Família por Escolha (2024)

Fazzoletti a portata di mano, un drama davvero imperdibile ed emozionante

Serie che - ho avuto modo di leggere - è il remake del drama "Go Ahead" e da molti non ritenuta all'altezza dell'originale. Personalmente, allora, posso solo che essere felice di aver visto questa serie per prima, così da non dover fare paragoni e poterla apprezzare pienamente. Il drama pone al centro non i consueti due protagonisti, ma un'intera famiglia "allargata": i personaggi principali sono infatti diversi e il tema dei legami è al centro della storia, unitamente alla definizione del concetto di "famiglia". Nel dettaglio si intrecciano tre famiglie intese nel senso tradizionale, tutte provate da situazioni difficili, dalla mancanza di uno dei genitori, aspetto che sembra diventare un'etichetta a vita di fronte a tutti gli altri, alla frattura non risanabile di chi ha perso una sorella/figlia, dove poi il dolore e la depressione inferiscono crudelmente, al tema dell'abbandono inaspettato e senza spiegazioni. Dalle ceneri di tutte queste "famiglie" fatte a pezzi si forma un nuovo tipo di famiglia, dove l'affetto conta più del sangue. Motore catalizzante di questo nucleo insolito e allargato è Yan Jeong Jae, interpretato da un attore che mostra sempre grandi capacità. La storia è complessa ma al tempo stesso ben equilibrata, e può essere apprezzata da diversi punti di vista: il legame che unisce i tre "fratelli", quasi a formare uno schieramento che si supporta e si difende l'un l'altro di fronte al giudizio prevenuto degli altri compagni di studi/vicini di casa; le singole vicende legate al loro passato, che riemergono l'una dopo l'altra, tra padri/madri che ricompaiono destabilizzando di volta in volta l'equilibrio a fatica raggiunto dalla "famiglia per scelta", mostrando dolorosamente come sia difficile in realtà voltare davvero pagina rispetto a certi legami e come a volte dietro al rancore palesato nell'età ormai adulta si celi un bambino sofferente ma ancora aggrappato all'illusione e alla segreta - quasi inconsapevole - speranza del ritorno della madre che lo ha abbandonato/rifiutato/incolpato. Mi è piaciuto molto come sono stati caratterizzati i tre ragazzi e soprattutto che non ci sia davvero l'ombra del classico triangolo amoroso, aspetto che non mi fa mai impazzire e che spesso trovo davvero superfluo, perchè davvero se c'è una buona trama non serve costringere i due giovani di turno a contendersi la fanciulla che completa il trio. Il loro legame evolve, tra equilibri che si frantumano e si ricompongono, vengono messi alla prova da situazioni spesso esterne e sulle quali arrivano a prendere anche posizioni differenti che li porta a uno scontro/confronto mai però definitivo o insuperabile. E' qualcosa di molto più sano e bello da guardare rispetto al cliché della rivalità che si trascina per tutta una serie per poi risolversi in modo a volte banale. Del resto, fin da piccolo, Hai Jun non si attacca in maniera specifica a Ju Won bensì vede lei e il padre come la sua nuova famiglia e per lui il grande valore e supporto è sentire di farne parte. Diverso invece il rapporto tra Ju Won e San Ha, dove già nella tenera adolescenza per San Ha è chiaro che Ju Won rappresenta per lui "la persona", quella fondamentale, che pone al centro del suo mondo. Loro due regalano anche il romance alla serie, non una storia travolgente da batticuore continuo, ma sicuramente sentita e soprattutto profonda, anche per via delle relazioni intrecciate per anni tra loro e con gli altri membri che li circondano. Ammetto che sono stati davvero molti gli episodi che sono riusciti a commuovermi, spesso per situazioni e temi molto diversi l'uno dall'altro ma che tutti si ricollegano all'importanza e profondità della relazione e dei legami tra le persone. Quindi, con una buona scorta di fazzoletti a portata di mano, una serie da non perdere, emozionante e ricca in termini di contenuti.

Leia Mais

the only way to enjoy this show is to totally block away the chinese version from your mind. Watching this made me appreciate go Ahead even more. i know it couldn't have been easy to try to tell this story in 16 episodes but there were too many things missing. The periods where it felt like nothing was happening in the original spoke volumes!. Her waiting to hear from them, it being too painful for her to see them go away so she travelled to see relatives, her treating them like strangers(because they had become strangers). I was not a big fan of this translation of her yelling at them, i preferred the original. The mother wasn't some unreasonable idiot like she is portrayed in this one, her character was dumbed down and the essence taken away.
she was a mother who carried around the guilt of leaving her child and blaming him and not knowing how to rectify this, she tried holding on to him in an unhealthy way which was exhausting for him and her, also her trying to set him up with someone else showed her yearning to build something ''new'' with him that didn't include their past. she coped by ignoring things(tearing up pictures of her daughter, leaving her marriage and child, trying to get him away from the girl who knew about their skeletons).

Leia Mais

Remake? No. Adaptation? Yes.

The core story is still the same with Chinese version, but the detailed storyline is more explored.

In my opinion, watching this drama really delivers my emotional feels that made me cry several times, haha. And I like how the three siblings didn't get trapped in a love triangle.

However, the downside for me is that the romance between Juwon and Sanha. I’m not sure if it’s because of their lack of chemistry or if they’re just better off as siblings until the end. Some parts like the kiss scenes, I even skipped, haha. Tbh, the second couple is cuter—they don’t have many moments, but they’re still sweet.

Oh, and regarding the actors’ performances, I think they did well overall. But for Juwon’s teenage character, it would’ve been better if he had been portrayed as more “childish,” especially since his character here is meant to be talkative. His acting wasn’t bad; it just didn’t fully fit the character.

Overall, this drama is still worth to watch! 💛

Leia Mais

meh

ok! i watched the cdrama og ver of this and i enjoyed how the lines between brother vs not were clear… cuz lowk that was incest LOL. and also enjoyed how there wasn’t a love triangle cuz that’s so yucky. additionally rly rly loved dal in this one. plus the couple was soo cutie. except why was he so dumb and i wish he liked her more throughout and we could see that. main couple was cute ish, good looking. not a lot of character tho!!! like erm idk what their personalities are like… also the dad liking the runaway mom girl was weird for me cuz huhhh how did he like someone so fast. ya this was jsut ok for me pretty cliche and not rly anything new.

Leia Mais

Not better than the original but swoony, fluffy and charming in its own way. Worth a watch.

Full disclosure, I have seen and loved the original Chinese series "Go Ahead" from which Family By Choice is an adaptation. Therefore my review and appreciation of this version of the story, is bound to be influenced by my feelings on the original drama. Overall, even if I prefer the original series, I truly enjoy this version of this found family tale. There are even things I think the South Korean version accomplished in a neater way. Not better, but like if you would put a pretty bow on things while the Chinese drama had a less fluffy vibe, much grittier, less rom-com, more slice-of-life. I appreciate they took another approach but I cannot say that I found it better. Just different.

The South Korean series hits properly most of the beats of the original story, with some changes on storylines as well as quicker pace (which is unavoidable given that the South Korean version is made of 16 episodes of 1 hour while the Chinese version is made of 40 episodes of 45 minutes). There are some iconic elements of the original story that are missing which I found a bit of a shame but I appreciated some of the cuts they took on some of the side stories / characters. The main flaw of the story resides in its pacing : some traumatic events lived through by the characters felt too quick with the story moving on expeditiously and handling a bit too easily redemptions...Despite those flaws (which I must admit are linked to me comparing both occurrences of the story), the overall plot is still very good and I truly enjoyed the romance as well as the family arc. The trio of main characters are really likeable and form a trio that I loved throughout the full show. I will miss them for sure.

The casting was very good. I adore Hwang In Youp and I found him excellent here. He gave me butterflies in my stomach. His character felt to me like the heart of the story, even more than the heroine. She is of course key to the story and Jung Chae Yeon is super luminous in portraying her. It was my first time seeing her in a series and I will need to see her in a different role to which I'm less attached to form a clearer opinion on her acting. I was also happy to (re-)discovered Bae Hyeon Seong thanks to this drama. He did not leave me with a lasting memory from his support role in Hospital Playlist but here, he made a strong impression on me. The filial bond between him and his adoptive father is one of the best part of the series. Both actors playing fathers (Choi Won Young and Choi Moo Sung), as well as the child actress Oh Eun Seo are worth a shout out as they were amazing in those support roles.

The production value is really good. There are so many scenes that are mesmerizing, decors with flowers, pastel and bright colors participating in creating dreamy and romantic pictures. The soundtrack is really beautiful as well. There are a couple of songs that I will for sure keep listening to.

I would recommend this to people that love romantic story and found-family trope. If you enjoy protective, caring and ambiguous "big brother" character, you are in for a treat. The story is not without flaws and it pales a bit the comparison to the original drama...Still, it is worth watching if you enjoy rom-com with swoony moments, supported by a charming cast and solid production value.

Leia Mais

Better than the original. But just by a bit.

Beware, it’s going to be long and with spoilers!

So my test-retest reliable but I liked just a bit more the Kdrama so I gave another half point. Below will be my comparison between this version and the Cdrama.

The cons: They didn’t spend much time around their younger days and I loved it much more than the modern ones. I understand that the Cdrama was much longer but IMO they lost all the beauty of how they became a one big family. In the Kdrama they suddenly started sort of living together, and without the prior knowledge I might’ve been confused.
Their modern days wasn’t done perfectly either. It was fun watching them going between the apartments in the Cdrama and practically living all together again, but here it felt less like that, and they missed the whole thing of how they became neighbors again at the first place !
Another problem is the familiar faces of actors who are usually doing villain roles and suddenly you got to believe they’re the sweetest dads in the world. So I’m sorry but I liked the dad there more. And the Mom was much more savage here. It was painful to watch her scenes.

The pros: Real life age of actors! Seven was older than the guys, especially ML and it showed. I’m happy In Yeop was older, so I could’ve felt the chemistry more.
Also I liked that unlike the Cdrama where Seven was the glue between them, here it felt like In Hyup was the one. So he really felt like the protective older brother. He has done a terrific job.
Her friend was much integral part of the story and it was interesting they left her with the same character as she grew up and didn’t make her go against her mom like in the Cdrama. It showed much more what a sensitive and beautiful on the inside woman she is. It emphasized the growth of the 2ML (who, as he should, didn’t want the FL, even for an instance -unlike the Cdrama).

Leia Mais

main cast is SPOT-ON! off to a good start!

Hwang In Yeop totally nails the eldest sibling vibe—he’s responsible, serious, and caring, but he has this distant, mysterious vibe. Bae Hyun Sung, as the playful older brother, always has a smile on his face but you can tell he’s hiding some deeper, painful feelings. and Jung Chae Yeon is such a perfect fit for the youngest sibling! i’m really loving the trio and their dads.

i love the original Chinese drama, and since the original has 40 episodes, i’m excited to see how they’re going to pack everything into just 16 episodes. definitely looking forward to seeing how they adapt it!

btw, Bae Hyun Sung reminds me a bit of Park Bo Gum in ‘Reply 1988’ with that hairstyle and especially his eyes. is it just me? haha

Leia Mais

Good in the Beginning, Frizzles out Towards the End

I guess a lot was lost in translation, because remaking a 40 episodes Chinese drama into 16 episodes Korean drama isn’t an easy feat!

I read comments and reviews on MDL before I sat down to write this review and there was one thing predominantly pointed out in them- that the Korean version lacks the subtleties and family dynamics which were the highlight of the Chinese original. Frankly, I haven’t watched the Chinese drama, so I can only base my review on the Korean remake. But it does seem like there were existent discrepancies which were viable even without the comparison. The first half of the show starts off strong, the tight sibling bond between the three main characters who have no blood ties is established early on; they are each other’s staunch support and comfort zone. Bought up by two fathers in a shared household, the children never lacked love and affection; especially Kang Hae Jun who had no significant ties to either families. The fathers acted as the parental units and the children had them as well as each other while they grew up normally. Now as the storyline descends into the second half, the plot goes awry. I was slightly disappointed with the later episodes as they felt too disjointed. I’m not even sure if the remake still remained true to the original!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/11/28/family-by-choice-series-review/

Leia Mais

This Chinese Remake is Really Really Good in Its Own Right!

The Chinese remake, Go Ahead, was one of my most Favorite Chinese Dramas, so I was going into watching this Korean version with prejudice. Remakes more often than not are usually not that good. However, what a pleasant surprise!!!

Even knowing the overall storyline, the Korean's did a Fabulous job making this drama their own. Great cast, great acting, intense emotions. I love these type of warm family dramas vs those where everyone is busy stabbing each other in the back.

Highly recommend, I look forward to rewatching the drama again in the future along with the Chinese one.

Leia Mais

Definitely in my top 10 for the year!

I just finished watching, and OH MY GOSH it was SO GOOD! I understand that it's a remake, and I haven't seen the original so I can't make comparisons, but I absolutely loved this drama! The acting was outstanding! The story was interesting. The music...well, not so much, but it didn't make me want to turn it off, so that's a plus. It seemed through most of it that if I wasn't laughing or smiling ear to ear, then I was crying...but I cry every time the actors do, so make of that what you will. The family was unrealistically heartwarming, but I don't watch dramas such as this expecting realism. It's a "possible but not probable" storyline, so it's not too far out in left field. I absolutely adored all of the mains and most of the side characters. Definitely worth the watch!

Leia Mais

Slightly better

I found this one better than the original they warped it perfectly in just 16 episodes. Watching ML's mother's scenes were very difficult I tried to skip most of it I really wished someone to put that woman to her place and what's more annoying is that in whole drama everyone told ML to be good with her just because she is his mother and even ML was one who always felt guilty and the mother didn't change at all until the end.
The best part they did with remake was Park Dal, her character was amazing. They even gave her happy ending with 2ML by removing the love triangle and avoiding unnecessary angst.

Leia Mais