We aim to provide an honest and comprehensive review, which means discussing key plot points and character development. Proceed with caution!

The Atypical Family aired from May 4 – June 9, 2024, spanning a total of 12 episodes. You can watch this drama on Netflix. It falls under the genres of supernatural drama and romance, featuring lead actors Jang Ki Yong as Bok Gwi Ju and Chun Woo Hee as Do Da Hae.

A family with special powers find that they have lost their abilities because of stress and the maladies of modern society like depression and bulimia.  On the verge of financial ruin, they meet a beautiful conwoman who seems to hold the power to help each of them heal.  And as the scammer weaves her spell around them, she discovers that this family shares a shocking connection to her past.  Suddenly what started as a fraud to cheat them out of their fortune begins to feel very real.  

Bok Gwi Ju is a young widower with a  teenage daughter.  He has the power to return to any happy event from his past.  But following the death of his work mentor and then his wife, he has fallen into such a deep depression that there is no joyful memory to return to. 

But after meeting Da Hae and watching her with I Na, he starts to feel a sense of happiness again.  And when he finds his ability has returned, he believes he and Da Hae were fated to find each other.  But his newfound happiness will be rocked when he finds that Da Hae has a connection to one of his most painful memories.  

Gwi Ju was once a happy husband working in a job he loved.  But when the people he loved and respected the most were taken from him, he stopped living.  And his withdrawal hurt not just him, but I Na as well.

This was such an unusual role for Jang Ki Yong, who I happen to love.  Trying to keep his audience engaged with a character whose only emotion is numb disinterest is no easy feat.  But I felt like he succeeded.  I was absolutely invested in this character and his story.

Do Da Hae lost her deadbeat father when she was young.  And the debt collectors were quick to step in and pressure her.  But when one of those creditors offers to take her in and act as a surrogate mother, she gladly accepts the help.  But the cost of that arrangement was helping her new “family” carry out carefully planned schemes, including Da Hae’s previous 2 marriages.  

Her relationship with the Bok family started as just another plan to take all of their wealth and leave them broken and poor.  But Da Hae didn’t plan to feel such a bond with this chatoic, awkward family.  Nor did she ever imagine that the brave fire fighter who saved her life years ago was Gwi Ju.  

Da Hae has been forced to become hardened and selfish over the years.  But inside, she is still that scared child who lost her father and almost died in a fire herself.  And it is that sad part of her past that helps her understand the members of the Bok family and the struggles they are going through. 

Chun Woo Hee is a very versatile actress and she has chosen some interesting roles.  As Da Hae, I think she played the part well, as the slightly prickly and guarded conwoman with a heart of gold.

Grace Kang is Da Hae’s younger sister.  She helps the “family” with whatever money scam they are running at the moment.  When they decide to target the Bok family, Grace applies for a job at the fitness center.  But as she gets to know Dong Hee, they become friends, and she helps her on her journey to get her health back.  

In my opinion, Bo I Na stole this show.  Park So Yi is an amazing young actress and her character was written very well.  I found her superpower fascinating and her sweet romance with Han Joo Woo was a highlight for me.

This drama had such an interesting perspective for time travel.  The way the layers of the story wrapped around each other was unique and interesting, and I loved the way Da Hae was the only one Gwi Ju saw in color.

What appears as a simple sci-fi superpower drama ends up making some deep comments on social issues.  The idea that we, as a society, have been overcome with problems that threaten to steal our own individual “power” is a poignant and very relevant concept.

I have heard a lot of people take issue with Dong Hee’s weight story.  They point out that Claudia Kim’s “fat suit” was overdone and her magic transformation trivializes the issue of bulimia and the struggle many face when trying to lose weight.  

As much as I enjoyed this drama and wanted, more than anything for a happy ending, that last 5 minutes was a rough one for me.  The whole son with superpowers thing just came out of left field.  And no sooner did we learn about him, than he just goes and somehow retrieves his father from somewhere in the past?  The burning building?  Some weird limbo where has just been waiting?  It was just a little too random for me.  

I know it is just the idealist in me, but I was really hoping Se Yeon’s plans to leave Gwi Ju would be some kind of misunderstanding.  Even if it was just I Na noticing that she didn’t really mean it.  I wanted something that put a bandage on the situation that would help Gwi Ju fully heal and move on.

After what seems like the tragic death of Gwi Ju, we finally get our happy ending.  Gwi Ju saves I Na and Da Hae from the fire at the school, but he sacrifices himself.  5 years later, we find Dong Hee’s ex is finally in prison for everything he did, including starting the fire.  Dong Hee is now dating Hyung Tae. And Da Hae is living with the Bok family, along with her and Gwi Ju’s son, Nu Ri. 

Of course, like a true Bok, Nu Ri has a super power.  His is bringing back lost things from the past.  And when Da Hae mentions she wishes he would go find his father, Nu Ri does just that.  The final shot shows Da Hae turning around to find Gwi Ju standing in front of her holding their son’s hand, still covered in ash and sweat from the fire.  Da Hae tearfully tells him “Welcome back!”

The constant leaps back in time did get confusing at points and all of the characters have the potential to be very unlikeable.  But I found the social commentary and the journey each character takes to grow interesting and rewarding. I give ‘The Atypical Family’ a 9 out of 10 ramen.’ an 8 out of 10 ramen.

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