This Life is Our First Screenwriter Yoon Nan Joong in Multiple Plagiarism Controversy

I don’t know if this is much ado about nothing but it’s certainly gotten more attention as the drama airing has gone on for tvN‘s hit rom-com This Life is Our First (Because This is Our First Life). Japanese entertainment has now taken note of similarities of that drama with the hit J-dorama from 2016 We Married as a Job (Nigeru wa haji daga, yaku ni tatsu) and gone back to the screenwriter Yoon Nan Joong‘s previous works and discovered what feels like more appropriation without proper attribution.

The short drama The Great Gye Choon Bin is based on the Japanese novel Psychiatrist Irabu series in particular Kuchu Buranko (Flying Trapeze), and her one-episode drama Snail Goshiwan is based on the Japanese novel Waseda 1.5 sq Meter Youth Diary. This on top of Yoon Nan Joong adapting K-drama Queen of the Office from the J-dorama Pride of the Temp which was properly licensed. I haven’t checked out either the source or her dramas purportedly taking uncredited inspiration but clearly she has a type which is lifted from Japanese entertainment.


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This Life is Our First Screenwriter Yoon Nan Joong in Multiple Plagiarism Controversy — 89 Comments

  1. After watching two ep of this show, i discontinued it because it did look like NigeHaji without proper credits. It is sad to see shows getting popularity when they are basically someone else’s work. I hope it wasn’t a ditto copy because many people seem to be liking it.

  2. I knew it! Even thought it was a remake but I search and no creditis to the japanese dama/manga so drop this drama. So bad dear screenwriter, so bad.

  3. she should give proper credits… most audience notices the resemblance…. I still enjoy the drama, but I do not agree with the conduct of K-drama industry these days…

  4. It is similar…but the male lead is taking a very different avenue in why he is the way he is…and even their reasons for getting in the contract marriage were different. Contract marriages are a huge trope in K-drama! The similarities..in my opinion are really only that the male character is quirky and not easily emotionally moved. But the male character in First Life is much more likeable and changing than the one in NigeHaji. I’m liking First Life much better.

      • Because this is my first life is on a whole other level. I started it with the We Married as a Job rumour in mind, and ended up completely abandoning that train of thought as they looked to be completely different shows, both original in their own right. The writer may have done this is in the past but you have to give her credit on this one.

    • I think theyre similar enough for the korean drama to put in credits of the japanese, even if they have different takes on several parts~ regardless of which you enjoy more..

      • Nah, I don’t think so. But to each their own.

        Apart from the contract marriage, they’re very different, right down to what drives the characters and how they act and that’s probably what makes a drama – the characters.

  5. I cant bring myself to continue watching this drama cause I dont know like its maybe predictable and im really fed up with this kind of stories plus the male lead’s boring character not my cup of tea.

  6. I haven’t watched the Japanese version yet. I may do after I finish BTIOFL. I have heard there are similarities but it isn’t the same. The writer definitely took inspiration from We married as a job especially the main couple but not the other two. Full House also has contract marriage so this idea isn’t new. If this drama was not so popular, I’m sure no one would have bat an eyelid.

    • this drama isn’t even that popular though… in terms of ratings and talk, it’s doing mediocre in Korea. And as someone who has seen the Japanese version and watched this drama, I immediately assumed that this was a remake until I read this article. People should give credit when it’s due.

      • i thought for a cable drama, over 3% is considered good?… its rating is even better than Black. But regardless, BTIOFL is doing well among iFans. There is similarity, but the two side couples are new stories not in the Jap version. The writer has used some ideas in the Jap version to create the main couple, it is obvious, so she has to give credits imho…

      • @candycane I didn’t say it’s a flop, but it’s mediocre in terms of rating and popularity. The person I replied to said that this drama is so popular in Korea, which is not the case. In order for a TVN drama to be considered successful nowadays, they should at least surpass 5% imo. And Black has lower ratings because it’s on OCN, which usually has less viewers compared to TVN. And the rating difference isn’t even that big. Black had hit over 4% a while ago and consistently close to 4% for every episode.

      • BTIOFL is popular internationally, but the most popular drama in Korea at the moment is Go Back Spouses. So yeah, it’s actually doing mediocre in terms of both ratings and hype.

      • @kitai with such a lousy ratings and you are saying Go Back Couple is the most popular drama in korea hahahaha don’t make me laugh get your facts together GBC ratings are pathetic! 5%-6% in KBS is nothing but a flop in korea!!

      • @euna sure, Go Back Couple’s ratings are not that high but what @kitai was saying is correct and @kitai really did get his/her facts together. GBC is really popular in Korea and having a really great buzz about it. During its run, it trended on the media so often, it was widely and positively talked about amongst netizen on korean drama related boards. Even now that the show ended, most of GBC related news/cast after drama interviews became the most popular articles on Naver with great reactions and thousands of upvotes. There are even articles talking about the possibility of it having a season 2 and a lot are wanting that to happen.

      • @Mstar, I meant BTIOFL is popular overseas. I am not talking about South Korea. I know weekend drama ‘My Golden Life’ is popular in SK.

      • Go Back Couples was actually shown at a new Friday-Saturday late night time slot outside the usual family drama watching time. You can’t therefore apply the usual network rating as benchmark. It’s rating is considered to be good therefore.

      • @day_dreamer: Exactly, people here don’t seem to have any knowledge about the Korean entertainment industry. GBC was the most hyped drama among Korean netizens.

    • Not a good reason to escape giving credits to “Nigeru”. Those who have watched the original J-dorama could spot the similarities right off the bat. And agree with @Mstar… The drama is just doing average domestically but popular among international fans due to heavy promos. 4% ratings for cable drama is just mediocre. The ones that happened to do great at TvN this year and buzzing domestically are LUTYN and BRC which happened to be least promoted yet gained more than 6% ratings,though they are least popular among I-fans due to less to no promo at all.

      • I’m loving this drama but is getting mich more buzz oversea like you said and I of course think its duly deserved for once. WYWS also had alot of positive buzz online in Korea bu it did not translate to TV ratings.

    • ahhh… i guess popularity in Korea is different… Anyways, K-Drama sucks these days, repetitive stories, those that seem ok are plagiarized… that’s tell you something about those K-writers, correct? lolol…. I have been watching some J-dramas also lately… some quite interesting 🙂

      • Plagarised? I can name so many good ones not plagarised.

        Age of Youth, Signal, Misaeng, Go Back Couple, Mad Dog… etc, even if we take Because This is My First Life out. It seems a little too generalising to say that a certain country’s dramas are better than another when each have their own fantastic ones and each have some that tank – all not plagarised.

      • They don’t bother plagiarising. They just take the whole show and show it in Japan to the apparent annoyance of the Japanese public because they once aired too many after getting too many good responses.

        But the point is besides that. The point is that Korea has got its good dramas too like Japan and they’re not plagiarised. So to accuse an entire country’s entertainment of being sub-par compared to another is uncalled for.

        You can’t just take the rubbish half of Korea’s dramas and pit them against the good half of Japan’s dramas and call Korea’s dramas shit. That’s just unfair. If you want to compare, compare accross the board and both countries have their good and bad.

      • It is funny how no one is talking about Go Back Couple plagirizing a webtoon called “Do It Again” the plot is the same !!! minus the adult stuff!! Did the writer gave credit to the original author ?? if not this is blatant plagiarism too

      • @euna if you read info about Go Back Couple you’ll know that it was obviously stated that the drama was based on that webtoon though

      • @Peeps – there is no fairness in this world. Once you are caught with Plagiarism, you will be forever labelled a “plagiarizer”… btw, the word is spelled with an “i” between “g” and “a”. I am not siding with any nation, I am just stating the fact that K-writers plagiarize sometimes, again one drop of black ink will discolor that whole industry… this is only my opinion, not a condemnation.

      • @day_dreamer: I think @euna is probably one of those delusional BTIOFL fans who’s trying to pull everything else down with the drama.

    • Gallup poll for most popular TV shows for November is just out. Golden Life is at no.1, the second drama to top the chart in 2017, after Goblin in January. Go Back Couple is at No.12, Witch’s Court is at No. 14, and Black is at No. 18. Two daily dramas get NO. 8 and No. 13. No other drama makes it to the top 20, not This Life is the First, not When You Were Sleeping or Temperatures of Love, not Revenge Club. All other top spots go to variety shows.

  7. I am watching this drama but in no way am I enjoying it as much as “Nigeru”, plus I could not get over the creepiness of LMK. TLIOF should at least give credits and acknkowledge that her works if not that totally but still inspired by Nigeru. It’s grossly unethical to enjoy rave reviews, earning credits and praises when the idea as a whole is not even originally hers to begin with. There is no escape, though TLIF offers some difference in the parts of the male lead and reason for cohabition, the premise and set up is still the same. Shame on this K-writer.

    • The premise is the same as Full House too.

      If everyone were to demand that writers come up with distinct ideas with no tropes or cliches, we’d have a lot of plagarism suits in this world. Honestly, I don’t believe in pure originality anymore. Everyone’s always inspired by someone – how one executes the idea seed is what differentiates them and makes them “original”.

      • My speculation, that’s what it is, has a rational reasoning behind it. Lee MIn Ki isn’t a particularly talented actor with critical acclaim backing up his reputation. He doesn’t have the prior domestic and hallyu popularity either. He used to be a side character prior to his service time in army. He was never loved for his looks either, the way Seo Kang Joon was. He had a rape scandal during his army time and that was very quickly swept under the rug. This case isn’t as clear as in Lee Jin Wook’s case so it’s more than shady how it was so quickly dealt with.
        Then he gets a major lead role with Jung So Min. What kind of production team wants to have a guy like LMK as a male lead when there are eligible actors with skills, looks and good image? The writer is probably pissed that a guy like him got to star in her drama, which incorporated a lot of feministic themes. The way I see it, he definitely comes from an influential family, just like Jin Se Yeon.

      • @prettyautumn: That’s really dangerous, to go round spreading rumours about others only based on speculation.

        Anyway, there are a few misleading statements in the reasoning that led to your conclusion.

        1. Lee MinKi has critical acclaim, but in Chungmuro, not so much in dramas. Because This Is My First Life is his drama lead comeback in 10 years. Before that, he was lead in dramas like Dalja’s Spring and in the movie circles, his movie Very Ordinary Couple was a hit at the box office and received rave reviews. And that was all before his military service. To say that he was shot to leading man roles with no basis is frankly, I believe, unfair. He might not be superstar level, but he definitely wasn’t nothing either.

        2. Regarding the rape allegations that apparently happened at a bar, it was very quickly settled because the lady very quickly retracted her statement, almost immediately after giving it, stating specifically that she got the wrong person. How that happened is beyond me, but it’s again unfair to imply that it was swept under the rug quickly because of some cover up. There was perhaps no case at all, which is why it was settled so quickly. If there were something amiss, we usually tend to hear additional details because of the open nature of Korea’s information network (aka, fast internet and no one can really stop them) but this time, there was nothing more. I don’t know what happened, but there is very little to base on to accuse him of being a rapist and getting away with it.

        3. Whether the writer or the production team is pissed that they got MinKi or not is up for grabs but she has neither implied nor stated anything of the sort. They seem happy in the Behind The Scenes clips.

    • I am laughing at all these sockpuppets coming out of the woodwork to defend their decrepit j-drama industry. Contract marriages has been done waaay before Nigeru. Also, Nigeru is a boring plodding pile of mediocrity.

  8. I watched Nigeru Haji for the first episode and couldn’t bring myself to finish it as I dislike the male lead. Maybe it works for some people but I couldn’t bring myself further to finish it. I watched the Korean version and while LMK is not your typical “handsome oppa”, he could deliver so many emotions as Se Hee. I’ve read the premise sounds the same but the executions take different routes. I agree the “contract marriage” thing is very common in Korean dramas, or any other dramas, it sounds super predictable but the charm of BTIMFL is how well they execute it, and the narrations give you space to think. Not to mention how you would invest yourself in other relationships other than the main one, which I don’t usually do, but this one is an exception.

    • if you haven’t passed the 1st ep how can you see the other similarities??
      and I am sorry that hiramasa is not you handsome type,

      this kinda prove my theory that suspected by this life that woman doesn’t like shy guy, they just like a shy guy that is handsome, tall, well build, rich and taylored to you, you don’t need to change yourself or asking their unusual habit, they perfectly understand you and will do anything for you because he knows how to do that from the start,

      you said it not predictable because you matched your expectation with kdrama contract marriage but ofc jdrama contract marriage is fresh, it’s not your usual watch but since you can’t deal with imperfectness as jdrama tend to show, you’ll be more comfortable with the sugary , handsome package version so you don’t hurts your eyes and you can live vicariously with the idea that “I don’t strive for appearance” while in fact you never got an ep with hiramasa looked, you never want to looked past his introduction stage

      • first of all, I said it is predictable, not NOT predictable. its good if you pay attention to what people have stated before debating about it. I like jdrama in general, how simple and realistic the story is. whenever i feel bored watching kdrama, I switched to jdrama, so it is too judging for you to say so. and I guess I didn’t say I dislike the male lead because he is NOT handsome (since when I said that?). Well, your theory fall short while judging someone’s comment.

        Let me be clear, I said it might work for many people (including you of course), I watched NigeHaji because I was curious when people pointed the similarities, and since I also LIKE jdrama, I brought myself to watch it, not even to the point when I obsessed with BTIMFL. But it felt a little bit flat for me, seems like it doesn’t have sort of deep narration that BTIMFL has to offer. Yes, I haven’t watched the rest of the episodes like you do so I might not be in place to judge, but based on first episode, while I was noticing few similarities, it felt lacking for me. Well, I said LMK is not your typical handsome oppa, so the reason why I stick watching it not because you said that sugary, handsome package version that doesn’t hurt my eyes, but rather the character the he brings to life that works for me (maybe it doesn’t for you)

        If they are indeed similar for the rest of the episodes (as you or the rest of watched), I think they are still different in terms how they deliver it. I don’t know if it is still called plagiarism, with similar premise but different execution. If it is so, then so many plagiarisms have to filed, because the idea of originality is hard to find nowadays.

  9. Actually there are loads of mediums that are “inspired” by something, especially movies, novels, mangas, comics, anime, etc. If they are lifting the broadband idea but follows a different narrative, is it still considered plagiarism? People in the creative line are forever being “inspired by”, those in the creative line will know what i mean…..lol

    It’s fine for have 1-2 “inspired” dramas but to actually have all of her dramas inspired by is just rather unoriginal…….

  10. Would Nigeru Haji have been deemed plagarism if it aired in the era of Full House? Because I don’t see the similarities other than both being a contract marriage drama and being the only 2 standouts in this era when they’d been commonplace just 10 years ago.

    JiHo didn’t even marry for a job. SeHee isn’t paying her – she paying SeHee rent. She married for a place to stay.

    I dunno, maybe I’m biased because I love Because This Is My First Life (so full, so rich, so deep, ao human!) but couldn’t stand Nigeru (who the hell sets schedules for hugs. They don’t seem like plausible people to me.).

    • idk, you are biased as you admit it,
      but onece a trope is established, you can’t call it plagiarism, is cinderella story a plagiarism?

      they both marry for a place to stay, mikuri parent move to countryside and sold their house in the city , she is in need of houses as bad as jiho can be

      • I don’t get what your point is?

        So they’re both contract marriages because the characters needed a place to stay and that’s the trope. Maybe add in the fact that the couples all end up coming to fall in love with each other. Those are the only similarities between all three dramas for me so why is BTIMFL accused of plagarising Nigeru for having the contract marriage while Nigeharu isn’t accused for plagarising Full House for the same thing? Why is it a trope in one drama but a plagarism in another?

    • I would. Set schedules for hugs I mean. I related completely with the male lead from Nige haji in that I’m uncomfortable with skinship and so slow steps would be great.

      I mean to each his own but don’t say who the hell unless you’ve actually asked everyone in the world.

      I liked both dramas btw but being j-drama biased I prefer Nige haji. I just thought the drama was more realistic. So there you go.

      And I do think btiofl’s writer should have credited Nige haji as a source of inspiration. The fact that so many ppl noticed similarities tells you something.

      • Okay then, I apologize. For me, I thought Because This Is My First Life was more realistic, that crazy marriage contract for housing aside. But then they’re both equal on that point. For me, people are more spontaneous, emotional, contradicting and full of thoughts and different perspectives and that’s what I see in Because This Is My First Life rather than Nige Haji.

        Again, I don’t think so. I really think it’s just because Marriage Contract is a trope that’s been a while since it appeared as part of a drama and these two happen to feature it now. It’s just that Nige aired first. If anything, the trope would be the inspiration, which people noticed were very similar, but then the dramas split in very different directions from there. Why would you credit another drama as a source of inspiration for it’s trope (that you can argue is quite the Korean cliche)?

      • @Peeps
        One of the reasons I think nige haji wasn’t compared to other marriage trope dramas like full house is because the trope was the only thing they had in common.

        Full house was a fantasy romantic comedy but Nige haji took the marriage contract trope to explore issues like dealing with unemployment, expensive housing, finding a place to belong, dealing with the fact that you’re different,gender stereotypes, how the role of marriage has changed with the times…etc.

        These are exactly the same things that btiofl highlights…sure the details are different (eg. Ji ho isn’t paid but is paying sae hee etc) but the broad strokes/general themes are the same. At least that is how I feel. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion though. In the end, both dramas are good as is evident by all the impassioned comments here.

        Also thank you, Peeps, for the apology. It is much appreciated.

      • @Felix:

        Of course. I don’t mean to offend and I must apologize if I did. Thank you for accepting it.

        You bring up the topic of expensive housing, unemployment, gender stereotypes, etc etc… which I guess is true. But again, if you look at the Korean drama landscape, turning towards reality and issues like this has been the trend in its dramas in recent times – Misaeng, Age of Youth, Fight For My Way, Strongest Deliveryman and even Tomorrow with you to name a few. In fact, these are issues that are heavily talked about among Korean youths too, what with “San-po” and even “O-po”, which is why the dramas are turning in that direction and as with everything in the entertainment industry, projects follow trends and talking points in society, which is why I believe Because This Is My First Life is touching a cord with its watchers through its introspective situations and dialogues and by tapping into their fears and uncertainties with regards to human relations and expectations. Again, I don’t think that Because This is My First Life needs to credit anybody. It is influenced, I agree, but I don’t agree that it was influenced specifically by Nigeru.

        Anyway, Full House was so long ago. It’s been a while since contract marriages appeared as a trope I’m not surprised anyone forgot. I think the last one was Marriage Contract, the Korean drama from last year, but that was a melodrama and they didn’t marry for housing but to circumvent the law that prevents strangers from donating organs to other strangers which is whole different ball game not even comparable to Full House, much less to say Nigeru or Life. The couple there don’t even live together until much later.

  11. Oh, please! Don’t even rip Nigeru Wa Haji just because you love BTLIOF. Both Mikuri and Jiho needs a place stay and that’s how they ended up cohabiting with the male lead and both Hiramasa/Sehee paying the female lead though for two different reasons. And just so you know over the ‘schedule hug’…that is why the title is married for a job. Because that schedule hug is part of her job.

    • Well, to each their own. That’s why I admitted I might have been biased. What works for me might not work for others and vice versa. I didn’t disparage Nigeru. I just said I didn’t like it and why. If you like Nigeru, good for you.

      And again, SeHee isn’t paying JiHo. It’s the other way around. To me, scheduling hugs as part of a job is just… weird. And I don’t get people who do that unless you’re a mascot on a free-hug mission. If you want a hug, ask for one, get one, give one… not wait a specific time for one… I just don’t get it.

      • the schedule is more fueled by her desire cause she is attracted to him,
        if you a “hug people”, yeah you can give a hug every time, what if you are not?
        nigehaji play with a simple reason, what if you are not that person, will you change like hiramasa?

        when this life play with a prince type that sehee like kissing and hugging and he doesn’t need to change cause he already taylored from the start to fit the woman’s fantasy, you just need to wait until he showed you that

    • Oh please after watching a shit load of dramas Nigeru wa Haji is really another drama of silly and laughable scenes. Mikuri and Hiramasa were so cringy acting like children trying to be in love! i couldn’t finish it and still laugh at them setting days for some mere skinship hahaha give me a break the jdrama was cheesy af and extremely cliche!! it brought nothing new in term of creativity.

      • That drama that you stupidly brand as “shitload” is where your beloved K-drama gotten the inspiration from anyway. LOL.

    • As someone who watched Nige Haji when it was aired and loved it, and now watch BTLIOF and love it too, I can say objectively that both are different. I don’t have bias toward Jdorama or Kdrama, or bias to certain actor in Nige Haji or BTLIOF. When I watch BTLIOF I don’t think/remember about Nige Haji a bit. I enjoy Nige Haji more for the comedy part (Hiramasa san is hilarious, love the actor…too bad he got award for the song only) and I enjoy BTLIOF more for its contemplative approach about life. And I’d give BTLIOF higher score though. With Nige Haji I had drama nice watching experience but with BTLIOF I had beautiful and profound life lessons experience. How could it be similar?

  12. first life is like the fairy tale version of nigeru, a sweet cotton candy that has no real problem and fanservicy to attract audience.

    the jdrama try to break a boundary with showing outside appearance don’t matter but kdrama is al about got lucky on outside appearance and how suhee is a sensible man after all,
    it’s all just a facade because he is hurt while hiramasa is a genuine lost guy who learns and opens himself to love someone,

    the kdrama is a joke because when I watch it, all his flaws at the end was redeemed because he knows how to do be romantic and perfect,
    the drama lead to make the male lead is above everyone else and other opinion about his views is diminished, no one contradicted him even when he is a very unsociable man and rude to his colleagues,

    my problem with this life is how princes-y it feels yet people who love it never want to agree that they like it because the male lead is rich, handsome and sensible while forgetting that jiho hasn’t actually her passion for 14 ep.
    Se hee is male god like yoo shijin and goblin type, so caricature in disguise of “slice of life”

    and that’s why a sincere and more real go back couple get more buzzed than this life

    • I agree with you.

      The “look beyond appearance” is the key-element that J-dorama highlighted which not in the case of K-drama. And I don’t understand why people keep disliking Hiramasa when the one that actually behaving like an ass is actually Sehee. As far as it went, he treated her with a lot of respect right from the beginning unlike someone who would expect the girl to commute by bus and only the cat can traveled by car.

      • Uhm, SeHee has treated JiHo with extreme politeness all the time. His actions with regards to her are alwats with her best interests in mind, so much so that she had to call him out for almost coddling her.

        With the cat, that was SeHee deciding what to do with HIS money and HIS cat. JiHo taking a bus is JiHo’s issue and hers alone, not her contract husband’s, so I don’t see where he was less polite in that aspect than Hiramasa. Hiramasa never acted as an ass. But neither has SeHee. (Unless you take into account their unintentional assiness because of their personalities and thinking, then they’re equal on that score.)

    • not sure if you’re really watching BTIMFL or you just relied on recaps or comments here and there. Se Hee is not rich, in fact, he struggles with his loan that’s why he needs Ji Ho as a tenant to help him financially by paying monthly rent.

      and Se Hee is far from perfect, in later episodes, he becomes more sensible because he opens his heart and it’s a natural thing to care to someone you love regardless how imperfect you are. Have you not experienced that?

      Oh, and why Ji Ho just returned to writing in Ep. 14, I guess it is clearly explained why she backed off at first, because of the sexual assault that she experienced. At least the writer thought about it thoroughly, not just a mere purpose to focus on the romance.

      And now you mention how different Hiramasa and Se Hee are, I guess, it wouldn’t be a plagiarism after all.

    • Somehow your description of LIFE is not the same as the show that I’m watching. Not sure how this show is princess-y and a fairy tale because the reason I got hooked to this show is that I can relate to Jiho’s joblessness and inability to find an affordable place to rent. That felt real to me. And I’ve read comments on how SeeHee reminds them of themselves or their significant other in terms of their behavior. You’ve probably never heard of the personality types. So again, that felt real to me. No fairy tale there.

  13. I watched several episodes of the nigeru jdrama that show was weird as hell and boring. The characters were unrealistic and the dancing cringy. Contract marriages are troupe that is used in the majority of Asian dramas plus the plot and characters are completely different. Idk about this writers other work but BTLIOF is one the best dramas this year that showcase the good and bad in relationships.

  14. I think the main idea was inspired by Nigeru but it was tweaked to be more culturally appropriate and it has its own tone and flair. I love both series wholeheartedly and it’s difficult to compare them as the stories are presented in different ways.

  15. I watched Nigehajiand am watching (and thoroughly enjoying BTLIOF). I agree that there are similarities but not to the point where I would call plagarism. The only thing that is the same is the contract marriage and that the male lead works for an IT firm. The leads from both are quirky but have totally different characters. In Nigehaji both leads (especially the male) had huge inferiority complex issues and the story arc was mainly about how they overcame their insecurities and managed to forge a real relationship. BTLIOF seems to be more about the realities of Korean society and how the leads(and their friends) manage to survive and realize their hopes/dreams. I love all the side characters and their stories in BTLIOF, I hated the very manga-y side characters in Nigehaji.:/
    I can see the similarities but not enough to call BTLIOF a remake of Nigehaji.

  16. I don’t think this is a remake. There are inspirations and influences yes, but not similar enought to be a remake. The topic of plagerism is an interesting one I think. Because how can you define the line of copying and being inspired by? Is it the matter of saying/ noting I was influence by blah/,blah bah? Or saying it is a remake when clearly it is not a remake? I think it is a blurry line, because either way it will still be talk about. Therefore, hopefully there is a better system being in place. I haven’t watch the other dramas that is listed as being plagerize as well so I can’t comment on them.

  17. Plagiarism or not I don’t care. Because This Life is Our First is beautiful drama. This is the first time I see the male lead is so considerate and polite to the female lead character. I love the friendship and also other side characters.

  18. Gallup poll for most popular TV shows for November is just out. Golden Life is at no.1, the second drama to top the chart in 2017, after Goblin in January. Go Back Couple is at No.12, Witch’s Court is at No. 14, and Black is at No. 18. Two daily dramas get NO. 8 and No. 13. No other drama makes it to the top 20, not This Life is the First, not When You Were Sleeping or Temperatures of Love, not Revenge Club. All other top spots go to variety shows.

  19. While it seems likely that the writer of BTLIOF was inspired by Nigeru (and if so, really should’ve acknowledged that)– calling it “plagiarism” is going way too far, IMO. Yes, the set-up is similar, but the writing is completely different. It’s like accusing writers of dramas that have tsundere male-leads who are assy to Candy female-leads in the beginning of the drama of plagiarizing one another. Contract marriage is a trope– I think the fact that both dramas have male leads who are socially awkward, and that that is unusual, is largely what’s fueling the direct comparisons. But the characters, storyline, and tone are very different.

    I can’t speak to the other plagiarism accusations, but it is concerning if the writer isn’t acknowledging that she’s at least been inspired by the Japanese works.

  20. most comments are arguing on the drama BTLIOF… but this article is about the conduct of writer Yoon Nan Joong, isn’t it? If she likes to copy bits and pieces of ideas from other dramas (or so called “inspirations”), she should give proper credits to the originators, shouldn’t she? Stealing someone else’s ideas or thoughts whether big or small is termed Plagiarism, isn’t it?

    • If it is really inspired even a little bit then due credits should be given. Seeing how everyone has been talking about the similarities it must be inspired in some way but its not a copy.

    • Yes, not just this one drama BTLIOF, but a couple more and that’s a lot. The writer has to answer some serious questions.

      I’ve watched the first 4 episodes of BTLIOF and I think it’s a gem, but right after watching the first episode I said to a friend, this drama has similar feels to NigeHaji and they’ll get in trouble soon. Soon is now.

  21. I watched the Dorama and in the first episode there a quite a few similarities that hardly are accidential. But while I really had problems to understand the last two episodes of the “Original” (I couldn’d grasp their way of thinking. It was too absurd for me.) I really hope this K-Drama goes on like it did without going downhill too.

    Nonetheless I think there should be credit given at least for the idea. That is normal in Europe and North America. South Korea and their Copycat attitude is a shame.

  22. NigeHaji is based on a japanese manga with two other couples and I even thought that it was an official korean adaptation but No,they didn’t even credit the japanese production even the actual mangaka

  23. Pingback: K-drama’s Manual on “How to be in a Mature, Consensual, and Respectful Relationship”: Because This Is My First Life / Yibun Saengeun Cheoeumira (이번 생은 처음이라) (2017) – a lost wanderer

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