A Strange and Beautiful 19th Life
Ban Ji-eum (Shin Hye-sun) has the ability to remember her past lives. When this ability kicks in, in her nineteenth life she immediately wants to know if Moon Seo-ha (Ahn Bo Hyun), a close friend, survived the accident that ended her eighteenth life. This leads to her reconnecting with her niece from her seventeenth life, Kim Ae-kyung (Cha Chung-hwa).
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Ae-kyung gives her the money she needs in order to find Seo-ha, once Ji-eum is sure that Seo-ha is okay she returns to Ae-kyung who takes her in and raises her as her guardian - watching the one she raised, raise her is such a healing moment for my inner-child, it’s like watching all she was, feed into all that she has become.
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We are reintroduced to the characters as adults when Ban Ji-eum is appointed as a member of Seo-ha’s team. This is the beginning of a fascinating dynamic between our leads, one where the female lead boldly pursues the male lead. It also serves as a foundation for reconnection with Yoon Cho-won (Ha Yoon-kyun), her younger sister in her previous life.
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The beautiful use of cinematography coupled with a mise-en-scene enhances each moment and seems to represent the light that comes after the darkness, joy after mourning. The characters’ connections are also seen in the similar colour palettes between couples and well as everyone that Ban Ji-eum is positively connected to from her past life.
I feel such a strong sense of comfort through Ji-eum’s character acting as a safe and comforting space for Seo-ha as he navigates grief and the trauma of the accident. Her character feels like a metaphorical hug for those with the same struggles as Seo-ha.
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I also truly enjoy the turn that takes place nearing the end of the drama, during the reveal of Ji-eum’s first life and her conflict with whether to give up her ability or not, Seo-ha begins to take on the role of safe and comforting space for Ji-eum, creating a beautiful give and take balance within their relationship.
This drama is truly a lovely and unique breath of fresh air that gives space for grief and newness to co-exist while igniting hope and love in different forms. It is definitely an absolute must-watch!
You can stream “See You In My 19th Life” on Netflix.
Review by Thabang Mashiane
