KDrama Calling: ​Because This Is My First Life - Lee Min-Ki, Jung So-Min's Slow-Burn Take On Adulthood Spins Career, Marriage, Love

When our lead pair decides to get "married" despite being strangers, they travel to the registrar's office together...and on a bus! Her white gown and his suit is a tad uncomfortable for the passengers, but not them. Because This Is My First Life might not be on the must-watch list of every beginner, but that's one underrated K-drama I personally recommend to everyone due to its fresh take on the themes it touches upon. They are universal and relevant, and extend beyond Korea. What are the questions that really plague the youth? Marriage, career, house, future, savings, EMIs? Above all, work-life balance? This is exactly what our two protagonists are fighting for, common issues at their individual ends and systems, and that's what hits close.

Understated take on love and marriage

To sum it up: Because This Is My First Life is an understated examination of love and marriage in modern times, that silently seeps into our senses and triggers our emotions. Incase that reads a tad boring, well, it is NOT! Yes, there's the cliched plot of a fake marriage where two strangers are forced to live under the same roof, but the implications and repercussions are a big slice of life.

Joke is on us!

Imagine this: a man has a house, but no money to keep it. A woman has no house but is ready to even clean the trash of the house. Because This Is My First Life revolves around Yoon Ji-ho, a struggling assistant screenwriter, and Nam Se-hee, a stoic app designer. Unexpected events lead them to enter a contractual marriage out of convenience to solve their housing and financial problems. As they explore their arrangement as housemates, they unknowingly become each other's strength while overcoming matters of love, marriage, societal expectations, and undertake self-discovery.

The show wins for its beautiful storytelling, that subtly mocks at how society perceives notions that can, if need be, moulded for convenience. So why need them, in the first place? The show does not stick to the decorum, rather turns chaotic, messy and all packed within humour...a lot of humour!

Cliched contract marriage dealt refreshingly

It thoroughly belongs to Lee Min-ki and Jung So-min, who fill in for each other's missing parts. They represent different points of view on careers and relationships. While the former is socially awkward, doing things on a daily basis, many might deem "weird" due to his habit of perfection, the other one is scattered and confused. But, when their marriage of convenience makes them a landlord and tenant, they realise not all their goals and values are on similar trajectory. So, when things go for a toss in their pact of platonic cohabitation after trauma, familial interventions and expectations seep in, they become each other's shield.

Breaking the clutter

For me, Because This Is My First Life does not border on the soapy side of life, and not once does it beat around the bush of subplots of hospital visits, stalkers, or a former lover. It's pure fun, melodramatic, over-the-top, yet it successfully spins around a sweet, believable love story that is born out of unexpected reveals. Even the side romances of its supporting characters are memorable.Because This Is My First Life is incredibly refreshing, that breaks the clutter of our regular K-drama norms. There's no fantasy, or time-travel, or demons of the past. It's a pure youth show exploring their world of expectations. So when cliches of "she fell first but he fell harder" come, you feel butterflies.

ALSO READ: KDrama Calling - Descendants Of The Sun | King The Land | Crash Landing On You | It's Okay To Not Be Okay | Hotel Del Luna | Business Proposal

Take a moment...

Because This Is My First Life justifies its title, of living it as your first life, selfishly, and making it large! It's okay to fail. It's okay to make mistakes, since this is just our first time living our lives. So, sit back and take a moment to rethink and detox. Look for the road less travelled, even if it means doing what your heart yearns for. This one needs a huge bucket of popcorn, because it's loaded with laughs, loud ones, and every joke is on you, me and all of us!(KDrama Calling is our weekly series where we dissect and look back at a fan-favourite Korean show, decoding what makes it a hit even after a considerable time of release.)