A Prefabricated Family

An interesting drama about an unusual family headed by a widowed restaurant owner and his daughter who take in two children after they are both deserted by their mothers. The father of one of the boys also joins the group and the story shows their closeness as children and then due to family circumstances their drifting apart to be reunited later. It is based on a Chinese series "Go Ahead" and follows the original quite closely. It does handle the romance side better but overall I prefer the flow and story and interactions of the original. That does not detract from the fact that this version is still enjoyable and worth a watch.

I'm usually the type to binge series, especially those short ones and I still enjoy them regardless but this one, this one gave us so much content among those 12 episodes I sat down and enjoyed each one. I'm a sucker for good family/friend dynamics and this one portrayed them great. All the relationships are so deep and meaningful I cherished each one. I loved how I saw their lives unfold during these episodes, from children to teenagers and teenagers to adults. I loved how they showed us how important family is despite blood relations and I loved every character because they all had such great and different stories. What I wasn't that fond of was the main couple, who I thought were a bit uncomfortable and unnecessary -because they ruined a great family dynamic- but throughout the episodes they grew on me and I understood their story. This series broke me and then put my pieces back together. Incredible, easy to watch, beautiful and playful. I recommend it and easily give it a 10/10.

I do get that k-dramas, even when they are boring are somewhat comforting! You cannot simply relate to any other drama industry that way, but it happens naturally with k-dramas. The story, characters, actors, everything was good, however I skipped a lot of scenes. They should have wrapped up the story in 10 episodes instead of 16. A lot of scenes seemed stretched. It would have turned out better that way. A lot of people watched this drama because of Inyoup but if we do a comparison, True Beauty had a far better storyline. Inyoup, as expected pulled his character really well and so did the other actors. But the episodes after episode 6 were very much skippable and I couldn't keep watching the whole episode. Given the rating I expected more, but was somewhat disappointed. There are a lot of other kdramas with a much better story and the fact they have lower ratings is very upsetting. Also there was next to none chemistry between the main leads... It seemed rushed and forced.

I've been a huge fan of actor Hwang In-yeop ever since I saw him play the second lead in the hit K-drama "True Beauty." I've also watched his other works, such as "Why Her," "18 Again," and "The Sound of Magic." As for the female lead, Jung Chae-yeon, I recognized her from the K-drama "Golden Spoon." I also know Bae Hyun-sung, who played the character Kang Hae-jun in K-dramas like "Hospital Playlist," "Our Blues," and "Sweet Home" Season 3. Honestly, the stellar cast had me hooked from episode one.

I won't be comparing this to the Chinese version, "Go Ahead," since I haven't seen it. This drama was so good! After seeing the thumbnail with two boys and one girl, I expected a messy love triangle, but it was so clean and straightforward! The bond shared by the three main characters was emotional and heartwarming to witness. It was such a breath of fresh air.

The only sad thing was that we only had four episodes of San Ha and Ju-won's dating era. The story primarily focused on repairing broken familial relationships, which meant that the second leads, Hae-jun and Park Dal, didn't get as much attention. Still, I enjoyed their cute little love story on the side. I love how the complicated familial relations were portrayed. The leads had electrifying chemistry right from day one, and I honestly loved the writing. The dialogues were well crafted and effectively conveyed to the international audience.

I'm so happy to finally see Han Seojun get the girl, lol! I'm sad that it ended yesterday. It was definitely worth the wait and watch. Don't miss out on this one! Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

I started Family by Choice for Hwang In Youp, and I fell for him all over again! His portrayal of Kim San Ha was absolutely breathtaking-his emotions, depth, and presence made me love him even more. Every scene he was in felt real, and I couldn't take my eyes off him!

But beyond In Youp, this drama had everything. The story was an emotional rollercoaster-heartwarming, heartbreaking, and funny in all the right moments. The bond between San Ha, Hae Joon (Bae Hyun Sung was AMAZING), and Joo Won was so touching. It proved that family isn't just about blood, but love, loyalty, and unwavering support.

From powerful performances to stunning cinematography, Family by Choice is hands down one of the best K-dramas of 2024. If you love heartfelt, emotional, and realistic storytelling, this is a must-watch! You won't regret it!