Go Ahead (2020)

Family yes, love.. nope.

The show revolve around 1 sister and 2 brothers that are siblings by name but not blood related (i'm not gonna elaborate on how they met). I actually enjoyed myself a lot as i get to explore the background stories of the 3 siblings and also how they became a family together. The show did well on showing how they bonded and also the different personalities of everyone.

However, this show will only be getting a 7/10 from me (highest) and i will probably not be rewatching.

(1) The show went downhill when romance is involved. I am not against the plot of any love involved between the siblings but I don't felt it in any way throughout the show as brother-sister love is being prompted more than actual romance. I guess it hitted me badly when it kind of change to romance direction. It didn't seem like the brothers actually "fall in love" with Li Jian Jian but more like overprotective brothers that can't bear to see her with anyone else. I was thinking the show would be better if it ended with Li Jian Jian not choosing anyone. I just CANNOT watch the kissing scene at the end... it's just awkward.

(2) I cannot stand Song Wei Long's acting.
This is not the first show i have watched with SWL and it's actually third one already - and one thing for sure, his acting didn't improve since then. The stiff facial expression, "act cool" vibes, and how he expresses himself is just not there. It's just not enjoyable to watch him act or relate to his character in the show.

Nonetheless, Tan Song Yun (Li JJ), Zhang Xin Cheng (He Zi Qiu) and Tu Song Yan (the dad) steals the show for me!

FINAL VERDICT: it's worth it to watch if you want something heartwarming, simple and explores family relationships.

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Enjoyed this drama to the max

I have been watching this drama as soon as its airing because its just so captivating. The pace is perfect, not draggy or too fast. Every scene is to the point. Its definitely worth watching. Female lead is extremely good with her acting skills. Doesn't look her age but can act as a 16yo and 25yo very well. She is a naturalist as an actress!

Story is really well described. How the characters becoming a family. Words and scenes are just so appropriate! And the funny scenes that Jian Jian acted it out. It has really made me roared with laughter.

Having completed this drama as soon as it ends. I rewatched it from the beginning again. Many scenes tag my heart string. My heart ached with ZQ as he said why is he always the one being abandoned. And also once more with LS asking his dad if his passed on sister has forgiven him.

Its really worth watching. Highly recommended.

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Uncomfortable most of the times but heartfelt sometimes

This show just felt wrong, the romance felt off because the guy was totally crazy about her (kinda creepy) and it felt like she didn't care about him at all (rude af).
Honestly, I couldn't stand the female lead, I've never seen a more immature character in my entire life. And the guy did absolutely everything but was constantly belittled by her . If she didn't spend every second calling them "brother", maybe there wouldn't be scene with an incest kind of vibe - their chemistry was kinda weird.
It was so hard finishing this because I was really bothered but almost everything, but Idk why I felt like it would get better and I would like it. I'm a sucker for Character Development and since there were plenty of insufferable leads I was expecting for them to improve so I couldn't drop because of the last bit of hope. Well, none of them got better instead they just showed us the wrong people apologizing, others not being held accountable for their actions and that they were right all along bla bla bla, absolute bulls*t.

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It is a good show, but could have been better overall.

So this started off really promising and magical, and throughout the entire show, the cast was fantastic. However, as great as the first 30 episodes were, the last part kind of suffocated all of the magic out. They put the main three characters ("the siblings") on the back burner big time and went into so much depth and spent so much time on the side characters that it kind of ruined it for me. I wanted to see the three main characters interact after they develop and settle into their new relationship dynamic, but once they sorted it out it, we rarely see them again except in relation to the side characters. The ending was also really rushed in regards to tying up loose ends. This drama felt like two different dramas the first half was fantastic and set to be a personal favorite, but the last half was about entirely different characters. The show would have been better if they cut out one of the friend's storylines, and tied up one of the mothers' stories earlier so we could have enjoyed the main characters towards the end. I don't understand why her two friends, the guy's friend, her shop workers, the sister, and the mothers had more character development and conflict than she did as an adult.

I would still watch it if you haven't as it isn't bad, it just isn't as fantastic as the beginning.

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A heart-warming family drama that gives you full of laughter and tears :)

Probably the very first family C-drama I've watched before. I've watched many modern dramas that have friendship, love and family but I supposed this one is pretty much towards the family side (siblings, father-son, mother-son etc). I really wanted to say: I LOVE IT. It's not some kind of show that will give you much excitement but it is definitely a show that you felt so relatable and a good show to cry on. I hardly cry for shows but this show just made me crying non-stop, especially the part where people are doubting their relationship just because they are not from the same family or even how they been through hardships but their loved ones are always there for them, with the OSTs, the whole scene just became so teary :(((( The dads' acting and Steven's acting are the best! TBH, SWL's side of story is as depressing as Steven's but I think he wasn't that good in pulling those heartbreaking scenes off, could have been better! But overall was still amazing:) I love all the side couples too (including oldies couple haha, it was extremely cuteeee!)

Some people might not like the romance part between the siblings but I can understand why writers do that, it is just to make them officially a family, so I don't mind that! Although I think it would be as great if they don't have any romance between the siblings.

I finally know how it got such high ratings on MDL, and they totally deserve it!

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What makes family?
*This show has trigger warnings for anyone who has experienced abuse or struggles with suicidal ideation*

There are two mysteries to the plot focusing around blood ties v care/happiness ties. The second mystery led me to give a 1.0 for plot.

One, will the younger generation reunite in adulthood and be able to carry on a healthy lifestyle and relationships despite their struggles growing up (*yes* and resolved easily).

Two, what about the adults who traumatized and abused them growing up and to the 'bystander' parents who didn't fully intervene? (resolved horribly and rushed at the end).

This drama perpetuates the myth of 'rock bottom' that someone can have a magical realisation that they have become someone who hurts the people who love them and magically turn around and be safe to take care of a teenager.

It is well established that Ling Xiao's mother has always priortized her dramas and her issues over the well-being of anyone else for decades (perhaps even before the trauma of losing a child - given the story about the card game, and the 'aunt's' own commentary that Ling Xiao's mother has always been this way).

What's worse, is that she aggressively harms and lashes out at people, wanting them to be as miserable as she is, including her own child. Not only does she do this spontaneously, but she premeditates and coldly seeks revenge when Ling Xiao tries to seek independence repeatedly. Even in the end she attempts suicide after thinking about it all night again switching the focus on to her.

This is not a safe person to parent a teenager, and I can't believe they all just waive off Ling Xiao's little sister back to Singapore with her mother and admonish her to study hard.

I just couldn't get over that this was the BIG MYSTERY and the last issue to be resolved - what to do about Ling Xiao's mother, and then it was all just chalked up to PTSD (for what it's worth- PTSD does not at all appear to be what this woman has) and lessons learned and sending her back to Singapore.

I did like that the show insinuated subtly that the younger generation was very clear on who were there 'true' care/love family and who had earned that and who didn't. BUT I can't get over the explicit message: to tolerate, tolerate, tolerate, and maybe one day they will come to a magical realisation.

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It's good but it is also overhyped

Started this drama because of the good ratings it had here but, unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
The acting is great and it feels very natural, specially Steven Zhang, for me this was his best perfomance so far and his character was my favorite. The family plot was what I loved the most about this drama, the implication that you didn't need to be linked by blood to have such love for one another was very well portrayed and I loved the dynamic between the "siblings" and the fathers. On a less positive note, had A LOT more expectations for the couple, most of the time their relashionship didn't feel natural at all but rather forced, specially when Ling Xiao did that speach about his mental health, implying that his only solution or remedy was JianJian, that wasn't healthy at all. When it comes to the episodes, I don't think that many were needed, the story was just dragged. If they wanted to make that many episodes they should have developed some characters a little (a lot) more. In the end, I feel like the ending wasn't satisfying enough.

It is still a good drama if you like the family plot and some dose of confort but it's not a 10/10 for me.

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I'm a little surprised about all the 10/10 reviews. Some folks wrote overwhelmingly positive reviews to the point that I've expected that this drama would be even better than Reply 88. For the first 10~ episodes it's pretty close to that level, but at the same time unique and perhaps even more endearing. The problem is that this is a 40 episode long drama and episodes 11 to 18~ are straight up boring. There is nothing much there, none of that wholesome family vibe, or much character or plot progression. After wasting 5 hours on filler like that it cannot possibly be a 10/10.

Around episode 20 the drama slowly becomes interesting again, but it never reaches the initial heights.
I for one am okay with the sister dating the stepbrother thing, I can even begrudgingly accept the blackmail with mental illness issue. What is difficult to gloss over though is that they had very few sweet scenes together after they've properly gotten together. I mean there was so much time for that in 40 episodes..

I could go on and on how much I hated mom A and biological dad B, but It's not necessarily a bad thing for a drama to have hated characters. Human garbage can be portrayed on television too, right? But the redemption arc for mom A in the final episode felt completely unnatural and unnecessary. I would have preferred either a more gradual process involving some mutual healing over the course of like 5 episodes, or they could have just had a clean break. So yeah, the plot had some problems here and there, like how every tragic thing happened simultaneously at ep10ish and how not only did He Mei go to P, but her friend also did 16? years later. Those could've been handled much more naturally.

The ending is not that great either. It's way too open ended for my liking. The potential side couple's story is unfinished and as I said earlier, there was just such a long time available to wrap things up.

I love how they resolved the triangle fast and relatively peacefully.

Overall the drama is worth watching, there are some incredibly touching scenes, really unique family dynamics and it's unlike any other cdrama that I've seen so far, but it's not even close to a 10, lets be real people!

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Wholesome slice of life, truly recommend!

I do not normally review dramas until it's finished but this is an exception. if you're still hesitating, I suggest to go for it. Go Ahead is a slice of life, WHOLESOME cdrama of 2020. It's quite relatable especially if you're adopted, or had parents divorced or controlling parents, etc. Maybe you're able to relate to some extent. I personally enjoy it a lot!! The main focus is about family love and how the kids' feel with the lack of love or understanding from their parents.

The story revolves around 3 characters and the people around them: Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao and He Zi Qiu.

Li Jian Jian is the female lead with a strong and outgoing personality. Her mother passed away a year(?) before the drama began. Therefore, her dad became the loving, doting father who raised her very well. Of course, Jianjian was pretty lonely and wanted a sibling - an older brother. This is where Ling Xiao comes in as the neighbor Despite her mother passed away, she still of course misses her but Jian Jian doesn't let that bring her down because of her family. ^_^ She cherishes her brothers dearly, until a certain point where it got weird for her. But other than that, all was resolved and they're still as close as ever. :) As the audience, some may not accept the love between Jian Jian and Lin Xiang or Ziqiu but in a sense you can tell who loves her more than just family - its the subtle differences!

Ling Xiao's family was pretty rough, his sister passed away not long ago and his mother blamed him for it. She has anger issues, always yelling everyday with his dad so Ling Xiao just sits outside on the staircase. Eventually, he was convinced to join Jian jian and her dad for dinner. That's where the closeness between the two began. His parents eventually filed for divorced and his mother left. Somewhere in the future, you can tell Ling Xiao's mother was a nightmare to Ling Xiao and he never really liked being with her but he can't really say it. Ling Xiao's mother, from my pov, is a two-faced, selfish mom who thinks she can just come into his life and control who he's with and who he belongs to like an object. She disrespects the people who raised and genuinely loves Ling Xiao, which is unacceptable in my opinion.

Zi Qiu also have issues of his own, his mother was having trouble (later on in the show she explains what really happened) and eventually had to leave him with Jian Jian and her dad to take care of. Jian Jian didn't like him, she didn't want him as a brother but eventually they grew close like siblings. Zi Qiu is a character who felt like he was abandoned by everyone and that no one wants him. The only people who never left was Jian Jian and her dad hence he thought by marriage they would become a real family. But in his heart, all he wanted was love and family and especially for his mother to acknowledge him. His biological father was a rich, arrogant, and selfish father who thinks he can just come in and buy his son away from his adoptive family. *rolls eyes* Ziqiu's family story is quite heartbreaking but its not always in the dark. :')

The three became a family with Li Ba and Ling Ba, a loving family. It teaches you that anyone can be family, not just related by blood. We're able to to see them grow up, have each others' backs, care for one another and just bond together as family. It's very wholesome, and makes you smile every time. :')

Qi Ming Yue aka Yue Liang is Jian Jian's best friend, she's not going to be your typical love rival in the drama but it can just a little bit irritating at one point. She also have mother issues of her own because her mom is very controlling and Yue Liang just feels extremely stressed over it. Even her father is being controlled by her mother, its just another form of a selfish mother. Overall, she's a very nice friend to have for Jian Jian, she's more reserved than Jian Jian, but the two bond well together.

Tang Can is another close friend of Jian Jian's. She was initially very arrogant but eventually we know the real her. Tang Can is quite out-spoken and outgoing but she deals with her own issues alone. Her mother is usually embarrassed of Tang Can because Tang Can doesn't have a stable job, and its something Tang Can is embarrassed of herself. But she is able to overcome this and do what she wants to do.

Overall, this drama teaches you a lot about family life whether biological or not. There's different kinds of mothers and fathers. It also focuses on friendship, love, and unrequited love. Its a wholesome drama, and I really recommend to new cdrama fans. Just be prepared to cuss at Ling Xiao's mom and prepare tissues for Ziqiu's story. ^_^

HAPPY ENDING FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND LOVING FAMILY! :')

The acting is no joke, superb and natural. Everyone did amazing! The music is great as well! Tan Song Yun sings the OST "Like A Breeze." ^_^
I can definitely rewatch this again!! I IMPLORE YOU TO WATCH IT!

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Honest opinions about this drama

Yes, we all were sooo tempted for this drama to come out. I was sooo excited when I heard a drama like this would be airing. The first few episodes left me in tears. I would watch non-stop. But now? The storyline starts to downfall halfway through. I’m missing the happy childhood moments as this is becoming more of a romance type of drama.

When this drama first aired, I would be continue watching the few episodes aired at no costs. I was at episode 30 or so when the last episode (46) finished airing. I waited about a week before I started to continue watching the last bits of the drama. If it’s a good drama, I wouldn’t take such a long time to finish it. My review is given for the episodes beyond 20. A strength of this drama would be the acting, the visuals, and the music. The acting for all the actors are on point. Left me in tears. So did the music. I’m still listening to the OST cuz it’s so heartwarming. Other than that, I wouldn’t continue to watch this. Nor would I recommend newbies to watch this. If you want, watch the first 10 or so episodes and stop there. Like the episodes when the two are together, it doesn’t even show LJJ’s affection for LX! I didn’t even know when she started liking him and why she would choose him over HZQ.
Anyways, that’s my review!

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