See You In My 19th Life (2023)

From a webtoon reader's viewpoint

CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS ABOUT THE WEBTOON AND THE DRAMA

As a big fan of the original webtoon, I was ecstatic when I heard news of it getting a kdrama adaptation. Even more when I heard that Shin Hye sun was going to play Ban Ji eum. Now that I've seen it, I feel a little bit conflicted about it.

Story
The story itself is the same as the webtoon and it is unarguably beautiful. A girl who remembers her past lifes meets a boy, they have a tragic parting and now she wants to meet him again as a new self. It is quite simple but still really packing. As her new self she meets him again, finding out that he misses her as much as she does. Throughout their time together, they connect again, even if they start off a little hastily. She not only meets the boy again, but also her former sister. The girl who was so scared to connect with people, because of the memories of all those she lost already in her previous 18 lifes starts to make relationships with people again. Will this new 19th life have a happy ending for the girl?

NO.

The ending was absolutely tragic, why would the writers do this. I was absolutely heartbroken, especially because in the webtoon, she doesn't end up completely forgetting about her loved ones. I was so mad they changed it. Also another big issue I had with the drama was the pacing. I was shocked to find out that it had only 12 episodes, since the webtoon was quite slow paced. In the first part it really focused on the build up of Ji eum's and Seo ha's relationship. Not only theirs but all the other relationships between all the characters just felt so much deeper. The big scenes such as Ji eum's reveal or Do yoon's confession also had a much bigger impact thanks to the build up it had before. Those connections, those feelings of closeness and intimacy and growth was definitely the thing I missed the most in the drama. I wished to see more of their backstories or just literally see the. talk longer during a scene. Such a shame honestly, I found the relationships to be one of the best things about the original story. I think they gave too much screen time to trivial stuff that they forgot how to deliver emotions smh. They also made some big changes in the plot, such as the mistery behind the car crash, Min ki and the entirety of Ji eum's first life. Some of these changes such as Ji eum's first life, were so confusing and I just cannot get used to it. They also added a buch of things such as Min ki and the bells, the bad stepmother and Seo ha's reincarnated mother, which all in my opinion, barely added anything to the story. They could've really just followed the original a little bit more.

Acting/Cast
I think the cast did a really great in bringing the characters to life. To be completely honest, I was very critical to see Ahn Bo hyun as Seo ha, but he quickly changed my mind and I think the writers really did a great job at casting him. He brings out Seo ha's righteousness, but also does a great job at portraying all his trauma and his vulnerability. I could really see his growth from the traumatized boy to the Mun Seo ha at the end, just like in the webtoon, so I'm incredibly satisfied with him. The only thing I could maybe add is that we didn't see much of Seo ha's childdishness, but I'll blame that on the lack of episodes and so the lack of scenes we could've seen. And of course I will never not praise Shin Hye sun for her acting. Since the beginning, I saw her as the perfect fit for Ji eum and I never changed my mind. She absolutely nailed it, from Ji eum's mischievousness to her burden and hurt she carried through her 18 lifes. The subtle loving glances, the utter dispair in her eyes and every movement when she relived her first life, that woman is a true actress. As for the side characters they, also did a very stable job, especially Ha Yoon kyung as Yoon Cho won, but there's honestly not much more to say. Not to forget the child actors who I find to be one of the highlists. Also I loved that we could see court lady choi and the queen together again ;)

Music
I really love the ost for this drama, HEAVY ON COLDE'S SONG. No seriously i love it so much and also I didn't know that Bo hyun could sing. I don't think there's much more to say though, I mean it was great but not lifechanging or anything that I would've given it a 10.

Rewatch value
I don't really know if I'd rewatch this after the ending. However there are some great scenes that I would like to see again at any time. I might also rewatch the first episodes, since those were definitely just incredible, from the cinematography to the sadness and all the laughs in between. However the second part just felt so rushed and with such a sad ending, I don't think I will ever rewatch it entirely.

Overall
Like I said first, I really do feel conflicted about it, but that is as reader of the original story. I just know that it could've been so much more and that is the biggest issue I have with this drama. However the story remains as beautiful as ever and I would totally recommend this to someone who has not read the webtoon. As for the webtoon readers: watch it if you can keep those two separate, it's still an incredible feeling to see the characters come to life. Don't watch it if you feel like it might ruin the story for you. It truly failed as an adaptation, but it can definitely stand as a drama itself. After all it is a great watch, with a great story, great casting, great chemistry and great music and it is definitely not something one should miss out on!!

Citeste mai mult

An amazing take on human emotions/complexity when dealing with past

Yo I can’t even begin to say what I love about it.

First off if you are looking for lovey Dovey romance go watch King The Land.

Be ready to go on an emotional roller coaster and get your soul go through a blender. If you are not a Korean speaker you better take a shot of espresso before watching as this show deserves your undivided attention.

I like Shin Hye Sun from Mr. Queen now I am full on in love with her and I will watch anything she is in going forward, Ahn Bo Yun also does an amazing job throughout and their chemistry is just next level.

Everything about this show slaps and I am looking forward to rewatching this and exploring more layers and dimensions of this amazing work.

Citeste mai mult

You are more likely to like it better if you did not read the webtoon

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean paranormal romance drama with 12, 70 minute episodes. It is based on a very popular webtoon of the same name.

First I provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis

If you not only reincarnated but were able to remember all your past lives you would excel at many things but feel isolated and lonely. Ban Ji-eum (Shin Hye-sun) considers her "ability" a curse until something haopens in one of her lives that changes her mind. After reincarnating for nearly 1000 years Ji-eum meets someone in her eighteenth life that makes her happy she can remember. When her life is cut short by an accident, she vows to find him, Moon Seo-ha (Ahn Bo-hyun) and make him fall for her again. It is not easy though because Seo-ha experienced a lot of trauma from losing his mother at a young age, the accident and feeling guilty and responsible for Ji-eum's death. So when the ever persistent Ji-eum shows up he is now t sure he wants to entangle himself with this odd woman. But fate and familiarity will have their say and the 19th life may be the one that counts.

Review

When I read some reviews I noticed a trend where those that read the webtoon were, in general, less satisfied with tge direction things took in the last part if the series. This started really well. I loved her confident, spunky, knew how to do about everything personality. Her relentless pursuit of Seo-ha was entertaining. The 2nd couple was also cute. I did not read the webtoon but even for me it felt like they destroyed the story toward the end. Watch it for the interesting story and slow build romance for both couples. It is heavy in the 1st love aspect. It is a deep thinking topic for anyone interested in reincarnation. It also visits several historical points in her flash backs to previous lives. It is a happy ending if you can accept the strange twist it takes.

Spoilers*
My daughter read the webtoon and said that female lead character did not reincarnate due to a revenge arc like was portrayed in the drama but rather she lost her twin sister through murder and was reincarnating to be reunited. So that was very different. In the drama anyone who found out she was reincarnated suffered bad consequences such as strange ailments. It was weird within the drama as there was no sensible reason that would be the case. And apparently that was never a thing in the webtoon., there were no ill consequences of finding out she reincarnated. In the webtoon Ha Do-yoon (Ahn Dong goo) was her reincarnated sister and that was a surprising twist. In the drama. He was not her reincarnated sister he was a man in her 1st life, a side character, and he looked exactly as he did in her 19th life. In her 19th life her sister had reincarnated as Yoon Cho won (Ha Yoon kyung) and she also looked exactly as she did in her 1st life. There is also a character in the drama who murdered Ji-eum in her 1st life, who also was continually reincarnated and remembered his past lives. He got close to Ji Eum and wanted her to remember so they could break the cycle because, in the drama, Ji Eum created the situation where they reincarnated and remembered as she vowed to not forget and get revenge. In the drama Seo ha's mom had reincarnated and was watching over him to remedy an injustice around his attempted murder. So it makes it seem like remembering past lives is common. In the webtoon there was just her and another character. Then, the reincarnated mom, makes a decision to do some ritual somehow the murdery guy knew about where she stops remembering past lives. Main female lead sees her after and it was like, not only did she no longer recall, but her personality was different. Somehow that makes lead girl decide to do the same. Supposedly it fixes all those suffering harm from knowing about reincarnations if you are just willing to do some weird ritual that makes you selectively forget. And lead girl is like yes I struggled to get everyone to like me and accept that I reincarnated but now I just want to forget all about all of that. It was cool she knew so many languages, had so many skills and had historical knowledge, it added a lot of depth to her character but then that is all wiped clean. So then this now different person who somehow remembers how to be an engineer from her 19th life but not where the ring on her finger came from. But all the people she met in her 19th life remember her and all that but now it doesn't make them sick somehow. So then he relentlessly pursues her. But there was this slow build romance to that point with him and the super cool her who could do all these things but niw there is this renewed her that he is determined to make love him. If you can completely suspend your belief that things you experience shape who you are I guess you could buy off on that. Realizing some changes need to be made to adapt it to drama but many just seemed unnecessary.

#ShinHyeSun
#AhnBohyun
#SeeYouInMy19thLife.

Citeste mai mult

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!

Citeste mai mult

O que dizer desse dorama, eu simplesmente amei, o casal protagonista teve um desenvolvimento maravilhoso, com muita química nas cenas, ao longo da história souberam enfatizar cada momentos juntos, cada toque, cada abraço, cada apoio...A fotografia é algo lindo, trabalharam muito bem com as cores, as osts são incríveis. A única coisa que me incomodou foi o pouco desenvolvimento do enredo em si, as cenas em alguns momentos pareciam não se conectar, sai em alguns episódios sentindo uma lacuna imensa, só os 12 episódios não foram suficientes para adentrar de fato na história. Tirando isso, eu gostei bastante do dorama, recomendo, Ji Eum e Seo Ha ficaram no meu coração ❤️

Citeste mai mult

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.

Citeste mai mult

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.

Citeste mai mult

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.

Citeste mai mult

The best drama

Es uno de los mejores kdramas que he visto. Tiene todo lo que me gusta, te hace llorar, te deja con intriga, es divertido y muy emotivo.

El tema de las vidas pasadas me gusta mucho porque creo firmemente en él, y me encanta cómo fue tocado en el drama.

El romance entre Seo Ha y Ji Eum me gustó mucho, porque no hay mucha resistencia entre ellos, Seo Ha va conociendo de nuevo a Ji Eum y se vuelve a enamorar de ella <3

Pero ese finaaaal, me sigue doliendo. Cuando le dice “Puedes irte”. Nooo, bastaaa ? lloré mucho, porque a pesar de que todos hacen lo posible para que Ji Eum siga en sus vidas, ella ya no los recuerda y eso me duele mucho.

Igual me gustó demasiado, se convierte en uno de mis favoritos <3

Citeste mai mult

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).

Citeste mai mult