See You in My 19th Life (2023)

Amazing!

I absolutely adored this drama from start to finish! But i just felt like the ending wasn’t really satisfying for me. I wished they had at least extended the episodes and showed how she (female lead) fell in love with him again, and i also wanted to see more of the second couple!. But overall, i would say The show was executed flawlessly, with every episode delivering the perfect combination of romance and drama and The emotions were truly top-notch, and I found myself completely invested in the characters and their stories. Overall, I would highly recommend this drama!

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"잊기 싫어. 기억하고 싶어."

Have you ever wondered what your closest friends would feel like if you died? What would they do? How would they remember you? Moreover, would you want to witness their grief yourself while being around them as a completely different person? Those are the challenges the main character Ban Ji Eum has to navigate on a daily basis.

🔸️The drama explores grief and the ways to cope with it - letting people go or holding onto them at all costs. Do dearest memories outweigh traumas? Should we live in the moment and forgive? Ji Eum has 19 lives worth of suffering, and worth of happy moments too, but she can't erase one and keep another. She has to make a choice between her long desired happiness and her friends' wellbeing. I feel like the plot relies too heavily on inyeon 인연, but I like that the characters still have to overcome challenges in their next lives to end up together, like Secretary Ha and Cho Won.

🔸️The drama is heartwarming, not heartbreaking, and it kept me engaged very well. Except for the truck accident for which I still don't understand the motive. I absolutely adore the child actors who all did an outstanding job, and not just for their age. Shin Hye Seon is truly amazing, especially in the emotionally intense final episodes. And Ahn Dong Goo? Where did this guy come from? He has an incredible quiet energy.

But I was more interested, how did Ji Eum's gender identity and sexual orientation change as Ji Eum was reborn in both female and male bodies?

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Great story, concept and executed almost perfectly

This is a really good show.
I liked the concept and the direction of the show.
Well directed and acted by everyone including young child actors.
Story about love and family.

The leads are really good. I liked the FL more. Since she had to carry the show. She played her character as very straight forward and on your face type of character and I loved it. Makes sense though, she had lived so many lives and got no time for nonsense lol she's also tall. When she talked to one character in the beginning I was damn, she's tall 😂

She can be funny and charming. She asked the ML if he wanted to date her on the first episode lol though she was trying to get him to remember but still funny
The ML is good here and he gets the job done. I didn't hate him not sure if he has much range though

And of course, the secondary couple is a will they, won't they type of story.
The second FL seems to always play best girl. I wanna see her in more things. She always seems to play very sweet and lovable characters
As an anime fan, it's nice to see a reincarnation story done well here.

Some nitpicks: The hotel subplot about turning it into something like its former glory seems forgotten by the writers lol.
Oh also, there's a drake song, instrumental version that keeps playing randomly lol
It was weird and distracting.
I think I'll watch this again but probably in 2 years or so lol
Oh funny notes: I think it's funny that 99% of her past lives were Koreans
Definitely would be nice to see other people represented besides that one Spanish couple. Hey, better than nothing. That beef stew she made looked amazing and hope the actor actually liked it 😂

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Not a favourite !

I am sorry I have to say I stopped after three episodes . I did not like it one bit and Shin Hye Sun got on my nerves . She was excellent in My Golden Life , but I think this part did not suit her . I had finished watching " The Man who guards me , the Black Knight " about a similar theme of Karma and past lives and which was highly superior to that one . I could not form any empathy with any of the characters which is disappointing . Better to be watched by people who really like it . I would really have had to persist with it but I did not find it interesting enough . It seems that people are divided about this drama , which would suggest some flaws .

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The Couple just don't have Chemistry

As a webtoon reader, I just can't fathom how they make this drama go in total opposite of what the webtoon is about.
Chowon character changes but the actress makes it work , but then at the story level, it create so many confusion.
This drama really failed in what they are trying to do, as an independence drama and as an adaptation.

The one things I feel really disappointed is the chemistry, at least they should look like a couple and not like a show window couple. I genuinely can't think that this couple will be together other than because the plot demanded them to. Their character don't match, their acting don't match and their chemistry is barely there.
Wish all of them luck in their next project

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The discoverer of alcohol was not an Arab, but an Iranian, and his name is Zakaria Razi

The series is very beautiful and you liked it. I like it very much, but I would like to say that the discoverer of alcohol is not an Arab but an Iranian person, and his name is Zakaria Razi, and I hope that the history and civilization of Iran will be mentioned correctly in the next series . Unlike others who rate the series 1 with historical distortions, I only mention this so that others know, and I hope that in the future I will see the civilization of my country in the Korean series that I watch a lot, and I hope that the Korean series and movies of the day become more and more famous in the world. My comment was not that long, but because I should have written at least 500 words, I wrote this. Thank you for reading my comment. I hope you have a good life and love yourself. (: <3 (Sorry if you see illegible words in my writings, I have used a translator)

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Beautifully shot, with an intriguing fantasy premise, but then the story flounders . . .

The two major flaws of this series is 1) the lack of chemistry in the romance and 2) the lack of purpose to the story. I was so frustrated I dropped it just a few episodes from the end.

Shin Hye-sun as the main female lead does an excellent job, as she did in Mr Queen, at portraying someone who isn't what they seem on the surface. I fully believed that she had lived many lives beyond this one. Ahn Bo-hyun, however, played his character so straight, wide-eyed, bumbling and a bit gullible that you couldn't understand WHY the main female lead was so intrigued by him as a romantic partner. Where was the depth of many lives in HIS eyes?!?

On top of that, the fantasy mysteries were all dragged out, why was she being reborn again and again? Who were these weird people popping out from the past? Why was everyone around her suffering bad luck? etc. These mysteries were introduced at the halfway point, but 3 or so episodes later we were no closer. Everything had stalled.

If the romance had been better OR the fantasy and themes been better, I would have stuck with it. But both fell down, and being cinematic and pretty was just not enough to hold my interest.

PS On a bit more of a petty note, Ahn Bo-hyun's suits were atrocious and I couldn't tell whether that was supposed to portray something about the character - it started to really irritate me.

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Saved by the female lead's acting

Story: Ji Eum(female lead) remembers most of her previous lives(17 except the first) and from her last life(18th), she fell in love with a boy and wanted to know what happen after she died. The story was easy to follow with some snippets of her first life to unravel the reason why she kept being born again and again. The plot was a bit boring as the twist felt predictable for me and some villains and characters was just like a side story to make the episodes longer but didn't really add value to the drama.

Acting: 10/10 for Shim Hye Sun. She's just hands down a brilliant actress but the rest was just flat, she carried the whole show, imo. I would like to praise Cha Chung Hwa(Ji Eum's niece) acting as well, a veteran and versatile actress.

Music: I scored high for music as they seemed appropriate most of the time and I liked most of them. I remember the songs from the last episode and the piano bgm.

Rewatch Value: I wouldn't be rewatching the drama but Shim Hye Sun has a lot of cool and memorable scenes here.

Overall: 7 - 7.5 for me. This one has a good start and cute ending but the acting from most of the actors are pretty flat that didn't provide deep impression and any exciting feelings while watching them . The chemistry of the main leads felt forced as well but i did have few butterfly moments in the middle of the drama. Ahn Bo Hyun still needs to polish his acting skills plus his wardrobe was really bad, so his charm was lackluster too and as a CEO, it wasn't believable at times. I felt like they just added some eye candies(the secretary, his brother and the first life guy) but nothing really special to each of their character.

*may contain spoilers*
Issues(apart from above): feel free to correct me as i could have missed the logic behind this, if the people from previous life is supposed to die, why was her niece(Ae Kyung) able to live until that moment? it took 8-9 years for her to live(although verbally mentioned that she's been having issues for a while) but in Ji Eum's previous lives people were taken away much earlier? Apart from that, her reborn life is much faster when there's foul play behind her death but she wasn't really the target so why would it affect her? Even so, why was this 'thing' brought up in the plot but had nothing to do with her previous lives? So, i felt like there are so many things that were not answered by the end of the series. However, i do love Ji Eum's character so i just brushed off these plot holes or maybe i was just thinking too much. Maybe, See you in my 19th life is just a simple story that doesn't need to analyze profoundly.

Side Note: I didn't read the Manhwa so my review is just for the drama itself.

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Shin Hye Sun did it again! BUT not a great storyline/ending

Imma keep this short and simple.
As an avid drama fan, a great drama includes multiple factors. With modern production companies and high quality VFX renderings, the cinematography is great; however, for a fantasy drama as 19th life, the storyline felt incomplete. I haven't read the webtoon so I am only judging based on the storyline of the drama.

The storyline started out great, entailing the details and explicit things that a viewer should know while keeping us guessing for more. I was genuinely excited. The flirting and butterflies within the drama--hands down to Shin Hye Sun for her AMAZING ACTING! Arguably one of the best actresses, and hands down to every moment of her, laughing, crying, FLIRTING, SCREAMING, ugh, just unbelievable performance. Have always loved her ever since Angel's last mission.

HOWEVER, there are things that got me so confused as to why it was even important or relevant, which sucked because the drama started out SO GOOD, and just crashed within a matter of minutes.

**MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD [read at your own discretion]**





My main questions have to do with why the uncle even got involved in such a thing as the car crash, and his excuse was because he loved the mother??? I'm sorry but why are we supposed to care? Either the writer didn't flesh his character out enough or there's something I'm missing?

Another thing is why did the guy in the first life help FL to that extent? I get that they wanted to paint a twist and act as if he was bad or something, but tbh there wasn't really a real villain, nothing exciting about the villain. Usually, I would salute an antagonist for portraying something morbid or wicked, but this dude really didn't have any of that. He was just there watching the people around him, then giving hints to the FL and didn't explain anything else. And all of a sudden the FL feels like she has so much to do with him, which she did, but it was so short lived, I really didn't get the point of him at all.

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Anywho, I loved the cast and the acting, the character developments for the main leads were excellent. Just there were quite a few things that I felt could have definitely been better executed/elaborated. It just didn't feel complete and suddenly, which is quite sad, I felt like became a waste of time. :(

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How do you repack an opened Pandora’s box? . . . With great difficulties!

This show is hard to score. Not in terms of the acting or the production value but how its fundamental world building is mishandled.

Let’s take a step back. The star of the show is the FL. She has the titular role, and she is all singing and all dancing from start to finish. She has a demanding role and she has to dig deep. On the other hand, the ML feels muted for the longest time and while I understand that he is traumatised since an early age, his performance is quite stilted or maybe it was just the way his role is written. You just don’t feel much energy coming from him. This is the opposite compared to the FL who is on overdrive most of the time. Another issue is the chemistry between the leads is not strong. There are sparks but, on the whole, it feels more scripted than spontaneous. There are also some questionable behaviours by the FL earlier on which just feels awkward.

Surprisingly, I was more invested in the 2CP's romance. It was the usual rich girl/poor man trope but it is more earnest and heartfelt. It felt more organic than the OTP's.

What bothers me more is the way the writer-nims went about building a set of fairly convoluted narrative logic. We see actions and reactions that are attributed to the FL's unique circumstances but the how's and the why's are rarely explained. The internal logic is opaque and obtuse. Their applications are not consistent. It is immersion breaking, but more importantly, makes you question everything you see and hear within the story. The writer-nims are holding all the cards.

Yes, I understand it is a fantasy and certain narrative “flexibility” is to be expected, but I cannot shake the feeling that the storytelling has been twisted into a pretzel.

The puzzle pieces finally click into place in the last episode. I have to say that the final reveal is somewhat underwhelming. There is some much meat in all her previous lives but they are served up as little more than random (emotive) scenes. I wish there is more substance to those recollections.

While her first life held all the keys, its treatment is perfunctory at best. Nevertheless, this episode is still the best of the lot. All the key side plots are tied up with pink bows. The reverse meet-cute is very meta but nicely done and is so sweet. However, the finale is also the last straw for me.

The whole premise of the FL forgetting her past lives is a good idea if there is to be closure but what is presented to us is broken logic and plot holes. It is a Hail Mary moment that didn't quite work.

The FL appears to have lost a few week's memory and went back to her old job but how is that possible? What about her co-workers? They waved her off to start a new job and she is back as if nothing happened. I suppose the CEO can pull some strings. . .

An even bigger hole is her life after running away from her abusive father. Kim Ae-Kyung raised her from early teen to now. What happened there? I can accept she won't remember Ms. Kim when they meet again but who raised her? This is a different reality?

The show can make her forget some memories, but the show didn't alter history/reality en masse. The ML, Ms. Kim and Cho-Won all remembers her so there is no gap in their collective memories. Ms. Kim lived with the FL for years. Theoretically, her room is still out the back of the shop. My head is spinning.

Ditto, why did the ML’s mother remember her past life as well? Was she cursed? That was never explained. So many loose ends if you pause and think about it. All these are just put into the Too Hard Basket™ and buried in a very deep hole.

In the end, the show is watchable and swoon worthy at times. Taken in parts, it is a decent watch. Alas, as a complete package, it is quite vexing. Fans of the stars can roll with it, but it is a challenge if you are not. With that in mind, I cannot recommend this show wholeheartedly. If you want to watch it, please make sure to put on some industrial strength rose tinted glasses and give your left brain a day off. ;)

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Great first half, too many plot holes

As someone who didn't read the webtoon, these are my takes on this drama.

First, of course, I had huge expectations before it aired, as it has versatile actors in it. I'm a big fan of Hye-sun when it comes to acting because she just never fails. I enjoyed the first few episodes. I loved the vibes that this drama gave me. I loved the concept of remembering your 18 past lives, and each life has its own wonderful story.

I just want to say that the actress who played Ju-won is so great at her job. I wish she could be a big star someday. And her chemistry with the little Seo-ha was amazing. I don't think I've seen other little stars have as much chemistry as they did. I also loved the relationship between Ji-eum and Cho-woon. But the uncle-niece was still superior.

When they started to uncover some things, that's when it went down. It's not that bad, but some things feel unsatisfying. At first, the chemistry between the leads was so good, but it started to lose excitement. I was expecting that they would make the other aspects of the drama better, like the death of Ju-won or the first life of Ji-eum. But again, it failed. I laughed several times due to some serious scenes that I wished would make me not laugh.

Am I going to recommend it? Well, if you don't mind several plot holes, then go watch it. I might not be satisfied with this one, but that doesn't mean it's totally bad. Just lower your expectations and just enjoy the relationships in the show. It doesn't have a super-evil villain, so it's easy to watch. It also has a super cute ending for both couples. 

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Refreshing & magnificent cinematography, Shin Hye-sun as a sucker for love is very delightful to see

Decided to watch this as the clips trend a lot on various social medias. All I can say is that I'm so thankful that I watched it and finally succumbed to Shin Hye-sun's brilliancy and found myself binge-watching her filmography now.

I am glad that this series is not the stereotypical webtoon drama that I often heard or watched. It's fantasy-romance, but definitely has the refreshing aura in it, as it's very new storyline to pick on. I like to see the story when it's the female lead who pursues the male lead, instead of letting it flow naturally and becomes boring they-live-happily-ever-after plot, and Shin Hye-sun is definitely pulling off that kind of role more than well.

Thanks to this drama I found another favorite actress to watch for!

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