one can't stop from happening, but it is more than that.

This series is about a deeper kind of love. A deep love with that feeling of longing, of wanting to live the best things in life with the people you love, to share with them all their problems and worries and being able to give them hope and care for then when they need you the most.

That love that you need everyday to keep you going. The love that gives you that very warm feeling of belonging. It was such an amazing story full of learnings and beautifully written. The cast is perfect and all of them had amazing chemistry with each other.

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A Never-Ending Inconsistency

Short Review :
"See You in My 19th Life" promised an intriguing and potentially captivating premise with its incorporation of the reincarnation trope. The drama's plot suffered from convoluted storytelling, as it attempted to juggle multiple timelines and reincarnated identities without proper clarity. Flashbacks and time jumps were frequent and often poorly executed, leaving viewers confused and struggling to keep track of the narrative's progression.

The romance aspect, which could have been a redeeming factor, also fell victim to the drama's flawed execution. The relationships between characters felt superficial and underdeveloped, lacking the depth and emotional resonance that a well-crafted love story requires. The drama ultimately stumbled and failed to execute its own logic coherently, resulting in a muddled mess that left viewers scratching their heads.

Positive :
- Aegyeong existence
- The first life backstory is good
- The premise is intriguing
- The OST is really good
- Some of the scene has a really good composition

Negative :
- The plot point resolved in anticlimactic way
- The main couple don’t have good chemistry
- The plot doesn’t make sense in its own universe
- The editing is just for a shock factors
- The background music doesn’t match the scene
- The never ending flashback ever episode
- Second Couple has no screen time (despite having chemistry)


Long Review with Spoiler
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My main gripe with this drama is that it’s not engaging and every episode just negates the previous episode points like the writer make up the plot along the way and forgetting what they’ve been established. The writer will open plot points and forgot about it the next episode.
The audience never get to see what the characters motivations to feel emotionally invested. As example, why is Jieum liking Seoha in the 19th life so much? She doesn’t know him and does that means she likes the 18th life Seoha or it because of “destiny?” The chemistry between the two leads is barely there, you can’t even tell if they supposed to fall in love, it would have improved if they had them working together on revitalizing the hotel but they barely work.
Regarding the 1st life, for a curse to be this powerful , you would expect the backstory must be crafted well and hard hitting but instead the curse feels like random gacha that solved by accepting your fate because “It’s been 1000 years”.
Not to mention, Jieum backstory become tragedy because of herself and why she doesn’t remember the first life until the bells ? What was the dream in ep 1-6 supposed to mean then? What kind of curse makes you forget the very reason your curse origin, it’s also the curse you made for yourself. Aren’t the moment you are forgetting it almost the same as you technically get over it?
The 1st life doctor guy said that the medicine stored for the royals could help and Su/Jieum so she stole lead but on her way to escape, Su said the priest/shaman shouldn’t be too hard on her since the bells could be made again so Su is the stupid one?
Why is that the backstory makes me doesn’t want to root for Su/Jieum. Is the shaman bells both valuable and invaluable?
How’s the forget your memory works? Jieum entire 19th life consist of everything from her previous life? She lives with her 17th life cousin, she works because seoha’s works there, she got high score because of her previous work skills? It doesn’t make any sense.

There is so many question when you finished the show.
- The show spent more time on the murder plot and hotel plot, both get solved in a 10 minutes scene. The car accident that got repeated at least once an episode as flashback was because the uncle want to see the dad looks sad?
It was solved by a sudden confession. Then the stepmother and her son disappeared , what was their relevance in the story again?
- It’s like no one is “actually” bad guy in this drama but the reason is illogical.
- Juwon’s mother forgives the accident because it’s a planned accident that doesn’t means to kill people? Manslaughter is a thing.
- Seoha father acts like he did to shield his son but he has done nothing to his son either way? He is not nice to his son and acts so demeaning all the time until the last episode and we supposed to forgive him?
- Second couple barely get any screen time in the last half of the drama despite having chemistry. Why?
- Why is minki always pop up here and there with no dialogue? He always say some weird stuff like a reference to stuff we know nothing about.
- What about the disease? It's not explained enough.

The acting doesn’t feel coherent between characters. Shin Hye Sun is brilliant when portrayed in the 1st life but awkward at the 19th life. Her tone sound like she is babying seoha’s, like a kindergarten teacher knows it all. She is good at tragic scene but bad at happy scenes, idk how, she is a great actress.
Ahn Bo Hyun is sad expression all the time and just a slight happy at the end but don’t play well with SHS acting, they have bad chemistry.

Now talk about the controversial, liking a child when you were 1000 years old memories.
- This is so problematic because for half of the episode, the audience is bombarded with the idea that 18th life Seoha is just everything in Juwon/Jiem’s life but Seoha was 8 years old and she is mature 12th years old with understanding of an adult. What’s interesting about an 8 years old? At the end they reveal that Seoha was in the 1st life so what was the point in the beginning 18th life obsession then? Does your life is all about predestined relationship? So it's fine if you love and obsess towards an 8 years old because it must be predestined? Even when you act like adult , understanding of an adult and have memories of being adult?

All in all, the lack of consistent rules, muddled character development, and convoluted storytelling resulted in a disappointing drama that left viewers more frustrated than entertained. Unfortunately, "See You in My 19th Life " missed the mark, leaving us with a forgettable and unsatisfying viewing experience.

Note : I can write more but this is already long enough.

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A distinctive story and a captivating cinematography.

“Just as I was getting bored of repeating life after life, I met Seoha.” – Ban Jieum

Ban Jieum's 17 lives were exceptional. She danced the flamenco, she fought the war, she was in a circus. Yet the life that impacted her the most was her 18th life, her life as Yoon Juwon. Those 12 years as Juwon made her forget the fact that she remembers her previous lives. And this is because of a little kid named Moon Seoha. Her 19th life was then a life of reminiscing and reuniting. She wanted to meet and gather with her loved ones. Aegyeong, Chowon, Seoha.

On top of an impressive cast, this webtoon adaptation has a unique story-line and a mesmerizing cinematography. Howeverm what stroke me the most in this drama are the diverse dynamics we had between Jieum and other characters.

Jieum and Aegyeong, uncle and niece relationship: Aegyeong is truly my comfort character. She exudes tenderness, care, and even motherly love. She's taken care of Jieum ever since she was little and never judged her or questioned her about her previous lives. She just believed her and called her "삼촌" as much as she could. Aegyeong was there when Jieum needed it the most and that's a proof of her fidelity and reliability.
“Living a safe and ordinary life together with you. That’s all I want.” – Aegyeong

Jieum and Chowon, sisterhood: Chowon was the second person to know and accept Jieum as she is. Chowon has always been Jieum's little baby. In the 18th and 19th life. Even though she still hasn't told her about her remembering her past lives, she looks at her with such devotion and melancholia and she pats her when she's asleep. Even though Chowon still didn't know about it, she felt the sisterly connection between her and Jieum.
“Why does a stranger feel so much like my sister?” – Chowon

Jieum and her 18th life mom, a solid and deep bond: In episode 3, we witness and devastatingly beautiful scene of Jieum embracing her mother while wailing. However, this was only part of her imagination. This is what she wanted, her previous life's mother to remember her and to understand that Juwon is still here, but in another form. The mom wants to believe that Juwon will come back to the point of keeping Juwon's room untouched. She was bound to believe Jieum. Unfortunately, Jieum never told her about her previous life as Juwon.
“There are people I can share my secret with and people that I should never open up to.” – Jieum

Jieum and Doyoon, underappreciated and a lost potential: In the Webtoon, the only one who was connected to Jieum in her first life was Doyoon. They were twins. Unfortunately, it didn't happen in the drama and they remained strangers. He's only seen as her sister's lover, not as her brother. I wanted to see their sibling-like bickering. It's a pity.

Jieum and Mingi, a best-friend turned into an enemy: another wasted potential. I really wanted them to remain as best-friends and wanted Mingi to be that chaotic funny best-friend. I wanted to see comedy since it's one of the genre in the show, but we got angst. They turned him into a key character in Jieum's first life and made him a grey-ish character. They handled the story pretty well tho, Mingi being in her first life and killing Seol (Chowon's name in the first life), was consistent and understandable. Thus the reason Jieum remembers her past lives in the drama is because she held a grudge against Mingi in her first life.
“Can you even say that this life is a new life for you? Aren’t you just clinging onto your past relationships?” - Mingi

Jieum and Seoha: an unfinished and unfulfilled love bound to flourish again: what a wonderful dynamic. One of my all-time favorite couple. Their backstory is so emotionally beautiful, their love is pure and they only have eyes for each others. Jieum, previous Juwon, will be the sun that shines over Seoha's pitch-black life and the moon that enlightens Seoha's dull and traumatic life. Seoha's innocence and playfulness made Jieum feel truly alive, not just going through another life.
Swimming together, reading together, laughing together, those very simple things made her feel like an actual 12 year old girl.
“I’ve always wondered why I could remember my past lives. I couldn’t forget them even if I wanted to. But the most memorable life out of them all was the warm and ordinary summer days with you.” – Jieum
Seoha's innocence remained even when he grew up. He's still a child in his heart because his soul died as soon as Juwon died. He felt his soul reviving as soon as Jieum appeared in his life.
“When I was with Seoha, I felt like I was actually 12. He made me forget that I had died and lived again seventeen times in the past.” – Jieum
“When I’m with her, my worries melt away and I feel relieved. If this is what love is, can I let myself feel it?” – Seoha

On top of the wonderful dynamics, the cinematography. Alluring, breath-taking, ethereal. I watched every single scene with glowing eyes because of how enticing the cuts are. Not only the dialogues are beautiful, the cinematography adds a dreamy-like perspective to every single word they utter.

I also want to highlight the impressive performance of Shin Hyesun. I'm so glad she's getting more love as she's doing more works. She's a wonderful actress and the perfect cast for Ban Jieum and for Su (her name in the first life). All of the actors did an amazing job portraying their own character, the performances are top-notch.

I really loved the OSTs, I liked some BGMs even though they put comical BGMs in serious scenes. The staff did an amazing job overall.

Also if you expect watching the exact same adaptation of the webtoon, it will not happen. Significant changed have been made. It personally didn't affect me that much, I liked the changes and it also made those who read the webtoon clueless about what was about to happen. It was a stressful but fun ride.

As expected the ending was not shocking. Jieum forgets her past lives forever not only to protect her loved ones, but also to protect herself from the torment she's been living throughout these centuries. Little by little, her loved ones approach her like she did first and will slowly get close to her. Jieum has a fun personality so it will be easy to get close to them once again. Seoha is now the daring one, he's the one who's about to ask her out three times and she will be the one who'll accept his request.

Overall, this drama was amazing. I really loved it. I don't usually watch fantasy shows and the last romance fantasy I watched was Hotel del Luna back in 2019. This was a big surprise and I don't regret watching it. It's a good short drama with a cast and staff that did an outstanding job.

“I don’t know whether I was startled or simply wanted to live. But I just started running. All the longing and heart-wrenching memories must’ve vanished in the wind while I ran. I found the will to live once again. That was when I realized that if I run, I can live.” – Jieum

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An absolutely beautiful show, *See You in My 19th Life* has surpassed all the other kdramas I've seen thus far. It is exquisitely crafted, with every moment captivating and delightful.

The inclusion of song *Star by Colde*, adds an extra layer of soothing charm. Interestingly, I had listened to this song even before watching the drama, and it truly complements the storytelling.

The genre is fantasy, Romance . The concept was cool and new too. Everyone played their role very well, especially the main leads. The story line goes very smooth and in a heart fluttering manner. The scenes have been portrayed very well. The romance between them was not just cute but very much feel good and heart warming. It's the romance that u kinda feel yourself getting absorbed into rather than finding lagging.

It's a wonderful and touching story plot, even though it seems to be a fantasy, well in this stressful and constantly seeking for happiness life, such fantasy is a treat to soothe any heart.

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A Captivating Series Unveiling Magical Romance

This delightful series emanates a magical aura every time I watch it, leaving me captivated and immersed in its beauty. As an avid fan of romance kdramas, I've encountered many classics with clichéd plots, but this one offers a refreshing and unique storyline.

The 12-episode kdrama boasts a well-crafted and fast-paced plot, allowing us to fully focus on the main narrative without unnecessary plot twists. The storytelling is skillfully executed, making it a joy to watch.

One of the standout features is the stunning cinematography, which exudes a magical ambiance through its vibrant colors. The visual experience is so mesmerizing that it creates a sense of calmness, allowing viewers to savor the series without any pressure.

Now, let's talk about the outstanding performances of the cast. Shin Hye Sun, whom I deeply admire and have followed in many kdramas, continues to impress. Her ability to truly embody her character rather than just acting is a testament to her exceptional talent. In this series, she shines as Ban Ji Eum, delivering a remarkable performance. Ahn Bo Hyun, portraying Seo Ha, displays a charming and skillful portrayal, especially in emotional scenes that tug at the heartstrings. The chemistry between Ahn Bo Hyun and Shin Hye Sun is absolutely heart-fluttering and adds to the series' appeal. Ha Yoon Kyung and Ahn Dong Goo also deserve praise for their commendable performances as supporting characters, contributing to the overall charm of the show.

The enchanting OST perfectly complements the series, adding to its beauty.

I wholeheartedly recommend experiencing this captivating series, as it is truly a treasure worth watching!!!

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