Every once in a while, a drama comes out of nowhere and steals my heart. That is exactly what happened with My Unfamiliar Family. It was not on my radar when it started, but I needed to fill some drama time, so I decided to check it out. Now it’s tied for first place with Hospital Playlist for my favorite 2020 drama. Come find out why you should check this hidden gem out.
The story centers around the middle child. I’m six of seven kids, so I fall into more of the maknae category, but I also related a LOT to Eun Hee’s character. It isn’t really her story, but more about her family, and the healing that happens once the main event sparks change in their dynamic. Her mom asks their dad for a marriage graduation, and it sends the entire family spinning. The older sister is cold and distant, and she’s estranged from the middle sister, while the youngest brother still lives with their parents.
They all take sides, two of them trying to convince their mom to change her mind, and the middle child just telling her to do what she needs to do. But then an accident happens, their dad hits his head and wakes up with no memory past being 22 years old. The sudden change of a bitter, grumpy man into his young self, who is clearly totally in love with his wife, sets the tone for the rest of the drama. My parents had a similar marriage, and about five years before my dad died, (a truck driver at one time, like this father) they finally did get some peace and love back into their marriage.
I sat there and watched as their mom became flustered with her suddenly doting husband, his silly pouty lips when she didn’t react the way he wanted, and I fell for them as people and as a couple. The web of misunderstandings and mistakes during their marriage starts to untangle as their children’s lives spiral out of control too.
The distance they created with each other rears its ugly head, and they begin to realize they don’t know much about each other. They’d been family, but had they really been close?
The sister’s relationship was especially heartwarming to watch. They hadn’t been speaking to each other for a few years, and this forced them to evaluate their relationship. The older sister goes through something pretty devastating, and the younger sister weasels her way in and takes care of her. They are so different, yet they find common ground on how to love each other properly.
Oh, and there is romance. 🙂 I’m sure you suspected that with Kim Ji Suk as part of the cast. I don’t think I’ve seen him in a role where I’ve loved him more. He was such a good down to earth best friend to the middle sister and a wonderful older brother to the youngest of their family.
Though, we do start out with some smexy scenes with my guy Shin Dong Wook. I will say, the first episode or so had me thinking there would be several cheating storylines, but there aren’t.
There are so many dramas that are exploring mental health issues and treatment. Some not as well as others. I felt like this drama showed what can happen when depression is left unchecked and how it can damage those around you. How events in our childhood can shape the way we view ourselves, and what we then believe we’re worth as an adult. It also does a good job of showing how important communicating with one another is. So many people do not understand what is going on in our heads. They can’t understand self-loathing and how it changes the way you understand the world around you.
I think I’ve begun to ramble. This is not a perfect drama, nor are the characters that live inside the story. I felt a huge connection to them because of my own life experiences. You may feel different, but if you haven’t given it a try, you should!
Did you watch it? If so, I need someone to gush with me in the comments. (No one on the blog watched.)
Yours,
Drama Geek
Dramas With a Side of Kimchi
