Because This Is My First Life: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
Updated: Sep 24
Title: | Because This Is My First Life (2017) |
Platform: | Netflix, Viki, Tubi, Prime Video, Roku |
MDL & IMBD Rating: | |
Genre: | Contemporary Romantic Comedy/ Slice of Life/ Contract Marriage |
Episode Count: | 16 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | TV-14: Smoking, alludes to intimacy, minor language. For more info: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7278588/parentalguide/ |
Starring: | Jung So Min (Love Next Door) Lee Min Ki (My Liberation Notes) Esom (Phantom Lawyer) Park Byung Eun (The Apartment Job) Kim Ga Eun (King the Land) Kim Min Seok (My Royal Nemesis) |
RBTS Rating: | 6.2/10 Stars: A drama made up of themes delving into marital status and societal expectations, with frustrating characters and a final arc that left me salty.  |
Cast From Left to Right: #JungSoMin, #LeeMinKi, #Esom, #ParkByungEun, #KimGaEun
Synopsis:
A house-poor man and homeless woman become housemates in a drama that examines the institution of marriage and the problems that young people face today. Nam Se Hui is a single man in his late 30s. He has chosen not to marry. He owns his home, but he owes a lot on his mortgage. Meanwhile, Yun Ji Ho is a single woman in her early 30s. She does not own a homeand envies those that do. She has given up on dating due to her financial struggles. Yun Ji Ho begins to live at Nam Se Hui’s house. They become housemates. @MDL
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Because This is My First Life is an edgier rom com focusing on careers, marriage, and status at the intersection at which all three intertwine. This is not the typical rom com love story with a perfect Male and Female Lead, nor are they perfect for each other. Instead the drama succeeds in showcasing the ups and downs of realistically complex relationships, both platonic, parental, and romantic. In terms of content, this is for a more "mature" audience. Expect innuendos and many convo's with a hint of "spice". The characters are allegorical figures, so in some ways their "edgy-ness" has a purpose, but ultimately it didn't jive with my personal taste. But I am a very vanilla. So there's that.
Jung So Min (FL Actress) and Lee Min Ki (ML Actor) were fantastic in their roles and made for a great couple. The characters were a little frustrating, but they were by far the most rootable of the bunch. Woo Su Ji and Ma Sang Gu were cute, but underdeveloped. Yang Ho Rang and Sim Won Seok made me want to pull my hair out. I hated Sim Won Seok (which I don't think was the drama's intention) so much that I can't watch the poor actor in anything without a subconscious surge of rage.
The last two episodes derailed the show for me, and I was disappointed with the actions ALL the characters took. What a nose dive lol. But the themes of the drama were still so powerful and relatable. Yang Ho Rang had a lovely monologue about a black and red coat that has stuck with me, even years later. It was nice to see that the drama took her dream as seriously as the others (until the end.. ugh).
The drama follows a very similar route to Fight For My Way, but doesn't manage to keep the momentum going. The characters make dumb decisions and it kind of goes off the rails. But as the title says, it's because this is their first time living and they're going to make mistakes. BTiMFL is thought provoking and just plain ol' provoking, and it's a drama where I don't recommend a "full" watch necessarily, but maybe clips or watch until you get bored? It does have some really powerful lines, so I can't throw it out all together. Because, while this is their first life, it's also my only life, and I don't got the time to watch things that crash and burn lol. You best believe my ffwd button saved the day. And at the very least, this drama was the reason Jung So Min was in Alchemy of Souls (Same director), which is enough to validate its existence alone.
Final thought: Jung So Min (FL) looks like an American Girl Doll. I think it's her teeth. Now that I've noticed, it's all I can notice. Send help.
Story=3.5 (This is a show of themes, not plot and honestly, not even character), Acting=4 (Solid), Production Quality=4 (Solid), Ending= 2.5 (Disappointing but then the last 20 mn get tied with a bow), Enjoyability= 2.5 (after ep 9 it dragged), Would I rewatch= No
Trailer:
Director: #ParkJoonHwa (Alchemy of Souls, Perfect, Crown, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?)
Screenwriter: #YoonNanJoong (Ho Goo's Love)
*Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used on this blog. All images belong to their respective copyright holders and are used for commentary and review purposes. All reviews, opinions, and statements expressed on this blog are my own and are intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. They reflect my personal thoughts and interpretations and should not be considered as factual.
#Becausethisismyfirstlife #MiniReview #SpoilerFree #KimMinSeok #YoonBoMi #LeeChungAh #KimMinGue #KimByungOk #KimSunYoung #KimEungSoo #MoonHeeKyung #HwangSeokJeong #JangWonYoung #NohJongHyun #JeonHyeWon #KimWook
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