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TvN Drama "Because This Life Is Our First" Lee Min Ki & Jung So Min. *~The END~*


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A cat and two humans bunk up for tvN’s This Life Is Our First

 

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Haha, Lee Min-ki is so weird! I love him and his fantastic, staccato deadpan already. There’s an extended teaser out for tvN’s upcoming rom-com This Life Is Our First, which gives us a good long look at the setup that ends with our leads Lee Min-ki (Shoot Me in the Heart) and Jung So-min (Father Is Strange) becoming roommates.

 

First, we have Jung So-min’s character, who has just “escaped†after slaving away for five years as an assistant writer. Her celebratory mood gets cut short, though, after catching her live-in boyfriend in bed with another woman, getting her loan application rejected, and finding less than ideal rental options in her price range. I did a laugh-cry for her when she drunkenly attempts to ask her parents to move back in, only to have her sister (-in-law?) beat her to the punch and announce her pregnancy. I would like to join her friends when they go, “What. The. Sh!#.†Well, it’s a good thing this is a rom-comfor our officially homeless heroine, ‘cause the hero is, of course, looking for a roommate.

 

Said hero sounds like a handful: Some of his roommate contract stipulations include submitting receipts, attending neighborhood meetings, doing all the chores, and taking care of his cat when he has to do overtime. I kind of adore how attached he is to this cat, though, even refusing to stay late at the office because he needs to feed him. I can see why he’s not exactly popular at the office, being a blank-faced stickler for the rules who doesn’t budge even to his manager’s face. He does take a liking to his new roommate, though, and we see Jung So-min meticulously adhering to house rules, even scraping in between the tiles in the bathroom. Ew.

 

 

She must have moved in alone and somehow totally missed meeting her housemate, ‘cause they first unwittingly meet outside a restaurant and bond over a shared love of the Arsenal football team. He provides some comfort to her in his odd way—“To a cat, today is the most important, no matter if you’re thirty or fortyâ€â€”and whether it’s due to her melancholy mood or the alcohol, she impulsively kisses him. Haha, what an awkward way to start a house-share. At least Lee Min-ki’s the type to address the elephant in the room. With absolutely no tact. It’s kind of like he’s a robot who tried and gave up on how to be human.

 

I can tell I’m going to really enjoy the other characters and what form of modern-day relationships they’ll show us, as well. Esom (Yes, Family) and Park Byung-eun (Mystery Queen) have quite the meet-cute when they bump into each other and he pauses at a condom as he picks up her dropped belongings. She’s a proponent of open dating and he’s a “direct, macho manly man,†though I did snort at the description when Park Byung-eun goes on and on about how he can’t believe she doesn’t remember him when they slept together.

 

And then, last but not least, Kim Ga-eun (Reunited Worlds) and Kim Min-seok(Age of Youth 2) play a couple that should make for some hilarious mix-ups. She’s described as a bit materialistic and focused on her partner’s job and house prospects, emphasizing to a store assistant that her boyfriend graduated from Seoul University. She might have her work cut out for her though, ‘cause Kim Min-seok doesn’t seem like the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to human interactions. Aww, Park Byung-eun tries to get him to understand the nuance in his girlfriend’s texts, and calls him by his job title like it’s a dirty word, while all Kim Min-seok gets from this social lesson is that romance is handled, “not by your face, but with skills.†Oh, you’re cute, if a little dim.

 

I always love it when the hero is a sworn bachelor like Lee Min-ki is here—he calls marriage a restraint—because the loftier a man holds himself above romance, the harder he falls. Hehe, I’m getting evil giggles just thinking about it. Especially with that teaser’s ending, when Lee Min-ki dully asks whether Jung So-min would marry him, you know, if she has the time. We won’t have to wait long for her answer, either: This Life Is Our First will premiere next week on October 9 following Argon in tvN’s Monday-Tuesday slot. Let the roommate hijinks begin!

 

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  • Because This Life Is Our First: Episode 1thislife01-00026.jpg

 

Quirky romantic comedy Because This Life Is Our First premiered this week on tvN, and since this first episode was all setup, it’s a relatively contained affair. I fully expect us to jump headfirst into cohabitation hijinks and wackiness very soon, but for now, we spend some time with our heroine and get a sense of what it feels like to abruptly find yourself embarking on a new chapter in your life and looking for a new home.

 

 

Episode 1: “Because this is my first time turning thirtyâ€

We open on September 17, 1996, where a chorus of children sing happy birthday. A young girl sits alone at the table, surrounded by a feast of birthday foods and cake, watching television. Aw, the birthday song is coming from the television, and the characters in the show urge their friend to blow out her birthday candles, while the young girl watches intently.

Over the scene, our heroine’s voice narrates: “At the age of nine, I learned something new: Before blowing out the candles, you should make a wish first. However, in our patriarchal house … there’s no way a daughter would have a chance to make a wish.â€

 

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Year after year, the girl’s younger brother blows out her candles before she gets a chance to make her wish, and her father obliviously stabs his spoon into the soft cake and shovels it into his mouth.

Fast-forward to 2007, when our heroine, YOON JI-HO (Jung So-min), finally gets to make her first birthday wish as she turns twenty. Her best friends, WOO SU-JI (Esom) and YANG HO-RANG (Kim Ga-eun), finish singing the birthday song, as Ji-ho tells us the one wish she’s made every year since that day: “Please help me become an excellent writer.â€

 

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We jump forward once more to the present day as Ji-ho furiously types on her laptop, having actually become a writer as she always hoped.

Alas, it looks like things aren’t going quite the way Ji-ho imagined for herself: She’s writing a script for a dramatic, makjang-esque scene (cameos by Yoon Doo-joon and Yoon So-hee).

For a moment, it looks like things are about to get hot and heavy, until Yoon Doo-joon reaches behind Yoon So-hee to grab… a packet of red ginseng. Womp, womp.

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/because-this-life-is-our-first-episode-1/

 

 

COMMENTS

I really needed that kiss to happen at the end, because throughout this episode I had this niggling feeling that something is missing here. Overall, I liked this episode, but I do feel like the show played it very safe, and was at times going through the motions in order to set us up for the events to come, instead of establishing a strong (and original) narrative identity and style. I think the directorial voice(/sounds) could be a lot stronger in this type of drama, but I’m not necessarily opposed to what transpired because it puts a lot on the actors to tell the story, and these two can deliver when it counts.

The themes introduced thus far aren’t particularly new or original, but I’m reserving judgment until after I watch a little more and see how Se-hee and Ji-ho interact more, because I think that’s where a lot of the show’s originality lies. I do like that right off the bat Ji-ho was able to see Se-hee’s sweet and considerate side, since it’s clear that he isn’t exactly known for these qualities by those around him, and she may need to remember these moments in the days to come.

 

I suppose my initial, almost tepid reaction has a lot to do with the mismanagement of my expectation levels, and presuming that this show would be VERY offbeat, when it turns out it’s only somewhat offbeat. A lot of that will rely on Se-hee and seeing how far he’ll go to make Ji-ho’s life a living nightmare, but I did not mind the more contemplative approach we took today, since Ji-ho is the lens through which we are experiencing the majority (or at least half) of this story, so it’s good to get a firm grasp on where she is emotionally at the beginning.

 

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That said, I’m not particularly interested in any of the side characters yet, given that we know very little about all of them, but I think there’s some potential here. Little bro’s wife had this strange look in her eyes at one point, so I feel like she’s one to watch out for in terms of hidden motives, but there were two instances involving side characters, where I sat up in my seat and felt like I was paying attention: the first was when Cat (missed opportunity with the name here though) showed up (can you blame me? He/she is so darn cute), and the second was when Kim Min-seok showed up for that split second.

They may both very well be accessing the same part of my brain that perks up at the sight of cuteness, but I felt this unexpected jolt when Won-seok smiled at Ho-rang that verged into the swooning territory. However, the feeling was so brief, I’m not really sure what to make of it, and am kind of itching to see the next episode to get a better understanding of what that reaction was all about. What I liked most about that moment was that the character didn’t say anything, as if he knew that the act itself is what counts.

All in all, this wasn’t my favorite first episode ever, but I am very excited for Ji-ho and Se-hee to to find out that they’re roomies and see whatever hilarity that ensues. Onward!

 

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Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching??!

 

 

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

 

javabeans

  • Because This Life Is Our First: Refreshing and sweet, was my first impression. I really like these two characters, and how they both feel realistic and relatable but also very distinct—you can see how, despite their differences and quirks, they unexpectedly get along so well together (I just love that he sees her as the perfect mathematically calculated roommate and is reluctant to let that go). It seems like we’re going to go into full-fledged contract romance now, so I’m gonna sit back and get comfortable because I eat that stuff up.

 

girlfriday

  • Because This Life Is Our First: This drama has great cliffhangers, which is not a thing I would’ve expected of a low-key, slice-of-life romantic comedy. But at the end of every hour I’m pleasantly shocked and dying to know what happens next. This is definitely an odd couple, but that’s the point, and I rather enjoy the heaps of awkwardness and secondhand embarrassment, probably because I relate to both characters a good deal.

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  • Because This Life Is Our First: Episode 2life02-00069.jpg

 

As our heroine is forced to face new challenges, she wonders if she’s been foolishly running down a tunnel with no end, and finds herself alone and tired. However, support comes from an unexpected source, as she comes to rely on her new housemate without consciously realizing it herself. Sometimes home is a physical place, but often what makes a place home is something intangible and beyond the four walls that cover you.

 

Episode 2: “Because this is my first kissâ€

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Ji-ho thanks Se-hee for telling her about the neocortex, even though she feels like she’s already failed in this life. She offers a handshake, and Se-hee accepts, wishing Ji-ho luck since everyone is going through life for the first time anyways.

Se-hee gives her a small smile, and in the spur of the moment, Ji-ho closes the gap between them and kisses him. The bus arrives, and she quickly gets on, leaving Se-hee staring after her in a daze—he’s just missed the last bus.

By the time Se-hee arrives home, Ji-ho is asleep, and in the morning, her room is empty when he wakes up.

 

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Se-hee’s boss and friend Sang-gu calls, begging him to accompany him on his blind date today, but Se-hee flatly refuses. Sang-gu doesn’t understand why he won’t come since he knows Se-hee is just eating pre-made lunch boxes by himself, so Se-hee explains that these moments are like an oasis for him since he deals with people like Sang-gu all week.

At the store, Ji-ho shops for cleaning supplies while talking to her friend Su-ji, who tries to set Ji-ho up on a blind date since she has never dated, let alone kissed anyone before. Ji-ho accidentally lets slip that kissing isn’t a big deal, and Su-ji asks if she’s secretly seeing someone.

 

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Ji-ho avoids answering the question and frantically hangs up. Returning to her task, she picks up an expensive tile and grout cleaner and buys it as a gift for her landlord.

In the park outside the apartment building, Ji-ho watches a couple kissing and remembers last night’s event, much to her embarrassment. She’s thankful that he was a complete stranger, and misses Se-hee passing right by her.

Ji-ho gets on the elevator and holds the door open as a man runs up to her. Once the doors close, both passengers look at each other for the first time, and immediately freeze. Not saying a word, Ji-ho and Se-hee slowly face the front and stand in awkward silence until they reach the fourth floor.

 

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As Se-hee shuffles out of the elevator, Ji-ho crumples to the ground, mortified by the unlikely coincidence. Realizing that the apartment is the best place to avoid Se-hee, she decides to run home and notices the landlord’s large shoes in the entry.

She jumps up to greet her landlord for the first time, but is in utter shock when she sees Se-hee standing in front of her. They both ask the other why they’re here, and the truth dawns on him first. Ji-ho thinks that she’s in the wrong apartment, but Se-hee calls her number and hesitantly asks if she’s Yoon Ji-ho.

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/because-this-life-is-our-first-episode-2/

 

 

COMMENTS

The strength of this show is the subtle way they handle situations and characters. There’s a very low-key vibe that helps the show feel grounded, and despite what could easily become a wacky premise, the show chooses to be thoughtful about the lives of these characters and the events that lead up to their predicaments. The humor comes from small beats and juxtapositions that aren’t dwelled upon or milked for laughs, such as the way humor is drawn from the reaction by others to the character’s action. For example, when Ji-ho falls to the ground—mortified after seeing Se-hee on the elevator—a little boy enters and backs into the corner to avoid the crazy lady.

Also, the show is great at making little situations humorous by making the characters act in the opposite way of what’s usually expected, which is especially evident through Se-hee and Ji-ho’s banter. Take the scene where Se-hee finds Ji-ho cleaning the floor because of a stressful day at work. In his usual candid manner, Se-hee proceeds to compliment Ji-ho’s cleaning habit as “ideal,†completely ignoring the fact that she was having a hard day, and then Ji-ho happily laughs and accepts his compliment. It highlights both the characters’ quirks—Se-hee often sees the world through his algorithms and doesn’t always follow conventional thought, while Ji-ho seems to accept this side of him and takes all his comments at face value without any ulterior motives—while I just found them funny because of their randomness. You would think Se-hee would continue his observation about her having a hard day, but he couldn’t care less about that and only focuses on what he thinks is important.

 

In addition to the humor, the show has done an excellent job so far of subverting gender stereotypes in a subtle manner. The most obvious example is the housemate/landlord mishap where Ji-ho was thought to be a man while Se-hee sounded like a woman. Without forcing it down the viewers’ throats, the creators show how Ji-ho and Se-hee are both humans who fall on a spectrum, and these misunderstandings of gender only occur because of arbitrary assignments of feminine and masculine traits. Just as guys can have “pretty names†and be quiet cat owners, girls can also be smokers and look handsome. Another source of destroying gender stereotypes comes from Sang-gu, which is an interesting choice. On one hand, he seems like a typical, chauvinistic male who’s preoccupied with appearance, but he also enjoys manicures and likes the color pink, both of which aren’t usual qualities of characters that fit his type.

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As someone who loves shows because of characters, I think Because This Life Is Our First has a plethora of interesting ones that might actually have more nuance than initially shown. I unexpectedly found Ho-rang fascinating this episode because though she came across as ditzy in the beginning, she’s surprisingly considerate and observant. She could feel like the outsider compared to her smarter and more accomplished friends, but there doesn’t seem to be any bitter resentment or outward jealousy because she also understands that their lives aren’t perfect. She used self-deprecating humor to cheer up Ji-ho and also instantly recognized her friend’s source of woe, which requires her to understand Ji-ho as a person in order to know what makes her happy.

Ji-ho is shaping up to be a winsome heroine who tugs at my heartstrings. At the core, her struggle is a universal one that many people face. It’s hard to pursue dreams when everyone around you tells you otherwise, and even when chasing after something, the journey isn’t always rewarding. Even though she knew becoming a writer would be hard, it’s the feeling of walking down the dark tunnel alone that really destroys her spirit. She’s not necessarily lamenting her fate (though in some part, I wouldn’t blame her if she did because her father is infuriating), but is wearied by the fact that the end seems nowhere in sight and things seem to only be getting progressively worse for her. As she searched for a place to sleep after that horrible incident with jerkface Yong-seok, she realizes that she doesn’t even have this basic necessity, and there’s something sad about Ji-ho’s wish at the end just being about a good night’s sleep. It’s such a simple wish, but maybe it’s what everyone strives for in the end.

Overall, I’m most excited about delving deeper into our main couple and learning how their relationship will grow. It’s refreshing how Ji-ho and Se-hee aren’t starting off as enemies, but neither are they quite friends. They respect each other and have developed this undeniable attachment for one another (even if they haven’t fully realized it themselves), but as our two main characters have professed this episode, they aren’t in love or even attracted to one another at this point. They’re going through the process of knowing each other, and I’m eager to see love blossom between two people that isn’t based on carnal attraction, as they propel themselves towards contractual marriage that will probably require them to fool those around them. It’s not a unique setup, of two individuals pretending to love one another and then being unable to differentiate between what’s real and fake, but with these two lovable characters who are both earnest, awkward, and caring individuals struggling to reach their goals, I’m looking forward to seeing them eat their words and realize just how well they match each other.

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  • love changed the title to TvN Drama "Because This Life Is Our First" Lee Min Ki & Jung So Min. *~The END~*

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