A trip from China to Korea!
finished 9/10 🌟based on the 2020 cdrama go ahead... for me personally I liked this version better... they made necessary changes and some things were kept as the original version
I think the mothers' plot was well addressed, the romance theme as well, it didn't make me feel as cringe as in the other plot, which I appreciated 😅
The main characters did seem cute to me and I felt a lot of chemistry between them... the supporting characters won my heart. I wanted a happy ending for that particular brother so badly and Korea far surpassed it 👏
I still think that the parents' "marriage and love" is something that is completely out of nowhere and poorly thought out in many ways, but the important thing is that everyone was happy and a great family ❤️
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The best Drama to wind up 2024, just go for it....
I watched Go Ahead which is the Chinese version of "The Family by Choice". I really Love FBC more than GA because there was certain scenes where I didn't like in Go Ahead eg. A slight love triangle between the 3, though many of them says that the 2nd brother did it out of desperation, there was a scene in bakery where 2ML looks intimately towards FL. It really didn't make sense to me. 2nd FL fell love with ML in GA. 2nd ML was left alone in GA. These are all the things I didn't like.When it comes to FBC, woah It was neat and ENDED IN ''PERFECTION''. The ending was so satisfying to me. The entire crew of FBC did a wonderful job in creating this Drama. The actors where carefully chosen to nail each role to the perfection. The Bromance between them was so indulging to watch, making us to think that we need that kind of family.
The emotions they delivered went straight to the heart. Hats off to the actors. I love them. I love FBC. One of the dramas to be cherished.
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In comparison... don't compare | When you should watch this
Disclaimer: I have watched Go ahead but will write this review so anyone can follow no matter their knowledge about the plot.In general, I recommend watching both versions, but it doesn't really matter where you start. If you really hated one of both, though, I won't recommend watching the other as the main parts of the plot stay the same. This isn't a romance drama. It is about family, growing up and redefining what family means to you while going through the process of finding a healthy way to cope with (your) struggles. The plot elaborates perspectives of people at different life stages, although young people of course are the main focus.
While the Chinese version is a lot longer and its plot felt more realistic, this remake managed to resolve or at least smooth out some of the issues I had with the Chinese version (some I didn't even realize I had until I saw this remake). It does come with its own issues though you will need to be able to overlook.
The fewer amount of episodes means, of course, they had to shorten parts of the plot and character development I would have loved to dive deeper into, but overall, it seemed like this version portrayed more of an ideal version of how things should be. Someone in the comments described this version as quite healing and I found that word very fitting.
While many people described the chemistry to be wearing off after the first couple episodes, it was the opposite for me. With the progress of each episode I could also feel each character grow just as their chemistry with each other became more and more apparent. The music was used so well to bring out the emotions of every scene and support the already great acting skills instead of overruling them. For everyone being hesitant, I want to reassure you to stay patient, watch the characters grow and rethink their (past) decisions just as you probably have done in your life, too. While I understand watching this can feel draggy, boring or frustrating to some people, I loved every step of their way.
What I also really loved were the comedic scenes that almost always lit up the atmosphere. The humour was just perfect to me and even though there were heavy scenes of course, overall, almost every episode had something to make me smile or laugh.
As I already watched the story twice in two different versions and liked both, I don't know what should indicate I couldn't watch it a third and fourth and fifth time.
So, as a general recommendation: Don't watch this if you want to watch a pure fast-paced, heavily dramatic romance drama. Don't watch this if family issues trigger you easily. And, of course, don't watch this if you hated the Chinese version.
But go watch it if you want something about family, something deeply emotional, something to make you smile or something to make you overthink your own idea of what defines a family. I for sure will go and call mine now.
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The ultimate k-drama remake
Family by choice started of decent, the elder-brother and second brother are kept the same except one thing that they changes, in go ahead the second-brother had no ex-girlfriend and was single however in family by choice he had one. Their might be some slight changes, but the characters are kept the same and the drama gets better each episode and has a lot of potential. Hoping to see the episodes progressing to a good standard, which I don't think will disappoint! Hwang-yeop is finally casted as the ML which I'm quite stoked about, he manages to play high school kid quite well!!Was this review helpful to you?
Not The Same As Go Ahead!
When I say it isn't the same - it isn't as great as Go Ahead at all!It's not bad, but nothing like it's Chinese neighbour.
I have seen Go Ahead maybe 3 times even though it has something like 46 episodes.
Going forward I will refer to Go Ahead as GA and Family By Choice as FBC.
With FBC it misses the humour that GA has when the children were young - even as teens and adults.
In GA, both boys were top students in school whereas the girl wasnt. One boy became a dentist, the other a chef/baker and the girl became a sculptor whereas in FBC it looks like one has become a doctor, one a dropout and the girl a cake maker.
Not sure about the dropout being a proper dropout just yet!
In GA, the one that became a dentist would supervise the girl with her homework at times and around episode 5 told her he was going to marry her someday. There was also this moment he didn't want her sniffing his bed and being in his room as he was starting to develop feelings for her so he told her off. The humour when they were teens in the original version was excellent whether at school, just with each other or at home.
In FBC, the one that becomes a doctor, doesnt say anything about marrying her as teens and doesnt really do too much when she smells something different about his bed which is actually a pertinent moment in the original version. Although they all get along really well - it just isn't on the same level as GA.
When ten years elapses in FBC it seems like the boys have just gone for the weekend then returned as their hairstyles haven't changed nor their faces in age.
With GA they all transitioned from teens to adults which was believable and noticeable like 10 years really had passed.
The good thing about FBC is that it is only 16 episodes so will give you a taste of what the Chinese one is like, but it doesn't have the same depth or characters. One character missing is the one that became a flight hostess in GA.
In FBC, it seems like they are bringing two characters together that were never together in GA. Personally, I don't like that at all.
Another change is the real younger sister of the oldest male seems to be more mature and not so bratty in FBC compared to GA.
Overall, I prefer GA over FBC because of the characters, their stories and the unquestionable dynamics between all of them as well as close bonds - including the parents.
FBC made some obvious changes which shouldn't have been the case - like losing the humour and certain characters, for example.
Still recommended if you want something shorter than the original even if not on the same level.
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It’s different than the original
I really enjoyed watching GO AHEAD and when the news came out that they will be making a korean remake of the show. I was a bit sceptical. I made a decision early on to only watch it when it has finished airing all its episode. However, it keeps popping up on my FYP and it piqued my interest. The TIKTOK edits shows me some new scenes which i did not see in the original CDRAMA and I decided to watch it while it was still airing.And I did not regret it. While they do have similarities, I can’t ignore the differences they made on making it local and giving a fresh new air towards the show. I enjoyed the show as it has more build up of the characters feelings. It explains the reason their decisions clearly and are not making the viewers misunderstand or think too deeply on the plot.
It really differs from the CDRAMA, GO AHEAD!
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I liked it, it was okay
finished this after a few days of binging and i will start by saying that this i liked the start of the show. it was very heartwarming seeing these kids be brought together due to unfortunate familial circumstances and form close bonds between one another and live as a found family; but i definitely feel that the fl was very biased towards sanha (ml) and also haejun (sml ig? but not really?) were always fighting with each other lowkey ml was always being rude to others 💀 and i get it, he was abandoned by his mother and she was horrible to him but he often said things to them purposely to hurt them. tbh there was alot of things all over the place (plus considering this is a remake of a cdrama) it feels like they left many things behind (they could’ve delved more into ml’s trauma, his mom just never got any real development if anything became insufferable, fl’s dad falling for sml’s mom when they hardly interacted) etc. the main couple were cute but i couldn’t really get into their relationship i think bc they grew up calling each other brother and sister even tho they’re not blood related lol 💀 overall i liked the bond they all had together as a found family but there was a lot of annoying and trash characters imo that pmo more than anything else (esp ml’s mother shes one of the worst parents i ever saw in a kdrama)Was this review helpful to you?
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the only way to enjoy this show is to totally block away the chinese version from your mind. Watching this made me appreciate go Ahead even more. i know it couldn't have been easy to try to tell this story in 16 episodes but there were too many things missing. The periods where it felt like nothing was happening in the original spoke volumes!. Her waiting to hear from them, it being too painful for her to see them go away so she travelled to see relatives, her treating them like strangers(because they had become strangers). I was not a big fan of this translation of her yelling at them, i preferred the original. The mother wasn't some unreasonable idiot like she is portrayed in this one, her character was dumbed down and the essence taken away. she was a mother who carried around the guilt of leaving her child and blaming him and not knowing how to rectify this, she tried holding on to him in an unhealthy way which was exhausting for him and her, also her trying to set him up with someone else showed her yearning to build something ''new'' with him that didn't include their past. she coped by ignoring things(tearing up pictures of her daughter, leaving her marriage and child, trying to get him away from the girl who knew about their skeletons).
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I have mixed feelings about this one
The drama started off really fun, and I absolutely loved the concept of "you don't always need a blood bond to become a family." That message was heartwarming and had me excited for the rest of the show.But once the romance subplot kicked in, things started to feel a little... off. I get that San Ha and Ju Won aren't actually siblings—San Ha lived with his dad, and although they shared a sibling bond, he never really lived in Ju Won’s house as her brother. Still, I found it strange how the show started with Ju Won calling him "Oppa" in every sentence, and everyone around them referring to her as San Ha’s sister.
All her life, she saw him as nothing but her brother—and then suddenly, after his confession, she develops romantic feelings for him? That transition didn’t sit right with me. From San Ha’s side, I totally get it. He never gave off a strong "big brother" vibe, so his feelings made more sense. But from Ju Won’s perspective, it felt rushed and unnatural.
Honestly, I think I would’ve liked it better if the romance angle was left out altogether—or, if they were going to go that route, then they should’ve set it up from the beginning instead of leaning so hard into the whole “we’re one true family” message.
That said, I still enjoyed the series overall, and the ending was pretty satisfying in my opinion.
As for the acting... I wouldn’t say I was blown away. I adore Hwang In Youp and only watched this because of him—he’s incredibly talented—but his performance felt a bit underwhelming here, and that goes for the rest of the cast too.
All in all, it’s a drama with a great message at its core, but the execution—especially in the romance plot—might not be for everyone. Still, if you're open-minded and enjoy unconventional family stories, it’s worth a try!
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its fun yet can be serious when it needs too
genuinely one of my fav kdramas and I rewatch it a lot, sure the side couple were a bit boring but the main couple made up for that.the fl is quirky and cute but not enough to the point where you get annoyed. the ml is mature and serious but not in a nonchalant way. you can tell that he genuinely loves and cares for her. the two together are abousutly perfect.
also the family issues really stick despite being very far from the average person. you understand when Hae Jun gets mad at San Ha for not welcoming his mom with open arms, and you sympathize when Ju won is at the hospital in Seoul to visit San Ha and thinks San ha sees her as less than his biological family. and also when Ju won overhears that the two guys are going away after highschool and leaving her to be alone.
also for the people who were off put by the whole ‘foundfamily’ trope my general rule of thumb to see if it’s acceptable or bordering incestual behavior is if the two don’t consider eacother family.
in San Has case he never considered Ju Won as an actual younger sister the way Hae Jun did. he doesn’t call her things like younger sister or banter the same way as Hae Jun does, there’s a clear difference in the way the two treat her.
for Ju Wons case she did Consider him family once but after 10 years of not seeing eacother or talking regularly they grew apart. and added onto that is the way they left things when the guys left home. Juwon took it as confirmation that she’s the only one who consideres them as her brothers and from that point on she considered them as ‘people she used to be close to and live with’. also there’s a huge difference in the way she treat San Ha after he’s back.
anyway a fun show that also delves into the themes of complicated families.
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Not Flawless, But Deeply Felt: Why Family by Choice Worked for Me
Even though there have been a lot of criticisms about this series, for me it was deeply touching, heartfelt, and truly string-tugging.The acting was incredibly strong, especially Juwon’s dad. His performance brought so much depth and warmth that it was impossible not to feel moved. Throughout the series, you’re constantly wrapped in emotion because of the family bond they share.
My only wish is that there were more episodes showing Juwon’s emotional development toward Sanha. That part felt a bit rushed, especially when compared to the storyline of Dal and Haejun. With them, you could clearly see how Haejun’s feelings for Dal slowly unfolded. How he didn’t recognize them at first, denied them, struggled with inner conflict, and eventually gave in. There was space for that emotional journey to breathe. He even openly admitted that he might not feel as strongly as Dal yet, which made it feel honest and real.
Despite everything, the series is a beautiful, emotional experience. One that reminds us that family is not always about blood, but about choice, love, and being there when it matters most.
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An Improvement On the OG (imho)
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 "inprovement": 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, but it was a joy to watch. Episode 16 was just darling, and had me grinning from start to finish. You should definitely give it a go!
It demonstrates the power of love to heal, transform and empower, and affirms found family as an alternative to toxic "blood ties." Sweet stuff!
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