See You in My 19th Life (2023)

A Captivating Series Unveiling Magical Romance

This delightful series emanates a magical aura every time I watch it, leaving me captivated and immersed in its beauty. As an avid fan of romance kdramas, I've encountered many classics with clichéd plots, but this one offers a refreshing and unique storyline.

The 12-episode kdrama boasts a well-crafted and fast-paced plot, allowing us to fully focus on the main narrative without unnecessary plot twists. The storytelling is skillfully executed, making it a joy to watch.

One of the standout features is the stunning cinematography, which exudes a magical ambiance through its vibrant colors. The visual experience is so mesmerizing that it creates a sense of calmness, allowing viewers to savor the series without any pressure.

Now, let's talk about the outstanding performances of the cast. Shin Hye Sun, whom I deeply admire and have followed in many kdramas, continues to impress. Her ability to truly embody her character rather than just acting is a testament to her exceptional talent. In this series, she shines as Ban Ji Eum, delivering a remarkable performance. Ahn Bo Hyun, portraying Seo Ha, displays a charming and skillful portrayal, especially in emotional scenes that tug at the heartstrings. The chemistry between Ahn Bo Hyun and Shin Hye Sun is absolutely heart-fluttering and adds to the series' appeal. Ha Yoon Kyung and Ahn Dong Goo also deserve praise for their commendable performances as supporting characters, contributing to the overall charm of the show.

The enchanting OST perfectly complements the series, adding to its beauty.

I wholeheartedly recommend experiencing this captivating series, as it is truly a treasure worth watching!!!

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my high expectations left me disappointed

It has been a while since i finished this drama. It's still difficult to make up mind about it. I waited for this drama for months. Since it was announced. I am a big fan of Shin Hye Sun, i love to see Ahn Bo Hyun too and was excited when he was casted as the main lead. Add Ha Yoon Kyung, add a premiss that could lead to a plot full of pining and Bingo. You created a Drama that is fully my taste. Now after some time i kind of want to write a review.

But... sadly something was missing. Don't get me wrong the Drama is good. But what is it that's missing? The Drama had sooo much potential. I have the feeling that the lack of chemistry between the leads is not the fault of the actors and actresses, but more the fault of the script. I didn't feel quite right. Maybe it was the way staged and produced it and the way they let the plot unfold. For example ake a look at the chemistry in Mr Queen and Yumi's Cells (or even Military Prosecuter Do Bae Man)... on a totally different level. So this might be not Ahn Bo Hyun's and Shin Hye Sun's fault, since i know that they are more than capable.

I don't need many plotlines or anything. Give me scenes which highlight the relationship between people and i am all here for it. With this Drama i don't know what went wrong and it bothers me that i can't name it. Especially since i wanted to love it. Don't get me wrong, it's a good drama. Just not as good as it could have been. At least for my taste. I still liked it. And the moment with Ji Eum's Mom (i think the end of ep3? i don't remember), the one where she is somewhat hallucinating... it grabbed me by my heart. They could have done more with her other lives, they could have explored more of her other lives. I liked the chemistry of the two sisters tho.

Please someone tell me, why this Drama is just a good drama and not a great one as it should have been...

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BORING

Started watching with interest, because of cast FL and ML previous drama was very interesting.
After, few episode.. felt there is no chemistry between ML and FL.
FL character felt selfish and clingy. She remembered her niece in poor life because she needed money, previous life when she had everything. She forgot the poor niece from circus.
ML character felt like, he was confused regarding so many things in life.
Story was not convincing enough. Some of previous life was not explained.Some of the side stories was not explained or given enough screen time.
As if, director or editor was in a hurry or wanted to wrap up in 16 episode. Didn't enjoyed watching.

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Unfulfilled potential

I was pretty excited about this show, I was looking forward to something a little more original than what I've been seeing lately. Alas, disappointment followed. I enjoyed some aspects of it, but with the uneven pacing and the glaring plot holes, pretty much all I felt at the end was frustration. As with most everything, there were positives as well as negatives.
LIKED:
1) Shin Hye Sun as Ban Ji Eum - I have loved her in everything I've seen her in. She's real, she's likeable, and she has a firm grasp on her acting ability. She knows when to give us more, as well as when to reign it in, to leave us WANTING more.
2) Kim Shi Ah as the young lady that was Ji Eum in her 18th life. For me, she was the standout in this. She was lovely and poised beyond her years. As I watched her, I felt that she had the knowledge from all her past lives and was somewhat jaded. Kind of like she was forced to act like a child when she was an adult. She was so sweet with her sister and Seo Ha.
3) Cha Chung Hwa as Ji Eum's niece from her 17th life. I love this actress and she brought humor to the role that was welcome.
4) Costuming. I loved the clothes in this, especially everything they put on Ahn Bo Hyun. He must have lost weight for this role, because I've always seen him as being in a sportsman role. He looked great and he wore everything well.
5) OST. Some beautiful music.
6) Cinematography, for the most part, was very good. I especially loved all the colors and movement from her first life. I just wish I hadn't had to see her first life over and over again.
7) I liked how the FL brought all of her skills from her past lives into her current life.
NOT SO MUCH:
1) Who did hair and makeup!?! Her hair was very "Cheese in the Trap" and distracting. Most jarring was the makeup on Ahn Bo Hyun. He looked so white, actually pasty. It looked like someone had slathered on the makeup with a trowel, and the lipstick on him was entirely too obvious and dark. There were multiple times I thought that I was watching a vampire movie, he reminded me of that.
2) I didn't like the forwardness of Ji Eum at all. "let's date". I didn't find it cute or endearing at all. To a certain extent, I felt the same about the 2FL. If someone isn't interested, move on.
3) The murder plot. It started out interesting and ended in a fizzle. What a waste of time!
4) I was never clear on why the guy with the bells was so intent on her remembering her first life, especially since he was there and NOT a good guy.
5) There is a difference between not remembering your previous lives and not remembering the people in your life currently. She didn't have amnesia, for heaven's sake! If she didn't remember them, how did she remember where she used to work? For me, the whole ending was clunky, like they didn't know how to resolve it and wrap everything up.
6) Lack of chemistry between the leads.

So, if asked if I think you should watch, I wouldn't say to run away, but there is a lot of better stuff out there to watch.

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I really wish they had done better

I had high hopes for this drama. For one, Shin Hye Sun is one of my favourite actresses. Also, the plot sounded very interesting. Unfortunately, it became one of those dramas that spent too much time on unnecessary details and missing the big plot.

Too much is going on. You have the mystery behind the accident (which took a couple of episodes to unveil by the way). Then you have that plot about how Ji Eum is not supposed to be near people from her past life because it is against nature, which also has been an ongoing topic or build up for a few episodes. Not to mention the romance story between the main characters. Don't get me wrong, I love the acting. The characters are quite well portrayed but if they are positioning this drama as a romance drama, shouldn't the male lead at lead look like he is romantic and in love? That was sort of lacking in my opinion.

After all the built up and all the suspense, as expected they started rushing in wrapping up all the different plots in the last two episodes. The big reveal of Ji Eum's 1st life was quite underwhelming. I thought the characters would have a deeper connection or relationship but it turned out to be a murder revenge. I wish they would expand a bit more on the story about the 1st life instead of spending so much time talking about the hotel, the accident and the evil family.

Aw man, I am quite disappointed with how it turned out. The ending few episodes got me skipping most parts.

Great idea, poor execution

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A missing spark that crashes and burns

This is the first drama that I've watched after reading the original source material (in this case, a webtoon), so this will be a review where I inevitably compare some elements, but I'm still trying to be as objective as possible.

I really loved the webtoon — the plot, the lack of cliches, the straightforward female lead — and was really excited for the drama. But from the start the spark was missing for me. It felt pretty well written but the development of the leads felt jumpy and I'm not sure the chemistry between the actors is all there.

Plot-wise, this was really a drama that needed a full 16 episodes because of how much plot there was. There's the 18th life backstory and Jieum's 1st life backstory, and I really feel like they glossed over the car accident (18th) just to make time for the other plot. The plot that seemed to kickstart everything felt very unimportant by the end.

Now, the biggest issue I have with this drama is the backstory behind the first life and all the changes they made to it. Just in general, the backstory of the first life felt lackluster, but if I hadn't read the webtoon prior to watching this might've been something I could forgive, but knowing what I know, I find myself realizing just how MUCH the overall message was changed. Whereas the webtoon seemed to give Jieum a lot of agency in choosing who could be part of her life and going against "destiny," the drama created a lot of rules to take that away. There were consequences from the universe telling her those decisions were wrong, and even more so, the fact that EVERYONE was incorporated into her first life (vs. the coincidental one in the webtoon) seemed to underline that fate does exist, and that people with so-called intertwined destinies would meet each other anyways. Being anti-destiny was one of the things I loved about the webtoon and I felt like the drama completely undid that.

Next, my other big issue is the ending. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate the amnesia trope, especially when used at the end, and this was the perfect example of why. It just leaves SO many plot holes because she lost memories of specific people instead of just her past lives — why wouldn't she question her life changes and memory gaps? How did she get her job back? What about where she was living? Wouldn't other people talk to her about the people she'd forgotten? The only direction I can see the story going is Jieum starting to second guess herself and the people who randomly started to insert themselves in her lives. But obviously, there were no more episodes. The story just...ended.

Overall, I actually think this had a promising start. The cinematography was gorgeous, and there is so much good material. Even if I wasn't immediately convinced, I was glad I gave this a chance and I did see a few scenes that I liked, some familial bonds that touched me. By the ending however, the backstory had become so messy, the philosophy had become unclear, and the romance had fizzled out. I'd lost all emotional investment in the story.

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Never watch after reading the webtoon

This started off promisingly, faithfully capturing the essence of the webtoon with meticulous attention to detail in set design, costumes, and more. However, halfway through, the series took an unfortunate turn, deviating from the original storyline. This decision left me perplexed and disappointed, as the changes seemed unnecessary and ultimately detracted from the overall experience. Despite a talented cast, the abrupt shift in direction felt like a disservice to both the source material and the my overall investment. In the end, it left me wondering why they bothered to stick around till the end, feeling like the potential of the adaptation was squandered. What a damn waste of time. TBF it’s not a bad watch. It’s not that good either. But TBH there’s a shortage of good producers and directors. I’m just a viewer but ultimately I’m the target audience. Please me or be better

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I Want To Go To The Bridge With Fireworks!

I live in the US where we are currently experiencing our entertainment writers and actors on strike. I was telling a friend just yesterday that I will not miss any entertainment because of all the wonderful content coming out of South Korea, and See You In My 19th Life has been pure joy to watch. Thank you South Korean entertainment!!! I saw Shin Hye Sun in Mr. Queen and absolutely loved her acting ability. Her role in this drama did not disappoint. The storyline weaving between past and present lives, Ji Eum discovering why she remembers all her past lives along with the convergence of all the main characters coming together again after a thousand years has been done very well. The writing kept the story moving forward in an interesting way to keep the viewer tuned in while we find out, bit by bit, how all the main characters are drawn to each other. Lee Chae Min's character becomes the central figure in bringing everyone together and he did a superb job playing the mysterious part-time employee/Shaman. Is he evil?...is he trying to be normal?....what's his deal? He played the mysterious role well. The last time I saw him was in Crash Course in Romance where he was playing a teenager. This role shows his versatility as an actor. Likewise, I saw Ann Bo Hyun in Her Private Life and enjoyed seeing his acting flexibility as a main lead. I love when a romantic Kdrama adds a twist to the usual romantic plot, and this one adds a great spin with the convergence of past and present lives. The music added to the drama in the right spots, the visuals, and scenery were all wonderful helping to carry the story to the end. A really good drama that I highly recommend!

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I want to give 500 ⭐✨ out of 5 This drama a is so so good

If Perfection exists and it is a drama , it will be See you in my 19th Life.
No loop holes. Everything Perfect. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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This series isnt what you think it is...and that is what makes it so amazing!

Wow! Just got done with "See You in My 19th Life" and I immediately want to watch it again!!! Wow, this series isnt a straight forward rom com or a straight forward show about past lives. There are so many different storylines and just when you think you know what is going on, its like they put the show in a box and vigorously shake it up to where suddenly you realize its a whole new ball game!

The writing was just spectacular! Dang this story is SO good! It left me wanting more! Will there be a season 2 where other things happen, maybe to the guy with the 23 lives?

I loved watching every minute of this show! I loved watching the end because it echoes the way Ji-eum first approaches Seo-ha. I love how the writers interweaved Ji-eum's many lives in and out of this story. I could watch many more shows written like this and never get bored! I loved how we got to see glimpses of her past lives and how they make her the person she is today!

The director, Lee Na Jung did a beautiful job of bringing the scenes to life. Some of my favorite scenes were the flashback ones. I love how she gave you only enough information to think you know what is happening, only to be shown more if the story in later episodes.

The acting was simply SUPERB! I was particularly impressed with the scenes where Ji-eum, played by Shin Hye Sun, is reliving a past life while holding the bells. Likewise, the scenes where Seo-ha, played by Ahn Bo Hyun, relives his painful childhood memories are also very riveting. These two did an outstanding job! The other two lead actors, Ahn Dong Goo (Ha Do Yoon) and Ha Yoon Kyung (Yoon Cho Won) were also fantastic at their roles. I had watched Ha Yoon Hyun in The Extraordinary Attorney Woo and she played my favorite suport role (Choi Soo Yeon), so it was no surprise how she brought Cho Won to life.

Not to be outdone, all the kids in this drama were fantastic! Especially Kim Shi Ah who played Yoon Joo Won in the 18th life. Shi Ah was particularly believable as a 12 year old girl who was older than she seemed due to having remembered all her past lives. Yes, THAT girl deserves an award of some kind!

I always love it when I see seasoned actors in dramas. Cha Chung Hwa is just spectacular in every role she plays! I have seen her in Hotel Del Luna and Crash Landing on You, but my favorite character was in the drama Hometown Cha Cha Cha. I am happy to see that she will be in 2 others I had on my list to watch, Iteawon Class and Kokdu: Seadon of Deity.

Lastly, another person who deserves some kind of award is the person who did the musical score. The music that went along with each scene was so well done, I often had a visceral reaction, particularly with the "creepy" music that went along with Ji-eum's flashback scenes that involve the death of her sister in life 1.

All in all, this is not only a Must See drama, it might very well be a Must See Again drama for you, too!

Enjoy!

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One of a Kind

I am not a big fan of reincarnation in shows as I find it more miss than hit, but with this show? It was a total hit. I loved seeing glimpses of all the past lives throughout the series and how it makes Jieum the way she is in modern time. It is light and not difficult to understand with some mystery elements that kept watchers wanting to come back to figure out what they were. While the history of the ml and the fl was heartbreaking to learn about, it was a unique, beautiful story that was told in a fantastic way. The second ml and fl I enjoyed all the way to the end and at some points was more interested in watching their story over the main plot. The show started good at episode 1 and kept great until a satisfying ending.

The OST in the show was absolutely fantastic, especially Star by Colde and Silence by Sunwoojunga. Whenever a song was playing, it is a fitting mood and suits the atmosphere of what is happening within the series.

Favorite character of the series was Kang Mingi played by Lee Chaemin. I loved the mystery aspect we got with his character, learning more about him, who he is, and the role he played in everything going on. Plus... his acting was phenomenal.

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