Eighteen Again (2020)

I started watching this drama on a whim; without any expectations at all, besides 'Lee Do Hyun'. After binge-watching the first 10 episodes, I was pleasantly surprised. Think of the American movie '17 Again' but so much better. Unlike the original American counterpart, 18 Again didn't feel too forced when the story progressed.

This drama is the type that will really stir-up your emotions without the need for extreme situations and thrilling suspense. This may sound silly, but if you made the fantasy portion of this drama a normal occurrence, this drama could definitely be one of the most realistic dramas out there. And the realisticness of this drama is definitely its charm; everything is relatable and you can totally feel the emotions and warmth the script and dialogue are trying to portray.

Well, there are some things I didn't particularly like, but these things are purely subjective. First things first, I don't really react well with really cringy and awkward scenes, and 18 Again at the start was not short of them. And probably the only other thing I can pick on, the drama lacked depth. I know that it's like I'm contradicting what I've been saying in this review, but it just feels like something is missing despite the praise I've given this drama; it's just hard to explain. I personally think it could've been better if they added more of a melodrama vibe in order to make the drama a bit heavier.

OST- this deserves its own short paragraph. No kidding, the songs in this drama are bombs!

Overall, this drama is pretty good. Definitely a drama you could watch when you've run out of highly publicized-mainstream dramas.

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"We got to love our decisions, and never regret on things that made us happy. " -Dae-Young

Eighteen Again, is a tearjerker, I came to say this upfront of a lengthier review down below! As long as you don't hate getting wet eyes, you will enjoy this drama a lot, feel sad and sad, and sad again, and cry like a baby, within every episode, every time the lead interacts with his kids, comforts his sweetheart and is reminded of his past, the flashbacks, the epilogues!

STORY:

THIS IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY DRAMA! It's deep, relatable and heart wrenching!

From the lead's relationship with his Father, with his wife's Mother. to his friendship/ father-kids relationships, to the heart-breaking relationship of him as a high school minor who is always there to comfort the mom of his two kids.
Each and every bond is carefully written and the result is something very precious. full of life lessons.

Characters/CAST: Great job done! Kudos to LEE DO HYUN, I couldn't hold my emotions in check whenever I looked into her eyes, which were frequently red and in tears, yet sparkling as bright as a star other times!

Kim Ha Neul was simply gorgeous, Yoon Sang Hyun very charming, Roh Jeong Eui cute and sweet, Ryeoun, calm and a bright star.

I also want to praise the young actress portraying teenager Jung Da Jung. Her expressions were so sincere and genuine. Every time she was on screen, my heart felt her pains, and ached for her. She did a stunning performance! She deserves lots of support and love!

Soundtrack/Music:

Hello, I’m telling you
With a trembling smile, that I love you
Hello, that in these dazzling and beautiful times
It’s you I will remember forever"

I would rate the music 10/10 even if "Hello" by Sohyang, was the only song/instrumental piece used in the whole drama. It was such a heavenly beautiful and perfectly emotional piece. It's a legendary soundtrack.

RE-WATCH: Surely, if I get times, I'll re-watch this, probably with my cousin who recently got into KDRAMA, and already have great taste.

OVERALL: Surely there might be some unnecessary plot devices, cliche and even extended 2nd lead screen times, but it's just I don't care at all, I was so invested in these characters, and loved them sincerely and was rooting for them all along, I couldn't bring myself to rate it below a perfect 10! It's highly recommended, EVERYONE and ANYONE can get hooked as they're done with the first episode, and fall in love with it as soon as watching 3rd episode's epilogue.

I can guarantee that. 99.0000000000000000%

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A better version than the 18 Again film

I started watching this drama after seeing few scenes from instagram. The main thing that I loved about this show is that it shows how messy a divorce can be and the trouble it causes for the people that are left behind.

This drama is a whole package. Every episode has a lot of funny scenes, emotional and times where you want to appereciate the whole team for making this drama. The biggest strength in this drama is the cast. Every character went beyond their scope to prove it.

I hate love triangles, there are two of these in this drama but both ended on a good note which made me happy.

If you are looking for a drama filled with humor and heartbreak, this one is for you.

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Just finished watching the show

I really liked the idea at first of a 37-year-old father turning back to his 18-year-old self and finally having the opportunity to live his dream. Maybe because I was expecting a light-hearted comedic show, that I got disappointed when it turned into a melodrama by the end.

Not going to lie the romantic scenes between the 37-year-old FL and the high-schooler ML made me SO uncomfortable. I know we're supposed to understand only his exterior is young, but that still didn't change how I felt seeing those scenes.

I also felt that some events were blown way out of proportion and over-exaggerated to milk for sympathy like the FL receiving so many malicious comments and trending for being a mom or getting a divorce. Are you serious??

The way the plot unfolded at the beginning could have been done in a more impactful and emotional way. I was left very confused as to how the ML really treated his family. His wife and kids all said he was never there when they needed them, yet multiple memories show him being there for his family. It also seemed that the FL's struggles were met with praise and sympathy from other characters, while the ML's sacrifices were taken for granted. The ML literally had to give up on his dream to be with the FL and his kids, he worked his a$$ off and was humiliated daily at work. Yet, even his dad is like "I still feel sorry for her" excuse me sir you should be apologizing to your child for how you treated him.

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A must-see for Lee Do Hyun

So... I started watching this drama because I was curious about this Korean remake of the movie 17 Again. I remember liking the film (I even have it on DVD) so I really wanted to see the Korean version. And... I have mixed feelings about it.

First of all, the story. Well, it's basically the same from the movie (at least, for the main plot). Because, of course, you can't make a remake of a 1h45 film into a 16h drama without developing the initial story. But, if the story was pretty good at the beginning, it became more and more filled with drama... Too much drama... I ended up really annoyed by all the useless drama that they have created. Moreover, there are too much clichés!!! They have used all the typical romantic clichés that we usually see in K-drama and that became more annoyingly funny than romantic at the end... They could've been more creative about that. Also, I think they made some really bad decisions with the main plot (but that's just my opinion). For example, the scene where he goes back to his old self was more impactful in the film than in the drama.

The casting was the only thing that was perfect in this drama. I mean, Lee Do Hyun killed it in the role of a young dad. He made me laugh, he made me cry. I really fell in love with him in this drama. I'll always remember the scene where he was holding the umbrella for his two children, that was so cute. Or the scene where he signs to his dad after the basketball match. The rest of the cast was also good, of course, but Lee Do Hyun stole the show for me.

The music is really good, although overused.

As a whole, I would say it is a good show to watch once. Prefer rewatching the film instead, it will take less of your time.

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A drama about how precious family bonds and healthy communication are.

18 Again was a blast! It deeply explores the consequences of mistakes made, empathy, hope, and second chances. The story delivers a lot of relevant elements in today's modern society; like single parents being unemployed or trying to find a job and restart their life, and high schoolers' struggles. I get wholeheartedly invested in these elements they discussed throughout the episodes. The ending is also satisfying! 😊

In brief, it's about an aspiring basketball player, played by Lee Do Hyun. He ended up getting his girlfriend pregnant and they decided to give up their dreams and raise their babies, yes, they had twins. 18 years later, he is stuck in a dead-end job as a washing machine repair guy (he's actually really good at fixing anything). Even though he's capable at his job, he keeps getting passed over for promotion in favor of the younger higher educated employee, so this is frustrating. Not only that, his wife was intending for a divorce and he can't seem to get close to either of his children. Feeling devastated, he went back to his school's basketball court to shoot some hoops to let out some steam. Upon realizing he's not as good as he used to be, he made a wish to go back to his youth and behold, his wish comes true! He is suddenly 18 years old again!

This is not a time slip show, only his body has reversed back to 18, and his mind is still 36. It's still the present day: he still has kids, his wife is still there, and everything is the same. This is a twist I appreciate because I think it allows the story to be more complex than if it was a time-slip show, as this way he's able to interact with his children and realizes that it's not his dream that he needs to pursue. This isn't an opportunity for him to become the basketball player he's always wanted to be, but an opportunity to be there for his children.

I have just two cons: there were a bit too many Kdrama tropes in the middle part of the show that makes our couple misunderstand each other in inconvenient situations, and I was getting a bit tired of them when they were repeated several times. Then a minor but fun con that I just have to say, I felt the actors' faces playing the younger and adult version of our male lead is very contrasting (Lee Do Hyun vs Yoon Sang Hyun). They have equally same screen time too. It's not about their performance at all, but simply their looks. I was hoping for someone more attractive (Gong Yoo, please?) to play the adult version so it feels balanced, sorry!^^"

But both of their acting is superb, especially I enjoyed Lee Do Hyun's range of emotions reliving his character wholeheartedly. I've been noticing him since Hotel del Luna (he was not the lead but he's so swoony!), and I'm already impressed with him from his expressiveness in The Good Bad Mother. He really is a versatile actor!

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Tear-Jerking Drama!! Tissue's a MUST. ~ Warm and Inspiring Fatherly Love. <3

I started this drama without any expectation in mind. It was listed as a recommendation from a friend who loves watching K-dramas but little did I know that I'll love it's entirety.

Story: Story wise I gave it a perfect 10 as the story never felt lacking and has kept with the hype till the end. The message of the drama itself made it extra special to me does convincing me to create this account and write a review so that it can be a reference to other avid-drama watchers to decide whether to watch it or watch it. Lol~

Acting/Cast: 10/10 even beyond that — I was never familiar with anyone (Well aside from the Father adult version since I have watched his other works countless of times) so i started this drama just to "Kill-Time" but the actors and actresses were all impressive and has exceeded my expectation. I'm even a big fan of Lee Dohyun now. 😁

Music: Simply 10/10. I got all the soundtrack on loop for weeks and is downloaded on my Spotify even for Offline listening. That should convince everyone. IF not you all should.

Rewatch Value: Definitely 10/10, IF not for the fact that I have tons on my pending watch list I would've watch it again after another drama or so.

Overall: 100/100 HAHAHAHA! I just love everything about this drama. 😁

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18 AGAIN MELHOR DORAMA QUE JÁ VI NA VIDA

Essa vai ser a minha primeira review, pois esse dorama merece!
Inicialmente, quando saiu a noticia de que haveria um drama baseado no filme norte-americano 17 Again, eu fiquei entusiasmada demais!!! recordo-me ele ter sido um dos meus favoritos enquanto ainda era criança. Enfim, fui assistir o drama com a expectativa alta e juro para você, acabei sendo surpreendida, pois o filme nem chega aos pés desse drama, 18 Again é mil vezes melhor que a obra original, a forma que o plot familiar foi trabalhado nele, o desenvolvimento da história e de cada personagem foram incríveis. Além disto, tem o combo maravilhoso de atores talentosos + ost perfeita, o que particularmente para mim não pode faltar. Me emocionei em quase todas as cenas, assim como morri de rir em outras. Enquanto assistia ele, aprendi lições que levarei para vida!
18 Again se tornou o meu dorama favorito, e ele merece todo o reconhecimento do mundo, pois é uma obra-prima. Se você ainda não viu esse drama, ou está indeciso, pensando se vale a pena ou não investir o seu tempo nele, a resposta que te dou é: veja! Você não vai se arrepender, pois é um kdrama maravilhoso do começo ao fim.

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Noticed issues further I watched

First incling there was something wrong was when I started looking at recaps to see what would heppen. Thats when I knew it has lost my interest.
As others have mentioned, this drama goes on for too long. There are too many side plots happening when the concentration should be on Dae-young and Da-jungs relationship and their relationship with their children.
As for my main issues, reason for marking so low, has to do with Dae-young and all the trials the writers put him through. I have a feeling because the show kept going, they had to keep including stuff. All this built up to a very damaged person that is not really investigated in the show. Also, the circumstances he is put in, there was an opportunity to investigate/critque the society he is in. I think this was unintentional, I'll try to explain myself better.
There will be heavy spoilers.
Lets start chronologically, with the first big even being the death of his mother. He is unaware she is sick/going in for surgery and dies while he is away, playing basketball. I'm sure there is a big heaping of guilt here and obvious anger towards his father for not saying anything. Also, he appeared to have a healthy relationship with here, he has learned sign language as well. In one moment, she is gone, with no opportunity to say goodbye. This effectively orphans him as his father becomes distant/abusive. An important support structure in his life, his parents, is gone.
Then there is what precipitates this, his girlfriend becoming pregnant and him having to give up basketball.
Basketball was the one thing he was good at and was his escape for him from his life and one fell swoop, it is gone and he now has heaped on responsibilities, being a father and a husband and only just finishing high school. There was the scene where he meets his father again with his son, where his father mentions basketball is all he was good at, otherwise he was a failure. Sure it's not the first time he hears that. And from what people said, he was pretty much guaranteed to make it the big leagues. He had no other plans.
The big themes of this show seem to be go for your dreams at all cost, regret/guilt and communication. All of these are allowed for everyone else, except for Dae-Young.
His dream is shattered, his father has disowned him so he can't ask for help. I know his father helps on the sly but thats not the same as being there for him.
Lets contrast Dae-Young with Ye Ji Hoon and his brothers. Again, I don't know if this is deliberate by the writers but they are pretty much the mirror of Dae-Young. His brother is able to attend college and look after his sibling. And then when he dies, Ye Ji Hoon is able to have both his sporting career and raised his niece. All the while being told by Da-jung not to give up his dream, he can be both a parent and a successful athlete. Opportunities Dae-Young was denied.
Da-jung was able to become a successful reporter, supported by Dae-Young. He had the chance to restart his career but his childs illness stopped that. He had to sacrifice everything for his child, which as a parent is to be applauded but all he gets from people around him is didain/ridicule for where he ended up.
He is supporting his children with their dreams, helping his son get confidence to play basketball and accepting his daughters decision to go to beauty school.
This marriage appeared doomed from the start. If after 10 years, the husband can't confide in his wife that he has to again give up his dreams, there are bigger troubles. Also, Da-jung sensed there was something wrong, when he started drinking but either dissmissed it or forgot abount, understandably because of their sick child but something that isn't explored.
No one seems to acknowledge the sacrifices he has made/makes for his family. There are some scenes where Da-jung becomes awares of them but seems to be too late, and she comes to regret her divorce but also, she misses all the ridicule/scorn heaped upon him. The reunions in paricular are eye opening. When you have the opportunity/time as his class mates were able, you can make something of yourself but both these seem missing from his life.
This may be due to English translation, but there were two contrasting/interesting scenes. As he is leaving, his father calls him pathetic. Da-jung then also calls him pathetic, presumably just before the divorce. I wonder how hurtful that would have felt.
As mentioned above, a big support for Dae-young would have been his parents but they are gone. Da-jung appears to have a good relationship with her mother and has a friend to confide in. Aside from his immature friend who is an issue in himself, with not taking no for an answer from the teacher, Dae-young appears to have no one. He can't confide in his wife, appears to have a pretty hostile work environment and self-medicates by becoming an alcoholic. Would not be surprised if he was suffering depression by the end
After all that, I can understand how he ended up the way he did. However, I can not condone it. He is still responsible for his own actions but sometimes when your travelling a dark road, can't see where to stop.
But, this goes into some wider issues the writers touch upon. While a Korean show, it's issues that affect a lot of the world.
Does he not reach out because he is the head of the household, a man? Are there no places he can turn to for help? Looking back, I was not surprised at his outburst at the reunion. It was a deep pain that had been festering. As before, this does not make it right but can understand it.
The amount of work he had to put in on his job. It looked to be very manual labour intensive, leaving him exhausted at the end of the day. It may have long hours, meaning he can't see his children. They all agree he is not there for them but was it by choice? That does not excuse him not helping around when he can but can understand it. This is contrasted when he is young again. He now has time to listen, to be available because he has none of the above responsibilities. Perhaps if he had some more support, an opportunity to continue playing, he would not have ended up where did.
So, to summarise all this, this drama had it's funny moments. But, I think the writers unintentionally wrote Dae-young into a corner, making him the sole reason for the divorce. They touch upon Da-jung not communicating well but that seems to be her only flaw. Divorce/realtionships are tricky and there is never one reason why but they tried to make him the villain. If the writers had have just concentrated on the family and their circumstances, I think there was a good opportunity to explore their marriage breakdown further, see what they both did/didn't do and explore more of the issues that led to where Dae-young ended up.

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Mostly Boring

Not a lot of comedy in this series. Show tries to run propaganda of "strong divorced woman". Husband is the only one who has to repair all his "mistakes"(read sacrifices) to become an even greater domestic scapegoat for an ungrateful family, in particular a really undeserving wife. The wife is divorcing over non-issue instead of repairing her attitude. That is the narcissistic modern Korean woman for you. Unbearable, ugly and fake.

Wife is flirting at office as divorce is going on. Hard to sympathize with such a character. She does nothing to support her husband's career but this show forces you to believe that supporting wife's dreams is husband's role(hint: it's not). Children are not likeable either. Probably a metaphor for modern Korea, and pathetic situation men find themselves in. Time to get a North Korean waifu.

Honestly, North Korean women are much prettier, look natural and have far less attitude.

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