Because This is My First Life (2017)

An 8 that should've been a 10

I started this drama because I'd seen Lee Min Gi in Dal Ja's Spring but my expectations were pretty low since the plot synopsis didn't seem interesting. But I unexpectedly fell in love with the show (at least up to episode 12). It's a sensitive and emotionally powerful look at how young women's dreams are undermined and stomped on.

For example, the FL is forced to leave the apartment she shares with her brother when his girlfriend gets pregnant (if she stays, she'll be forced to become a nanny and housekeeper for the household) and then later is nearly sexually assaulted by a work friend and has to quit her job after her bosses try to force her to continue working with him. In one scene she's wandering the streets alone at night in her pajamas and crying because she literally has no place to go. It's no wonder she enters a loveless contract marriage just so she has a safe and quiet place to sleep every night.

Even after the ML & FL get married their families try to force both of them into traditional gender roles. She's asked to attend her in-laws' memorial rites ceremony and has to do all of the cooking and clean up solo. Even when her husband tries to help her with the work, he's told by his mother that he'll shame his wife.

One of the most poignant scenes in the drama is at the wedding when the ML reads a letter written to him by his mother-in-law begging him to allow her daughter go back to her career as a writer if she wants to. The mother was trying to prevent her daughter from experiencing the same pain she'd gone through as a wife. I literally ugly cried watching it and I still tear up thinking about it.

But the drama isn't all dark and heavy. In fact it's often laugh out loud funny. There's hilarious scenes like when the leads announce their engagement to their family and friends and when the ML helps his in-laws make kimchi. And the FL's two best chingus add a lot of funny moments to the story.

The romance is an extremely sweet slow burn (up to episode 12, sigh) where you see two introverted and skittish people gradually fall in love. There's so many lovely moments like the wedding scene where the FL is sobbing uncontrollably just as their ceremony is about to start. Even though they are nowhere near being in love yet, the ML kneels down and tells the FL she doesn't have to stop crying, they can walk down the aisle together and that he'll stay by her side. I cried so hard in that scene.

So why isn't this a 10? The last four episodes.

The ML's first love shows up and this causes much cliched angst and sorrow for the FL (though she turns out to be a decent person) . The FL then inexplicably believes she has to choose between a highly compensated job at her husband's ex's firm or staying in a relationship with the ML so she turns down the job (wtf!). Then for no freakin' reason at all the FL decides she has to divorce the ML even though she's in love with him and she's aware that he's about to ask her to make their marriage real. (wtfffff!) Then she freakin disappears for months, leaving the ML an emotional basket case who ends up selling his home to escape bad memories. When the FL comes back, she simply crawls into bed with him and kisses and tada he instantly forgives her. (wtfffffffffffffff!) It literally feels like an entirely new writer came on board for the last four episodes. This ending isn't Do Do So So La La Sol levels of bad but still bad enough to leave me not feeling much when the leads finally get together for real.

Do I still recommend you watch this? Yes because the early episodes are hilarious, heartwarming and heart breaking and the depictions of women in their early 30s struggling just to survive are dead accurate .

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A Heartwarming and Relatable Korean Drama that Leaves a Lasting Impression!

"Because This Is My First Life" had me completely captivated right from the start. As I delved into this Korean drama, I couldn't help but be drawn into the lives of the two main characters, a house-poor writer and an overworked assistant, who unexpectedly find themselves in a marriage of convenience. Their journey resonated deeply with me as I followed their struggles, dreams, and personal growth. The drama beautifully delves into the complexities of modern life and societal pressures, touching on themes that felt so relatable. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself reflecting on my own experiences. With its endearing characters and genuine emotions, "Because This Is My First Life" is a heartwarming gem that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.

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Perhaps this drama can learn a thing or two from marathon runners

Perhaps a lot of kdramas can learn a thing or two from marathon runners about endurance and finishing strong. Getting past the threshold of pain in the last few miles, or in this case, the last few episodes would've made all the difference. The drama started out strong, a story about 3 couples in different kinds of situations and discusses a lot of adult topics of marriage and career. That was enjoyable and binge worthy. Although it is very predictable, it is not cliché. My favorite character of the three main female leads will have to be my girl Soo-Ji. Even if the main focus is on Ji-Hoo, she's got nothing on the real badass of this drama.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

This drama could have been a 9 for me but ultimately ended up being an 8. In the last 2 episodes, it seems the writer hit a wall and wrote something that was rather lazy. The main problem seems to be Ji=Ho and the writer trying to write out how to separate the couple for them to realize how important they were to each other. To do so, the writer just made Ji-Ho lose character development and behaved in a way that even Ji=Ho couldn't properly explain. Without honest and authentic conversation with Se-Hee, she simply said she wants a divorce and that she's going to sign to write a new drama with his ex and will have sufficient income to live on her own. But did she really sign with his ex? No, she lied about it. She didn't sign and instead went off to live in a hostel for a couple of months without contacting him. And in order to get Ji-Ho to sign with her company, Se-Hee's ex even helped Ji-Hoo with her legal case with the previous director. And what did she get in return? Ji-Ho not signing the contract. Basically, this made Ji-Ho dishonest and irresponsible. And to top it off, the actress who plays Ji-Ho's slow way of speaking became too sloth-like. If they were going for impact, they got quite the opposite. I wanted to fall asleep whenever she was talking or wanted to speed it up to 1.5x. And her lack of proper communication and honesty made Se-Hee sell his house and ended up suffering for months and moving up to the rooftop room Ho-Rang used to live in. The poor dude suffered for what? So Ji-Ho can just make some cake with a racoon looking cat on it to surprise him randomly at his house months after their divorce? Ta-da! Today is our day one! Yeah, it could've been day one of your restraining order. Ji-Ho's passive aggressive tendencies also didn't get any better. It got annoying. They could've done much better in the last two episodes.

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Don't have too much expectation for this show like I did.
Let me first start by saying that I decided to give this drama a shot because of the review and the -so overrated- rating.
I am writing this review because I can relate in so many ways  to the lead female character JI HO, I am at the age of getting married but I am also afraid of being tied down to a man for the rest of my life, I just don't know how I should feel about it (marriage) now, while watching this drama I felt like a woman can't be complete if she doesn't marry, I am starting to believe that life is not worth living if you don't have anyone to share it with.
What I want to say is that the show completely brainwashed me (if this is the correct way to say it) and I am seriously considering to get married now, maybe life won't be as boring as I think it would be? Who knows? I really envied the main male character, even with his mentality he was able to find someone who could accept him for what he is, however, i don't think that life is this generous to anybody especially when it comes to marriage.
Now talking about my thoughts on the show;
I solely believe that 16 episodes were way too many!  especially to such a predictable story ( I mean come one! we've already seen it coming we just chose to stick it for one reason or another. (for me it was because I kind of envied how courageous she was for getting married, I am not going to lie) The pacing was slow and I had to forward many scenes, especially when it came to MA & Woo soo! I just found their chemistry too bland and forced!
The characters development was kinda superficial and once again expected, nothing deep ... and sometimes dialogues are repeated ... I don't know what was all the hype about! An okay show I guess, I probably won't rewatch it again ...  the cinematography and the ost, on the other hand, are great! I just wanna say, that TVN successfully took 16 hours of my life away from me lol (well, less, since I had to skip many unnecessary scenes)
Come on Kdrama! I want something as fresh as "MAN FROM THE STARS" I want something that takes me to the moon and back!

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There is nothing overly romantic or sorrowful, no action or real suspense to hook you, no bad guys or superheroes and nothing historical or world changing. For all accounts it could be my neighbors quirky life story! It's just a show about the everyday life of regular people. Yet it is now one of my favorite dramas ever! Everything about this drama is perfect beginning to end. Even when the story didn't go the way I wanted or expected it never truly disappointed me because it's that perfect.

BTIMFL is like a unwitting friendship. You meet people you might not care too much about and/or are not particularly interested in but gradually as you spend time with them your heart moves. Suddenly they become a part of your own story. There is nothing life changing about this friendship, it was a brief encounter, and am truly sad to see it end. *sigh* "We'll always have Paris."

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Definitely one of my favorite dramas of 2017!

I laughed and cried along with the characters throughout the drama. Love how it was realistic and how relatable it was.

Ji Ho was definitely my favorite character. She stole the entire show. There's never been a female lead so realistic like Ji Ho before. I love how straightforward she is with her feelings. She never gave up on Se Hee even though he was always trying to draw a line between them.  Jung So Mi did an amazing job portraying the emotions out her character. It felt so raw that I too felt her emotions as the story moved along.

Lee Min Ki also did a great job portraying Se Hee too. Through Se Hee's robotic personality, Min Ki was able to convey his emotions perfectly.  Everyone else also did a great job portraying their characters.

The ost for this drama is so good! My favorites are  Marriage by Moon Moon and Can't go by Ben. It went very well with the show.

I recommend this to anyone!

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Because This is My First Life is more thoughtful and pensive than most romantic comedies, but there is still a good dose of comic moments and fun. Much of the comedy comes from the quirkiness of the main characters particularly the super analytical and closed off Se Hee and how he interacts with those around him. I enjoyed this drama finding the characters likable and well acted. I enjoyed the side stories pretty much equally to the main love story. The story explores issues about marriage, love and relationships and I could relate and feel for the problems that the couples faced. The last couple episodes were really touching and had me in tears. The 2 side relationships are more realistic than the main love story and I have experienced aspects of their relationships in my own life so I really felt for them -  particularly the conflicts that come up between long term couples like Ho Rang and Won Seok.

Though I did find the  the main love story amusing, I think it's the weakest part of this drama. The premise is so out there that I never fully bought into it and never really understood why they had to get married. It made way for some funny  situations, but never really made sense to me. There is a slow halting awkwardness to the mannerisms of the 2 leads that is in character,  but can be frustrating to watch. They look like they are sleepwalking from scene to scene for much of the drama. The actors manage to pull it off enough to make it worth it to me, but it did drag a lot when they conversed. Every sentence of their dialogue is punctuated by long halting dramatic pauses that don't reveal much. They had their share of sparky chemistry moments. But I looked for some happy flow in their scenes together and that was missing here. I am not sure if I missed the scenes that made me understand why they fall for each other. Their scenes together often seem like an excuse to make quiet observations about life, love and marriage. But overall the drama is quirky, funny and thought provoking enough to make for an entertaining viewing experience.

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This drama was so great! I really love them! Each characters' personalities were true to life. This drama isn't the typical drama, where the plot only exists in 'drama' world. The scenes were likely to happen in any ordinary people out there. The character's background story and depth was able to help the plot a lot to be able to produce such a good story. The characters' reaction in every situation is very likely. I also loved the cinematography and the sound effects that were used in every scenes.The story is funny yet romantic. The characters' personalities develop as time goes by. I appreciate this drama for being simple. It doesn't have the heavy vibe like any dramas out there. This drama is quite slow but it is worth watching.

I wouldn't re-watch this drama, not because it is bad or something but I'm already contented by it.

The couple that I'm not that happy about is Ho Rang and Won Seok. They were somehow great but Ho Rang's attitude at some point is just a little bit annoying. I hope that she would be able to understand things more. But I guessed she was just pressured or something.

There were also lots of fillers through the late episodes of the drama but it was still quite enjoyable or if you aren't that patient, just skip it.

SO.. For me, it's quite an inspiring story. If you don't really have much to do, you can watch this one. It's not that heavy so it might lift your spirit up if ever you feel sad or something. The ending is quite short so for me, it lacks depth because some of the things were left hanging and unsolved BUT STILL I think this drama is good~

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the romantic equivalent of having your teeth pulled

it's one of these dramas that I genuinely cannot understand how they are so popular here. the premise is nice enough: two young people entering a white marriage to afford life, and falling in love in the process. good, right? wrong. what follows is a cringe worthy attempt at a relationship but the problem is that you can't root for either character! the female lead is bland and the male lead is the stereotypical cold boss that because the standards for men are so low, he passes as decent. plus, the actor doesn't exhibit the charisma and to pull it off. and I've seen more chemistry between kindergarten kids

as for the two side stories, nothing interesting except Esom's character. she's so damn captivating and real, I was rooting for her all the way. unfortunately, she's been paired with a middle aged bore, when all my girl wanted was some no strings attached fun! god, they did her dirty.

overall, I don't see what other people see in this draft of a story, but if you enjoyed it, good for you

what you can watch instead: Something In The Rain, Forecasting Love and Weather, School 2017

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Está entre os melhores dramas que assisti.

O que era para ser mais uma comédia romântica, se tornou uma aula de como se relacionar bem com sua companheira ou seu companheiro. De como podemos estar com um coração duro e gelado devido às nossas convicções e à nossa visão de vida. Abri-lo é uma tarefa bem árdua que muitas vezes só é possível através de um amor verdadeiro, que possa compreender e quebrar esta barreira intransponível.

Os dois atores principais são excelentes e o enredo tem uma dinâmica ótima, sempre nos envolvendo.

E o final, mesmo não sendo surpreendente, foge um pouco do clichê, completando a história como um todo.

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So where do i start?
Summary sounds too cliched?
Still wondering if you would try this out?

The deciding factor starts with where you are currently in your life. Slice of life is an understatement for this drama. In my opinion, this drama was specially made for people who are emotionally in connect with themselves and see the world crudely as it really is. The comedy kicks in right from the start and it makes you wonder if it really is for a light watch but then the strange characters walk in, the characters that you see almost regularly and wonder how are they still functioning in this mess of the society within their own bubbles?

Genre : Rom-com, Slice of Life

Story : The story starts with the happy but unfortunate and tough life of a writer who wants little too less from life. Raised in a partriach society all she wants is a place to rest and thats when she finds the eccentric man with his strange house and realises this could be what she was looking for. For a person who wants nothing but peace and quiet and may be a place where she belongs, this drama is particularly those who have lived through the irony of this world.   What makes this drama special is the plenty of characters that make you laugh and see the ruthless world as is. The girls who are standing by each other even though they might be in a good or bad situations and the men who are willing to go through loops of fire to keep their girls happy is a refreshing yet has a strangely patriarch edge to them which is quite common in Asian dramas but what makes you happy is the fact that there is good in every bad and i would advice you to  watch it for atleast 4 episodes to actually decide if you can be in love with the strange lonely man in his house.

Actors : Jung So Min is one of the most talented actors out there and she proves it with excellence why so. Her portayel of the character was similar to that of "Father is Strange" but somehow it seems natural.

This is my first drama with Lee Min Ki and even though he looks a little weird, i am going to try and watch more of his drama to see him act because this was an amazing ride. At some point i was convinced he might be one of those talking robots with 3 facial expressions.

 Lee Som plays a head strong warrior princess kind of character that makes you challenge the society. KIm MIn Suk is a sweet lucky engineer and the struggle is so real from an engineers point of view.

I would also like to comment on the OSTs (which i rarely do) because they're so perfect for each charcater. I couldnt stop myself from humming along.

Will i watch it again? Probably if i cant find any perfect rom-com for binge watching on girls night.
Will  recommend it to Anyone? Ha Ha I already have.    

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If you like real, a little more slice of life/ romance non-cliche dramas that do not avoid difficult topics, do yourself a favor and watch Because it's my First Life. It really is that good and refreshing.

I would totally give it a 10 if not for the last 2 episodes. The drama managed to tug on my emotions, make me laugh, deal with difficult topics and avoid cliches and the usual, cookie-cutter dialogues. People say what they think in this drama save for one unfortunate secondary couple. It is really exhilarating to see a drama in which the characters say what you expect them to say. The drama is paced beautifully and even the 'love triangle' isn't really a love triangle in this.

I also love that this drama tackles the societal problems such as starting your life without means, not having enough money even when being successful, soul-sucking jobs, having dreams vs paying bills, sexual harassment and assault and personal oddities with such a unique perspective. I appreciated exposing and talking about those things in the open. The awkward, but honest social interactions between the main couple are gold. They will make you laugh and then feel sad at the same time. This drama is perfectly balanced in this regard. It is perfectly balanced to the 15th episode, that is. After that, I feel like the writers went for the more usual plot devices, which kind of ruined it for me. I understand what the writers were going for, but I'm not sure it was necessary. This is what made me drop a star from my rating.

All in all, it is a truly unique and beautiful drama.

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