Great acting from the leads and beautiful cinematography, the plot could have had a better execution
Shin Hye Sun killed it once again. As someone pointed out, rarely do we see female leads look like they are in love with their partner, so openly and without fear. The love mostly comes from their male counterpart's gaze.Now for the negatives, for a 12 episode drama, this one has far too many flashbacks. We really don't need that many flashbacks in one scene just to tell the audience that Jieum is remembering her 1st life and it's bothering her. K drama directors need to treat us like a smart audience. I'm sure Shin Hye Sun can take direction and show the audience what is going on instead of the writing/directing/editing relying on such storytelling crutches. I swear the whole story of the first life could have been wrapped up in the first 15-20 minutes of one episode. In the age of streaming, flashbacks (that we've already seen so many times!) are an unnecessary rewind button.
As for the plot, as someone who didn't read the webtoon, the show spent too much time on the accident and not enough on Jieum and her mysterious lives. And for it to spend so much time on the accident, the resolutions to that storyline were quite plastered on. But still, it was a highlight of my weekends.
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Quite nice!
I finally watched this – been wanting to do it since it first aired! Overall, this was an acting masterclass from Shin Hae Sun, she was so marvelous to watch; the best performance of the show to be honest. I don’t mind the ending all that much because Ji Eum finding peace and happiness without the burden of her past lives felt very right and important to me. This show also made me cry so much!! The first 3 episodes were really nice, but after that… the middle did not feel as good anymore, it picked up again towards the end. I am overall a little bummed that I didn’t love it, but it is not a bad show by any means. Brownie points for the stunning cinematography and the beautiful OST!Was this review helpful to you?
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Episode 13 :)
The pace was good, even though it's difficult to fit a whole webtoon into 13 episodes.Spoiler alert : We will be getting a 13th episode on Saturday!!
The acting was incredible, and the relationship dynamics were good. I love the OST too; listening to some of the songs, like Star by Colde, triggers my tears instantly.
With episode 12 you may feel that, The only downside you can think of is how, by forgetting her past lives, Ban Ji-Eum forgets her current life. and hasn't remembering her past 18 lives shaped who she is and her personality? Or maybe personality travels through reincarnation, whether you remember it or not. Either way, I won't mark it down for that being unrealistic, as remembering your past lives is already unrealistic.
But in episode 13 there is a twist!
I recommend it to all!
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Fun Webtoon to Kdrama Adaptation
I read the webtoon version which the drama was adapted from, and I was pleasantly happened with how this turned out.They changed some things here and there, but overall it's still good. I still prefer the webtoon version, but this one wasn't bad.
I liked the casting, they did a good job on that. I hope to see more dramas with Ahn Bo-hyun as the male lead, he did well here. And of course, my queen Shin Hye-sun did not disappoint!
Overall, just a fun and relaxing kdrama to watch when you're not in the mood for anything too serious.
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Genuine relationships are ultimately what make life worth living
This show is certainly one of a kind. The story is relatively simple, with some underlying philosophical messages. It is simply about a woman who doesn't want to let go of her relationships and her inner struggles with identity, as well as healing the emotional trauma her death set upon her loved ones. Everything else barely matters tbh. Several scenes had high artistic value and were shot with tender care, making sure the emotions would seep through the screen into the viewer's heart (with the exception of way, WAY too many pool scenes). It's quite evident that the directors intentionally chose warm color palettes with the goal of visually pleasing shots.The biggest flaw of the show is that the show makers do not seem confident enough in the storyline (probably thinking it won't attract enough viewers), so they added sideplots that they thought would increase the tension but will only fall flat. They even tried to lead viewers into thinking the show was some kind of makjang at one point. Fortunately by the last episode we realise it is not the case, with the FL remaining a sensible character. Which makes you wonder what even was the point of the those flashbacks taking up the screentime. Nonetheless, since the core of the show really speaks to me, those elements did not drive me away from but dragged it down from a solid 9/10.
On the other hand, the ending is possibly one of my favourites in recent years. The slight but significant change in the FL's demeanour, more youthful clothes and behaviour, shows the burden lifted off her shoulders. It successfully relayed the message that letting everything go and starting anew is not as scary as it seems; rather, dwelling on the past would prove to ultimately mean nothing and only bring everlasting pain. And that when someone willingly carries your burden and makes the effort to start a relationship anew, without you ever knowing of it, that is love. Sisterly love and romantic love. The last scene was both quirky and heartwarming, making the FL have a taste of her own strangeness at the start of the show.
This show had an amazing ensemble of talented child actors, whom I've seen in other great works. Shin Hye Sun's "eyes speaking louder than words" has won me over, changing my view of her from "an actress to look out for" to "an actress to watch no matter what". From restrained but subtle emotions to explosively dramatic scenes, she pulls them all off. Ha Yoon Kyung is coming off very likable with "contagious" acting. While both male leads held their own, they didn't get as much to work with.
As many have mentioned, some musical choices were odd at some points but I didn't notice much of it apart from a handful of scenes. The majority of the soundtrack has been great and enhance the scenes.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " See You in my Nineteenth Life " is a fantasy melodrama with a cute spin to it.The drama combined perfectly comedy with a more melodramatic mood when it came to the characters, their past and their struggles.
The story, in addition, is nicely paced, with the romance being enjoyable to watch, though predictable. The side couple were adorable though.
But the highlight of the drama is the main female lead. She was excellent as always and she proved once again that she can transform into any character she is given to flesh out.
However, there were some plotlines that got boring to follow. But the ending was unique.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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The start of my love for Korea
That was the first Korean series I watched and it taught me something really interesting and, above all, surprising: that I have a lot more facets to myself than I thought. I had never considered Asia as a culture before and suddenly I immerse myself in a completely new world and am enchanted.At the beginning I found the plot a bit long-winded, but in hindsight you understand why it is needed. What I liked most was that there were so many unexpected and suspenseful moments. I liked the young Ban Ji-Eum the most! She's really talented and I'm looking forward to seeing her in hopefully many more series.
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Loved it but is missing an episode
WOULD RECOMMEND !The cinematography and the acting of Shin Hye Sun (Ban Ji Eum) are beautiful and perfect.
The way the series is filmed increased the beauty of the story.
The acting of the actors in general was very good but Shin Hye Sun gave one of the best performances ever. The way she cries is so heartbreaking and pure. You really feel what she feels. When she cries, you cry. When she smiles at the people she loves, you also smile.
The story itself was very well portrayed and it was quite easy to understand.
The only things that I can comment on are the plot hole and the ending. First, we never find out who the mother of Seo Ha was in the MC 1st life. Like who was she that she was also cursed and why did she also remember her past lifes ? Secondly, the ending. Personally, I think that it’s missing an episode. With one more episode, they could have made the perfect ending just like the webtoon did. But the ending made was still good.
Perfect cinematography and acting.
Good adaptation albeit the ending which could be considered an open ending (different from the actual webtoon).
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I'll definitely see you again in this life.
It's been almost a month since this ended so I can finally rate this without bias.The series started out very great--- with a strong plot, very compelling characters (especially the child actors! 👏👏👏), nice cinematography, and a realistic portrayal of the 90s. The wealthy truly looked affluent, and the middle class appeared like one.
Despite it being just 12 eps, however, it still felt draggy and long. The pacing in the first half was really good but the middle towards the end were filled with scenes with almost zero dialogue, just the character feeling the moment. The scoring didn't help too (although their OSTs still haunt me till this day).
It felt like the director focused on the start and end of the series but didn't pay much attention from the middle part leading to the finale.
Yes, I found the chemistry of the leads very good (in contrast to some who found it unappealing), but perhaps the screenwriter/webtoon writer wanted to prepare an onion-like of drama, with several layers to be peeled, only to have underwhelming parts as they kept peeling.
The drama had its greatest moments, but also meh moments. Nonetheless, I loved it. I appreciated all the efforts made to create it. And for that I'm grateful. 💗
I'll always remember this as that drama whose younger version made me cry a lot (like Missing You in 2012!), and whose older versions taught me how to become a better adult.
To anyone hesitating on watching this, this is your sign to go start that first ep. I hope you also have tissues within reach, just in case. 😉
P.S. Grief and loss tags are proper. It's a huge part of the story, so better prepare
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Perfect
The drama is a flawless masterpiece, offering a complete package of entertainment. It effortlessly blends humor and emotion, delivering funny and touching scenes alike. The female lead's character's pursuit of the male lead is portrayed with grace and purity, devoid of any forcefulness or lack of manners. Both leads deliver stellar performances, and the supporting cast, including the child actors, shine brightly as well. Their portrayal is commendable, earning them well-deserved applause. Overall, the drama leaves no room for criticism, delivering a delightful and satisfying viewing experience.Was this review helpful to you?
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First the positives: Shin Hye Sun is a great actor, many of the scenes were beautifully staged and shot, and the premise was interesting.Unfortunately, my list of negatives is much longer. I felt that the promising premise was squandered by big gaps in the writing and poor execution. For example, I had trouble believing that the ML would fall as quickly as he did for a FL who stalked him and said very strange things, instead of scurrying away as fast as he could on those long legs of his. Ahn Bo Hyung did a good job when the drama required him to act emotionally frozen. Except that he pretty much did that thoughout. I thought that the child actors were very good but I struggled to believe that the leads had fallen deeply in love when children. I blame the writing for that. The whole car crash subplot fizzled, primarily because it required one to believe that characters would react in implausible ways. The ending had more gaps and, “Wait, how can that be … ?” than the average drama.
I think that the drama was ruined by poor writing.
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Competent Cast Meets Incompetent Production.
"Could not connect the dots or the writer refused to let the audience think", I think is one the most annoying tropes among shows these days. This show could have been a mystery for the ages. 19 lives all intertwined to a butterfly effect meeting after a 1000 years for one single purpose but the writer decided to do a simple show with simple story without any consequences.How it could have been watchable,
The writer could have given every life a purpose such as she is learning to grow and making up for her first life (as if she was cursed for a 1000 years). Make it so that every life was varied in some way and give us a glimpse of at least 2 each episode culminating to making us matching all the puzzles on how it all came to be.
Also it did not seem like the main two leads were meant to be together, yet somehow the writer decided to jerry rig something as flashback material for them to meet and live together. The other 2 past life knowers made no sense and could have been omitted from the whole show or given a reason (such as, they could have been cursed with her and the only way for them to forget is to help her). But it seemed they had their own way of hiding things witch made no sense at all. Why wont you have a well written book on what to do and not to do.
Also, give a reason why they are not super smart or super wealthy as they can just hide their wealth and come back and reclaim it after their reincarnation. Also, with their 1000 years of knowledge getting rich would have been a breeze.
Conclusion, it seems Korean drama has a older actress problem, always trying to take the spotlight but getting outshined by supporting actresses who are younger but given better material to work with. The show started fabulously but dipped to irrelevance quite quickly. I could not in my right mind continue to watch this show after the little girl died after a few episode and the slog of Romcom started.
A message to all directors and writers, "Give me a reason to care about your show after its ending or be forgotten. It is not hard to connect a show which only has 12 episodes. Its a shame most Korean drama has lost its mind and forgot to write deep material that will last a lifetime"
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