Back in 2017, I was just entering the world of dramas when I heard the buzz from fellow fans about a weekend drama called “My Father is Strange.” I took a look at the episode count and nearly fainted on the spot – how could anyone stick with a drama for 52 episodes? Fast forward 4 years, and let me tell you, KOCONUTS, how “My Father is Strange” is worth sticking with for that entire time – the family relationships are amazing, the females are so very well written, and there is plenty of angst and longing among the laughs. There’s only one reason why I wouldn’t watch it, but I’ll tell you about that later. Read on to find out more!
Reason #1 – Strong Female Characters
One of the first things I noticed about “My Father is Strange” was how individual and whole the female characters were. Young Sil, the mother, would often butt heads with her strong-willed daughters, while at the same time loving them and worrying over them and doing her best to help them.
Hye Young, the oldest daughter, was an amazing professional in her own right, more than competent at her job, and unabashedly intelligent. She was so fierce in protecting her family and passionate in her relationship with Jung Hwan – nothing was held back.
Mi Young, the middle daughter, was quieter, but I cheered for her every time she stood up to her former bully. Watching her become more confident over the course of the drama was a delight. She also wore her heart on her sleeve, and I was right there with her in her anguish during a certain part of the story. I really just want her to be happy!
Ra Young, the youngest daughter, was also assertive and confident in every situation, even as she was also the silly, tender youngest child in the family. Sometimes she made me cringe, but mostly I just watched happily as she took the situations in front of her by the horns and made the best of them.
Even Yoo Joo, the sister-in-law, and Bo Mi, the aunt, were fun to watch as they stood up for themselves at work and at home. I may have mostly skipped quickly through Bo Mi’s family’s stories, but every once in a while, I caught a sly one-liner from her that made me laugh. She definitely wasn’t boring!
Reason #2 – Exemplary Relationships
“My Father is Strange” is based on the foundational relationship between Byun Han Soo and Na Young Shil. Their marriage is a wonderful one – they support each other, they love their children, and they stand strong *together* when the world is against them.
The same can be said for Jung Hwan and Hye Young, despite Jung Hwan’s mother (more on that later) and Hye Young’s reluctance to give up her independence.
But my favorite relationships were between siblings! Joon Young is an excellent oppa to his little sisters, and watching how they were friends as well as family made me love this drama even more. The family feel of the drama kept me hooked and made me happy — I completely understood why Joong Hee wanted to be a part of their family no matter what.
Reason #3 – Layered Plot That Will Keep You Hooked
One of my favorite things about family dramas is getting to know the huge ensembles and rooting for their characters’ journeys. From the start, “My Father is Strange” launched me into the mystery of whose grave Byun Han Soo keeps visiting with Young Shil, thanking the dead person for helping them. There’s Hye Young and Jung Hwan rekindling their romance after eight years, Mi Young finally finding a job and facing down her bully at work, Ra Young struggling to know what to do with her life, and Joon Young studying to take the civil service exam for the fifth time. That’s a lot of story beginnings, and that’s just our main family!
What really caught my heart was Ahn Joong Hee’s story. He didn’t know his father, and he knew that lack was affecting his acting. He comes off as an entitled idol-turned-actor at first, but as the story unwinds, Lee Joon does a masterful job of showing us just how vulnerable Joong Hee is and how desperate he is for a family that will love him. Lee Joon, who is on screens now with “Bulgasal: Immortal Souls” and “The Silent Sea,” is a master at emotion. From one of the earliest episodes when he’s looking at himself in the mirror, confronting the need for a father in his life, I was pulled along his emotional journey, and I didn’t regret it for a minute.
Reason #4 – ALL THE LONGING
The tension is kept high in the love lines between Jung Hwan and Hye Young and Joong Hee and Mi Young. There’s a fascinating play between past and present and how it affects our two couples, but more importantly, is how much they want to be together. From Hye Young lying to her family so that she can move in with Jung Hwan to Joong Hee and Mi Young confronting their impossible feelings, it was easy for me to press play on the next episode to see if they were finally going to take one step closer to each other. They always did, but their paths were full of typical and not-so-typical obstacles. The emotional journey was worth it in the end!
The One Reason You Shouldn’t Watch: The Dreadful Mother-in-Law
Redemption for even the silliest and most selfish of characters is one of my favorite things ever, and the entire reason I love “Good Manager,” for instance. HOWEVER, it was hard to watch Song Ok Sook as Jung Hwa’s mom – she was a rich but narrow-minded woman who had no interest in improving herself or understanding others. She had a shot at redeeming herself with Hye Young after the latter took her side during an important matter, but her selfishness kept winning out! After a while, I just fast-forwarded every time she was on the screen with her equally silly husband. They may have had some growth, but I wasn’t interested in finding out.
But the dreadful mother-in-law did NOT keep me from watching “My Father is Strange,”, and it shouldn’t keep you from watching this spectacular family drama either. Every episode – and there were 52 of them! – was satisfying or funny or heart-wrenching or all of the above. The character growth for the entire ensemble was thrilling and wonderful. I highly recommend it! You can watch “My Father is Strange” here on KOCOWA. Do yourself a favor and click play RIGHT NOW. You won’t regret it.
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