18 Again (2020)

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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Mostly Boring

Not a lot of comedy in this series. Show tries to run propaganda of "strong divorced woman". Husband is the only one who has to repair all his "mistakes"(read sacrifices) to become an even greater domestic scapegoat for an ungrateful family, in particular a really undeserving wife. The wife is divorcing over non-issue instead of repairing her attitude. That is the narcissistic modern Korean woman for you. Unbearable, ugly and fake.

Wife is flirting at office as divorce is going on. Hard to sympathize with such a character. She does nothing to support her husband's career but this show forces you to believe that supporting wife's dreams is husband's role(hint: it's not). Children are not likeable either. Probably a metaphor for modern Korea, and pathetic situation men find themselves in. Time to get a North Korean waifu.

Honestly, North Korean women are much prettier, look natural and have far less attitude.

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Noticed issues further I watched

First incling there was something wrong was when I started looking at recaps to see what would heppen. Thats when I knew it has lost my interest.
As others have mentioned, this drama goes on for too long. There are too many side plots happening when the concentration should be on Dae-young and Da-jungs relationship and their relationship with their children.
As for my main issues, reason for marking so low, has to do with Dae-young and all the trials the writers put him through. I have a feeling because the show kept going, they had to keep including stuff. All this built up to a very damaged person that is not really investigated in the show. Also, the circumstances he is put in, there was an opportunity to investigate/critque the society he is in. I think this was unintentional, I'll try to explain myself better.
There will be heavy spoilers.
Lets start chronologically, with the first big even being the death of his mother. He is unaware she is sick/going in for surgery and dies while he is away, playing basketball. I'm sure there is a big heaping of guilt here and obvious anger towards his father for not saying anything. Also, he appeared to have a healthy relationship with here, he has learned sign language as well. In one moment, she is gone, with no opportunity to say goodbye. This effectively orphans him as his father becomes distant/abusive. An important support structure in his life, his parents, is gone.
Then there is what precipitates this, his girlfriend becoming pregnant and him having to give up basketball.
Basketball was the one thing he was good at and was his escape for him from his life and one fell swoop, it is gone and he now has heaped on responsibilities, being a father and a husband and only just finishing high school. There was the scene where he meets his father again with his son, where his father mentions basketball is all he was good at, otherwise he was a failure. Sure it's not the first time he hears that. And from what people said, he was pretty much guaranteed to make it the big leagues. He had no other plans.
The big themes of this show seem to be go for your dreams at all cost, regret/guilt and communication. All of these are allowed for everyone else, except for Dae-Young.
His dream is shattered, his father has disowned him so he can't ask for help. I know his father helps on the sly but thats not the same as being there for him.
Lets contrast Dae-Young with Ye Ji Hoon and his brothers. Again, I don't know if this is deliberate by the writers but they are pretty much the mirror of Dae-Young. His brother is able to attend college and look after his sibling. And then when he dies, Ye Ji Hoon is able to have both his sporting career and raised his niece. All the while being told by Da-jung not to give up his dream, he can be both a parent and a successful athlete. Opportunities Dae-Young was denied.
Da-jung was able to become a successful reporter, supported by Dae-Young. He had the chance to restart his career but his childs illness stopped that. He had to sacrifice everything for his child, which as a parent is to be applauded but all he gets from people around him is didain/ridicule for where he ended up.
He is supporting his children with their dreams, helping his son get confidence to play basketball and accepting his daughters decision to go to beauty school.
This marriage appeared doomed from the start. If after 10 years, the husband can't confide in his wife that he has to again give up his dreams, there are bigger troubles. Also, Da-jung sensed there was something wrong, when he started drinking but either dissmissed it or forgot abount, understandably because of their sick child but something that isn't explored.
No one seems to acknowledge the sacrifices he has made/makes for his family. There are some scenes where Da-jung becomes awares of them but seems to be too late, and she comes to regret her divorce but also, she misses all the ridicule/scorn heaped upon him. The reunions in paricular are eye opening. When you have the opportunity/time as his class mates were able, you can make something of yourself but both these seem missing from his life.
This may be due to English translation, but there were two contrasting/interesting scenes. As he is leaving, his father calls him pathetic. Da-jung then also calls him pathetic, presumably just before the divorce. I wonder how hurtful that would have felt.
As mentioned above, a big support for Dae-young would have been his parents but they are gone. Da-jung appears to have a good relationship with her mother and has a friend to confide in. Aside from his immature friend who is an issue in himself, with not taking no for an answer from the teacher, Dae-young appears to have no one. He can't confide in his wife, appears to have a pretty hostile work environment and self-medicates by becoming an alcoholic. Would not be surprised if he was suffering depression by the end
After all that, I can understand how he ended up the way he did. However, I can not condone it. He is still responsible for his own actions but sometimes when your travelling a dark road, can't see where to stop.
But, this goes into some wider issues the writers touch upon. While a Korean show, it's issues that affect a lot of the world.
Does he not reach out because he is the head of the household, a man? Are there no places he can turn to for help? Looking back, I was not surprised at his outburst at the reunion. It was a deep pain that had been festering. As before, this does not make it right but can understand it.
The amount of work he had to put in on his job. It looked to be very manual labour intensive, leaving him exhausted at the end of the day. It may have long hours, meaning he can't see his children. They all agree he is not there for them but was it by choice? That does not excuse him not helping around when he can but can understand it. This is contrasted when he is young again. He now has time to listen, to be available because he has none of the above responsibilities. Perhaps if he had some more support, an opportunity to continue playing, he would not have ended up where did.
So, to summarise all this, this drama had it's funny moments. But, I think the writers unintentionally wrote Dae-young into a corner, making him the sole reason for the divorce. They touch upon Da-jung not communicating well but that seems to be her only flaw. Divorce/realtionships are tricky and there is never one reason why but they tried to make him the villain. If the writers had have just concentrated on the family and their circumstances, I think there was a good opportunity to explore their marriage breakdown further, see what they both did/didn't do and explore more of the issues that led to where Dae-young ended up.

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Absolument magnifique! Un chef d'oeuvre d'émotion et de sincérité!

C'était. Que de souvenirs. C'est une onde de marée d'émotion imprévisible et qui nous a tenu en haleine pendant 16 épisodes. Aussi inattendu que bouleversant. Si vous vous lancez dans ce voyage fait d'humilité et d'amour, n'oubliez pas de prévoir des mouchoirs. Car ici, on y pleure autant qu'on y rit.

Il n'est pas besoin d'être parent pour s'y identifier. Avoir été un enfant, un ado sera suffisant, si tant est que l'on n'ait pas oublié. Cela rappellera surement à beaucoup d'entre vous ces nombreuses fois où nous pestions après nos parents, à tord ou à raison. C'est un drama où nous sommes tour à tour parents et adolescents. C'est un drama où je, personnellement, me suis revue. Maman jeune. Maman tôt divorcée avec un bébé sur les bras. Le regard des autres, je ne l'ai jamais oublié. Maman remariée avec un homme bien plus jeune. Encore des regards et des chuchotements. Un homme de 19 ans qui traverse tout un océan, un continent, et qui devient le père d'un enfant qui n'est pas le sien.
Non, ce n'est pas le drama. Mais cela y ressemble. Des regrets? non. Des moments très durs? oh oui. Heureux? Mille fois oui, exactement comme l'image de fin. Et c'est ce que ce drama m'a apporté. Ce flot de souvenirs, ces angoisses, ces moments de solitude. Mais aussi cette émotion qui s'étrangle au fond de la gorge lorsque je revois mes bébés marcher. Mes bébés que je protégeais sous la pluie en retenant mes larmes. Mes bébé malades. Mon bébé harcelé à l'école. Finalement mes bébés bien grands.
Mais aussi le visage fatigué de mon mari, à peine 19 ans, et qui devait travailler après avoir arrêté la faculté afin de subvenir aux besoins de nos enfants. Aujourd'hui encore, je lui demande s'il ne regrette pas sa jeunesse. Ses amis. Sa faculté. Ses rêves. Comme Hong Dae young. Et pourtant, la fatigue a été remplacé aujourd'hui par tout l'amour qu'il a en lui. A ma question, il répondra "oui, je suis heureux. non je ne regrette rien."
Aujourd'hui, tout comme eux, tout cela ne sont plus que des souvenirs. D'autres sont à venir. C'est un peu grossier. D'avoir à parler de soi au lieu du drama. Mais ce drama ce fut nous. Peut-être vous aussi.

Mais si je devais tout de même (c'est aussi un peu le but, n'est ce pas) parler du drama : Les personnages sont excellents, dans leur action, leur pensée et leur attitude. Je n'ai pas besoin de préciser que tout cela a été magistralement interprété par des acteurs, certains confirmés et bien connus, d'autres moins et qui s'en sortent brillamment.
Da Jung : sa maturité est bluffante. Après avoir tant traversé, elle garde encore le sourire, et sa façon de s'imposer est tellement "classe". Sa douceur et son calme olympique furent reposants. Si on oublie bien sur la scène où sa fille se fait agresser, qui est juste hilarante (parmi tant d'autres)!
Hong Dae Young : le personnage est tout sauf détestable. Plus les épisodes passent, plus nous le comprenons, et plus nous pleurons avec lui. Ce fut le personnage le plus intense de ce drama. Ses erreurs loin de le desservir ne l'en rendaient que plus humain. Plus à plaindre et plus à aimer. Cette façon qu'il avait d'aider dans l'ombre ses enfants, son père, sa belle-mère et bien sûr sa femme était bouleversante. J'ai adoré ce personnage. Pas une seule fois, je ne lui en ai voulu. Pas une seule fois je ne l'ai trouvé pathétique ou bête. Il était juste humain dans ses défauts comme dans ses qualités.

Les personnages secondaires sont parfaits. Le fait qu'ils évoluent et apprennent au contact de Da Jung et de Hong Dae Young était jouissifs. L'humour dansait à la perfection avec l'émotion, et nous passions du rire aux larmes d'une manière aussi déconcertante que naturelle. Les couples secondaires sont adorables en tout point, et même si ce n'est pas la passion fusionnel qui donne des papillons dans le ventre, on se retrouve très souvent à sourire bêtement.

Ce drama est avant tout une ode à l'amour. A la personne aimé. Mais aussi envers ses enfants. Ses parents. Ses beaux-parents.
C'est une surprise magnifique d'autant plus que cela faisait belle lurette qu'un drama coréen ne m'avait autant touché. Mon premier 10/10 pour un drama coréen pour cette nouvelle année (voire même l'année précédente).

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MUST WATCH!!!

'18 Again' is one of the best drama released in year 2020 and I think no one can denied it. The first two episode seem a bit slow but it grow well on me. The storyline might be simple and light but it's full of beautiful message that can reflect in our reality life. Not to mention every episode can make my cry like baby. I don't have any problems with the plot actually.. Everything was perfect and beautiful except for the ending.It's a happy and beautiful ending but still I find like something is missing in the last episode Yeah what ever. What I'm amazed about this drama is the transition between Hong Daeyong and Go Woo Young. It's really smooth

about the cast, it's superb especially Kim Dohyun. I love how he can acting like father and school student at the same time. the chemistry between Kim Dohyun and Kim Ha Neul are insane even their age gap is actually 17 years I think. The support cast is doing well too.

As the conclusion, I like this drama ?

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It's definitely a 3-pointer shot from the half court.

** Finally reaching completion and I can confirm that many of the things my review was written has largely been true. Way back when I started writing this review at the start of the series airing, my expectation for it was relatively regarding me feeling enjoyment from the family aspect of the drama but quickly it turned into something more emotional and deep. I self-reflected and find that I am emotionally invested in the drama. My point about how if they explained the age-reversal part well, it could be a selling point for the drama and yet I now don't exactly agree with this sentiment because 18 again is more than that. It was able to live up to this trope of going back in time as a young fella whilst transcending above with the concept that family is central and key to our daily lifestyle. By being young, we lose the times we spent with our family because they are all so much more older than you and you become a "different individual". Yet, you also resembled greatly like the older version of you and you can't help but wish you can can become older again for your family. Overall, I highly recommend anyone to give this a watch expecting to learn about having a family, the morality behind it and the relationship which doesn't always seem ideal. The ending didn't disappoint me so the quality for the whole drama is maintained solidly. I give this a drama a 8.5 star which is a super high rating that I only gives to some particular drama. There is only 2 other drama higher than this in my list so you can expect good stuff from watching this. Enjoy and stay true to your family!


With the limited episodes out there as of this review, I find myself interested to await for more of the episodes to air as the story progress into a variety of genre I didn't expect from it. I have never watched the actual movie it was based on so I am totally brand new in not knowing the plot beforehand. Although, I am familiar with the concept of "going back into the past" whether it be through time travelling, reincarnation or age-reversal. It's a nice concept that can add unique flairs to a drama IF EXPLAINED WELL. I am not certain yet as to why it happened like that for this drama but they did gives us some clue so I am expecting more of that later on.

This drama is presenting numerous option it could take including the usual family drama. I smell hint of a mystery brewing, supernatural/fantasy element and sprinkled heavily on those are comedy/parody which would entertain you into laughter albeit it can be over exaggerated until you feel embarrassed. With a hotpot of genre, it can potentially be hard to digest the content provided by the drama which was why I am surprised for wanting more of the drama instead.

And the answer to that surprised was.... the raw emotions presented from a parent for their child and love. That to me regardless of the genre is a relatable topic and to see a parent interact with their children as a friend is something I wish more families would have. It gives me satisfaction when the parent could realized the thing s they missed out, whether it be through the neglect of their kids or that they were having miscommunication with their significant other when both want the best in the relationship. To also observe the witty words of a 30+ year old man among kids with a face as handsome as Do Hyun, that's the best combination to have and we all dream of that in our fantasy drama. What better way than to have the same 30+ year old man (ugly) turned '18' (handsome) met up with his "wife" who looks so pretty both young and old. Now that can turn spicy XD. Anyway, acting has been great for the cast and to have a side character that serves as a comedy relief is not bad either. It gives me that Backstreet rookie vibe for that person's role in the drama and we all know how crazy he gets.

For now, I believe the drama will turn out enjoyable at the very least so I recommend you give it a watch for anyone that liked a hidden gem which may not have a star-studded cast, but it compensates by including more funnest without degrading the emotional quality of a scene.

Post episode 4: I enjoy the epilogue and the comedy relief in between the drama. Especially at how inspirational a statement during the epilogue scenes. The characters so far have been well-designed with their own personality and the other "male competitors" have very good reasons as to why they should exist.

Update to Episode 8: I am definitely reviewing as I have watched more episodes since. This has clearly been an emotional ride so far with those epilogues and the cast serves a very distinct role. I come to find myself relating with the backstory of each characters and have upped the score from 8.5 to 9 star with how the drama is produced.

p.s: I have confirmed that one of the OST (Hello) was sung by SoHyang, the queen and one of the best female vocalist. A good OST can bring a drama scene a long way so to have an impressive singer which is known for being expressive in their voices, it just help me immersed myself deeper. The currently released OST is by Soyou and that is already quite soothing for me, building an atmosphere that create longing for the happier times but due to circumstances, you feel sad.

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I waited 2 years to watch this tv show, and I WAS MISSING OUT!

The reason why I was so late to watch this beautiful drama is because I was afraid in how they would make this a whole 16 episodes of a 1 hour and something movie (the American movie 17 again) but they did it beautifully. It was like watching all these layers being explored with so much meaning and love, wow! I was stuck to my TV while watching, it was so hard to stop the times I had to, because it is that good and captivating. The thing I like the most about this drama is that it felt real, raw even, their hardships, struggles as individuals, as couple, as family...you can learn so much with this drama.

The main message is that we should all value what we have because someday we may lose it or simply not have it and then all it is left is regret. The acting was marvelous, especially Lee Do Hyun, you can feel all his emotions deeply. Just know that if you haven't watched, still GO RIGHT NOW! You will not regret it, but please do grab a box of tissues or 2 because you will need it!

One of the best kdrama I have ever seen with one of the most beautiful story, OST and amazing acting! 10/10

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If you've read the synopsis of this drama, it will be pretty evident what it's about. Yes it's based on the film 17 Again where a middle-aged man goes back to his younger teen self.

STORY:
As mentioned, the story line is based off of the film 17 Again starring Zac Efron. If you've watched the original film, you might like this. It does follow the main storyline as the film with the dad (Hong Dae-Young) being an aspiring talented basketball that ends up giving up on his dream as his high school girlfriend gets pregnant. They have kids, he ends up living a mediocre life with his girlfriends, now wife, then ends up getting divorced. He later on ends up going back to his teen self by some sort of magic. This basic plot of the drama stays true to the film plot as well. The only thing is they of course had to make an almost 2 hour film into a 16x1 hour long episode. So of course, they had to add A LOT to make up those hours. And how they filled those hours were both good and bad.

THE GOOD: I like the little snippets of Dae-Young and Da Jung's past that gives the viewers a little bit more of an insight as to why they're divorcing. It helped show the viewers why some marriages fail and of course also showed the good bits towards the end. And all the silent acts of Dae-Young that his wife didn't know about.

The build up of the love story of the daughter Shi Ah was also added which was decent compared to the film. How she changed from how she felt towards her dad at the beginning towards the end was also very moving since it was like Da Jung's where she didn't know that her dad did stuff for her without her knowledge. This helped build up her character as well as their relationship to a happy ending.

Dae-Young's relationship with his father was also expanded and seriously this part of the drama touched me the most. From how they had a broken relationship to the hidden acts that Da Jung did for her father-in-law, to finding out about Dae Young's mum and his close similarity to his father as he grew up. And eventually to how their relationship gets rekindled in the end.

THE BAD: They added a love triangle with Ji Hoon as the 2nd male character and honestly I didn't enjoy or care for it much. It was added to build some tension but I skipped most scenes of him and Da Jung as we know he was never gonna get picked anyway. The story of him, his brother and his niece was a nice added storyline though and that I enjoyed as it did add to his character and changed him from being a playboy to actually being a fairly decent guy. Deok Jin's love story with Ms. Ok had to be dragged until the very end of course so it just seemed unnecessarily long. For some reason they also added a stalker which was literally just for unnecessary tension for nothing, It didn't really add or takeaway anything to the drama. It was literally a filler.

CHARACTERS & ACTING:
Lee Do Hyun did an incredible job playing someone with a middle aged man's brain. Both his funny scenes and emotional scenes were great. And since I've only seen him in Hotel de Luna, seeing his funny side in this drama was refreshing. On the same level, prepare the tissues for when he brings his A game to an emotional scene.

Yong Sang Hyun was also great. Since he sort of became a 2nd act and only appeared in the important scenes, he really had to bring it and that he did. He definitely added emotional weight to those scenes where he was lingering around Da Jung and in the flashbacks.

Kim Ha Neul was fab too. She didn't have a lot of mum scenes but when she did, she did them brilliantly. Her chemistry with Do Hyun was great as well and not weird at all. Of course, the viewers know that it's Dae-Young in Do Hyun's body but even then it could feel weird if the chemistry wasn't right. But it worked with them since the two worked well alongside each other.

The supporting cast were also great especially Shi-Ah and Shi-Woo as the kids. I appreciated Deok Jin's geeky side too since I'm a Marvel fan :D Special shoutout to Han So Eun (young Da Jung) as she really did great to add emotional weight to Da Jung's character and her young romance with Dae-Young. The chemistry between her and Do Hyun has really made me want a drama with them two as the main leads :D

OST:
The OST for this drama was amazing, although Hello got a bit overplayed. Still I saved it on my playlist cause it's one of those as soon as you hear it, you know straight away which drama it's from and the scenes even play out in your head. There are a couple others such as The Only One and One Person that also stood out to me. Overall great originals that definitely made certain scenes even more emotional.

WOULD I RECOMMEND:
Yes. It's a light, heart-warming drama that will touch you. It's not just about a love story of a wife and husband but also a lot about family and the relationships between father & son, mom & daughter and father & daughter. This drama will teach you a lot about the importance of communicating with your loved ones. And the importance of cherishing the moment before it's too late.

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Cute and better developed than the original story

Came here expecting it to be like the movie (which I didn't like that much since the characters were way unmatured and had several plot holes), glad to say that this one is so much better.

I enjoyed every part of the story, even the side ones are enjoyable and a good addition to the main plot. Can't say I found myself bored at any point while watching this, from beginning to end I was invested to know the characters and how their lives developed chapter by chapter.

Story: Well presented, main and side stories are tied together so smoothly to the point you don't know which one it's the core. The characters have an amazing story and growth while the narrative continues around them.
Acting: Phenomenal, although the age difference between ML and FL can become weird at some point in the story, it's understandable and well presented.
Music: Goes hand in hand with the story, amazing choice.
Rewatch Value: It's worth watching it a few more times.
Overall: A perfectly balanced drama with a fair amount of fantasy, romance, life, and friendship. Recommended for those who liked the movie, and for those who did not.

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JUST GO FOR IT! MUST WATCH. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The storyline the characters everything was awesome. And obviously Lee do hyun's acting skills are on another level. I am In love with this drama. Trust me you are gonna love the characters especially the main lead! If I would have to say about this drama in one line it would be "The best of the best"
18 again deserves more hype. Its really a great refreshing drama. Must must must watch. I am a type of person who is very particular about dramas but this drama has my heart. If LEE DO HYUN gets more dramas with a great storyline then trust he is going to be the next LEE MIN HO! Overall, 18 Again is a nice ride of emotions with great acting, decent storyline, not-for-everyone jokes, and valuable life lessons. However, as just how life goes, those valuable life lessons might not come in the best form.

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