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CJ on Drama Island
Drama Island
This review may contain spoilers
A quirky tale of destiny and self-acceptance
It's too early for me to say 'The Atypical Family' is the drama of the year, but let me just say it's definitely a contender!
Full transparency as someone who watches well over a dozen dramas per month: I thought about possibly holding off on watching this drama until it aired all the episodes. I wasn't really sold on the premise after the second episode and some of the characters kind of annoyed me.
So fast forward to now (writing this review on June 9th finale day) and I'm so glad I didn't listen to that tiny voice in my head telling me to drop it faster than other dramas! So what got me to change my mind so quickly? Well firstly, it's the cinematography that kept me seated. Then came the story. Next was the performances. Last was the music.
What I like to do with reviews is give you a spoiler-lite breakdown of things to look for, standout moments and or performances and just simple reasons to give this drama a chance (or drop it if it doesn't sound worth your time):
Is there romance? Oh yes! It takes a little to while to get things started but once you get to around episode 6ish, you'll likely be all-in for the leads to get together!
Is the story good? Yes. An absolute masterpiece? Maybe for some. For me, it was pretty good. I was kind of impressed that in just 12 episodes there was enough to keep me looking forward to watching week after week. The A plot revolves around time travel and romance. The B plot follows each character as they come to terms with their powers and the wild antics of the con artist family. Both plots seamlessly intertwine from the first episode to the last. As far as pacing is concerned, I'd say things might feel rushed on episode 12. They had to wrap up all the loose threads in the roughly 1 hour episode so it's natural to feel things happened too fast. Thankfully there weren't many loose threads.
How were the performances? In short: flawless. Every actor put on a stellar performance. My personal favorites were Jang Ki Yong as Bok Gwi Ju, Chun Woo-hee as Do Da Hae and Park So Yi as Bok I Na. If you're like me and can't really remember a memorable role of actor Jang Ki Yong, then he'll definitely be memorable in this drama! Man, something about him crying makes you breakdown and cry too. He put so much emotion into the role. Same with the talented Chun Woo-hee. She nails her role as a con artist looking to escape her horrible life. Lastly, 12 year-old Park So Yi will win you over from the very first scene she's in. She's so talented!
Other things to note:
There's a "sudden" shift in personality for the big bad of the story that might confuse you. You can chalk this up to the character not getting enough screen time or rather the writer not delving into the motivations behind the character. If this drama was 16 episodes the characters turn to the side of light might not be so jarring. With that said, them not being fleshed out doesn't take away from their great performance.
There are plenty of "girl power" moments if you love seeing women treating a terrible character like the trash that he is.
The soundtrack grows on you!
Kim Su Hyun in a fat suit was a choice. I wasn't liking it at first but the characters journey to self-acceptance made me forget about it.
If you're patient enough (something I initially lacked in the beginning) to hop on this emotional ride, I promise you won't regret it! Who knows, by the end of it, you might turn into an emotional mess like me!
Full transparency as someone who watches well over a dozen dramas per month: I thought about possibly holding off on watching this drama until it aired all the episodes. I wasn't really sold on the premise after the second episode and some of the characters kind of annoyed me.
So fast forward to now (writing this review on June 9th finale day) and I'm so glad I didn't listen to that tiny voice in my head telling me to drop it faster than other dramas! So what got me to change my mind so quickly? Well firstly, it's the cinematography that kept me seated. Then came the story. Next was the performances. Last was the music.
What I like to do with reviews is give you a spoiler-lite breakdown of things to look for, standout moments and or performances and just simple reasons to give this drama a chance (or drop it if it doesn't sound worth your time):
Is there romance? Oh yes! It takes a little to while to get things started but once you get to around episode 6ish, you'll likely be all-in for the leads to get together!
Is the story good? Yes. An absolute masterpiece? Maybe for some. For me, it was pretty good. I was kind of impressed that in just 12 episodes there was enough to keep me looking forward to watching week after week. The A plot revolves around time travel and romance. The B plot follows each character as they come to terms with their powers and the wild antics of the con artist family. Both plots seamlessly intertwine from the first episode to the last. As far as pacing is concerned, I'd say things might feel rushed on episode 12. They had to wrap up all the loose threads in the roughly 1 hour episode so it's natural to feel things happened too fast. Thankfully there weren't many loose threads.
How were the performances? In short: flawless. Every actor put on a stellar performance. My personal favorites were Jang Ki Yong as Bok Gwi Ju, Chun Woo-hee as Do Da Hae and Park So Yi as Bok I Na. If you're like me and can't really remember a memorable role of actor Jang Ki Yong, then he'll definitely be memorable in this drama! Man, something about him crying makes you breakdown and cry too. He put so much emotion into the role. Same with the talented Chun Woo-hee. She nails her role as a con artist looking to escape her horrible life. Lastly, 12 year-old Park So Yi will win you over from the very first scene she's in. She's so talented!
Other things to note:
There's a "sudden" shift in personality for the big bad of the story that might confuse you. You can chalk this up to the character not getting enough screen time or rather the writer not delving into the motivations behind the character. If this drama was 16 episodes the characters turn to the side of light might not be so jarring. With that said, them not being fleshed out doesn't take away from their great performance.
There are plenty of "girl power" moments if you love seeing women treating a terrible character like the trash that he is.
The soundtrack grows on you!
Kim Su Hyun in a fat suit was a choice. I wasn't liking it at first but the characters journey to self-acceptance made me forget about it.
If you're patient enough (something I initially lacked in the beginning) to hop on this emotional ride, I promise you won't regret it! Who knows, by the end of it, you might turn into an emotional mess like me!
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