One of the Korean Dramas that serve as my opening to the world of being an adult. Life after school is about facing the real world; the struggles and hardships that one must overcome. I learned a lot from the show and it gives me guidance on the possible barriers I may encounter after my graduation. Although it took me years before I found this gem and binge-watched the show, I guess it’s the perfect time for me since I was preparing for my own path after becoming an adult.

Each character holds a specific journey for living their lives to the fullest. But sometimes we realize that the things we dream about when we are young are so difficult to achieve. Most of the time, we don't have any other choice but to let go of our dreams and re-entered the path that will make us survive in our daily life. Reality slapped us so hard, a painful awareness we came across after turning to an adult. Even though we worked so hard and did all our best throughout the journey, it may not still guarantee us to be able to grab the dream we’ve been waiting for so long. This is the sad reality of life.

The scene where Ji-ho was sexually harassed by the assistant director makes my blood boiled up. She has no other place to stay and the pervert takes it for granted. The next scene makes me even angrier when the crew group together at a dinner table and pushes Ji-ho to forget the mistreatment she experienced at that night. During those moments, Ji-ho suffers alone. Having friends and family isn’t always the first option we think about when having some problem. Most of the time, we choose not to bother the people around us because we think that they also have their own lives to process and we find it so hard to ask for help from them. You only have yourself, you comfort your own, endure all the pain by your own, because at the end of the day, we only have our own selves to lean on.

“Not every friend knows everything about each other. No matter how close you are to them, there are sides of you that you don’t want to show. And sometimes, your family feels the farthest of all.”

The show also presented how serious and crucial a wedding is. Se-hee and Ji-ho’s wedding ceremony was the scene that made me cry the most. Her mother's written message to Se-hee as Ji-ho’s husband was so deep and emotional. Weddings are such big events that involve the people around the couple. Witnessing the heartwarming connection of the mother-and-daughter was really a teary scenario. I am so glad that they ended up registering their marriage for real after so many ups and downs. Also, the term “love” is now elaborated in their relationship.

That intimate kiss at the sea was my favorite, it was done in the most excellent way. I love how calm yet fierceful the energy coming from both the couple and the scenery, their exchange of dialogues, and the way they open up their feelings with that super lovely kiss. The beginning of their real romantic feelings.

After all, Ji-ho and Se-hee deserve to be the main couple of the show. The greatest yet hardest obstacle they overcame was entering their “Room 19” that both of them built upon themselves. I love how they add the creative story of the popular book from the story of the show. Humans, no matter of age, have always had a side of them that they didn’t want to open up for others. Living inside their specific Room 19 alone is enough to make them happy and comfortable. A personal secret that someone doesn’t need to know.

Se-hee’s past shocked me because I didn’t think that he suffered from a tremendous heartbreak before that made him unlikely to believe in romance anymore. The closure of Se-hee and the CEO ended up the wound they carried for a long time. Alongside Ji-hoo and CEO’s unexpected bond that didn’t make their past and future contradict their present. They choose not to fight with each other and become not dramatically inclined to the fact that Se-hee can be the cause of their hatred from one another. The kind of closure that is delicate, fresh, and real.

Lee Min Ki and Jung So Min were some of my top favorite actors in the industry because they always delivered the best and perfect kind of emotions needed in the story. Their chemistry speaks so loud and they fill the whole show with so much intimacy and passion.

Soo-ji and Sang-goo’s relationship is a healthy one too. He helped her to choose the path that she wanted for so long. It’s a good thing that after Soo-ji took a risk from building his own business, she succeeded and even changed her mind about marriage. Sang-goo was always a soft-hearted character from the show. From being a friendly CEO to being openly accessible to Soo-ji and her disabled mother.

On the other hand, I now get the hatred that some of the viewers feel about Ho-rang and Won-seok's relationship. The girl is obsessed with being a motherly figure that leads her to indirectly push his boyfriend to propose to her numerous times. The boy doesn’t even think about marriage not until he figures out that it was the desired wish of his girlfriend. Obviously, they’re relationship tends to become toxic from time to time. A couple for 7 years who are in their 30’s who keep fighting over small things then after a while reconcile again. The same kind of process was empathized by her friends at the start of the few episodes. In fact, if they can only be critical enough, their problem can easily be fixed with simple, sincere, and proper communication.

Because This Is My First Life generally teaches the viewers to always choose the best decision that they don't regret about in the future. Marriage, Relationships, Careers, Family, etc. We are living our life for the first time, so we tend to commit mistakes from time to time but the most important thing to do is to live our life seeking for our own happiness. A light drama that allowed me to always be grateful for the things that made me happy and alive. From now on, I am going to “Live like it was my last!”