What is the meaning of family? Though the meaning of family is evolving and transforming in today's world, one thing that doesn't change is the question of how familiar are you with your family members? It's a fact that we often take things for granted when it comes to our family without even realizing it and perhaps the closest people in our lives are actually the furthest strangers. My Unfamiliar Family is a 16-episodes TvN drama starring Choo Ja Hyun, Han Ye Ri, Kim Ji Suk and many others. I just finished watching this heartwarming family drama and decided to share a review on this drama!
The story is about your average family which consists of an elderly couple and their 3 adult children who are actually strangers to each other even though they are family. The eldest daughter, Eun Joo (portrayed by actress Choo Ja Hyun) is an ex-attorney who is now married to a renowned doctor. While the middle child and second daughter of the family, Eun Hee (portrayed by actress Han Ye Ri) works at a publishing company and she has always been the moderator in all of her family matters. And not to forget their maknae, Ji Woo (portrayed by actor Shin Jae Ha) who is the youngest in the family and still living with their parents. While they look like a happy family from the outside, they begin to realize that they are actually strangers living under the same roof when family issues begin to arise one by one which threatens to break their family apart, and the big question of what is the true meaning of family comes about.
Review
What I really like about this drama is that although it may seem like your average family themed drama, the writer does not shy away from addressing real life problems such as homosexuality and graduating from marriage, which may all still seem to be taboo especially in Asia. Through the characters in this drama, you get a glimpse of real life problems we face in our daily lives from the struggles of an elderly couple graduating from marriage to resolving misunderstandings between family members.
For eldest daughter Eun Joo, though I kind of expected the big reveal, I was impressed with how the writer dropped the bomb quite early on in the story and how she subsequently dealt with the aftermath by drawing on the fact that although you may not be in a romantic relationship, you could still become family with someone you've lived with and developed a bond like Eun Joo and her husband. Although Eun Joo felt betrayed at first, she slowly begin to realize that he has become her family and she could somehow understand his struggles.
As for second daughter, Eun Hee, you could see how she acts cheerful and happy go lucky on the outside but she actually is very lonely and craves for her family's affection. Eun Hee portrayed her role as the middle child and moderator of the family really well, with a quirky side to her character. Though I didn't really like her story with her boss a.k.a. Mr Player (portrayed by actor Shin Dong Wook), it was necessary for her to realize that she has been avoiding to face the truth for years that she was actually in love with her best friend, Chan Hyuk (portrayed by actor Kim Ji Suk). While I was a fan of this couple rather than the former, and was secretly waiting for their relationship to bloom, I really liked how the writer did this in a rather natural and realistic approach. However, I felt like the writer rushed their love line quite a bit especially towards the last two episodes of the drama.
As for the maknae in the family, Ji Woo, although there wasn't much story line given to his character apart from being the baby in the family and having an online girlfriend, the scamming experience was definitely an important lesson towards his growth into adulthood and a huge lesson for him in realizing the true meaning of family as he chose to move abroad without telling his family because he was afraid that he would live like his father who had sacrificed just for the sake of his three children.
And finally, I think the writer did a great job at portraying an elderly couple, Sang Shik and Jin Sook (portrayed by veteran actors Jung Jin Young and Won Mi Kyung), who are going through the phrase of wanting to graduate from marriage. I really liked how the writer used the unresolved misunderstandings that built up over the year to show how it caused problems in the relationships between family members such as the part where the father assumed that Eun Joo's real father attended her wedding when in reality he didn't and also where the mother assumed that her husband had another family when in actual fact he was taking care of the boy whom he was guilty to for having injured years ago. The lesson to be learnt is that communication is key when it comes to dealing with problems especially when it involves the closest people in your life, your family members. I also really like how the writer dealt with Eun Joo finding out about not being the biological daughter and subsequently looking for her birth father to give a nice end to her curiosity because well sometime blood is not thicker than water and a stranger could be a better parent than your own birth parents in certain circumstances. Another thing I really liked was the whole family allowing their mother to go on a solo holiday because she deserves it given all the sacrifices she has done for her family. And this made me realize how great a mother's sacrifice can be and how it isn't easy for mothers to give up their dreams for the sake of their children and husband's happiness.
Final Thoughts..
Would definitely recommend watching this drama if you're looking for a light drama that isn't too makjang or emotionally draining yet holds really important life lessons about the meaning of family. Although there wasn't much character developments given that this is a 16-episodes drama, the slow and steady development of the drama somehow make you reflect on your own life as each characters faces their problems.
On a another note, I really like the chemistry and acting of the whole cast in this drama. I am a fan of Kim Ji Suk and Han Ye Ri as I've watched them in several dramas before including Camellia's Bloom and Age of Youth! I also really like Choo Ja Hyun's portrayal as Eun Joo in this drama as her appearance as Asa Hon in Arthdal Chronicles made quite an impression! And finally, though I really liked Shin Dong Wook as the bone doctor in Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, I didn't really like his role as Mr Player here as it didn't really suit his image.
xoxo,
Kdramayeowang
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