Most K-drama characters have good relationships with their mums, and while that’s cute, I find that the dramas with present dads hit harder.
If you don’t have a great relationship with your dad, let’s gather together and cry at how nice these girls have it.
Sung Dong-il from Reply 1988
In the Reply 1988 series, Sung Dong-il might have been the poorest dad who couldn’t buy his girls nice things, but he loved Bo-ra and Dek-Sun. This man cheered for and encouraged his girls, and was proud of them for their small and big wins. He wasn’t perfect; he drank a lot and his kindness got his family into debt, but there’s no better mix of gruff and sweet like him. I will never get over the scene where he wears an oversized shoe his daughter bought him — painful as it was — just because she gifted it to him.
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Kim Chang-gul from Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
As a former weightlifter, Kim bok joo’s dad made it his personal mission to ensure his daughter was well fed. Her mum died as a child, and her father did his best to care for her. Whether it was getting her lipstick to tell her that even though she’s not the conventional size for women her age or personally bringing food to her sports university to help her bulk up, he’d be there. A stand-up guy, we stan.
Woo Gwang-Oh from Extraordinary Attorney Woo
This show came from nowhere and stole everyone’s heart. The most beautiful thing about it was Woo-Young-We’s easy relationship with her dad. He understood how much more she had to struggle to get people to see her for her brilliance, and 100 per cent believed in her. He loved her even before she was born, and his affection never waned. He just wanted her to live a fulfilled and happy life. Where do people even find dads like this?
The dads from Our Blues
This drama will break you with how honest the relationship these men had with their daughters was. Cho Han-Soo was fighting hard and getting in debt to ensure his daughter kept playing golf abroad because it was her dream. Then, there’s Ho-sik dealing with his teenage daughter getting pregnant in high school and choosing to keep the baby. Her decision killed his dreams of becoming a fisherman as soon as she graduates. These men aren’t the best because they are perfect. They’re the best because they always prioritised their kids’ happiness.
Gang Hwa in Hi Bye, Mama!
There’s no sweeter girl dad story like that of a young dad and his toddler. Gang Hwa struggled like anyone would, juggling a medical career and taking care of a newborn after losing his wife. But, every decision he made — including trying to remarry — was to give his girl a happy home. The sweetest of them all.
