Twenty Again

Aka: Second 20s, Second Time Twenty Years Old
Title: 두번째 스무살 / Doobunjjae Seumoosal
Genre: Romance, comedy
Episodes: 16
Network: tvN
Broadcast: 2015 - Aug to Oct

Cast

Synopsis

The story revolves around a 38 years old housewife (Choi Ji Woo), who decides to go back to school and experience the college life for the first time. She spent the last two decades as a housewife after she got married and became a mother at the age of 19 years old. Her 20 year old son's (Kim Min Jae) and his girlfriend (Son Na Eun) are is her classmate, while her husband (Choi Won Young) and her first love (Lee Sang Yoon) are the professors in at that college. (Dramawiki)

Review

Pretty much what the synopsis says, and with some Korean-esque to-be-expected thrown in as well, but none of that stopped me from wanting more.

 I watched each as-it-was-uploaded episode at a little over an hour-long each, and I wanted more.

I couldn't wait for the next episodes to arrive so that I could keep watching.

 No, it wasn't the greatest thing since Master's Sun,  but it was close enough to being feel-good without any of the big-name stars or the expected hot dudes and ditzy chicks tossed in for appeal.

 Lee Sang yoon stole the show.

He had a bit part in Air City, and that was the only other drama I watched with him in it.

Life is Beautiful  is on my tbw list.

 He plays Cha Hyun suk, the drama professor with a 20+ crush on the leading lady.

 She's cute for a 40 yr old in real life, but again, it always bugs me when the producers ask a grown woman to behave like she is 16 again and experiencing 'love' for the very first time.

 Although it is true in her case with this drama (experiencing love for the first time), she is still 40 portraying 38 and a grown woman with a 20 yr old son. Coquettish virgin waved bye-bye to her a long time ago.

 They even did the eye-pop kiss, and I laughed as always, but then I made this face . . .

alpha-assassin.deviantart.com

*Sigh

 Moving on, this was still a worth-the-watch in my book because it flowed rather smooth, didn't deviate from the original context of the story line, and the story line itself proved rather interesting in that I experienced much of what she did but with a different outcome, of course.

 I went back to college with my son, too, although he knew it and wasn't ashamed or angry the way that Ha No ra's son ended up being once he discovered the truth.

 Her son, though, was being manipulated by his father the same way that No ra had been manipulated by him in their marriage.

 She ended up pointing out to her ex that he has narcissistic personality disorder -- something my ex suffers with as well.

 She finds out he is being an overly excessive dick not only because he's selfish but also because he's having an affair with one of her professors -- which was how my marriage ended when the ex fooled around with a staff member at the college where he was teaching part-time.

 I shed tears during the first few episodes, and I was relieved as heck to know the terminal illness thing was a fluke.

 It bothered me the way she was treated by the kids, her ex, and even the professor with the 20+ crush on her.

 Eventually, though, things began to work themselves out and then I started to worry that the following episodes would veer off into another subject, couple-interest, or family values issues, but they didn't -- for the most part.

 However, this did end up being a 'message' drama for women like me and for girls in high school and college, and that was a bit of a turn-off, but not enough to make me stop watching or not like this one.

 It was funny when it needed to be and serious about all of the right issues.

I didn't even feel that the bit players were getting in the way of the story, and the fact that it kept volleying between the past and the present wasn't jarring, distracting, or confusing.

 There were no real life questions answered here, but then I'm not the sort who relies on fantasy -- be it books or movies -- to guide me through life, so . . .

 I think that today we are so afraid of Political Incorrectness and Anti-Feminism that we are losing sight of things as simple yet complex as true love, real emotions, and relying on others for anything, including sympathy, which is sad.

 Instead of aching for her predicament, I ended up aching for his -- the unrequited love thing.

 Did I mention he was good?

I'll have to go into his resume and watch something else he's starred in, because he had a positive effect on me and made me like him despite his not being overly hot.

 Good chemistry.

 There are no asides or strange-ness that I should mention, and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a  feels good  or who wants to hop off the mainstream bandwagon for a breather.