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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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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Hello Hello Disappointments

It leans towards the heartwarming and over the top sentimental department but the show majorly struggled to stretch the story into a 16 episodes, their solution was a series of subplots and fillers that felt hollow. It's like the 3 writers didn't agree with what direction they wanted to go and did their individual scripts instead.

One big major flaw was the writers ditched what seemed to be a major plot that they were brewing up from earlier episodes only to change direction midway.

A stalker follows and observes everything Dae Hyong does, he noted Dae Hyong's whereabouts and his change in moods and behaviors everyday. They even altered his voice to add to the mystery. But by the 2nd half, they revealed he was obsessed with Si-a instead. It unfolded in a very underwhelming way that lasted like a minute, everyone quickly moved on from it. The writers basically bait and switched. You would think the stalker was part of the major plot that would affect the main characters by how they were showing it from the beginning. Their workaround to change direction he was to make him be Si-a's stalker instead. It didn't add up and didn't make sense at all. This is such a bad writing, on top of already dragging story full of hollow subplots and fillers.

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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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Why regret when we can get a second chance:)

Parent's sacrifice, their screts and them helping you without your knowledge. This is all about the drama is.

Parents love their children undoubtedly,but not all can express their love. There are times when years after we regret some of our choices, but don't realise that the moment we made those decisions we were happy about them.

The story about the will surely make you tear up just like me. It seemed like comedy drama until it wasn't one.

The actors did really great job portraying their characters.

I also enjoyed the OST of this, it was damn amazing HAHA.

I won't re-watch it coz it's a really sad drama, which I totally didn't expect, and I don't wanna cry twice haha.

END~

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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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