Eleison

I think it's Goblin (or Guardian: The Lonely and the Great God).

EDIT: Goblin is #1 for popularity.

I think dramas (C and K) can work on consensual kisses in general, but Go Ahead was definitely quite rough in this respect. Their romance made me really uncomfortable. 😬

I just think creators think getting consent kills the tension in a scene and so they often just have the men plunge in passionately after a lingering moment that builds the tension sky high.

I've noticed more Kdramas doing a "first kiss" for conflicted lovers like this one that I still think isn't ideal or preferred (he technically kissed her in this drama before they were a couple, too), but at least he makes it really clear what he is doing by moving very slowly and deliberately. She had the time and awareness to back away or say no, and when she didn't, he continued. Certainly improvement, but still not quite there...

I wanted to watch this because I was curious to see if/how they'd improve the problematic content from Go Ahead. After finishing Go Ahead, while I enjoyed some parts very much, I was shocked by how few people had issues with it as a whole.

Exactly like the Cdrama but watered down? Couldn't disagree more! 😅

That's so funny--he reminded me of Bogum, too!

I didn't drop Go Ahead, but I preferred the Kdrama. Love that the brothers don't fight over the FL. 😏

While I don't ultimately agree with your review (I had a lot of probems with this drama), this review is beautifully written and focuses on the strongest aspects of the drama and frames them well. Nicely shared!

I felt like she overacted a bit in this, and also, FBC is a lot less toxic than the Cdrama. The ML in Go Ahead is problematic (in my opinion), and the brothers fight over the FL, too. Loved that FBC didn't go that route.

Felt the same. The first 1/3 was passable, but the last 2/3s was a slog. I finished it because I got too far in (and I love Hai Chao 🥰), and I was hoping (and waiting for how) they'd address how unhealthy the ML was as a person AND in his relationship with the FL and... they never did.

Also, the ending felt like "filial piety propaganda" (even though the particular parents in question were AWFUL and for some reason get tacked on "redemption arcs.") 😅

I'd recommend the Kdrama (Family By Choice). I thought it did a much better job! Since many of our gripes about the original are the same, I think you might enjoy it. 😉

The only thing I liked better was Li Hai Chao. The hero of Go Ahead. 🥰 He reminded me of Joe from Great Expectations.

Um, the ML's mom in Go Ahead was also a selfish psycho, and she magically "changes" at the end with something of a redemption arc in a way I found completely unbelievable. At least in this version she's consistent, selfish and thoughtless to the end. This wasn't her story, and they didn't have time to show her change, so it was not attempted. A good move in my opinion. Actually, one of the problematic themes (that I felt was projected) in the original was the message of sticking by your parents even when you're an adult and they're controlling you and HORRIBLE to you; if you just hang in there, help them out, and stick close, they'll learn and change their ways and become sweet parents. Um... that's not a healthy message. You can love your parents AND have boundaries with them once you're an adult if they treat you poorly. Go Ahead did not promote a healthy message like that, and while there are still dysfunctional parental relationships in this (Dal and her mom, and San Ha and his mom), I felt like it leaned less into "familial piety propoganda."

And I thought Ling Xiao's dad was basically useless in Go Ahead, too. At least in this drama he seemed to be more of an actual friend and companion to Joeng Jae, rather than just a neighbor who pays his friend to feed him. He starts rough and weak, and gets slightly less rough (still weak) by the end.

Lastly, the review said the leads had zero chemistry and their romance came out of nowhere. I agree there wasn't too much build up for Joo Won beginning to see San Ha in a romantic light, but the original was way worse! The ML was all clingy and possessive and controlling and petty and jealous. I thought they had no chemistry, and I just felt bad for the FL because she was with a person so dysfunctional compared to her, and she had to help him cope. He felt like a charity case, not an equal partner. If your spouse goes through a hard time, obviously you should he there to support them as best you can, but if you're not partners yet and their mental health is bad and you choose to date them before they've worked through their stuff, that seems like a recipe for a codependent nightmare. Nope... it didn't work for me at all.

The only scene I thought the original drama did better than in the Kdrama was the scene where Yoon Jeong Jae (aka Li Hai Chao) gets tipsy when Hae Joon's aunt comes over for dinner. He gets drunk because he's so frustrated by everyone acting like Hae Joon owes him something, when in his eyes, Hae Joon is his son. Why make such a fuss over a father taking care of his son? In the Kdrama he just acts frustrated that people think he's "doing Hae Joon a favor" and maintains how much he loves his boy so of course he takes care of him.

In the original, Hai Chao feels more pathetic (in an adorable way), when he's heartbroken that people don't acknowledge that he's the boys' "dad." He cries over both boys and keeps repeating, "They're my sons! Why do people keep trying to separate me from my sons and say they're not mine?! They're my beloved boys and there's nothing they can do to earn my love!" (that's the gist). It was really powerful in the original, and I don't think the scene in the Kdrama quite lived up to it even though it conveyed a similar message.

I'm glad I finally got around to this version!

It was a breath of fresh air after (mostly) slogging through the original Cdrama. The original has a very nostalgic quality to it, for sure (in a way that Reply 1988 managed to capture, too), and does a good job capturing the passage of time and the messiness of life (I think because it took more time to pause, meander, and just let characters and scenes and shots "be" without always moving the plot forward deftly and swiftly like in the Kdrama), but everyone was a bit too much of a hot mess for me (almost in a way that the drama itself didn't seem to own up to as being problems, which bothered me).

I mean, Li Hai Chao (the father of the FL in the original) was an actual saint compared to every other adult. He was an amazing character, and by far my favorite. In contrast, many of the characters were made into healthier versions of themselves in this drama, so Yoon Jeong Jae (this drama's Li Hai Chao) felt more like a typical awesome, loving dad (as opposed to a saint 😅) in this since everyone else wasn't terrible by comparison.

This version overall tempered the unrealistic or problematic themes or scenarios of the original, and really improved them, in my opinion. There were things portrayed as "normal" or "okay" in the original that at times just made me really uncomfortable (and while we're on the subject of uncomfortable, can I just express my puzzlement over romance Cdramas having scenes with the FL on her period? What's up with that? 🧐). This drama also had a much faster pace, and condensed quite a bit, leaving out filler/annoying plots and things that made the original drag. All my favorite parts from the original were included, and I didn't feel like anything was missing to complete this version.

For instance, regarding an "improvement": the "brothers" never fight over the FL in this (oh, what glory!) and instead Hae Joon was always just Joo Won's brother, and nothing else. San Ha was responsible and mature like in the original, but far more gentle, sensitive (he's the best at picking up on nonverbal cues that someone is not okay), empathetic and functional in this version (Joo Won isn't what helps him to cope, like a drug that he needs to "get by" (like the original); instead, he gravitates to her because she's always been there for him, and rooted for him), and also, Hae Joon and San Ha had a much stronger friendship and bond with each other than in the original. In the original, it feels more like the brothers tolerate each other because of the FL, and wouldn't have much to say to each other if it weren't for her (especially later when the leads start dating and the boys start fighting over her like a toy they both want 🤢).

In this drama, the brothers stand up for each, support each other, and fight for one another's flourishing. All three "siblings" do this for one another, and it was lovely to watch. (They even give Hae Joon a loveline, and allow second leads to end up together rather than leaving them to pine in misery--way to go, writer!!).

It's still got some very dramatic characters and moments that lean into melodramatic soapiness, and because it doesn't sit in scenes or moments, it doesn't feel as cozy as Go Ahead, but it was a joy to watch. Episode 16 was just darling, and had me grinning from start to finish. You should definitely "go ahead" and give it a try! 😉

It demonstrates the power of love to heal, transform and empower, and affirms found family as an alternative to toxic "blood ties." Sweet stuff!

I really enjoyed this! Spades better than the original in ways that were important to me. The OG has certain charms, but it ultimately had a lot of issues for me, too many to say I really enjoyed it.

I have no idea why the fathers aren't listed as main leads. 🤔

Being compared to the Queen in Under The Queen's Umbrella is high praise! ☺️

Haha, yes! 😅 But it will painful for fluent Japanese speakers to watch if Kim Seon Ho doesn't know Japanese...

These leads are so talented--can't wait to see what they pull off. And it seems Kim Seon Ho has weathered his scandal and is back in the game. When Life Gives You Tangerines was his soft reentry. 😉

Yeah. I thought it was inconsistent writing for her; she was understanding and reasonable the rest of the time and knew her brother was a bad dude, but then after all that, she still blamed Fan Xian when he was having such a hard time already. 😑 I felt so bad for him!

Oh my gosh, these leads paired?! And another Hong sister drama? Ack, how can I not go into this with high expectations? 😭😂

P.P.P.S. I've also been surprised by the progressive portrayal of spouses/partners making a relationship possible while juggling their "passions" (aka work) and respecting one another's autonomy rather than having the expectation that couples will fall into traditional partner dynamics. But I think this is still more about glorifying work than it is about progressive relationship dynamics. Some Cdramas toe the line better than others, but this is definitely something I've noticed in the more recent, female-centric costume dramas.

Another example of this is that the biggest "bums" in the drama are characters who weren't working much, shirking work, or working half-heartedly (e.g. Xie Yuan with avoiding school, Xia Xia at the beginning (wanting to leave his carpentry/wood carving apprenticeship to pursue "lucrative" investments), and Hu Youyu bumming around trying to be a musician; and his "shaping up" is shown through him returning to Beijing and getting more of a "proper job.")