Family by Choice (2024)

Interesting premise

I am not going to wade into the "which is better, the original Chinese drama or this" controversy. I have never watched the Chinese original (and don't intend to) so I can't comment.

The only thing I want to touch on is the mental and social commentary stemming from this drama. First, I find it interesting that this 'alternative' family arrangement has been highlighted, perhaps as the writer's hope that single-parent families and alternative family arrangements will one day become normalised in Korea. It is often not their fault that such families end up the way they are, and they shouldn't face discrimination because of it. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a happy 'standard' family and as society, we shouldn't comment on what makes another family happy.

Second, what really bugs me is the lack of acknowledgement of mental health. San Ha's mom clearly has narcissistic personality disorder in the way that she manipulates everyone around her and never admits her responsibility for her own situation. Threatening suicide is one such example of manipulation. She needs psychiatric care. This in turn has caused San Ha untold mental anguish as manifested through his constant anxiety and insomnia. Just 'talking it out' won't make either sets of symptoms go away. This is unrealistic and I wished the drama could have handled it better.

Especially in a high pressure society like SK where there is already such a high incidence of suicide and other undiagnosed mental health ailments, this is the best opportunity to normalise help-seeking. As a doctor, Sanha really should have known better than to play to manipulation. There isn't even a need to make a big deal out of it - him putting his mom in a psychiatric ward would have made me feel so much better about her ending rather than letting her run away again!

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3 no-sibling

Beautiful relationship of these 3 "no-sibling", so different but so close and protective each other.
The meaning of family in this case is a choice of a "protective community" and not blood relationship.
A truly touching drama that made me cry for the difficult situations these abandoned kids found themselves in.
I appreciated how they gave continuity to the daughter's character, who was strong and determined when she was little with a predilection for one brother (the little girl was so cute) and she also had this character trait when she grew up.
I like hear dialect slang with different inflections.
I loved seeing the father who raised 3 children as his own.
I love the cast in generally.

On the contrary, it was a bit fantasy that after 10 years in contemporany come back the mother with a new child (a little sister), the other mother to pay the debt and also an unknown father.
Then the two boys left on the same day but even after 10 years they return on the same day?!
I hated the mother who pointed the finger at her poor son, again and again, even 10 years after abandoning him. Crazy! A toxic person.

PS: Bae Hyeon Seong looks a lot like Park Bo Gum.

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Light hearted and easy to binge watch

As a huge fan of the original C-Drama, I was really looking forward to the Korean remake. Knowing that the kdrama would have to fit in the entire story into 16 episodes, I was quite intrigued as to how the producers and writers would do so whilst still keeping the main themes of the story.

This was in general a good watch and I would recommend to anyone who wants a light drama. I won't go too much into the differences between the two dramas, but if you want to watch the one with more emotional scenes, then watch the CDrama. FBC was lighthearted and easy, every episode had a pivotal moment and there wasn't anything that I felt I had to skip.

I sympathised slightly more with the "bad guys" in this adaptation than the other which shows that the writers did a great job in making the characters human with flaws. The acting of the main 5 characters was good, nothing felt too awkward. The second lead couple were very cute and I personally would have liked to see more of them.

Overall, FBC was a nice watch, it wasn't heavy and I didn't cry while watching this in compared to the other adaptation. I liked how the big theme of family was the central point in this and that it was evident throughout the show. I also like the chemistry between the ML and FL way better in this drama than the other so in the romance side of things, FBC wins. But this was definitely a "watered down" version of the original. If you want a drama that has emotional impact, this one doesnt have it. Like stated before, this was an easy watch.

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it gets better!!!

alright so im 12 episodes in and can i just tell you this show took a dramatic turn for me halfway through. i was thinking about dropping this show when i was around ep 6-7 because i couldn’t connect properly with the characters but oh GOD.

all of a sudden im sobbing my eyes out and can’t stop watching it. first of all i just wanna say i LOVE the relationship between kang haejun and juwon’s father. i feel like they have the most beautiful relationship amongst everyone and i cry every single time i see them together. the way juwon’s father truly raised haejun as his real son and cares so much about him melts my heart.

HWANG INYEOP. oh my god this man is absolutely insane. HE IS SUCH A GREAT ACTOR IM ACTUALLY IN SHAMBLES. his acting skills are so underrated in the kdrama world. the way he portrayed sanha’s character SO WELL, i was crying along with him. also, he is such a TEASE when it comes to juwon. he was literally giving me butterflies i haven’t felt in a LONG TIME. AND OBVIOUSLY HE IS SO HANDSOME I WAS SCREAMING INTO MY PILLOW EVERY NOW AND THEN

in conclusion, it gets better. i didn’t expect to be hooked so tightly when i first started the show. just hold on and enjoy the journey together with the characters.

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Picked up this drama as the plot line seemed quite engaging. Although I have never the highly rated and nostalgic original, I knew that this would be a great watch. The story is pretty self-explanatory and throughout the series we are introduced to both some very unlikeable and likeable characters, various issues surrounding family, health, social status, pride etc. Seems like a typical good ol' Korean drama. I really loved the cast at the beginning as well, but towards episode 8-9 I really dropped the engagement and wasn't looking forward to Wednesdays as much as I used to at the beginning when this first aired. Both couples just did not have any chemistry at all, so it was slightly hard of a watch. Safe to say it has been done and dusted, after this maybe it is actually worth watching the original and comparing the two, although I would assume my opinion would remain the same as most fans of this drama.

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Everything I hoped it would be

I love this kdrama.
The two main leads were so cute and I really loved their family by choice so much.
Sometimes it was a little boring but the good acting and the chemistry of both couples made up for that.

I liked the fact that kang hae-joon did not fall in love with yoon joo-won and that they stayed brother and sister throughout the whole drama, which is not common in kdramas.

I would have liked to see a little bit more of park dal and kang hae-joon and him falling in love with her/ him being head over heels in love with her.

I absolutely loved park dal and she is one of my favorites characters in this drama.

The actors were so good. They carried this drama and really put a lot of feeling in it.

I really enjoyed watching this kdrama and for me it's become a new comfort kdrama.

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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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Home is where your family is.

Title: “Family By Choice” – better title than the original

Story:
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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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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