Three Reasons You Need to Watch “Be My Dream Family”

When I was a young adult, my father remarried and suddenly I had a stepmother and five new siblings, changing my life forever. Discovering the drama “Be My Dream Family,” about two middle-aged people deciding to get married and how their grown children react, was a delight — I knew I would be able to identify with at least some of the characters. It turns out that blending two families together isn’t easy, no matter which country we come from. “Be My Dream Family” has given me three reasons to stay invested in my very first long series daily drama. Read on to see what they are! 

What You Need to Know 

In “Be My Dream Family,” Geum Jong Hwa, played by the versatile Choi Jung Woo, has raised his three sons since his wife died 30 years earlier. He’s a gruff handyman who’s impatient with his boys’ flawed personalities — Sang Baek, a jobless househusband; Sang Gu, a shrewish television director; and Sang Min, who wants to be an artist but is going about it the long, slow way with no chance for success in sight.

On the other side of the hallway from oldest son Sang Baek lives his future stepmother, Kang Mo Ran, played by the sweet Park Joon Geum. She’s been living with her two grown daughters for several years — Geu Roo, an editor-in-chief at a small publishing company, and Da Bal, a widowed taekwondo instructor with a young daughter. 

Kang Mo Ran and Geum Jong Hwa’s relationship is a secret from his boys, because Jong Hwa didn’t want to put up with their fussing, but Mo Ran’s daughters know about it and support it. This is a good thing, since the plan is for Jong Hwa to move into Mo Ran’s apartment instead of the other way around! 

It doesn’t take long for Sang Baek to stumble on his father’s secret, since Mo Ran is his neighbor and his friend. The earth-shaking revelation that his father can actually be nice to someone is almost more than Sang Baek can take, and to find out that his father is marrying Mo Ran and moving across the hall nearly kills him.

As Mo Ran and Jong Hwa introduce their families to each other and do their best to navigate the chaotic theories flying around — one son thinks Mo Ran is after Jong Hwa’s money, while one of his daughters-in-law is convinced Mo Ran is just waiting to become the evil mother-in-law — chaos ensues. Will these opinionated families be able to come together and find harmony?

Reason #1 – Everyone is Insecure and I Like It

Directed by Kim Jung Gyu, “Be My Dream Family” has already captured my heart. I definitely identify with feeling unsure of what my place will be in my new family and wondering how we’re all going to get along. Jong Hwa’s sons feel like their dad is being taken advantage of, and his daughters-in-law wonder how they’ll be able to cope with actually having a mother-in-law. Their fears are exaggerated and seem silly, but their feelings of uncertainty make a lot of sense. I completely understand where they are coming from!

Reason #2 – The Family is Learning to Let Them Be Happy

I find it interesting every time someone in a kdrama talks about getting their family’s permission to move forward with a major life decision like getting married. I never felt like I had any say in whether my father got remarried or not, unlike Jong Hwa’s sons. Thankfully, I was more like Mo Ran’s daughters, happy that my dad had found someone to love. 

Reason #3 — There’s Humor in Every Situation

I’ve found that laughing instead of crying or getting angry when life is stressful makes it easier to move forward with love. It’s a lesson Mo Ran has already figured out, and she’s helping Jong Hwa to get there. It won’t be easy, because their children and their children’s spouses don’t make it easy. Sang Baek is perpetually assuming the worst and overreacting to everything. Da Bal is always late and sometimes forgetful. Oh Min Hee is a TERRIBLE actress. And the list goes on. 

Thankfully, Director Kim isn’t using slapstick situations to portray everyone’s flaws and negative feelings. So far, each character has been treated with love. Do I find myself laughing at them? Oh yes! But I still care about what’s happening to them, and I want the best for them. A lot of that comes from the great directing that makes me love the characters instead of cringing every time they come on the screen.

I’m also loving the contrast between these two families — one cold and suspicious of each other and everyone else, the other warm and caring — because it shows that blending families can be hard no matter what. I’m glad I have 120 episodes to get to know everyone in this huge cast, because it’s comforting to see another family struggle to merge together. I can tell that, in its own way, “Be My Dream Family” will be a healing drama for me while still making me laugh. 

You can find new episodes of “Be My Dream Family” streaming right here on KOCOWA Monday through Friday. Come watch it with me!

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