Families nowadays come in all forms and sizes, and even if the people in them aren’t related by blood, it doesn’t mean their bond isn’t as strong and meaningful. That’s the main premise of “Family by Choice,” the new K-drama adaptation of the original C-drama “Go Ahead.” If you are already familiar with the story, then you might have an idea of what to expect from this show; however, it looks like this new Korean version will bring back the old feelings from the popular C-drama, along with brand new emotions to all of us.
Warning: spoilers from episodes 1-2 below!
The story centers around three very different families that, by pure chance, end up living together. First, there’s the single dad Yoon Jeong Jae (Choi Won Young) and his daughter Yoon Ju Won (Jung Chae Yeon), a lively kid whose only wish is to have an older brother to play with her while her father works at his noodle restaurant. One day, her wish seems to come true when she meets her new neighbor’s son, Kim San Ha (Hwang In Youp), a shy and reserved boy who at first gets scared by Ju Won’s extremely open personality. Later on, it is explained that his timid attitude is due to a traumatic accident in which his younger sister passed away, and it is his mother who blames him for it.
While watching the young kid reliving the tragic moment, carrying alone the burden and pain of all his family, you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Even more so after watching his mother blaming him for her own negligence, selfishly ignoring the pain she is inflicting on her son and husband, only focusing on her grief. Nonetheless, as awful as she is, she is still San Ha’s mother, so watching her abandon him is truly heartbreaking. If you are a “Go Ahead” fan, you can see that despite being a very similar scene to the original, the contempt and difference portrayed in this version is way harder to swallow.
But Ju Won doesn’t only get San Ha as her older brother, she also unexpectedly gets a second older brother when Kang Hae Jun (Bae Hyeon Seong) accompanies his mother on a blind date with Ju Won’s father. Although Jeong Jae isn’t thinking about getting remarried, something about little Hae Jun warms his heart to the point of taking him to his house when he finds out Hae Jun’s mother has left him. There isn’t much explanation about her disappearance, except she planned to go to Seoul in order to settle down and has been gone ever since. And just like that, two fathers find themselves with three kids on their own. But somehow, things work out for the best.
Years later, we see how well their blended family works. It’s not only how comfortable they seem to be with one another after spending so many years together, it’s also the way they complement and are so in sync with each other. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a personality of their own. Despite growing up together, they still have their own individual thoughts, worries, and concerns. For instance, San Ha has to deal with the fact his mother is still clouding his life, even after abandoning him and restarting her life with a new family, as if she’s trying to make sure he never forgets what happened when he was a child.
On the other hand, Hae Jun has to deal with the stigma of living out of the kindness of Ju Won’s father. He has to endure the judgment from everybody else, even if Yoon Jeong Jae treats him as nothing but a son. Although he appears to be a merry-go-lucky sort of guy, he hides within him a big sorrow and the burden of being the only one who doesn’t have either of his parents. Most importantly, he tries his best to be a kind older brother to Ju Won and a trustworthy son to their father, even if his good intentions sometimes bring unexpected consequences.
Finally, there’s Yoon Ju Won, who appears to be the less conflicted of the three siblings. Everyone from her father, to her neighbors, and even her two dashing older brothers shower her with their love and affection, so not having a mother doesn’t seem to affect her at all. Admittedly, as the youngest of her family, she enjoys a lot of perks in her household, but that isn’t always the case outside. At school, she has to deal with many girls who doubt her relationship with San Ha and Hae Jun, since, after all, none of them are her real siblings.
That’s why to her it is imperative that they can define their situation as a family. But some things are easier said than done, and since in theory they all are simply neighbors, the more she insists on the matter, the harder it becomes for both Hae Jun and San Ha. Especially for the latter, since losing his real younger sister has made a big impact on his life. For a peculiar family like this one, living in a society that puts so much meaning in relations, blood ties, and opinions, there will be many disagreements, prejudices, derision, and obstacles to face.
However, no matter how much people criticize them or judge them as unconventional, to Ju Won, both San Ha and Jae Ha are her older brothers –at least for now. And to them, more than simply a younger sister, Ju Won is the sun that brings light and warmth to their otherwise gloomy and lonely lives. They’re a family that fate brought together, even without any ties of law or blood. But what will they do if that same fate that united them as children tries to defy and separate them now? That’s what we have to wait to see in the upcoming episodes of “Family by Choice”!
Start watching the first episodes of “Family by Choice” here:
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. She is a declared “Subeom” and “Hyeppyending.” Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “Family by Choice”
Plans to watch: “What Comes After Love“