Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Go Ahead, which became one of the most emotionally compelling Chinese family dramas on WeTV, delivering a heartwarming story about chosen family and unconventional sibling bonds that transcend blood relations.
Go Ahead premiered in August 2020 on Dragon TV and became available on WeTV with 40 episodes, each with an average duration of 45 minutes. This Chinese family drama stars Tan Songyun, Song Weilong, and Zhang Xincheng, created by writer Rao Jun who specializes in emotionally rich family narratives.
This slice-of-life drama follows three children from broken families who grow up together as siblings despite not being blood-related, raised by two single fathers who form an unconventional household. The series combines elements of coming-of-age story, family drama, and romance, exploring themes of healing from trauma, chosen family bonds, and the power of unconditional love.
The show’s unique approach spans multiple time periods, showing the characters as children forming their bond, as teenagers navigating adolescence together, and as adults dealing with separation and reunion while maintaining their unbreakable sibling connection.
Three Hearts, One Family
Go Ahead centers on Li Jianjian, Ling Xiao, and He Ziqiu, three children who become an inseparable family unit despite coming from different backgrounds. Li Jianjian lives with her father who runs a noodle shop, while Ling Xiao and He Ziqiu are brought into their home due to family tragedies and abandonment.
The story unfolds across three main time periods: their childhood bonding, teenage years navigating school and relationships, and adulthood when circumstances force the boys to leave, separating the trio for several years. When they reunite as adults, they must navigate changed dynamics while preserving their core family bond.
Each episode explores how chosen family can be stronger than blood relations, showing how love, support, and shared experiences create unbreakable bonds that survive time, distance, and external pressures.
Li Jianjian’s Unconditional Love
Tan Songyun delivers a luminous performance as Li Jianjian, the optimistic daughter whose natural warmth and fierce loyalty hold the family together. Her character represents resilience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to create healing environments for damaged hearts.
Jianjian’s evolution from protective big sister to independent young woman showcases her journey of maintaining family bonds while developing her own identity. Her unconditional love for her chosen brothers demonstrates how some people naturally become the emotional center that allows others to heal and grow.
Ling Xiao’s Healing Journey
Song Weilong portrays Ling Xiao, a boy traumatized by his mother’s death and his biological family’s dysfunction who finds healing through his chosen family’s love. His character arc explores themes of grief, abandonment, and the courage required to accept love after experiencing loss.
Ling Xiao’s development from wounded child to caring young man demonstrates how stable family environments can heal even deep psychological trauma. His protective instincts toward Jianjian and complex relationship with He Ziqiu create compelling emotional dynamics throughout the series.
He Ziqiu’s Search for Belonging
Zhang Xincheng delivers a nuanced performance as He Ziqiu, an abandoned child who struggles with feelings of unworthiness despite being embraced by his chosen family. His character represents the ongoing battle between past trauma and present love.
He Ziqiu’s journey explores themes of self-worth, belonging, and the difficulty of accepting unconditional love when you’ve experienced rejection. His evolution from defensive outsider to integral family member provides some of the series’ most emotionally powerful moments.
Reunion and Renewed Bonds
The series builds toward the emotional climax of the siblings’ adult reunion after years of separation, where they must confront how they’ve changed while reaffirming their unbreakable bond. This reunion tests whether their childhood connection can survive adult complications and romantic feelings.
The final episodes masterfully balance family dynamics with individual growth, showing how true family bonds evolve but remain constant, and how chosen family can provide the foundation for healthy romantic relationships and personal fulfillment.
The Fathers and Extended Family
Go Ahead features memorable supporting characters, particularly the two fathers Li Haichao and He Mei who create the nurturing environment that allows the children to heal. Their friendship and co-parenting partnership demonstrates how adults can create unconventional but successful family structures.
These characters effectively illustrate how healing happens in communities, showing that it takes more than just love to create healthy family environments – it requires consistent presence, understanding, and the willingness to prioritize children’s emotional needs.
Success on WeTV
Go Ahead became a massive hit on WeTV and across Asia, praised for its authentic portrayal of non-traditional family dynamics and its sensitive handling of childhood trauma and healing. The series received critical acclaim for its realistic dialogue, natural performances, and its ability to address serious topics while maintaining hope and warmth.
The chemistry between the three leads and the genuine family dynamics resonated with audiences who appreciated seeing chosen family represented with depth and respect. The show’s success helped establish WeTV as a platform for quality Chinese dramas while contributing to important conversations about what constitutes family and how love can transcend blood relations.
If you love heartwarming family dramas that explore chosen family bonds and emotional healing, Go Ahead is the perfect series to binge on WeTV.
A masterpiece of emotional storytelling that proves family is defined by love and commitment rather than blood, delivering one of the most authentic portrayals of healing and belonging in recent drama history.
Series Details:
- Number of Episodes: 40
- Platform: WeTV (originally Dragon TV)
- Rating: 8.9/10 (IMDb)
- Genre: Family Drama, Slice of Life, Romance, Coming-of-Age
- Protagonists: Tan Songyun (Li Jianjian), Song Weilong (Ling Xiao), Zhang Xincheng (He Ziqiu)
- Antagonist: Past trauma, biological family dysfunction, societal expectations about traditional family structures, and the challenge of maintaining chosen family bonds through life changes