Porque Esta é a Minha Primeira Vida (2017)

An Emotional and Pondering Exploration of Romance and Marriage

This drama is a rollercoaster. It made me at times extremely happy, and at others practically depressed. A lot of this has to do with my intense identification with the characters, but that's not to say they don't stand their ground for any viewer of the series. Certainly they are some of the most nuanced characters I have come across, with dimensions that can't be explained away with a single trope. Speaking of tropes, besides the obvious ones there aren't many to speak of, and the context around the contract marriage is quite different from the usual.

It's not uncommon to see either a solemn male or solemn female lead, but it is somewhat uncommon to see both. It's the combination of the two that make the drama both fresh and exciting but also stressful and frustrating. There is a sense of slow progress that could all come crashing down at a moment's notice. Simply put, it can be intense and taxing. That's not to say it's a bad drama, though, just a certain style. Oftentimes it's beneficial for a drama to be intense because this makes it more engaging and leads to greater plot investment, which is certainly true in this case.

And, besides all this, the good times undoubtedly make up for the bad, just as in a real romance. I have no doubt you'll have a stupid grin plastered on your face just as I did when the leads are together. The three pairings certainly give you a lot to root for, which is one of the reasons I stuck through the tough parts to see the ending, where I might abandon most shows.

I can't forget to mention the thought provoking messages permeating the narration. The main character- a writer- displays her skill by thinking and speaking in the most interesting of ways, questioning everything to a philosophical level. The level of these observations can sometimes be so deep and complex as to make you pause and think for a bit. And, while they sometimes feel like disguises for possibly simpler motivations, they definitely add to the character's personality and maturity.

I do recommend this show, if only for the glowing chemistry portrayed between outwardly solemn leads, supported by a dynamic cast with just as rich of stories as the protagonists.

Leia Mais

A light yet honest look at marriage and relationships

I really enjoyed this drama. It speaks on the reality of marriage and love. Whilst I feel some of the endings for certain couples took away from the realism aspect, I still felt this drama was more palatable as a romance focused drama, which I normally find incredibly hard to watch. I also love how it touched on gender roles in relationships and families; instead of tearing them down and automatically labeling them as 'sexist', this drama takes a more nuanced look at it. I also adore how this drama handles workplace sexism and the reality of working as a young 20 something, at all levels of life.

If you want a light, relatively easy to watch drama, give this one a go. It has plenty of fun and humorous moments. It definitely made me warm and happy. I'm not the biggest fan of the slightly cliche ending for some pairings. (hence the 8 rating instead of a 9). Particularly annoyed after the drama spent time shading cliche endings... but it's still okay I suppose.

Leia Mais

This is one of the best dramas out there. The writing itself is just superb and all of the cast was well chosen. It is a joy to watch, the story keeps you on the toes and I personally could not put it down.

The story is overall well designed, mostly character driven but the attention is well divided into three main lines following the side characters as well. This created unique tempo and various stages of relationships of the others present a solid ground - this kept the episodes varied and not one was boring or weak. You will be interested in the side characters as well, the drama takes the time not just to develop the relationships of the couples, but presents very fleshed out friendships and individual relationships between the ensemble as a whole.

It's just such a shame that for the sake of creating dramatic conclusion, the last two episodes are a sore spot. The female lead starts behaving absolutely out of her character and creates a situation that you as a viewer can't get behind. This bothered me. Otherwise well written conversations became just monologues and some rushed decisions left me a bit confused.

As for characters, the main six are excellent. I especially loved the character of Ma CEO who was a true gem and solid element in every relationship. The minor characters were very good as well, I enjoyed the parents very much. I liked the music.

I will definitely rewatch this at least one to have a "further think" about this. It gave me so much food for thought and it did stir emotion within me. It really is a unique drama and even though the last two episodes are a bit of a let down, the overall quality and character of the show itself make up for that.

Leia Mais

This is a slice of life drama about 3 women dealing with their life at 30. The story follows their struggle through life and love and how they deal with them.

I did not like this show at all. The style of conversations supposed to be "realistic", but to me they were very draggy and lacked any entertainment value. I am not a fan of the slow talking style used in shows like these, where there's too much pause between sentences and it looks very artificial.

I did not like any of the characters on this show. Watching them interact with each other was boring and frustrating. The lead couple is a stoic wooden man and a dull woman, they were hard to look at and did the stupidest things. Characters doing stupid things is normal in a drama and many a times we actually don't mind them but here they just seemed too annoying. The way they conducted themselves wasn't relatable or admirable, I only kept getting mad at them. I did not feel the chemistry between them and watching their romance which was almost non existent anyways was a total bore.

The acting was good, but since I was not enjoying the characters anyways it was hard to like any of them. My Favourite was Kim Min Seok. He is always delightful. The other actors also did a good job of portraying their characters.

This show has a fairly good rating on MDL so I guess other do like it. But personally I would suggest you don't waste your time.

Good slice of life dramas: Le Coup De Foudre, Put your head on my shoulder

Leia Mais

My 1st Life rewatch 2nd 3rd great

I have watched this drama many times & I will watch it many more. The story to me never gets old. The cast & acting was top grade. I grew to love the main leads Lee Min Kii & Jung So Min . The supporting cast were all top grade actors & the series got their monies worth. The story line was direct & it stayed that way through out the drama. I appreciate that. Often times more isn't better. Even the yelling which can get really annoying in Kdrama's was great. It carried a familiar theme guy lead being the upper & the female lead being lower, but anywhere it is rarely any different. I guess stick with what works. Grew to love the male lead in this series. Jung So Min I have never seen her do anything wrong when acting. She is lovable beautiful & always believable.

Leia Mais

The best marriage of convience drama out there

Probably one of my favourite dramas of all time, I love the marriage of convienience trope but the way BTIMF tells it puts a new spin on the cliche. I feel like this drama changed my perspective on marriage when i first watched it, and every time I rewatch it,(I've now seen BTIML 3 times) I've cried.

Spoilers ahead:

The only negative about this drama is the last 2 episodes. I feel like screenwriters or directors of kdramas are allergic to having a story that doesn't contain some twisted misunderstanding. I really do not understand why they had the see-hee and jihyo break up and give jihyos reasoning as something super wishy-washy as needing an intermission. I feel like if they gave the simplest reason of her insecurity over his ex gf it would have made infinitly more sense.
Like the fact that he hid the fact that he used to be previously engaged and even had a child on the way, but the miscarriage changed everthing? The two leads having a heart-to-heart about jihyos own insecurities in marriage and see-hees reluctance to open up and love after that would have genuinely been wonderful. The other couples endings made more sense than how the two leads ended up. Like why have them move out? it just felt like drama for dramas sake
also they fully misunderstood the message of to room nineteen as well. its about how you need your own space in relationships, and opening room nineteen is bad, but the drama talks about how jihyo wants to see see-hee's room 19, which is weird?
either way though i still love this drama a lot, see-hee grew on me and his more subtle way of loving was sweet. jung so min's acting as jihyo was steller and this drama has made me a fan of her work.

Leia Mais

I have mixed feelings about this drama. What I love is the blunt honesty of both the main leads in the beginning. They were hesitant but not afraid to ask, clarify or tell what each other feel about the strangest or the pettiest of things. They said it like it is, a matter of fact....and then episode 15 happened. Like c’mon, why tongue tied and so unsure all of a sudden? It was so anti climactic given that it is the episode before the finale, it suffocated me to be honest.

I like the fact that they did not let not traditions define them or their marriage. On the other hand, they kind of did when they decided to spend the holidays separately with their families... why? Because it meant doing the chores causing a strain in their relationship?! It felt like a push and then a pull, being so fierce in their resolve to stand their ground and yet choosing to “run away” to keep things conflict free. The argument is just so weak it makes ancient traditions appear so shallow and well kind of petty... sad really.

Acting wise it’s ok, Minki and So-min’s eyes did most of the talking which I think is pure talent. I did not really feel any sparks fly between CEO Ma, and Soo Ji and Rang and Won Seok’s? ...oh well, mmm , just more complicated than it should be really, no clear closure at all if they have decided to marry or not.... the best character portrayals were done by the actor who played Bok Nam and actress who played Ji Ho’s mother (she was daebak in Reply 1988), naturally effortless in their acting.

I would not say this is rom-com material. So very few laughs found here.... the music though is just wonderful. In summary this drama is just meeeeh. if you have 16 or more hours to spare then go watch but I wouldn’t be watching this one again.

Leia Mais

I like how relatable this show is with adult's life. I can imagine how much i suffered when i just graduated university and worked in the office. I struggled to achieve my dreams too and this show is about hard work, struggles and responsibility that makes me think about my bitter-sweet life back then. Life is not always so perfect and flowery, not all people have many choices on how to run their life. This show is a perfect example on modern life's struggles. It's almost perfect if not for the filler at the last episode hahaha. Well, kudos for kdramas coz kdramas are making many improvements in this year.

Leia Mais

Other people have expressed very eloquently the utter heartfelt perfection of this drama. You have not one but THREE sets of utterly perfect chemistry. You have a gorgeous, killer OST, You have the most charming moments of beautiful poetry balanced by some genuinely funny moments, all of which, rather than via some contrivance, come from the characters and your investment in them. At times this drama has so much hurt it feels difficult and you wonder "can I get through this pain"? If you ever want a drama with which to introduce friends to K-dramas, this is it. It goes to such emotional depths that to label it a "rom-com" is entirely laughable.
And... did I mention it has the best Ailee OST since her wondrous inclusion on the Goblin OST?

Leia Mais

I just finished watching this drama and ...It's okay... I just the moral lessons and such could for older/mature people. I do understand their stuff but like... idk...I started to get bored around ep 10... It's too slow, I don't how Se Hee's expression... Iddkk.. I think... I find this drama, my least favourite. I skipped a lot of stuff on the second last ep because I would rather just finish it then move to a different drama and forget about rewatching it. cuz TBH, who would go back after watching 1-2 dramas to refinish the last drama you have not finish? ME!! AHHAH
But, I like the second couple, Soo Ji and Sang Goo, they're so cute, He may be older n such but I find their chemistry more interesting than the main.
But, so far... Not Bad.

3/25/20 11:58PM

Leia Mais

If I were to describe this drama in one word it would be thought-provoking.  

This is one of those dramas that just causes you to think and I mean that in a good way.  I love how the writers went in different directions at certain points of it, and I love how there were a lot of modern ideas and thought processes woven into this one.  It made this drama feel more original.  This drama kept me hooked because I was interested in all three couples stories.  Each of their relationships were really different specifically each partner's expectations for the other and their expectations for the direction their future's should take.  I applaud the writers because it's not a typical thing for me to be interested in much other than the main couple, but they managed to keep the other couples interesting as well so that when it was their turn I didn't begrudge it but was excited instead.  Even though marriage is not really on my horizon this drama gives you a lot of food for thought about the institution of marriage and it's values and issues.  

I also felt really touched by a specific character's journey. Her desire to live a normal, typical life.  I've never desired my life to be insanely different than anyone else either and what I've always wanted is to live a life where I do the things that everyone wants to do. Sometimes you just want what's normal and that really hit home for me.

The actors do a splendid job.  Each character is played realistically even though some are exaggerated.  The exaggeration isn't anything hard to watch though, it's more just emphasis on the type of person each one is and I think the actors do a really good job of being believable and likable and more than anything, interesting.  Also, I loved Bo Mi's character!

The music is beautiful and I don't think they could have picked more fitting tracks.  The upbeat tracks make me wanna jump up and down, and the sadder more melancholic songs are very poignant to the situation.  The music definitely adds a lot to this drama.

Because This Is My First Life almost made it into my favorites list, but there was one episode or two that I really disliked and no matter how hard I try I can't quite overlook them.  I know what the point was that they were trying to make, but I would argue that they went way to far, passing the bounds of realistic and believable.

Overall: I recommend this drama! I felt refreshed by this drama and whenever that happens I think the drama deserves a lot of merit.  It's really good and I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons pretty heavily.

Leia Mais

This is probably the only 2017 drama I started that I didn't drop, it's really good. All the lines in the drama are really heart touching and the way the relationships develop in this drama is also the reason I liked it so much. This might seem a cliché trope, two leads being forced to live together and slowly developing feelings for eachother, but I also found something relatable with the male lead in the beginning of the drama which made me continue the drama. I watched this drama when I was having a hard time, so this really being one of my sources of happiness. It's a light romcom drama, and I feel like you'll fall in love with all the characters like I did too. Enjoy watching!

Leia Mais