A reincarnated woman’s greatest obstacle to winning the heart of the man she loves is his memory of her previous self.
Creative Staff
Original Story/Art: Lee Hey
Translation: WEBTOON
What They Say
“I’M A BIT DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE.” After living through and remembering seventeen previous lives, twelve-year-old Juwon Yun’s heart can’t be moved by anyone…except a strong, lovable boy named Seoha Mun. Just before she can let him in on her secret, however, their time together is abruptly cut short―until she reincarnates less than a year later. Now, as Jieum Ban, she’s determined to make her way back to Seoha’s side…but he’s haunted by the memory of Juwon dying in his arms, so romance is the last thing on his mind! Will Jieum be able to overcome her own past self and find happiness in her nineteenth life?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
12-year-old Juwon Yun is on her 18th life. After being reincarnated so many times, she’s jaded to human relationships. That is, until she meets 9-year-old Seoha Mun. His contrary personality and difficult circumstances has her feeling emotions she hasn’t experienced in ages. So she falls for him – and is almost immediately killed in front of him by a car crash. Thus cheated of love, she resolves to reunite with him in her 19th life.
With its rich and handsome male lead, trauma-induced disability, antagonistic parent, and love that endures beyond death, See You in My 19th Life is a K-drama through and through. Its unique circumstances require quite a bit of set up though. Three chapters, to be exact. However, the way Juwon domineers the uber-rich spoiled brat that is Seoha during those chapters is pretty entertaining. For those who have ever struggled with a mouthy kid, her handling of him is downright satisfying, even as the narrative weaves in the details of her reincarnation.
Seoha eventually falls for Juwon–not surprising given the child’s rather isolated life. The part that is a leap is when that old soul seriously accepts the 9-year-old’s marriage proposal. But she is on her 18th life so she’s not exactly a normal person. Of course, just as she resolves to embrace this relationship, her life’s cut short K-drama style.
But for this character, that just means she’s reincarnated again. She enters her next life almost immediately, so her death essentially results in a 23-year time skip for our romance. Reborn as Jieum Ban, she’s determined to find Seoha again. Unfortunately, he has no way to know she’s reincarnated. And unlike her 18th life, where she and Seoha had the same wealthy status, her 19th family is dirt poor. Without the benefit of the same social circle, she instead draws upon all the skills of her previous lives to become a top-notch corporate employee and places herself in the ranks of Seoha’s family’s conglomerate to await a chance to get close to him.
Not that that’s easy. Seoha still bears the scars from Juwon’s death. The full extent of his hearing disability and the impact it’s had on his social and professional life remains to be revealed, but it’s pretty clear this handsome rich boy is a big mess. Between the guilt he feels toward Juwon’s family and the antagonism between him and his uncaring father, he’s retreated to an overseas branch of the company. It’s only when the hotel once managed by his beloved mother is on the brink of shutting down that he returns to Korea to save it. And that’s when Jieum gets her opportunity.
Juwon/Jieum is an engaging character. With her multiple lives of experience, she is skilled at handling difficult personalities and situations. However, her single-minded goal of reaching Seoha, logical though it is from her perspective, is not one that she can readily share with others. Thus, observers are alternately impressed and mystified by her actions. One character in particular, Jiseok, is aggressively trying to recruit her, and the fact that she refuses his offers to work at a hotel on the decline has him baffled. By the way, this Jiseok has some (negative) history with Seoha, so he’s bound to stick around.
Also in the supporting cast is Chowon Yun, the younger sister to the deceased Juwon. The narrative hints that she has a thing for Seoha, which would make for a fascinating love triangle. Of course, she has no idea who Jieum is, as evidenced when Chowon tries to scout her for the Yun family entertainment business.
In short, there are a lot of complicating factors to keep this reincarnation romance interesting, and enough levity to balance the tragic past that burdens our main couple. The artwork is great at projecting the mood, especially our reincarnated soul’s unnerving vibe on others. Illustrations are rendered in full color on glossy paper, which makes for a nice-looking but hefty book.
In Summary:
A 12-year-old girl who has been reincarnated 17 times falls in love with a boy only to die abruptly. What’s a soul to do? Pursue him in her next life, of course! See You in My 19th Life is an interesting take on the fated lovers trope. Other K-dramas have rich, handsome, traumatized male leads like Seoha, but a lead female with Jieum’s depth of experience and unique attitude toward life makes this title fresh and intriguing.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 8+
Released By: Ize Press
Release Date: February 6th, 2024
MSRP: $$20.00
