Go Ahead (2020)

Go Ahead and give it a try

Seeing so many positive reviews and comparisons to the Reply series, I was very intrigued but also very hesitate to start because I already knew about the sibling love triangle, which i will touch upon the in a little bit because that is not the main story. This is both a heart warming and heart wrenching story of how those who we call family show their love and how they can also hurt us the most.

If this world had more people like Li Ba (LJJ's dad), oh how this world would be such a better place. He is the glue that holds this family together and the epitome of the perfect parent that one can only hope to have. We have our two brothers, who at a very young age must face many hardships that will forever shape them. HZQ who is abandoned by his single mother who made the difficult but cruel decision to do what was best for her child. LX who is abandoned by his mother who suffers mentally from their family's tragic history. At the center of their universe is LJJ, who Li Ba describes as a 'oddly optimistic child'. We see LJJ go from an unruly teenager to a young adult. They talked about the light bulb moment when you realize you are an adult and I know both LX and LJJ specially mentioned their moment. Oddly enough, I can't seem to remember how or when that moment was for LJJ maybe because I did not think moment was that impactful but maybe also thats just how life is. Slowly but surely, even without you realizing, one day you find that you are no longer the kid you used to be.

The first 10 episodes, who many believe including me, is the best part of the drama. We slowly learn the story of how this little family is created and the dynamics of this family. Ep 5, Li Ba's drunken monologue sealed the deal for me to continue watching. The next 10 episodes we see how the brothers go separate ways, each for their own justifiable [but sad] reasons and eventually come back 9 years later, bringing us to the point where our beloved trio must learn to be siblings once again... and also something beyond sibling love. I truly believe the story could've been just fine without the love line but i'll let it slide. I really liked the way that they handled the HZQ and LJJ love line because we have a fragile HZQ who is cutely mistaken and believed that only love love is the way to make this little family of theirs a real legal family. However like Li Ba and LJJ have said time and time again, the definition of a family is not restricted to blood ties nor legal titles. The LX and LJJ love line, I can understand how that could happen but at the same time also not too convinced. I am honestly not too sure at what point they even officially became a thing but it somehow happened...

The remainder of the drama, we start to dive into the stories of our side characters... maybe even a little too much. I love the dynamic that LJJ has going on with her girlfriends but spending too much time on the side stories, we lost precious time on how to deal with the main issue, which is the relationship between LX and his mentally unstable mother. We are literally at the very last episode, waiting for the point in which the mom will finally own up to her mistakes and try to make amends but to me, the mom still has not reached that point yet. Her choice was once again avoidance and the abandonment of yet another one of her children but somehow it was portrayed as her redefining moment worthy of forgiveness.... I don't know what the perfect storyline should've been but i only wish both she and LX truly seek the medical attention that they need.

There is one character that I have yet to mention because he is important and at the same time, sadly not. We have Ling Ba (LX's dad) who almost always shows up to all important events but leaves quickly for work reasons again and again. I was truly hoping we got to learn more about his character because he is still an important figure in this little family. He mentions the police station so many times that I was expecting that we would get a little glimpse into his life at work (not that it is justifiable for him to simply push off his parental duties to Li Ba) but we never do.

Overall, despite the few hiccups, it is definitely a solid drama and if i were to give you just one reason to watch this, it would be Li Ba.

Lire davantage

Wtf???

Never like the concept of siblings turned lovers like I know they r not real siblings but didn't they consider themself as brothers and sister besides her calling him brother 24/7 and now they like each other romantically wtf?? Don't know why people love it this doesn't feel good dammnn
Someone one pls tell me why this is soo good. Didn't i understand anything like someone explain the plot like whyy
Pros:
To be Frank I enjoyed and binged the first 15 eps it's heartwarming slice of life that I adored it's literally so good but the last 10 eps i can't accept it

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This may not be a popular opinion

I’m sorry to say this to all the fans of this drama but there has to be at least one person who agrees.

What i liked about this drama:
1. Only the begging ( manly their childhood story and how close they where with each other) it was nice seeing them so close and protective with each other.

What I disliked :
1. Why would they make the so like brothers of this girl like her romantically ( it made me cringe a lot that I couldn’t continue, they literally grew up together shared their secrets and knew everything about each other and this guy just liked his (not blood related sister), he said “ yup ima fall in love with her at 6~8 years old and ima keep loving her till the end of my life”. Umm, excuse me are u in ur right mind, you’ve known her since you were a toddler and liked her your whole life while also playing the role of the elder brother? That a no for me)
2. The actors (specially the tall guy that likes the girl first aka Ling Xiao aka Song WeiLong) did not like his acting (sorry) he was so bad to the point where i had to skip his parts. But I'm sure he can improve ( i know that he didn’t receive any acting learning )
3. It’s way to long for such a basic story.

Again I'm sorry if someone got offended but i felt like someone had to say something , because there are way better Chinese drama without that much of cringe, great acting and a good quality drama.

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I am DISGUSTED!!! they turned a beautiful family drama into incest!!!

This drama started off as a 8.5-9/10. I was extremely surprised at how a cdrama can be this heartfelt and depict family relationships this beautifully. HOWEVER, around episode 12 it gets weird. The "siblings" scenes started to make me feel uncomfortable! The music, eye contacts and everything between Ling Xiao and his "sister" got too awkward and creepy for me!!! I simply could not believe how they could suddenly ruin the sibling dynamics and start romance between brothers and sister!!!!!! I literally had to look away from the screen cz it was just too disgusting watching ROMANCE between SIBLINGS!!!

In my opinion, they were raised as siblings and had the same parents (dads) raising them. It truly creeped me out and felt like I was watching incest which was very disappointing. Especially when in Ep 20, Ling Xiao tries to KISS HER IN HER SLEEP! It just could not get any creepier and weird!

The only reason I kept watching was Steven Zhang. I truly enjoyed his acting he was amazing in every scene <3

The writers should have just stuck with the family scenes and this drama would have been an easy 10/10. I guess Korean dramas are the only ones who can depict sibling relationships masterfully, keeping it extremely beautiful and emotional and yet NOT turn it into incest!

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Too Long + Low Key Romance= Okay

LIKE:
Good: sets, locations, scenery, lighting, food images, artwork, (carvings all excellent).
Cinematography & music all good.
Writing: very low key romance, even a middle school watcher can handle seeing the couples in this show. The family that wasn’t blood related, but still very close was endearing. The friendships were strong and a nice touch to the drama.
Acting/Cast: well chosen cast and the acting was for the most part was good.

DISLIKE:
Production: zoom in too close, shaky camera syndrome (lack of film stabilizer was maddening). Pacing issues due to repeating the same concepts over and over again.
Writing: ML’s mother was a sociopath, Actress’s mother was a narcissist, all the adult females or parents, came across as mentally disturbed, overbearing and self absorbed. Even the neighbourhood parents were like that. This show could’ve been resolved faster and got strung out to 40 episodes. I became a fan of fast forward button. Last episode crammed a lot of content in and resolutions too, but it was okay. Not much character growth at the end either. Typical tropes too, nothing new.

OVERALL:
Low key romance, but nice story about family and friendships. I recommend it if you have a lot of time to waste. No scene was particularly memorable and there's no need to watch it again.

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My First Review = 10/10

I don't write reviews, I usually just watch and rate and move on.

BUT THIS DRAMA SLAPS <3

It had everything! The great acting, the cute music, the comedy, the drama. It had the right amount of everything that would make a drama perfect. If you want something centered on romance, this is not for you. Although there is romance and scenes that would make you squeal and giggle, it focuses more on FAMILY - AND this is rare. Usually, something is too family-based, it loses the reality of it all and it becomes too toxic or dramatic. But this is so well-balanced, one would think you'd get lost in the different storylines but it explains everything so well and it all made sense in the end. There were no unanswered questions.

This tugs on the heartstrings especially for all the single dads out there. Most dramas cater to motherhood and although mothers should be held on a pedestal, this shed a light on the stories of many fathers and their different experiences and their different characteristics. It showed a real MODERN family and how a family can transcend the borders of just the average, mom, dad, child.

ALSO, it doesn't hurt that the actors are all good-looking and had good chemistry HAHAHA.

For people who are not into brother-sister relationships GOOD because this is not it. THEY ARE NOT RELATED LOL. They just grew up together, even one of the characters made sure there were boundaries because he knew he wanted to pursue the girl later on.

QUICK SUMMARY with NO SPOILERS

Girl grows up with two "brothers", one who was left by his mom and one whose parents were recently divorced. The three kids had two dads growing up, one who owned a restaurant who was more comforting and soft-hearted and kind, the other a policeman who is a workaholic who despite the difficulty of the job, loves his children nonetheless. These two fathers decided to raise their children together without a mother figure. The strength of their relationships and family will be tested throughout the show.

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I never bother reviewing any dramas here, so you know this is worth it if I do.

In all my years (approx 15years) of dramaing, I never bother to create an account or write a review here. But, I thought this drama deserves a go. I really fell in love with this drama, to the point I dropped ALL of my other dramas to focus on this drama alone, which I've never done. Not even with Eternal Love Peach Blossom or any other great dramas. I have a tendency to skip episodes or skim through episodes, I even skipped an ep of Eternal LovePB, but I never did with Go Ahead, so that should say a lot.

The first two eps already brought me to tears, the child actors played phenomenal in their roles. You can already distinguish what their personalities would be like as adults so I think the child actors played an important role in this drama to bring the feels in such a short beginning of this drama. I was first attracted to this drama because of the trio, Tang Songyun, Steven Zhang, SWL, as the three all have their respective successful works this year. So to have all three in one drama is unheard of and just such a treat- it will also never happen again.

Now on to the drama, the drama is more family centered, hence the Chinese name "in the name of family"...I honestly don't know why they went with "Go Ahead". The drama depicts serious topics that not many would delve into, that is mental health and childhood trauma. How childhood experiences can traumatically influence adulthood. This drama also touches a lot of other spectrum of different family dynamics: tiger moms, moms that exploit monetary values of their children, left behind children (villages), divorced families, single dads. How all these types of family dynamics influenced the individual's adolescences and the person they become in adulthood.

No character is perfect, everyone seemed to have a scar of their own, especially the main two male leads. LingXiao (LX) seemed like the most perfect guy: tall, handsome, highly educated, smart, great career, high paying job, gentle and caring. Yet, I find him to be the most scarred and most pitiful character. His scars and sadness can't be seen bc it's all mental. What he went through as a child and later on in younger adulthood was truly unfair to him. He never got the proper mental help he desperately needed as a kid, thankfully JianJian(JJ) was there to save him. ZiQiu (ZQ), is another male lead, his abandonment issues was pretty evident. He was a tear jerker yet also the comedic part of the drama. I think Steven did amazingly as ZQ! JJ seemed like the saint in this drama, she has no jealousy and no resentment on anyone. She always forgave and was the one that supported everyone. Perhaps, it's bc of her artistic side that gave her a more empathetic and perceptive insight in life. So when she is sad and upset or cry I instantly cry along with her. Imagine the happy sunshine crying, that's outrageous and abnormal and everyone should do something to stop the sadness being emitted from her. I liked the cp, ok I'm obsessed with the cp, especially knowing how much JJ means to LX. How JJ was basically the light and hope that helped LX carry on that 9 years of hell and torment. I seriously think he would've given up and suicide if it wasn't for the fact that he wanted to see her again. When JJ asked him what he did all theose years in Singapore, LX replied with "missing you, missing home, day dreaming. Dreaming about being with you, dreaming about marrying you and having a kid....I even thought of our baby's name." I think anyone can tell how desperately he wanted to leave Singapore and go to JJ, how thinking about JJ was his only salvation to endure all those pain and hardship. Sadly, I think some people don't understand LX enough so they dislike his actor and SWL that acted as LX. I think it's bc he doesn't express his feelings and pain as openly as ZQ, he doesn't cry openly and he's not a happy sunshine like ZQ. It's bc he learned to be understanding as young as 7 years old. He keeps his true feelings and emotions inside all bottled up which is really really aversive to his mental wellbeing. He's a more closed off and solemn character that doesn't like to be close to anyone except his family (excluding his mom for good reasons). He has no will or energy to interact with anyone, and I find it heartbreaking but also understandable. Some people can't accept the fact that he suddenly liked the female lead or that he forced her to like him. Well if any viewer was perceptive enough for just a tiny bit can see that he viewed JJ as more of a female of the opposite sex than a sibling. I believe it was in ep 3 where his behaviours already portrayed his feelings towards JJ was different from how ZQ sees JJ as a kid sister. As you can see I've analyzed LX's character to a T, so I love LX's character very much.

The OST are all soo good, to the point I dl all the songs on Spotify. Each song does so well to bring the emotions in the drama out. The only pet peeve I have with this drama is the side characters have way too many scenes and unnecessarily bigger roles than they should have. There were 3 episodes where the main male lead wasn't even in it!! What kinda blasphemy is this, I've never in my entire life watched a drama with no main lead in it for so many eps. I get that the drama is trying to draw a closure to other characters' problems but I don't need 3 freaken eps of it. I had to grind through that. I also didn't like how the director or writer simply wiped clean of all the antagonist's wrongdoings by simply suiciding. I thought it was a selfish act upon the antagonist as it would've brought much more pain to the main lead and antagonist's family. Sometimes, not everything or everyone deserves forgiveness. I also didn't like how there wasn't enough air time for the cp, I was thirsting for their sweet scenes and I didn't get enough of it. I had to keep reminding myself this was a family centered drama not an idol romcom.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama! This drama has a deep meaning, it portrays different family dynamics, mental wellness, child abuse/trauma, abandonment issues, departure and re-connection, forgiveness and reconciliation, friendship and love. A drama that's definitely worth watching.

Lire davantage

Amazing Drama

I just love this drama. It’s one of my all time favorites. I rewatched it soon after I finished all 40 episodes, fast forwarding through some of the secondary leads’ lives. The cast did a great job especially the 3 young kids in ep 1&2. I was hooked from the get go. I love Seven Tan. She is so cute and funny and plays a character with a bigger than life personality. She is beautiful as the grown up LJJ. Her acting is spot on. Song Wei Long is so good looking and his acting is good and credible as LX. I read that netizens criticized him but in my opinion, it’s unwarranted. He was only 20 years old when this drama was produced. Stephen Zhang is endearing as HZQ and completes the trio parented by 2 men, Li Pa and Ling Pa. Hats off to Tu Song Yan who’s portrayal of Li Pa, a loving, wise and kind father was very touching and with LJJ’s take charge personality, just what 2 traumatized young boys needed. Li Pa’s thoughtful handing of his daughter was funny and wonderful to watch. Yang Tong Shu also did a great job as LX’s mother. We hate her so much and it’s also due to her good acting skills.

I laughed so much and cried at the many tender and poignant moments and binge watched till late at night because I was obsessed with the story and the main characters. The story touches on family and parenting issues, childhood tragedy and abandonment, continuing trauma and mental health ( though not in depth), school, career challenges and love life. The story focuses on the children when LJJ was 6 and the boys were 8, then at 16 and 18 and again at 25 and 27. I also love the romance between LJJ and XL. Though some people expressed discomfort about their romance because they’re ‘siblings’, they are not related but have known each other since childhood. It’s similar to great childhood friends becoming romantically involved years later when they grow up. LJJ and XL always had a special relationship. It was LJJ who used to chase after this ‘big brother’ who lived upstairs. She misses him tremendously when he’s gone for a few days. In LX’s mind, he always had the notion of marrying her as they accidentally performed the ancient rite of engagement (LOL) when he rescued her from kidnappers when they were young kids. It should also come as no surprise to viewers that they got together as the opening and ending video clips showed them kissing.

I usually fast forward through the video clips during the beginning and ending credits but for this drama, I watched them all for every episode. They were so compelling. The characters look so happy in some and it’s a pleasure to watch them grow up through the clips. The music is poignant and moving if you read the lyrics. Definitely a drama that must be watched with English subtitles if your Mandarin, like mine, is not so good.

Best of all, this drama has a happy ending. I can’t bear to feel sad after investing hours of watching a drama and I especially wanted good endings for these characters. I wanted to be entertained and I was.

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Wholesome And Romantic

I’m annoyed at myself for constantly pushing this back. ‘Go Ahead’ is all about the warmth of a family’s care, friendships and companionship; one of the best Chinese dramas I’ve come across.

The character development is amazing, building up to a really wholesome ending. The main trio is a breath of fresh air; the familial bonding, and overwhelming care they have for one another is heartwarming. You would definitely feel jealous seeing Jian Jian’s bond with the two leads.

The script discusses many important issues within our society but if I had to mention the most significant one: it highlights fragility of the relationship between children and their parents, which really struck me because so much of what was shown was a part of our everyday stories.

The script has so much substance as the characters feel three dimensional, their emotions and struggles, perfectly real.

My favourite part is the romance between Ling Xiao and Jian Jian. I know that the relationship could be a little dodgy for some people but as an observant watcher, I could tell Xiao’s feelings for Jian Jian were always more than ‘brotherly’ platonic ones. Song Wei Long’s remarkable acting came through as the look he gave the MC was enough to confirm my doubts. His need and hunger for her love is so precious. It made me twist in bed while clenching on to my chest.

Ling Xiao has to be my favourite character and also the one I empathised with the most in the course of the drama. And his clinginess towards Jian Jian made complete sense. She, indeed, was his ‘medicine’.

Watching this, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll scream, you’ll pull your hair out and it’s all a part of the journey.

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Definitely worth your precious time !

Go ahead is by far my most favorite Chinese drama, I have ever seen .

… you will be touched by the sibling bond, when they’re hardly even related by blood

… it deals with toxic parents as well

…You will be happy to see the strong friendships throughout the whole story

…The story starts of when they were kids, proceeds to high school than their adult days, so you feel nostalgic and you will feel like you’ve watched them grow up somehow.

The acting was on point I give it a solid 10/10
The actors were able to show the character development smoothly without any difficulties. Also the writers kept the leads in character without any breakage throughout the whole story.

The ending was all good I won’t spoil anything but it’s safe to say that everyone is happy at the end and that’s all that matters.

(Just to clear this up there is in no way any incest , as you can read from the plot they’r not related by blood nor where they legally adopted by the same parents, this you will understand when you see it.)

I cried at the ending even though it was happy and a good one , I thought I’d miss them so much, maybe since it’s like a high school to grown up story I feel like iv been watching them for a long time. Anyways I’m so grateful for this drama.
please do watch it if your interested

Lire davantage

the best cdrama for 2020 !

i really like this cdrama, its beyond my expectation for real , the story is really touching also the acting are really natural n good , every episode is so enjoyable to watch , i even can feel the saddness when he zi qiu meet her mother after that long time ... and when li hai chao drunk n let out all of his heart want to say , thats really touching , alos i really like he mei that still look so pretty in her age n funny when she n hai chao started to date but sadly only for few episodes only , n the worst part is why its only 40 episodes ? i think there are going to be season 2 with zi qiu story ... without doubt i would say that this is so far the best crama for 2020 ! must watch !

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masterpiece

complete it , 10/10 you will not regret
story from their childhood to adulthood
heartbreaking
hardships of life
happiness
joy
passion of one;s job


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