Updated: July 24, 2023 (Full review)
Sometimes, all it takes is a carefree heart that’s willing to let go of the prisons created by self in the past. Only then will you and your relationships be able to embark life anew, free from pains and haunting memories.
tvN’s See You In My 19th Life (2023) is a fantasy romance based on a popular webtoon of the same name about a woman who reincarnates every time she dies and vividly remembers all her past lives. During her 18th life, she meets a young boy she learns to love but her life was cut short after a tragic accident. So, she sets out to reconnect with him in her 19th life but soon realizes it’s never easy than expected.
Here are five elements that impressed me the most about the drama:
Cinematography.
Being a photographer who delights in vibrant visuals that convey the depths of life, I was initially drawn to the stunning cinematography of this drama.
There’s a sense of “wow” factor a few minutes into the pilot episode that uniquely grabs your attention—eye-catching visuals, lively colors, clear portraits, magical landscapes, even the costumes used in the past lives look pretty. Overall, the shots are narrative in nature, giving you a certain perspective and insight into the past lives of the protagonist.
Storytelling.
I must say, the storytelling of past lives in this drama is poetically creative and exceptional. It conveys depth that stirs your soul and utters lines that tug at the heartstrings.
The artistic style actually reminded me of tvN’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020), a drama that creatively used children’s books to walk viewers into a person’s life experience. Meanwhile, See You In My 19th Life (2023) used eighteen lives to give viewers a personal perspective of the protagonist.
A woman named Ban Ji-eum who has the unique ability to remember her past lives, narrates them in vivid memories and emotions, all eighteen past lives both fortunate and unfortunate. She recounts the events of her brave soul taken to various historical periods, rich cultures, and human fates across nineteen lives. She has lived the life of a flamenco dancer, a male acrobat, a survivor of Japanese invasion, an uncle suffering from illness, a rickshaw puller, a race car driver, and so on.
However, none of these is as meaningful as her 18th life where she meets Mun Seo-ha, a mischievous yet lonely kid from a rich family who falls for her unique charms and warmth. She promises to be by his side when life falls apart but a tragic accident causes them to part ways—her leaving the 18th life for the 19th reincarnation and him left behind.
So she makes a vow to find him in the next life, “Whenever one life ended, I would say the same prayer. I would pray that this life would be my last. Or that my memories would never return. But I said a different prayer that time.”
Characters.
Presenting fictional characters whose psyche relate to real life human experiences always connect to the audience. Although the drama is fantasy in genre, it still reflects about the realities of humanity.
Mun Seo-ha suffers from a hearing loss and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the tragic car accident with Ju-won (now Ban Ji-eum in her 19th life). As a result, he avoids the back seat and abhors physical touches. He also displays panic attacks everytime a vehicle comes rushing towards him and feels downhearted when his birthday comes, triggered by the accident that happened during his birthday years ago.
Everytime, he relieves the accident and flashback of Ju-won’s lifeless body on top of him, which pinches his heart painfully, “Everytime I blew the candles out, I remembered the moment Ju-won stopped breathing. My birthdays were always linked to her death.”
The mystery of transmigration or reincarnation with memories intact has remarkably made Ban Ji-eum’s life experience rich, perspective broad, and skills multiple. She speaks maturely, knows history well, and understands the plight of every human being, both the affluent and underprivileged.
However, she suffers from separation anxiety and loss issues, which makes her character vulnerable and human psyche realistic. Everytime she dies and reincarnates, she finds it hard to let go of people she has learned to love and who loved her greatly in her past lives.
And amid boredom of repeating life after life, she thinks about them with the intense longing of seeing them again, “Despite living so many lives, I still struggle with these moments the most. It’s when I have to let go of the person I love.”
Message.
See You In My 19th Life (2023) ponders about the value and meaning of life, that however complex the humanity is and however ambiguous the world is, that every random person we meet in life has a sad yet rich and powerful story to tell.
It also talks about freedom from self-harm, from the haunting memories of the past that keep you bound, unknowingly detrimental to your journey and relationships around you. And that sometimes, all it takes is a carefree heart that’s willing to let go of these prisons created by self. Only then will you and your relationships be able to embark life anew, free from trauma and painful memories.
Cast.
Another striking element from this drama is the performances of the cast from the young actors to the main leads.
The young versions of the protagonists steal the show, particularly Kim Si-a who portrays Yoon Ju-won, the childhood love of Seo-ha, Park So-yi who plays the young energetic Ban Ji-eum, and Jung Hyeon-jun who portrays the 12-year-old Mun Seo-ha.
Similarly, the main leads Shin Hae-sun and Ahn Bo-hyun impress in portraying their characters. I’ve seen Ahn Bo-hyun play a lonely bully in Itaewon Class (2020), an introvert lover in Yumi’s Cells (2021-22), a badass military prosecutor in Military Prosecutor Doberman (2022), and I must say that he continues to progress with his acting skills. I can see that he portrays the cold and melancholy character of Mun Seo-ha with excellence and attention to details from his visuals to facial expression and manner of speaking. He did well.
As always, Shin Hae-sun is a stunner when she appears on screen with whatever role, she carries herself well. She has her own magic of executing her assignment and makes you feel intrigued or invested in her character’s psyche and emotions. She’s a brilliant actress.
Conclusion.
See You In My 19th Life (2023) is a riveting tale of memories and mysteries that steal your heart completely from the start and give you a sense of liberation towards the finale. Overall, it delivers a creative storytelling, intriguing plotline, stunning shots, high-quality production, profound message, outstanding performances, and a compelling, iconic character named Ban Ji Eum.
Rating: 9.4/10
No. of episodes: 12 | Webtoon writer: Lee Hey | Screenwriter: Choi Young Lim | Director: Lee Na Jung | Original network: tvN | Available on: Netflix | Images: tvN, Netflix
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