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Season guide

Come Back Alive: Season 1

16 episodes Premiered Feb 24, 2016 Updated Nov 1, 2026

Meticulous television and film archivist. Write ONLY verifiable facts from the provided SYNOPSIS and SOURCES. No inventing/guessing titles, names, dates, etc. Omit missing details. Original, neutral, encyclopedic prose in plain text. No markdown, no asterisks, no headings, no bullet points (except for the array in JSON). Output valid JSON only. overview: 160-220 word summary of the season's narrative arc. primer: Arr

Season overview

Meticulous television and film archivist.
Write ONLY verifiable facts from the provided SYNOPSIS and SOURCES.
No inventing/guessing titles, names, dates, etc. Omit missing details.
Original, neutral, encyclopedic prose in plain text.
No markdown, no asterisks, no headings, no bullet points (except for the array in JSON).
Output valid JSON only.
overview: 160-220 word summary of the season's narrative arc.
primer: Array of exactly 4 concise bullet points summarizing essential previous lore, character positions, and stakes.
Synopsis: Kim Young Soo (department store worker) dies in an accident. Pleads to return to resolve misunderstandings and console wife Shin Da Hye. Han Gi Tak (rugged chef) also wants to return. Request granted: they return in new, unfamiliar bodies. Forbidden from revealing true identities. Young Soo's reincarnation looks like the department store's new chief. Gi Tak returns in a woman's body. Limited time to ensure well-being of loved ones.
Source [1]: Title: Come Back Alive (2016). Genres: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Quote: "I can't go to heaven because I'm wronged!"
Source [2]: One man comes back to life while possessing a handsome man for a limited time.
Source [3]: Title: Come Back Alive. Type: Drama. Format: Standard Series. Country: South Korea. Episodes: 16. Aired: Feb 24, 2016 - Apr 14, 2016.
Source [4]: Also known as "Come Back Mister". Based on Japanese novel "Mr. Tsubakiyama's Seven Days" by Jirō Asada.
Drafting Overview:
Kim Young Soo, a department store worker, dies in an accident and finds himself in the afterlife. Seeking to resolve misunderstandings surrounding his death and to console his grieving wife, Shin Da Hye, he pleads for a chance to return to the living world. He is joined by Han Gi Tak, a rugged chef who also possesses unresolved issues from his past life. Their request to return is granted, but with significant restrictions. Both men must inhabit new, unfamiliar bodies and are strictly forbidden from revealing their true identities to those they know. Young Soo's reincarnation takes on the appearance of the department store's new chief, adding complexity to his mission. Meanwhile, Gi Tak returns in the body of a woman. Operating with limited time, they must work against all odds to ensure the well-being of their loved ones during their temporary return. This South Korean drama, which blends comedy,

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Season 1 Episodes

Episode Guide

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Season 1 Progress Shield

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Binge Efficiency Engine

Season 1: Filler vs. Essential Canon

Filter episodes by narrative weight. Focus on essential mytharc and skip standalone side quests.

19%
81%
Mytharc (3): Crucial lore & season climaxes
Core (13): Character development & subplots
Side Quest (0): Standalone / filler
S1·E1 Mytharc

Episode 1

Feb 24, 2016 · 60 min

Kim Young Soo has made a mess of his life, but when he dies, he realizes that he has so many things he still wants to do that he has to go back.

S1·E2 Core

Episode 2

Feb 25, 2016 · 63 min

Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak return to the land of the living, but they must get used to their new bodies.

S1·E3 Core

Episode 3

Mar 2, 2016 · 62 min

Kim Young Soo returns to his house in his new body and has to explain to his family why a stranger followed them home. Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak run into each other in their new

S1·E4 Core

Episode 4

Mar 3, 2016 · 63 min

Han Gi Tak thinks he has figured out who is behind Song Lee Yeon's scandal but she is not so interested in his help. Kim Young Soo tries to prove that his death was not a suicide.

S1·E5 Core

Episode 5

Mar 9, 2016 · 62 min

Han Gi Tak helps Lee Yeon through a rough shoot and then helps Kim Young Soo uncover a secret about his wife.

S1·E6 Core

Episode 6

Mar 10, 2016 · 62 min

Song Lee Yeon is humiliated. Kim Young Soo almost blows his cover. Han Gi Tak has a particularly difficult time remembering to be ladylike. Kim Young Soo makes a shocking discovery

S1·E7 Core

Episode 7

Mar 16, 2016 · 62 min

Kim Young Soo finds out who has been getting rid of the evidence that proves he did not commit suicide, but realizes there is something that might still exonerate him. Maya gets re

S1·E8 Core

Episode 8

Mar 17, 2016 · 62 min

Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak watch their loved ones celebrate the 49th day after their death. Kim Young Soo gets a glimpse of what will happen if he breaks one of the rules.

S1·E9 Core

Episode 9

Mar 23, 2016 · 61 min

Kim Young Soo convinces Shin Da Hye to let him move into the house and his daughter almost finds some videos that she shouldn't see. Kim Young Soo keeps trying to get close to Shin

S1·E10 Core

Episode 10

Mar 24, 2016 · 61 min

Song Lee Yeon thinks that Han Hong Nan and Choi Seung Jae are an item, and Choi Seung Jae thinks that Han Hong Nan and Lee Hae Joon are together. Kim Young Soo finds a creative way

S1·E11 Core

Episode 11

Mar 30, 2016 · 61 min

Song Lee Yeon agrees to model for Sunjin and Han Gi Tak starts to unravel the truth about Jung Ji Hoon. Kim Young Soo gets close to a drunk Shin Da Hye and has a chance to teach Ha

S1·E12 Core

Episode 12

Mar 31, 2016 · 61 min

Han Gi Tak and Kim Young Soo discover that their lives are more intertwined than they thought. Song Lee Yeon signs the modeling contract with Sunjin.

S1·E13 Core

Episode 13

Apr 6, 2016 · 60 min

Han Na wants to go see her father, so she takes off on her own. Kim Young Soo learns a shocking truth and Han Gi Tak gets to know a little more about Song Lee Yeon.

S1·E14 Core

Episode 14

Apr 7, 2016 · 59 min

Choi Sung Jae races to find who took Hong Nan. Kim Young Soo and Hong Gi Tak make the most out of what little time they have left.

S1·E15 Mytharc

Episode 15

Apr 13, 2016 · 56 min

After a disastrous car crash, Kim Young Soo keeps his word and meets Shin Da Hye for dinner. The truth comes out about Cha Jae Gook when a recording is posted online.

S1·E16 Mytharc

Episode 16

Apr 14, 2016 · 60 min

Kim Young Soo and Han Gi Tak enjoy their last days and get some much needed closure.

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