This review may contain spoilers
Will it be the best drama of the year?
This series has a sophisticated atmospheric magic blended with real life traumas and believable characters. Every person in the drama is flawed, but relatable and likeable (except the ML’s sister, about who I'll rant below). As opposed to recent “Queen of Tears” where every character was also flawed, but none of them were likeable (perhaps the exception being the aunt).In “The Atypical Family” story as well as character development expands with an atmosphere – the colour tones, the music scores as well as sound design, and the easily flowing caesural pauses allowing the viewers to take in the vastness of the scene settings, the seriousness of the situations. One could almost compare this drama with the poetry. Actors and their characters are allowed pauses to think, not to say that they’re slow, on the contrary, it makes them and their choices more believable. The script and most chosen actors are spectacular in their roles….. except one minor detail.
The rant (at ep. 4):
To me it seems that in Korea there are no plus size actors. I’d bet anything it’s not the truth, but the industry is hellbent on trying to prove to the world that there’s either no obese people in Korea or no “fat” actors. Whenever the creators need to have a heavier character in the show, they just find the skinnies actress and put her in a costume. (To be fair it is impressive, what a film crew can do nowadays, and it does look somewhat realistic, however, it also gives “uncanny valley” vibes, because the actor trying to act is not actually fat.) Not to mention, the creators make that particular character as unpleasant visually and in personality as possible. Around the world there are plenty of big and heavy people, who are wonderful, who do not care for their weight, and even have a sense of fashion. But noooo, let’s vilify the fatness. I would not wish it but, I’d guess the plan for Bok Dong-Hee is to lose all the weight, so she could fly again. I would prefer, if she could accept herself as she is and still could regain flying, because that power should not depend on her actual weight, it is after all a Super.Power.
End of the rant.
All in all, I find the story refreshing and interesting, the clashing of one dysfunctional family with a fake united one, the deadpan comedy, the pain of trauma and not managing to let go of the past.
This drama for me might even be the best of the year.
Second rant (at ep. 10):
At ep. 10 Bok Dong-Hee becomes slim, just like that. Boom. We see each episode that she is becoming slimmer, but that amount... just took me out. I generally skip a lot of her scenes because her personality is too childish for me and grinds on my nerves about the whole "get back the cheating man" by losing weight. Ughhh. Bish, if he doesn't want you fat, he will not want you slim.
The only, ONLY redeeming point about the whole lost weight thing is that she still can not fly! Thank you! Because it's not the weight that was holding her down!!! It. Is. A. Super. Power!
End of the rant.
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A sweet surprise
When I saw the trailer for this I thought this was just another superhero movie so I decided to skip it. But I stumbled upon clips of the young couple on YouTube and decided to just watch their parts .I ended up really enjoying the first episode and I continued watching it week after week .I realised that this was more than just a movie abt some people with superpowers,it was the story about a family who was lost themselves in their power and how they get back the control of their own lives and power and grow closer as a family .This was a story about family and friendship and love and it was a pleasure to watch week after week .Definetly one of the best dramas of this year
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This review may contain spoilers
Masterpiece of 2024!
I began watching this drama for Jang Ki Yong after loving him in "My Roommate is a Gumiho" - 2021. It didn't took long before I started watching the drama not for him, but because of how amazing it was. Let's discuss all aspects:Storyline:
The plot is beautiful. It all goes amazingly and the bond between the leads is something quite new in the drama world. I get a different vibe in comparison to other dramas.
The superpowers plot is not overdone, and greatly written. Something I really liked is the bond between Ina and Gwiju especially in ep 9. And Ina and Junwoo are such cuties !!! <3
Characters:
Besides the villan mother we do have great character development. I like how Donghee and the grandma are finally realizing the price of their past actions and doing some growing up. Dahee was first presented as a negative character, but we quickly learned she's a sweetheart as well. Her bond with Ina is a pleasure to watch. And her with Gwiju... again I really like their relationship.
OST:
Thumbs up to Lee Sora's OST. <3
Acting/Cast:
The acting is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Especially Jang Ki Yong's in ep 10 accident. It looked extremely real and natural. Chun Woo-hee is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. She's doing a great job. Also Claudia Kim and So-e are showstealers. I am glad we can see Caludia's gorgeous visuals in the end! And MOON WOOJIN!!! I first watched him in "What's Wrong With Secretary Kim?" and was shook when I saw him again in "Castaway Diva". I really enjoy watching him act. I am sure he'll become an amazing actor as an adult. Can't wait to see him portray adult roles in the future.
Overall:
Give it a try, you might find yourself enjoying the drama!
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Definitely deserves the title of one of the best k-dramas of 2024!!
I had pretty high hopes for this one because of the cast and the unique storyline and I am happy to say it didn't disappoint me till the end!!Pros:
1) Little to no lagging
2) No overused cliches regarding the backgrounds of the leads
3) real life issues depicted in a comical manner
4) perfect amount of episodes
5) great osts and songs throughout
6) great casting choices
7) morally grey characters finding their place in life
8) teens finding love in a cute way
Cons:
1) the biggest con I had was the superpower with time every little change you make should have huge domino effects but here they pretty much ignore those aspect ig? but we have to understand that a 12eps drama can't cover all the semantics
Overall a great show, its a breath of fresh air as compared to your everyday rom com and it was definitely a great watch, but I have to say that if you are a huge fan of romance and not the angst then you may struggle till around ep 8-9 after that I'm sure all types of viewers will be satisfied
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JKY como eu não tinha visto antes
Agora que concluí o drama, vou fazer um complemento a minha review: me apaixonei pela OST e a escuto com frequência, mas achei que atropelaram o capítulo final. Deixaram para resolver tudo no último capítulo e não explicaram as coisas direito, além de deram saltos no tempo que, para mim, deu um gosto de história pela metade. Poderiam facilmente irem a 14 episódios para deixar que nos despedissemos do drama de maneira adequada.Eu estou absolutamente apaixonada por este k-drama! Sem dúvida, é a produção que mais me prendeu em 2024. Ontem, finalmente terminei os quatro primeiros episódios, e agora estou ansiosa pelos próximos.
A trama é incrivelmente intrigante. Cada reviravolta me deixa com mais perguntas e teorias. Os personagens estão bem construídos, e a atuação é surpreendentemente convincente, especialmente considerando que se trata de um drama de fantasia.
Quanto à trilha sonora (OST), confesso que não tenho uma opinião muito forte. Ela não se destacou para mim, mas também não me incomodou. Acho que a história em si é tão envolvente que a música fica em segundo plano.
E agora, sobre o ator Jang Ki Yong: eu não era exatamente uma fã dele antes. Suas outras produções que assisti foram apenas OK, na minha opinião. No entanto, desta vez, ele acertou em cheio! Sua interpretação está impecável, e estou ansiosa para ver como seu personagem se desenvolverá ao longo da série.
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This review may contain spoilers
A NOT SO HIDDEN HIDDEN GEM
LOVED THIS!!!!!!This is definitely one of the better ones in 2024!!!
After LR ended this was the only thing i looked forward to every week....Everything here is so so good.
I am a sucker for pretty cinematography and the way they've captured all the scenes and emotions of each and every actor is the biggest reason i loved this. The best part of it is how they've given proper time for each characters personal life stories. which is oftentimes missing in some dramas (even if they're dragged to 16 episodes lol).
The actors are all amazing at their jobs...especially the little girl. The amount of emotions she has shown and the pure talent she has is clearly visible through the screen.
Another thing that I really liked was the bgm, specially the playful one at the end of each episode.
Also the pacing in this drama is soooo good, like you would not want to miss a single scene and everything holds some importance. I loved how in the start it was so sneaky and everything but as the show progressed things became much more serious.
Again, shoutout to the production team, they did an amazing job with everything as well as the writing, directing even the sets were so pretty.
All in all if ur reading this u need to watch it....it's more than just superpowers and the plot, it's also about how you grow as person, learn from your mistakes and just be a better person.
Tbh it just has so much content and quality that even without the superpower plot it would make a quite decent drama.
EVERYTHING'S GREAT ABOUT IT. GO WATCH IT. BYE.
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Unique time travel/superhero story
2023/24 has been pretty meh for kdramas. Some of the recent dramas have been relying on pretty faces and hype instead of story/acting etc. My dropped list has been longer than finished list.I was very skeptical of liking this one when I started watching it. But to my surprise, I was hooked on. Script is unique, characters are well developed, great OST and acting is really good. There was rarely any scenes that I skipped. Glad I clicked on netflix recommendation. Love it that it is only 12 episodes and ended well. Overall very satisfying, underrated piece. Highly recommend watching.
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Time travel done right
This is not your ordinary K-drama.I'll tell you what it's also not. The Atypical Family is not a tiresome rom-com that shambles zombie-like into a melodrama morass by episode 8. Instead it rather delicately shifts through various shades of crime caper and dark comedy with clever little twists before it hits the romance that it promises to be. It's self-aware and addresses obvious tropes with almost fourth-wall, existential humour. It manages to use time travel coherently and does not insult the viewer with unnecessary time gaps and pointless makjang.
The casting was very good at all levels and the actors delivered. I thought that the marriage fraud gang were the best of the bunch. Choi Kwang-rok was unrecognizable in a good way. Kim Su-hyun wore both the fat suit and the several iterations of her character with remarkable style. I did not find the leads truly exceptional but they were good enough and played off each other well. All of them were helped by the fact that the writers took good care of the characters and allowed them to develop their own stories so nobody was acting in a void.
The Atypical Family does many things very, very well. Above all, it does not outstay its welcome and doesn't try to scrape four more episodes off the cutting room floor.
This is what it feels like when a show's producers and writers respect their work and their audience. For that, this tough audience will rate it a solid 9/10 and will recommend it to pretty much anyone with time on their hands.
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Even though you can't change the future, you can decided how to respond to it
This series is an excellent example of how one person can have an effect on another person (good or bad). The mom and her dreams, the dad and him being the glue, the depression almost being contagious in the family and how a ray of sunshine can penitrate darkness."Even though you can't change the future, you can decided how to respond to it."
This is an excellent summary and I would add the same about the past, you can't change it but how you respond to the past can change at any point in time in your life.
Loved this drama 10/10
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Atypical Journey with 'Atypical Family
"Atypical Family" is a paradox in itself - it presents a family that seems ordinary on the surface, yet the drama is anything but typical. It brims with unique concepts, shifts paradigms, and consistently breaks the mold. The heroes deviate from the standard hero archetype, the female lead is not your usual damsel, and her family, too, is far from ordinary. The male lead possesses one of the most unique, and indeed, atypical powers that I've ever seen in the realm of Kdramas!This drama weaves a therapeutic narrative, laden with suspense. It keeps you on tenterhooks till the last moments, maintaining its unpredictable charm even in the last seconds of the final episode. It’s the kind of drama that you don't just watch but experience.
What began as a time-pass during a meal, turned into a captivating, then heartwarming, and finally an incredibly rewarding journey! The brilliance of the writing is evident in the flawless time-travel sequences, a concept that is notoriously difficult to handle well.
The direction is commendable! The melancholic vibe, reminiscent of the "My Mister" color palette, and the stunning OST – I'm obsessing over it! "Atypical Family" is so refreshingly different that it has set a new standard in my over two decades of Kdrama viewing. It's a travesty that it's not drawing the attention it deserves. Perhaps it appeals more to a mature audience?
Each episode outdoes the last, and the female lead! She's a revelation! Every time she sheds a tear, it tugs at my heartstrings. Her acting prowess is commendable, and she's a vision of beauty. Overall, "Atypical Family" is a must-watch! It’s a beautifully atypical gem that breaks stereotypes and sets its own rules.
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That perfect 12 episodes drama we long for!!!
While everyone seems to be running after 'Lovely Runner' or 'QOT,' I strongly believe that this show surpasses them both combined. 🤌🏻✨Despite its finale is so soon , it remains vastly underrated, and getting minimal attention from audiences. It's truly a gem of a series, having impeccable writing throughout.
Every episode has been consistently engaging and compelling, leaving no room for boredom or disappointment. This show proves how just twelve tightly-written episodes can greatly enhance the viewing experience🫶🏻✨
Although some people complained about it but for me the ending was incredibly refreshing. I personally adored it. It was totally unexpected, beautiful, and filled with deeper meaning.
Anyone who loves phycological romance with fantasy genre shouldn't miss this one.
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Why they're atypical
I love how the drama shows us the good, its bad, how the good becomes bad and how the bad can be turned back into good.It poses and answers a poignant question- shd we follow our dreams or make our dreams a reality? There doesn't seem to be much difference between the two but the drama highlights that barely visible difference and gives us a convincing solution to it.
Entire credit goes to the team of the writer-director duo for spinning an exciting and exhilarating tale around a simple, wafer-thin concept. Any mistakes in handling- screenplay or narration- could have turned this into a weak, melodramatic bowl of cold, soggy noodles.
I love how everyone has more to offer than they seem to be giving. Through its multi-layered characters, well thought out script and gripping narration, the atypical family keeps the audience guessing and hooked without ever going down the lanes of melodrama or thriller. Powerpacked performances by the cast, especially Park So Yi as the wonderful Bok I Na, elevate the story to another level completely. They've totally owned their characters and immersed themselves in the drama.
Despite dealing with several modern themes like Bulimia, Insomnia, Addiction or Depression, and despite the shadow of Parasite looming over some portions of the narrative and the taking, the atypical family appears light hearted and soothing. This is thankfully a drama that focuses on healthy ways of getting healthy right from the beginning. Although, those maybe the issues being shown on the surface, there is also a bigger question being addressed- what do human beings strive for? What is their ultimate need?
The drama subtly provides the answer to it as a running underlying theme in all the episodes and through intelligently worded dialogues wherever necessary.
It's a beautiful interpretation of life that translates just as beautifully to the screen.
Find your interpretation. Find your dreams. Find your happiness.
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