Peridot83
This review may contain spoilers
Starts strong with great characters and back stories, but themes and sublime moments are too watered down by the end . . .
The inevitable comparison to 'Go Ahead' is at the end of this review.
Can you have a sunny, optimistic future after a traumatic and unconventional childhood? The answer is a resounding 'yes.' The theme simple: hold tight to the people in your life who want to see you happy and healthy - and run away from people who don't believe in you and wish you would fail.
The romantic suspense is addictive: we the audience can tell that Sanha is over the moon for Juwon. But Juwon has no idea. There's a bit of a 'forbidden romance' factor as well.
Once the primary romantic storyline is resolved, between the two of them, then moves to the difficult bit. How to address the lasting trauma that these characters suffered in childhood? This is completely soft-balled. Sanha's mother just fades away, as does Haejun's father. Sanha's taking of sleeping pills is waived away by learning the joys of drinking.
The acting is great - I especially liked Haejun's characterisation. The production values, music and pacing are all decent, and occasionally there would be a cinematic moment. But, the highlight of the show is the depiction of toxic/traumatic family relationships, finding your 'found' family and the romantic storylines. I just wish it hadn't turned so saccharinely, unrealistically sweet in the last 4 episodes.
COMPARISON TO 'GO AHEAD'
Go Ahead was one of my top dramas of all time until the last 5-10 episodes. It was much more raw, and much more realistic about surviving toxic and traumatic relationships than Family By Choice. So much so that it should come with trigger warnings. It also was less literal and a bit more sublime. While I really hated the plot resolutions, the last scene of Go Ahead will stay in my mind forever.
In Go Ahead there were two strong sources of tension/suspense. One the romance, but the second was whether the Sanha character would be able to thrive or if he was going to sink and drown.
One of the most emotionally touching scenes in Go Ahead, was when he scrambles in a panic to explain to the Juwon character that he'd take anything she is willing to give, it doesn't have to be romance, it can be friendship, it can be anything - that in the years they've been apart the only light in the darkness was imagining seeing her again.
Instead of saying that is romantic, she starts to cry, and she hadn't realised things had been so bad between him and his mom, that she hadn't seen how bad things were for him, how had none of them seen?? How had they let him suffer all these years??
In comparison, in Family By Choice, Juwon goes to her dad and asks if it's OK and normal that Sanha and Juwon feel like no one in the world exists but each other. Instead of her Dad warning her about 'romeo and juliet' type romances, he instead reassures her that it's normal.
The inevitable comparison to 'Go Ahead' is at the end of this review.
Can you have a sunny, optimistic future after a traumatic and unconventional childhood? The answer is a resounding 'yes.' The theme simple: hold tight to the people in your life who want to see you happy and healthy - and run away from people who don't believe in you and wish you would fail.
The romantic suspense is addictive: we the audience can tell that Sanha is over the moon for Juwon. But Juwon has no idea. There's a bit of a 'forbidden romance' factor as well.
Once the primary romantic storyline is resolved, between the two of them, then moves to the difficult bit. How to address the lasting trauma that these characters suffered in childhood? This is completely soft-balled. Sanha's mother just fades away, as does Haejun's father. Sanha's taking of sleeping pills is waived away by learning the joys of drinking.
The acting is great - I especially liked Haejun's characterisation. The production values, music and pacing are all decent, and occasionally there would be a cinematic moment. But, the highlight of the show is the depiction of toxic/traumatic family relationships, finding your 'found' family and the romantic storylines. I just wish it hadn't turned so saccharinely, unrealistically sweet in the last 4 episodes.
COMPARISON TO 'GO AHEAD'
Go Ahead was one of my top dramas of all time until the last 5-10 episodes. It was much more raw, and much more realistic about surviving toxic and traumatic relationships than Family By Choice. So much so that it should come with trigger warnings. It also was less literal and a bit more sublime. While I really hated the plot resolutions, the last scene of Go Ahead will stay in my mind forever.
In Go Ahead there were two strong sources of tension/suspense. One the romance, but the second was whether the Sanha character would be able to thrive or if he was going to sink and drown.
One of the most emotionally touching scenes in Go Ahead, was when he scrambles in a panic to explain to the Juwon character that he'd take anything she is willing to give, it doesn't have to be romance, it can be friendship, it can be anything - that in the years they've been apart the only light in the darkness was imagining seeing her again.
Instead of saying that is romantic, she starts to cry, and she hadn't realised things had been so bad between him and his mom, that she hadn't seen how bad things were for him, how had none of them seen?? How had they let him suffer all these years??
In comparison, in Family By Choice, Juwon goes to her dad and asks if it's OK and normal that Sanha and Juwon feel like no one in the world exists but each other. Instead of her Dad warning her about 'romeo and juliet' type romances, he instead reassures her that it's normal.
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