9 Reasons To Watch The Kdrama My Father Is Strange
Yes, this IS a family drama and yes, it DOES have 52 episodes of an hour each. But my god, people, this k-drama is GOLD.
This k-drama follows a family – the parents and their four adult children who live with them. And what happens to their family when their father’s past comes to light.
If you want just one reason to watch My Father Is Strange it has to be one of the female lead characters Byun Hye-Young who is legit adult life goals. She is the person I try to channelize when the time to be bad-ass comes in my life.
But if you want more reasons to watch this k-drama, then I do have those too!
8 (More) Reasons to watch My Father Is Strange
1. You have siblings who…
You love. Fight with. Share midnight beers with. Bribe to hide secrets from your parents. See the relationship dynamic change once they get married. Dance at their wedding. Talk sense into when they are behaving like idiots. Know that you have always got each other’s back.
Oh, and especially if you have a sister and you have fought with her for using your things without your permission and vice versa…then you know just how bad the fights can get. And also hilarious for any by-stander.
2. You want to watch a family drama without melodrama
This show doesn’t drag on revealing things and while it is a major element of suspense, it eases into revealing everything in a very timely fashion and without any unnecessary build up.
3. You want cute romance between not one but four couples!
Yes, you will have your favourites but because this k-drama features four siblings who are in their late 20s and early/mid 30s, it explores very different romances and the struggles that come with it. It also follows their own personal struggles, career and inter-personal dynamics. So you’re going to have a lot of characters to relate with, love, hate on and just root for really.
4. You believe a person is not defined by the one thing they do
In My Father Is Strange, the actions of the characters are separated from their characteristics. Even the most angelic character has done some bad deeds and by the end of the drama you’re bound to understand even the most seemingly evil characters. This show makes a distinction between a person’s one time deeds and their actual personality which also changes over time.
5. You want to stop feeling the pressure of being a certain person by a certain age
So, this is one of the reason why I LOVE this k-drama. It shows me how the ageism of our society is toxic and how I don’t have to have everything figure out by the time I’m 25.
This k-drama has most of the characters in their 30s and who still are figuring their lives out in terms of careers and relationships and how they feel. People get ‘sorted’ at a later age in life and it’s completely okay to not not know what you want in life at 18 or 21 or 27! You can start something at 30 and still be better than someone who started at 21. And the goal is never to be better than anyone else anyway. It is to be happy and lead a life you find fulfilling.
6. You want a k-drama that explores the struggles of a contemporary woman
Sure, the society has come a long way from the past but honestly, I don’t believe it’s even half-way there yet. My Father Is Strange explores how being pregnant sadly comes to be a disadvantage at your workplace. How your in-laws (especially if you’re Asian) expect you to change and live your life a certain way. And how to fight through it all – sensibly while still living your life the way you want and having inner peace.
7. You believe in the power of apologizing sincerely
And the power of forgiving and what effect it can have in your life. This is beautifully portrayed in this k-drama. Those two things don’t come at the same time, you want to forgive someone who isn’t even sorry but you have to navigate through that mess for yourself.
8. You realize your parents are not just your parents
And individuals who have their own separate lives, especially the fact that they have had a whole life before you were even born. It personally hit me as a teenager and it wasn’t easy. But this k-drama explores that and I appreciate it for that.
Things to keep in mind:
1. This is not one of those family k-dramas where the lead happens to be an estragned child of some chaebol family. LOL no. It’s very different and that’s why this is one family k-drama I will recommend to everybody. It’s good writing and has a well-thought out plot and developed characters.
2. Do yourself a favour and watch this show if you related to any of the above reasons. You will not regret it. It explores each point in such an intricate and beautiful way. Also the long-term effects of being bullied, the role money plays in opening up roads in life, etc.
3. It has 52 episodes which are all long out. But don’t binge watch it. You will ruin the experience. Take your time. Make it a part of your daily life for a few weeks and you’ll have something nice to look forward to. Enjoy!
Final thoughts
KBS World’s Youtube channel has all the 52 episodes on it, so that’s a very convenient way to watch My Father Is Strange.
You want to hear a funny story before we go?
Okay, then. So, back in 2018 when my sister and I were watching My Father Is Strange and kept discussing it for a few weeks, we realized that if our father ever overheard us saying ‘my father is strange’ he’s be a little hurt and confused so we switched over to the Korean word for father that’s ‘abeoji’. You may want to make a note of that if you stay with your father.
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