Born Again (2020)

The story started out in a slow pace but eventually picked up its pace after a few episodes. I love this kdrama! It has so many twist and turns in the storyline that keep you guessing. The story itself is riveting! It's a fusion of fantasy, melodrama, mystery, and romance. You'll feel different emotions as you go along. =) I love so many parts of the story--most notably was how Jeong Bum was vindicated after the mystery which labelled him as the serial killer in past life, was finally unraveled in the present life. =)

The last scene initially got me stumped, 'coz it shows Jeong Bum lying in the hospital bed as Sa Bin begins to show him stuff in an attempt to wake him up. But after re-watching the last few scenes, I was able to discern it. =) The last scene (i.e. hospital) is like a flashback of the current scene wherein you find Jeong Bum in Sa Bin's bookstore reading a book and suddenly recovers his memory by recognizing Sa Bin from the window and uttering her name. So that flashback shows that he did undergo a successful surgery but temporarily lost his memory. Hence, the final scene is Jeong Bum recovers his memory in the bookstore and utters Sa Bin's name. =)

I love the ending--in her past life, she ended up with Detective Cha then with her present life, she ended up with Jeong Bum whose name has been cleared as the serial killer in the past life. =)

Pls. give this kdrama a chance! Don't be daunted by the negative reviews. =)

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Born again started as a crime thriller and ended up as a revenge story. I stopped watching it at the middle when I felt like there will be no redemption story and there will only be past repeats itself. However, the story-telling changed right after I stopped watching it. So, I continued watching it out of curiosity.

I like all the redemption arcs. KSH becomes a lawyer for people wrongly accused for murders. He apologized for all the wrong doings before. CJB becomes a human and not a monster. This is with the help of JSB. His story kinda reminds me of Joker film (2019). In which, a mentally-ill man was misunderstood and was judged by the society. Only, in this kdrama, there is 1 person (or 2) who tried to understand him and also loved him. Thus, the proper ending for him. (Because you know, in the Joker film, if only Joker had that 1 person who tried to understand him, he would’ve not snapped and became batman’s ultimate villain.)

As for JSB, the character was annoying and hate-able for many. I also felt the same way as I watched the series. She cannot make up her mind between the two men. But, I remember this is a LOVE TRIANGLE. A story in which a character will be confused who he/she likes between two other characters.

On the 1980’s story, Ha Eun was clearly in love with Hyung Bin. This love made her confused of JSB’s feelings with KSH in the present because, they are reincarnation of the two lovers. In the present, JSB was drawn with CJB’s personality. He was broken and misunderstood and JSB empathized with him. These made her confused between the two men. Once, she was able to separate her feelings in the past from the present, she sorted out her feelings and chose CJB.

In the end, the story has a very good premise but, the writers was not able to follow up on it. I also think the story will be a better without the LOVE TRIANGLE arc it had. This made watchers hate the show. It has good osts. Is it rewatch-able? Depends. if you want to go back to digest each scene.

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A drama that will give you a roller coaster ride

This is just my personal opinion.. but I completely love and drown to the story. No matter how many people hate or dissappointed with the story line, disagree with the way the production team change the script writer, or many people said they stop watching it in the middle of the story.. but I totally want to give a standing applause for the drama production team for giving me a rollercoaster ride in every episode. Pardon me if this review is long.. but the drama deserves another perspective also.

Here some reasons why I recommend this drama:

1. Outstanding acting. No doubt the 3 main leads are awesome! You’ll find out that each of them can play 2 different characters very well. It’s not easy but they are successfully convey the emotion, habit, eye sight, movement. They all beautiful and perfect to be chosen for each character.

2. I believe that Love is an emotional thing. It’s beyond your logic. So do not blame how the story will bring you to an unexpected ending. Again... love is not something that make sense sometimes. I can understand Sa Bin’s choice at the end. Try to see the big picture.. do not focus on our personal taste about the male lead. I truly love these 2 male leads.. and whoever she will be end up with, the guy is deserve it. Each of them are not perfect.. each of them have secrets and lies. They have their own big mistake. But there’s 1 thing that is similar.. it is their willingness to sacrifice everything for love.

3. This story will make you fall in love with each male lead, and headache, heartache at the same time. LOL. It contains a lot of bitter facts and unfair situationalso.
It shows you the love-hate relationship between main leads. It surely can give you pain when you tried to understand each character’s secrets and lies.
If you put your shoes in each character.. yes, they are surrounded with criminals, stalker or psychopat. But you will also find a passionate, bittersweet and possesive love as well.

Last but not least... I don’t think it is a romantic comedy story... It is a crime thriller yet bloody romantic. It’s a fantasy about reincarnation and how the ill fate bring all of them get entangled. So do not expect everything will be perfect, beautiful with unicorn and rainbow things. Hang on.. and get ready to feel the sensation of rollercoaster ride like me. Haha..

No matter what... there will be people in the story who will be hurted and feel unfair. But I finally understand that the definition of “fate” itself was totally wrong for Hyunbin and Haeun. If Hyunbin can be more honest back then about how he was accidentally killed her parents.. and she can accept it.. then they can continue the journey as couple in the next life.
But actually Hyunbin is no better than Jichul who have his own bitter memories and hurtful secret to be known by the girl. If Jichul ever tried to murder someone for the girl he loved, then Hyunbin is actually do the same in the next life when he shoot Jongbum’s head, thinking it is necessary to save the girl.

I don’t think the girl keep changing her own minds or 2 timing about her feeling. She just confuse and it make sense after all, because the 2 male leads gave her the same big and crazy love, but each of them show it in different ways with different definition of true love. At the end.. each male lead willing to suffer and sacrife everything for the female lead happiness.. no matter who will be chosen.

At first.. I thought the ideal story is for Sabin and Sohyuk to be together after the romeo and juliet scene in the past and how they meet again and giving us a playing hard to get moment in the next life. But.. the more the story is continue... the more I asked myself.. “have you ever think about how much Jichul or Jongbum suffering and sacrifice for her.. It is an unconditional, egois, dominant, loyal, passionate and uncontrollably romance.” It’s not crazy. He just starving to find love and family.

Love is something that will not always give you heartbeats but also heartache.
So the one who made the same missunderstanding, clumsy choices, and wrong judgement about the criminals (based on his own logic) is Hyunbin and Soohyuk. Meanwhile the one who trust her intuition and keep struggling to trust her feeling is Haeun and Sabin.
However the one who was being humiliated, feel rejected, under bad timing and get all the blame is Jichul and Jongbum. And he decide to continue his journey to wait, dedicating his whole life for the girl and at the end... still sacrifice to give his heart (life) for the girl. I pity him... but the ending is really give him a sign of a good path.

This story reminds me with a K-drama entitled “Doctor Stranger” (they have the same female lead as well), from the story, music & songs, until the tragic side of the story kinda give you the typical feeling. The plot is quite complicated, and heavy but very detail... and the cinematography is awesome.

Anyway.. all of this is just my personal thought. I hope you can at least trying to watch it until the end before make a judgement. But again... this story is successfully influence our heart. I hope I can see another collaboration with the same casts in different drama ;)
Well... Jongbum won the heart of Sabin, but Soohyuk won the heart of all of us as the audience as well ~<3

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I don't know why people had such a problem with this show. It had a strong emotional pull that kept you engaged. The FL was confronted with a man that wronged everyone and a man that was wronged by everyone. Her devotion to the first man was out of ignorance. When realizing the wrong that was perpetuated on the other man and initiated by her own fiance the realization of who these two men really were rocked her reality. Yes, there was a bit of confusion at times, but it cleared up as revelations unfolded later. All three main leads were fabulous. The main lead's pure heart and love for justice drew her to face what she really wanted in a man.

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It wasn’t that bad actually it was pretty good and I recommend it.

This is to convince you that the drama is good but could’ve been perfect
First of all, all the cast fit the role they were given but i found Jin Se Yeon’s character kinda annoying as she kept hugging and embracing the main guy when she was engage with the second lead, kinda annoyed at how she couldn’t choose one and hold onto them both causing all three of them to get hurt and i kinda didnt like her beliefs, in one of the episodes somewhere when she was in the car with second lead she said it doesnt matter if a criminal gets let free and she believes he can change, that annoyed me as she seems to not care about people’s death which i know isn’t true bc in the earlier episode she apparently saved someone. Ugh i dont know her character just seemed flawed, her character here kinda reminds me of her character in doctor stranger, i dont like it.

The thing i liked the most from this drama was jang ki yong’s character, i liked how his character seemed psychopath but you somewhat will want to hug him as he seems to be getting blamed on, like his characters were hella precious. He’s the main guy but yet most of the times the second lead seemed more of a main guy than the actually main guy. It reminds me of this phrase ‘this is supposed to be my drama/ I dreamed this drama/dream’

I’m not sure if he died at the end or not but i think he did, at the last scene the female lead was crying while looking at the main guy (I think that was the main guy) but before that scene she was with the main guy at Old Future smiling.

Please give this drama a chance (; it could’ve been perfect there was only a few flaws and annoying things in this drama

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I loved this drama. I find it so sad and telling that so many people didn't. I'm sorry that it's so hard to follow for some people. Perhaps it shows the dismal literary education given in public schools nowadays...
As another person said, this tale is reminiscent of the Bronte sisters - as of course the writers throw in viewers' faces through out LOL I wonder how many of those watching EVER read Wuthering Heights?
At any rate, those pretending our heroine didn't grow weren't paying attention. She was misled from the very beginning about the characters of both these men, which led to her making the original choices she did. Her original self never questioned her perception of reality, dying without truly understanding either man.
I have to interject here that I think the 1980s version of our detective, despite what we find out in the last episode, was basically a good, decent man who would have been horrified by his reincarnated self's actions. In fact, when that prosecutor decides to redeem himself, I think it's because he did get his memories of his previous incarnation back. I had been totally in sympathy with our 1980s detective, but when he reappeared as that self-righteous prosecutor, so willing to bend the rules and manufacture evidence just because HE had decided someone was guilty? Oh, no. Hated him and even wondered if HE was the reincarnation of the supposed serial killer.
Speaking of that tortured soul of a '2nd lead' ? Well, HE had been led around by the nose by that father of his! I'd been convinced that he'd hallucinated his father, at first - that he'd killed his abusive father & then developed 2 personalities. I kept that idea for at least a third of the drama because the writers did a very good job of leading us down that rabbit hole! Another red herring - at first it seemed as if our heroine had gotten the heart OF that 'murderer'.
Now, our leading lady is not as quick to judge as her previous self. She does think about things more thoroughly, without accepting everything at face value. She lets herself get drawn in by our prosecutor, but she hasn't a clue about his real character in the present. With our reincarnated 'murderer', however, she does gradually find out what he's like - she's drawn to him because she feels pain & pity every time she sees him.
Those people whining about 'stalker stalker' - BOTH these guys 'stalked' this woman, you know. Also, it was out of fear for her safety, not out of some 'stalker perversion'. But some people simply fail to see nuances at all.
Bottom line, the entire drama shows how the main female lead slowly figures out the TRUE characters of both these men, and also which one cares deepest for her, and also which one SHE truly cares most for! I found this journey to be somewhat hard to follow at times, and some questions remain unanswered (our detective from the 1980s didn't die from being knifed - those guys in black suits came & dragged him off somewhere, & bashed his head in with a rock - this NEVER gets addressed properly). Also the whole 'switching of the artificial insemination donor' is just brushed off a bit too easily.
However, I did indeed like the ending - found it satisfying. Our reincarnated heroine put her past behind her, knowing that she'd not been fully informed in that life, and faced the future with the man who truly loved her enough to die for her (while giving her to his rival). That's just soul-fulfilling.

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This contains all kinds of spoilers...

It has been a while since I wrote a review but i thought I should since this drama is getting such bad ones.

The story is well done. There are a few flaws but overall it connects everyone and everything well. If people are mad about who the FL ends up with, then I'm not sure we are seeing the drama from the same perspective.

Cha Hyung Bin helps set up Gong Ji Chul as a serial killer just because that is what he believes and NOT because of any real evidence. One murder does not make a serial killer. Who really cares that Ji Chul who was habitually mistreated kills a woman that has killed a child in his misguided attempt to save the one person who was kind to him? I don't. It seems justified to me.
Jung Ha Eun is who pisses me off. WTH? She doesn't even try to see the truth and betrays Ji Chul in the most hurtful way by calling him an animal. She is blindly in love with a man that is blinded by his own bias against Ji Chul. Hyung Bin is a know it all trying to act all righteous.

Then in the reincarnation Kim Soo Hyuk is no better. He's doing the same thing with more power. Setting people up based on his belief. The writer tries to pull it off as righteous judgment but it is just plain wrong.
Then we have Chun Jong Bum who is again misunderstood and mistreated. What a messed up family. Still he does the best he can, but Soo Hyuk tries to set him up again. Then Soo Hyuk friggin' shoots him in the head with no consequences. What kind of BS is that?
It is ridiculous to me that people see Chun Jong Bum/Gong Ji Chul as the bad guy and Kim Soo Hyuk/Cha Hyung Bin as the good guy. They both have depths to their characters and there is a bit of grey area in both but I feel Jong Bum is a way better person than Soo Hyuk.
At least in the reincarnation Jung So Bin tries harder to see the truth and finally sees both men for who they are in this life time as well as the previous one.
Personally I feel like she didn't deserve Jong Bum or Ji Chul.

The rest of the enter twining characters made it interesting.

All of the acting was good. Those boys did a really good job.

The music is good.

No reason to watch it again.

I recommend this drama. It is very entertaining and makes you think.

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Worth Watching Drama

I think this is the fastest reicarnation I have ever seen in any drama, it only took 30 years but it is still interesting for me. I do like drama with some that kind of fantasy.

I never like Hyung Bin or Soo Hyuk.. he just too prejudice, and he keep provoking Jong Bum that he is the criminal. I never ship Soo Hyuk with Jan Bin, I really really like Ji Chul / Jong Bum, he is really just a poor kid,, especially Ji Chul, his mind is corrupted by his murders father, and he being abusive since he was little, all he wants to help Ha Eun because he love her even in his own way, he meant well. He is still a nice person. I also don't really like Ha Eun because she doesn't not even give Ji Chul a chance to talk but I do like Jan Bin (Ha Eun reincarnation), she is more open, straightforward and understanding, she gives Jong Bum a chance and she listen and believe in him even throughout the rumor about him being a murderer at age 15.

At first, I don't know who will be the main actor, the one Jan Bin will choose at the end, but I really shipped her with Jong Bum. I don't know why I just don't like Soo Hyuk, he was quite corrupted prosecutor, frame the criminal just to get them behind the bars without a proper investigation and he just to prejudice! just because Jong Bum was at the criminal scene doesn't mean he is the culprit. The real psychopath are smart, they don't get caught easily because they are melticulous, they will never get caught easily on cctv and as a prosecutor, he did an abrupt decision.

I first start to notice Jang Ki Young in Go back couple, he as nam gil, as a second lead. Oh, how I have such second lead syndrome watching that drama, I really really really like him but I know he will never end up together with Jang Nara because she already have a child together with his husband before.. and when I watch this drama, oh please don't give me that second lead syndrome again. I couldn't bear to see that again. But luckily, it turns out well even though the ending quite abrupt for me.. But it satisfies me enough to see him get together with Jan Bin.

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Underrated, Highly Recommended,, Must watch!!!

Great story, new plot.
Loved the show. It made me feel all sad, happy, angry, disappointed, hopeful all at the same time.
Gong Jin Chul and Hyun Bin were great characters and loved the actors that portrayed them especially Jang Ki Yong (Gong Jin Chul) since I follow all his work. This type of character suits him. GJC broke my heart and wanted him to see him happy and cheered for him until the end even though there seems to be a lot of criticism about his abnormal way of showing love.
I did not like the main female lead as much because I felt she was not sincere much. I did not like her character either as she seems to be leading both guys until the last episode. Her character was not consistent.
I liked the suspense of the drama but still predicted much of it. I really wanted to see more romance between GJC and JSB. The ending is a little vague like most Korean drama ending nowadays.

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First of all viewers. Don't Believe in negative comments. this drama is very good and worth it. this drama has good script with good music. usually this kind of love traiangle and serial murder type is complicated and messy. with viewers having to go through bad emotions. but this drama handle it perfectly. viewers don't use logic but watch it for fun and you will be surprised and satify with the drama. watch this. this is my sincere review.

sorry viewers. there is a word limit so the review is over from here. below is copy paste.
First of all viewers. Don't Believe in negative comments. this drama is very good and worth it. this drama has good script with good music. usually this kind of love traiangle and serial murder type is complicated and messy. with viewers having to go through bad emotions. but this drama handle it perfectly. viewers don't use logic but watch it for fun and you will be surprised and satify with the drama. watch this. this is my sincere review.

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I want to give a nice score to this story, I think it is something original and I was not bored in any episode indeed I was curious to know what would happen!
The history of reincarnation is interesting and the parallels between previous and present life are convincing and well made.
All this I think is a good point to see the drama, if you already know and love even one of the protagonists then I think it's really worth seeing it!

The problem is perhaps in how the characters were written .. especially the main ones, there was more than one absurd, meaningless, incomprehensible scene that only brought misunderstandings and chaos and also to see badly the female protagonist who bored me more than once and I'm sorry because she is a good and talented actress.

I don't know if there is really any connection with the book being quoted "Wuthering Heights" but I started reading it out of pure curiosity.

Spoiler

The last episode left me perplexed .. in reality I didn't expect some things .. it is as if the two male characters had exchanged roles as a result of the feelings of Sa Bin.. and everything that happened before, disappeared.. and the message that is given is not understandable.

- we can speak of unconditional love: Jong Bum is accused and labeled as a murderer, who has no feelings, evil; it was not like that but he does nothing to avoid it. Everyone thinks badly of him and he accepts it. Sa Bin goes beyond all this and decides not to leave him alone. With her sweetness she helps Jong Bum not to fall into evil and try to make him live a normal life. But he doesn't even deserve the name of a good boy, he wanted to kill the prosecutor Kim and above all he was a stalker!

- does it mean that eternal love doesn't exist ?: the love story of Hyung Bin and Ha Eun was beautiful. At first it seemed (they made us believe) that they had reincarnated to continue their broken love story in this life! She seemed in love, she declares herself and when she finds out that Soo Hyuk was getting married she almost fell into total despair, when they could start a new love story she starts to walk away and afterwards she discovered that she loved who killed her boyfriend in the previous life in front of his eyes.. and after saying that she loved him forever also in another life!
Although Kim Soo Hyuk didn't always do well, he shot Jong Bum in the head without too many compliments and was obsessed thinking that Jong Bum was a killer, I don't understand how they decided to change Sa Bin's feelings in the last two episodes .. no sense, she proved inconsistent and her actions meaningless.
I also thought that the attention not given to Ji Chul has decided to give it to Jong Bum. but it seems more like a charitable action for not to leave him alone, instead of for love.

I don't know if I haven't grasped the message well or if in reality there is no real message .. anyway the drama is beautiful. it is better not to stress to understand the actions of the characters and to look at him calmly for pure pleasure.

Thanks for reading my review and sorry my english is not very good.

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