See You In My 19th Life returns with episode five, “Am I The Butterfly Or Is The Butterfly Me?” and drops viewers right back into the tragic ending of Ban Ji Eum’s 18th life as Yoon Ju Won and shows the complexities of Moon Seo Ha’s, Yoon Cho Won’s, and Ban Ji Eum’s family dynamics, which comes to a dramatic head at the end of the episode.
Episode five is a lot to take in and moves at a fast pace. Here are our thoughts on “Am I The Butterfly Or Is The Butterfly Me?”
In this episode, the strained relationship between Yoon Cho Won (portrayed by Ha Yoon Kyung) and Moon Seo Ha (portrayed by Ahn Bo Hyun) is explored in more depth. Although viewers have seen Yoon Cho Won persistently pursuing a friendship with Moon Seo Ha since the beginning of the show, it was revealed that she pushed him away when she was younger because he reminded her too much of her older sister.
The shared moments between the two characters, both mourning the loss of Yoon Ju Won in their own ways, add a feeling of companionship while showing a natural character growth for both Moon Seo Ha and Yoon Cho Won.
During the episode, the four main characters, Moon Seo Ha, Ban Ji Eum (portrayed by Shin Hye Sun), Yoon Cho Won, and Ha Do Yoon (portrayed by Ahn Dong Goo), go to the beach together. Moon Seo Ha previously confessed his feelings for Ban Ji Eum to his secretary and best friend Ha Do Yoon and was able to get some picturesque alone time with her by the ocean.
Ban Ji Eum asks Moon Seo Ha to dance, leading to a heartwarming and adorable scene where viewers finally get to experience the two lead characters in a moment of unguarded happiness. At times, the framing of the scene seemed symbolic as it invites viewers to watch Moon Seo Ha and Ban Ji Eum through a window from a higher vantage point, which added a dreamy and romantic feeling to the scene. It has been intriguing to watch how the story is told through words and visual storytelling and creates a more immersive show overall, which helps keep viewers spellbound in these moments.
Although the scene was beautiful emotionally and visually, it followed a perplexing conversation between Moon Seo Ha and Ban Ji Eum that was skated over a little too quickly.
During the conversation, Moon Seo Ha confronted Ban Ji Eum about her habit of addressing him informally on occasion. It was at this moment he reminded her of the fact that he is her superior at work and older than her, which leads one to wonder why he hadn’t pointed that out when she tried to kiss him in episode 4 or when she confessed her love for him on multiple occasions while also declaring that she will ask him out three times in the future? It seems odd that her calling his name with an uncomfortable familiarity would be his breaking point, but the feigned innocence of her “who, me?” reply was iconic.
Moon Seo Ha and Ban Ji Eum’s alone time was cut short by a sudden rainstorm which leads the duo to reunite with Yoon Cho Won and Ha Do Yoon. The four decide to shelter in place, which inevitably and predictably turns the day trip into an overnight stay in an almost amusing fashion, and conveniently they’re able to stay in the Yoon family’s nearby vacation home.
This fateful decision not to drive home in the rain led to a suspense-laden scene where Ban Ji Eum explores the vacation home of her 18th life, finding items in the home that were hidden behind furniture that only someone with knowledge of their existence would be able to locate.
As she goes down memory lane, she’s unknowingly being watched in silence by Yoon Cho Won and Moon Seo Ha. With thunder shattering the silence and lightning striking to intensely brighten the room at frequent intervals, the scene felt plucked from a horror movie and unravels the progression of Moon Seo Ha’s feelings for Ban Ji Eum while leaving Yoon Cho Won distrustful of her when she lies her way out of being confronted.
The episode then ditches the eerie and nerve-wracking left turn it took at the vacation home to return back to our regularly scheduled program. Viewers are reintroduced to the handsome and ominous Kang Min Ki (portrayed by Lee Chae Min), who has secured a part-time job at Aekyung Kimchi-jjim Restaurant, owned by Ban Ji Eum’s niece from her 17th life.
The timing and the way he secured the job were suspicious after he arrived seeking a job just before Ban Ji Eum’s niece, Kim Ae Kyung (portrayed by Cha Chung Hwa), collapses. Kang Min Ki’s facial expressions and the unsettling music whenever he is on screen almost make viewers wonder if he had planned it.
Viewers know from episode 4 that Kang Min Ki is connected to Ban Ji Eum’s ability to remember her past lives, and his connection with an unnamed and mysterious female character opens the possibility that Ban Ji Eum remembering her past lives may be part of a larger picture, with others that may have the same ability.
The mysterious woman was seen arranging flowers in the MI Hotel lobby during episode 4 and finally approaches Ban Ji Eum in episode 5. The two share an instinctually maternal moment as they prevent a distracted child from walking into oncoming traffic, and after Ban Ji Eum lectures the young boy, the woman tells Ban Ji Eum she grew up well, leaving her stumped as the woman walks away.
Later, viewers see the mystery woman enter the MI Hotel again, and this time she aggressively jabs a finger onto the portrait of the MI Hotel CEO, which is hanging in the hotel hallway. This moment parallels Moon Seo Ha’s actions from episode one, seeming to connect the two characters.
Moon Seo Ha’s father, Moon Jeong Hun, then passes the mysterious woman, who stops to watch him walk down the hallway. They both briefly lock eyes, and he looks at her as if he’s trying to place how he knows her before they both turn and continue in opposite directions.
These moments and her involvement with Kang Min Ki have us wondering if she may be the reincarnation of Moon Seo Ha’s mother, who passed shortly before Yoon Ju Won.
This episode shows the emotional development of many characters, but it’s not without its comedic moments, which continue to keep the show fun and interesting.
Moon Seo Ha faces off with the MI Hotel CEO, standing his ground as he calls her out for money that went missing during the hotel’s past renovations. He also calls the bluff of loan sharks who attempt to use him as bait to lure Ban Ji Eum to pay off her brother’s debt.
While he holds his own against the loan sharks, with the help of Ha Do Yoon’s athlete brother Ha Do Jin, the two are ultimately saved when Ban Ji Eum outwits the criminals by using a megaphone to mimic the sound of approaching police sirens. The comedic timing and her hilariously running into the scene break up the mounting tension of the episode’s many turns.
Finally, through the emotional ups and downs of the episode as the characters each suffer in the absence of the knowledge that Ban Ji Eum is Yoon Ju Won, Ban Ji Eum finally confesses to Yoon Cho Won that she is her late sister reincarnated.
The next episode will almost certainly navigate how this knowledge changes the core characters’ dynamics. The preview for episode six promises that the revealed knowledge won’t come without a price.
The show continues to pile on the intrigue and keeps us wanting more!
Check out an episode six teaser below:
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