A Prefabricated Family (2024)

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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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 beautiful drama on family

This might be my first romance drama that I am rating a 10 maybe because it is more about family and that is what I loved most about it. It's not a proper comedy or romcom but it does make you smile and laugh as much as it might make you tear up. It is endearing as a story about family and I genuinely wanted to hug the male leads several times for struggling so much as kids. I loved their bonding through their individual struggles and looking out for each other. I am glad I started watching late and binged it because it made it more enjoyable than if I had to wait weekly.

Sometimes kdramas get boring but I didn't find myself bored with this one at any point. I loved it from start to finish. There are plenty of cute romance moments but it was really the trio that I fell for. The cast was exceptional in their portrayals. I felt their emotions and found myself relating to how they were feeling in that situation I loved the dads and every kid would want fathers who can take on a proper role of childcare and bonding with their children without relying on remarriage to another women and pass on their responsibilities to her in such situations. It was quite wholesome for that reason.

Although the child actors are only seen in the first 2 episodes (if I am not mistaken), they did a wonderful job as well and were truly adorable.

The OST is quite nice even and enjoyable though I normally don't like slow Korean songs.

If you don't mind getting a little emotional and a plot about family with a slow build up to romance, Family By Choice might appeal to you as much as it did to me.

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perfect a remake could be!

The performances are stellar, particularly from the lead trio, whose chemistry drives the narrative. The writing beautifully tackles themes of abandonment, resilience, and the importance of chosen family, making the series relatable and inspiring.

However, the drama does face minor drawbacks, such as pacing issues in the middle episodes and reliance on familiar Kdrama tropes. Despite these, its heartfelt storytelling and emotional authenticity make it a standout. Fans of family-centric dramas and emotional narratives will find Family by Choice an unforgettable watch.

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Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!

Thank you Kdramaland for NOT throwing a side plot of creepy murder into this show. It was raw and packed full pf emotions from the very start. The character development was stellar, the casting A plus.

Love, pain, family, bonding, small town drama at its finest.

I don’t cry much in dramas, but happy tears poured down my face at the end of this show.

We’ve had at most 4-5 10 star worthy dramas come out of Korea in 2024, and this is certainly one of them.

It felt different, unique and apart from the absolutely horrendous mother of ML, I feel like we pretty much steered clear of the usual tropes too.

Don’t miss this one. It’s a much watch.

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Found family will always heal the soul

This show is a sweet slice of life about struggle and finding a home and overcoming difficulties. Three children raised as siblings but not by blood find themselves navigating life without mothers and with prejudices placed on them due to their circumstances that were beyond their control. Ju Won who lost her mother before she even knew her to death, San Ha whose mother abandoned him after being stuck in her own grief, and Hae Jun who was left behind and taken in by a stranger. All three raised by Ju Won and San Ha's fathers creating a tight knit family of 5 for 10 years. But as life has a tendency to do things begin to unravel when the boys are seniors in high school and getting ready to graduate. They find their situations changing again and taking them in different directions separating the three 'siblings' for 10 years before the two men find their way back home.

I actually really liked this show a lot. It was really very beautiful and acted very well. The child actors in the beginning were fantastic and the adult actors all embodied their roles with near perfection. The drama also makes a point to show early on in the series the difference in how Ju Won treats San Ha and Hae Jun while growing up which makes the romance later in the story more palatable for some viewers. I like how their struggles are often handled with grace and understanding between the close knit family of 5.

I also like how they made this story their own but stayed true to the characters and their personalities. Ju Won here is much more reserved in this version and I actually like that for her character. She doesn't come off as spoiled or naive but strong and independent which makes sense and fits perfectly as someone that was raised by someone that loved them so well and worked so hard. She learned from him and met her own difficulties with determination and grace. I also prefer this version of Hae Jun as well. His trauma of being abandoned and feeling like he had to earn a place and the way that trauma molded him works here. He is strong and soft hearted like Ju Won's father who raised him but his fear of being thrown away is shown to perfection here. I also really loved Dal in this show and wish she had been shown more, especially her interactions with Hae Jun which were some of my favorite. I actually preferred this pair over Ju Won and San Ha.

What did not land perfectly for me was the chemistry for the romance and I will forever hate San Ha's mother no matter version I watch. I watched this show through the eyes of having seen the original so that knowledge I think fills in some gaps that may be missing in this show because of the shorter run time. There were some things that felt rushed and others that felt too slow. Like the wedding at the ending felt rushed and unnecessary though I thought the same in the original. The last episode also felt so long and boring to me which is not a good feeling when it comes to a finale.

But overall I enjoyed this and would recommend for the found family and even for the dialogue. Some of the advice given to the characters throughout the show hits emotionally even to the viewers who may be able to see themselves in some of the aspects of the characters. Well written script, seasoned actors that are great at their craft, beautiful OST, and stunning visuals make for a good show.

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Are all Mothers bad?

So I watched ep 6 last evening and I"m very frustrated that ALL the adult Female characters are cruel and uncaring to their children. Although I understand that the writers are trying to explain the difficulties these teenagers are facing, is it really necessary that all the mothers are portrayed in this way? Both Father figures are portrayed as nothing short of saints! Two mothers abandoned their sons, and the 3rd is cruel and constantly humiliates her teenage daughter in front of her friends. One mother left her child because of grief and the other because of financial difficulties, and this is supposed to explain their cruelty even 10 years after leaving. Even the aunt of one of the teenagers is thoughtless towards her nephew, implying that he is a burden to the father figure who raised him. Up until ep6 I have loved this drama. However, if the storyline continues to portray the women in this drama as cruel, heartless and selfish with no redeeming factors, I don't think I will be able to continue to watch it as I feel the writers must hate mothers and women in general.

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Family by choice

At first I was very excited, but after I saw this far. I'm still surprised by the story which seems to have a lot of jumps in it. Yes I have watched the previous version.What I regret is that this is a family drama as the title suggests. However, I feel a little disappointed about the emphasis on family.In fact, I think that from the start, this drama adaptation actually emphasized the love triangle between the actors. That's the first one, the second one is the character of the main character, seriously I read the novel and the character doesn't match, come on.

Well, even so, this drama is quite good, not too bad. But to watch it again, I prefer to watch the original version.

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