18 Again (2020)

Unrealistic but with tearjerking moments....

So, while waiting for the next episodes of Mr. Queen, I found myself watching this on Netflix.

First off, while the story is obviously unrealistic (the being young again part), I loved the family drama angle of the story.
I honestly skipped through the stories of the other characters and just focused on Dae Jeong and Dae Yeong.

Wasn't a fan of Lee Do Hyun in Hotel del Luna but I adored him in 18 again; specially the parts where he still acted on his fatherly instinct while being a classmate of his daughter.

For me, the drama showed the struggles of teenage marriages. And while theirs ended happily, in real life, more often than not, the couple ends up separating.

Not being a Korean, I also wonder if the workplace in Korea is as discriminating as depicted in the series. From my impression of Korea, the country is undoubtedly of an upper class status, but in Kdramas, I find their society conservative in some aspects of life.

Anyway, this drama is not without it's flaws. Like when Dae Yeong's dad recognized him, but did not question as to how he came to be young again. It also did not show nor explain how he got back his old appearance. There was also the matter of his voice. It was obviously different but over the phone, no one even commented on it.

If you are looking for something to fill up the time, this would be a so-so drama to watch for me.

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18 Again (2020) - I saw first some clips of this drama on facebook and I was curious and indeed my curiosity didn't fail this time.
I was crying alongside the characters of this drama. I never thought that it was a family drama and I like this type of dramas. I felt what I should feel and I really like how they portray the love of a father. One of the dramas that is rare and really worth the time and watch.

Best line:
Dae Young: ‘No matter how old you get, there is always something new to learn. If you think it as a regret, that’s the end of it. But when you think of it as a lesson learned, it brings a new beginning.

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You'll horribly be missing out on the emotions

I'm not sure where to start because I love this drama so frickin' much. You'll be badly missing out on a gem if you won't watch it so please give it a try.

Overall:

I've seen the original movie "17 again" years ago and it left me curious as to how they would spread out a movie into 16 episodes of a drama. I knew the general story but went in expecting the expected, with no surprises. BUT NOPE it was completely unexpected as this drama encases intense emotions with right amounts of humor and suspense elements along the way. This story is more than just a story. Everything but the transformation is so real whether it be the family, friends, dreams/aspirations and love of all kinds. There's so much to learn about ourselves and surroundings through what they show us on screen. It shows is how to be grateful for the good and the bad in our lives because it makes us who we are. It shows us that we can't waste our life looking what we don't have have but see what we do have.

Main Ideas in my opinion:

We often assume the reasons behind someone's actions and this is the biggest idea the show focuses on. We need to try to understand the other person's perspective and problems will arise when things go unsaid and caring actions go unseen. Sometimes we might not know the whole story of someone. The drama shows that misunderstandings serve as clouded judgement, leading us to easily make decisions we regret later. The intertwined journey of the leads allows them to learn and see their partner in a different light and the sacrifices they've made.

"18 Again is a heavy family-oriented drama as it displays the dynamics not just between two leads and their kids but the leads and their parents as well. It shows the parent's perspective of being strict with their child simply because they don't wish for their kids to face any struggles. But this only bridges the gap between the kids and the lead characters. The drama shows us kids can express this frustration by being quiet or rebellious while encountering problems of their own in school. They show us the importance of approaching your child primarily as a friend and then secondly as a parent because it makes it easier for them to speak out.

The main character Jung Da Jung was a strong person who never gave up on her dreams. Her perseverance is greatly demonstrated throughout the show. She didn't let comments on her age or being a mom get in the way of continuous effort. With her genuine personality she breaks past all the barriers, earns her place in her dream job while winning the hearts of the people who once stood against her.

Acting/OST :

The main character of Hong Dae Young played by Yoon Sang Hyun and Lee Do Hyun have blended in seamlessly. Lee Do Hyun never lets us forget he's the older version of himself on the inside(Yoon Sang Hyun), a father with protective instincts, a caring husband who's still loves his wife dearly, a best friend and someone who came to see his mistakes and never stopped being their for his family. That was a mouthful but seriously he did an outstanding job even though this is his first drama as a main role ( go watch him in Hotel del Luna!). I personally thought Lee Do Hyun was the main character most of time but when emotional moments came, Yoon Sang Hyun would return to the screen to portray the true character on the inside. Apart from the incredible acting delivered by the two main male actors, I think this drama did a great job of visually showing the transformations to highlight that aspect. AND there was no supporting character who wasn't necessary to move the plot forward. There was a right balance between the past and the present scenes so you won't get confused.

The OST complements the scenes so well and it really brings out additional emotions (I was ballin' most of the show and I don't cry that easily). I think "Hello" sung by SoHyang was the most played OST and TRUST ME it's such as amazing song. I'm still learning the language but despite not understanding 80% of the song, I could feel the sorrow and the love (this goes for the whole OST). The power of music extends past the language and that's true fascinating.

Many people find the ending of most dramas to be incomplete but the ending in "18 again" leaves us feeling complete and healed. I was crying while watching show at night and in broad daylight ( at 11 in the morning LMAO). So that speaks for itself. No matter how much I write it's not enough to describe this piece of work. I liked "17 again" but I like "18 again" a lot more. It's made me delusional enough to write a message to Lee Do Hyun on Instagram about how much I loved the show as if he'll see it LOL

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I have not enjoyed a Korean family drama this much since ages.

I was hesitant to start this drama because the idea of a guy who jumps back from 37 to 18 years old after making a wish looked too much of a childish concept for me. But I decided to against that and I am happy I did.

STORY:
It tells the story of a couple which is in crisis after slipping in a routine or misunderstandings and absence of communication.

The husband gets the chance to go back in his 18 years old body thanks to a magical trick. From this point, he will be placed in a new context and gain a new perspective of the events past and present. This will open his eyes about the people around him, their past with him and what he can do to make things better for them. His ex wife is unaware of this but the unexpected and impossible situation will also lead her in the same process of rediscovering.

The drama does not have a complicated message. Just that despite all our dreams and our best efforts, the difficulties of life can make us loose sight of what we wanted to realize for us and for our loved ones. Then we forget the good moments we had and we close ourselves to them and the lack of communication will pile misunderstandings and anger. In the end, what matters is the Love we gave and received and this is what really creates success in our life.

The drama also tackles with different issues of the modern society: women at work, discrimination and sexism at work, intergenerational conflicts, bullying at school, adoption, being abnormal in a normed society... not in a complex and boring way by little touch just to emphasize the human side of it.

CHARACTER / CAST:
- Hong Day Young / Yoon Sang Hyun - Lee Do Hyun: YSH is not the top model actor but he is a reliable actor with strong acting skills and he portrayed a very human HDY very frustrating, lazy and annoying but in reality very hardworking and dedicated who lost track of what really counts in his life. LDH was convincing as young HDY, a reliable friend and helping hand for his children and the way HDY rediscovered his feelings for his ex wife was cute and funny.

- Jung Da Jung / Kim Ha Neul: I love this actress and her voice. She is great in this drama as a woman who still loves her husband but can't do with his temper and attitude anymore. After divorcing, she gets the job of her dreams, she is courted by a handsome man and she meets a 18yo double of her ex husband. A serie of changes which will help her put her life back on the right track.

The other supporting characters and cast were all great, interesting characters with depth and complexity and their own story full of emotions.

- Shi Ah: Lovely girl and daughter with great defensive martial skills and a dream for herself. She built a wrong opinion of herself and of her parents but she works hard for her dream.
- Shi Woo: a good son abandonned to himself and to his issues until he meets a friend who will help him rediscover his dream and confidence.
- Ye Ji Hoon: Confident baseball star who wants to woo Da Jung. I have to say I never really liked him as I found him kind of creepy and sneaky in his ways to catch her from behind by surprise or lure her in encountering him. He has his good sides though. I enjoyed the real connexion he has with the leads.
- Ok Hae In : the weak part of the drama as her story is more to give depth to another character.
- Go Deok Jin and Choo Ae Rin : Super funny besties of our main couple
- Good Ja Sung : a journey from bullying to protecting
- Seo Ji Ho : Shia's best friend. A nice and good boy who wants to upgrade his status.

MUSIC :
Nothing special for me but nothing terrible either. Just appropriate for the tone of the drama.

REWATCH:
Yes for it has good messages, simple lessons about life and it is filled with good and emotional moments. Also, 16 eps but the pace is good. Not time to be bored.

OVERALL:
A great family drama well writen with every episode filled with a high dose of emotions which leaves us smiling, laughing or crying. I have almost no critic to make against it and I enjoyed it from start to finish. This family drama is a gem of its kind with a very satisfactory ending which gives a nice closure to everyone. A deserved 10/10.

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A gem with "maturity" written all over it

I found a gem. I didn't think I would cry so much! It had exceptional writing, perfect representation of MATURE and immature youth, it pulled off not one but 2 damn amazingly done love triangles, it made you relate to ALL characters, it showed growth and development no matter the age, the value of family and friendship and POWERFUL WOMEN who did not always need a man to succeed or make right life decisions, the struggles of life and workplace for more than one character.
But it was also really funny!
And warm!
And the cast! THE CAST was amazing ! The acting! Oh God ? this better get all the awards this year !

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It's really fulfilling watching this drama.

It was not just an ordinary love story plot. It shows what will happen after the "happy ending" mark of fairy tales. The reality of what life might have and the struggle becoming to become unprepared parents. This series gives me different perspective and viewsof how we should live our life without regrets. I'm proud to write a review about this because it is all worth it! Actually the theme song of this series keeps ringing in my head until now. When you watch this, you will understand a parents' worries and regrets that's why they keep their children to listen to them so that it will not happen to them.

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Why regret when we can get a second chance:)

Parent's sacrifice, their screts and them helping you without your knowledge. This is all about the drama is.

Parents love their children undoubtedly,but not all can express their love. There are times when years after we regret some of our choices, but don't realise that the moment we made those decisions we were happy about them.

The story about the will surely make you tear up just like me. It seemed like comedy drama until it wasn't one.

The actors did really great job portraying their characters.

I also enjoyed the OST of this, it was damn amazing HAHA.

I won't re-watch it coz it's a really sad drama, which I totally didn't expect, and I don't wanna cry twice haha.

END~

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Heartwarming and beautiful drama for this complicated time nowadays..

Love the drama. It has simple messages such as be good to family, there is room for one's improvement etc..The acting is so great matched with the understandable storyline made it easier to digest. Although second lead syndrome plays a big role in this drama pace, the main lead actor and actress really made journey through their character resulting in good character development. The OST? Simply menacing and good placement of SFX and music in the drama. This drama have a lot in common with 17 again movie from USA since it based on that movie. Love both those movie and drama ❤❤❤❤❤..

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama "18 Again" handled the fantasy element perfectly, except for the ending.

The drama had a nice start and it added a lot of new elements to the story, with the struggles of the twins, the progress of the main couple's relationship, and the female lead's professional career. However, the drama opted to focus on the romance towards the ending, a love story that was okay at first, got tiring though. The main lead kept popping up and staring at his love interest way too many times and the jealousy card was overplayed as well. The ending, in addition, was too sudden and didn't fit smoothly with the rest of the story. Still, the character development was spot on and the side characters were funny.

As for the performances, everyone in the cast did a great job with their roles.

So, overall, 5 out of 10.

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PERFECTION

This drama was so PERFECT! I have never watched a better drama before! So adorable, heartwarming and so real! It was really worth watching ♡
The movie was good but this remake was so much better! I never though they could make 16 episodes from such a story but they made it. The new characters, the flashbacks were amazing and an absolutely wonderful addition that made me move, laugh and warm my heart.
I'm gonna miss everything ㅠ-ㅠ
I'm so sorry jtbc didn't distribute it with netflix because they chose to distribute globally other dramas not as good as this one. It deserves to be known by the world! And Dohyun must win thousands of awards! Everyone has to win awards! A masterpiece ♡

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I started watching this drama on a whim; without any expectations at all, besides 'Lee Do Hyun'. After binge-watching the first 10 episodes, I was pleasantly surprised. Think of the American movie '17 Again' but so much better. Unlike the original American counterpart, 18 Again didn't feel too forced when the story progressed.

This drama is the type that will really stir-up your emotions without the need for extreme situations and thrilling suspense. This may sound silly, but if you made the fantasy portion of this drama a normal occurrence, this drama could definitely be one of the most realistic dramas out there. And the realisticness of this drama is definitely its charm; everything is relatable and you can totally feel the emotions and warmth the script and dialogue are trying to portray.

Well, there are some things I didn't particularly like, but these things are purely subjective. First things first, I don't really react well with really cringy and awkward scenes, and 18 Again at the start was not short of them. And probably the only other thing I can pick on, the drama lacked depth. I know that it's like I'm contradicting what I've been saying in this review, but it just feels like something is missing despite the praise I've given this drama; it's just hard to explain. I personally think it could've been better if they added more of a melodrama vibe in order to make the drama a bit heavier.

OST- this deserves its own short paragraph. No kidding, the songs in this drama are bombs!

Overall, this drama is pretty good. Definitely a drama you could watch when you've run out of highly publicized-mainstream dramas.

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