SEE YOU IN MY 19TH LIFE _ A K-DRAMA REVIEW

Ban Ji-Eum is living her 19th life. In each of her lives, she regains memories of all her past lives between the ages of 8-12 years old. Ji-Eum hates having these memories and hopes every life will be her last.

In her 18th life as Yoon Joo-Won, Ji-Eum met a boy named Mun Seo-Ha when she was 12 years old. They formed a close friendship. Now in her 19th life, Ji-Eum crosses paths with Seo-Ha again as adults. Ji-Eum recognizes him instantly, though Seo-Ha has no memories of their past connection.

Seo-Ha went through childhood tragedies, losing loved ones including his first love Yoon Joo-Won. These losses caused him to isolate himself from future relationships and friendships.

When the eccentric Ban Ji-Eum, fully aware of their shared history, re-enters Seo-Ha's life and showers him with affection, it begins to change his closed-off ways and heal past wounds. Though confused by her intimate familiarity, Seo-Ha finds himself opening up to Ji-Eum in ways he never expected.

This drama pulled me in from the start and kept me hooked throughout , it was a really captivating watch! I loved how the concept of Ban Ji-Eum reliving all her past lives allowed for reflections on destiny, fate, and the deeper meaning of relationships. The chemistry between the lead actors was palpable as well. Shin Hae-Sun portrays the emotional complexity of a weary soul navigating her 19th life so beautifully. And Ahn Bo-Hyun does a great job capturing Mun Seo-Ha’s guarded yet intrigued demeanor as he lets Ban Ji-Eum back into his world. Their unfolding romance was as sweet as it was heart-wrenching.

I had a lot of fun following along each twist and turn to see how their paths would converge in Ji-Eum’s current life. The writers wove in backstories and flashbacks of the friends’ past connections very cleverly. It was interesting to piece together the history along with the characters! Overall, this drama really pulled me into its emotional storyline in a compelling way.

However, I was quite disappointed with the ending. Without giving any big spoilers away .I felt the final outcome was too tidy in wrapping up such an epic, tragic romance spanning nearly two decades. After all the longing and losses Ji-Eum and Seo-Ha endured over multiple lifetimes, I wished for a more powerfully cathartic finale to their journey. The very end felt a bit rushed for my liking.

Overall, I found this 12 episodes drama to be an extremely compelling and enjoyable viewing experience, despite some shortcomings with the concluding episode. I would rate the drama an 8 out of 10 when looking at the full arc of the story and the stellar quality of the production.

The majority of the drama was a great ride - quite an imaginative and addictive star-crossed romance that kept me eager to watch the next episode each week. The two lead characters were very well-developed and sympathetic, brought to life beautifully by the talented acting. Their love story was painted through nuanced dialogue and palpable chemistry that tugged at my heartstrings. The gorgeous cinematography and costumes also helped transport me into this fantasy realm.

I was fully immersed in the elaborate fictional world that was built here, with all of its political intrigues, family dynasties, and themes of prophecy, power, and destiny. The writing and pacing felt tight and propulsive for the first three quarters of the drama’s run. There were some especially strong episodes around the halfway mark that threw impactful emotional curveballs into the central relationship.

However, the concluding episode and final arc of the story did not quite live up to the spectacular setup of the earlier episodes. I felt the writers crammed too many major plot developments into the final hour, rather than spacing out the reveals and twists more gradually. Certain character choices and deaths at the end also felt rushed or unjustified compared to the prior character development. I was left wanting more closure and a less abrupt ending to this epic romance.

Nonetheless, I would still strongly recommend this drama, especially for fans of the fantasy and star-crossed lovers genres. The bulk of the viewing journey was so thrilling and beautiful to watch unfold. The technical aspects like costumes, sets, score and editing were top-quality as well. Just go into the final episode knowing the ending may leave you wanting more or feeling slightly disappointed compared to the stellar earlier run. Despite a less satisfying conclusion, this remains one of the more unique and gripping dramas I’ve seen this year. Brace yourself for the ending, but enjoy the ride getting there.

Images are screenshot from here