Go Ahead

A good series about found family, mother issues and realistic adulthood. Not a good romance.

This is a good series with found family tropes. I quite enjoyed it, especially the first half. I love the interactions between the brother-sister trio when they are teenagers, the bickering interactions between the two dads, the father-daughter relationship between our female lead Jianjian and her father Li Hai Chao, and the father-son relationship between Li Hai Chao and He Zi Qiu.

My two most favorite characters are Li Hai Chao and He Zi Qiu. I like He Zi Qiu the most among the trio. I love to see him bickering with Jianjian. He truly loves and cares for Jianjian as an older brother, and always tries his best to protect his family, including Jianjian and her father. He always wishes to become a real family with them, and that's why he mistakes that feeling for romantic love. I love how he asks for Li Hai Chao's permission before making a move on Jianjian. He's one of the lights that I've found in this show. I also love to watch his journey on healing the relationship with his mother. Out of the mothers in the series (I don't include the mother of Zi Qiu's best friend as she is a very side character), she is one of the two mothers that I empathize with and deserves to be forgiven for her mistakes towards her children. I love her happy ending with Zi Qiu and Jianjian's father.

Another light is Li Hai Chao. He is the best dad ever, and the kindest man I've seen. He treats other people, including women and kids with respect. He's so loving, caring and patient towards his children. I love every scene with him in it. He makes my heart feel warm. I've never had a father like him, and have serious father issues, so I always have a soft spot for a nurturing father, and a loving father-daughter relationship.

I also like how the show implies messages about growing up and how difficult adulthood can be, and the relationship between Asian parents and their adult children. I love the friendship between the 3 girls Jianjian, Mingyue, and Tang Can. I think their bonding is beautiful and realistic. I love how they care and support each other through different hardships in life. There are some conflicts between them sometimes but that's how best friends treat each other in real life. They are straightforward towards each other and don't let any boy get involved and ruin their friendship. That's another good thing about this series, that there is no toxic love triangle.

I feel that "Go Ahead" is a series about mother issues. All the characters in this series, excluding ZiQiu's best friend, have serious mother issues. Most of them have toxic mothers that lead to a lot of trauma and shape their personality when they grow up. I relate to Mingyue the most. Some people may find her character annoying but it's realistic when she grew up with her parents. I used to be just as annoying as her. My father is an absent father like her father, and my mother is too controlling towards whatever I do in life. She's never satisfied with whatever I do. I was a model student, but I used to be so unconfident and never thought I'm good enough. I pushed away the people that liked me because I was scared that they would stop liking me after knowing who I am. I see myself in her a lot, and I felt so proud and emotional at the scene when she confronted her mother and expressed her suppressed feeling for a long time in front of her. Mingyue's mother is the other mother besides Zi Qiu's that I empathize with. She's a lot like my mother and I understand she just wishes the best for her daughter, although her method is wrong. I was also touched at the scene where Minyue stood up for her mother when her father confronted her and blamed her mother for an unhappy marriage between them. My absent father also did that, and I also stood up for my mother.

That's a few things I love about the series. Now there are things that I dislike. The first thing is the romance between the leads. They got together so quickly after treating each other like siblings for a very long time since they were kids. It feels so forced to me. I don't feel any chemistry between them either. Plus, I feel like Ling Xiao was forcing Jianjian into their relationship. He did a lot of toxic things. He wasn't satisfied when Jianjian had a boyfriend and tried to break them up. He met her boyfriend secretly and asked him to break up with her. This is different from Zi Qiu, because the reason Zi Qiu didn't approve of her boyfriend is that he was worried about him being a pervert and betraying Jianjian. Zi Qiu is just a protective older brother and wishes the best for her sister. Another toxic thing Ling Xiao did was confessing to Jianjian but didn't give her time to think, but kind of forced her into the relationship, and he kissed her without her consent!

Another thing is that they don't seem to consider mental illness as a serious issue in this series. Ling Xiao was severely depressed, but he never went to therapy and relied on Jianjian for his comfort. That's not a good way in the long run. I had depression for years and I know how burdensome and exhausting it is for people around me to be around me for a long while. That's not a healthy relationship. Also, it’s painful to see how Chinese people think of mental illness. It's considered something embarrassing. My Asian mom thinks so too, and she always tries to hide other people about me going to therapy. I know they care about me but it still hurts me a lot.

My biggest issue about this series is about the concept of family. What I love about this series at first is the concept of a found family. However, later the kids forgive their toxic parents after terrible things they have done for them, just because 'your mother is your mother'. I feel like it's somehow against the series' initial concept. Ling Xiao is forced to take care of the selfish biographical mother who abandoned him and never cared about her children, including Ling Xiao and her 2 sisters. I think the best ending for Ling Xiao's mother should be that both Ling Xiao and her sister cut her off.

Next is Tang Can's mother. She's also one of the worst mothers. It appears to me from the beginning to the end that she only cares about her own pride. When Tang Can was an inspiring young child actress, her mother forced her to do a lot of commercials to earn money, and such a young kid has already earned enough to buy her parents a house and a supermarket to make a living. Who loves their kid that forces her to do that? Later it was her who destroyed her daughter's acting career because of her pride. And then she became embarrassed about her daughter and not satisfied with whatever she did, no matter how hard she tried. She never noticed how exhausted her daughter was at every family gathering, but how much her daughter embarrassed her. Then in the end, Tang Can somehow still tried to please her mother, because 'it's your mother, and mother always wishes the best for their children'. In my opinion, this is not a good message for young people nowadays.

Read More

Heartwarming perhaps but lacks depth and consistency

I started watching this drama long before it shot up in ratings on mydramalist, so when I saw it on the top drama page I have to say I was quite surprised. I have always been in agreement with the dramas that make it to the page and have found so many gems as a result, but this time I was shocked. I felt that if I had gone to watch this drama after seeing it have such a high rating I would be quite disappointed, especially with the comparisons I’m seeing to Reply 1988, and reviews calling it the best Cdrama of the year. I watch a lot of Cdrama, and it my option this drama is far from that title.

I will say good Cdramas sometimes seem far and few between compared to Kdramas. So when a seemingly good one comes out, there’s often a lot of superlatives involved. So it’s not completely inconceivable why this drama is receiving such praise and hype. I just think it’s not quite deserved in this case, especially when dramas like 隐秘的角落 （The bad kids) and 摩天大楼 (horizon tower) have come out this year as well. And maybe crime dramas aren’t your cup of tea and that’s fine, I love a good family drama as well, but in my eyes this drama lacks so much depth in terms of it’s storytelling that it seems artificial and shallow at the end. This is a far cry from the Reply series and even other Chinese family dramas I've seen (such as 小欢喜 A little reunion).

So what exactly about this drama is disappointing?
There are three major things:
1. The ending plot
2. The one-sided characterizations
3. Sub-par acting that can’t live up to the character

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for family dramas with some good angst and heartwarming relationships. So I did enjoy the beginning of this drama. So what’s the problem? Simply speaking, this drama stops being about family. Without giving too much away, this drama goes from being about families of choice to a forced love story that was poorly executed and unbelievable. Needless to say, I did not like the main couple. But unlike other dramas, it’s not because I hope she ended up with someone else. In fact, I think it would be better if there was no love story at all. It was that uncomfortable. This is a pretty big issue because it encompasses at least half the drama.

So what about the characters? Well, I did enjoy some of them. I think Jian Jian was a good character. He Ziqiu was absolutely one of the best characters in the show. And the two dads were heartwarming and some great moments to the drama. He Ziqiu’s birthday episode was my favorite in the entire series (it’s also ep. 4 so I think that says something about how the drama progressed) because I think it showcases everything good about the drama. My problem is so many of the characters don’t seem real. For how much I loved Jian Jian’s father, he was too perfect. The two mothers offered some great angst, but had so little redeeming qualities. In fact with the exception of Jian Jian, the women in this drama are stereotyped and vilified to the extreme to the point where Chen Ting for example does not even seem real. Compare this to the Reply series. The characters of the parents were each unique in their personalities. They were all good heartwarming characters, but what was so amazing is they seemed real. They were good parents, but weren’t faultless. The parents all had different parenting styles and family dynamics, but none of them were worse than the other. This drama goes the opposite route: the bad parents are so bad, and the good parents are basically Mother Teresa type characters.

My last complaint is some of the acting was not good enough to meet the requirements of the character. You might be able to guess already who I’m referring to: Song Weilong. His acting wasn’t awful, but the character was pretty awful. And I think part of that is his acting and part of it is the writing. But I think with a better actor, the character would have been much more well-rounded and less creepy and stiff. I don’t think Song Weilong is a good actor, but I see why he was cast. The problem is, his character was pretty complex. He has some issues, and Song Weilong just couldn’t bring those to life in a compelling way. And the way he approaches his relationship in the drama? Ummm, in a word: creepy.

If you’d made it to the end of this rambling review, thank you. And if there’s one thing I would say to end this, it would be: this is not a terrible drama. In fact the beginning is quite lovely. But go in prepared to be disappointed as the drama progresses. And I would not go in expecting to find the same quality and depth as Reply 1988.

Read More

It is a good show, but could have been better overall.

So this started off really promising and magical, and throughout the entire show, the cast was fantastic. However, as great as the first 30 episodes were, the last part kind of suffocated all of the magic out. They put the main three characters ("the siblings") on the back burner big time and went into so much depth and spent so much time on the side characters that it kind of ruined it for me. I wanted to see the three main characters interact after they develop and settle into their new relationship dynamic, but once they sorted it out it, we rarely see them again except in relation to the side characters. The ending was also really rushed in regards to tying up loose ends. This drama felt like two different dramas the first half was fantastic and set to be a personal favorite, but the last half was about entirely different characters. The show would have been better if they cut out one of the friend's storylines, and tied up one of the mothers' stories earlier so we could have enjoyed the main characters towards the end. I don't understand why her two friends, the guy's friend, her shop workers, the sister, and the mothers had more character development and conflict than she did as an adult.

I would still watch it if you haven't as it isn't bad, it just isn't as fantastic as the beginning.

Read More

If you like melodrama...

If this drama is one of your favorites... please don't read any further.



It was an okay watch. If you like children getting abandoned, the real parent guilt tripping the child after they're an adult forcing them to move with them, and a last minute redemption for the vile, horrible mothers, etc....

The mothers were so terrible they didn't deserve a redemption at all especially Ling Xiao's mother.

These were grown a** adults and they were letting the parents tell them what they could or couldn't do.

With the genres labeled as: Comedy, Romance, Drama, Melodrama; one would expect there to be quite a bit more comedy and romance sprinkled in the mix unfortunately while there was a couple of funny scenes (although not enough to really fit the label) As for the romance there wasn't enough romance between them to make it worth watching.

The found family was great. I liked everyone of them, both dads, and the siblings (not blood related). All of the actors: Song Wei Long, Tan Song Yun, Zhang Xin Cheng, Tu Song Yan and Zhang Xi Lin did a fine job.

The ending was a happy one, although very quick.

Would I recommend it? I cannot. There were way too many rage inducing scenes for me.

However if you are a fan of any of the above actors and you prefer your dramas with lots of drama and melodrama then you just may like it.

Read More

It's good but it is also overhyped

Started this drama because of the good ratings it had here but, unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
The acting is great and it feels very natural, specially Steven Zhang, for me this was his best perfomance so far and his character was my favorite. The family plot was what I loved the most about this drama, the implication that you didn't need to be linked by blood to have such love for one another was very well portrayed and I loved the dynamic between the "siblings" and the fathers. On a less positive note, had A LOT more expectations for the couple, most of the time their relashionship didn't feel natural at all but rather forced, specially when Ling Xiao did that speach about his mental health, implying that his only solution or remedy was JianJian, that wasn't healthy at all. When it comes to the episodes, I don't think that many were needed, the story was just dragged. If they wanted to make that many episodes they should have developed some characters a little (a lot) more. In the end, I feel like the ending wasn't satisfying enough.

It is still a good drama if you like the family plot and some dose of confort but it's not a 10/10 for me.

Read More

The most realistic family life in C-drama

I’m giving screenwriter Wang Xiong Cheng his flowers. The man’s been cooking non-stop. Go Ahead, Meet Yourself, Find Yourself . He really doesn’t know how to miss. You can surely throw A-list stars at a drama all day, but if the script is hollow, the whole thing sinks faster than a soggy dumpling. Thankfully, this one not only floats but soars with a depth of emotion that resonates long after the credits roll.

From the very beginning, The FL Li Jian Jian is enveloped in a cocoon of love so profound it shapes her entire being. Her world is not defined by the absence of a mother but by the overwhelming presence of four devoted men: her endlessly patient father, Li Haichao, her "adoptive" brother He Zi Qiu, her childhood neighbour Ling Xiao and Ling He Ping, the father of King Xiao. Dad Li is the sun in their unconventional universe. He’s the epitome of selfless love, constantly nurturing, cooking, and providing a stable, warm home. His love is the bedrock, the unspoken promise that no matter what, Jian Jian will always have a safe haven. This constant, unwavering affection allows Jian Jian to grow into an unburdened, artistic, and openly affectionate young woman.

A Peek Into Their Lives: What You'll Experience

No scene deserves the skip button (unless your patience for terrible mothers is on zero – and even then, those moments serve a crucial purpose). You’ll laugh, cry, scream into your throw pillow, maybe even message your sibling out of nowhere. This drama doesn't just tell a story; it evokes genuine, powerful emotions that will leave you utterly consumed. Eventually, you’re not just watching, you’re living there. You’re the neighbor who casually shows up for dinner at Dad Li’s, sharing in their joys and sorrows as if they were your own.

* Dad Ling will hit you with “I’m going to work” more often than your own boss does, a poignant reminder of his dedication, even when misunderstood.
* You’ll sit with Li Jian Jian, waiting for her brothers to come home like it’s your own family reunion, feeling her anticipation and longing.
* You’ll ache with He Zi Qiu as he wrestles ghosts he didn’t ask for, burdened by a past he’s desperately trying to outrun for the sake of his adoptive family.
* And Ling Xiao? His quiet weight, his internal struggles, and his fierce devotion will have you ready to sign up for karate just to defend his honour. You'll understand the depth of his unspoken sacrifices and the immense love he carries.

I’d give it 11/10 if the rating system allowed it. I kept seeing the edits, the rave reviews, and thought, “Another coming-of-age, childhood-sweetheart thing? I’ll pass.” Yeah... plot twist, I was wildly wrong. This drama isn't just about childhood sweethearts; it's a profound exploration of unconditional love, unconventional family, and the quiet ways people become each other’s anchors. Who says two dads can’t co-parent three emotionally tangled kids into decent adults, capable of profound love? Go Ahead said, “Watch this.” It’s a testament to the idea that family isn't always defined by blood, but by the love, sacrifice, and unwavering support we offer one another.

There’s more I could say, but when a drama hits this deep, it's better felt than described. Just press play, you’ll get it.

Read More

Good family drama, subpar romance

OVERALL
My opinion may be unpopular, but I find this drama a bit (just a bit) overrated. Still, it definitely feels different from other C-dramas I have seen so far, and the first half is REALLY nice. Watch it if 1) you're looking for a story with great friendship/family ties, 2) you like dramas that follow characters from childhood to adulthood, 3) you don't mind shedding a few tears. Think twice if 1) you are craving a well-developed love story, 2) you have low tolerance for annoying characters, 3) you like mature female leads.

THE STORY
It took me ages to give Go Ahead a try because I felt like it would just make me cry a lot. It didn't. It actually made me laugh a lot more. There is a lot to like about this drama:
- The first half is glorious, of the best I've seen in a C-drama; especially the first five episodes when the main leads are still very young. Serious, dark stuff happen, but it's beautiful and emotional. I just loved it. As the trio begins to age, the drama starts to feel a bit bipolar, like it doesn't know if to have melodrama vibes or comedy vibes and it bothered me sometimes, but it was still fine until about episode 20.
- The parents that take care of the main leads are fabulous. They break all stereotypes and are just so endearing. Definitely my favorite characters of the drama!
- Of course, the dynamic between the three main leads is gold, especially in the first half of the drama. They are family/friends goals!

My problem with Go Ahead is the second half, which feels so sloppy in comparison to the first half. The drama tries to tackle too many storylines at once so it doesn't go deep enough with anything and makes you feel dissatisfied with everything. The romance? Goes from zero to 100. Messed up characters? Also go from bad to good in the blink of an eye. It just doesn't make sense. I also have to say, Female lead is a bit problematic for me. She's just so childish. I'm fine with cute female characters, but mature cute. Age-appropriate cute. Jianjian acts her age like 25% of the time, and the rest feels like she's 10 years younger than the boys. It just...doesn't feel right.

Definitely a good drama, but not as great as it looked like it was going to be.

THE ACTING
Pretty good. I like Seven Tan's acting (regardless of her character) and the older actors were fab. Lil bro was impressive too, but in comparison, Big Bro kind of fell short. Still, nothing to distract you from the plot. I must say though, I felt no chemistry between the leads. Romantic scenes are nothing special too, so really, don't come into this drama for the love story.

THE MUSIC
In general, quite fine. I just like that background instrumental music wasn't super loud and cheap. It was actually fitting. The drama is really a nice production, it's only the script that could be a bit better.

REWATCH VALUE
Not very high. I think it's one of those one-timers.

Read More

The first 10 ep were GREAT, the last 30 ep were SUPER DISAPPOINTING

STORY :

Sigh... I really really love the first 10 episodes, it had the potential of becoming my favorite Chinese drama.

In the first 10 episodes, the writer kept EMPHASIZING that the bond of the family members who are unrelated by blood is stronger than their genetic linkage family, which really made me believe that this was going to be the entire drama about. I was sold and was so invested in this drama, I had good laughs and cries.

But everything changed after the brothers return home.
The story became disconnected to the early episodes.
The focus shifted from family into a romantic relationship
Although we know it since the beginning because it's shown in the opening and ending credit, I really there will be a reasonable explanation.
The brothers fell for the sister, and one of the reasons is that the bros want to be REAL family members.
Because of this, there's no romantic development as it is so sudden. the bros confessed after they went back without building any romantic relationship (friendly reminder, before the bro went to study, their relationship was platonic)
Even though LX was interested in JJ before going to Singapore, and JJ to LX without even noticing, but they never built any romantic relationship in early episodes.


ACTING :
Love the main casts' acting (except Song Wei Long).
Steven Zhang & Tu Song Yan (Li Ba) 10/10. I couldn't hold my tears when seeing them on screen.
Seven Tan & Zhang Xi Lin were great as well.

Music: 9.5/10

Rewatch Value :
I kinda regret finishing this series. I totally thought there would be another family bond story like I had seen in earlier ep,
but didn't see it until the end of the series.
If I knew it, I would never finish the series, let alone rewatching it.

Read More

Nearly Perfect Drama, but I Worry About the Writer's Childhood

Nearly every mother in Go Ahead was a nightmare, but the way the children grew, adapted, and supported one another made this a rewarding watch. GA had everything: humor, heartache, struggles, triumphs, and healing. The family relationships were everything, as they sacrificially watched out for and supported one another. Family in this context didn't necessarily mean blood, as the closest individuals weren't related at all.

I'd just watched Shine on Me with Song Wei Long in which he played an attractive, competent CEO. He didn't have to work at being attractive and that role seemed an easy one for him, but he surprised me by his portrayal of a traumatized soul. He depicted the dead-inside, long-suffering young man well. Tan Song Yun was perfect as the free-spirited Li Jian Jian; Zhang Xin Cheng did admirably as the cautious overthinker; and Tu Song Yan was superb as the kind-hearted father figure of them all.

The drama never stayed dark for overly long. Sweet moments were interspersed among the serious scenes. The children as teens had many warm, loving interactions, some of the best parts of the drama. Beyond relationships, the drama featured many of my favorite things: food, books (I've put Our Starry Starry Night by Jimmy Liao on pre-order), and children.

There were so many relatable situations and characters. I was once asked for a metaphor for my parents, and I said "a black hole." Ling Xiao made that same comparison, and I could identify with his reasoning.

It took me a long time to decide to watch GA, because it had a "Melodrama" tag, along with "Depression," "Child Abandonment," and "Mental Illness." It didn't sound like a good time! I generally avoid melodramas, but this had enough sweetness and light to balance out the heaviness. There were tears, but they were mostly good ones, and there was plenty of laughter to counteract the sad times.

Read More

Go Ahead Will Always Make Me Cry No Matter How Many Times I Watch

I’m just going to say it—Go Ahead is hands down my favorite C-drama of all time. And honestly, I don’t think anything will ever top it. No matter how many times I rewatch it, I always end up crying like it’s the first time. There’s something about this drama that just hits every time. It’s like no matter how many times I know what’s coming, the emotional impact never fades.

The story is so beautifully crafted. It follows three main characters who, though not related by blood, form this incredible bond and become a family of their own. What makes this drama so special to me is how it captures the complexities of familial love, both the pain and the joy that come with it. I don’t think there’s ever been a drama that made me feel more deeply about the idea of chosen family. Watching these three characters support each other through everything, from their personal struggles to their relationship with their parents, just broke me in the best way.

Li Jianjian (played by Eleanor Lee) is such a relatable character, and her growth throughout the drama is so beautiful. She starts off with so much uncertainty about her place in the world, especially after growing up in a broken family, but watching her find her confidence and her own sense of family is a ride that will leave you in tears. And He Ziqiu (played by Zhao Zhiwei) and Ling Xiao (played by Song Weilong)? Their bond with Jianjian is something so rare to see. I love how their friendship evolves into something so much more, and you feel every moment of their emotional journey together.

But honestly, the one character that really struck me the most was the father, Mr. Li. His relationship with Jianjian is everything I’ve ever wanted in a parent-child bond. It’s so filled with love, care, and patience, and watching their relationship grow made me realize how much I long for that kind of connection with my own father. The way he always puts her first, how he encourages her to find her own way while constantly being there for her—it made me rethink the kind of relationship I hope to have with my dad. I think Mr. Li’s love for Jianjian is so pure and genuine, and it honestly made me wish my own relationship with my dad were more like that. His character is a reminder of how important emotional availability and unconditional love are in family, and it left a lasting impact on me.

The performances in this drama are just phenomenal. Every single actor gives their heart and soul into their roles, making the characters feel so real. You can really feel the pain, the joy, the heartbreak, and the healing through every scene. The chemistry between the leads is so strong, it’s impossible not to get emotionally invested in their relationships. And the way the drama handles the dynamics of the family—whether it’s the pain of parental love or the joy of chosen family—it's so honest and raw. It’s one of those dramas where you’re watching the characters grow, and you grow with them.

I can’t not mention the soundtrack—chef’s kiss. The music in this drama is so fitting and enhances the emotional beats in such a subtle way. There were so many times when a song would play, and it would just pull me deeper into the feelings of the scene. The music isn’t just background noise; it becomes part of the experience.

If you haven’t seen Go Ahead, please do yourself a favor and watch it. Even if you’re not usually a fan of crying while watching a drama, trust me, you’ll want to experience the emotional rollercoaster this show takes you on. I know it’s my all-time favorite, and I will keep rewatching it no matter how many tears it brings. It’s the kind of drama that stays with you long after it’s over, and I’m forever grateful I found it.

Read More