Because This is My First Life (2017)

This was a great drama! I haven't laughed so hard in a drama in so long. I have to say this story is meant for people who have a mature mindset? To be more specific, understand the lives of young adults and how they are wanting to live their life and more. I think that is the only way you can truly understand the story, what the characters say and much more. It was a cute, sweet and funny story. Out of the three couples, I loved two of them. The crybaby couple honestly got on my nerves and thought they should have had a different ending because I don't think they learned anything(?) by the end of the drama aka character development. Other than that the rest of the couples and their individual character developments were great. It also showed a different side of how South Korea is now in the current time of 2017. Overall this was a great drama that I would love to watch again when I am in the mood.

Lire davantage

Perfect score for a perfect roller-coaster ride drama: a poem inside a drama.
This drama are stories of people (and animal) who had taste of life. Those who have fallen in and out of love, people who are in a turmoil relationship, people who are scared of trying and cats who deliberately left alone when their master is away from home. At some point in time in our 20's, we will experienced these kind of pain, happiness, sadness, hope, agony, bereavement, and love. Then, we will be like these characters: getting frustrated, doing unnecessary mistakes, hurting ourselves and one another, hoping for the best to come, and lastly learning to fall in love amidst all those events happened. That's the beauty of life, you have time to redeem yourself and be well in return.
 
"Everything will be okay in the end, if it's not okay, it is not the end." - John Lennon

Best beginning and best ending in all dramas so far.
Sweet dates are fluffy. Kisses are great. Confessions are the best.

Lire davantage

Over all thoughts: Such a unique, captivating drama! I'm not sure if I was just watching it during a time in my life where the plot really spoke to me but the plot was nothing like I've seen in kdramas. It gave off an extremely realistic view of emotions and how hard it can be to clearly say how you're feeling. It's a slow-burn romance for the main couple, which I think makes their small victories along the way all the more touching and authentic. The two side couples are also extremely engaging and show different aspects of how relationships and love may or may not work for different people.

Side comments: It was really fun watching this drama with the comment section on because when major scenes would play out you could see the audience watching would be split about what they wanted for the main characters. I think thats the marking of a complex show; having people see different paths for the main couple. I think maturity is important when watching this show because some of the characters actions near the end may be hard to understand unless you can really understand how they're doing things out of love

Lire davantage

Starting this drama, I had no expectations.  I didn’t think the Contract Marriage Premise could stand in 2017; I was wrong.  Lee Min Ki and Jung Soo Min did such an amazing job bringing Nam Se Hee and Yoon Ji Ho to life.  From the first episodes, they share such a sweet and tender understanding for each other.  Nam Se Hee is such a deep and thoughtful character, but has a bit of an odd outlook on life.  Lee Min Ki’s portrayal of such a quirky character is so heartwarming.  He really delivers on a whole new level.  His monologues throughout the drama are so deep and evocative.

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!

Lire davantage

I don't know why, but I was bored. And from what I've seen and heard, this drama should'd been exactly my cup of tea. But I was bored, watching each new episode felt like a chore, and I didn't want to keep watching. I didn't realize until now that the male lead was that character from Shut up! flower boy band. I realized about the other one, but was really, really surprised with the male leadleadslkkk. I also started watching Strange hero after this and the female lead played a character from Shut up!flower boy band as well. Which makes me want to rewatch that drama now.

Lire davantage

What is love.. What is marriage...
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".
-

Lire davantage

THIS DRAMA IS SO UNDERRATED I CAN'T

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.

Lire davantage

A story about what it really means to be in a relationship whether that's casual, dating or marriage, told from the perspective of three school friends and the relationships they are in later in life.

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 :)

Lire davantage

As  a person who doesn't usually enjoy daily life themed dramas, I must say that 'Because this is my first life' was the best 2017 drama for me so far.
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

Lire davantage

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

Lire davantage

I love this drama most especially the writing. It is intelligent and at the same time heartwarming. My 2017 no.1 drama for sure!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    .

Lire davantage

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.

Lire davantage