DramaAjumma

It's my current favourite.

A very decent wrap. One of the better ones I've seen all year.
The trial made more sense than the ridiculous one in The Good Bad Mother.

Classmates.

The bit in Episode 19 where the firefighters received food from their families and watched videos from family members was so sweet. Brought tears to my eyes.

He was a background figure.

I'm up to Episode 16 and considering all the baggage between the leads, I think the romance is progressing as quickly as it should. The fact that they are taking things cautiously is good because yeah 10 years have passed and nostalgia is no foundation to build any kind of relationship... parental objections notwithstanding. Personally I find Xu Qing's honesty rather refreshing. It's FOMO.

That said, I think Xu Qing is somewhat naive. Perhaps it isn't naivete but the fact that she's been so brainwashed after living with the Mengs that her sense of agency is limited. I don't think indecision is her problem but the mistaken belief that the woman she calls mother has her best interests at heart. Xu Qing has been gaslit into thinking that if she tries to break free that she's the problem. A relationship like theirs that doesn't allow for accommodation or negotiation is tyrannical. Mother dearest seems to be more concerned about her own reputation and her ability to control the outcome than what's best. She's not raising children but breeding horses.

Good points. Temptations abound for the people in this show. That's part of the greed narrative that's woven right through the drama. It begs the question: If you were offered benefits to enter a pact with the devil, would you do it?

I don't find Yang Yang to be a particularly nuanced actor either. His range has always been limited. Having said that, I think he's shown a fair bit of improvement here compared to other things I've seen him in. A lot of his popularity comes from the fact that he's very good in love scenes and the like. He's a very attractive actor who usually has really good chemistry with his female co-stars.

A Hundred Years of Solitude was a fascinating read.

Moreover, I don't think San-young should be too hard on Hae-sang because I am almost certain that her mother's side of the family is somehow involved in 1958. Her mother's reticence is suggestive.

For me this is a show that can be appreciated at many levels. First it functions as a supernatural thriller which casts the spotlight on the alarming rates of suicide in SK as mentioned by one of the show's main detectives. No doubt it is deliberate on the part of the writer to deploy a vengeful spirit as the vehicle to highlight the social dysfunctions that lead to people taking their own lives. Pressures of study and work. Bullying. Domestic violence. Mental health issues that see no timely intervention that results in prevention. As a police procedural, however, the show doubles up as a historical documentary revealing a heinous practice with consequences still felt 65 years later. Child sacrifice is a very old practice throughout the world and I think this dovetails very well into renewed current discourse about child trafficking. And questions about how we think about the most vulnerable in our communities.

What's especially interesting for me in light of the last two episodes is how these spirits are linked to generational and collective guilt. Whether or not one believes in spirits, there's undeniable reality that the sins of one generation has consequences for subsequent ones. This also speaks to the issue of how far culpability goes. Should the next generation be held responsible for what the previous one did? Also, how culpable are those who stood by and watched? Even if the system they live under is corrupt, how far are individuals responsible?

She's fine so far

Xu Qin comes across as an abuse sufferer. She sounds like she has a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome. The woman she calls mother is more of manipulative tormentor than someone who is concerned for her well-being.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this show more than Road Home despite the fact that I'm more of a fan of Jing Bo-ran.

I am surprised that most of the conversation here is centred predominantly on the dysfunctional family dynamics. It's the least interesting part of the show. It's the usual soap opera one finds in these sorts of longer dramas. We all know the drill in that regard. The saves and the workplace camaraderie is where it's at.

Maybe it's just me. I don't watch these things just for the romance.

I can't say I've watched everything Yang Yang has been in but I think this is his best role (that I've seen at least) because he seems to be challenging himself with a deeply flawed character. An actor worth his salt needs to do these kinds of roles.

The actors I respect the most are the ones that can play antiheroes, heroes and villains.

Even in Episode 7 I can see incremental improvements between the leads.

I think the show breaks the "show not tell" rule to an obvious extent. Too much exposition.

It's good so far but it does assume some knowledge of the previous season even though about 6 months have passed. I've had to rewatch the whole of part 1 again just to refresh my memory about certain characters. Still wondering what happened to "Friend".

To me it's worth watching for Lee Seung-min and a whole cast of great veteran actors.

My thoughts on the show so far...
https://40somethingahjumma.substack.com/p/see-you-in-my-19th-life-2023-ramblings

It's not a bad show but definitely suffers from an identity crisis. The set-up gives the impression that it's some kind of revenge heist show and then they throw socialization theory into the mix with the whole conspiracy angle. What's the deal with the subplot dynamic of Jay and CEO Jang? I don't see how the show is enhanced by it.
The show would have definitely benefited from being trimmed to 12 episodes.

Glad you liked it.