Thanks for recapping the show @daebakgrits, a beautiful letdown indeed.

This drama ended up as a ‘what it could have been’ show. It started off great, the leads were good and it was beautifully shot. Somewhere towards the end the show felt like it had pacing issues and the story telling also felt off.
I wish the show spent more time on first life giving us a compelling reason for her curse and reincarnation memories. I felt like I never knew what the characters motivations were and didn’t feel emotionally invested. For a curse to be this powerful the backstory has to be powerful and hard hitting. Instead the show spent more time on the murder plot which didn’t land well either.

Also, I wish we had an episode of how Seo-Ha wooes Ban-Jim, now that she doesn’t have any memories. I would be curious what kind of person she is and how she reacts. Didn’t she live with her niece? How did she suddenly move out and live? How did she go back to her old job!
Would have been nice had she only forgotten her past lives but still remembers people from current life and her relationships with them.

Having said that I still enjoyed parts of it, faults et al.

Shin Hye-sun was awesome! So was Ha Yoon-kyung, hope to see her in more projects.

Well, I think I liked these episodes better than I’ve liked some of the other ones, but the whole thing did feel a bit rushed, and like they didn’t quite have time to tie everything off.

I am glad we finally got the whole story of the first life at the beginning of episode 11. I thought they had let it be ambiguous for kind of a while (how many times do we need to watch those scenes out of context?), so it was good to get it out of the way right away. It didn’t clear up everything, but it was enough that I didn’t go into the rest of the episodes annoyed.

I admit I don’t really understand why forgetting your past lives would equal big gaps in your memories in the current life. Especially since it felt like there were very natural explanations that don’t really rely on having prior-life knowledge. For Ji-eum and Ae-kyung’s relationship, they could have easily said that Ji-eum was abused as a child and ran away and that Ae-kyung took her in and raised her, all of which is true. But now Ji-eum has to live with what I can only imagine is a gaping hole in her memory when it comes to her late childhood and all of her teenage and young adult years. The other ones aren’t as dramatic, but would work just as well without past-life knowledge (“I met my boyfriend through work” and “She does the landscaping for the hotel and we became fast friends”). It was fun to see the meet-cutes they had arranged for her, and I did really appreciate all the parallels at the end, when Seo-ha turned Ji-eum’s words right back on her. But I still found myself with lots of questions, and I wasn’t expecting Ji-eum to need more therapy at the end than at the beginning of this.

I’m bummed we didn’t get our second couple together until the very end, especially because of how adorable they were (Do-yoon knows how to smile!) and because of how flimsy the reasoning for them being apart seemed at the end. He had stated that as the reason, but I think it would have been more impactful if we’d gotten to see the social dynamics play out when someone suspected they were together. And then we could have gotten a lovely scene of Cho-won, not just saying that she doesn’t care and cursing people tenfold, but actually doing it and brushing off the jerks to defend her choice of partner. It would have solidified his concerns as valid, and also done a lot to make us believe it will work anyway. Oh well. I still enjoyed what we got from them.

Now that the drama is finished, I’m excited to read the original webtoon! I didn’t want to consume the two versions in an overlapping way (and I was happily reading A Good Day to Be a Dog), but now I’m in the clear to start!

See my fan wall for most of my thoughts, because it's hard for me to critique this without the context of its source material. But I will say that, in another drama, I might have really liked the ending. I liked the role reversals, although I agree with some comments on Reddit that a man pursuing a woman the way Ji-eum pursued Seo-ha has an entirely different vibe to it. But then, I might not have liked the ending because this other twist just, like many of the others, felt so unnecessary. There was no logical reason for her to forget her 19th life, and the stuff that she seems to remember isn't consistent with the stuff she's forgotten. Nor does Ae-gyeong's recovery make much sense in terms of the medical intervention (what is she having surgery for? They don't know what's wrong with her!)

This drama was very beautiful, the cinematography and visuals were gorgeous (holy cow, that dyed fabric). The first few episodes were very good, in fact. But the story was a mess, and the romance fell very flat. There were too many flashbacks and scenes of Seo-ha sitting ni a pool. Also, that kiss we got from Do-yun and Cho-won was pathetic, and I will never understand the choice to have that scene occur next to a pool.

I read on MDL that this was supposed to be 16 eps, and they cut it down to 12 so it could air on weekends instead. This included having to reshoot a lot of scenes. I think that explains a lot, personally, although I still don't think I would have liked the story even if it had been fleshed out better.

I see what you're saying about plot holes, but there's something about this drama. It was so easy to get swept away in it that I don't really care. I really enjoyed it. No notes.

This drama is a typical "what it could have been" drama.

I think the mystery of the first life took too much time and didn't bring anything. The fact she cursed herself was interesting but it's all. The amnesia didn't make sense at all. It was between the amnesia and the jump in the past. I like the story when it was about the main romance, I like the couple too.

I really liked the cinematography, it was beautiful. I liked the past lives too and the flashbacks.

Now, if I really liked Shin Hye-Sun because she's a great actress, I think she was looking too old for the role (and not as her, she's looking great). I think for the "humor" and the story, the FL should have looked younger than the other characters making Cho-Won calling her unnie weirder or her knowing so many things more interesting.

I had a lot of issues with Cho-Won's style. It didn't suit her. I have no issue that her character prefering being more femine outside her job, but I would have prefered more classy vibe.

I’m hesitant to pile on here, but I would appreciate the opportunity to express one of my precise disappointments to my community and hear your thoughts on it.

What gets me is that we had 10-or-so episodes of Ji-eum being sort of creepily maternal and pretty patronizing to poor Seo-ha (Min-ki doesn’t have the corner on being “annoying and condescending” unfortunately!!), but then, when the tables were turned and Seo-ha ended up in charge of remembering what they mean/meant to one another, Ji-eum doesn’t retain any of the strength that came with her previous personality. Instead, she became like a lost child needing Seo-ha’s (her daddy’s???) protection.

Ugh. Maybe I’m just primed for this with all the other dramas I’m watching now, but this gendered role-reversal really bugged me.

I didn't read the webtoon but the hot take section helped me understand why fellow beanies were frustrated and they have the right to. The drama butchered the webtoon's main theme in favor of dull plot points.

Now to the complaints part, even if I put the changes aside, I have problems with the plot holes. The epic car accident that got repeated at least once an episode was solved out of the blue. And the stepmother and her son disappeared at once so easily. I was expecting a whole episode dedicated for the first life the way Tomorrow did though it wasn't enough but we got boring and annoying scenes related to the accident without getting Do-yoon's identity to say the least. It is a shame for the cast that really put in hard work into the drama. Hoping they get a better project soon.

PS: this is one of many dramas that makes me not the slightest bit interested in that obsessive and pushy romance. Even the second lead couple fell flat toward the end.

Thank you for the recaps @daebakgrits

I was glad with the happy ending they gave for all the characters, but the events leading to the resolution were weird and anti-climatic. I do not even mind the missing logical gaps in the story, but the drama had a beautiful emotional layer underneath each relationship and it failed to capitalise on it. From a drama standpoint (since, I am not a webtoon reader) the drama was given enough episodes to tell the story, but most of it was wasted on the hotel management, car accident and ML diving into the swimming pool.

I didn't struggle with the ending at all, and wasn't bothered by the unanswered questions. We had previously seen Seo-ha's mother appear to return seamlessly to a happy life without any memory of her past, and so I didn't find it difficult to accept that Ji-eum would be able to do so as well. I mean, in a story world where people reincarnate, sometimes remember past lives, retain the talents and skills of those past lives, and then, after saying some words and shaking some bells, can happily live a normal life, I don't find it a struggle to accept that as soon as Ji-eum's memories of her past lives disappeared, she had an apartment and job to return to with no noticeable gaps in her memory. I didn't need to see any of that to believe it happened.

Overall, I feel I was more satisfied with this drama than others, and that's ok. As I said before, I didn't read the webtoon, and I thought the story's twists and turns were clever and interesting. The dramatic tension remained high throughout, and the characters were compelling and deserved to be loved.

I have a few minor complaints, though. The relationship with Seo-ha and his father was woefully undeveloped, and the show seemed to want to have it both ways: that he was a loving and protective father and an evil villain ashamed of his son.

I didn't love Do-yun and Cha-won's kiss in the garden. She's definitely cute and sweet, but she's not a child, and that kiss should have been more passionate and adult, frankly. He finally unclenched his fist! I expected a lot more from that moment than we got.

But that said, there was much I loved about the finale episodes. The flamenco flashback was beautiful because I could feel both the sorrow and joy of having so many memories; Ji-eum's unbridled excitement at eating her aunt/niece's food for what she thought was the first time made me think long and hard about what experience I wish I could have for the first time all over again (might be watching "Healer," lol); and Seo-ha's pursuit of Ji-eum--a perfect reversal of their earlier dynamic--was lovely.

I'll miss this show, but think 12 episodes was the perfect length. In a year where so many romantic shows have not just missed the mark, but exploded into an awful, boring mess before they could even really get going, this drama told its story in a beautiful, moving, and satisfying way.

Thanks @daebakgrits for the weecap that pointed out some of the many question marks about the plot. I think if Minki had not been made into such an annoying character and had shared the information when he arrived at the restaurant then they could have wrapped up the first life issues quickly and moved into the current relationships and rebuilding relationships with Jieum with no memories and would have had plenty of space to cover the bits that made no sense even within the 12 episodes. Some of the gaps for me were why she would wear a random ring without knowing who gave it to her, where was she living, what her friend at the car workshop would say about the man she was stalking before she left the job and how come she had returned etc. There would also have been time to explain how Minki and Seoha’s mum came to know each other and why Minki didn't just use the strategy to sort his own life out.

I also wonder if Jieum kept the skill set she learnt from her previous lives even if she does not remember how she learnt them such as dancing the flamenco. Does she know how to work at the hotel and more importantly does she need to work there if they have made contact now anyway?

It was a gorgeous drama really sweet in parts, beautiful cinematography but shame that the key story points were not well balanced to factor in the 12 episode format.

I liked the beautiful and meaningful exploration of grief, loss, and trauma, but the plot holes gave me 19 nervous breakdowns.

My favorite in the entire drama was episode 11 where we got the backstory. Shin Hye-Sun was simply fantastic. One could feel her pain and her grief, as she cried over her sister’s death, and later when she teetered tottered between the past and the present.
The ending was all about tying the loose ends and the reversal of Ban Ji-Eum and Mun Seo-Ha’s meeting. It was supposed to be cute, but unanswered questions were swirling in my head. Didn’t Ae-Gyeong have pictures of Ban Ji-Eum when she was young? Wouldn’t the present-day memory lost Ban Ji-Eum see it and wonder? Also, they took so many pictures on the phone. Wouldn’t she see them and wonder? What about the call records? And the ring on her finger? Wouldn’t she ever wonder why she has that ring? Or that necklace and earrings? Or for that matter how did she go back to her old job?
As for the kiss between Ha Do-Yun and Yoon Cho-won, the less said the better. No kiss would have been better than that one. I wish I could unsee it.

All I will say is SHS was really great in this role and elevated it. I will also add ABY was also really good. The writing just wasn't there and that is unfortunate because we saw glimpses of it.

This drama had great actors, great production design and great cinematography, but a lousy script.

I, too, cannot get over the logical gaps and plot holes. It does not make sense that she forgets EVERYTHING, as she met everyone in her current life (in a professional setting even), as well and did NOT forget about her job. And yes, I asked myself whether Ban Ji-Eum is living on the streets now, as she does not recognize her niece whom she had lived with for decades anymore;)

I am asking myself if the webtoon had so many logical gaps / plot holes as well.

Shin Hye-Sun gives a memorable performance in Ep. 11, confirming suspicion that in her first life she killed the wrong man and Min-gi is her target for a 1000 year revenge. Min-gi’s prior statement was false: when he stated the consequences of interacting with good people from your past life was their death. “It would not have been as bad if you were enemies in your past because you would have something to resolve.” The question at the end of Ep. 11 was does killing Min-gi today erase the painful memories of the past to make Ji-eum normal? A massive amnesia trope? Well, sort of.

Ji-Eum realizes that she cursed herself to remembering her past lives all for revenge for her sister’s death (which she caused by stealing the shaman bells). It seems too simple of a spell to last 1000 years and 19 life times. What is so hard to forget all your past lives in order to become normal? Hanna seems fine without losing her college friends and memories. What an anti-climatic solution: A care free heart that’s ready to forgive everything and four words (“It’s all good now?”) ends curse? Even a bad magician would call that a lame trick.

She does not want to forget but Seo-ha drags her to a cosmic loophole (which manifests a clip reel highlight show). The writing gets very sloppy here. Solution: everyone remembering her past when she forgets it herself. But that is the whole reason Ae-Young got sick! When she re-boots back at tire company test track, how did that happen? And setting up chance meetings to get her back with her past life loved ones and friends were too staged and borderline cringe. And Seo-ha using the old Ji-eum’s brash conversation technique was clever but it did seem off. Should not the cosmic forces erase their memories of Ji-eum as well (while retaining memories of Ju-Won?) I am okay with an ambiguous ending but the pathway for Ji-eum to remember them again seems obvious and dangerous when someone is bound to tell her about her past lives.

The poorly constructed Curse arc destroyed the proposed fantasy romance drama. It could have been much better for Ji-eum combat her nightmares internally and not project her past on the people in her 19th life. She could have lived with that burden alone instead of becoming clingy with loved ones in the present. Or better yet, used those flashback past life memories to navigate problems in her 19th life (which there were a lot: horrible father, no good mooch brother). I think the role reversal putting Ji-eum in the dark about her past while everyone around her knows the truth is just as unsettling as when the show started and Ji-eum sought out her 18th life relationships.

It was an interesting premise that got derailed by the plot execution.

Not enough Bead Boy. 0/10. Watch Mystic Pop Up Bar instead. ;)

First off, I have to complement Shin Hye-sun's hanbok wardrobe for her first life as Su. It is stunning, and she rocked it to the moon and back.

So after Min-gi acted like he got the short end of a love triangle, he ended up being the propeller for the life cycle brohaha. On this end, SYIM19L was very misleading. They made him appear like a pivotal character but he ended up serving what...? to the plot. And the fact that he sent Seo-ha to Ji-eum's room while she was in a trance was a cheap shot and a low blow. So he now becoming that character just made me say : " so why did Jennifer have the do that"?. It was really misleading.

The many past lives popping up here and there kinda threw me off balance. But, I got compensated with some cool costume deigned by our two sisters.

Seo-ha's father was rather too late. They should have left him the way he is. What I find more unbelievable is Seo-ha's uncle being the culprit. Except for a few evil microexpression scenes, the man was everything loving in word and deed.

My take-home after watching SYIM19L - I need to watch Shin Hye-sun in a saguek. I've missed Mr. Queen.

She never fails to deliver. Her compusure when she wept over Seol's body sent me shivers. Respects. Respects.

@cubely I see why you said the webtoon made better sense than the actual. So many things happening here makes me agree with you. I'm yet to watch the finale so I'm guessing there's more gosh! 🤦🏼‍♂️ moments waiting for me.

[Minority opinion] I loved the pools - and Seo-ha in the pools, hiding, taking comfort in silence, remembering Ju-won. The presence of one at the vacation house and him not jumping into it was a nice little turning point for his recovery. I also enjoyed the gorgeous, anguished first life scenes but like nearly everyone found the lack of amnesia-logic or backstory for “new” Ji-eum in the finale frustrating. It would have made more sense if she’d only forgotten the past life *connections* but not those people as they have existed in her present life, and her interactions with them had happened and were still there in her memories. If all of us could get that right, why couldn't the show? Oh well, I still liked most of it and enjoyed spending the past several weeks visiting that colorful world.

See You in My 19th Life was so close to a masterpiece.
I feel like it’s getting more criticism than it deserves because there are so many things it does right.
The production quality and music/OST was spot on and memorable.
Kudos to the director. Each scene was beautifully shot. The color palette was gorgeous. The colors – just look at the colors! (I’m looking at you Call it Love, where the darkish pinkish color palette was probably the only very minor criticism because there was nothing else to criticize).
Shin Hye Sun continues to be a star and her talent blows me away. I love the way she leans her head forward for emphasis. I love her pronunciation of “Seo-Ha” and “Cho-Won”. She’s able to portray so much affection just by the way she pronounces someone’s name. Her ability of show anger and sorrow comes though with so much intensity. It’s nuts.
The show hits like a white truck when Ji-Eum reveals herself. The reveal to Ae-Gyeong, Cho-Won and Seo-Ha. If you weren’t balling at these scenes – you probably aren’t human. The semi-reveal to her 18th life mom Yu-Seon was beyond impactful – if not the most impactful scene of the entire show. The shot of 18th life Ju-Won leaning against her 18th life mom and 19th life Ji-Eum was a masterpiece. Did Yu-Seon know that Ji-Eum is Ju-Won? Maybe, maybe not. I think the show handled that “maybe” with brilliance. Kang Myung-Joo as Cho Yu-Seon deserves the Small Role but Big Impact award.
I did love the ending. Where have I seen this plot technique before? where you can “fix” the issue at hand by sacrificing your beautiful memories. Ahh, I remember now. From Angel series of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe. Season 1 Episode 8 – I will remember you. This type of plot was also used in the Taiwanese masterpiece Someday or Oneday
Yes, the show definitely would have been better served with 16 episode and writing that didn’t have so many distracting plot holes. Everyone is focused on the multiple plot holes so I won’t pile it on here. As I mentioned in the before – this was so close to a masterpiece.
In the end, one measure of a drama is the sadness that occurs when a show ends. Sadness is an indication that I’ll miss the show and I wish the fantasy didn’t end (but not so sad like Twenty Five Twenty One where it wrecked me so bad with no chance of ever recovering). I was definitely sad at the end of My 19th life. I’ll miss it.
Annyeonghi Gyeseyo to See You in my 19th Life

It made no sense for her to forget key people but retain other memories. Where is she living now? Back with her brother and her dead best dad? Why couldn’t she merely remember them as acquaintances instead of people she had deep feelings for? She grew up with AeGyong and now she doesn’t remember her at all? Why is she not in hospital talking to a professional about all the gaps in her memory?

0 bean from me.

Thoughts on the ending:

Yay the secondary couple kissed, even tho I expected *ahem* better technique. I mean if we are talking about old school tropes that kiss was indeed old school, at least she closed her eyes tho…

ummm the OST is good!

Seeing a pic of poor wet Ahn Bo-hyun wrapped in a blanket in the credits made me sad 😢
Poor dude had so many underwater pool scenes (some were unintentionally funny tho).
Plus I don’t think I can ever look at pools the same again without remembering that they’re Seo-ha’s coping mechanism for depression…

I’m fortunate to not have read the webcomic yet, so for me the drama was okay. In a year of so many BAD dramas, having an okay(ish) experience was sadly good enough.

Also what in the PPL were these last few episodes??!

I agree that this was a "beautiful letdown". I really took notice of the cinematography as the show went on and I also noticed the resolutions that wrapped up the conflicts and obstacles so easily without much depth. The constant reminder of the car accident and Seo Ha's trauma during most of the drama was heavy. I'm all for Seo Ha's smiles, but it felt like his change was a little abrupt.

I struggled to get through the last two episodes. It was slightly cute to see everyone popping in front of Ji Eum though, trying to jog her memory.

Underdeveloped characters and stories. The second leads finally got together and their first kiss was diappointing! So bland.

This is only my second time watching Shin Hye Sun so I'm glad I got to see her in a lead role. I'm more inclined to watch Thirty But Seventeen now if I ever make the time for it. Glad to have seen Ahn Bo Hyun in a different light too.

Did we watch the same show? I LOVED it! The story was unique, the scenery was beautiful and the acting was just fantastic. Espec Shin Hye Sun. When she cried over her sister-it broke me. She made me 'feel your pain'. I thought the story played out perfectly and the end when they all came together to be in her life again was so right. I don't care if there were 'plot holes', I was too busy watching great story/acting. I almost never watch one ep. at a time and wait for a few, but this HAD me. This will be one of my favs forever.

The bridge with the fireworks is officially tied with the arrows coming across the courtyard at Song Joong Ki in Deep Rooted Tree as my most favorite kdrama visuals of ever! 😍

They robbed us of a decent storyline & Seo-ha of his much needed therapy :'))))

It had a really strong & gorgeous start but alas, it spiraled downhill fast when the writers remembered that they only had 12eps & 1 hour blocks to work with. Another "what it could've been" drama for the books, sadly.

Highly recommend to give the webtoon a read as it explains everything better than the drama did.

After reading the recap, the hot take, the fan walls and all the other posts, I've got nothing to add that hasn't already been said. After adding all the pros and cons, I'm more or less neutral on the show, leaning on the side of what could have been. And I'm duly collecting my bean (yay, now I know what that means).

I hope everyone involved gets a better script next time, preferably one for ABH that requires him wearing an indigo hanbok and his ink-black hair styled just so. SHS, I'll gladly see your next life, err, show. CJH, you too. Keep on smiling.

I find myself being a bit hard on this show just because it really could have been one of the greats. But I really did enjoy it! The cinematography, Shin Hye-Sun's acting, the music, the way it pulled at my emotions even as my more logical side went "wait what?" lol

And as I agree with most the criticisms already pointed out (needing more time, character development, etc ), I'll just take all the lovely hugs we got in the last episode and call it good.

This show did get me to start reading the webcomic which also feels like a success of sorts on its part

Thanks for the recaps DaebakGrits, you did well.

I'd like to remember the 19th Life just as ABY sings in I'll Embrace your Past:

On a rainy night that feels familiar
I know your silent tears
I know that pain
Holding onto a restless heart
You walk in loneliness without light
I know that time

In a world without you
To the point where there's nothing left of me
Your mere existence comforted me
I'll embrace your past

Twelve months that held no meaning for you
In your season, with only winter remaining
May the flowers bloom now
Last night when it didn't shine
May it be forgotten
May the starlight shine to the fullest

In a world without you
To the point where there's nothing left of me
Your mere existence comforted me
I'll embrace your past
In my arms

Na-na-na-na-na
Your mere existence comforted me
I'll embrace your past.

And just one more ost because it's so beautiful,
Silence by Sunwoojunga

When I'm with you
Words aren't needed
A fleeting gaze
With a smile on your lips
Is enough for me
You casually leave
Leaving me alone like this
Longing for every trace
I had to swallow the loneliness
Leaving me alone, hmm

Every day that approaches without you
Flows in a blur
Our own memories
Will never be forgotten
So it's okay to be a little sad
I'll be able to recognize you
No matter what you look like

Even if we go back again
I'll hold your hand, hmm
As the countless pushеs and pulls (Ooh-ooh)
That only we can understand
Piles up, onе by one
With our own language
That fills the whole world
I love you

So you don't have to be sad anymore
No matter what you look like
I'll be able to know it all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2AMHu0U240

I think this is the case loving a drama too much to the point of I am willing to turn a blind eye to its flaws and plot holes. For this drama, I can come up with a thousand excuses to cover up the plot holes. This makes me wonder how much of lapses in logic I am willing to turn my back before my brain screams No!!! This is too much! (happens to Flight to You, an enjoyable drama with a major plot hole that kinda destroys the drama for me).

There are many things I like (which I mostly forget as I am writing this) in this drama and I will try to list them out:
Visual and characterisation: The main leads are visually compatible (height, face type, etc.). What I like the most is their characterisation. I can actually envision Seo-ha inheriting MI Group with Ji-eum by his side. Both are highly intelligent, competent, confident, and decisive. As a chaebol, it is important for Seo-ha to find a partner that can stand by his side in a very cutthroat environment.

Cinematography: The colour palette and outdoor sites. We can clearly see how much thought and effort has been put into the production design. The cinematography reminds me of Bulgasal and unsurprisingly they are both produced by Studio Dragon, aired on the same time slot and channel, and share similar ratings.

Acting: The script is without a doubt elevated by the actors. Shin Hye-sun sold the script, making this fantastical premise so achingly believable. Ahn Bo-hyun is equally charming as the biggest puppy ever. For someone who is huge in physique, he somehow appears so soft and vulnerable as Seo-ha.

Suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoy the drama and wish the couples happy ever after, throwing logic to the wind.

@reply1988 (blue) and I (orange) filled out the Bingo Card ... with footnotes, even!
https://www.dramabeans.com/members/CecilieDK/activity/1428387/

I loved the drama and its cinematography, especially the colours. The plot holes were there, but this is a drama that centres on a character who remembers a 1000 years. Realism plays little part in this, at the heart of the drama are themes of revenge and forgiveness, displayed in a very poetic way.

My favourite part was when Seo-ha tried to persuade Ji-eum to loose her memory and said that he was never comfortable with her memories of their previous life together. Very sensible!

I have no knowledge of the webtoon and from the comments, it would be a bad idea to read it now. I am always hesitant to watch films adapted from books that I love (or vice versa), it is the exception that book and film are a satisfying match. I can only think of one faithful adaptation, the Hunger Games. It also does not upset me anymore and prefer to praise a good adaptation than blame a bad one.

Thanks for the recap daebakgrits! This drama was a FAIL on so many levels.

Unfortunately, I'm with those who think this drama was a major case of script failure. The idea is intriguing but the execution was inadequate and unsatisfying.
Color palette, cinematography, costumes, locations, production and acting just couldn't save this script from sinking to the bottom of a pool like Seo-ha.

I admit that I am a big fan of Ahn Bo-Hyun and was really looking forward to seeing him as a romantic lead. His singing of "I'll Embrace You" was the most romantic thing he did in this drama.

Aside of some nice music, gorgeous cinematography (the colors! pool scenes! clever flashback montages!) and certain actors flexing their professional skills, this drama was pretty much just a huge waste of time. It's wasn't even THAT long, but I still want hours I've spend on it back. Not in all-consuming rage mood like I did with KKOKDU, but a heavily disappointed one.

ABH should do more emotional romances, he - to my surprise - has a talent at it. SHS should change genres drastically. HYK should try a role where she is NOT the nicest and sweetest thing ever. Writer should reflect on themselves and never touch someone else's IP ever again. PD should make more wonderfully colored sageuks for our pleasure. I should NOT get involved with another fantasy k-romance spanning multiple eras anytime soon since I'm SO tired of this genre's painfully obvious current incapability to produce something even low bar level of decent story-wise.

See yall in another lifeseason with better scripts, hopefully!

I think I could have overlooked some of the plot holes if the character relationships had been more solid and the character growth better paced. I wasn't exactly sure what the MAIN main point of the drama was (the first life thing didn't come along until quite late in the drama), and I felt like it should have been a 16 episode drama, and that too much was left out to hold it all together.

As for characters, SHS did a fantastic job. I felt that all the female relationships were really great. But the male characters (both in terms of their own character growth as well as their supposed romantic relationships) really fell flat for me. People who have read the webtoon insist that the male lead was supposed to be cold due to his past trauma. But he just came across as completely wooden to me, to the point that I felt he had no personality. And I don't think it's just an acting issue. Really, what are the stated/written points of his personality for the actor to work with? He had trauma. And...he works at a hotel. Er, okay. I don't know what he likes and what he dreams of and what his quirks are. We spent a long time seeing the FL almost as a mother character to him, and I think it would have been okay/funny to see her acting old as a younger person--IF his character had taken off to be actually older than her. I just wanted more from his character as an adult so that I could feel the present-day chemistry. As far as the second leads, there was never enough explanation of why the 2ML was SO adamant about pushing away the girl he liked. He felt bad about having been poor after his dad died, but he has a good job now. Are secretaries to chaebols really not enough for a florist? It seemed excessive.

So basically, acting wise it was good, and the cinematography was also good. But the story needed more time to unfold in an organic way.

I feel like they could have fleshed the drama out a bit better if they removed the stuff about his stepmom, who had no bearing on the story. I also call BS on Ju-won's reporting Seo-ha's dad for murder to protect Seo-ha's feelings.

The plot holes, particularly around the memories getting wiped, sort of prevented me from finding the finale satisfactory. For the most part, I enjoyed the drama. I didn't feel like I wasted my time. There is a lot of good stuff, even in hole-y writing. I think it could have used more editing. The drama really came with its own ambiance, which really fits the fantastical, philosophical feel of the series. I really liked how Ji-eum's reconnections with her niece and sister were just as or even more important than with Seo-ha, especially given what happened in her first life. I thought it was refreshing that her relationship with first 1st life Seo-ha was really no relationship. He was just some random cute guy that she happend to stab. I'm a sucker for those "so I was the cause of this all along" type reveals, so her finding out that her curse was her soul-deep anger over 1st-life-Cho-won's killing was up my alley. I'm glad the ultimate solution was really to just let go and live in the present life.

I really liked this drama. And I was frequently frustrated! Maybe that should be my name here, as it often describes how I feel while watching most shows.

The main romance was flat, in my opinion, but I was rooting for them regardless. I loved the main song. I loved that we had a female lead who went after what she wanted. It was refreshing and funny to watch everyone’s expressions when she boldly flamencos into a fight or proclaims confidently whatever it was she needed to proclaim. I really enjoyed the past life part, and most of the show…I sort of even liked the silliness at the end. Oh, and I really loved Uncle and Niece. Everytime she called Shin Hye-sun “uncle”, i snickered.

BUT…

Frustration stemmed from the lack of consistency. The dad was bad - but then he wasn’t. The uncle was behind the fatal car accident — made no sense. It was an accident only meant to scare? What - hiring a drunk debtor to smash a car not too much seemed really stupid. The second wife/evil assistant at the hotel…so what happened to her? Why did dad marry her? (Or, were they not married — it was a very odd relationship.). What happened to her after uncle went to jail? Wasn’t uncle the dead moms brother - why was he sympathetic to, and supportive of wife #2? Argh…one or two lines may have made this clearer…and maybe it did and I missed it.

The 2nd lead romance barrier SHOULD HAVE BEEN that 2ML dad drove the car where 2FL beloved sister died. He could have been harboring some guilt over that and noble idiocy could have ended sooner as 2FL could say, “Yeah. I know that. So?” Boom - romance ensues.

If they wanted to make an issue about class differences, that needed a longer show. More hotel renovation or deep dive into mommy issues, and remarriage and hidden motives…longer show.

Yes, the show tried to do too much in too few episodes. Originally slated for 16 and then reshoots and re-edits makes a lot more sense as honestly, it was a refreshing different and quite lovely program!

Despite leaving me Frequently Frustrated!

Love the review! Something was just missing from this show. I was excited to watch it after learning the premise, and it had a promising start, but I barely finished it - only did so because I don't like having incompletes in my watchlists.
The romance was not romancing for me, the relationship between the sisters was better than the first week episodes suggested but still not where I thought it would go. Cho-wan and Do-yoon, a total waste of a second couple. Kang Mingi was interesting when he first showed up and then kinda fizzled out.
I feel like this show could have been epic, and instead its just meh.

I watched Episode 12 with one eye on my phone even though my Korean is extremely limited and I do need subtitles. Bad enough we had a silly reason offered for her remembering all her lives, but the whole episode seemed like filler, padding, repetition and tedious dragging nonsense to me. If she can break the cycle by being made to forget her past lives, why does she have to forget the people in her present life too? They have their own current identity and relationship with her so why can't the past memories be removed and the current ones left intact? Forgetting everything makes absolutely no sense at all. Glad it's over so Bo-hyun can stop wearing lipstick.

As someone who is unfamiliar with the webtoon, I enjoyed this drama, but I didn't love it. I really like SHS, and the child actors were brilliant.

Visually stunning!! The colors and settings. Some of my favorites were the richly colored fabrics on the beach, the fields of tall grasses and flowers, the sparkling water with the colorful clothes of the playful kids and Ji Eum and Seo Ha as they danced, fireworks on the bridge, flamenco dancers by the fire, Cho Won's garden, and the beautiful scene of Ji Eum on the bridge with her past lives following her. A visual feast to watch these scenes.

I agree though with commenters that this show could have been so much better had they focused more on the relationships and less on plots that ended abruptly or in confusing ways. Wish as much effort had gone into the story as the cinematography. Will it mean trouble for Ji Eum if others share her backstory with her, or does she need to stay in the dark? Has some cosmic force filled in the blanks in her past memories? What about all of the people she knows at the hotel, will they not comment on past events or talk as if they know her when she has no memory of them? That's just weird.

My daughter watched this with me because of the webtoon, and her take was that each had their strengths and weaknesses but she preferred the Kdrama to the original.

Reading the many comments (a year late), I make it that a substantial number of us liked 19 Lives to one extent or another -- but most of us fans sigh “aah, but what could have been” .

An oft repeated criticism is that the villain uncle served no purpose. Instead, perhaps we needed a McGuffin: a plot device that influential 1960s-era director Alfred Hitchcock popularised. A MacGuffin has no narrative value but is used to get the characters doing what they need to do -- something that the characters worry about but the audience doesn’t need to.

Hitchcock’s MacGuffins efficiently do their job without intruding into the story. In his arguably best-known film -- the psychological horror classic Psycho -- the only purpose of the stolen money was to get Janet Leigh (Jamie Leigh Curtis’ real mom) on the road destined for The Shower in Bates Motel. In 19 Lives the car crash needed to kill Ju-won and leave Seo-ha with a tortured soul. An accidental deadly car crash on his birthday trip in his father’s car would have sufficed, rather than diluting the story with Uncle, Stepmom(?), and her son (no complaints about the actor themselves though).

The car-crash villain fizzling out plus various plot holes (that Beanies made good suggestions for fixing) render a feeling of a rushed second half. One-Dollar Lawyer seems to have been unexpectedly cut down from 16 eps to 12 and imo suffered as a result. Perhaps in both these dramas their talented writers, directors, and actors were committed initially but not given sufficient time to complete the project to their first-half standards.

Happier notes: I was right there with Ahn Bo-hyun whenever he was underwater. There can never be too many dyed silks blowing in the wind. Alexa has been playing the OST for me lots.

There was plenty to like, but I would have preferred more logical character progression after the amnesia.