You can only pick one, and boy the pressure is on. The DB team will answer a new prompt in each post, and you’re invited to do the same in the comments. Ready to play?
You can only pick one found family
mistyisles: This is tough, because I love love LOVE found families, and dramaland is full of them. So my most accurate answer to “What’s your favorite K-drama found family?” is probably “Whichever one is on my screen right now!” But for the sake of this exercise, I’ll pick a recent one that gave me a lot of joy: Team Karma from Stealer: The Treasure Keeper. This show required a lot of just rolling with the fun instead of questioning the logic, but something I never had to question was that these characters (and the actors portraying them) were absolute magic together and that the core team had each other’s backs 100%. Sadly, a second season is unlikely, but I’d happily watch Team Karma treasure hunt, solve puzzles, and pull off elaborate heists together for seasons upon seasons. (Eeeevil artifact collectors and knife-wielding assassins optional.)
DaebakGrits: So many great choices for this prompt, but I’m going to pick Crash Landing on You because, of all the K-drama found families that live rent-free in my mind, I feel like Se-ri needed hers the most. A relationship forged in the most unlikely of places, Se-ri’s found family of soldier ducklings not only protected her from North Korean adversaries but taught her how to appreciate life, too. I mean, they helped her find her appetite, and that’s a pretty big deal in my book! But jokes aside, prior to her unplanned vacation in North Korea, Se-ri was extremely lonely and isolated, and she sought her family’s approval — and the right to run the company — even though they were antagonistic and only saw her as an obstacle in their way. Her time with her found family, though, changed her so profoundly that she was able to live happily and find joy in life even after they returned to their home country. As much as I love the romance in Crash Landing on You, Se-ri’s platonic relationships are just — if not more — important to her character growth.
solstices: At its heart, Move to Heaven is about finding connections. It weaves a comforting tale of love amidst loss, and hope amidst grief — from the moment Jung-woo rescued the infant Geu-ru from a fire and took him in as his own son, to all the lives the trauma cleaner duo paid tribute to along the way (plus the unlikely pair of grumpypants uncle Sang-gu and by-the-book nephew Geu-ru). I loved that despite Sang-gu’s age, Geu-ru was the true guru with much to teach, reversing the expected caretaker dynamic — yet at the same time, Sang-gu also stepped up to the plate, protecting and prioritizing Geu-ru. Not only did they find a family in each other, but they also found themselves through their bond; Sang-gu matured into a responsible and respectable adult, while Geu-ru grew into his own and honored his father’s legacy. And of course there’s the ever-dependable Na-mu, who was the anchor that kept Geu-ru grounded and scolded some sense into Sang-gu. Just like how the kids’ names both mean “tree,” the roots of the Move to Heaven family run deep, nurtured by sincerity and compassion. The three of them found a safe space and support system in one another, making it all the more heartening to see them spread that warmth to others through their work.
Unit: Thirty But Seventeen (a.k.a. Still 17) is my go-to pick because it has one of the most colorful found families in dramaland. The family consists of the OTP, the male lead’s high school nephew (and his two friends), their housekeeper, a dog, a chicken, and their house itself — which, as far as I’m concerned, is also a main character in the story. What started out as a reluctant cohabitation between the characters blossomed into a heartwarming and healing relationship that did not leave any of them unchanged at the end. For the female lead who suddenly went from being a teenager to an adult after waking up from a coma, the high schoolers helped her live out her teenage years. And around the male lead and the housekeeper, she was able to properly transition into her actual state of adulthood. The male lead and the housekeeper who started out stuck and frozen in time eventually had the ice around their hearts thaw thanks to the boisterous energy from the rest of the family. And the nephew who wanted to rush into adulthood (no thanks to his one-sided crush on the female lead) finally gained an appreciation for his current state as a teenager. And that’s what family is all about: helping each other become the best version of themselves.
Dramaddictally: I had no idea how much I liked the found family concept until I made a list of more than five dramas and struggled to narrow it down. But then I remembered Age of Youth and I knew there was no real contest. Season 1 particularly spoke to me with its team of five vastly distinct young women, all lovely in their own ways (and I just don’t feel the same about the second season without Yi-na). This show is so heartfelt and real, even as it deals with some outlandish situations. And getting everyone living together in one house is a brilliant way to watch the characters progress from roommates, to friends, to being like family. The magnificent cast, the emotionally affecting writing, and the overall concept and setting make this one of my favorite dramas, but the magic that happens with this crew together on screen makes it my absolute favorite found family.