THE SHORT VERDICT:

Family By Choice is a lovely, compact little family drama that manages to deliver pretty big on the feels, considering its relatively short length of just 16 episodes.

Show serves up a whole lot of feels in the found family realm, with a nice little bonus of romance, on the side.

Yes, it’s a remake of c-drama Go Ahead (review here!), but you don’t have to have seen Go Ahead, to love this one. Conversely, just because you’ve seen Go Ahead, doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy this one too.

Show does feel a little truncated in spots because of its shorter length, but the feels are strong and authentic enough, that it doesn’t really matter, in the bigger scheme of things.

Absolutely recommend, if you enjoy family dramas &/or found family stories. 🥰

THE LONG VERDICT:

The biggest thing I want to tell you guys about this show, is that I loved it right away.

In fact, within just a couple of episodes, I found myself already feeling wistful, that I would eventually get to the end of this show, and have no more episodes to watch.

From pretty early on, I found myself watching the episodes slowly – like, taking breaks every chunk of 15 minutes or so – in an effort to try to make the episodes last longer, just to put off the inevitable. 🥲

I somehow wanted things to move faster and slower, with this show, if that makes any sense. Like, I wanted more, and soon, but I didn’t want soon to come too quickly, because that meant that I would be that much closer to the end.

That happens very rarely, to me, and based on that alone, I consider this to be a pretty special drama indeed. 🥰

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

Overall, I found that I enjoyed the music very well, though I can’t say that any of the tracks really stood out to me as being extra special.

I will say, though, that every time I clicked on an episode, the opening credits, which uses Track 1, “Us In Those Days,” really perked me up. That’s my pick for favorite track, because of that. 😁

Here it is as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat, as you read the review. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about stuff I liked and didn’t like so much, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate and finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

WAS THIS REMAKE WORTHWHILE?

I know that opinions are somewhat divided on this adaptation, with some viewers preferring the c-version, but I am firmly in the camp that says that this adaptation works, and works well.

I’ve heard some folks say, based on just Show’s early episodes, that Show is just a replica of the c-version, and.. I hafta say, I don’t see that as being the case, from where I’m sitting.

I feel that Show does a really nice job of making a parallel story world that’s not just Koreanized from its Chinese source material, but also, actually diverges from the source material in some specific instances, in order to make its shorter runtime work better.

Now, I don’t typically take to remakes all that well, especially if I’ve seen and loved the original (like A Time Called You (review here!), which is a remake of Someday Or One Day (review here!), for example).

So the fact that I have hearts in my eyes for this remake of a show that I loved, says a lot, I do think. 😁

I think that for folks who like family drama feels, but don’t like the length of the typical family drama, and the commitment that goes with, that this could be a really good option.

SOME PROS AND CONS

The original is 40 40-minute episodes, and this is 16 one-hour episodes, so we are dealing with a lot less story time.

To me, there are pros and cons to this.

On the upside, yes, it’s less of a time commitment, and we get the big important beats without having to invest the time and patience to get there.

And, might I say, I do think that Show does a very solid job of giving us a good flavor for our story, our characters and their relationships, despite cramming about.. I dunno, I’d guess 10 original episodes worth of story, into our first two episodes.

That said, the downside to this, is that while Show accomplishes all that in two episodes, the foundation in terms of my feelings for these characters and their relationships, is simply less strong, because it all got a quickie foundation instead of a foundation built over time.

When I’d spent that (still a guess) 10 episodes with our characters, I couldn’t help but get a deep sense of their bond, and what kind of wounds they keep in their hearts, and how precious the found family is, to each member of said found family.

In two episodes, I get a decent sense of it, but there’s just no substituting actual time spent with the characters, in my opinion.

That said, I’m not mad at what Show serves up.

Since we only have 16 episodes for this story, then this is an approach that I fully endorse and support, because this way, we get the foundation established, with highlighted milestone moments given a little bit of extra time, before we get to the meat of the story.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are some things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. This is not romance-forward

There are a couple of lovelines in this, but by and large, Show focuses more on the found family feels, as well as the individual journeys of our characters.

Adjusting your expectations around this, helps.

2. Time passes fast in this drama world

What I mean is, we’ve only got 16 episodes to tell this story, which spans quite a few years, with our young characters growing up into adults.

This necessarily means that certain portions of our story will get glossed over, because there simply isn’t enough time to go deeper into the building of certain relationships, for example.

I don’t see this as a flaw on Show’s part, because it’s just working with what it’s got, after all.

I do think that adjusting your expectations around this would be helpful, though.

STUFF I LIKED

How Show handles itself, as an adaptation

I’ve said it before, but I do think that it’s worth restating, that this remake really works for me.

It’s clearly largely aligned to the source material, but it’s also bold in making this story its own, so much so that the watch experience feels fresh to me, even though a lot of the original drama’s details are reasonably fresh in my head.

In this spoiler section, I explore some of the ways Show is similar and yet also, different, from its source material.

Feel free to skip this, if you’re not familiar with the source material; I think this would mostly interest folks who know and love Go Ahead (again, review here!), on which this drama is based.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. I’d say that our characters mostly feel quite similar to their c-drama counterparts, but tend to also have their own flavor, if you will.

For example, our two dads are, like their c-drama counterparts, like an adorable old married couple, with one dad being the gruff policeman, and the other dad being more like a mom.

It’s freaking adorable, and I love it.

But also, I do find that Policeman Dad here, has a softer vibe to him, which I honestly really like. I love that little beat, of him washing the dishes and asking Mom Dad, if he did a good job. SO CUTE.

And I also find that Mom Dad, in this story world, is a tiny bit less Mom-like, than his c-drama counterpart, which I think works well for where I think this story is going.

As for the kids, I think the biggest difference I’m seeing, is in Ju Won, who is a lot less boisterous than her c-drama counterpart.

(Can I just say though, that the casting of Oh Eun Seo to play young Ju Won, is perfect; I love the innocent-cheeky-willful vibe that Oh Eun So brings to the character. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. 🤩🤩)

I can appreciate that Show might want to make its female lead more feminine, and I do think that it does a good job of retaining the “crazy” scenes, by having it be something that Hae Jun coaches her on, to deal with the naysayers claiming that she’s not their real sister, rather than something that’s part of her own personality.

I thought that was a nice compromise, honestly.

As for Oppa San Ha, I think that he’s less broody (and perhaps therefore less smoldery) than Song Wei Long, his c-drama counterpart.

Despite that, I do feel like Hwang In Yeop is doing a nice job of being the responsible Oppa who has a huge soft spot for Ju Won, and who happens to be the object of many girls’ crushes, at school.

Like, I’d buy that lotsa girls want to give him love letters. 😁

And then there’s Hae Jun, whom I find to be a lot more of an endearing puppy than his c-drama counterpart, who was played by Zhang Xin Cheng.

Maybe it’s just Bae Hyeon Seong’s sweet face (he always gives me Park Bo Gum vibes, for real 🥰); I find myself having an almost instant soft spot for Hae Jun, that I didn’t quite have, for his c-drama counterpart (sorry, Zhang Xin Cheng).

This makes for an interesting dynamic shift here, because I find myself more invested in Hae Jun at the moment, than in San Ha, and that was the other way around, when I watched Go Ahead.

I’m definitely curious to see how this plays out, because the way Show has set up its characters, has my emotions already being distributed somewhat differently. 😅

As a secondary example, there’s also the way Show is approaching the situation with Hae Jun’s mother.

In the original story, Mom had disappeared, and there hadn’t been any indication given to the audience, that she perhaps had run into problems, and perhaps hadn’t wanted to disappear.

I do think that that approach gave me, as a viewer, a closer vicarious experience as to how her son might have felt, being left behind like that.

However, in this version of the story, we get to see that Mom had run into trouble of some sort, and hadn’t wanted to leave the way she did.

I do feel that the reason for this different approach, is that we only have 16 episodes to work with, and there is therefore less time for Show to break down our acceptance of her, and then build it back up again.

That’s probably why Show is allowing us to have a more sympathetic view of her, right from the beginning.

As for San Ha’s mom, well, what can I say; if you want a dysfunctional mom, then Kim Hye Eun is perfectly cast. 😁

Ah, that does bring me to the scene where she leaves, and tells Ju Won that yes, she can have San Ha.

This was the one area where I thought that Show’s presentation of the scene paled in comparison to the original.

In the original, Ju Won’s counterpart Jianjian, had danced around San Ha’s counterpart Ling Xiao, with tears in her eyes.

In this version, Ju Won doesn’t do so, and I do think that that makes a world of difference, in how the scene lands.

In this version, it had simply seemed like Ju Won had been rather clueless as to how tragic the situation was, that San Ha’s mom was giving him away.

But in the original version, it had seemed like Jianjian understood how tragic and painful this was, but was making a happy show of it, as a way to console Ling Xiao, that he was still wanted, even though his mom might not want him anymore. 😭

With Ju Won’s best friend Dal having a crush on Hae Jun instead of San Ha, unlike her c-drama counterpart, who’d nursed a crush on Big Oppa, I’m thinking that perhaps Hae Jun will get his own happy ending, romance-wise?

That’s not an unappealing thought at all, so I’m happy to see where Show takes this.

[END SPOILER]

How Show serves up the feels

One of the things I’d looked forward to the most, in anticipating this show, was the feels that I believed Show would serve up, and Show does not disappoint.

The fact that Show still managed to consistently hit me in the heart, despite the fact that I was already familiar with the broad beats of this story, says a great deal, I think, about how organic and authentic this story manages to be.

There is some angst and poignancy in the mix for sure, but there is also a warmth that runs undercurrent, that most often comes from our hodgepodge family being a found family, and it all adds up to what feels like a multidimensional experience for the heart, if you know what I mean. 🥲

Even though Show does have to omit certain things and truncate others, in order to fit its shorter runtime, it doesn’t skimp on the feels at all, and I count that as a big strength. 🥰🥲

The child actors

I just had to give a shout-out to the child actors who play Ju Won, San Ha and Hae Jun.

Oh Eun Seo, Shin Seo Woo and Choi Jae Yoon play our core trio, and they are pretty darn excellent, I felt, particularly since there are some emotionally difficult scenes, particularly for Shin Seo Woo.

Very nicely done indeed. 🤩🤩🤩

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Hwang In Yeop as San Ha

Overall, I would say that Hwang In Yeop does a solid job of delivering San Ha as a character.

While I do think that Hwang In Yeop manages some difficult scenes very well, I have to confess that I did wish, at points, that he could have added more layers to his delivery of San Ha.

That said, San Ha as a character tugged on my heartstrings so much in concept, that my perceived minor shortfall in Hwang In Yeop’s delivery, didn’t affect my sympathy for the character at all.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. These episodes, Show introduces the idea that San Ha’s still traumatized by his memories of his sister’s death, and my heart really goes out to him.

I’m sure there’s some self-blame at play, even though San Ha hints, in his conversation with Hae Jun, that it hadn’t actually been his fault, and had perhaps actually been his mom’s fault.

With that as context, it makes Mom’s return even worse, particularly when she tells San Ha that she’s here to forgive him, for what had happened.

Like, excuse me??? She’s horrible; how could she say that about her son, not just 10 years ago, when the wound was still fresh, but still, 10 years later???

Now, after she’s remarried and had another child, and has had a full 10 years to reconsider her position on the matter, how could she still, while in a sober frame of mind, blame San Ha for his sister’s death???

UGH. I hate her, no exaggeration.

I was with Cop Dad every breath of the way, when he loses his temper and yells at Poison Mom in the restaurant, calling her out for her terrible behavior. Like, YES, you tell her, Ahjusshi!! 😤

But backing up a bit to when San Ha first sets eyes on her when she seeks him out at school, I have to give credit to Hwang In Yeop’s delivery of the scene.

I could feel such a tightness in his expression as he faced her, and at the same time, I felt like I could see all these streaks of emotion seeping out through cracks in the tightness, that he didn’t want seeping out, but couldn’t help.

Really well done, I thought. 🥲

I fully supported the words that San Ha bites out to Poison Mom, that he doesn’t want her to show up again, and that he hopes she lives a good life (ie, away from him).

E7-8. My heart really went out to San Ha, with everything that’s happening around his mother and the accident.

First of all, there’s the guilt that would automatically kick in, because of what Mom had said to him, in a fit of pique at his refusal to see her or take her calls, that he’d likely only see her if she’s bedridden and dying.

Oof. Being the good kid that San Ha is, I believe that that would likely have been one of the first things to hit him, and hit him hard, at the news of the accident.

It makes complete sense to me that he would not only rush to the hospital, which is in Seoul, but also, offer to stay with So Hee, at least until Mom regains consciousness.

Like Mom’s alluded to before, I do think that San Ha does see a shadow of So Jung in So Hee, and that would definitely cause him to have a soft spot for her, regardless of how awful Mom has been to him.

Plus, I do think that in San Ha’s mind, it’s not So Hee’s fault that any of this is happening, and as her big brother, he likely feels like he should do what he can, to make things as easy for her as possible, given the circumstances.

And then, when Mom wakes up, it’s also not surprising that she would practically lose her mind at how her life’s suddenly changed, what with her husband suddenly passing away, and herself suddenly unable to walk.

We’ve been told several times already, that Mom isn’t a mentally strong person, and I can imagine how this would be extremely overwhelming for her, which is why we see her have that complete meltdown in the hospital room.

It’s just so hard on San Ha though. I feel so bad for him, that he’s being forced to be the adult in the situation, because there’s literally no one else who’s able to do so, aside from Uncle, who doesn’t actually live in Seoul.

It’s poignant to see the rest of our found family waiting for San Ha through it all, from the moment he leaves for Seoul, to get news of how Mom’s surgery goes, and then afterwards, to get updates on how she’s doing, and when he’s coming home.

E7-8. San Ha’s just not the kind of person who would leave Mom alone in her moment of need, no matter what she’d done to him in the past, and I can understand why he would feel that it was his rightful duty, to show compassion, patience and kindness, in this really harsh season in her life.

Add on the fact that Uncle says that there’s really no other way, and that Mom doesn’t have the strength of character to work hard for her best recovery in the care of strangers, and it basically becomes a given, that this is San Ha’s only choice.

E9-10. I appreciate that Cop Dad tries to stop San Ha from leaving, because that’s what I’d like as well, but when San Ha frames it as not being able to live with the possibility of losing another family member, it’s hard to refute that, y’know?

E9-10. In terms of San Ha’s situation, it really feels like there’s a ticking time bomb just waiting to blow up in his face, with the way Poison Mom is still trying so hard to cling to him, even while she thinks that he’s just back in Haedong for a vacation and some rest.

Just wait till she finds out that he’s got a job there, and an apartment and a car, and is ready to settle down there for good. 😬

I can’t imagine that that would go down well at all, and it feels like this is something that she would find out sooner than later, eep. 😬😬😬

E11-12. I believe Cop Dad’s instinct 100%, that Poison Mom must have done something to San Ha that’s so horrible and hurtful, that San Ha doesn’t want to talk about it, for fear of upsetting Cop Dad.

We don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing that the medication that San Ha’s hiding, is for anxiety, since he must be under so much stress from Poison Mom, on top of the stress that would naturally come from being a medical resident.

I really feel for San Ha, because just the thought of possibly calling Poison Mom for her birthday, seems to cause his entire body to tense up. It really makes me wonder at how much he’s suffered, over the last 10 years, living with her. 💔

[END SPOILER]

Jung Chae Yeon as Ju Won

Personally, I enjoyed Jung Chae Yeon as Ju Won very well, and I really do think that that’s because I accepted early on, that Ju Won is simply not as boisterous or as tomboyish as her Chinese counterpart, Jianjian.

I thought that tweak worked really well for the character, because despite her being more feminine than Jianjian, Ju Won’s still bubbly, cheerful and enthusiastic, which I feel are the core traits of her character.

I also loved Ju Won’s deep sense of loyalty, particularly towards her found family. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. The instant puppy love sort of vibe between Ju Won and Jun Ho (Yoon Sang Hyeon) is also quite cute, but the kicker, for me, is when her efforts to let all his quirks slide comes to an abrupt halt, the minute he starts to innocently insinuate that her family background is not so good, because she had to grow up without a mom.

The thing that strikes me most, is that, for Ju Won, this isn’t just about defending her own honor; it’s about defending the honor of her entire family, including San Ha and Hae Jun.

And so, she drops Jun Ho like a hot potato, without a second thought, because he’s had the audacity and poor judgment, to not only fail to see how special her family is, but to pity them.

I honestly kinda love how all of her girlish fantasies about dating a cute boy instant stop being of importance, when her family’s honor comes into the picture.

I find her quick, unhesitating choice to be very heartwarming. 🥲

E7-8. It’s really unfortunate that San Ha and Hae Jun would both need to leave at the same time, which leads me to feel really sorry for Ju Won.

Because, we know how much this found family means to her, and how much San Ha and Hae Jun mean to her, and now, there’s even this new insecurity that’s crept in, about how she’s not San Ha’s real sister, while So Hee is.

What makes it worse is how San Ha’s leaning into the “bad” interpretation, and refusing to phrase it better, like Hae Jun wants him to.

Honestly, I find it really heartbreaking to watch, because to my eyes, this is San Ha feeling really terrible about it, and refusing to allow himself to make excuses for a decision that he feels he has no choice but to make.

I feel like how hard he’s leaning into this hurtful version of events, is how much he’s beating himself up for it, and that’s just heartbreaking, honestly. 💔😭

It’s perfectly understandable that Ju Won would see this as the two of them choosing their bio families over this found family, and feel hurt and rejected because of it.

E9-10. It really was hard to watch the boys get ready to leave; it’s so clear to see that neither of them really wants to go, but they just feel like they have to.

At the same time, I can imagine how Ju Won must feel; this beloved family of hers, that she’s fiercely defended for the past 10 years, seems to be breaking up before her eyes, all of a sudden, and that must be really hard to take.

After all, it’s not like she’d had any prior warning that this was coming, yes?

I’d be really upset too, if my whole world as I knew it, was suddenly torn apart, especially if I felt like it was preventable – which I’m pretty sure Ju Won feels that it is.

I imagine that she must feel like Hae Jun and San Ha both have a choice in the matter, ie, they could just choose not to go, and are both therefore betraying their family, by choosing to leave.

E9-10. I appreciate that aside from her goodbye with San Ha, Ju Won has her own little goodbye with Hae Jun, with him offering her all those snacks as a farewell gift, and her choosing his everyday belongings, like his clock and his watch, saying that he won’t need them anymore, in the US.

I feel like, in her own way, Ju Won has her own goodbyes with both boys, and that’s why it’s not so bad, that she doesn’t see them off, when they leave.

And I feel for her too, when she tells Mom Dad afterwards, that the reason she didn’t see them off, is because that would make their departure feel too real.

E9-10. I like that Ju Won softens towards San Ha and Hae Jun, bit by bit, as she starts to realize that things hadn’t been easy for either of them, in the past 10 years.

I thought it was sweet of her to give Hae Jun her credit card, so that he could buy himself a pair of proper sneakers, so that he wouldn’t look so shabby.

I also like how she takes special note of the fact that San Ha says that he hadn’t eaten any ice pops while in Seoul, though he believes that they are available. I think that’s enough to give her an idea that San Ha hasn’t been having an easy time in Seoul, all these years.

She does care, even though she doesn’t really want to say so. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Bae Hyeon Seong as Hae Jun

I have to confess that Bae Hyeon Seong as Hae Jun stole my heart, hook, line and sinker; he was just so, SO good. 😍

Bae Hyeon Seong gives Hae Jun a very endearing, puppy-like quality that grabbed me right away.

Not only that, I’m really legitimately blown away by the kind of emotional depth that Bae Hyeon Seong injects into his delivery of Hae Jun.

In his hands, I felt like I was privy to the ocean that was Hae Jun’s heart, and all the angst, pain and insecurity that he hid in that ocean. 🥲

Because of Bae Hyeon Seong’s earnest portrayal of Hae Jun, I found myself having the biggest soft spot for Hae Jun, even though I hadn’t had quite the same soft spot for Hae Jun’s Chinese counterpart Ziqiu.

Can’t lie; Hae Jun was my favorite. 🥹

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. In episode 3, Hae Jun’s bio dad (Lee Jong Hyuk) makes his presence known, and mostly, my heart just goes out to Hae Jun, through it all.

Past the initial stunned reaction, you can see that it’s immediately a very emotional time for him.

I’m sure there are many questions on his mind – one of which he asks right away, which is, why is Bio Dad seeking him out now? – but honestly, from the very moment Hae Jun realized that the man in front of him was his birth father, I felt like I could sense that he was fearful, deep down, underneath it all.

I feel like there was an instant, reflexive fear, that he would be forced to leave the family that he’s known and loved for the past decade, because now he had an official parent to whom he belonged.

To Show’s credit, and to Bae Hyeon Seong’s credit too, this is only brought to the surface later on, but the immediate glimmers were still clear to see, in my opinion.

In the meantime, there are many meaningful layers at play, which add up to a very complex emotional landscape for Hae Jun, which feels fitting, because it must feel very complicated to be in his shoes.

First, there’s the thing that he has to process, that he has a birth father, and that Bio Dad knows of his existence.

And then, based on what Bio Dad says, Hae Jun deduces that he’d been wanted as a child, because Mom had wanted him, from the very beginning.

The fact that he consoles himself with that thought, is, in itself, very poignant, because as we know, Hae Jun has a huge Mom-sized hole in his heart, and he still longs for her, even though he tries not to show it. 🥲

E5-6. Things aren’t so easy for Hae Jun, and we see that more clearly, these episodes.

I know that Aunt (Min Ji Ah) means well, and that her words come from a place of wanting Hae Jun to appreciate the love and kindness that he’s received from Mom Dad, but it becomes increasingly clear, that this is doing more harm than good.

Not only does it stress Hae Jun out, because it makes him feel that he should be good enough, and do well enough, to pay Mom Dad back, but it also reminds him that he’s not really Mom Dad’s son, and that has to hurt.

E5-6. I feel very bad for Hae Jun, though, at the end of these episodes, because he finally finds out that Mom (Baek Eun Hye) is around, and within reach; that she’s been to see Aunt, and even to see Mom Dad – but she hasn’t been to see him.

Oof. Poor Hae Jun; that’s got to hurt, so much. Poor, poor puppyyy. 😭

E7-8. My heart goes out to Hae Jun, because he really goes through a lot, these episodes.

It all starts with his mom coming to see Mom Dad, and return the money she’d borrowed, but not asking to see him.

Poor Hae Jun. He tries to put up a strong front, and even tells Mom Dad that if she comes again, to tell her that he doesn’t want to see her anymore.

But how could my heart not break for him, when we see him cry under the covers later, while in bed, all alone. 💔

Our puppy’s lived with the hope of seeing his mother again, all these years, and he’s been consoling himself that she must be delayed because she doesn’t have the money – and now, he doesn’t have that excuse to console himself with anymore.

Augh. My heart. 😭

Hae Jun just doesn’t have the heart to let Mom Dad ruin his health, while trying to provide for Hae Jun, and so of course Hae Jun would choose the path that would remove himself as a burden on Mom Dad.

E11-12. While all his internal conflict about not having a legally recognized relationship with Mom Dad is going on, Hae Jun continues to feel abandoned by his mom.

AUGH. Hae Jun has my heart, on this thing alone, because he always has this layer of stricken puppy to him, even though he works hard to be bright and cheerful.

In fact, I’d say that the fact he tries so hard to be bright and cheerful, when he’s really nursing all this pain, rejection and confusion on the inside, makes my heart go out to him all the more. 💔

E11-12. I feel terrible for Hae Jun, all over again, when he receives that text from Aunt, and rushes over to his mom’s hair salon, only to see her looking like she’s happily living her best life without him.

Oof. That’s gotta hurt, and how is Hae Jun to know that the reason Mom’s smiling, is because she’d seen him from afar, not too long ago? 😭

I really wish Mom wouldn’t be so stubborn about not meeting Hae Jun, but with the reveal that we get these episodes, that she’d killed a person, I feel like I can understand where she’s coming from.

From this statement, we can deduce that she’d likely gone to prison for her crime (I’m sure that it hadn’t been murder, and had likely been done in self defense or something similar), and that’s likely why she’d suddenly stopped calling Hae Jun, without warning.

Given that there is a lot of stigma in Korea (that we’ve seen played out in many other dramas) around children of murderers, I can imagine that Mom probably thinks that it’s better for Hae Jun to not have a mom at all, than be labeled the son of a murderer.

Ack. That’s a tough one, and I do believe that Mom is sincerely doing what she feels is best for Hae Jun, even if it means not being able to see or talk to her own son, for the rest of her life.

I do appreciate Ju Won’s outburst though, where she tells Mom just how much Hae Jun has suffered without her, all these years, because Mom should know this too.

And hopefully, that will help weaken her resolve, to not see Hae Jun. 🥹

[END SPOILER]

The trio together

It kind of goes without saying, that I just loved seeing our core trio together.

I lapped up every bit of evidence that indicated that they knew, understood and cared about one another very, very deeply.

I just loved every scene that they shared together, whether they were squabbling like real siblings, or talking things out and baring their hearts, or simply sharing food as a means of comfort – like so many Asian siblings do. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. I’m relieved that Ju Won and San Ha basically force Hae Jun to come clean as to why he looks upset (and yay that they are able to tell, at a glance, that something’s wrong), because I’m sure that Hae Jun would have tried to keep everything to himself, and that would have made it so much worse.

It’s so poignantly endearing, that both Ju Won and San Ha automatically tear away half of their own red bean buns, and give those halves to Hae Jun, to comfort him. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

San Ha and Hae Jun

I was really very pleasantly surprised by the amount of depth and nuance that we get, in the relationship between San Ha and Hae Jun.

They do care about each other very much, but it isn’t as simple as that; their individual histories and different shades of emotional baggage, sometimes lead to conflict and misunderstandings.

I found it really interesting to delve into this, and I really appreciate that Show makes time to explore this brotherly dynamic.

Here are some highlights that I appreciated, in particular. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I couldn’t help but notice that San Ha knows and understands Hae Jun so well, that Hae Jun doesn’t even need to say anything, for San Ha to know that something’s bothering him, even though Hae Jun is trying to hide it.

On that note, I wanted to say that the conversations between Hae Jun and San Ha are loaded with many complex emotions, and I find it all very on-point.

It makes sense that they would both identify with what it’s like to be abandoned by a parent.

At the same time, there’s this layer, where Hae Jun’s consoling himself that he didn’t do anything to make his mom abandon him – which inadvertently hits San Ha where it hurts the most, because his own mom had abandoned him, for something that he’d supposedly done.

Yet, it also makes sense that Hae Jun might feel a reflexive jealousy towards San Ha, just for the fact that San Ha’s mother has come back for him, while his own mother hasn’t contacted him in the last ten years.

So there’s this whole multi-dimensional conflict between them going on, which strikes me as making a lot of character sense. I thought this was very nicely done.

E3-4. Despite their own tensions, San Ha and Hae Jun are instantly united, when it comes to defending Ju Won’s honor.

The way they corner Jun Ho to question him about what he’d said to Ju Won, about her family, was very endearing, honestly.

E5-6. Even though I knew in my gut that San Ha and Hae Jun would make up sooner rather than later, I was still bummed to see them at loggerheads with each other for a good chunk of these episodes.

It really has a lot to do with Hae Jun’s own Mom issues, and how much he longs for his own mother.

At the same time, we learn this week, that it’s also a lot to do with the fact that Hae Jun doesn’t understand what San Ha’s mom is like, and that’s why it’s easy for him to feel like San Ha’s being overly harsh with his mom, and also, ungrateful for the fact that he even has a mom who’s come to see him.

I had to chuckle ruefully, a little bit, to see that once Hae Jun realizes what Poison Mom is like, he’s quick to change his own stance about how San Ha ought to behave towards his mom.

Because, no matter how great your mommy issues are, no one would wish Poison Mom on anyone, amiright? 🤪

In the meantime, though, I was suitably amused that no matter how aggravated they felt towards each other, they’d drop everything in an instant, the moment they think that Ju Won might be in danger.

Like the whole SkyBike thing.

First, I was quite amused at how the fangirls turned out in full force, just to ooh and aah at how handsome and hot San Ha and Hae Jun are, hahaha. It’s so exaggerated, but I still get a kick out of it.

And then, I couldn’t help but smile, when they can’t help but smile, at the fact that Ju Won’s working so hard, just to give them a chance to make up with each other.

Afterwards, when they start fighting again, and Ju Won goes off in a huff, telling them to go home on their own, they drop everything and runnnn, once that classmate mentions that those bullies are approaching Dal, because they know that Ju Won’s on her way to meet Dal.

They really are like siblings, in this regard; no matter how much they fight, they are quick to put up a united front, when they perceive an enemy threatening one of their own. 🥰

E5-6. I’m so relieved that San Ha manages to set Aunt right, but in the kindest, gentlest way possible, by telling her that he and Hae Jun aren’t on different levels just because Cop Dad contributes to the living expenses; they really are the same, in Mom Dad’s eyes, and that Aunt doesn’t need to worry.

Aw. I love San Ha for having the wisdom and kindness, to let Aunt down gently like that. 🥲

And, I’m so glad that Hae Jun gets to witness this moment, because this is the moment that he and San Ha finally make up, for real.

[END SPOILER]

San Ha and Ju Won

I.. honestly have mixed feelings about this loveline, and I do think that the loveline itself isn’t a spoiler, since Show starts teasing from pretty early on, that San Ha likely has feelings for Ju Won.

In fact, I liked Show’s handling of the early feelings stage best, when it comes to this loveline.

The way Show plays it, I felt like I could get behind this loveline and root for San Ha to win Ju Won’s heart.

Unfortunately, I felt that Show didn’t do as good of a job, when it came to the actual minting of the relationship, and the eventual growth of the established relationship.

The minting of the relationship had felt rather rushed to my eyes, and afterwards, it had felt unnaturally swift and smooth, how San Ha and Ju Won just kind of.. fell into the rhythm of being an established couple.

This felt far from organic, and really odd to my eyes. I didn’t like that so much.

Still, here are some highlights, from this loveline.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Even though San Ha strives to put up a strong front, we can see that this meeting with Poison Mom has really messed him up. I mean, just look at how he almost walks into the path of a Truck of Doom! 🙈

I am quite struck by that moment afterwards, though, when he just looks at Ju Won, and tries to act all like a steady Oppa, but we can totally see the tears in his eyes; I can feel that he’s trying, so hard, to be strong, but is struggling.

At the same time, you can see that he’s grateful to have Ju Won nagging him like this, because it means that he’s not alone in the world.

I thought this was really well done. 🥲

It’s sweet and quite poignant, the way he then takes Ju Won to have burgers followed by cake, and he looks content just having her chirping happily in front of him.

In this moment, I really feel like Ju Won’s presence brings comfort to San Ha, and has likely brought him comfort, all these years, ever since Poison Mom left. 🥹

E3-4. I actually liked the inclusion of the arc about Ju Won’s secret admirer; that hadn’t been part of the source material, but I do think that it fits in nicely in the story.

This gives me a fresh but fitting sort of feel (so alliterative, am I 🤭), which I like.

For fans of the original, I thought I’d mention that Ju Won’s big announcement about being ready to fall in love, is to take the place of Jianjian’s big announcement about getting her first period.

I think it is a nice swop-out, that manages to still accomplish the milestone marking her becoming all grown up, which does appear to also give San Ha a bit of a tamped-down-but-still-visible wake-up nudge.

Because, even though he tries to hide it, doesn’t he look a little unsettled-disgruntled in response to the idea that Ju Won’s ready to date? 🤭

E3-4. Through it all, it’s quite key, that between San Ha and Hae Jun, Hae Jun is the only one who appears to like the idea of Ju Won dating someone.

San Ha is distinctly displeased by the idea, and I think it’s safe to say that San Ha might be harboring some feelings for Ju Won, whether he realizes it or not.

E5-6. These episodes, Show’s teasing the potential loveline between San Ha and Ju Won, and I just wanted to say that it’s doing a nice job, on this front.

While I’m a fan of the source drama, and was nicely on board with the equivalent loveline, I did think that the source drama could have done a better job of preparing the audience for the potential romance to come.

I feel that this is why a section of viewers found the loveline hard to get behind; they’d just gotten so used to seeing the two characters in a sibling-esque type of space.

Since kdramas do tend to know how to handle romance well, I did have expectations that Show would, 1, zoom in on the loveline as a main arc, given the smaller episode count, and 2, do a better job at getting viewers to accept the idea of the loveline, in the process.

And I have to say, I’m pleased with how Show’s going about it, from planting early seeds that San Ha does not see Ju Won as a sister, to having the two of them being mistaken for a couple, in episode 5, to dropping hints that San Ha has feelings for Ju Won, to sprinkling various loveline-adjacent type moments into their interactions.

It all comes together such that I find myself quite primed to root for this loveline. 😁

I mean, isn’t it such a boyfriend-type thing to do, to pick out a nice pair of shoes for Ju Won, while they’re shopping for Hae Jun’s birthday present, and then put them on for her, and even promise to buy her prettier ones next time?

And then, of course, we have that final scene, where Ju Won complains to San Ha, that Hae Jun’s clueless because he can’t see that Dal likes him, and San Ha’s pointed response, is that Ju Won is clueless too.

..Which is exactly when Ju Won falls right on top of San Ha, in an almost falling kiss sort of way.

Perhaps this will finally plant the seed of an idea into Ju Won’s head, that San Ha could be more than an older brother to her? Like, the other kind of Oppa? 🤭

E7-8. It’s sad to see a distance start to set in, which I feel comes across most clearly, when Ju Won sneaks to Seoul to visit San Ha, but is so taken aback by how she feels like the outsider in this situation, that she turns around and comes right back home again without actually seeing him.

I think part of it is also how she feels like So Hee is taking her place, as San Ha’s sister, and how So Hee has more of a right to call him ‘Oppa’ even though So Hee’s only just met him.

It really is heartpinching to see San Ha try to call Ju Won, during this difficult time, but be unable to reach her. That solitary tear that springs from his eye, when he realizes that he can’t get through to Ju Won in his moment of need, really hit me in the heart. 😭

If only he knew that Ju Won had just spent her entire day navigating her way to him, and had literally been within his line of sight, just hours ago. 💔

E9-10. A scene that really tugged at my heartstrings, is the one where San Ha finds Ju Won sitting with those cakes slices at the cake shop, and they finally talk.

The tears in both their eyes; the way Ju Won talks about not remembering anything about her mom, and how things had changed when San Ha and Hae Jun had come along; how she’d thought that they’d live like that forever.

And then there’s the way San Ha takes her hand, and promises that when he comes back, he’ll do whatever she wants; that he’ll visit during holidays, and if he can’t visit, that he’d call her every day.

Augh. My heart really pinched for them, watching them cry while clasping their hands together like that.

E9-10. San Ha’s finally starting to act on his feelings for Ju Won, what with buying her earrings for her birthday, and also, getting concerned and probably also jealous at the thought that she might have a thing going on with some other guy.

I believe that’s why San Ha confesses his feelings for Ju Won, as we close out episode 10; because, if he doesn’t tell her how he feels, then there’s no context for his request, that she not go to meet that other guy.

While this confession might feel like it’s out of the blue for Ju Won, as a viewer, I’ve been ready for this confession for a while, because I feel like Show’s done a good job of letting us in on the fact that San Ha has liked Ju Won for a long time – and absolutely not as a sister.

And of course I’m very curious to see how San Ha’s efforts to court Ju Won go, now that he’s finally established how he feels about her.

E11-12. I knew, coming into this show, that things would natural move along faster than the source material, because this is much shorter, in terms of overall screen time.

I’d assumed too, that this meant that we would focus more on the romance between San Ha and Ju Won.

What I hadn’t quite prepared myself for, is the fact that this translates into quite a lot happening in just two episodes, and with Show being as effective as it is, in engaging the heart, despite the shorter run-time, I find that after watching a pair of episodes, my heart feels rather overwhelmed, like it’s out of breath and needs a moment. 😅

That’s exactly how I feel after watching these episodes, and I also feel like I need to figure out how I feel.

Specifically, I’m referring to the fact that San Ha leans in to kiss Ju Won, right after she tells him that she only wants him to be a brother to her.

I recall that this was similarly handled in the source material, so it’s not like this is writer-nim’s fault entirely, but.. it does feel like a delicate situation, since Ju Won had made her stand, and San Ha had acted in a way that didn’t respect the stand that she’d made. 😅

I think this goes to show how far kdramas have come, since I’ve gotten used to romances where our male leads actively ask for the female lead’s consent, before approaching for the kiss (like in King The Land, for example).

The thing that makes it still work – or so I tell myself – is the fact that San Ha approaches the kiss very slowly and gently, which means that Ju Won had the time to stop him, &/or extricate herself, if she’d really wanted to. Which she does not. Which is very significant. 😁

Before this point in our story, I do think that Show does a reasonably good job of demonstrating that Ju Won is very much flustered by San Ha’s confession, and that when he’s near her, he does have a rather discombobulating effect on Ju Won. 😁

Yes, some of it is the awkwardness that she feels, because he’s stepped out of the mental box that she’s assigned to him, and he’s positioning himself as her suitor now, and not her big brother.

At the same time, there are definite hints that she’s starting to see him differently, like when she instinctively facepalms, when she realizes that she’s answered the door and spoken to San Ha while looking all disheveled and groggy.

I think the fact that she even wishes that she’d looked more presentable, says something, yes?

Of course, there’s also the long moment of hyper-awareness at the hospital, when San Ha treats Ju Won’s sprained wrist; it’s clear that she can’t get that moment out of her mind, and that she’s very much affected by San Ha being all tender and smoldery towards her.

PLUS. When Ju Won sees Hee Ju getting all handsy with San Ha at the hospital, there is a definite jealous flavor about her disgruntlement, I’d say. 😁

Putting all of that together, it’s not surprising at all, really, that Ju Won would yield to San Ha’s kiss, when it eventually comes, yes?

In fact, I’m a little surprised (more pleasantly so than not) that this OTP gets minted so quickly, and San Ha and Ju Won fall into a couple sort of mode without too much fuss.

As in, there is very little awkwardness between the two of them, like they need to get used to this change in their relationship.

Rather, they seem more focused on whether people might see them, when they hold hands, or act coupley in other ways.

I thought that was interesting, and also kind of odd.

[END SPOILER]

Seo Ji Hye as Dal

I just wanted to say that I really found Dal very likable and endearing, even though we don’t spend a whole lot of time on her backstory.

Most of the time, she’s involved in our story in relation to our core trio, and I think that that’s just the practical narrative choice, given our relatively short runtime.

I’m glad that Show does give us some context for Dal as a character, because that definitely helped to ground my affection and sympathy for her.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. We get more insight into Dal’s relationship with her mother (So Hee Jung), these episodes, and I do really feel for Dal; poor girl must feel so suffocated, being her mother’s daughter.

Mainly, it just feels like Mom has really high expectations of Dal, and it really doesn’t seem like Mom’s aspirations for Dal, are Dal’s aspirations for herself.

Not only that, Mom’s pushing Dal to achieve better and higher than what Dal could likely comfortably achieve on her own strengths, and that’s just a really harsh way to live.

Worse, we see that Mom’s also nitpicky about how Dal carries herself socially, so even Dal’s hesitance in ordering food at that restaurant, gets picked on by Mom.

I know that Mom sincerely wants the best for Dal, but my heart really goes out to Dal, for having to live this kind of suffocating life, where she always feels like she’s not good enough for her own mother. 💔

It’s true that we see Dal lie to her mother quite often, in order to spend time with Ju Won and her brothers, but in this case, I feel like I can’t blame Dal too much, because the poor girl’s just trying to find a way to breathe, y’know?

I’m glad that San Ha gives Dal that bit of insight on the beach, that her instinct to help others, is a better qualification for her to become a lawyer, than an ability to speak well.

Aw. That’s really kind, and I feel like this is something that Dal really needs to hear. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Dal and Ju Won

Show doesn’t manage to spend a whole lot of time on this relationship, but I just wanted to state, for the record, that I really liked the idea of Ju Won’s friendship with Dal.

It’s great that they talk about girly things together, and get all secretive and squealy when it comes to talking about things like crushes and secret admirers, and it’s also great that they stick together through to adulthood, and even become flatmates.

Just because Show doesn’t manage to dedicate a lot of screen time to explore this friendship, doesn’t mean that it’s not important; it’s like a strong silent rock, in a way, providing important anchorage to Ju Won outside of her family context. 🥲

Dal and Hae Jun

From the get-go, Show teases a potential loveline between Dal and Hae Jun, by establishing Dal’s hearts in eyes for him.

I liked this very well, and felt that this was a nice deviation from the original source material, where Dal’s Chinese counterpart had nursed a crush on San Ha’s counterpart instead.

It’s all very slow burn, certainly, but I felt that it worked, even if it meant Show playing up Hae Jun being slow on the uptake a little too hard, sometimes.

That said, I love the idea that Hae Jun and Dal grow closer over time, and that Dal’s able to talk to Hae Jun in a way that everyone else isn’t able to. That really made me feel like these two made a great match. 🥲

Plus, I do just simply think that they make an adorable couple 😍 – which is why I rooted for this loveline, from start to finish. 🥰

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. I find myself rooting for Dal and Hae Jun, because I think they would make a very cute couple, if only Hae Jun woudn’t be so clueless when it comes to Dal’s feelings for him.

I mean, c’mon, she’s even crying for him, at the story of how his mom came to pay back the money, but didn’t ask to see him. I thought that would surely clue Hae Jun in, but no, it doesn’t; not as long as Hae Jun has it in his head that Dal likes San Ha, anyway.

E11-12. I’m really glad that the connection between Hae Jun and Dal seems to be growing stronger, even though Hae Jun remains blithely oblivious to the fact that Dal does have feelings for him.

I do love how they’re talking more, and that they’re opening up to each other, and that Dal’s being so effective, at being Hae Jun’s confidante and adviser.

It’s all because Dal puts it to Hae Jun in a way that he can relate with, that he decides that telling Mom Dad about his desire to buy Mom Dad a building, is better than simply surprising Mom Dad with a building.

E11-12. I can’t help noticing that Hae Jun’s showing quite a bit of concern for Dal from afar, because he’d overheard her on the phone with her mom, and it was clear that Dal was upset as a result.

I really hope that Hae Jun will recognize his growing fondness for Dal, because I think they’d make an adorable couple. 😍

[END SPOILER]

Choi Won Young as Mom Dad

Yes, I know that calling Ju Won’s dad “Mom Dad” is a bit of an oxymoron, but the thing I love most about him, is his mother hen sort of quality, and I very quickly began thinking of him as “Mom Dad,” in our hodgepodge found family.

I love that he’s so motherly towards the kids, so much so that it really feels like he’s such a good mom, that it makes up for the fact that the kids don’t have moms in their lives, for varying reasons.

He’s such a big softie most of the time, that I found myself loving it extra, when he shows a bit of steeliness – but of course, that steeliness is 100% in the context of him still being a mother hen; this time, fiercely protecting one of his own. 🥲

Gosh, I love Mom Dad, so much. 🥹

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I hafta say, I’m so proud of Mom Dad, for speaking up for San Ha, to Poison Mom.

I mean, he’s as kind and respectful as he always is, but you can totally see that he’s basically doing his mother hen thing, and putting himself out there, in a position he normally wouldn’t, because he feels compelled to protect his young. 🥲

Everything he says to Poison Mom, is clearly out of concern for San Ha, from saying that San Ha’s in his senior year in high school and preparing for his exams, and perhaps couldn’t she not bring up his younger sister until after his exams.

I love even more, that when Poison Mom reacts huffily and says that San Ha’s only become this impudent because Mom Dad’s been too soft on him, Mom Dad tells it like it is; that it’s because she’s suddenly shown up and acting all friendly, after not contacting him for 10 years.

And, he also goes on to point out that if Poison Mom had asked San Ha what he wanted, San Ha wouldn’t have spoken so harshly.

AND, that she’d hit him in the heart first, and then wondered why he’d put up his guard against her.

Yesss. You tell her, Ahjusshi!

Honestly, I don’t know if Poison Mom even takes any of Mom Dad’s words to heart, but at least there’s someone telling her the truth, instead of tiptoeing around her just because she’s quick to lose her temper and lash out.

It really gives me a sense of satisfaction that Mom Dad isn’t scared of her.

[END SPOILER]

Choi Moo Sung as Cop Dad

I thought Choi Moo Sung was perfectly cast as Cop Dad; he’s much more gruff than Mom Dad, but there’s a softness about him that peeks through from time to time, and you just know that he doesn’t love the kids any less, just because he’s not as expressive and sensitive as Mom Dad. 🥲

In particular, I really liked how Cop Dad navigated this situation in episodes 5-6.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I literally hate every time Poison Mom opens her mouth, but that thing that she says to Cop Dad, in that flashback, that So Hee is San Ha’s second chance, because she looks so much like So Jung, does seem rooted in good intentions.

I was so afraid, though, that Cop Dad would drive San Ha right over to Poison Mom, to facilitate that healing, and then I was SO RELIEVED, when instead, he drives San Ha to visit So Jung’s niche at the columbarium, and tells San Ha, that it’s never been his fault.

I love that Cop Dad tells him that he doesn’t need to push So Hee away, or be more kind to her, just because she’s his sister, and that all he needs to do, is follow his heart.

Aw. I thought that was very well-handled by Cop Dad; the assurance and acceptance, and the kindness, all come together very nicely. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

The two dads

I just love the dynamic and relationship between our two dads, as they come together to raise the family that they’d made by combining their broken families into one big whole.

I thought it was so cute, that they basically function like an old married couple, with Cop Dad being the main breadwinner, and Mom Dad being the mother hen who takes care of the house and kids. ADORABLE. 😍

Beyond that, though, it really hit me in the heart whenever we get to see them open their hearts to each other, about their kids. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E9-10. After the boys leave, there’s so much pathos in the scene where both dads sit together at the table, one already drunk, and the other just starting to drink, because they miss their sons so much. 😭

[END SPOILER]

Our found family

Of course, one of my favorite things about our drama world, is our central found family. They are the whole reason I signed up for this show in the first place, after all. 🥰

I just love-love-LOVE the idea of these people coming together, and parking their hearts with one another, and growing a family together, undaunted by the whispers and quizzical stares from people who couldn’t understand them.

Their love for one another permeates this entire story, so I’m just picking two examples of when we see the whole family come together, out of care for one of their own; it’s so touching, really. 🥹

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. Y’know, Poison Mom just has a knack for being incredibly annoying and hurtful, without even trying.

Like the way she turns around and blames San Ha, when So Hee falls down those stairs running after him.

Ugh. It’s the same thing all over again, isn’t it?

Poison Mom had been the one to leave So Hee on her own, and that’s how So Hee had managed to run after San Ha, and that’s how she’d fallen down the stairs, and now it’s San Ha’s fault??

Same thing with So Jung, right? If Poison Mom hadn’t left the kids alone at home, perhaps then a little kid like San Ha wouldn’t have been the caregiver to So Jung, and perhaps then So Jung wouldn’t have died??

How does a mother have it in her, to blame her own child for her own faults, and on a regular basis??

I’m so glad that Ju Won speaks up on San Ha’s behalf, and basically gives a whole list of reasons why San Ha’s their lucky star, and only good things happen, when he’s around.

Aw. I really am glad that San Ha’s not alone in this, and I’m glad that he knows this. 🥲

I did feel very bad for San Ha, when he withdraws into himself and avoids the whole family, after that major blowup with Poison Mom, where she literally accuses him of causing his sister’s death, in front of everyone.

Ugh. No one should have to live with that kind of guilt, let alone a child; San Ha’s now carried this burden for more than half his life, and it’s just so heartbreaking. 💔

I’m so glad that Ju Won goes to get him when it rains, and that San Ha finally comes in to eat with the rest of the family.

The way he can’t hold back the tears with each bite, while Hae Jun and Ju Won pretend not to notice, really tugs so hard, at my heartstrings. 😭

Also, it was so heartwarming, to see everyone take turns to nurse San Ha, when he falls sick with a fever, that very night, from being caught in the rain.

E7-8. The whole thing where Ju Won gets all excited on behalf of San Ha and Hae Jun, because it’s the day of their big exams, and prepares chocolates and cards for them, and gets all excitable about them not doing any “unlucky” type things like stepping over thresholds, is so endearing. 🥰

And then, seeing both boys tuck into the lunches that Mom Dad had prepared so lovingly for them, was so heartwarming. 🥰🥰

[END SPOILER]

Hae Jun and Mom Dad

Augh. These two. 🥹 If I had to pick just OTP for this entire story world, they would be it.

From start to finish, Show kept me completely invested in the relationship between Hae Jun and Mom Dad.

There’s just so, so much love there, and so much wistful poignance on both sides, as they yearned to be everything to each other, and then some. 🥲

Honestly, this was THE most satisfying relationship arc in our story, over and above the various romantic lovelines. 🥰

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. Through the whole thing of Bio Dad making his appearance in Hae Jun’s life, I feel very much for Mom Dad, because he loves Hae Jun so much, and considers him his own son, and now, suddenly, he’s worried that Hae Jun will be taken away from him.

On that note, I just wanted to talk a little bit, about the various beats where Ju Won calls him out for giving special foods to Hae Jun and San Ha, but not to her.

You can see that Mom Dad is guilty as charged, even though he makes excuses to Ju Won, to smooth things over.

I want to say that I don’t think that he’s favoring the boys over Ju Won; the way I see it, he sees the boys as puppies who are hurting, because they’ve both been abandoned by their mothers, and he’s just loving them extra, to make it up to them.

Kinda like how you would favor your pinky finger if you’d sprained it, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t care about your nine other fingers anymore, y’know?

So yeah, in my opinion, he doesn’t love the boys more than Ju Won; it’s not favoritism; it’s an effort to make up for the shortfall of love in their lives, a little bit.

But like I was saying, he really does see Hae Jun as his own son, and so, his fear of losing Hae Jun, is really poignant to see.

That scene when Mom Dad sits down with Hae Jun to talk things through, was so full of emotion.

You can feel that he’s trying not to overstep his boundaries, because he’s not Hae Jun’s bio dad, but yet, he can’t stop the tears when he tries to express that he would like to keep cooking for Hae Jun, and ironing his school uniform, for just a little longer.

And then Hae Jun tells him, tears spilling out, that he’d been afraid that Mom Dad would tell him to leave, now that his birth father wanted him back.

That hug, that Mom Dad kneels down to give Hae Jun, totally had me tearing up. 🥲🥲

Augh. The feeeelsss. I just want this dad and son pair to be together foreverrrr. 🥹🥹

E5-6. The thing that really hit me in the heart the most, is how affected Mom Dad is, by the pressure that Aunt puts on Hae Jun, to be grateful.

It’s easy to focus on Hae Jun and think about how he’s affected by Aunt’s words, but when Mom Dad gets drunk and starts spilling all his feelings out, it becomes really clear, that it hurts him, that Aunt keeps talking like this, because it reminds him that Hae Jun isn’t really his son.

Oof. Poor Mom Dad. 💔

E7-8. On top of the burden already on Hae Jun’s puppy heart, there’s also the growing realization, that the whole reason Mom Dad’s pushing himself so hard, to the point of exhaustion, such that he even collapses, is because he wants to give Hae Jun the best.

Bio Dad’s so sneaky-smart, to show Mom Dad all those brochures of those schools in the US, where Hae Jun would be able to get so many basketball related opportunities that he wouldn’t be able to get in Korea.

Ack. I mean, obviously Mom Dad’s doing it out of love, and wouldn’t ever hold it against Hae Jun, but how could Hae Jun know this, and just allow Mom Dad to run himself ragged, on his account, right? 😭

The only silver in this whole thing, is that it’s clear to see that Hae Jun doesn’t actually want to leave, and is choosing to leave, in order to lighten Mom Dad’s burden.

That is some consolation for sure, because I would hate for Mom Dad to think that Hae Jun didn’t need him anymore, because he’s now got Bio Dad.

E9-10. The boy’s departure is really hard on both dads, and I especially feel bad for Mom Dad, because of what his restaurant assistant says, that he should be ready for the possibility that the boys won’t come back, once they’ve left.

I know she means well, but I really feel bad for Mom Dad, who must feel so keenly, the fact that he’s not Hae Jun’s bio dad, and that’s why he needs to be prepared for the possibility that Hae Jun might not return. 💔

E9-10. The goodbye I feel the most keenly, is that between Mom Dad and Hae Jun.

There’s just so much love and wistfulness there; it’s so, so clear, that these two don’t want to be separated from each other.

First, there’s the flashback, where we see that the whole reason Hae Jun had worked hard to get better at basketball, was because that passerby had remarked that he was good at basketball because he took after his dad.

Aw. Hae Jun had wanted to prove that theory right, because he wanted so much to be Mom Dad’s son, and that’s how he got so good at basketball?? Oof. 😭 That just hit me right in the heart.

And then there’s the scene where Hae Jun promises, with tears shining in his eyes, that he’ll become successful, and then come back to take care of Mom Dad and Ju Won.

How lovingly poignant, that Mom Dad says that Hae Jun doesn’t need to be successful; that that’s not the reason he’s sending Hae Jun away; that he just wants Hae Jun to be able to do the things that he likes, and so Hae Jun shouldn’t feel like he needs to do anything that he doesn’t want to.

AUGH. That’s so beautifully loving, while being utterly wistful and sad. 😭😭

E9-10. Hae Jun’s suspicious behavior at Ju Won’s bakery, leading to a visit to the police station, is as silly as the source material, but all my instincts to roll my eyes melted away, the moment Mom Dad gets that hood off him, and we get to see Hae Jun’s tear-filled puppy eyes.

You can just feel how precious it is to him, that he’s back home now, and that plaintive note in his voice, as he goes, “Appaaa!” and burrows his head into Mom Dad’s embrace, is just the most affecting thing. 🥹🥹🥹

E9-10. As for Hae Jun’s injury, I’m glad that San Ha blurts out the truth when he does, because while I understand that Hae Jun doesn’t want to worry everyone, they do deserve to know.

The way Mom Dad can barely hold back his tears, is so affecting to me. 😭😭😭

Mom Dad immediately feels that it’s his fault for wanting Hae Jun to go to the US in the first place, and it’s so heartbreaking, really, that he cries. 💔

That scene that soon follows, of Mom Dad asking Hae Jun if it had hurt when he’d injured his leg, is so poignant.

Hae Jun, trying so hard to be strong and cheerful for Mom Dad, assuring him that he’d only worked harder because that’s what he’d wanted to do, and Mom Dad, tearfully allowing himself to accept Hae Jun’s explanation, most likely because he knows how hard Hae Jun is trying to make things sound fine, for his sake. 🥲

When Mom Dad takes Hae Jun’s hand and rubs it, saying that he’s been through a lot, it feels like a balm for Hae Jun’s soul, which I’m sure Hae Jun’s heart has been hungry for, all this time. 🥲🥲🥲

I’m so glad that the two of them hug it out; that’s a hug that I know both of them have been waiting 10 long years for. Sniffle.

E11-12. My heart really goes out to Hae Jun, these episodes.

First, there’s the thing with Mom Dad, where Hae Jun grapples with his place, as Mom Dad’s son.

When he tells San Ha during that drive in San Ha’s car, that he’d struggled with the question of whether he even had the right to come back to Haedong, given that he’s not Mom Dad’s biological son, my heart really ached for him.

How much must it hurt, for Hae Jun to not feel like he has a place where he truly, rightfully belongs, in the world? 😭

I do actually love Hae Jun’s desire to surprise Mom Dad with a building; in my head, they would open a restaurant together, in that building, and just enjoy each other’s company as the biggest perk of this arrangement.

I appreciate that Hae Jun’s idea to marry Ju Won lasts a very short time, and that his heart, when he checks it (thanks to his friend who guides him through it), is very clear that he doesn’t have romantic feelings towards Ju Won.

I think this works, because we’re seeing, more than ever, just what a simple person Hae Jun is, where he can plausibly do something, without actually thinking it through too much (or at all).

At the same time, I can see that it perplexes Hae Jun, that he doesn’t have anything to show, in terms of a legal relationship with Mom Dad.

E11-12. I feel so bad for Hae Jun, because all he’d wanted to do, was express his love for Mom Dad, but because he put his foot in his mouth by mentioning that he’d worked suuuper hard, because he’d wanted to pay Mom Dad back, that really hit Mom Dad where it hurt.

Which is how Hae Jun gets that big talking to, about how a parent never expects their child to pay them back.

Oof. I hated seeing how sad, brokenhearted and upset both Hae Jun and Mom Dad are, because of this incident.

The whole time, my heart is willing them to stop and see how much they love each other, because that’s the truth; these two would be only too happy to spend their entire lives together, as father and son. 🥹

I’m relieved that Dal is able to give Hae Jun that insight, that Mom Dad was more than likely experiencing a great deal of heartache at how Hae Jun had suffered, rather than actual anger with Hae Jun himself.

And, on Mom Dad’s side of things, Nosy Neighbor Ahjumma finally says something useful, in the way she cheerfully points out that the whole reason Mom Dad had gotten upset, was because of his own guilty conscience, that he’s not Hae Jun’s bio dad.

You hit the nail on the head, Ahjumma!

I’m so relieved that things between Mom Dad and Hae Jun get smoothed over quite quickly, particularly with how proud Mom Dad is, plastering Hae Jun’s modeling pictures all over the restaurant. Cute! 😍

[END SPOILER]

Kim Hye Eun as Poison Mom

Poison Mom takes home the dubious honor of being this drama world’s most unlikable character.

I don’t often say that I hate characters, but I hated Poison Mom, so much.

Which means Kim Hye Eun did a great job of the character, no doubt about it. 😅

Here are just two occasions when I felt a deep, deep sense of distaste, for Poison Mom.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I hate that Poison Mom won’t take “No” for an answer, and I hate even more, that she’s basically weaponizing her daughter, to force some attention from San Ha, because she knows that younger sisters are San Ha’s Achilles’ heel.

UGH. I hate her, so much. 😤😤

E11-12. Just that quick scene where we see Poison Mom’s conversation with Cop Dad, is enough to make me wince.

Ugh. It’s awful, the way her default reflex is to accuse the other person of thinking or doing bad things, like pitying her, or cursing her. I really, really hate her. 😫

[END SPOILER]

Baek Eun Hye as Hae Jun’s Mom

Hae Jun’s mom is the other absent mom in our story, and importantly, I felt a lot more neutral towards her, compared to Poison Mom.

Here are some thoughts that I had while watching, in breaking that down.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. There’s the thing where Hae Jun’s mom shows up, and gives Mom Dad a chunk of money, but then doesn’t stay to see Hae Jun.

That makes me really sad for Hae Jun, because boy’s only been waiting for this moment, for the last 10 years, which is literally more than half his life.

However, I find myself not hating her, because unlike Poison Mom, Hae Jun’s mom actually shows glimmers of regret and wistfulness, underneath the businesslike facade that she wears.

I can feel that she’s wistful too, about not seeing Hae Jun, and I can understand her logic, in a way, that it’s pointless to see Hae Jun, when she hasn’t come to get him, the way she’d promised, all those years ago.

I think she feels that she’d be making him even more upset, if he were to see her, but then not get to leave with her, and so, she’d rather not see him at all, so that she doesn’t disturb his equilibrium.

At least, that’s how I’m reading it, based on the micro body language cues that we’re being shown.

We still don’t know what’s been going on with Hae Jun’s mom all this time, but we have seen that she hadn’t wanted to leave Hae Jun, and had looked like she’d had no choice but to go, because something had come up.

For that reason alone, I feel like I need to give her more of a chance than I’m inclined to give Poison Mom, for example.

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E13-14. Not gonna lie, I’d actually been bracing myself for these episodes, my friends, because this is the infamous penultimate stretch when things typically tend to get angsty and hard to watch in dramas.

On top of that, there’s the fact that we’d ended episode 12 with Poison Mom parking herself determinedly in San Ha’s home, and in my mind, no good thing could come outta that – which made me brace myself even harder. 😅

Maybe all that bracing is the reason that I’m coming out of these episodes quite pleasantly surprised?

I mean, yes, there is angst, and there are tears, in these episodes, but it’s not nearly half as had as I’d imagined, so I’m calling it a win. 😁

Honestly, I’d expected Poison Mom to put a huge (and I mean HUGE) damper on these episodes, in her self-absorbed, entitled, accusing sort of way, and.. it wasn’t so bad, after all.

Yes, she does do her entitled, accusing thing with San Ha, and it’s true that San Ha struggles to cope, and that it’s heartbreaking to watch.

That scene of San Ha crumpling outside the girls’ apartment after that conversation with his mom, really gave me a sense of how lonely San Ha must feel, in that moment – and how he must have felt that way often, through the years. 💔

And, with that thought in mind, I do find it very comforting, to see that San Ha takes a lot of comfort in Ju Won’s presence. It reinforces even more, that San Ha ought to have Ju Won in his life. 🥲

I also appreciate that conversation that Ju Won and San Ha have at the park near the hospital, where she tells him that it’s ok with her if he feels he needs to go to Seoul, to be with his mother and sister, and he tells her not to send him – to which she immediately changes her tune, and says that she was just trying to act strong, and tells him not to go.

The reason I appreciate this beat, is because this was a point that could have been milked for noble idiocy – but Show doesn’t go there.

Instead, we have our OTP establish quickly, what San Ha really wants, and Ju Won quickly showing her support of his preference. That feels healthy and positive, yes?

Perhaps in the interest of ensuring that none of us begrudge San Ha choosing to stay in Haedong instead of going back to Seoul to take care of Poison Mom, Show makes it clear that Poison Mom’s inability to walk is psychogenic, and there’s nothing actually holding her back from walking, physically speaking.

And so, in light of that, San Ha’s decision to stay in Haedong, and remove himself from Poison Mom’s orbit, can be seen to be a selfless act, done in her best interests, rather than a decision that’s only in his own interests.

I can understand Show’s desire to make San Ha that little bit more perfect and selfless, but honestly, I would have been fine with San Ha simply coming to the conclusion that he should stay in Haedong for his own sake, and that there’s no reason to feel guilty for it.

Especially because Poison Mom is, as we’ve seen, Poisonous with a capital P. 😬

That scene where Ju Won literally takes San Ha back from Poison Mom, while reminding Poison Mom that she’d given San Ha to Ju Won all those years ago, and that Ju Won’s already been very patient in lending San Ha to Poison Mom for ten years, is pretty pivotal, because it’s after this that Poison Mom leaves.

However, as much as I want to pump my fist in the air and say, “You tell her, Ju Won!,” I feel like this scene doesn’t quite feel organic to Poison Mom’s character.

I mean, based on what we’ve seen of her, has she ever been one to listen to reason from anyone??

And now, she backs off, just because Ju Won reminds her of how she’d abandoned San Ha?

The Poison Mom that I know, would’ve had a screaming meltdown right then and there, in the hospital, never mind that it’s a public area and people could be watching.

In this sense, the scene doesn’t land as quite organic, to my eyes.

HOWEVER. I’m so relieved to have Poison Mom out of the picture (for now, anyway?), that I’m willing to just roll with it.

I also really like the beat where Hae Jun determinedly breaks through San Ha’s protective “everything’s fine” shell, and forces a more genuine connection.

I feel like they’ve never actually talked about it, and so it feels like a breakthrough, for Hae Jun to admit flat-out, that he misses and resents his mother, and that he understands how San Ha must feel, towards his own mother, and that the reason that he feels these feelings, is because he loves his mother.

Aw. It’s so sweetly poignant, to see Hae Jun have such a big brother sort of moment, where he’s the one saying the wise things, and taking care of San Ha. 🥲

It really gratifying to see that, bonding drunken binge later, San Ha’s now more comfortable letting his family know that he’d been having a hard time, and even that he’d argued with Poison Mom a lot about whether he could come down to Haedong for a meal.

For San Ha, who’s always been reserved about these things, this feels huge, and it’s all thanks to Hae Jun. 🥲

Another thing that we spend a good amount of time on, these episodes, is the state of affairs between Hae Jun and his mom.

Now that we know more about what had happened with Mom, it’s easier to understand her hesitation in reconnecting with Hae Jun.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to; it’s that she feels that she doesn’t have the right to; she feels that no good thing could come of her reconnecting with Hae Jun, because of her criminal record, and how people would view her, and therefore, Hae Jun.

I really do appreciate how Ju Won talks to Mom, at the top of episode 13.

Even though Ju Won has this impetuous streak to her, which makes her want to speak up for Hae Jun, even though the situation is very delicate, she manages to come across as  gentle and empathetic, which impressed me greatly.

Like, ah, our Ju Won has grown up; she’s speaking words of kindness to Mom, and therefore, her words have a dual effect of not only being persuasive, but comforting too, at the same time.

How very wise and compassionate, yes? 🥹

I do appreciate that everyone involved – Mom Dad, San Ha and Ju Won – don’t try to exert pressure on Mom, but consciously decide to give her time and space, to arrive at a place where she feels ready to meet Hae Jun.

While I can understand the rationale behind not telling Hae Jun anything while this is going on, I also empathize with Hae Jun; it’s little wonder that he feels that everyone keeping secrets from him, and treating him like he’s stupid.

Augh. It’s heartbreaking, really, and I really feel for him in this situation.

I feel that this is good writing, in that I can understand both sides of this coin, and yet, can’t begrudge either side their thoughts and feelings.

Realistically, Mom wouldn’t have been able to change her mind easily, and I’m glad that Show gives Mom time to inch towards a different conclusion than the one she’d held onto so fiercely for so long.

With each person who speaks to Mom about the situation, it feels like she gets the space to inch a little closer to being ready to reconnect with Hae Jun.

And, I do think that San Ha’s sharing, of how he’d realized that Hae Jun had never been abandoned, and that he’d wanted Hae Jun to know this too, is very affecting, and I imagine that this absolutely helped to erode Mom’s determination to stay out of Hae Jun’s life.

Through it all, I do take comfort in the fact that Dal is looking out for Hae Jun, and that Hae Jun is open to hearing Dal’s perspectives, even when he’s pushing his own family away.

The scene where Hae Jun and Mom finally come face to face, when Mom spots him outside her salon, is so emotionally charged; I felt like I couldn’t breathe freely, as long as Hae Jun looked so tortured and conflicted. 💔😭

Afterwards, I’m just so relieved that Hae Jun reaches out to Dal, and that Dal’s able to communicate effectively, without sounding judgmental, the possibility that Mom might not have wanted to cut off contact with Hae Jun.

Augh. Dal truly is an MVP, isn’t she? She’s great and I love her. 🥲

It’s thanks to her, really, that Hae Jun goes back to see Mom again, and that’s how the truth comes out, finally, and that’s also how we get that very cathartic scene, where Hae Jun sobs his heart out, while Mom Dad holds him, and Mom holds his hand.

I thought that was so precious and so beautiful. 😩😭

Afterwards, it feels surreal and very special, to have Mom sit down for a meal with the whole family; this honestly feels like it must be the stuff of dreams, for Hae Jun. 🥲

I also really loved that scene of Hae Jun taking the bus with Mom, and leaning his head on her shoulder, while they held hands.

AUGH. This, again, is the stuff of dreams; Hae Jun must have dreamt of this moment thousands of times, over the years. ❤️😭

The other big thing, of course, is our OTP relationship, and Hae Jun’s discovery of it.

First of all, I would like to state for the record that I feel like the speediness with which San Ha and Ju Won fall into behaving like an established couple, is not very believable.

It’s true that they’ve known each other for most of their lives, but even so, with this change in their relationship, going from platonic to romantic, there has to be a good amount of adjustment that they need to go through, and we barely see anything on this front at all.

Yes, we get little glimmers of it, like when they get nervous about being in the apartment alone together, when Hae Jun’s not at home, but aside from this, they are mostly behaving in a very comfortable, coupley sort of way, and that does strike me as being rather odd.

My guess is that we just don’t have enough screen time to accommodate this aspect of their relationship, since there are so many other threads that are more pressing, and this is just writer-nim’s way of streamlining things.

I will say that I laughed out loud at the end of episode 13, when San Ha pulls Ju Won into the girls’ apartment for a bit of kissytimes, without realizing that they’re getting all cozy, right under Hae Jun’s nose.

Hae Jun’s shocked face, along with the whole situation, made me laugh quite hard, no lie. 🤭

Afterwards, Hae Jun getting all upset made sense too, especially once Hae Jun articulates why he’s bothered; that he feels like he’s being pushed out of the family, with everyone having legal and legitimate ties to one another, except for him.

Aw. When he puts it this way, my heart really goes out to him, because I can totally see why Hae Jun might feel that way, given how he’s been abandoned multiple times in his young life. 💔

At the same time, I really do appreciate that he knows that he’s being unreasonable, and is able to articulate it, to Dal.

I’m really glad that Hae Jun doesn’t stay upset for long, and that scene where he tries to lay down the law with San Ha as Ju Won’s older brother, was really cute.

San Ha and Ju Won breaking down Hae Jun’s defenses with saturi-heavy aegyo is very cute, and it was good to see Hae Jun be unable to keep a straight face, in response to the aegyo.

Aw. I’d missed Hae Jun’s smile. 😁🥲

As we close out these episodes, Dal’s made her impromptu, blurted-out confession to Hae Jun, and I’m really hopeful that Hae Jun will realize how much he truly likes Dal too.

AND, San Ha and Ju Won are also making their big “we’re a couple” announcement to both Dads, and I’m also reaaally curious to see how this goes down, since both Dads had been under the blithe impression that there were other romantic possibilities in both their lives.

I’m really, really looking forward to our next episodes, for the resolutions to come, even as I’m also extremely wistful, that those will be our last ones; I just don’t feel ready to say goodbye, y’know? 🥹

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E15-16. Honestly, I’d been enjoying this show so much, that I was very wistful to get to the end. I even welcomed taking a bit of a break from this show, to tend to other reviews on my schedule, because it meant that I could delay “goodbye” for a little longer. 🥲

Now that I’ve finally crossed the finish line with this one, I can safely say that even though I didn’t love everything Show serves up in the finale, the warm feels that I’ve come to associate with this show, are still very much intact, and I’m generally satisfied with where we leave our characters.

Mostly, I felt like the sources of narrative tension all felt kind of shoehorned in, like they didn’t truly belong in this drama world, but made an entrance anyway, because they were needed, if only for a while.

The main thing I’m thinking of, is Mom Dad’s disapproval of San Ha and Ju Won dating.

To be brutally honest, this felt out of character to my eyes.

Mom Dad’s always been a patient, understanding parent, and this vehement and absolute disapproval of San Ha dating Ju Won, just didn’t sit right with me, even after he explained his reasons for his disapproval.

In fact, I was perplexed enough about this, that I went back to source material Go Ahead, to verify how the same character had responded to the news of the kids dating, and just as I suspected, there was no big disapproval.

There was worry and concern, but that had everything to do with Toxic Mom hating their entire family, and nothing to do with the thought that the two kids shouldn’t date. That felt a lot more believable to me.

Not that I think that Mom Dad should have had the exact same reservations, but I do think that the worried and concerned stance would have suited the character more naturally.

And therefore, all the time spent on Mom Dad’s disapproval, felt a bit like wasted screen time, to me personally. 😅

I actually think that this screen time could have been used on teasing out the connection between Mom Dad and Hae Jun’s mom, so that their eventual marriage wouldn’t feel so rushed or sudden.

I’m reasonably satisfied with how the thing with Poison Mom is resolved, with her changing her ways after realizing how much pain San Ha’s been in, all these years.

Is it a little convenient? Yes. But do I actually care to have more screen time spent on making this land a little more organically? No, I can’t say that I’d like to have more screen time with Poison Mom.

The less screen time with Poison Mom, the better, as far as I’m concerned, so I was fully on board to hear that she’d decided to go to the UK with So Hee. 😅

As for San Ha and Ju Won, they are a sweet OTP like they’ve been since they got together, and that’s about all I have to say about them.

Even though they do have some nice scenes in this finale, with Ju Won realizing how much she loves San Ha, and our OTP even consummates their relationship, it all lands as quite bland to my eyes, unfortunately.

Happily, Show makes up for that with finally bridging the gap between Hae Jun and Dal, these finale episodes.

Finallyyyy. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this, for foreverrr. 😅

I would believe that it’s jealousy that would jolt Hae Jun into doing something about his situation with Dal, because otherwise, I would also believe that Hae Jun would be quite content to just hang around Dal as her friend and brother – as long as she doesn’t end up in a relationship with someone else.

It’s seeing Dal smile and have a good time with her blind date (cameo by Song Geon Hee!), that really opens Hae Jun’s eyes to the fact that he doesn’t actually just want to be Dal’s brother.

Aw. Our Hae Jun can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes. 🥲

I do love that the favor that Hae Jun asks of Blind Date Oppa, is that he be allowed to take Dal with him that day.

That’s way better than asking Blind Date Oppa to just butt out, yes? It’s respectful, but gives Hae Jun his chance to shoot his shot with Dal.

I found it endearing that Dal would decide to own her feelings for Hae Jun, never mind if he reciprocates or not; that’s one of the bravest things we’ve seen Dal do all series long, and I’m proud of her for it. 🥲

But, yay that Hae Jun’s ready to own his feelings for Dal too, and they start dating, finally. Eee!! 😍

We don’t get to see them as a couple all that much, but from the snippets that we do get, they are an adorable couple, and just seeing them together gave me the goofy grins. 🥰

And of course, we have the wedding between Mom Dad and Hae Jun’s mom, which makes a fitting end to our story.

With this marriage, Hae Jun finally has a legitimate, legal tie to Mom Dad, and they are now officially a family. He’s wanted this for so long, that the whole thing feels so poignant, to my eyes. 🥲

And then, with the way San Ha and Ju Won are absolutely intending to get married and spend their lives together, our hodgepodge found family, is well on its way to becoming a family recognized in the eyes of the law, and in the eyes of society.

I hesitate to say that this makes them a real family now – because in my eyes, they have always been exactly that: a real family. 🥰🥲

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Warm, heartfelt and comforting; like snuggling with a soft, fluffy duvet. 🥰

FINAL GRADE: A-

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of Family By Choice, is The Trunk [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on The Trunk on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +Mr. Plankton [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +When The Phone Rings [Korea]

VIP (US$15): +Tell Me That You Love Me [Korea]