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I love this drama so much!
Honestly, I loved this drama so much!I loved to watch all the characters develop and growing up, even when thery are in their 30's they still have a lot to learn about the world and themselves!
In the beginning I really liked this drama because it made me laugh. The male lead seemed a little strange to me at first (and I loved it) + he has an adorable cat, which I also loved a lot!!
The drama got more real and emotional through every episode and I loved how they showed the charechters stories in the show.
What really emerged me to keep watching this drama was the male lead tho, since I feel like he is the one with the most development. Spolier: To see how he grew from not wanting to love anyone, and only loving his cat, to watch him choosing her over picking the cat up, to then watch him go all in with his love. To see how he showed more and more emotions throughout the drama and punch and cry over her in the end: Truly beautiful.
I will say that I found the drama kind of toxic for some moments though... Mostly in the main couple, especially when she leaves him, all though I kinda get why she did it... But still... kinda toxic.
Another thing is that I don't get why the couple of 7 years ended up getting back together, I feel like the only thing she did was whine about him all the time and he was the only one who needed to make changes and sacrifices. But everyone to their own taste I guess...
In the end, I really ended up liking this drama a lot more than I expected and I will probraly watch it again sometime <3
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Best Korean Drama to Date
Everything about this show is so good.if you like more understated shows that have strong character development, as well as no random drama just for the sake of drama or filler, this is it. it's gentle with some really cute, funny moments while also having substance.
this is one of the only shows in which, when characters have conflict, the outcome actually makes sense. their actions and motivations make sense. nothing is done for the sake of "dramas gotta drama."
the leads work really well together, and the way the show ends is just perfect. they have really interesting and unique chemistry.
I rewatch this show every couple of months to make life make sense and restore faith in love, relationships, and the future.
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Real characters, real issues, real pacing problems.
This drama was a bit off the beaten track in that it dares explore a lot of current Korean social issues and does not sugar coat things, so it makes it different than most romantic dramas. The 2 main leads start as Landlord and Tenant after mistakenly assuming each other's gender due to their names (she thinks he's a girl and he thinks she is a man). As she is a great tenant, one thing leads to another and they end up in a contract marriage of convenience, which while abhorrent to those who believe in love, actually is a good foundation to start any relationship since once you live with someone and know what type of person they are, compatibility then becomes companionship that eventually leads to love? This is not far fetched at all, in fact, many people kind of do this without the explicit contract.The second couple has a different issue. The man wants to make it big as an app developer. His girlfriend just wants to get married as she has kind of based her entire identity as a person on getting married to a certain type of man. Her insecurity and his reluctance to give up on his dream are explored fully. They've dated for 7 years but still no proposal. Recipe for disaster. If you think about this, and why she's so weak and insecure, you'll probably realize you know many women who are in the same situation. Of course, you've also advised them to leave the guy. Truth is, men will eventually decide they are ready for marriage, and whichever girl they are with at that time is the lucky one (look at Prince Harry). If the girl lets go of him before then, she loses out. It's a terrible social dilemma for the woman as her "value" as a girl friend or wife diminishes the longer the clock keeps ticking. Just. Terrible.
The final couple has an ambitious girl with a disabled mother, and probably the nicest guy of the bunch. She faces all kinds of sexism at the workplace, that kind of stuff has happened to me in real life. There is honestly no way to beat that system - employing legal means still leaves a woman's reputation in tatters even IF she wins. To say I was triggered would be an understatement. I loved this couple the most. So, all the characters, stories and soundtrack are good.
Where this fails miserably is the pacing. It is slow as heck, and there's many flashback done for stylistic purposes that just messes up the plot. I swear, if the main lead actress could only speak faster and not sound like she. puts. a. period. after. every. word. like. thus. the show would only be 12 episodes instead of 16 and I would have rated this a 9.5 instead of a 8, I was being generous and awarded 2 stars just for "our" kitty the beautiful Ragdoll plus the main lead's brilliant portrayal of being drunk.
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Jung Somin carried, show lacked character development
It's worth the watch if you like slice of life. I loved Jung Somin's acting a lot. She's such a gem. Her natural acting was perfect for this role. The side actors & actresses were A+ as well. If you like shows that focus on side characters, you'll probably like this too.My biggest takeaways were the dialogues. The writer did a great job with the poems and stories they included. I can guarantee they will give you a new perspective to life. My favorite one was about when a new person enters your life.
But I've got to say, it wasn't as good as people made it seem. The plot was nothing special and neither was Lee Minki's acting. I wasn't impressed by him at all. Sehee (his character) is robotic and seemingly emotionless. He eventually falls for Jiho, but my biggest complaint is they didn't show HOW Sehee falls in love with her. He suddenly started thinking about her and liking her. I wish the show put more effort into his character development.
The character development with the side characters was a little more promising. Jiho's and Sehee's friends start dating too but they're complete opposites. I can see how they fell in love, but still - I wish there were more scenes showing how it happened.
My favorite character was Jiho's mom played by Kim Sunyoung. Jiho's mom has first hand experience living in a patriarchal household. She made sure Jiho wouldn't suffer the same way she did. KSY did a fantastic job of showing a mother's sacrifice and love for her daughter. I only cried once during the show and it was while watching one of her scenes (with the album).
The ending (the most important part for me!) was completely rushed. I was disappointed because the side plots were introduced carefully in the beginning but there wasn't great closure for them. The show did a good job of showing how marriage isn't as easy as it looks, but in the end, everyone got married to each other?! I'm sure they could've done a better job because the plot was slow at times, so there was definitely opportunity to build out important parts of the show better.
I probably shouldn't have given this show such a high rating, but I liked Jung Somin's acting THAT much lol.
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because this is my first life: Sexism, misogyny, and discrimination against women in the workplace
After completing BTIMFL for the second time, I became aware of the reoccurring theme of the treatment of women, especially within the workplace.The opening scene features a narration of the FL (Ji Ho, played by Jung So Min) explaining how she grew up in a patriarchal household, where she was pretty much ignored and disregarded. Her freedom never came to her until she was much older. In fact, her father only really shows an interest in her when she says she is getting married.
The FL has to go through various situations in which she is treated horribly by her male coworker, which leads to her other coworkers defending him and supporting him, rather than siding with the FL, the victim. This causes her to quit once she realises that they would have just continued to use her and discredit her. She has no voice within her workplace simply due to the fact that she is a woman.
The 2nd FL (Soo Ji), played by Esom, also has to experience similar discrimination with her being a female, along with the fact that she has a stigma around her for her personal choice to be sex-positive and not committed to relationships. The judgment she faces is addressed in a conversation with her romantic partner, in which she explains the hypocrisy of being a woman and the double-edged sword that is constantly pointed at her regardless of the choices she makes.
We also see their mothers who have sacrificed their own happiness for the sake of their daughters, and in turn, their daughters who have been able to have a better life. The FLs are able to realise how much their mothers have done for them, thus making them closer with them as they are able to appreciate them.
Admittedly, the other FL, Ho Rang (played by Kim Ga Eun, was quite annoying during my first watch due to some of her selfish choices. However, upon my rewatch, I can notice and understand her and her actions. To her, the traditional route of becoming a housewife is what she desires. In a scene after a school reunion, we see how she feels less than her school peers who are married with children. Struggling to get by with little money, she aspires to get married and settle down in order to not feel so inferior. Her pride holds onto the idea of one day being able to settle down, and constantly boasts about her long-time boyfriend, yet struggles to be upfront with him and tell him what she wants from their relationship. Hence why some of her decisions come across as selfish and ignorant. Additionally, there are a few scenes in which both she and a coworker are criticised by a male superior, further perpetuating the idea that she is less than and worthless even.
These characters all display how the patriarchy invites hypocrisy and condescending behaviour due to the choices made by women. Whilst these characters are able to be happy in the end, the sexism they face continues. Despite the 20th and 21st centuries showing the change with laws, enabling women to have a bigger presence within the public sphere, attitudes towards women remain the same from a macro perspective. BTIMFL is a great example of this, which is why I highly recommend this drama. The actors all showcase their characters uniquely, showing the different sides to adulthood, the workplace, and romance.
11 07 21
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Highly enjoyable (despite the unbelievable premise)
Out of all the "fake relationship" dramas out there (granted, I have only seen a few), this one had the most justifiable premise -- which still does not mean that it was entirely believable :) All the same, it was interesting to see how the show tried to balance the comedic and the truly dramatic components.On the positive side:
* The leads, for once, are more fleshed out and interesting than the supporting characters! Maybe it's because they are not cast to be "the most beautiful" or "the most interesting" (both lead actors are very attractive, obviously, but they play the parts of ordinary people). The supporting characters have their own story arcs, but are definitely much more one-dimensional and somewhat caricaturish.
* The story flows relatively well and the events make sense (until the last episode or two, at least).
The negatives:
* That last, artificial, incomprehensible dramatic turn -- why? what for? (I refer to the "Mongolia trip" for those initiated to the series.) It made no sense. I wondered if it was a translation issue, and that maybe I missed something, but I watched those episodes with two different sets of translations, and it still made no sense...
* The show kept coming up with, and changing, the "leading theme" (or, to put it differently, the aphorism it was trying to explore; the zeitgeist it was trying to tap into; etc.): First it was the patriarchy; at some point it was finding the special small moments to be happy with things; then it was something weird about being unconventional... I think the overall trajectory of the show would have been more enjoyable and less jarring if the writers had picked one leading thought and stuck with it.
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THEEEE BESSTT
Honestly, Because This Is My First Life is such a gem! It doesn’t follow the typical K-drama formula—it’s actually a lot more grounded. The main characters, Se-hee and Ji-ho, aren’t your usual romantic leads. They’re just real people dealing with real issues, from career struggles to the weird pressures society puts on marriage and success. Their relationship starts as a convenience, this quirky contract marriage to solve each other’s problems, but it grows in the most genuine way.What I love is how it handles these little moments. It's not just about the romance, though that’s there too—it’s about the little life decisions and figuring out what really matters. And the side characters? They each have their own story arcs that bring so much depth to the show. You feel like you’re getting a full picture of what adulthood is for different types of people. It’s sweet, it’s introspective, and, honestly, it’s just so satisfying to watch.
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I really like this story
the good story of because this is my first life the two best roles just started being roommates and their love story started with a fake relationship until they discovered in each other that they were learning to love each other he also had a mix comedy but at the end of the story it's a tearful story of six friends who until the end their love remained with each other I recommend that you watch it it's beautiful and there is a twist to its story lee min ki is one of the best acting and also kim min seok but the lead female os also good in actingVond je deze recentie nuttig?
Not my cup of tea
I had a hard time watching this. I got bored during a lot of it and I found a lot of the characters and their choices to be frustrating. I wonder if maybe I missed out on some of the cultural understanding, but I couldn’t believe how much they wanted to talk about “marriage is this” and “marriage is that”. I guess, as a married person, I just don’t buy into the relationships they were trying to sell me. I was quite frustrated at the choices made by the characters. The desires of some of the characters made me feel like they were selfish and that was never addressed. Considering the show was about marriage, I felt like I didn’t see enough of the developing relationship between the characters. For the one who had a difference in opinion about how long they should wait to get married, the show gave us no indication as to how that difference of opinion was solved beyond a couple of words about a plan. For the main relationship, there was a huge lack of communication and we didn’t really get to see the characters together. It’s hard to call it love when you only see it for such a small period of time. I also felt like some of the characters were just thrown in without much thought as to why they were there. The stalker storyline… the incident with the assistant director… those were just barely there to the point of “why bother?”Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
A Chill Drama
I don’t think it was boring but it also wasn’t the most interesting drama. A lot happens but at the same time nothing really happens if that makes sense. The main characters are cool and not annoying like other dramas I’ve watched. The whole plot is nothing but your typical 30 something year olds’ problems. It is a nice break from the usual dramas though. Not bad.I also don’t remember any of the OST. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen this drama but ig it wasn’t memorable.
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I love this drama. Inject it into my veins.
Honestly, I don't even know what to say. I cried several times when I watched this.While the drama's premise was a bit silly to me at first, I grew to love and appreciate it. Jung So-min was great, her portrayal of Ji-ho was amazing. I got super attached to her and the rest of the cast as time went on. I don't know, man. I just love what the drama is trying to say - that this is our first life, and just because we've experienced things that brought so much pain, does not mean that there aren't good things that can come in the future. That we have to be gentler with people, because we can never truly know who they are and what they've been through. Life is a struggle for everyone, and we can't always get it right all the time.
The show also explores how fucking hard it can be to get something you want, to achieve a dream or to move on and have a life you've always wanted. I love how it drops gems like how, in this world, the best you can do is stay out of people's way. Idk man it's such a great show with awesome dialogue.
This show definitely focuses on the relationships that each character has with their respective partners, though. I can see how that can bore some people, but I for one loved it. Soo-ji and Sang-goo's relationship is one of the absolute best ever, and I loved how supportive and loving Sang-goo was. The relationship between them is just *drama perfection*. Ho-rang and Won-seok's relationship was kinda meh for me, but I didn't hate it. It felt a bit dragged on, but I'll give them a pass because the rest of the drama was just so darn good. Ji-ho and Se-hee though. At first I didn't really care if they got together or not but in the end I found myself rooting for them.
I also love how Jung-min wasn't the typical crazy ex girlfriend. Love that for her.
Ah, I just remembered Ji-ho's wonderful relationship with her mother. This drama just hits all the right spots! Very rewatchable, too. The OST slaps as well (listening to Marriage, This Life, and Shelter makes me cry all the time).
Overall, this drama is so, so good. Please watch it!
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Great Start, Weak Finish
I loved this drama so much at the beginning. I liked the focus on friendship and the chemistry between the couples. The show portrayed sexism and had a pretty progressive attitude towards sex. One of my main issues is that the show focused on the three main friends and their romances, but I only cared about two of them. I found one of these storylines to be incredibly boring and skipped most of those scenes. The last few episodes really took the show down for me, which I would have rated much higher before I saw those. The decisions that the main lead makes in the last few episodes felt really bizarre and out of character.Likes: Soo-ji - a part of me almost wanted her and the CEO to be the main couple because I cared about them so much. The portrayal of sexism, especially that in the corporate world. The focus on female friendship. Forced proximity and contract marriage trope for the main couple. Chemistry between all the couples was great. The way that the main couple bonded over the simple things and how those became some of their greatest joys in life.
Dislikes: Ho-rang's relationship just did not work for me and there is just no way that couple would work. I was frustrated when it would switch to this storyline because it took time away from the storylines I was interested in.
Everything with Ji-ho's family felt very unsatisfying as it didn't seem to really address the issues with her dad and brother. While I liked the main couple for the most part, there were quite a few times that I didn't understand her draw to him, as he felt pretty unappealing. The last few episodes Ji-ho made some decisions that felt almost cruel and didn't make any sense.
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