A Prefabricated Family (2024)

This is not remake, it's re-create

I have watched several remade dramas. Many of them disappointed me, but there are remakes that are done very well. A remake involves creating a new version of a work, with adjusted plots and characters. I always hope for the excitement that comes from these adaptations whenever I try to watch a remake. There are two great remakes that I refer to when watching remake dramas: "Playful Kiss" and "Solomon's Perjury." Both are Korean dramas that adapt Japanese dramas and films. I watched both versions and was satisfied with them.

These two dramas adapt the plot and Japanese culture well, adjusting it nicely to Korean culture without rushing to build a new identity for the drama.

However, it’s not the same with this drama. In episode 1, this drama portrays the childhood of the characters quite well. The casting for the parents is very well done, and I am quite satisfied with that. The child actors are also fairly good in portraying their characters.

When the characters begin to enter adulthood, I noticed many important scenes that should have been included but were omitted. I know it’s not easy to condense 40 episodes, but removing major scenes and creating a new plot that lacks a similar message is not the right choice. This is a remake, and while being different and having its own color is fine, it shouldn’t come at the expense of altering the plot.

I was quite skeptical about JCY when the cast was first announced, but it turns out that among the three main cast members, I think she acted the most naturally. She manages to create a new character for Jian Jian effectively. A slight difference in character is okay as long as the overall character doesn’t change. What disappoints me more is the acting of HIY. This is the third time I’ve watched his dramas (18 Again, Why Her?), and I feel there hasn’t been significant development in his acting style.

My disappointment continued when I realized that the character Tang Can was not adapted in this drama. She is a main character who significantly influences Jian Jian’s character development, but this drama seems to prefer emphasizing romance over family and self-development, focusing instead on a love quadrangle that I think isn’t as important.

I am uncomfortable with the change in Ming Yue's character in this drama, as that’s where her development lies. The actress playing Park Dal has acted well, and there’s no doubt about that, but it feels like a new character. Ming Yue is a cowardly female character who gradually starts lying because she cannot express what she wants; she doesn’t dare to openly confront her mother at all during her youth. The first time she does so is at age 25, but here, Park Dal’s character boldly expresses her opinions to her mother while they’re eating together. That doesn’t feel like Ming Yue at all. It’s an unnecessary adaptation of the character.

In fact, this drama has a lot of potential if it wanted to place more emphasis on family rather than romance, just like the original story. Or like its title, because that is indeed its most interesting point. Almost 80% of the casting is well-chosen, with good acting and compatible faces. But everything feels wasted due to the plot that tries too hard to create something new, a new identity. If that's the case, it would be better to just create a new drama.

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Family always

As someone who absolutely loved Go Ahead, I was very excited about this remake, but alas I had to constantly remind myself that it isn’t supposed to be replicated.

The drama keeps majority of the essential story line with more emphasis on family importance, which does support the title. In a perspective of someone who watched the original, its okay, but still very enjoyable, however, unfortunately I feel for those who are a little disappointed as a lot of the core elements that made Go Ahead really amazing, seemed to be toned down and altered in a way that is underwhelming.

If you haven’t watched the chinese original, I feel the drama is amazing in that sense of being a stand alone! Its a lighthearted, romance and slice of life drama with some sentimentality. As a Go Ahead watcher, its basically a very condensed version of the drama, and IMO a lot more emotionally watered down.

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