Meet the superpowered Atypical Family in new teaser

by Jenzy

In the latest teaser for JTBC’s upcoming rom-com The Atypical Family, we’re introduced to Jang Ki-yong (Now, We Are Breaking Up) and the rest of his not-so-heroic family.

We open the teaser on our heroine Do Da-hae, played by Chun Woo-hee (Delightfully Deceitful), as she moves into the eccentric Bok house. While she gets a warm greeting from the matriarch Go Du-shim (Twinkling Watermelon), the rest of the family give her an icy staredown at the family lunch.

So why is this complete stranger moving in? It all goes back to the Bok clan’s big secret: everyone in their family was born with superpowers. However, modern life with its smartphones and first-world woes has caused them to lose their abilities. And Mom has a feeling that somehow Da-hae moving in will fix their problem.

We see Da-hae taking inventory of the family’s powers vs. their current state. We start with Mom, a future-seer who can’t get a read on the stock market. We then move on to eldest daughter Dong Hee, played by Kim Su-hyun (Gyeongseong Creature), a flyer who can’t catch herself falling off the second floor. Then there’s Bok Gwi-joo (Jang Ki-yong), a time-traveler to happier moments who is currently deeply depressed. Finally we have the teenage Yi-na, played by Park So-yi (See You in My 19th Life), who Da-hae writes off as without powers, but we’re left to wonder if that assumption is correct. And while he’s not in the teaser, we also have Dad Oh Man-seok (Wonderful World), who actually has no powers, but is pretty supernatural in the way he handles housekeeping.

The teaser ends with scenes of Da-hae freaked out by the family’s antics and running away, but while she might not love her living setup, Mom is determined to keep her with them: “I’m sure. This is the girl who’s going to save our powers.”

Having seen the new teaser, I’m intrigued about this drama’s premise, but I am a little concerned on how it’s going to portray these “modern problems,” especially as it relates to the plus-sized Dong-hee and her powers. Some of the articles I’ve come across connect Dong-hee’s struggles to body dysmorphia and her inability to trust her powers; others outright describe her as someone who can’t fly because gained weight. It’s too early to tell what angle the actual show is going to take, but I’m really hoping her character arc is nuanced and not reduced to a diet-solves-all-your-problems transformation story. We can leave the bodyshaming at the front door where it belongs, in my opinion.

Directed by Jo Hyun-taek (Snowdrop) with screenplay written by Joo Hwa-mi (Welcome), The Atypical Family will premiere on May 4 on JTBC.

Via BreakNews, The Fact
 
RELATED POSTS

• Chun Woo-hee meets Jang Ki-yong’s Atypical Family
• Although I’m Not a Hero hints at superpowered secrets
• Script reading for healing fantasy Although I’m Not a Hero
• Jang Ki-yong loses his powers in Although I’m Not a Hero
• News bites: January 26, 2023
• Now We Are Breaking Up: Episodes 1-2 Open Thread
• Delightfully Deceitful: Episodes 1-2
• Drama Hangout: Snowdrop