Finally all caught up with the 12 available eps 18 Again. It took a 3-day sick leave break and some binge-watching-while-trying-not-to-fall-asleep-during-the-day to do this. And um, I have mixed views.
To begin with, I did not like the premise of the movie on which it is based, so I came in slightly biased (I never watched the movie, and don’t intend to). There is a lot – a LOT – of suspension of disbelief required in this show, starting with the central plot device of the “elixir of life” -induced transformation.
But let’s say I swallowed that pill and walked on, out of curiosity to discover what everyone was raving on about. I get some of it. The family dynamics are the main draw, with the epigrammatic truths that the characters periodically deliver. And yes, they’re nice.
But, the messaging felt a little trite, and the overall feel was a little… disney-ish (?). The underlying theme about what makes a happy family or reinforcing the institution of marriage or defining what it means to be a good parent… I found it a little more moralistic than I would have liked, sometimes re-emphasizing discomforting stereotypes (supermoms, for example) and too nicely gift-wrapped and tied-up-in-a-bow to be easily acceptable.
But then I think, maybe I’m being too cynical. Maybe the messaging is all deliberate. Maybe the writer/s recognised that this is a fairy tale, and as fairy tales tend to be, it’s a dark story about broken families and abandoned dreams, and the only way to mask the darkness was through this bokeh veneer.
There’s also a lot of genre whiplash I got while watching – one minute it’s a melo, the next a teen / idol romance, then an office drama, then a crazy comedy (with some otaku thrown in for flavour). I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. On the contrary, I’d say it takes great skill to marry all these genres together, but it’s definitely unsettling because I could never tell what was going to me next.
Now, even with all this, I cannot finish this note without saying that the characters are all darlings. You can’t hate anyone in this story, can you? I know Ye Ji-hoon is going to be broken hearted, and I want all four of the JBC rookies to get placed permanently, and I want the anime couple to figure their avatars out and join forces, and I want Si-woo to become a rockstar ball player, and I want Si-ah to be the fierce independent woman she’s meant to be… I’m rooting for everyone. That’s great character-writing, and excellent execution by the cast and crew all around. I cannot complain.
The cast. Oh the cast, especially, has been delightful. I don’t think there’s a single misstep in the casting. It’s a perfect ensemble any way you look at it. From the mature Lee Dohyun to the gorgeous Kim Haneul to my favourite Kim Mikyung to the JBL alumni reunion of Kimm Kyanghun and Lee Kiwoo, and the younger lot as well..
So basically, I’m confused. I’d say I kind of like the show, but kind of also don’t like it? Like the show itself, I leave it to you to figure out if you know what I mean. I’m not sure I do!
Love your thoughtful analysis! It’s funny how I actually don’t disagree with anything you said here, and yet I have absolute, utter adoration for this show. A few thoughts:
– Dajung is portrayed as 100% awesomeness (with some very minor flaws), but I don’t know if I’d call her supermom, or the idea here is the woman should be able to do everything. If anything, for the most part of her life, she was only able to do one thing – taking care of her family. It took her a while, in her 30s, to go to college, then started in terrible jobs, before she got where she is today. And her mom is living with her now to help take care of the kids (who are also grown up), so I didn’t see it as her being able to do both work and family all at once.
– This is definitely a feel-good drama, and I love it for that! Like you said, most characters here are so wholesome, with some realistic flaws, but no one is straight up evil (even the few “bad” characters like the sexist boss, Il-kwon, Yoomi; you’re very kind to Yoomi, btw lol I for one don’t think she deserves a slot as a permanent employee).
– I winced a bit at the comparison to Disney lol but, yes the morals of this story are quite straightforward. If we were to compare, I’d prefer to compare it to Pixar: simple, heartwarming story with a “teaching” message to tell, through well-done storying telling. I did love how realistic all the challenges this family faced are, and the show was so good at making me care about these characters, that I only want good things to happen to them. In real-real life, Dajung might never have gotten her break. Dajung and Daeyoung might have hurt each other too much to even consider reconciling. But by starting the show with a fantastical premise (“going back to your youthful body”). I do believe the show set itself up as a fairy tale, like you said. I don’t believe in dramas where characters are tortured needlessly and struggle without any payoff (what would I be watching for, if I root for them?) so in this case, I’m happy that the characters are getting the (very belated) chances they deserve. It probably says more about how and why I watch dramas, than the drama quality itself though 😉
Hope you’ll keep watching and sharing your thoughts with us!
Thank you for your awesomely detailed response! Pixar or Disney – so long as you get the point 😀 (haven’t watched enough Pixar to know what their oeuvre is like). Fairy tales and Disney were on my mind because I’ve had Salem Ilese’s song running on loop in my head since I heard it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjiAFcaqV70)
I think Yoomi needs the right mentoring and with a bit of help, can do well. I always feel for folks setting out in new jobs, clueless about what to do, learning life lessons along the way. I think it comes from that perspective. And as for Il-kwon, I think Lee Kiwoo has always been shortchanged in the characters he plays (the ones I’ve seen at least), so I think I feel bad for him as an actor more than for him as the character. Hehe.
And yes, totally agree that Dajung is not supermom, but I feel like the show is selling the idea of being supermom to us. As though women should be able to do everything – have the awesome job, keep the family together, manage the parents and the in-laws. It’s shown as aspirational and desirable, and I have problems with that. :/ I deeply respect women in real life who do that (including in my own family), but I am uncomfortable with encouraging this idea. It’s the same feeling I have about a lot of the (especially family-oriented) messaging and stereotypes that the show puts out and perpetuates: marriage is good; divorce is bad; look after your parents and in-laws; boys play ball; women look pretty and become TV announcers…
I’m probably being selective in calling this out here, because it is true of probably every other kdrama out there. :p So it isn’t really fair. But maybe I’m in the mood. Sorry for subjecting you to this!
I will keep watching, I think!, and will join in occasional conversations like this 😀 thank you 🙂 it’s nice to be talking about these things!
I like your reason for drama watching – I agree completely that the best dramas are those that have characters you can root for!! I think in another mind space, I might have adored this drama as much as the rest of you, but maybe I’ve been wired differently for now… My cynicism hasn’t been fixed yet :p I’m trying to work on that!
Oh! I think you’d like Nothing but Thirty then! There are a couple of divorces in there, with very different trajectories, to show the different kinds of lives and choices different women make. Again, wait till ep 15 or so before making judgment lol it all gonna go somewhere I promise!
Thanks for the great post. I feel a little less cynical disliking this drama. I kept thinking it’s me being too picky or just not the target for this kind of show but you nicely explained some of my reasons. I’ve only watched until ep 8 btw so maybe it will pick up later. I can’t say I dislike these characters but I don’t exactly like them either because I find all of them quite superficial and one note.
So many things seem either unlikely or very hard to believe. This makes some moments others consider heartwarming, a bit ridiculous, I blame my cold heart kkk
When DY had that insight about the husband drinking because he worked stupid long jobs it was so silly, she isn’t that dumb that she would not have understood that in 18 years.
The fact he became distant from the kids felt completely contrived. It’s been 8 eps and we still know almost nothing about the kids. I don’t believe for a second that his whole family would have kept a relationship with his dad but that guy would still manage to stay away from his father. Again, this doesn’t match DY or HDY personality.
I’m also disliking the fact that he made a big deal about letting the wife go her own away after the divorce but every ep there are romantic scenes with them. Divorce can be good! They are that classic example of a couple that grew apart, nothing wrong with that. Lastly I’ve been waiting for HDY to enjoy being a boy again but it’s all about fixing his family and doing what he didn’t do when he was the dad, it’s completely unrealistic, as if he would be selfish to do anything only for himself and drama must sell him as being a nice person.
Haha, I’m as cold hearted as well, I think! Thanks for calling out the things that seemed a little unrealistic. This is among several such through the show.
I also feel like there’s a drastic personality shift in Hong Dae Young as a kid and now – he didn’t seem to be the shouty kind as his (real) 18-year-old self, but he’s become this sort of person over the years. It’s possible, but I also find it anomalous and the transformation isn’t totally easy to swallow.
Aw Maq, no worries! Thank you for recommending it to me though! I’m still glad I watched it, it’s given me perspective on stuff I’m beginning to like and not like about kdramas. Also, I’m sticking with this through till the end, now that I’ve made it to 12/16!! I might yet become a full convert 🙂
(Also, we will still rave together about all the other dramas we’re on the same page on, hehe!)
Still a bit sad that I don’t get to rave over this one too =( But I get and I don’t think you’re wrong about anything you’ve said. For example, there is a Disney-ish element to this show in some ways, although I find it works for me in this and it doesn’t detract from the experience for me. Similarly, if you stare at the show, you find lots of things that are not very believable . Why did Deok-jin accept young Dae-young so easily? Why isn’t Ae-rin spooked out of her mind? Why aren’t all the people who knew Dae-young when he was younger (especially Da-jung) alarmed by the appearance of a doppelganger? Why aren’t Si-woo or Si-a alarmed by Dae-young, who seems to have forced his way into their lives as Woo-young? Etc etc. Nevertheless, this show is really working for me and it’s what I look forward to most each week.
Yes to all this!! Exactly the issues I was having 😀 I think I am nitpicking too much for this drama, because otherwise I’d have swept all my issues under the carpet and gone with the flow. Ah well. I still have to catch up with this week’s episodes! But life has been a little chaotic. Maybe I’ll finish all of them up together next week.
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pickleddragon
October 29, 2020 at 4:17 AM
A three-quarter review of 18 Again
Finally all caught up with the 12 available eps 18 Again. It took a 3-day sick leave break and some binge-watching-while-trying-not-to-fall-asleep-during-the-day to do this. And um, I have mixed views.
To begin with, I did not like the premise of the movie on which it is based, so I came in slightly biased (I never watched the movie, and don’t intend to). There is a lot – a LOT – of suspension of disbelief required in this show, starting with the central plot device of the “elixir of life” -induced transformation.
But let’s say I swallowed that pill and walked on, out of curiosity to discover what everyone was raving on about. I get some of it. The family dynamics are the main draw, with the epigrammatic truths that the characters periodically deliver. And yes, they’re nice.
But, the messaging felt a little trite, and the overall feel was a little… disney-ish (?). The underlying theme about what makes a happy family or reinforcing the institution of marriage or defining what it means to be a good parent… I found it a little more moralistic than I would have liked, sometimes re-emphasizing discomforting stereotypes (supermoms, for example) and too nicely gift-wrapped and tied-up-in-a-bow to be easily acceptable.
But then I think, maybe I’m being too cynical. Maybe the messaging is all deliberate. Maybe the writer/s recognised that this is a fairy tale, and as fairy tales tend to be, it’s a dark story about broken families and abandoned dreams, and the only way to mask the darkness was through this bokeh veneer.
There’s also a lot of genre whiplash I got while watching – one minute it’s a melo, the next a teen / idol romance, then an office drama, then a crazy comedy (with some otaku thrown in for flavour). I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. On the contrary, I’d say it takes great skill to marry all these genres together, but it’s definitely unsettling because I could never tell what was going to me next.
Now, even with all this, I cannot finish this note without saying that the characters are all darlings. You can’t hate anyone in this story, can you? I know Ye Ji-hoon is going to be broken hearted, and I want all four of the JBC rookies to get placed permanently, and I want the anime couple to figure their avatars out and join forces, and I want Si-woo to become a rockstar ball player, and I want Si-ah to be the fierce independent woman she’s meant to be… I’m rooting for everyone. That’s great character-writing, and excellent execution by the cast and crew all around. I cannot complain.
The cast. Oh the cast, especially, has been delightful. I don’t think there’s a single misstep in the casting. It’s a perfect ensemble any way you look at it. From the mature Lee Dohyun to the gorgeous Kim Haneul to my favourite Kim Mikyung to the JBL alumni reunion of Kimm Kyanghun and Lee Kiwoo, and the younger lot as well..
So basically, I’m confused. I’d say I kind of like the show, but kind of also don’t like it? Like the show itself, I leave it to you to figure out if you know what I mean. I’m not sure I do!
dokutokunaneko
October 29, 2020 at 6:09 AM
Love your thoughtful analysis! It’s funny how I actually don’t disagree with anything you said here, and yet I have absolute, utter adoration for this show. A few thoughts:
– Dajung is portrayed as 100% awesomeness (with some very minor flaws), but I don’t know if I’d call her supermom, or the idea here is the woman should be able to do everything. If anything, for the most part of her life, she was only able to do one thing – taking care of her family. It took her a while, in her 30s, to go to college, then started in terrible jobs, before she got where she is today. And her mom is living with her now to help take care of the kids (who are also grown up), so I didn’t see it as her being able to do both work and family all at once.
– This is definitely a feel-good drama, and I love it for that! Like you said, most characters here are so wholesome, with some realistic flaws, but no one is straight up evil (even the few “bad” characters like the sexist boss, Il-kwon, Yoomi; you’re very kind to Yoomi, btw lol I for one don’t think she deserves a slot as a permanent employee).
– I winced a bit at the comparison to Disney lol but, yes the morals of this story are quite straightforward. If we were to compare, I’d prefer to compare it to Pixar: simple, heartwarming story with a “teaching” message to tell, through well-done storying telling. I did love how realistic all the challenges this family faced are, and the show was so good at making me care about these characters, that I only want good things to happen to them. In real-real life, Dajung might never have gotten her break. Dajung and Daeyoung might have hurt each other too much to even consider reconciling. But by starting the show with a fantastical premise (“going back to your youthful body”). I do believe the show set itself up as a fairy tale, like you said. I don’t believe in dramas where characters are tortured needlessly and struggle without any payoff (what would I be watching for, if I root for them?) so in this case, I’m happy that the characters are getting the (very belated) chances they deserve. It probably says more about how and why I watch dramas, than the drama quality itself though 😉
Hope you’ll keep watching and sharing your thoughts with us!
pickleddragon
October 29, 2020 at 10:58 PM
Thank you for your awesomely detailed response! Pixar or Disney – so long as you get the point 😀 (haven’t watched enough Pixar to know what their oeuvre is like). Fairy tales and Disney were on my mind because I’ve had Salem Ilese’s song running on loop in my head since I heard it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjiAFcaqV70)
I think Yoomi needs the right mentoring and with a bit of help, can do well. I always feel for folks setting out in new jobs, clueless about what to do, learning life lessons along the way. I think it comes from that perspective. And as for Il-kwon, I think Lee Kiwoo has always been shortchanged in the characters he plays (the ones I’ve seen at least), so I think I feel bad for him as an actor more than for him as the character. Hehe.
And yes, totally agree that Dajung is not supermom, but I feel like the show is selling the idea of being supermom to us. As though women should be able to do everything – have the awesome job, keep the family together, manage the parents and the in-laws. It’s shown as aspirational and desirable, and I have problems with that. :/ I deeply respect women in real life who do that (including in my own family), but I am uncomfortable with encouraging this idea. It’s the same feeling I have about a lot of the (especially family-oriented) messaging and stereotypes that the show puts out and perpetuates: marriage is good; divorce is bad; look after your parents and in-laws; boys play ball; women look pretty and become TV announcers…
I’m probably being selective in calling this out here, because it is true of probably every other kdrama out there. :p So it isn’t really fair. But maybe I’m in the mood. Sorry for subjecting you to this!
I will keep watching, I think!, and will join in occasional conversations like this 😀 thank you 🙂 it’s nice to be talking about these things!
I like your reason for drama watching – I agree completely that the best dramas are those that have characters you can root for!! I think in another mind space, I might have adored this drama as much as the rest of you, but maybe I’ve been wired differently for now… My cynicism hasn’t been fixed yet :p I’m trying to work on that!
dokutokunaneko
October 30, 2020 at 8:39 AM
Oh! I think you’d like Nothing but Thirty then! There are a couple of divorces in there, with very different trajectories, to show the different kinds of lives and choices different women make. Again, wait till ep 15 or so before making judgment lol it all gonna go somewhere I promise!
pickleddragon
October 30, 2020 at 9:28 AM
Haha noted. Will hold out till ep 15 at least! 😀
Lixie
October 29, 2020 at 7:02 AM
Thanks for the great post. I feel a little less cynical disliking this drama. I kept thinking it’s me being too picky or just not the target for this kind of show but you nicely explained some of my reasons. I’ve only watched until ep 8 btw so maybe it will pick up later. I can’t say I dislike these characters but I don’t exactly like them either because I find all of them quite superficial and one note.
So many things seem either unlikely or very hard to believe. This makes some moments others consider heartwarming, a bit ridiculous, I blame my cold heart kkk
When DY had that insight about the husband drinking because he worked stupid long jobs it was so silly, she isn’t that dumb that she would not have understood that in 18 years.
The fact he became distant from the kids felt completely contrived. It’s been 8 eps and we still know almost nothing about the kids. I don’t believe for a second that his whole family would have kept a relationship with his dad but that guy would still manage to stay away from his father. Again, this doesn’t match DY or HDY personality.
I’m also disliking the fact that he made a big deal about letting the wife go her own away after the divorce but every ep there are romantic scenes with them. Divorce can be good! They are that classic example of a couple that grew apart, nothing wrong with that. Lastly I’ve been waiting for HDY to enjoy being a boy again but it’s all about fixing his family and doing what he didn’t do when he was the dad, it’s completely unrealistic, as if he would be selfish to do anything only for himself and drama must sell him as being a nice person.
pickleddragon
October 29, 2020 at 11:01 PM
Haha, I’m as cold hearted as well, I think! Thanks for calling out the things that seemed a little unrealistic. This is among several such through the show.
I also feel like there’s a drastic personality shift in Hong Dae Young as a kid and now – he didn’t seem to be the shouty kind as his (real) 18-year-old self, but he’s become this sort of person over the years. It’s possible, but I also find it anomalous and the transformation isn’t totally easy to swallow.
Maq
October 29, 2020 at 8:33 AM
😢😢😢
pickleddragon
October 29, 2020 at 11:07 PM
Aw Maq, no worries! Thank you for recommending it to me though! I’m still glad I watched it, it’s given me perspective on stuff I’m beginning to like and not like about kdramas. Also, I’m sticking with this through till the end, now that I’ve made it to 12/16!! I might yet become a full convert 🙂
(Also, we will still rave together about all the other dramas we’re on the same page on, hehe!)
Maq
October 30, 2020 at 8:12 PM
Still a bit sad that I don’t get to rave over this one too =( But I get and I don’t think you’re wrong about anything you’ve said. For example, there is a Disney-ish element to this show in some ways, although I find it works for me in this and it doesn’t detract from the experience for me. Similarly, if you stare at the show, you find lots of things that are not very believable . Why did Deok-jin accept young Dae-young so easily? Why isn’t Ae-rin spooked out of her mind? Why aren’t all the people who knew Dae-young when he was younger (especially Da-jung) alarmed by the appearance of a doppelganger? Why aren’t Si-woo or Si-a alarmed by Dae-young, who seems to have forced his way into their lives as Woo-young? Etc etc. Nevertheless, this show is really working for me and it’s what I look forward to most each week.
Maq
October 30, 2020 at 8:12 PM
I don’t get to rave over this one with you too****
pickleddragon
November 5, 2020 at 5:14 AM
Yes to all this!! Exactly the issues I was having 😀 I think I am nitpicking too much for this drama, because otherwise I’d have swept all my issues under the carpet and gone with the flow. Ah well. I still have to catch up with this week’s episodes! But life has been a little chaotic. Maybe I’ll finish all of them up together next week.