My Unfamiliar Family Korean Drama Review

Drama : My Unfamiliar Family (아는 건 별로 없지만) 가족입니다))

Director: Kwon Young-il

Writer: Kim Eun-jung

Cast: Han Ye-ri, Kim Ji-seok, Choo Ja-hyun, Shin Jae-ha, Won Mi-kyung, Jeong Jin-young, Shin Dong-wook, Kim Tae-hoon, Lee Jong-won, Bae Yoon-kyung, Shin Hye-jeong, Han Joon-woo, Jo A-young, Park Jong-wook, Lee Ji-ha, Park Sang-myun, Jo Wan-gi, Kwon Yool, Ga Deuk-hee and others.

About the show:

The unpredictable story of an ordinary South Korean family told from the viewpoint of the second child Kim Eun-hee.

Kim Eun-hee, the middle child of the family starts to realise that the family that she always knew and grew up in; maybe she doesn’t know them after all. She works at a publishing house with dreams and desires that she suppresses within and focuses on satisfying others around her and makes sure not to disappoint anyone. She is known for being lively and energetic and the mediator in the family.

Kim Eun-joo, the first child of the family, a former patent attorney, suddenly begins to experience life-altering revelations. She comes across as stern and cold but is soft at heart. Her family respects her and her opinions and views are considered very important. 

Kim Ji-woo, the youngest child of the family, an employee at Golden Goose Media Company, is loved and pampered by the entire family. Yet he chooses to hide his wishes and dreams from his family, but why?

Kim Sang-sik and Lee Jin-sook, the father and the mother, have spent all their lives raising their kids and providing for them. But in this process they have lost their love due to misunderstandings. The rift that has appeared between them has led them to decide on graduating from marriage. Is this the right decision for them both and for their kids? Are all the misunderstandings real or is there more truth to what happened in the past with them?

Park Chan-hyuk, Eun-hee’s estranged best friend from college, is now Ji-woo’s boss at Golden Goose Media (which he also owns). Having grown up with Eun-hee and around her family, Chan-huk feels more like a family to them and is probably the reason why he holds most of the secrets of their family with him. He is back in Eun-hee’s life and they are beginning to resolve their fight by being each other’s saviour. But is friendship all they can offer to each other? 

They don’t know much about each other but are still family. Every member of the family gets a second chance at life with opportunities, with relationships, with life and with each other. Are they ready to make the best use of this second chance or has the once love filled family found a way to end their misery by moving on and moving away?

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the show, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the show yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

What I loved about the show:

가족은 뭘까? What is Family?

Family is complicated, family is messy, family is imperfect. But family is family. They are the only people who will love you limitlessly, stick by you till the end and pull you out of the most difficult times. 

Issues and problems between parents, between siblings in the family, between long lost friends, with new found love, marital problems arise all the time. Things keep bubbling up but only time and effort can cool things down. The show focused on everything families, friends or a couple would go through to make it out of the trouble. The drama showed the real troubles in the daily lives of people.

When any relationship (not just romantic ones) hits troubled waters, every single thing about the other person pinches you. You have no patience to listen to each other, communicate with each other or even help each other. All you do is fight, blame and whine. It’s easier said than done but the right thing to do is to have patience and understanding and try and find comfort in each other, to compromise and be there for each other. We make mistakes, even grave ones (some mistakes are irreparable and unforgivable). But for us to heal, the only way forward is to forgive, let go and move on. We forgive not for the other person’s relief but for our own freedom. Holding on will only cause us pain but forgiving and letting go gives us freedom and peace. 

My Favourite relationships from the show:

Eun-hee and Chan-hyuk

Eun-joo and Tae-hyung

Eun-joo and Eun-hee

Eun-joo, Eun-hee and Ji-woo

Eun-joo, Eun-hee, Ji-woo and their parents

Ji-woo and Chan-hyuk

Kim Sang-sik and Lee Jin-sook (The parents)

Young Kim Sang-sik and Young Lee Jin-sook

Sang-sik and Young-sik

Chan-hyuk, Ji-woo and Seo-young

Eun-joo and Ahn Hyo-seok (Ahn Barista)

Eun-joo and Yoo Min-woo

So precisely, I love every character and their relationship with other characters.

My favourite moments and dialogues from the show:

1) Episode 3 :-

Park Chan-hyuk – “We know more about the materials in the sun than the materials on earth. We think there's no need to learn about earth since we live on it. Family is the same.”

His explanation is spot on. We know the stories, the gossip and the new updates of everything around us but we fail to notice and find out what really goes on in our own family. It’s probably because of the above-mentioned reason. We think that since we are always under the same roof with our family, we know everything and we do not need to learn about anything new that’s happening in the lives of our near and dear ones. I think that’s where we are wrong. The ones closest to us are the ones hiding the most. We do not want to burden our families with our problems. But communication is the lifeline for a healthy and mature family. We talk to understand each other better and that’s when we can truly be there for each other the way we want. 

2) Episode 4:

 가족인데. 우리는 가족인데, 아는 게 별로 없습니다 -

We are family. We are family but we don’t know much about each other.

How much do we really know about our families? How much time do we give them? How likely are we to divulge our thoughts and secrets to our families? How easy is it for us to open up to them? 

Are we ready to talk? Are we ready to ask? Are we ready to listen? Are we ready to communicate? Are we ready to change? 

God gives all of us many opportunities/chances to change ourselves. If we follow the wrong path, he will direct us towards the right path and watch how we walk it. Whether we take that path or not is up to us. God leaves that choice to us as well. Even if we choose not to walk the path he has for us, he will try again and again to put us on the right path, the path he has set for us. Someday…someday, maybe we will take that path, no matter how difficult it is. Then, we get to take a look for ourselves at how life begins to change for the better. 

-For the family in the show, especially the father, it is the accident that was the opportunity to change. It is a second chance at life. 

Every member of the family received a second chance. 

For the father and the mother, it is the accident.

For Eun-joo, it is the divorce and husband’s secret.

For Eun-hee, it is her relationship with Im Geon-joo (her boss), her reconciliation with Chan-hyuk and her realisation of her family’s importance.

For Ji-woo, it is discovering the secret about Eun joo's adoption and him getting betrayed by his girlfriend.

3) Episode 7:

Eun-joo asks her mother the reason why she didn't thank Eun-joo for all the years she worked hard for the family and did not worry about herself.

Jin-sook – It’s too easy to say thank you, so I couldn’t say it. It broke my heart when I saw other girls your age wear pretty clothes, get dressed, put on makeup and go out to have fun. At that time you didn’t talk, laugh or smile. You didn’t take a taxi to go out, wore cheap clothes, your shoes were worn out. How could I say thank you? That’s so shameless. How could I say I’m sorry? When I couldn’t do anything for you? What use do words have when they are just words? 

We think that the differences, the secrets and the revelations will lead to the families falling apart. But what we do not realise is that is exactly when the family starts to get closer and grow strong. The foundation of the family is so strong that very few disturbances can shake its core. What we think will break up the family is what might glue them together. 

*Some families. Not all.

4) Episode 9:

i) Eun-joo after finding out that she has a different biological father -

Eun-joo is comforting Le Jin-sook at the restaurant after the confession about her real father. 

She is not just comforting her mother. She is comforting the 22-year-old young woman (22-year-old Lee Jin-sook) who felt abandoned by the world, who was pregnant with a child when she herself was young and did not know much about kids or the world. She is comforting someone who is going through a difficult time just like she herself is. She is comforting herself. 

Eun-joo to Lee Jin-sook – Mom, Thank you for not giving up on me - 날 포기하지 않아서 고마워요 엄마. 

ii) Relationships work when you put effort - Park Chan-hyuk

Every relationship, for them to work, needs time, effort and compromises from both ends. Just like watering a plant regularly for it to grow into a tall tree with flowers, leaves and fruits, a relationship also needs nurturing and care.  

iii) Tae-hyung to Eun-joo : “You are my only friend and family”. 

He really means it. He may not have loved her like a husband. But his love for her is real. She really is his only friend and family and continues to be.

5) Episode 10:

When Chan-hyuk tells Eun-hee that he has something to tell her but he will refrain from doing so, Eun-hee insists that she be told about ‘that’ something otherwise curiosity will kill her. The next conversation is my absolute favourite – 

찬혁 : 은희야, 내가 지우를 친동생처럼 엄청 예뻐하고 은주 누나를 예의 갖추는 거 그 이유는, 너야. 

은주 누나랑 지우는 내 친구의 언니, 내 친구의 남동생이고. 둘 앞에는 항상 내 친구인 네가 있다고. 나한테는 내 친구가 제일 중요해.   

Chan-hyuk : Eun-hee, I treasure Ji-woo like he’s my own brother and I like Eun-joo and am polite to her, because of you. Eun-joo and Ji-woo are my friend’s sister and my friend’s younger brother, and in front of them, you, my friend, are always there. To me, my friend is the most important.

은희 : 이 보다 더 완벽한 우정 고백이 있을까?

설레면서 슬프다

Eun-hee : Is there a more perfect confession of friendship than this? It makes my heart flutter and makes me sad. 

Chan-hyuk and Eun-hee’s friendship and both of them falling is love is one of the most beautiful things. Their friendship and love is gradual and consistent. The way they care about each other and the way they nurture their relationship is mesmerising to watch and experience as a viewer. 

6) Episode 11:

Eun-joo talks to Ji-woo and Eun-hee about their mother’s confession to Eun-joo about her birth father -

She tells them how their mother confessed to her on a hot day and instead of sitting inside a cold air-conditioned restaurant, she took her around, kept walking while telling her the truth. Her past was bitter and she didn’t want anyone hearing about it. She didn’t want the world to know about her past. Eun-joo's observation about her mother's pain even in a tough situation is admirable. The writing here is top notch. 

The Writer Kim Eun-jung has done an extraordinary job at showing the different personalities of the siblings. 

Eun-joo, the oldest child may seem cold and distant but in reality is softhearted, observant and silently generous. She wants the best for her family and her loved ones. She just cannot sugarcoat things for you. She is straightforward and open about her opinions, which at most times comes as a blessing to everyone around. 

Eun-hee, the middle child is cheerful and bubbly on the outside, but hides a lot of pain and grief within while trying to make sure others around are happy. When she fears that something or someone is too good for her, she feels inferior, considers herself not worthy of the best and pushes them out of her life. She is just a young woman in need of love.

Ji-woo, the youngest child, is innocent and pure. He is untouched by the evil of the world. His older sisters adore him, his parents pamper him and Chan-hyuk (his boss/his middle sister’s friend) treasures him. Sometimes he acts impulsively and immaturely and that brings a whole lot of trouble. But he loves his sisters and parents, cares for their well-being and is excellent at learning to become a responsible adult. 

7) Episode 12:

How I looked at the scene in this episode: 

Tae-hyung's tear filled eyes when Eun-joo tells him Ahn barista is leaving for New Zealand:

The angst against himself yet the relief that he didn't break a relationship, that he can be at peace at least a little. The wordless silent scene is packed with emotions between Eun-joo and Tae-hyung. 

Eun-joo doesn't want to tell him and hurt him but decides to tell him because she knows he deserves that bit of relief because she does love him. By telling him the truth she is also trying to return the pain he gave her.

He is fighting himself, calling himself a bad man yet comforting himself that it isn’t his fault for being different. 

The peace in their expressions is different yet the same.

What the actual meaning behind the scene is:

He gets dumped. He is angry that the person he likes did not choose him after all. He has been left waiting for the one he likes and the knowledge and realisation of it all does not go down well with him. He is usually soft and mild natured but he is drunk and he sees his mother who doesn’t accept him for who he is and all the pent up anger comes out at once. 

He is considerate enough not to project his anger at people around him but Eun-joo is right. In his anger, he destroys things around him and has a violent outburst, which is not a positive reaction towards himself and others around him. Even in the toughest situations, one must try to gain composure and remain calm and collected and approach the tense situation gently and with care.

We all have different perspectives and different ways of looking at the same scene or same situation and comprehend them in our own ways. There is no wrong way of looking at this scene. But if there is, we just change the way to the right one. 

I wish in a parallel universe Tae-hyung would be overcome with an emotion of relief for not ruining a relationship than being filled with rage over getting dumped. 

8) Episode 13: 

a) Eun-joo to Eun-hee : Stay next to me when I tell her?

Eun-joo has always made sure to nag Eun-hee about her being a mediator in the family and how that behaviour negatively affects all the relationships. This scene shows that she is silently grateful for the same behaviour of Eun-hee.

When Eun-joo decides to confess about her divorce to her mother, she requests Eun-hee to stay by her side and act as a mediator to calm the situation if it happens to blow up. Eun-joo feels safer and composed with Eun-hee by her side. Their personalities, instead of clashing, have always been perfect together. The straightforward and blunt kind of a sister always needs the comforting and life of the party kind of a sister. 

b) Tae-hyung to Eun-joo : I’m sorry. I am so sorry that it is difficult to say sorry.

During the entire course of the show, we have seen Eun-joo being cold towards Tae-hyung because of his betrayal. Tae-hyung himself couldn’t directly address his situation to Eun-joo with the fear of hurting her. No matter how close they are, the separation has caused a rift between them. But when the two visit the lawyer’s office, Tae-hyung decides to apologise to Eun-joo for the years of pain and distance and for not being honest with her. 

The single word of “Sorry” from Tae-hyung has years of regret packed in it. The remorse he feels for causing pain to Eun-joo will always eat him away but he doesn’t want to hurt her anymore. His love for her is greater and he wants both of them to have the best life moving forward. This may seem like a simple heartless apology but Eun-joo acknowledges how difficult it must have been for Tae-hyung to muster up the courage to apologise and knows how complicated his emotions must be. She is the only one who understands the depth of that word “Sorry” that comes from Tae-hyung. 

c) Personal safe: Chan-hyuk is one of the most beautiful human beings and characters written. He has remained by Eun-hee and her family’s side for years and has always had a positive influence in their life. He never judges them and always makes sure to be supportive and understanding towards the family, especially towards Eun-hee and Ji-woo. His love for them is unwavering and generous and he has a huge impact on Ji-woo and Eun-hee’s life with his presence. Ji-woo and Eun-hee have always felt protected under Chan-hyuk’s care and their secrets and stories have remained safe with him. This is the reason why they both call Chan-hyuk their Personal safe (somebody who keeps their secrets and conversations safe with him).

d) I am sorry I am a little late at comforting the 10 year old you:

Chan-hyuk has always remained a personal safe for Eun-hee but he chose never to be vulnerable in front of her. But he finally does when he confesses to her about his older brother’s accident when he was a child. He as a child has had a tragic loss and his trauma is incomparable and irreparable. But he chose to look past it and always remained jovial and bright. But somewhere the tragedy has left in him a fear and with a scar. A fear to move forward. His loss is major and painful and he has had nobody to comfort him as a child and as an adult. He has had nobody to tell him that it was okay and it is going to be more than okay in the future as well. Chan-hyuk’s confession and his meltdown breaks Eun-hee. She understands his pains and realises how much Chan-hyuk needed to be comforted for his loss, pain and heartbreak. Hence her dialogue:

“I am sorry I am a little late at comforting the 10 year old you”.

“열 살의 너를 너무 늦게 위로해줘서 미안해”.

9) Episode 14:

Tae-hyung - To my family you might have been a guest but to your family, the moment I stepped into the house, I was family.

태현 – 우리 가족한테 당신은 쭉 손님이었지만, 당신 가족한테 난 처음 그 집에 들어선 그 순간부터, 가족이었어.

Tae-hyung and Eun-joo’s friendship is another favourite of mine from the show. These two have spent a long time with each other and are closer than they let on. They are family and they are friends. They know everything about each other and they understand each other’s unsaid words as well. They have unwavering support for each other and they defend one another when someone insults the other. Their bond is extremely strong. Even their silent moments together are charming. Their relationship is filled with love, respect and gratitude for one another.

10) Episode 15:

i) Chan-hyuk and Eun-hee’s conversation about what is family:

What is family?

Chan-hyuk – You hurt each other more than anyone else and when you get hurt from somewhere else, they comfort you the most.

누구 보다 많은 상처 주고 받고 또 어디서 상처 받고 오면 위로해주고 그런 게 가족인 거지. 

ii) Jin-sook confronting the kids –

Eun-joo about her divorce –she doesn’t question her decision but simply accepts

Eun-hee about cutting ties with family and sister and not giving an explanation or justification – her mother doesn’t question her and simply accepts her decision

Ji-woo about leaving the house and the family and the mother finding out – she doesn’t question him

She doesn’t question them but simply asks what family is to them, if they can walk out of their lives as it pleases them.

The parents themselves have had their set of misunderstandings and have drifted apart naturally, but the kids never questioned them. They questioned their decisions but never discouraged them. In a family, every single member will always be different but embracing the differences and living in harmony is the only way forward.

**What is family? I... We... Still don’t know yet. 

가족은 뭘까? 나는... 우리는... 아직 모르겠습니다.

This is the perfect end to the episode and also the perfect way to make the audience ponder over the question – What is family?

11) Episode 16:

 i) Mom also had a mom, and had a family. I forgot about that. 

엄마 한테도 엄마가, 가족이 있었다. 그걸 잊고 살았다.

ii) Chan-hyuk talks to Eun-hee about her mom and dad at Eun-joo’s wedding:

“I know how you’ve been living to be standing here today. Only I know.”

“당신이 오늘 이 자리에 서 있기 까지 어떻게 살아 왔는지 내가 알아. 나만 알아”.

iii) Tae-hyung to Eun-joo : I didn’t realise that I have been calling you 당신 even now like I used to when we were married. I’ve been speaking to you like when we were married.

태현 : 내가 쭉 당신이라고 했네.

Eun-joo: And addressed my family like when we were married too. It’s hard to fix that. Eun-hee told me. That it’s a trace that we were family once.

은주 : 아버님, 어머님, 처제, 막네라고도 했어.그거 고치기 힘들 걸. 은희가 그러더라, 그거 한때 우리가 가족이었다는 흔적이라고.

 iv) The silent “I love you” (사랑해) between Eun-hee and Chan-hyuk in the Golden Goose Media office is a precious scene. The way they have been holding their feelings and confessions inside their heart and without realising they almost said the words out loud. Chan-hyuk’s confusion over Eun-hee’s cheeks reddening out of the blue is endearing while Eun-hee’s realisation that their hearts are filled with the same desire is captivating.  

The Actors. The Director and The Writer:

The OST Family (가족입니다) by Bumkey is the perfect soundtrack and background score for the show. It is soothing and comforting and the right fit for the show.

I love the entire cast. I watched this show back in 2020 when it originally aired but re-watched it to write this review and it was the best decision I made. This show has crawled its way to the top of my list of favourite Korean Dramas. 

Writer Kim Eun-jung has my heart for her beautiful writing. She has created my favourite family drama. 

Director Kwon Young-il has produced a magical creation. 

I love all the actors and their incredible performances. 

Kim Ji-seok and Han Ye-ri are enchanting and magical in the show and Eun-hee and Chan-hyuk are my favourite K-drama couple. 

Han Ye-ri, Choo Ja-hyun, Shin Jae-ha, Won Mi-kyung and Jeong Jin-young steal our hearts with their exceptional performances and they convince you that their bond as a family is most certainly thick.

Shin Dong-wook is excellent in his portrayal. 

Special mention and props to Kim Tae-hoon and Lee Jong-won for taking up the roles of Tae-hyung and Ahn Barista. Their performances are proof to the audience that their talent and skills as actors are beyond comprehension. 

My Second Favourite couple in the show is Young Kim Sang-sik and Lee Jin-sook portrayed by Han Joon-woo and Jo A-young. Their innocence is pure and magical, their chemistry is heart fluttering and their acting is just beyond brilliance. I would love to see them again in a drama/movie because together they just steal the show every time they are on the screen.

Kwon Yool as Yoo Min-woo is hilarious. Even with limited screen time, I was speechless while watching his performance in the show. His timing, his presence and the way he sunk into the skin of the character is just incredible. 

Some other favourite characters together from the show that I loved and would love to see a longer story of Eun-joo and Yoo Min-woo. I would love to see how their friendship and relationship progresses after they start working together and spend more time with one another. 

The supporting cast is remarkable as well. Every character and the actor playing them have done a terrific job. The show is filled with the best actors and performers from the Korean Entertainment Industry.

Thank you to the entire crew and the cast for presenting us with this sensational work.

"Family is a divine connection by love of one heart to another - Anonymous"

"Time heals every wound - 시간은 모든 상처를 치유한다" (Stephen King & Menander).