My Father is Strange (2017)

This is a show to be savored, not binge-watched

I tend to be a binge-watcher, so I had troubles with this show at the start. There were so many characters, and so much going on, added to the fact that each character was not too terribly likeable. There seemed to be an abnormal preponderance of evil parents, and I seriously got tired of every character saying something about they wanted to die, they wished they were dead, they almost died, etc. It seemed to me they threw that phrase out too cavalierly.

However, I think that if you slow down and watch one episode at a time, with a breather between each episode, you will quickly get drawn into each story. There are multiple story lines, and the writers were clever in having each character tie to another in a twisty-turny, round-about way. I imagined them sitting in an office with a giant white board, making a flow chart to keep each character straight. As mentioned, there were multiple characters that were not very likeable at the beginning of the show, but as we saw their growth through their relationships with one another, I felt like every person redeemed themself. An advantage to so many episodes - you have a good amount of time to flesh out the characters, and that was done really well here.

This is a melodrama with periods of lightness. There were multiple times that I felt that I couldn't take another tragedy. Kudos to the writers for two particular things - 1) No obligatory time jump, and 2) a satisfying, unrushed ending.

ACTING: First and foremost, Kim Yeong Cheol as Byun Han Soo, and Kim Haw Sook as Na Yeung Shil were absolutely brilliant as the parents of this family. I felt that everyone did an excellent job, but they were standouts. On a basic level, I just love seeing Ahn Hyo Seop in anything, so that was a treat.

FAMILY DYNAMICS: They did a wonderful job of showing this family, warts and all. Each person had their own demons to fight. They showed the strength of the family, and how each person was stronger for being in the family. The siblings often fought like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day, they loved one another and supported one another unconditionally. I loved all the scenes around the table for meals. It was so special to see more and more people come to the table, room being made for them in the family, and there was even a comment about how empty the table seemed when someone was missing. Toward the end, I was so grateful to have spent time with this family.

MUSIC: The music was very melodramatic for the most part, but there were a few good songs, especially as related to the main couple.

REWATCH VALUE: It's too long and my list of "to watch" shows is too extensive to rewatch the show.

NEGATIVES: It is never okay for an adult to use violence on their child (I'm not talking spanking here).

So, if you decide to give this show a try, take your time with it and allow yourself to settle in with the family. You'll be glad you did.

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This show is fun! I watched the first four episodes in one sitting. I haven’t watched a Kdrama in ages. It felt so good to watch this.

Parents
The younger actors for the parents are just a beautiful pair with such great warmth and chemistry in their short moments. Even though the younger actor especially for the father has some very serious and harsh scenes, the actor portrays his innocence and kindness. Actually, the sincerity of the younger actor, made the older actor shine more because often the older actor didn’t show that vulnerability and heart that the younger actor did.

Hyeyeong
Favourite character! She’s so pretty and I loved her facial expressions and her responses. I even liked her voice. It’s rare to have a sophisticated heroine in Kdramaland who can hold her own and be calm and smart and sensible. LOVE HER. Her serious face when she’s being cute is so charming.

I probably relate to her the most because I’m the second born of a family of four with an older sibling who is not earning and still studying. The father dotes on Hyeyeong despite her reserved nature and it’s the same in our family.

Rayeong
I’ve often had a hard time connecting with this actress. I did appreciate her approach in romance and she and her boy are pretty darn cute and funny.

Yuji
Yuji was a pretty bad egg but she really learned how to become a sister.

Premise
I do find it hilarious how the family keeps adding to their numbers one shock after another. I loved their bonding moments as they learned to live together and accept each other.

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Wow, just wow.

When I started watching this drama, the year it came out (2017). I dropped it and picked it back up in 2018, than dropped it around episode 20. Than came back to it in 2019, well you guessed it, I dropped it again. Lastly, I came back to it this year 2020.

Something has kept pulling me back for 3 years despite the fact that I thought the story between the oldest sister and her love interest was repetitive, and the fact that I didn't feel like I could watch 52 episodes of it because I felt like I truly hated this drama. (I don't).

I think the biggest reason I couldn't watch it was because back than I was with a really toxic family, and I just could not bring myself up to see such a loving family and have to deal with mine.

But moving on,

This dramas is just amazing, the side story lines might seem a bit repetitive but is truly amazing. I think it really shows the family dynamic and what a simple secret can do. I love all the couples but I think my favorite character was the grandma. She made me laugh multiple times and despite her hard feelings for Actor Ahn she truly cared for him towards the end of the show. I have yet to finish it but I think I won't regret watching it until the very last episode.
I recommend this drama for anyone who likes to see funny, loving, and truly heart moving dramas.

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Watch it while doing something else if you feel intimidated by the number of episodes. This is a very good drama to start appreciating long dramas and their slow pace. You need some patience and an open mind to enjoy the dramatizing of simple things because a longer drama is about having a more realistic pace of action.

disclaimer: I've watched 27/52 episodes

Weeks have passed and I still can’t get over it. It is my first time watching a lengthy drama with such an ease, while loving everything. Despite how slow it goes, it is enjoyable. It’s a part of its charm. It is also my first time being invested in all characters’ stories, because they were actually given equal importance. The drama has a serious touch of reality, and it doesn’t paint things like dramas usually do; and it makes a big deal of things that would be quickly dismissed in a normal drama but not in real life, which makes it even more realistic.

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Most K-dramas are renowned for being full of heartfelt moments and heartwarming 'lessons'. 'Father if Strange' is chock full of those and more!

I put off watching this just because it was 52 episodes - a LOT of commitment for me but I finally gave in eventually - more for the cast as I loved so many of the actors in previous roles. It started off quite slow and I almost dropped it several times but I persisted and I'm so glad I did!

Theres a huge cast as this story is about a huge family but this drama uses all 52 hours to give each family member enough character development and depth to make all of them come out with a solid story arc.

Many moments brought me to tears, the realities, struggles, and approaches in life and family were beautifully handled. This drama made me miss my parents and wish I had a huge family too.

I can't say enough about this drama, it was so wonderful and every part was played beautifully. The soundtrack is one I'll be humming for months.

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To begin with this is my first review and I decided to do it since this was the first time I watched 52 episodes in a Asian Drama, plus I really enjoyed the story and the characters so much.

Honestly I decided to watch this drama after going through some hashtags in Instagram for #JuSongMin and then saw this video clip of her with Lee Joon. It just called my attention how funny they look; so I looked for the drama and indeed it was true. Their acting was funny and cute. However, once I started watching the dram, I ended up loving Lee Yoo Ri's character out of all them. She represented a lawyer and the family daughter; with a strong personality. smart, pretty, funny, sexy, romantic, arrogant and full of herself, sometimes showing her flaws as well.

Also, another character I really loved was the grandma, she suited her role so good; and even Lee Joon did pretty good. I never saw any of his dramas; but by the end of this one I loved him even more because to me he resembles my ultimate Bias #JHope from BTS (Some might think I might be a little bit off, but that’s how it looks to me though).

Well, on the other hand it was a great developed - entangled family story. The connection with everything was pretty good, and even though there were so many episodes, they knew how to keep the suspense at the end of each one. Besides, I felt like I was watching a few dramas together, because of the different stories in most of the characters like the mother, the father, the grandma, sisterly and brotherly love plus the in laws issues. At the end, they have the common type of struggles in marriage, family and relationships, but they learned how to overcome all of them very well.

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What a beautifully written and well-depicted drama!

Byun Hye Yeong is hands down my favorite female character in all of the Korean drama's I have ever seen. She is such a role model to all the women out there. Love her character to pieces! Her values are so developed and progressive it is so hard to see female lead characters like her. Kudos to the writer and the muse the character was based on! Jung Hwan complimented her so well. He looked after her even when she pretended to be strong enough to do things alone and was supportive of her regardless of how foolish his mom was. He didn't enable his mother but actually called her out on her shit.

Joon Yeong was a bit dislikable at times but once he found out that the got his girlfriend pregnant he sure grew up a lot. NGL hate characters like Yoo Joo but she also grew up even though she took her sweet time doing it.

All of the couples in the drama were so good to each other. They took little missteps a time or two but always made sure to get things right. Well worth the time spent. I would highly recommend it to anyone who asks in future.

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