This paper examines the depiction of parenthood and family identity in Korean and Japanese cinema, focusing on Kore-eda Hirokazu’s works and Ji-won Lee’s Korean film Miss Baek. These films critically engage with traditional familial concepts, advocating for a redefinition of family and parental roles in East Asian societies. Kore-eda’s films challenge conventional notions of family and blood ties in Japanese society, highlighting the difficulties faced by non-biological relatives in addressing issues often hidden within blood-related families. Similarly, Miss Baek raises crucial questions about the appropriateness of returning a harmed and abandoned child to her problematic biological father and stepmother. Both Kore-eda’s films and Miss Baek critique institutional loopholes in Japan and Korea, calling for a reevaluation of parental identity within and beyond the cinematic context. These socially critical films contribute to public discourse, advocating for the creation of a new, more inclusive social protection network.