Family Matters

this show was built for me /j

i started this while looking for something dark to watch during a depressive episode, because sometimes i just need a little depressing drama to take the edge off, y’know. and i gotta say, this show is fucking impeccable.

i have no expectations especially since it’s a coupang series, and they’re not known for a lot of their productions, so i was very delightfully surprised with a gorgeous drama that keeps the tension and balances it out with the family dynamics and some comedy that actually feels appropriate. (like objectively stingray is a fucking hilarious person even though he’s a POS. like saying your gross ass son is cute like a fucking 토끼, IN FULL SERIOUSNESS, 나가 미친 새끼!)

this show does so well blending in reality, the past, and what yeongsu/yeonghui is doing to others without making them seem to be happening all at once. i love how the writing and the actors genuinely bring the story to life, and their chemistry makes everything feel like a dysfunctional family that really love each other but are at odds with each other. the last episode really is a penultimate showing of that dysfunction and breaks down so much more of yungsu as a person.

the “romance” between yungsu and chulsu/chulhui is genuinely heartwarming at times even if it’s fueled by their slight obsession with each other, and the both of them are riddled with memories of their past. chulsu is a wife guy in the worst way possible i love him. like he would follow her to ends of the earth and kill anyone in their path, and die for her continued existence. you don’t get a lot of that with straight dramas, especially with her being notoriously stronger than him. he never once has the upper hand and he doesn’t care about it, he just wants to give her the cute hair pin and live with her the rest of his life.

i also love the twins so much, jihoon is hilarious and jiwoo is so fun. though if i met jihoon in real life i would be terrified of him, but if i met solomon (his actor) i would coo at him he’s so cute. the dynamic between the twins is so nice, because even it jiwoo acts like she hates him, he’s still her brother and she cares about him. while jihoon acts like he wears his heart on his sleeve, the man has a darkness deep within him that he channels in ways that are healthier than they could be. i do love jiwoo slightly a bit more though, she is such a fascinating character because she isn’t trying to be the tough girl stereotype, and she is trying to open up to yungsu after her whole life of believing that yungsu doesn’t love her as much as jihoon, and that it was her mom’s fault she never developed her power. (and lied about her technical epilepsy, i say technical bc of how her powers work)

jiwoo and jihoon do try to heed to yungsu’s words and warnings even if they don’t trust her 100%. they do try to break free sometimes, even though they do deep down know she has their best intentions at heart. i think it works really well especially towards the end, with all of the entanglement with XI.

and oooh i love yungsu so gd much don’t play w/ me. i feel her deeply in my soul, and i understand a lot of her motivations as a person. i’ve lived that apathy before and it is devastating in its’ own ways; she wants to be the happy mom for them, she wants to show how much she loves them. she wants to protect them, and for them to not end up like her. she truly loves them as if she birthed them, and tried her best to raise them to be good people.

all around fantastic show, loved it to bits. can be very gorey at times so not for faint-stomached peeps. i couldn’t directly tell if a lot of the blood was squibs or cg, but if they were squibs they were SO well done!! (the wrist amputation scene had me in awe bc of how consistent it was)

Read More

LOVED LOVED LOVED IT !!!!

ok this was such a refreshing unique plot i enjoyed it sooo much. the characters were so fun & like each of them had a personality to them which made me love them all for their unique charms. i loved the twins especially jiwoo my baby hes so pookie coded i love him sm.

each eps kept me engaged and stuck to the screen like these are the sort of dramas i just wish bad more episodes cause theyre so good and the plot deserves to be delved into more!!!! i know its really underrated & the chances are slim but i would LOVE a season 2.

*SPOILER AHEAD*
but i will say that ending was INSANE i need someone to explain it cause i have so many thoughts in my head & idk whats right or not like wdym this mightve all been in yonghee’s imagination?? is this family even REAL. like whats going awn i need answers & i need them NOW 😭😭

Read More

Helped Me Out Of The Kdrama Dry Spell

2026 didn’t start off that great for me K-drama wise. I’d been looking for something that would actually hook me instead of making me drop it halfway through like some of the newer dramas did.

Family Matters ended up being a really intriguing short drama about a family with a secret background filled with trauma and mysterious powers. The plot was well written and easy to follow, and I loved the mix of dark comedy and thriller elements. The pacing was great, although I do wish it had been a longer drama.

Honestly, I have almost nothing bad to say about it. Maybe that’s because I love dark thrillers with comedy and the found-family trope, so this felt perfectly tailored to my taste.
It does get quite gory though, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of content you might want to skip it.
Sometimes all you need is a short, well-written drama that knows exactly what it wants to be, and Family Matters delivered that perfectly.

Read More

Such a great watch

This was refreshing. Such an interesting and amusing story. I loved each family member. I wish they had elaborated more on each individual's powers. I like this show. The humor, revenge scenes—everything was great. I can really recommend this show to anyone. Just know that some scenes are quite brutal, so don't watch if you have a weak stomach!

The only thing I can really complain about is some plot holes. I understand that filling these would require more episodes, so yes, I hope we get a season 2 to fill them.

I really hope we get one. This show deserves a season 2 with many more episodes. 🙏🏻

Read More

Bingeable, uncanny and dark but felt lacking as ended when entering the real good stuff

A really enjoyable short series featuring a very odd family surrounded by mystery and violence. I loved the characters and their dynamics : especially the parents roles hold by incredible Bae Doo Na and excellent Ryu Seung Beom. Their characters' strange relationships with each other and their kids was the best part of the drama. If the pacing was good, the storytelling could have been better, in particular regarding the growth of the kids and their evolution. Production was excellent : it was gritty and violent fighting scenes were well-filmed.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a thrilling action series with a solid cast. It is quite comparable to the manga "Spy x Family", in a darker version with a touch of "Black Widow" and an "Adams Family" vibe. Quite a tasteful combination ! Unfortunately, it can feel a tad frustrating because of its short duration. I wish some of the most interesting elements regarding the family relationships would have been exploited more, especially regarding the past of the characters. If there is a second season, I will watch it for sure.

Read More

Ending explained

Great acting and a good plot.

Spoiler from hereon, ending explained.

Scene A: Child Wife controlled child husband.
Scene B: Mom told Wife that it was her plan all along.

= Child Wife and Mom schemed everything, and Child Wife told Mom she has to erase her own memories so their plan will work. Once the plan comes to fruition, she will regain the memories.

Scene 3: Child number 11 was controlled by the child wife to do exactly, well, the plan.

Conclusion: Since they were kids, child wife controlled everything.

a. Child husband cutting the ear of Number 11. Both guys were already under her control, they were testing how long her control could stay intact.
b. Her husband's father was no doubt under her control as well. This way, after the child's wife erases her memories, the "escape plan" will work without a hitch.
c. The rest is history.

Goal, or rather goals:
1. Create a real family bond. It's the reverse of terrorism and secret agent trainings where cells only have a fake family bond. Their plan was to create a real bond that no one can ever find a loophole. In other words, the perfect [sleeping] cell and operatives.
2. Teach them self-control. A wild agent is useless if they don't learn self-control. All of them need it, including the two kids. Noticed how it always revolved around self-control?
3. Test the wife's power. Her power isn't only about creating a false memory/experience, it's mind control. Can the victims resist? Her husband did not. Number 11 did not. Her self-mind control also worked so well.
4. Train the kids. They are far stronger than her and her husband, and thus far more dangerous if they don't have a family bond. This was proven with the female twin. Without a family bond, she was a ticking bomb.
5. Prove that the wife's plan "Family Matters" is actually worth it. Which, by now, we know it was worth it.

😉

Read More

Short & Violent

Family Matters follows a family as they move after the daughter gets kicked out of their previous school. As they try to get adjusted to the neighborhood, they sense that something's wrong ever since the beginning.
I love dramas about family, however this has one of my least favorite tropes in that the mother, played by the wonderful Bae Doona, has a special ability. It's not really explained why or where this ability really comes from, even the exact details aren't terribly explained, but it becomes vital to the series. She is also the only character in the series who has this power. As a result, it was hard to really get immersed that she would ever be in any real danger. Due to this, I found the familial relationships and more light hearted elements to be more compelling. There are a lot of scenes that are black comedy and that's where this show shines. The entire family bounces off very well off each other from the hot and cold twins to the extremely chill grandfather.
However, ultimately this is more drama than comedy and this is where it falters. Some of the intermingling plot points are a little difficult to follow and aren't fleshed out in a satisfying manner even at the end. At just six episodes, it's hard to say that more episodes were needed because the writing is decently tight, but there is a cliffhanger at the end which is disappointing as it foreshadows the need for a season two.
I would also like to warn those viewers that there is a lot of violence in this movie, including gore. In particular, there is specifically lot of violence on women. The show does that thing where it focuses a lot on the hurt & brutality that women face but tries to balance it out by also showcasing how badass women are. It's fine technically, but just a warning for those coming into this show.

Read More

What a show!

Damn! One of the greatest dramas I've binge watch in a long time, I mean for the 6 episodes, it’s definitely easy to finish the show in one sitting. I genuinely love this kind of K dramas the action, the gore, the mystery thriller in someway although it was kind of predictable at some parts it definitely brought the dark comedy that I have been wanting to watch. Everyon’s acting was so good and I cannot wait for the second season to come. I hope the story lives up to its novelty because it wasn’t brought up from an original source it was really thought of by the screenwriter and everyone involved.

I have a feeling that maybe yeonsu thought of this plan and imprinted it in her own mind seemingly brain hijacking herself.

Read More