Though not as good as Go Ahead, it's still a good adaptation worthy of watching
“Family by Choice” should be my last completed drama in 2024 and I’m glad I am ending my drama year on a happy note (but via a rocky journey of emotions). If you don’t know, this is an adaptation of the very popular and beloved Chinese drama “Go Ahead”. I will try to review “Family by Choice” as an independent drama and also in comparison to its predecessor.Drama reviewed on its own:
Objectively, “Family by Choice” is a great drama. It has a little of everything that would appease different audiences. At its core, it’s about family and especially the new and lovable found family. This family of five was formed due to some unfortunate circumstances. But they are full of love, adoration and care. It’s not easy when two children were abandoned by their mothers at a very young age. The drama follows their healing journey into adulthood, and this journey isn’t easy. You need to prepare for an emotional roller coaster, as you will cry for them as they endure pain, laugh with them as they celebrate successes and smile with them as they find their romantic partners.
I enjoy the acting of the cast very much, especially, Hwang In Youp. I’ve seen most of his dramas but it’s in “Family by Choice” that I realize he has grown to be a great actor. His portrayal of the broken soul, San Ha, is spot on. I want to give him a hug every time I see him, and want to shake some sense into him and his mother, as he suffers under her emotional abuse and manipulation. Playing opposite him are Jung Chae Yeon and Bae Hyeog Seong. Both are great and the three of them have excellent chemistry together as siblings. I have to say, I quite like this portrayal of our female lead Jun Won. I love her sunny disposition and beautiful smile. No wonder she’s the light in San Ha’s dark world. There is no question in the acting ability of the veteran cast, especially the two lovable fathers. Let’s not forget the 3 adorable kids who started the drama with a bang! I actually wish they stay longer than just one episode.
This shorter version is able to fit in all the major plots of the original drama. The pacing is good, the main characters are endearing and the ‘villain’ is just as hateful. The drama is able to hold my attention for the full 16 hours, and I was not bored once, even though I already know how the story goes. I do have two criticisms: San Ha and his mother’s relationship took up too much screen time in an already-shortened version. As much as I appreciate the depiction of mental health issues, I would have liked to see his mother less and have that storyline resolved a lot sooner. It seems like this black cloud looms over everything for way too long, thus, making the drama a little less enjoyable. I’d rather see Hae Jun’s mother more. This long plot took away precious time from other characters that I enjoy. Secondly, though the romance is better than the original version, I want to see a longer and more believable transition of feelings on Ju Won’s end. She went from going in shock, to denial, and acceptance way too fast. The realization of her feelings happens too abruptly.
Comparison to “Go Ahead”:
The best part of “Go Ahead” is seeing the formation of the found family. The Chinese version spent a considerable amount of time showing us the kids' everyday life at home (not just at school) and how the two fathers take care of them in different ways. If you mention “Go Ahead” to those that saw it, they would comment without a doubt that the two fathers are the most MEMORABLE and adorable father duo in dramaland. The Korean version doesn’t give off the same vibe. It’s a watered down version, and this is the most disappointing thing about this drama.
The romance in “Go Ahead” is quite controversial. Many don’t like the perceived ‘love triangle’, because it does such a good job in showing us sibling love. Luckily, the romance in “Family by Choice” is written way better without too many icky feelings. From very early on in the drama, there are already many subtle hints and looks by San Ha, showing he has feelings for Ju Won. It also helps that Hae Jun’s declaration of marriage is obviously for a different reason. I also found Hwang In Youp and Jung Chae Yeon look much better as a couple. They have good chemistry as siblings and also as lovers. In contrast, Seven Tan’s character is way too tomboy-ish and young, thus the romantic pairing with Song Wei Long doesn’t quite work. In another romantic comedy, their height difference could be adorable. But in “Go Ahead”, with the backstory of growing up as ‘siblings’, this couple can give off uncomfortable icky vibes. Unfortunately, in both dramas, I have the same criticism of a poor transition of feelings on the female lead’s part.
I will still recommend viewers to watch “Family by Choice” whether you’ve seen the Chinese version or not. It has its own unique charms with great pacing and excellent acting. However, it doesn’t get as high a rating that I gave to “Go Ahead” (9.0) because I am missing screen time of the super lovable fathers.
Other random observations:
1. Actress Kim Hye Eun who plays San Ha's mother, has so much botox that it's distracting. Her forehead is so shiny as well!
2. Really excellent acting by the kids
3. Love seeing Ju Won (FL) stand up and defend her oppas against both mothers.
Completed: 12/30/2024 - Review #532
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Sesuai judulnya, memilih keluarga. Tiga anak yang punya keluarga disfungsional memutuskan menjadi "keluarga" walau dengan marga yang beda. Ih aku nangis, apalagi tiap scene mereka sarapan sebelum berangkat sekolah HUHUHU. Sejujurnya, kurang sreg sama chemistry kakak-adek naik tingkat jadi couple. Tapi puas sama endingnya, ngga dipaksakan sama sekali❤️❤️
Andai di dunia ini bisa ya seperti judulnya, memilih sendiri keluarga kita. Atau sebenernya, kita yang ngga sadar. Selama ini punya orang-orang tanpa ikatan darah yang sayangnya lebih dari keluarga kita sendiri🥹🥹
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Home is where your family is.
Title: “Family By Choice” – better title than the originalStory:
I tried watching the original version but it's so long. So I cannot compare this to that and I’ll be reviewing this alone.
I love the relationship between the whole family, it's warm and cozy. I also liked how it was always clear that the ML had feelings for the FL from the start and that is so important for me because if ML sees FL as a sister, that’s just weird. I also loved that this is not a love triangle and there is no point in the story that it was. There is a good dynamic in the family and everyone has their own purpose.
However since this is shorter with only 16 episodes, I felt that there are parts that are just a bit rushed. When the boys came back after years, understandably the FL felt hurt, awkward, and angry. I just wished she rebelled longer HAHAHA. Also, the FL and ML romance was so rushed. Especially when FL realized her feelings, I mean she liked ML as a brother and did not have any malice but it was so easy and quick for her to like him back as a man??? And also, I just hate ML's mother. She is the worst character with no redeeming quality, and with everything she did from the start to end, nobody did something. Both the ML and his father may have said something but they just let her be that evil. Also, Hae jun forgives so easily. Like even with those reasons, he was still abandoned without explanation. The ending was good and it makes sense. I love that they all find a way for them to be a real family not just by choice but also on paper.
Acting/Cast:
All are good actors and were able to give justice to the characters. I am not a fan of the main leads though, I just can't see any spark. I really like Kang hae jun with Dal, they have good chemistry and he is just so cute!!!!!
Music:
I don’t remember so I guess not memorable HAHAHA
Rewatch Value:
I probably will not watch again but I think for others It can be a good rewatch as it is light and warm and has a lot of funny scenes.
Overall:
Overall I really liked this drama. It is warm, emotional, with good comedy and a good message.
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incredible dads and moms... who probably should not be moms
so wholesome and fun. it was able to pull of my heartstrings but also made me laugh. just that classic kdrama feeling. the found family dynamics are amazing. what an incredible father we have here. the dad and haejun's story?? yeah that is probably my favorite part of the story. the relationship dynamics between the three main characters are so fun to watch. not gonna lie, there's a part of me that did not want a romance between any of the main 3 so naturally, i was way more invested in dal and haejun's story (like i would watch a drama between those two for sureif the kdrama gods would cast them again together). not that i don't adore sanha and juwon together but i was kicking my feet in the air for dal and haejun dumdum ass lol. anyway, in the end, the romance isn't the highlight of story anyway.sanha and his mom's story? heartbreaking and also, rage-inducing, my goodness. honestly, i like that they didn't really give her a redeeming arc. like, yeah just go away. i don't know if haejun's mom and juwon's dad ending up together was necessary tbh (part of me thinks she got away with abandoning her son a little too easily oop) but, i'll just let it go. my little compaints here and there but overall, i had a great time. so emotional and very entertaining. that's my family!!!
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Off with a Bang, Out with a Dang
It’s been quite a while since I watched my last K-drama, The Impossible Heir, which I dropped at ep 4 because of the lackluster plot and unreasonable characters. Hence, I started avoiding K-dramas for months until I noticed Family by Choice at MDL. FYI, Family by Choice is a Korean remake of the much-loved slice-of-life drama Go Ahead. Previously, I’d watched Go Ahead but could only withstand 9 episodes so far. I was curious of what Family by Choice could do, therefore I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go.Family by Choice’s plot doesn’t stray much to that of Go Ahead’s. It tells the story of unrelated-by-blood 3 siblings (Yun Juwon, Kim Sanha, Kang Haejun) who find solace on each other’s company and become parts of a found family alongside Juwon and Sanha’s dads. I see that they’ve toned down Juwon’s tomboyish attitude and made her look more girlish while the boys are no different with the OG version’s. For Go Ahead’s watchers, I’m sure you know about the boys’ toxic mothers and how much emotional impact they’ve caused on their children. However, in this version, they don’t seem to care much about it and make it looks like a normal family conflict (thank God Juwon isn’t jealous of Sanha’s new half-sister). Also, in the OG version, Park Dal (Juwon’s bestie) has a crush on both boys, but she’s only interested in Haejun here (so no toxic third wheel, which is a breath of fresh air for love triangle’s haters).
At first, the childhood and teenage years of the 3 siblings are very captivating and I really love their interactions. The way they support and heal each other is just so, so heartwarming that I nearly shed tears for them. Nevertheless, nearing the end of the show, their adult years start to drag here and there, and I quickly lost interest. To be honest, I stopped until ep 14 but still marked it as completed since I don’t want to drop shows anymore. I know there’s no point in watching the final episode anymore because it’s going to be an HE and them reunited once again as a family.
I have no comments on the acting, though – everyone seems to be doing fine with portraying each character’s complex emotion, a very crucial aspect when it comes to slice-of-life drama.
If you’re into slice-of-life and found family theme, you can try this out and it’s shorter compared to the OG version so that you won’t waste much of your time (the plot is similar, anyway). Good luck and happy watching!!!
Memorable quotes:
'Everyone is special in their own way' - Yun Juwon
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Ella y la versión china
Decidí esperar a verla al saber que era un remake de la serie china "Sigue adelante".Me gusta ver las fuentes originales antes que las versiones.
Creo que esta, "Familia por elección", gana en simplicidad. Las series chinas (casi todas de las que yo he visto, que son pocas en comparación con las coreanas) suelen tener demasiados personajes e historias paralelas y dispersas.
Esta versión también gana en finales cerrados y consumados.
Pero, personalmente creo que la china gana en varios aspectos:
Actuación: De los cinco personajes principales, el padre cocinero su hija y el hijo del policía son mucho mejores en la china que en la coreana. El hijo adoptado y el padre policía están ahí ahí: En algunos momentos superan unos y en otros los otros.
Guion: Aunque más que el guion es la profundización en la psicología de los personajes, sus heridas, sus sufrimientos, sus dudas y reflexiones sobre la familia, el sentido de la vida, el perdón, la justicia, el sufrimiento, el amor....Las dificultades de educar a una chica entre dos padres y dos hermanos mayores todos varones...Me quedo con la china.
Ambientación: Después de ver la china, la coreana cuesta creer que no estás en un decorado. En la china te sentías completamente en casa... Esa mesa plegable para comer que se quitaba cuando no hacía falta y podía convertirse de cuadrada a redonda en función de que comieran los cinco o no...Esa media cortina entre la cocina y el comedor...
Creo que las dos merecen la pena ser vistas.
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Loved the story but the chinese drama version is way better
The story of this drama is different from typical dramas which is what intrigued me to look into this drama. After reading reviews, I found out there was a Chinese version called “Go Ahead” (the whole series is available on Youtube for free!)I HIGHLY RECOMMEND watching BOTH versions but to watch the Chinese version FIRST!!!!
Cdrama version is 40 episodes and the kdrama version is 16 episodes. Think about it… how can they condense 40 episodes into 16 eps?!
My initial reasoning was I didn’t want to spoil the ending for myself by watching a condensed version of the story first so i decided to watch the Chinese version then Korean version right after
Both dramas have the exact same story line with minor changes
Cdrama version PRO / Korean version CON: story building & humor
Chinese version focuses more on story building and the relationship between the female lead and her family, friends and most importantly the male leads (the brothers). The cdrama gives you more time to love each character
For example,in the Chinese version, both brothers decided on their careers based on their love for their sister but the Korean version lacks this. I think just the brothers’ career decisions alone shows their love for their sister WAY more than the korean version
Although the ending of the cdrama version fell a little flat in the last few episodes and had an ending i wasn’t expecting (since i watched it first), I think it depicted the story a lot better as the Korean version has too many cliche situations similar to other kdramas & had less the story building.
Korean version PRO / Chinese version CON: romance & casting
I think watching the Korean version AFTER will soothe your craving for the romance between the FL and main ML. The chinese version wasn’t AS focused on romance between the couple. Kdramas are generally also better at casting attractive actor/actresses so it was definitely nice eye candy
it was so easy to binge the whole 40 episodes of the cdrama version. However, I found myself unable to focus at times while watching the Korean version
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honestly it would be better without sanha-juwon relationship..
haejun saved the show can’t change my mind, I like the story because it raises a lot of complicated issues and emotions. It actually shows how important trust is and that it is okay to cry, that hiding your emotions won’t make you feel better. I feel that juwon didn’t treat haejun the same as she did it with sanha even before she fell in love with him. And everyone around were okay with it? It was impossible not to notice it. At least he could finally feel that he belongs somewhere. Also sanha’s mother? I understand how hard it must have been for her to live after her daughter’s death but sanha was her child too? And she didn’t actually pay the price for it? But overall it was kinda nice and engagingEsta resenha foi útil para você?
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Starts strong with great characters and back stories, but themes and sublime moments are too watered down by the end . . .The inevitable comparison to 'Go Ahead' is at the end of this review.
Can you have a sunny, optimistic future after a traumatic and unconventional childhood? The answer is a resounding 'yes.' The theme simple: hold tight to the people in your life who want to see you happy and healthy - and run away from people who don't believe in you and wish you would fail.
The romantic suspense is addictive: we the audience can tell that Sanha is over the moon for Juwon. But Juwon has no idea. There's a bit of a 'forbidden romance' factor as well.
Once the primary romantic storyline is resolved, between the two of them, then moves to the difficult bit. How to address the lasting trauma that these characters suffered in childhood? This is completely soft-balled. Sanha's mother just fades away, as does Haejun's father. Sanha's taking of sleeping pills is waived away by learning the joys of drinking.
The acting is great - I especially liked Haejun's characterisation. The production values, music and pacing are all decent, and occasionally there would be a cinematic moment. But, the highlight of the show is the depiction of toxic/traumatic family relationships, finding your 'found' family and the romantic storylines. I just wish it hadn't turned so saccharinely, unrealistically sweet in the last 4 episodes.
COMPARISON TO 'GO AHEAD'
Go Ahead was one of my top dramas of all time until the last 5-10 episodes. It was much more raw, and much more realistic about surviving toxic and traumatic relationships than Family By Choice. So much so that it should come with trigger warnings. It also was less literal and a bit more sublime. While I really hated the plot resolutions, the last scene of Go Ahead will stay in my mind forever.
In Go Ahead there were two strong sources of tension/suspense. One the romance, but the second was whether the Sanha character would be able to thrive or if he was going to sink and drown.
One of the most emotionally touching scenes in Go Ahead, was when he scrambles in a panic to explain to the Juwon character that he'd take anything she is willing to give, it doesn't have to be romance, it can be friendship, it can be anything - that in the years they've been apart the only light in the darkness was imagining seeing her again.
Instead of saying that is romantic, she starts to cry, and she hadn't realised things had been so bad between him and his mom, that she hadn't seen how bad things were for him, how had none of them seen?? How had they let him suffer all these years??
In comparison, in Family By Choice, Juwon goes to her dad and asks if it's OK and normal that Sanha and Juwon feel like no one in the world exists but each other. Instead of her Dad warning her about 'romeo and juliet' type romances, he instead reassures her that it's normal.
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Family is not always made by blood, but by heart❤️
Family by Choice tells the heartfelt story of Kim San-ha, Yoon Ju-won, and Kang Hae-jun, three individuals who, though unrelated by blood, forge an unbreakable bond during their teenage years. Raised under the devoted care of Ju-won’s father, Yoon Jeong-jae, who owns a Kalguksu restaurant, and San-ha’s father, Kim Dae-wook, they grow up together as family. Despite the absence of their mothers, the two fathers create a nurturing and joyful environment for the trio. However, circumstances pull San-ha and Hae-jun away from their close-knit family, forcing them to part ways. A decade later, the three reunite, uncovering long-buried memories and rekindling the profound connections that shaped their lives.The first two episodes were great, I enjoyed them a lot. The drama doesn't make sense, first their parents left ML and in the next episode they keep coming back one by one, it's annoying. I'm especially bothered by Kim San Ha's mom, I don't understand her, actually she wanted happiness so she divorced Kim San Ha's father and left her son and married someone else, then after 10 years she came back to their lives and destroyed their peace and happiness and blamed them for Kim San Ha's younger sister's death, later her second husband died in an accident, she blames Kim San Ha and her ex-husband for everything.
After the leap I found it a bit more interesting to watch, personally I loved the chemistry between 1st couple and 2nd couple.
At the end it doesn't matter if the family is related by blood or not, it only matters that they love each other and respect each other and this drama gives a warm love and proves again that it doesn't matter if your caste or blood is different, it only matters that you love each other and care for each other.
Family is not always made by blood, but by heart ❤️
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Korean Vs Chinese Versions.. Same but Different
To avoid getting yelled at by cyber warriors, I’ll keep it short.K version:
short and sweet
More like neighbors than family which helped the transition to lovers
No stupid love triangle
More on second leads
Dal power- enough said
FL is not as strong of a character, more pouty and childish
C version: in depth and longer
More like family since the build up took more time
More family scenes and more character developments but it made the transition to lovers a bit more awkward
That dreadful love triangle
More scenes for the side characters
Overall, watch both. Definitely one of the best slice of life.
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A Fantastic remake
This is one of the best dramas I have watched till now. Beautifully done. Couldn't be any better. I just loved each and every episode of it.I have watch Go Ahead. No doubt the main story is just amazing. Not a typical story line. I loved Go Ahead as well. But Family by Choice not only took the strong points of the GA but corrected the wrongs in the GA.
If you have seen Go Ahead, then its a must. Go Ahead with it.
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