The Hallyu Enthusiast

18 Again (2020)

JTBC/16 episodes

Casts:

Lee Do Hyun as Young Dae Young/Ko Woo Young

Kim Ha Neul as Jung Da Jung

Yoon Sang Hyun as Hong Dae Young

Roh Jeong Eui as Hong Si  A

Ryeo Un as Hong Si Woo

Kim Gang Hyun as Ko Deok Jin

Lee Mi Do as Choo Ae Rin

Choi Bo Min as Seo Ji Ho

Hwang In Yeop as Goo Ja Sung

Wi Ha Joon as Ye Ji Hoon

Kim Yoo Ri as Ok Hye In

Han So Eun as young Jung Da Jung

Synopsis:

Drama series is a remake of the US film, 17 Again.

Hong Dae Young, a middle aged man tired of everything going on with him including family and career problems, went to throw some hoops to release his frustrations. Before throwing at half-court distance, he wished he could go back in time so he could live his life again.

Dae Young found himself in his 18 year-old body as his 37-year old self and assumed the name of Ko Woo Young.

THE Feels:

I watched 18 Again with little expectations since I have already watched the US film, 17 Again.

To say that it is good is an understatement because it exceeded my expectations. They added some twists to the film by adding characters and tweaks on plot.

1. More family focused. Maybe because they have longer time to spare but they were able to elaborate more on the dynamics of their family.

Dae Young and Da Jung as young parents.

Dae Young and Da Jung as parents in the present

Their relationship with their families (dad, mom, inlaws)

The other students’ families as well

2. Adding the character of Ye Ji Hoon. His character was a good addition to the series. He’s someone that you can also root for if not for their situation. He’s flawed but his character is warm.

3. Da Jung as a strong woman who pursues her dream despite the hurdles and fights for injustice when she sees one.

The series in all its episodes were packed with funny and heartwarming scenes.

The actors were all superb in their performances especially Lee Do Hyun who really made me cry over and over again in his as a young father, husband, and son.

The drama is full of lessons about life, love, and families.

• How married couples need to talk to each other to avoid misunderstandings. Both Ja Dung and Dae Young were having a difficult time, but instead of talking to each other they avoided confrontation until they drifted off. Let’s remember that even when you are together with your partner everyday, they won’t be able to exactly read your mind and know what’s wrong. Open up instead of bottling everything inside.
• Be your child’s friend. At times, we really want the best for our children and sometimes we become unreasonably strict and we keep on nagging at them. But doing so creates a wall between a parent and a child so there may be things that they would want to keep from us. Being friends with your child also opens up an avenue for them to include you in the decisions that they will make in the future.
• Upkeep of marriage and family is a continuous process and will never be perfect. It will always have its ups and downs. We saw na kahet nagbalikan sila, there are still moments that they argue. But lessons learned, they are mow more open to each other and use that as an opportunity to grow and love each other more.
• Happiness is a choice and a matter of perspective. Dae Young thought that his life was wasted because he wasn’t able to achieve his dream of being a basketball player… it was late when he realized that what mattered to him most was his family and that he will choose them again if in the same situation. And it’s true how we sometimes take things for granted because of it’s familiarity. Make best of what we have now.

The story wrapped up well and gave a very heartwarming and satisfying ending.

Story: 5 (not original but tweaked)

Pacing: 5

Actors: 5

Characters: 5

Entertainment Value: 5 every episode has funny and heartwarming scenes.

RATE: 5/5 a drama everyone with a family must watch 😉

HALLYU ENTHUSIAST’s WoW:

Happiness is something we choose. Let’s choose to be happy with whatever decision we make.