Along with the development of the lead characters, the supporting characters have fairly unique and memorable character arcs. Aside from the contract relationship premise, Because This is My First Life also tries to tackle the three modern day females with different perspectives setup. This drama does this very well. The roles of Woo Su Ji and Yang Ho Rang are able to share in some very poignant moments throughout the drama. I enjoyed how the portrayal of these female characters provided a commentary of the modern day woman and the challenges that she faces from day to day.
Personally, this was one of my favorite dramas this year. It was just pure perfection from start to end. It astutely created characters that had special circumstances, but were still entirely relatable. A feat not many dramas can aptly pull-off. I can’t recommend this one enough!
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For me I feel like this drama tries to solve that with the stories of 3 modern couples. cohabitation/contract marriage with past romance wounds couple, being a hard working woman vs carefree man, and a struggling long term relationship. This show tackles hard questions like traditional roles, sexual harassment, open/close communication, man vs women responsibility's.... Everything that happens has a reason and a purpose. The writing is very skilled and it is easy to miss something. There is no "filler plot". No one has to have a huge over the top emotional over acted moment to make a point or have the plot move on. More than once there is a cliche plot mentioned but it is glazed over as unimportant because they are adults. Ex- love triangles, yes they are there but instead of conflict that makes the Leads question their "love" it is used to build other emotions like understanding of their core person.
One of the things each couple has in common is money, but it is a factor that effects them differently. 1. Rent/ daily needs- a feeling of belonging somewhere. 2. Being young and together but not communicating about the future/ wedding expenses/ providing for a wife. 3. Being the only person that can support your mom when they get older + they have a disability- leading to holding back your true-self.
This drama hit me on a emotional level. I cried a few times. I feel like no matter where you are at in your dating life- this story has something for everyone to learn from. If not, then at lest you'll understand the importance of room 19 and a pocked of stars. 100% recommend.
Great great kisses....
~soft spoilers-
LOVE-
-For sure high in the list of best kisses.
-Best use of cat- they lived with it. In other dramas you can just tell the animals hate the actors. It felt like the cat could do what it wanted on set and was their real cat. lol
- No filler or extra drama. When the past is brought up its not a huge issues like in other shows.
-They don't use sex as a way to get people to want to keep watching. They don't need to take off shirts to show bodys or be extra provocative. Its there but its not cheesy.
- Lee Min Ki- his acting has so much depth. Starts off like a robot but in the end he is human as he recovers from his problems.
Don't like
The leads are cold-Its not in a bad way. They are just very damaged and try to protect themselves. Ji Ho had dead eyes with Se Hee sometimes -which would bother me as she is happy person.
-creeper plot- not needed for any plot, her going to work was enough for me. I think the protectiveness later is enough.
-sexual harassment- her emotional state is quick to change and we dont hear them talking about it or her finding out what he did for her.
- Her going away- I don't see it as selfish, I see it as poorly done. You think she is going out to collect stars but for me she is going to find herself. After the harassment, her core self was gone. IDK maybe cuz I'v never staying in a hostel, I might not understand. But they make it clear that her english skills make it hard to communicate with them. So I wish she had go on a real trip. Cuz for me after she came back, she left her single life to become an "our".
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Okay,i've finished this drama a while ago and i miss it like crazy. This is hands down one of the best dramas that I've ever watched. I don't know why but i got hooked since the beginning. It hit all the right notes. The plot was fun and exciting as hell. The couple felt so natural and unforced and I HAD SO MANY BUTTERFLIES because of them. I enjoyed it as much as Weightlifting fairy kim bok joo and Goblin,and that says something.
This is one of the most amazing, refreshing Korean Dramas I have seen in ages so please PLEASEEEE give it a try. And congrats to everyone who worked on this masterpiece.
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A wonderful story with a generally very positive and warm tone throughout (though things do derail a bit, I am not going to classify this one in the "stupid breakup" category because as much as I wanted it to work out without it, its presence added a lot of weight and I think made the story that much more valid).
The history of the various characters involved, particularly the main leads, adds a nice depth and explains why they act the way they do now, and serves to reinforce that you might think someone is a bit odd but there's a good reason why they are that way. The male lead's character in particular comes off cold, flat, intellectual and unemotional and you'll find out why during the course of the story.
One of the most powerful scenes for me was him going from someone smiling as he watches a soccer game, to a few moments later on the floor crying his eyes out, for a character that is cold and unemotional for the entirety of the show leading up to that point it makes it that much more painful to watch and you fully appreciate what he's going through. Brilliantly acted.
The main leads make a fantastic couple (they were paired up as Kim Mi So's parents in What's Wrong With Secretary Kim too, in Episode 10) and I'm definitely going to be looking out for more from them.
The second leads are awesome too, dealing with their own stresses and pressures both within relationships and within the workplace.
Good strong female leads in this in my view, in fact even some of the support/guest actors are filling strong character roles too such as the CEO that offers the female lead a writing contract (she has a bigger role in the story that shows strength in her character too, but I won't go into that!)
Absolutely brilliant, loved this one and it will definitely be on my re-watch list when I come to start looking for stories to enjoy again, the overflowing warm fuzzies on this one are like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket :)
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The cliffhangers started from day 1 and this is one of the reasons to be so excited for this series. Waiting for the next episodes was really a pain.
What I found so special about this drama were the characters on the first place. Se Hee was such an unordinary person and even though I thought Ji Ho was kinda annoying in the beginning, I just couldn't help but love her as the time passed. Really enjoyed the script writer's work. Almost every episode had those lines, full of metaphors that really make you question your whole existance. I also loved the secondary couples and even though in most drama they're just a waste of time, here they were just as interesting as the main one.
What I found lacking was that there wasn't much of explanation about Se Hee's past, which played a quite a big role this drama. On the other hand I think they could make the ending episodes a little more dramatic and emotional.
Overall if you are looking for something light-hearted, funny and with some good acting, this is perfect for you!
Hope this was helpful and sorry for the mistakes <3
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This review may contain spoilers
Laugh, cry, repeat.
OVERALL IMPRESSION:This drama couldn't have popped up on my Netflix homepage at a more perfect time in my life. As someone who just entered her 20s, this drama served as a wonderful guide to the realities of adulting. By following closely the lives of three 30-year-old women, it explores the commonly-held belief that "money is happiness", the distinction between love and marriage, traditional gender roles at home, gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and people's various, thus conflicting, goals and aspirations for the one life they're living.
Perhaps because it is my first time watching a slice-of-life drama intended for an older audience, I felt as if this drama was well thought-out and unlike any I've watched before. The storyline was clear and easy to follow yet not overly predictable. I especially loved how it incorporated a good balance of logic and emotion, concrete and abstract ideas, neither one dominating over the other.
The logic part can be seen from the unique personality of the male protagonist, who intrigued me so much at the start. Sehee was shown as this orderly, guarded, and languid cat-loving guy who appeared uninterested in the idea of love or marriage for a reason possibly related to past regrets. The cold, detached behaviors, rigid rules he'd set for his tenants and his sole reliance on data in decision-making was so absurd to me that it made me think..."Wow.. who hurt you boy" to the extent that you would lose trust in your heart altogether. I began to wonder whether he would ever be capable of true affection later in the story and my sincere hope for his character development was the driving force that kept my eyes glued to the screen.
At the same time, though, the emotional scenes in the drama were quite believable and compelling due to quality writing as well as the cast's phenomenal acting skills. Every once in a while, I found myself jotting down lines from the drama that spoke to me, a lot of metaphors and observations of ordinary life that demonstrated wisdom and introspection. More sides of Sehee shined through his interactions with Jiho. Although their interactions were for the most part reserved and polite in the apartment, you can't deny their special chemistry when they get those sudden realizations of understanding of one another. My heart melts simply by watching those precious moments of them drinking beer while watching soccer, calling each other from separate bedrooms, and caring for the kitty together. And the moments where they shared personal thoughts on life through their favorite literature (like that scene by the ocean at sunset!! ahhh!!!) were some of the most endearing ones of all.
LIKES:
- This drama had me laughing one minute and crying another. Really hit me dead center in the feels.
- The humor and comedic twists. I used to dislike office scenes in rom-com dramas mostly when I'm not drawn to the characters there, however, the antics of "Don't marry, date" employees, CEO Ma, Wonseok, Bomi, et al made every moment, every dialogue so precious and entertaining. (Also, I'm a huge Pink Panda, so casting Bomi was like the best decision the directors made. Her nerdy female engineer energy was on point and fun to watch.)
- Realistic portrayal of life events
- Diverse personalities of characters that fit well into the narrative's framework
DISLIKES:
- Noticed less humor and cornier jokes in the second half of the drama. Maybe since they had to start tying together loose ends of all the relationship problems.
- Just me or did the relationship dynamic between Sehee and Jiho change a little too quickly in the last episode? In front of Sehee, she switched from being demure to spunky in a single episode, which felt so ooc to me. The change should have been more gradual.
- The ending. Didn't expect writers to conclude with the message of true love conquers all after they spent 15 episodes portraying a thousand different interpretations of love and life
- Obvious coincidences and too good to be true timing...but inevitable in K-dramaland
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I avoided reading other reviews so that my opinion is unaffected. This review is 100% original thoughts. It took me only three days to finish this drama. And afterwards, I thought about how the me four years ago (still in high school) probably wouldn't have enjoyed this drama as much. She probably wouldn't have appreciated all the mini life lessons and would have skipped certain scenes just to get a kick of the dramatic parts. She would have overlooked the beauty. As for rewatch value, I can see myself rewatching this drama again in my mid 20s and once more when I'm 30 to see if my opinions change. It might be even more relatable then. I went into this drama without any expectations so I can safely say this drama exceeded it and made it onto my list of Top 5 Favorite K-dramas. Definitely go watch it! :D
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This review may contain spoilers
The amount of times I saw Jung So Min's hair extensions is unsettling
This drama gave me bigger trust issues than any man has given me. Yet. I enjoyed the direction the relationship between the main couple was headed, I had high hopes, also motivated by the plenty of good reviews that this drama had received. I've been an avid and loyal K-drama consumer in the past year, but I think this one broke me.All was well in the world of the main lead until episode 13, when suddenly Nam Se Hee’s ex shows up as the CEO of an entertainment company and gives Yoon Ji Ho a solid job opportunity, not knowing about the connection all three of them have. AND IN COMES THE BIGGEST CLICHE I'VE EVER HAD TO ENDURE. Yoon Ji Ho figures out who this CEO is, and yes, it's understandable that it makes her upset, but instead of doing the reasonable adult thing you do in a confusing situation - talking, she just decides... to end their marriage. In the last three episodes of this show, Ji Ho announces that she and See Hee are getting a divorce while declaring to everyone how much she has fallen in love with him ( instead, of course, telling him directly), and I had to agree with the CEO/ See Hee's ex when she asked the reasonable question as to - why the fuck are you breaking up then? But the moment that made me want to punch a wall was the 'miscommunication trope' - Ji Hoo and See Hee sat down to talk, See Hee to confess to her, but of course, he doesn't do it, instead he lets her speak first and she drops the bomb, that she wants to break the marriage contract. AND I WAS SCREAMING!!! (internally, because it was 4 am and I have roommates). I hate this trope in general, I have an allergic reaction to it, but so far this was the most unbearable case I've witnessed. So they just... divorce because she thinks it's one-sided, though See Hee has been, in my opinion, pretty clear in his actions, that he likes her, especially the part where they slept in the same bed, hugged, and kissed, and he was looking at her with the most loving eyes anyone could ever do... But no....it's one-sided because Ji Hoo just likes to be the victim.
So she leaves, and See Hee sells his apartment, which was really important to him, it was pointed out many times in the series because he's so heartbroken by her leaving that he can't live there anymore. He's miserable. But then, after a few months, she shoves up, because she has decided that they should start again. He's understandably really angry at her, pointing out that he even sold his apartment, but as per usual, in total disregard for his feelings and emotions, she forces a hug on him, and then, after threatening to leave him again, they kiss. Fast forward a few years, they are happily, officially married, and I see how this was supposed to be a cute ending, but not for me. In the end, she gave me a narcissistic vibe, she got what she wanted by manipulating him. Her reasoning for breaking up with See Hee was that he didn't open up to her fast enough, and INSTEAD OF TALKING TO HIM, SOWING HIM THAT SHE'S A PERSON THAT HE CAN TRUST AND OPEN UP TO, SHE BREAKS UP WITH HIM TO MAKE HIM MAD AND CONFESS HIS FEELINGS WHILE BEING ANGRY.... As any reasonable, loving person would do... The part when he was angry at her, and told her that what she did was messed up, and she just smiled and said that he finally said what he felt, gave me goosebumps. This is what in real life would be considered a toxic, manipulating relationship....
This is why King The Land is the best K - drama because there's clear communication, and any potential conflict gets resolved by TALKING!!!
The only reason why I finished watching this drama was because of Woo Soo Ji and Ma Sang Goo's relationship, that was the green flag of its drama.
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Wonderful show!
Just finished Because This Is My First Life on Netflix.Absolutely loved it!
A character-driven, light-hearted, but mature romantic comedy that is a social commentary on the institution of marriage, love itself, relationships and sexual harassment in the work place. Having not read the premise of the show, I went in blind and was pleasantly surprised at how maturely written the characters were. It is not one of those "love at first sight" type of K-Dramas. There are several couples in the show and we witness their love organically build in each episode while they're simultaneously questioning/analyzing their own feelings and whether they personally find marriage and carrying on tradition is suitable in millennial generation of today's South Korea.
The pacing of the show is relaxed, but as you get to know the dimensions of each character, the pacing begins to move quickly. While it is very funny and has its lovey-dovey moments, the fact that it is so intellectually stimulating (along with the most lovable pet cat in K-Drama history) so memorable.
Writing, soundtrack and acting from the cast are outstanding, particularly from Jung So-Min and Lee Minki who play an odd couple.
Absolutely highest recommendations!
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Brilliant in unexpected ways
This was one of the first K-Dramas I have ever finished and it left a very lasting impression on me so even though I might be late to the party, I really wanted to write a review about this show.Because This Is My First Ife is both: Very flawed and kind of amazing. When I started watching this show, I was kind of turned off by the unrealistic premise. I was expecting just another cheesy romance. Which it definitely is, don’t get me wrong. But there is something more to this drama. And I don’t think the show itself realizes, how brilliant it actually is at times.
This is a drama that really stands out because of its writing. Ji-ho's monologue is oftentimes moving, poignant, heartbreaking, and always so real. Even though this show has such an out-there premise, I was shocked by how much I could relate to the things she said and the observations she made. That's because, while this show at first glance looks like your typical Korean coming of age-romance, it is so much more than that.
On the surface, Because This IS My First Life is just about a group of friends navigating life and the meaning of marriage. The core message of the drama lies in the title, it’s their first life, they don’t know what they’re doing but they’ll figure it out together.
But under the surface, this is a story, specifically about women trying to find their role in a patriarchal society.
We have Ji-ho, who grew up in a traditional East-Asian household, that valued her and her mom less because of their gender. As a result, she struggles to speak up for herself and lives sort of aimlessly. She’s extremely inexperienced in love and seems to pretty much have given up on it entirely, which is why she is so willing to marry someone out of financial convenience. Problems arise in her marriage after she is starting to fall in love with her husband but is not comfortable with fulfilling the societal role that is expected of a wife. She doesn’t want to heal See-he’s past wounds, she doesn’t want to be responsible for fixing his relationship with his family or take care of all the household duties. She knows that being the perfect daughter-in-law won’t heal him but rather that it would result in the loveless marriage of her parents where her mother constantly has to hold back and simply accept her dad’s verbal abuse. Ji-ho feels like the gender roles assigned to husband and wife not only harm her but also her relationship with See-he which is why she makes the deliberate choice to divorce him, so they can rekindle their relationship again, on their own terms. That she’s willing to take that step, is a sign of her character progression. She sues the man that harassed her and makes the selfish, but the right choice to leave See-he, finally putting herself first.
We have Woo Su-Ji, who is generally outspoken, confident, and honest but who has to tolerate the harassment she faces at work because she can’t risk her job. She knows that if anything goes wrong, she’ll be fired first, knows that she has to work twice as hard because of her gender. Being outspoken is a privilege that a woman in an office environment simply can’t afford. And since most men in her life really seem to suck, she doesn’t really trust them or tries to build meaningful relationships with them. When she finally meets a guy, she actually likes, she struggles to let him close and let her walls down. She’s used to being belittled by men, which is why she’s so scared of showing any signs of weakness and is only looking for meaningless sex. As her relationship with CEO Ma progresses, she learns to be vulnerable, learns that letting her guard down doesn’t mean that she has to give up her values. Su-ji’s character progresses but she doesn’t get any less fierce. Quite the opposite actually, her relationship makes her stronger, and she finally gathers the courage to quit her awful job.
Then we have Ho-rang who wants to get married so she can feel like “She made it” and belongs somewhere. She loves her boyfriend but is scared of the relationship going nowhere, which is a valid fear. At the same time, she also wants a wedding for artificial reasons. She knows her boyfriend loves her but things like social status still matter to her. She fears that people look down on her because she’s still unmarried. She’s a red coat, that wants to be a black coat, wants to conform. But even when she does meet a guy who wants to instantly marry her, who seems to be able to provide the secure life she longs for, she’s not fulfilled. She ultimately realizes that conformity isn’t worth sacrificing her happiness and while her arc ends with her long-term boyfriend finally agreeing to marry her, she also spent their time apart learning something about herself.
Korea is a country defined by neo-Confucianism a philosophy that values the collective above the individual. That has its advantages, for example when you’re in a global pandemic and trying to convince the people in your country that wearing masks is a good idea and that we should protect one another but it also has its disadvantages, like when you never really allowed to live freely the fear of disrupting the collective, the status-quo. Korea still has a long way to go in terms of women’s rights. Belittlement at the workplace is very common, women are usually expected to quit their job after getting married and having children anyways, so they rarely are in any leading positions and have to work harder to prove their worth to the company. This also results in the fact, that women in South Korea are way more likely to fall into poverty. Women are disadvantaged by the National Pension System because, since they are basically responsible for childcare in South Korea, only about 30% of them have pension rights. Reporting sexism is also generally frowned upon since you have to protect the company, you the individual, can’t do anything that might hurt the collective, even if you’re objectively getting mistreated.
Likewise, Ji-ho is just expected to mend her marriage, no matter how unhappy she is with the role she was assigned because again, she’s the individual and has to just take it to protect the collective, the family. This shows that patriarchal structures are everywhere, not just in our workplace but also in our homes and heads.
I was especially impressed with the scenes with Ji-hos mother, which show the sacrifices women have to make. When she hears the news that her daughter is getting married, she is scared that Ji-ho is giving up her dreams. She fears that her daughter will make the same mistakes as her for a life in conformity. It’s actually heartbreaking to watch, as Ji-ho reads her mom’s letter addresses to See-he and for the first time fully realized what her mom had to give up, so she could live comfortably.
In no way is Because This Is My First Life a perfect show and perfect example for feminist story-telling. The last two episodes are a bit of a confusing mess, and the disagreements between the two leads feel extremely forced to create some kind of emotional climax that the show didn’t really need. There’s also a whole arc about a stalker, that is so dumb that I blanked out for the entirety of it. Ji-ho still constantly has to get saved by See-he, which isn’t the girl boss narrative I was hoping for. I also don’t love that Ho-rang’s arc ended with marriage when it really should have ended with her realizing that she doesn’t need to conform.
Still, when I watched this show, I was really impressed by the lengths it went to talk about the female experience. Usually, K-dramas show some kind of female fantasy, where you get hit on by rich chaebols and swept of your feet. But Because This Is My First Life wasn’t interested in that. Instead, it showed you the real, harsh reality of being a woman in the 21st century. It isn’t always dreamy but it won’t change if we don’t talk about it. And this drama does talk about it, it talks about what it feels like to grow up in a patriarchal household, how women have to work harder to earn the respect of their male colleagues, about all the emotional and physical labor that is expected of a wife but ever fully acknowledged.
I love Korean cinema and Korean dramas, I love them so much that I am majoring in Korean studies at university but I have to address that the role of women in K-dramas hasn’t exactly been progressive. In older Korean shows the female lead is usually dumb and naïve and her sole purpose is to heal the cold and often-times downright cruel male lead from his trauma so they can fall in love. They send the message that it is a woman’s job to heal a man and that the greatest thing she can be is a wife. But I was delighted by the women in this show. Not only are they all smart, capable, and widely different from each other, the show makes a point about Ji-ho actually walking away from the emotional labor that is expected of her. She specifically states that she is not interested in healing See-he’s wounds. That a relationship is something that happens between two adults. That is kind of a revolutionary narrative, heck that is something I have yet to witness in a Western show.
I also love that this show dealt with the topic of sexism in such a mature way, something that is rarely talked about in older Korean shows. When a woman gets sexually harassed in an Asian drama, that often sadly happens as a plot device so that the male lead can save her. Or even worse, it happens so the oftentimes abusive male lead looks better in comparison. But Ji-ho essentially saves herself. She walks away from her job, even when they give her a chance to produce her own drama. She also makes the bold choice to sue her harasser. And the show also doesn’t brush off the sexist micro-aggressions the women face but instead, shows how they are part of the problem. It doesn’t victim blame Su-ji either for taking the abuse but instead highlights what she has to lose if she doesn’t keep quiet. It shows that sexism is a multifaceted issue instead of the result of a few singular men.
This is a romance, but what makes this show, are the women, defyining the Asian societal norms one by one. Still, even if you're not looking for a girl-power kind of narrative, this drama has still a lot to offer. I genuinely like the male protagonist here, even if he was outshined by the women and the portrayal of female friendship in this show. I find him quirky and charming. Very rarely do I see a male lead that is cold and kind of off-beat without being incredibly cruel and obnoxious. Heck, I kind of like all the love interests here. And I do like the romance. All the relationships in this show felt believable and mature. There are many swoon-worthy moments that 100% will bring a smile to your face. I was also pleasantly surprised by the humor. The actors all have good chemistry. The OST is pretty catchy. The cinematography doesn't necessarily stand out but it's still solid. All in all, this is a good romance. But it's an even better feminist story.
Since this show aired, the role of women in K-dramas has significantly improved, we now have a whole variety of strong, smart capable female leads to choose from. But in reality, Korea still has a long way to go. Women are still shunned for speaking out against sexism. This is why dramas like these are so important. They start a conversation.
All this and more are things addressed in this show which markets itself as just another romance, but in reality so much more. I didn't expect this drama to move me the way it did. And while it wasn't perfect, for that alone it deserves more recognition.
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A Heartwarming and Relatable Korean Drama that Leaves a Lasting Impression!
"Because This Is My First Life" had me completely captivated right from the start. As I delved into this Korean drama, I couldn't help but be drawn into the lives of the two main characters, a house-poor writer and an overworked assistant, who unexpectedly find themselves in a marriage of convenience. Their journey resonated deeply with me as I followed their struggles, dreams, and personal growth. The drama beautifully delves into the complexities of modern life and societal pressures, touching on themes that felt so relatable. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself reflecting on my own experiences. With its endearing characters and genuine emotions, "Because This Is My First Life" is a heartwarming gem that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.Was this review helpful to you?
