See You in My 19th Life (2023)

Engaging and fresh fantasy drama that stays true to its source material

It was airing at the same time as 'King the Land' and I initially did not know about this drama prior to it airing, I only learnt about it after viewers of 'King the Land' made comparisons to it due to the similar setting of the 2 dramas. Whilst I started dedicating 'King the Land' for my weekly Sunday and Monday dose of K-dramas, I ended up captivated and hooked to 'See You in My 19th Life'. I was so hooked that I binged read the original manhwa. I love me a drama that has me invested and captivated spontaneously rather than me pursuing to watch a drama due to my likeness towards the cast, which is why I rated this drama so high.

Whilst I was disappointed that it was only 12 episodes, extremely short for the typical 16 episodes for kdramas, it enabled the drama to conclude the story at a nice pace. Overall, it wasn't rushed despite its short length. However, I wouldn't have mind some filler scenes of the 2 couples. It was particularly a shame that there wasn't more scenes dedicated to Do-yoon and Cho-won, which would have maybe stopped me from being disinterested in them towards the end. It also would have been nice to see more of Do-yoon progressively accepting his feelings for Cho-won.

This drama was a breath of fresh air from the cheesy romantic dramas or the ultra serious dramas that are currently ubiquitous in the K-drama scene at the moment. It presented a strong and confident female lead that felt organic and not as if it was trying to be progressive and showy about having one. Whilst I am in love with Ji-eum and Seo-ha's relationship, I think the star relationship of the show was definitely the two sisters and I believe that it is secretly the heart of the show.

Having finished the original manhwa well before the show finished airing, I did not mind the modifications made. Being a K-drama adaptation, it is inevitable that changes would be made to the original manhwa to add a sense of intrigue and suspense to viewers that have already read the original source material. Unlike some K-drama adaptations of manhwas, 'See You in My 19th Life' does not lose essence of the original manhwa in its changes.

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"Have you fallen in love?"

Why do children love fairy tales? Because they are stories where there’s no logic, yet they are still stories. The best stories are written by life, and they are the best because the events shouldn’t have unfolded the way they did. Yet they did, and they unfolded in a magical, fairy tale-like way.
The drama "See You in My 19th Life" is also a fairy tale—one for adults. It’s a Rom-Com, a romantic comedy. The execution is brilliant. It’s not forceful, yet it’s full of deep emotions—happy, sad, and touching ones. Perhaps that’s why it touches the soul like a balm.
I won’t go into details about the plot, so that those who haven’t seen it can fully enjoy it. The beginning is lighthearted, and the rest remains a secret for those who haven't watched it yet.
This series starts off dynamically from the very first episode, immediately captivating the viewer. I’ll tell you this: you’ll likely want to watch it twice. On the first viewing, the solutions might seem surprising, even exaggerated. However, the actors charmingly portray the dilemmas of ordinary life. What initially feels overdone turns out to be the drama’s redeeming philosophy. This is what truly drives the story, and understanding this will prompt you to watch it again. Upon a second viewing, something strange happens. It’s as if the series was shot from two different camera angles. From the second perspective, the solutions no longer seem exaggerated—they’re the best they could be. The actors convey this brilliantly on screen.

Shin Hye-Sun delivers a stellar performance. Her choice of hair color (a fox-like hue) beautifully complements the cunning character she plays—both as an actress and as a person interacting with Mun Seo-Ha (Ahn Bo-Hyun, who excellently portrays a young man tormented by memories of the past). The playfulness is not one of malice, but rather a loving attempt to get closer to him.
In almost every episode, we’re treated to beautiful, emotionally stirring visual solutions. Ban Ji-Eum (Hye-Sun) plays with her voice sensually when she believes that Seo-Ha, her young friend from a past life, can’t hear her. Ji-Eum, who remembers her past lives, affects those around her like someone blessed with an extraordinary level of empathy. And this is where the others in the story come in. The cast complements each other wonderfully. Ha Yoon-Kyung’s performance as Cho-Woon must be mentioned. She’s incredibly likable, and in several scenes, she conveys emotions from the screen with a powerful intensity. A great choice to pair with Shin Hye-Sun.

The director and the entire crew deserve praise. There are many beautiful solutions in the series, but as promised, I won’t spoil them—let them surprise you. Both in terms of content and visuals.

The child actors also shine in the series. They gave excellent performances, which was also highlighted by professional critics.

The film’s OST is romantic and wonderful.

The only negative I’d point out is the rushed ending. I was horrified when I realized I was suddenly watching the last episode. From that moment on, I was counting the minutes (only ten left, only five left...). This team could have elegantly resolved everything in an extra 30 minutes, rather than cramming it into just 15. It was too fast, with no time for the gentle unraveling that had characterized the entire series.

But who would I dock points for this? To be fair, no one.

Aja

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strong start, weak ending

The story has many plot holes but i still enjoyed it very much, until the last two episodes where the story started to make litteraly no sense. As many review say, the ending felt rushed, but also boring at the same time. I haven't read the webtoon so i can't compare the two but i still felt like we were missing some informations for the story to make sens. It really felt like it should have been a 16ep long drama but they suddenly had to make it shorter.

Nonetheless i think it is worth watching, particularly for the cast and the romance which were both amazing. I would have rated it at least 8 if it wasn't for the last episodes.

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A Story of Two Parts: Drama Dips, Stars Shine, and Plot Fizzles Out

[ Disclaimer: I haven't read the webtoon, so my comments are based solely on the drama. ]

I was aware that the plot's quality declined in the second half, as many viewers had noted. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try because it featured my favorite duo from Mr. Queen, Shin Hye Sun and Cha Chung Hwa, along with many other talented actors and actresses. Unfortunately, the story began to falter around episode 7 and continued to deteriorate thereafter.

Plot:

The first half of the drama was quite enjoyable. It delved into the characters' backgrounds, especially Ban Ji Eum's growth despite her abusive father, and her integration into Moon Seo Ha's life. I was also deeply invested in the car accident storyline. However, as the plot progressed, it became increasingly underwhelming. I was particularly disappointed with the father character; if he knew everything from the start, his treatment of his son made no sense. And why keep that woman near his son? He could have paid her off to stay out of their lives.

The second part of the drama shifted focus to the characters' "first life," making the narrative feel disjointed and forced. Episodes 10 and 11 were especially problematic, with constant flashbacks that felt repetitive and unnecessary. The final episode seemed designed to evoke emotion over Ji Eum losing her memories of her loved ones, but it failed to do so and became a drag; I was relieved when it ended.

Moreover, the secondary couple was poorly written and monotonous, with the same conversations and actions repeating endlessly.

Leads:

Both Shin Hye Sun and Ahn Bo Hyun delivered strong performances in their respective roles. However, the chemistry between them seemed lacking, which somewhat diminished the overall impact of their scenes together. In addition, while I appreciate Ahn Bo Hyun's willingness to try different roles, this one didn't seem to suit him as well.

Final thought:

Overall, the drama had its highs and lows, with stars shining but the plot ultimately fizzling out.

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A Pleasant Watch if Slightly Predictable

I decided to watch this drama simply based on the synapsis, it was an intriguing concept.

What would you do if you could remember your past lives? Would this be a blessing or a curse?

I never really felt these questions were answered, however what we did get was an enjoyable romance with just enough drama to keep the story moving.

Shin Hye Sun as the female lead was really good throughout, but I particularly enjoyed her performance in the early episodes where she stole every scene she was in. She managed to combine smart, sassy, funny and sexy all in one unique package. She took no prisoners when she decided on her course of action.

Ahn Bo Hyun as our male lead was fine, I don't think he was particular stretched by this role and I didn't completely buy into his feelings of loss but that was a minor issue for me.

Perhaps his story arc featured a little too heavily for me as he tried to discover the mystery surrounding Ban Ji Eum death in her previous past life. I also found when they discovered the mastermind behind this and the reasons for it, this was rather underwhelming.

I would have perhaps have enjoyed this drama more if we had spent more time examining and experiencing Ban Ji Eum past lives. We got clips and flashbacks but these never really explored in detail. Maybe this was a drama that required 16 episodes rather the 12 we got?

As far as the ending was concerned it was slightly predictable, I've seen similar endings in other films and drama's. We get to see our leads reunited even if Ban Ji Eum doesn't remember Moon Seo Ha. It was sweet if not terribly original.

Overall this was a pleasant watch and did provide a happy ending for our leads, whilst I wouldn't rush to rewatch it anytime soon, I m sure to revisit it just for Shin Hye Sun performance.

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Remembering the past lives, is it a gift or a curse?

Story 7,30/10: New, interesting, engaging, yet weak in some parts where it had to be strong.
The main plot that we see a lot in Manhwa but not in K-drama, the parts that were weak are, first :who was the one behind the car accident, we were supposed to feel shoked and sad while with the ML while finding out that the one who caused his big trauma and killed a precious person to him was the only one he trusted from his familly, and that because we didn't get to see much of his interactions with his uncle before. Second: FL's first life that had so much potentiel if they just developped it more, I wished we could see more of it. The ending in the other hand was so good and well done.

Acting/Cast 8,5/10: Shin Hye Sun is a shinning star, I started the drama for her and she never desappoint, her acting was the best part, 2 remarkable scenes of her, dancing with her mother's imagination and crying, and while remembering the death of her sister from her first life, you can't help but feel her emotions. The dance scene between the FL and ML was very beautiful too.
Seeing Maaaama's duo from Mr queen together again was so pleasing, happy to see this ajumma part of the cast.
I'm not a big fan of the ML though he did a good job in acting but the chemistery was lacking.
The child cast was so good, the kids were so amazing, my only problem was the fact that they didn't use a younger actor for the ML's scene with the child FL, it was awkward. The rest of the cast did great.

Music 8,5/10: The OST fits the drama and it was very well placed.

Rewatch value 8/10: I always think that a big factor for determing the rewatch value is the ending, and this one had a great ending so I may rewatch it someday.

Overall: 8/10

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The Meaning of Life

From this Story, i learn about how to revenge back, not with Violence but with your heart. i know, that's Hard to give the forgive to your enemy, but if you want your life feel good, you must calm yourself and your heart first, and make sure you ready already to make New life with New feelings in your life next.
I Liked the story, because they make the story line is Light but touched. The cast played so well. I like because there so many Emotional scene, not because angry but sadness.
I know this Drama is adapted from webtoon. i never read the webtoon, but maybe if i already read the webtoon, it's will different from my expectation. as long I watched the story, I enjoyed the drama, and family scene always talk about deep Relationsip, and that's make me cry, as always.
I've read some of the reviews from other viewers, and they say the scene of ji-eun's first life, is not detailed and not enough story, because there's still another story there are still other unresolved stories, such as the life of the king, and other players.
but, come on guys, the main character in this Drama is ji-eun's not other.

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Hoping for Reincarnation to Be Real

"If life gets a bit tough, just think and hold on to a happy memory. Life must move on. "

This drama might as well be an arrow to the heart for someone who badly needs someone to be reincarnated right now. The drama's premise is quite a homerun and a heartbreaker at that.

I have high hopes for this drama and was hesitant to watch it as its title implies, see you in my 19th life. I have recently lost my husband of 22 years and I am in a disposition that I desperately wish that everything that was happening to Seo Ha will happen to me too. It was funny for me for the first few episodes as I keep on seeing Shin Hye Sun's character in Mr. Queen. It's like the first few episodes have this Mr. Queen vibe.

Towards the last episodes, I just felt that the drama lacks something....like I thought the story is going to reach its highest heights with an impressive and striking impact. I watched Episode 12 without experiencing that.

Nevertheless, some of the lines in the drama left a great memory for me, and Ahn Bo Yun's smile and mesmerizing eyes are the reasons why I keep on and enjoyed the drama till the end.

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Simple and clear review

I loved the scenery, fashion, and ost the most, the plot was okay, it got boring to watch at some points but still watched till the end, they went too slow on some eps and too fast in others which i didn’t like. The acting was on point from the female lead i love her so much, the male lead was honestly boring but hot, decent acting from him, the crying moments were amazing though. One thing about the last episode is how they could've made the female lead write a diary or something (like what they did in the legend of the blue sea) for her to remember everyone around her, also it would’ve been fun if they showed us how her life went after the memory loss.
Overall 8/10

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Esperava mais!

E lá vamos nós assistir um dorama por conta de uma atriz específica, pois para mim Shin Hye Sun é maravilhosa.

Tem uma temática muito interessante e comovente. Tinha tudo para ser perfeito, mas para mim faltou algo e fiquei muito tempo me perguntando o que seria. E cheguei a seguinte conclusão: faltou química entre o casal principal! Desculpa quem discorde, mas eu senti muita falta disso. E quando fui pesquisar, parece que essa foi a mesma opinião dos coreanos por não terem curtido esse Dorama.

Mas voltando para a história, essa passagem que demonstra todas suas vidas e como ela se encaixa no seu eu atual, foi maravilhosa. A cena onde mostrar todos andando em fila, foi de arrepiar. Para mim a Prota carregou todo o dorama nas costas. Só achei um pouco corrido o final, mas amei que ele repetiu a mesma frase dela quando a reencontrou. Mesmo ela esquecendo de todos, para mim isso não foi um erro e sim um acerto do enredo. Ela precisava viver como ela mesma, e não em decorrência de memórias de outras vidas.

Nos mais um dorama que vale a pena assistir, mas que não é inesquecível.

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