Dream K-Drama Family: Tale of A Fictional Adoption

 INTRODUCTION

“You’re a family. How could you be a burden?”

– Twenty-Five Twenty-One (tvN)

Hi, it’s me again, and this time, I know that the title sounds extremely weird, but bear with me—it all makes total sense. The idea for this article came to me one evening when I was thinking about all the ideas that I would love to write about, and then my mind drifted off to TV series. I mean, there is so much stuff one can write about, but there is something that gets somehow unnoticed even in the vast world called “Dramaland”.

It’s the parents.

As I mainly watch romantic comedies, I come into indirect contact with main leads parental figures or simply families all the time. Sometimes, we encounter mean family members that we would like to abandon, and sometimes, we encounter the sweetest and most supportive family members that we sometimes wish would come to us and replace our family… just maybe, okay?


In this new article of mine, I decided to really sit down, go through my memory, and truly pick out the best family members from Dramaland and write them down so you could also potentially fall in love with them. Or, you would haunt me in the comments and dis my choices, but hey, this is the fun part of article making—we can all pick out people or things based on our preferences.

So, dear reader, sit down, grab some snacks, and let’s read about my new family, shall we?

- MOTHER -

- CHAE OK HUI -

There were so many candidates for this position that it was incredibly hard to pick, but as you can see, Chae Ok Hui won this position and also my heart. 

Whenever I think of motherly figures in Dramaland, my mind oftentimes drifts to this particular lady. For those who are not familiar with my new mom, she was the mother figure to Yun Na Mu, Yun Hyeon Mu, and Chae So Jin from the South Korean TV series Come & Hug Me. 

I have to say that surprisingly, this isn’t a romantic comedy story, and it is truly a melodrama in a good way (with a proper happy ending).You might be asking why I have picked Chae Ok Hui, and it is such a very simple but also very complicated answer. First and foremost, she is a strong woman who remarried and adopted the two new children from her new husband, which in South Korea is admirable on its own, but still, this isn’t the reason why she topped the candidate list. 

The reason why I love her is because she loves all her kids the same, unconditionally, and no matter what. When she learned that her husband is actually a serial killer, the first thing she did was protect the kids. Not only her biological daughter, but also the two sons of the said serial killer. How brave she must have been to pack all her things, grab the kids, and leave behind absolutely everything to protect herself and the young children! Honestly, this sends chills down my spine whenever I think about her. I admire her strength, braveness, and even boldness with how she lived her life. She may be petite, but she is a warrior inside.

- FATHER -

- SEONG DONG IL -

Okay, this was an extremely easy pick, because this actor is known for his fatherly roles, and whoever does the casting process, I give them all the thumbs up!

Seong Dong Il is an extremely iconic father figure in the whole Dramaland, but most predominantly, he is known for his fatherly roles in the “Reply” anthology, which I absolutely love—except the “cursed” Reply 1994. If you have seen any of the Reply series, then you have seen this man, for sure. So, why have I picked him as my fictional father?

Well, I know that many people view him as loud, or strict, but honestly, I can see the care, and softness behind his loud speech, or his big gestures. He cares for his family incredibly and wants the best for them. He is the breadwinner; thus, he oftentimes hides his true feelings, but on the inside, he is a big softie and is ready to help anyone. The thing I love the most, though, is how unfiltered his mouth sometimes is. I truly feel that in my life I need someone to call out my bullpoo whenever it happens, because a lot of times, we may be overly blinded by things that we cannot think straight.

- BIG BROTHER -

- KIM SIN -

Since I am an only child, I always dreamed of having siblings, but most importantly, older siblings who would coddle me, hide me whenever trouble arose, and play with me when I needed it. But reality is a lot different, ehm…

I know Goblin is extremely popular for the romance and fantasy aspect part, but can we slow down for a moment and appreciate the sweet immortal sibling duo? Kim Sin is the almighty cursed warrior who has walked the Earth for centuries and tries to find his bride—we all know this old tale. But on his journey through time, we cannot forget about the immense sadness he had within him, due to his sister’s “situation”. Not only was he the big, strong brother, but he was both strong and caring—in his own way. I always liked “unique” sibling relationships in TV series, where the siblings kept bickering nonstop, and Kim Sin truly had such a relationship with his sister; thus, I decided to adopt him as my older brother!

- AUNT -

- CHO MIN JA -

Listen, listen, we cannot forget about extended family, okay! Since I have only my nuclear family in real life, I have to compensate in the fictional life, so I am adopting an aunt as well! Or is she adopting me...?

I feel that the reason why I have picked Cho Min Ja is incredibly simple if you have seen the amazing 2014 South Korean TV series, Healer.

This lady—with absolutely crazy hair and love for knitting—is an IT genius and a big introvert, with absolutely 0 shame in her. Isn’t this all we want from an aunt?! Other than being an absolute badass (like me), she is also compassionate and somehow a parental figure to our night “postman” Healer. Whenever troubles arise, this crazy “ajumma” is there to save everyone and get them to safety. She doesn’t ask why; she is there for you when you need it, and that’s what we oftentimes seek when we fight with our parents, for example. For me, she is perfect aunt material, and no one can tell me otherwise.

- UNCLE -

- CHOI GYEONG JONG -

Who else would we laugh with, other than our tipsy uncle at a family dinner?

For this position, I once again had a lot of candidates, since we could see a lot of quirky and funny uncle characters in the Dramaland. Still, I do think that Choi Gyeong Jong from the South Korean TV series Love Next Door totally fits my vision of a smart and quiet uncle who becomes loud and funny whenever he drinks a bit. Also, the amount of care he puts into creating family photos? Phew, he would be the best uncle!

- GRANDMOTHER -

- O MI JA -

The grandma of all of Dramaland, and now she is to become my grandma!

I think O Mi Ja from The Judge From Hell is perfect grandma material, for the obvious reasons. She is mouthy but incredibly caring. Even though she nags a lot, she helps those in need in every way. She tells you how the world is doomed while peeling apples for you—this is the vibe I go for!

OUTRO

We have reached the end of the article, and I want to thank you for sticking through! It was very exciting to write about this absolutely fictional situation, but I am very happy with the outcome. I love all the characters I have included, and I truly feel that they became my new family. You may be asking why I haven’t included any pets, and well...I love my real-life pets the most! No fictional pet can replace those. 

Anyway, dear reader, if you could make your family, who would be in it?