The artistic visuals just comforted me so much.
Ban Ji Eum remembers all her previous lives when she reach the age of 11. She never looks back to her past each time she reincarnates. In her untimely passing in her 18th life due to a car accident, she left her childhood love, Moon Seo Ha, who lives solitarily with a PTSD from the accident afterwards. When Ji Eum is reborn in her 19th life, she wants to reconnect with him and her family she left behind.This show looks very artistic throughout. Cinematography, costumes, and the color grading are all delightful. It’s very well-shot and edited, that the emotional scenes hit me perfectly. Shin Hae Sun's portrayal of Ban Ji Eum is exceptional! She really shows a sense of wisdom and maturity in her speech that I feel she’s an ancient soul. I loved the acting of other cast too, especially the child actors in their characters. They really create a lasting impression and good foundation for me to invest the characters relationships, which is difficult to achieve if there’re many faces and lives involved. My favorite bonds are: the reunion between Ji Eum and her younger niece from her 17th life, to whom she was an uncle… and her reconnection with her 18th life sister, Yoon Cho Won. It really shows how familial bonds retain regardless of gender and time. The romance is okay, I don't think the chemistry is super strong, but they have sweet and emotional moments that adds to the pacing.
Each episode in the first-half was very interesting, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that way on the second half because the mystery behind the car crash was handled in an uninteresting way and resolved too simply, that it feels a bit anticlimactic. The ending was really cute and acceptable, to say the least. Despite any plot holes and weak subplots, I really enjoy watching it.
Dec 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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I Want To Go To The Bridge With Fireworks!
I live in the US where we are currently experiencing our entertainment writers and actors on strike. I was telling a friend just yesterday that I will not miss any entertainment because of all the wonderful content coming out of South Korea, and See You In My 19th Life has been pure joy to watch. Thank you South Korean entertainment!!! I saw Shin Hye Sun in Mr. Queen and absolutely loved her acting ability. Her role in this drama did not disappoint. The storyline weaving between past and present lives, Ji Eum discovering why she remembers all her past lives along with the convergence of all the main characters coming together again after a thousand years has been done very well. The writing kept the story moving forward in an interesting way to keep the viewer tuned in while we find out, bit by bit, how all the main characters are drawn to each other. Lee Chae Min's character becomes the central figure in bringing everyone together and he did a superb job playing the mysterious part-time employee/Shaman. Is he evil?...is he trying to be normal?....what's his deal? He played the mysterious role well. The last time I saw him was in Crash Course in Romance where he was playing a teenager. This role shows his versatility as an actor. Likewise, I saw Ann Bo Hyun in Her Private Life and enjoyed seeing his acting flexibility as a main lead. I love when a romantic Kdrama adds a twist to the usual romantic plot, and this one adds a great spin with the convergence of past and present lives. The music added to the drama in the right spots, the visuals, and scenery were all wonderful helping to carry the story to the end. A really good drama that I highly recommend!Was this review helpful to you?
Lost chance
Great firsts episodes, with good pace, creative shots and enganging acting. The two leads have great charisma and the children actors are stellar especially the flamenco girl, she is super expressive and energizes every scene she is in.Shame it all came downhill after this firsts impressions. Poor story progression, with excessive flashback scenes, that bring nothing to the characters development.
The storylines start to get submerge by a sentimental tone with repetitive themes. Seems like someone ordered the actors to act cute and childlike on every scene. Two much tone confusion, on the the last episodes, with caracteres fading away with poor resolution. Last 2 episodes fast forward ...
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Yawn, See You Never!!
Interesting beginning! When I was watching while it aired I couldn’t wait till the next episode. Then, around Episode 9 is where it started to fall off. Of course, the drama isn’t exactly going to follow every plot of the webtoons but, See You In My 19th Life added unnecessary drama to move the plot.Examples:
— Aunt getting sick
— Ji-eum Bam having to erase all her memories from her past life
And much more. My problem which these plots were that, what’s to Ji-eum Bam without her past memories? It just makes her flat and bland. Other than that, it became very boring and dramatic after Episode 9 and the ending wasn’t very satisfying.
Do watch if you want, but avoid if you don’t like unnecessary and unexplained plots later on.
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See You My 19th Life; A Surprisingly Sweet Adaptation…
See You In My 19th Life is based on the eponymous Korean webcomic. When news arrived of the series receiving an adaptation, I must admit, like many readers, I was sceptical of the idea.Nevertheless, the series did offer some of the brilliant charm from the webcomic as well as offering a new take on the initial concept. However leaving out some key details did miss the mark a little, especially when it came to the execution of the series.
The drama is initially focused on nine year old, Ban Ji-eum (Park So-yi) who begins to remember her past lives. In particular, she can remember her past eighteenth life as Yoon Ju-won , the playmate and childhood friend of the wealthy heir Mun Seo-ha (Jung Hyeon-jun). When Ju-won died tragically, she was reborn as Ban Ji-eum, a girl surrounded by poverty and abuse.
Running away from home after her megalomaniacal father took away her money, Ji-eum meets restaurant owner Kim Ae-kyung (Cha Chung-hwa), and convinces her that she’s her reincarnated uncle Kim Jung-ho (Lee Jae-kyoon),as well as remembering her past incarnations .
Over the years, Ban Ji-eum takes time to cross paths with Seo-ha, the boy she promised to stay with in her past life. Now in her 20s, Ban Ji-eum ( Shin Hye-sun),has spent years trying to become a high-achieving individual in order to purposefully apply for Seo-ha’s company. However, fate has other plans. When Ji-Eun and Seo-ha cross paths, certain mysteries and deep wounds will soon emerge from the surface.
See You In My 19th Life was based on the webcomic of the same name by Lee Hey and was adapted to the small screen by director Lee Na Jung and writers Han Ah Reum and Choi Young Rim. The concept of the webcomic and the series is pretty straight forward: it is a fairly lighthearted romantic drama about boy meets girl with a fantasy twist. In typical Korean drama fashion, there are multiple surprise twists to try and keep viewers entertained, some of which lean heavily into the original work, others of which were taken into a completely different direction and leaving the series feel a little rushed in the twelve episode format.
The writers interestingly don’t really bother with the small details on the element of reincarnation for Ji-Eun. I suppose a lot of this came from the fact the premise is very straightforward about Ji-Eun possessing preternatural intelligence, skills and abilities from her past incarnations as second nature. While we do get to learn a little about her past lives, a lot of details were often absent or missed out for sake of the time frame, a shame for such a rich opportunity to explore how Seo-ha possesses so much knowledge.
The acting front was okay. Nothing particularly flawlessly outstanding, but Lee Bo-young delivered a good performance as Sang-a, the individual who help drive Seo-ha to coming back and running the hotel .
As characters, there’s a lot to unpack about the drama’s depiction. Ban Ji-Eum starts off fairly similar to her webcomic counterpart; calm, composed and collection, but the drama takes her personality in a different direction through being quite quick to fly off the handle at times. While I think it was refreshing to see Ji-Eum develop beyond just being composed and collected and have her own complex inner turmoils , it did sometimes take away from the witty charm of Ji Rum’s character and mystique. After all, Ji Eum is meant to be a tough nut to crack. Her ability to remain laidback and mysteriously charming while Seo-ha enacts as being naturally anxious and turmoil driven, allows the pairing to work. Without it, Ji Eum did not have quite the same screen time impression or character drive.
Adding to this ( and without major spoilers), there’s the issue of her reincarnations. We learn some of these past incarnations are very interesting individuals. However when addressing the biggest issue of her first incarnation ( something which was very pivotal to the webcomic), it is hard not to draw some obvious disparities between the two works. I don’t have a problem necessarily with the direction the drama took it in. After all, the series is only meant to be based on the concept, not a page for page adaptation. However, it is hard not to point out how in these late episodes, the way this past incarnation was handled and rushed did not truly give it justice for Ji-Eum’s character development and arc.
Then there’s Seo-ha. Compared to his webcomic counterpart, Seo-ha seems to play more active and dominant role in his potential romantic relationship with Ji-Eum. To some extent, this worked really well; Seo-ha is a traumatised and kindhearted individual, so it would stand to reason that he begins to connect with Ji-Eum over time. On the other hand, it is hard not to bring up the issue of how the drama tackled certain aspects of Seo-ha’s character development. Seo-ha’s mother and her circumstances, his childhood trauma and of course the ear issue, are all quickly played off at times for the romantic side, while only reappearing when it was necessary to add some drama and conflict.
Speaking of which, the issue over Seo-ha’s ear has remained a point of debate for fans and watchers alike. On one hand, I think it is a very positive step to see a Korean drama depicting a male lead with a hearing impairment even on the small screen, particularly in a positive light . However, I believe the director and writers could have easily have driven home more about the day to day issues for Seo-ha or its implications for his mental and physical well-being more than they did onscreen.
In addition to the main leads, there is also Yoon Cho Won ( Ha Yoon-Kyung), Ji Run’s sister from her past incarnation, and Ha Do-Yun ( Ahn Dong Goo). While the second leads get their screen time, it is a shame that the series cut off their subplots and potential character development in later episodes. As a result, their screen time and potential onscreen romance fell a little flat.
Perhaps one of the biggest issues of See You In My 19th Life came down to pacing. The early episodes seemed to struggle a lot with picking up a brisk pace. While it is understandable to have a slow first episode to explain the basics and establish the plot, the fact this went on for at least two or three episodes was a little concerning. After this point, the series did pick up slightly and was sable to be fairly entertaining. By the latter half , the series tried to speed run the major conflict of the webcomic. In all fairness having a twelve episode format is limiting to exploring a major plot in such a short space of time. However rather than accommodating the plot more succinctly or executing it a few episodes earlier on, the series rushes through major events ( such as the murder plot and important past life ) and seems to miss the initial purpose of some of the plot events to propel the romantic storyline. Instead, viewers are left with an odd imbalance between the romantic side of the series, and this odd thriller plot hole, leaving the themes and tone of the drama to feel a bit at odds with one another. The final episodes were a little rushed but did end on a bittersweet note.
The cinematography was fairly innovative in early episodes and did seem to pull every trick to make it eye-catching. Sadly this consistency was not the same in later episodes, but the series still possessed a fairly glossy and stylish tone. The OST was decent also with some good tracks such as “Here With Me” by Doyoung and “무음 (Silence)” by sunwoojunga.
See You In My 19th Life was a fairly standard and sweet romantic series. It was nothing particularly out of the box when considering the intriguing concept, but despite some notable issues over pacing and writing development, the drama was fairly engaging and remained a fun watch. Overall, a decent series for a binge watch.
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And the life goes on....
I'm pretty disappointed... it wasn't that bad but maybe I was expecting more. I adore Shin Hye Sun she always brings her best and lives her character but she couldn't save the show for me.The main problems would be scriptwriting, characterization, and timing. For me the story wasn't engaging enough, so many things happened at the wrong time which didn't leave you any time to digest it. I didn't like the characterization of the leads at all... it almost felt like they had no depth especially considering Ban Ji Eum's character who supposedly lived 19 lives. Still, you see the no ounce of maturity that she should have from the get-go her character was so unlikable, clingy, and even unbearable at a time I was legit feeling second embarrassment through the screen. For Seo-Ha he was just uninteresting, there's literally nothing that stood out to me from 12 episodes, and don't bring why there should be something? coz after all it is drama so I expect that I should feel emotionally connected at least to the leads.... and with this duo romance was boring as heck... the chemistry was missing. I didn't even feel that anticipation of them getting together.
On the other hand, I quite adored the relationship Ji Eum had with the sister and niece it was heartwarming. Their interactions gave that warmth and depth to relationships that have. I think the overall romance was quite bland and the second couple was the worst of all times. I couldn't find a single reason why these two people like each other, seemed like the writer wanted to have a secondary couple and was left with no options apart from these two? so let's just force it upon us without any context and build up and expect us viewers to accept it coz we are dumb, right?
I would have appreciated it if her past lives were shown often rather than just some snippets here and there. They seemed way more interesting than the present. After watching the whole thing I still don't get why Seo-Ha was special to her apparently, the writer left that upon us to imagine and speculate.
I really hate when the first half is lousy and then we reach the rushed second half same thing happened here, there were so many things thrown in the last episodes and just too much going on... basically, the story lacked consistency.
Being tvN and Netflix production the cinematography, music, and sets were top notch just what you expect from such dramas... so there's nothing to be impressed of.
Shin Hye Sun did a great job, and Ahn Bo Hyun acted decently too, there was nothing wrong with the actors' performances just writing failed to give them that charm. And just my opinion and I didn't like them as a couple maybe visually (but that comes down to my preference).
At the end of the day... I'm not left with anything special to share about this drama. Everything was to say about what I thought could have been better... that's why it was just okayish drama... definitely not a must-watch or anything remarkable just another fantasy among dozens of the same genre.
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Falls so far behind the webtoon
As I always say… I am more a webtoon fan than a drama fan.I commented on Hero class 1 saying the drama was better than the webtoon. Extremely good indeed.. But..Here it is not…
Idk about those who didn’t read it but as someone who devoured the webtoon and cried with the webtoon the drama falls so far behind. And if I can judge it this way is because they really tried to make it exactly like the webtoon without the sex and without the development of the lead male character and side characters.
I think there is a cast problem in a way with the lead characters… The female lead isn’t that cute she is more of a strong woman. I mean it literally and in terms of personality. Sin Hye Sun doesn’t convey well enough that strong character and will. The lead male is extremely fragile but to a point that you feel his fragility. Ahn Bo Hyun doesn’t convey it right. It is subjective maybe but I really am surprised from people who did read the webtoon and think otherwise. And I can’t agree with you if you say “this is the drama” well.. maybe you shouldn’t make it exactly like the webtoon then and have people not expecting the same thing..
But prolly people who didn’t read it liked this one a lot and I can understand them better.
I gave a really bad grade cause I think the grades are way too high objectively speaking.
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the. pools.
Haii, so i was really excited for this show when it was first announced as i never could get into the comics; the artstyle of the comics annoyed me as the main character was rather expressionless, but i had heard the story was great!and then i watched this.
there are 12 episodes, and about 30% of that we are staring at pools. sometimes we're in the pools, sometimes we're staring at the pools from outside, but it's a lotta water for sure!
The amount of flashbacks that got reused and reused, most of the time the exact same thing or we got a small glimpse of the rest of the flashback which meant that we had to watch it again!
somehow, this show also feels empty. the hotel plot?? essentially nonexistent, which i did really hope to see, but it was sooo useless. at the end they dragged her back to the hotel and i agree with her; why??? she was mainly a talking coach if anything or their maid.
the fantasy/19th life aspect was also not used enough, and then when Minji came into the show... it was exhausting!!
i only recommend this show if you wanna watch some swooning, but then again you could also watch a compliation of those scenes, so perhaps go for that.
i'll be trying to read the comic again instead.
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It's a big mess! A disappointment!
As a fan of the original webtoon, I'm so disappointed with this adaptation. It's totally messed up! A lot of changes just don't make any sense. It's just full of cliché, tropes and dumb plot holes. I just couldn't stand them.I got so mad how they even changed Ji Eum's first life. I really love the sibling interactions between Ji Eum and Do Yun in the webtoon and I really hoped they at least kept their past together, it would be so much fun, but it didn't happen. :(
Eventhough I really adore Ahn Bo Hyun and Shin Hye Sun, they are not Seoha and Ji Eum in my mind and I didn't see any chemistry between them at all. It's not because of their acting. They are great actors and actresses, but they just don't fit the characters. Seoha and Ji Eum are much more badass in the webtoon. And also, Shin Hye Sun is 10 years older than Ji Eum, a 23-year-old woman. That makes even less suitable for the role.
I just finished the drama just for the cast only. They did a great job in a bad drama.
Now I'm worried for another webtoon adaptation from the same author: It's a good day to be a dog. I really want to see it with the live-action version, and I also love the cast. But I lost hope after finishing this series.
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one-time-watch for the sake of the talented Shin Hye-Sun & Unique Story/Concept
What Worked: The story/concept | The brilliant FL | Mystery of Past Lives | Supporting Actors | Romance (ML/FL & SML/SFL)What Did Not Work (for Me): The casting of the ML (-2 points) | The rushed ending (-1 point)
Final Rating: 7/10
PROS:
Kudos of the original & refreshing concept goes to the webtoon, but even the screenplay was executed beautifully in these 12 episodes and the mega-talented Shin Hye-Sun simply shines! The story focusses mainly on the romance of the main leads & the mystery of the past lives and both are interwoven well with strong cinematography!
Special Mention of FL:
I have been in love with Shin Hye-Sun since I saw her in supporting roles in She was Pretty, Legend of the Blue Sea, Stranger. Was eagerly waiting for her to make a big breakthrough as a female lead in a popular drama cause her talent deserves that recognition. Mr. Queen happened, and the rest is history. So when June came by, I was eagerly waiting for this drama because I wanted to see more of her and the story was exciting and she has delivered in every scene, every minute of the show! Here's looking forward to more of her works and excellent acting!
CONS:
The story pace could have been more even and wrapped up in 10 episodes. Right now for me, it dragged at the start (Ep 2-6) and rushes at the end (Ep 8-12). The drag made me put this show on-hold until it finished airing, and the rush at the end did not do full justice to certain characters (the second pair, family of the ML and FL and consequences of their actions) and the overall mystery of why these past lives occur.
Further the cast of ML is not to my liking - this is first drama of his that I have seen completely. I dropped the other titles, as he was not a very convincing actor & very lethargic; I felt the same here which makes him pale further in front of the vibrant Shin Hye-Sun.
OVERALL:
It is a good watch for the unique story-telling, the mystery , the FL and the romance. Some wholesome moments as other relationships are also explored in respect of the FL and cute moments of the second pair that make you feel good and giddy with happiness. Had the pacing been more tighter and equal weightage given to all characters, then it would have been an 8 or 8.5 for me (can't go further as the ML still drags the show for me).
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Almost good
They always say the book is better than the movie and I fully believe this is another mouse that fell into the trap. I made the mistake of reading the webtoon first and had my hopes too high for this drama. That aside, what I love is seeing the Queen back with her court lady (from Mr. Queen) and I felt the uncle-neice chemistry more than the man leads themselves.The story felt extremely rushed in the 12 episodes and I constantly felt like I was being pushed out the door to see the end of the plot. The introduction of the characters was also quite rushed and confusing at times. Honestly speaking, I'm not sure what wasn't rushed in this drama. I wished they put a little more effort in the adaptation because it had a lot of potential, but it defiantly did not live up to the hype.
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DIFFERENT YET BEAUTIFUL STORY!!!
Shin Hye sun & Ahn Bo-Hyun two of my fav K-drama actors. Its lovely to see them together.Love the storyline. The cast is 👌🏾
Ji Eum and Seo ha.... you just want to protect them both. The suspense is killing me about her 1st life.....
Not gonna say much but you have to watch it.
On the other hand Cho won and Do Yoon's love story is cute. The back story is not fully shown as to how they fall for each other.... im hoping they show that....
Guys this is worth the watch. Waiting for the new episodes each weekend i binge the past weeks ones in prep..... yup I can be cray cray when i really enjoy a drama.
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