Yeah I too didn't like how certain characters got redemption arcs not everyone needs it. I am also an not satisfied with the ending. From where exactly and how did Nu Ri bring Gwi Ju back? Otherwise I actually enjoyed the show. Here's my review:
https://allthatdrama9201424.wordpress.com/2024/06/11/the-atypical-family-spoiler-free-review/

I think this writer is not for me, I only liked Marriage, Not Dating from her and it was because the leads had a really great chemistry.

In this one, I didn't like the characters, the romance felt forced, the alcoholism and eating disorder were badly addressed, the powers didn't really make sense, the fiancé guy was badly written, how everybody is forgiven at the end like nothing happenned...

Yi Na is the only character I cared about. She deserved a better father and it's not one afternoon that should have changed everything, the neglicting lasted for too long. The poor girl lost her mother in a car accident she lived too and now her father in a fire. Saving your new wife or spending the rest of your life with your daughter, it seems he never asked himself about it. Joon Woo was her only real support. He didn't use her, he just cared about her. They were super cute together. Moon Woo Jin and Park So Yi did well in this drama.

Oh, my heart!!! 💓

With such a (largely) satisfying finale, I suspect this show will have a time travelling effect on me as well. I will now look back on the frustrations I had in the early eps and remember them fondly instead - like a pain that cannot hurt me anymore as I know it will lead me (in a closed time loop) to the joy of these ending beats.... sigh.

THE GOOD

* The idea of the son's superpower saving his father was a clever way to deliver an ending that no one could predict, and whilst it felt a little deus ex machina, the genetic powers of the Boks were set up well enough overall for me not to care. 🤷‍♀️

(I was concerned about a 5 year old travelling back to a raging inferno, however (!) 😨😱but I decided to imagine that his power works differently and he doesn't have to physically be there to retrieve things.... or something)

* As someone who has to admit to falling for our Sauna Bro, Hyung-tae, increasingly with each ep (the bubble wand, the stunt driver moves, the tiara supporting I-na at her dance concert!,etc💖) I liked the idea of him and Dong-hee getting some non-toxic loving.

He was the total opposite of her vile ex, a man who promised the world and delivered nothing, instead being a man of few words, but many actions. (A spin-off/season 2 where we get to see their superpowered kid as well would be hilarious).
But the D-H/Grace ship was one for the ages, so I'm glad they got to fly together - and looked a lot better doing it, TBH.🤣😍

* And in terms of relationships it was really joyous to see our OTP finally cooking with gas💓. As someone who had found their previous physical interactions quite forced, I really believed they were a couple in love here.💕 The chemistry was 💥

THE BAD/FRUSTRATING

* Why were we cheated out of a more fulsome ending with a full family reunion? Why do some K-dramas have 2 whole eps of tying up loose ends with heaps of filler and others just cut you off at the knees!

They obviously struggled with the idea of showing I-na as an 18 year-old (hence the old 'back of her head' moment), but with a wig, no glasses and make-up I think that could have worked...

* I also had to fast forward through Da-hae's endless dialogue when Gwi-ju was literally HOLDING UP A WALL, because people being inert in crisis situations makes me want to throw things. Just move out the way, woman, and get the unconscious child out of danger!! (to be clear, this ridiculous behaviour (blocking) is the director's fault, not the actress)

* Whilst we're on crisis situations, after Mama Bok realised there was going to be a fire in the theatre, why on earth were they all still just sitting there??? (I mean, I realise the story needed them there so they could see the fire curtain getting stuck, but just make the timeline work, people!)

this whole show felt like one of those write a line, fold and pass on challenges we always used to do. and it had to rhyme. no it does not make sense and I would have preferred Sauna mom to be punished & Dong Hee to end up with Grace in a sismance - she really doesnt need a man. and what about Da Hae saving gwi Ju? it wasnt exactly...
but yeah I guess this was a line by line story challenge and I wouldnt be surprised to learn it actually happened on a screenwriters get-together as a social game. not surprised at all.

I am more awed by the fact that I stuck around and returned to it almost every week! I-Na was the only one I cared about. I didn’t care much about the romance as I thought they lacked chemistry. And I basically loathed everyone else. Even the grandpa for being such a doormat all his life.

I suppose tying up loose ends are hard in a time travelling saga. Why was he stuck? Where was he? Did time flow a different way for him? Anyway I guess I am glad that it ended in a positive note.

The music was great though. I loved it!

Did I want more closure? Yeah. Am I satisfied enough with this ending? Also yeah. Someone on Reddit said that the love they created was what saved him, and I thought that was really beautiful.

This is going in my top five all-time favorite dramas. At some point I'm going to rewatch it, because I'm sure I would get new things out of every viewing.

I think this series had great potential but turned out rather bland in the end.

Thank you for the recap and thank you for leading us on this atypical journey of past, present and future confusion. Although, if we are choosing I'll be on the side of a "good end" especially since we got to see happy, smiling faces all around. 😀😀😀

I'm impressed and awed (as usual) with how beautifully you have expressed your thoughts about the show and its themes. 👏👏👏 🫰

We knew even before the drama aired that Dong-hee will lose weight. Although not a fan of the entire arc, the fact that the drama took the time to state that happiness (not weight) is the key to using one's superpowers was much appreciated. I'm strangely excited for an OTP I never thought of or expected - Sauna Samchon and Dong-hee. 🤣🤣🤣👌

No comment for Mamas Sauna and Bok. 🙊

Appreciate those who didn't like it - fair enough - but I really did.

First off, I loved the central idea. An atypical family, at first due to their superpowers but latterly due to their loss of the idea of family. Each member becomes so lost in self-absorption and regret that they become a collection of individuals wandering through life rather than a team. Their journey back to true family via Da-hae’s introduction was enthralling and twisty as much as endearing and moving. Genuinely good central premise for a drama.

Then, I liked the central characters. Everyone was broken, everyone saw some sort of redemption, everyone still remained flawed (maybe not In-a…), everyone grew to accept the other’s flaws and even to wryly appreciate them. I really liked sauna mum’s reasoning for helping Dong-hee take revenge on her worthless ex-fiancé: we can’t let him be a bigger scammer than us. So wrong yet so right at the same time.

Next, I really liked the rebuilding of the families. Gwi-ju learning how to properly express love to In-a and In-a allowing herself to be seen – and wanting to be seen – by her dad was a great arc. Man-heum remained an unlikeable character for the vast majority of the drama, but when she finally came to realise that what she sees isn’t the full picture and could be interpreted differently, she slowly started to rely on her husband and trust her children. Dong-hee and Grace, more than Da-hae, in bringing the two families together was so deeply satisfying: they muddled through to a place of true friendship and respect. Da-hae’s healed relationship with her “mum” felt a little quickly realised but actually made sense. Although the relationship between Gwi-ju and Da-hae was central to the story and I loved it, it was just one part of a whole – and perhaps not even the most vital one. I cared about the other relationships going on.

I loved what they did with Gwi-ju and Da-hae. Gwi-ju’s arc from “I have to save people” to “I can’t save people and am useless” to “I will choose to save those I love” was beautiful to watch. Even though we had some new rules of time-travel thrown at us in the last episodes (why did Gwi-ju’s past travels suddenly light up? Why did he get stuck in the past?), they didn’t grate very much which speaks to the power of the central arc. 5-year-old son bringing dad home was a well-thought-out final scene for me: truly loved that as the end point.

And I have to rave over the OST BGM! It was put to such good use and was perfect in aligning the viewers emotions with the characters’ journeys. First time I actually went on a hunt for a BGM link (it’s: here ) just to re-listen to the instrumental pieces, which were stunning.

Park So-yi and Moon Woo-jin stole every scene they were in: I choose to believe In-a and Jun-woo were still together in high school! Jang Ki-yong’s hair drove me to distraction at points but redeemed...

I struggled with this show a bit during the first two episodes, as the characters were so unlikeable, I didn't see chemistry between the leads, and the writing seemed confused. But as things progressed, I felt like the show addressed and resolved all of my issues, and it ended up being one of my favorite dramas, if not of all time then certainly of this year. It's not for everyone, but I think even its critics would admit that it takes an original approach to a lot of common tropes, has a stunning OST, and stayed true to its internal logic, themes, tone, and style throughout.

I LOVED the final two episodes. Truly, there wasn't anything I would have changed. I loved Dong-hee falling for Sauna Uncle and looking cool as hell flying up to pull down the fire curtain. I loved Yi-na learning to be comfortable in her own skin and with her own gifts. I loved Gwi-ju having that poignant moment in the past/present with his ex-wife. I loved the reveal that Sauna Mom was thinking of Do Dae and not her biological daughter when Mama Bok tried to trick her about a dream she didn't actually have (but it ended up coming true anyway). I loved seeing Nu Ri and Do Dae together, and that ending, to me, was just perfect. I guess it's not hard for me to accept that their son was ultimately able to bring Gwi-ju back, whether by the force of his or the entire family's love. And finally, I ended up loving Gwi-ju and Do Dae together, believing that they found the ideal partner in one another. I even enjoyed the time skip, because I think the characters needed that five year period to settle, focus on the lives they wanted to live, and then be reunited with Gwi-ju.

I do have some nitpicks. For example, I never warmed to Mama Bok, and still think the actress was miscast. Dong-hee's ex was a one-note loser, and I thought the writer could have come up with a way for the fire to start other than involving him. I also was very distracted by the fake looking wall with the clock (or was it supposed to be some kind of facade built for a play or something?) that ultimately fell on Gwi-ju. If it was supposed to truly be one wall of that building, there's no way he would have been able to hold it up and it wouldn't have fallen in a single piece like it do.

But overall, this show made me cry, laugh, and feel joy for these characters. That's all I really want in a drama.

Clearly, I am a target audience because I loved this show. This brought me back to kdramas and to DB even. I love that the show was brave enough to show flawed and unlikeable characters, and yes, even I-na and then build their characters along the way. I dont think the show was aiming for redemption for any character but mostly aiming for growth. Which is fine by me. I am tired of the usual glossy characters

I guess just like @unit, I am not the target audience. The drama is a mystery fantasy about the fire from 13 years ago that didn't care much for the character development (I am not buying sudden growth happening in the penultimate/finale week. Sorry)

I loved this drama since the beginning but imo it got better from the fourth episode.
Coming from the same director than Mirror of the Witch, I knew (or wanted) the ending to be very special. And it was. I really liked these final episodes. They were very touching.
Now that I understand Nu-ri's power, the ending is quite clear. Gwi-joo couldn't come back to the present because Nu-ri took him directly to the future.

Thanks for your summaries! I will tell you one thing I LOVED about this show. The writers actually saved some of the resolution of the main plot lines for the last episode! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. It was excellent! Even though I had hoped to see the flying scene we got in episode 11 in episode 12.

I am never disappointed by redemption arcs, because I like to see character dynamism. Were these arcs believable? Well... yes and no. In the world of dramas, people who are as awful as those two moms or that two-faced friend usually can't be redeemed. In real life, a lot of parents fail to express their love for their children in a way the kids can feel. A lot of 12 and 13 year old girls are jerks who can become better people. So that's OK. It feels better to me that In-a got to have a boyfriend and a best girl friend, especially considering the circumstances.

Seeing the two families together celebrating the little girl was very enjoyable for me.

As far as the problems of the time travel mechanisms--I thought the writers were consistent enough within their weird magical world.

The only thing that bugs me was the sismance between Grace and Dong-hee's kind of boring resolution. "I'm going to make your brother my boyfriend and we'll still be friends," isn't as good as letting the two characters who have chemistry *with each other* be the ones to wind up together. Not to say that Sauna Samchun couldn't have chemistry with her. Whatever, Grace and Dong-hee did fly together and that was super sweet.

Hooray! I agree with all the comments about the ending being rushed--would have liked a good deal more on how Gwi Ju got back, what he was doing for those 5 years (or was it just a frozen instant for him), a more satisfying reunion with everyone, not just Da-Hae, etc., but overall this show really worked for me. They figured out clever ways to handle the time travel paradoxes, the problems with precognition, and all those other things that are so often really poorly managed in dramas.

My favorite characters, as usual, were the supporting ones--Dong Hee, I Na, Grace, and Sauna Samchon. More of them, please!

I have now seen Jang Ki Yong as romantic lead twice and I am still not convinced. Every time he kisses the FL I get the feeling he's steeling himself, then swooping in before he can chicken out. The one exception was the scene at the beginning of Ep. 11--that one felt natural. However, kissing aside, I did really like him in this. I'd like to see him do something where he has to get angry and/or mean, then I'll be fully on board with him as an actor and not just a model.

ATYPICAL FAMILY felt like it looked into my soul man, especially the ugly parts. Gwi-ju as much as I find him uncomfortable, he was basically a mirror of myself (thank god I don’t have a child to fuck up). The addiction aspect, the recluse behaviour, letting the present slip by numbing oneself. All of the frustrations I left with Gwi-ju, I felt with myself. I think one of the most relatable portrayals of addiction I watched personally, it neither glorifies it nor goes to the extreme stereotyping that the media usually depicts.

I think my one nitpick is that Gwi-ju didn’t go through withdrawal. Considering the years and frequency of using alcohol, firstly it would be dangerous to go cold turkey but no amount of love, romantic or otherwise is gonna stop the withdrawal process. It might help with the motivation tho. Alcohol isn’t my personal addiction story, however I do very much sympathise with anyone dealing with this, the easy access, especially living in a culture that glorifies heavy drinking.

my only complaint is episode 12 feels sooooo rushed, there is no time to actually dive into character's emotions and everything moves so fast. i think with this type of genre, with this many characters ,12 episodes is too short let's normalize 14 episodes in kdrama (because honestly 16 episodes are still too much most of time)

i keep wondering why Gwiju couldnt go back to the future, but im gonna go with the most simple answer: he cant because his son summoned him right after he saved Dahae. Because if he lost his power he couldnt go back watching the date with Dahae in cafe (or restaurant?)
Overall this is a solid drama and im surprised how the writer wrapped this up tbh, well thought with a little bit of twist of new character. Im so happy with the ending.

I loved this drama, and Dong-hee's ending, (honestly, if you look at how she flew with Grace, ane how she flew with Sauna Uncle, it was obvious where the romance was), An Yi-na getting her friend back the way she did was great, while I totally agree with Unit that Sauna Mum suddenly crying and hugging the girl she had locked up, beaten, made to be a honey trap and quite recently ordered killed was a uhmmmm ending.
More than anything, the way Gwi-ju survived was lame, especially since is could so easy have been much better: As his powers were developing, he should take Dong-hee with him to the past, and instead of dumping Da-hae out the window, he should have delivered her in Dong-hee's hands for a safe landing.
We could even include a story that someone saw him explode in the fire (Man-heum, if no one else) but that really, it was just the usual way he dissolves when he goes back in time of home to the present.
He didn't have to stay away for five years - apart from me hating those time skips, then Yi-na really did not deserve to not have her dad to be with and slam doors at now that they had just found each other. You can have parents and friends without being spoiled, actually!
Also, he and his little boy should have had each other - does he need to be so absent even in good times? And there was no reason his son could get him when he couldn't himself.
I don't know it this is some kind of tantric drama-writing, where you build up to a super ending and then just ... don't do it. Right as we could have the kulmination with cooperation between the siblings, Dong-hee making it possible for Gwi-ju to come home in time, everybody bonding extra, preferably cooperating with Grace and Sauna Uncle ... everybody just had a funeral and then folded towels and went on with nothing exciting happening, like Sting apparently can, if you like your culmination to be non-existent. Sigh.
Well, But Dong-hee's story was fantastic, especially since she obviously married Sauna Uncle to get the building, and because he is kind, and transports stuff carefully, but any real harmony and sparks are not between him and her, for sure.
If you doubt my words, you just need to see how she treats him exactly like she doesn't like her food to be treated.
Anyway, I giffed about it, here: https://www.dramabeans.com/activity/p/1592847/

Initially, I found the ending just okay. Not satisfactory and not unsatisfactory, but ended up liking it more after sitting on it a little bit longer.

I expected a superpowered way to bring him back and that's what they gave me, so I'm glad the family can be together. And his son plucking him out from the past made sense as to why no one found Gwi-joo's body in the present nor in the past. I think the drama did a good job of committing to the loop while offering their characters' a bit of agency as well. And I liked how the drama characters eventually didn't end miring themselves in the past. But they are also themselves - flaws and all.

I think the finale week could have used an extra 30 minutes to flesh out some bits that felt rushed. Like I think we could have used an extra scene of watching Sauna mom turning a corner. And I wish we got to know more about why Gwi-joo's powers changed. Is it just the universe priming him for the big time loop?

I enjoyed this drama a lot. And I got a kick out of how awesome the scam against Dong-hee's ex was. They got him to fork over money to repay Dong-hee for the clinic she opened for him AND he's in debt to Sauna Family (even though he's in prison now and has no income).

The mental gymnastics required to accept Gwi-ju's return to the present at face value aren't particularly strenuous, but I think it works both as Gwi-ju literally coming back and as a metaphorical return in the person of his son, who has similar powers and reminds his mother of him. And of the two possibilities, I prefer the latter. There is no escaping (certain aspects of) fate but Gwi-ju fulfils his destiny on his own terms, and the sacrifice he makes is a meaningful choice that is worthwhile to him, even if he doesn’t know Da-hae is pregnant. The little boy will always bring his father to mind and is a physical, genetic continuation of Gwi-ju's existence. Neither possibility spares his family (poor I-na!) having to deal with losing him, whether for 4-5 years or forever. Do they have any reason to believe he'd still be alive somehow?

The parts I would argue with are mostly too much walking and talking in the face of fiery death. Like, several minutes of palaver when stuff is exploding and falling all around - twice. It reminds me of the way kdrama characters fall off buildings and it takes 30 seconds or more for them to hit the ground, while the people around them have time to react, think, plan, and execute some response. (Although the way that happens in this show is hilarious.) Those scenes could have been compressed. But that's a quibble, and one could argue that in a show that bends and stretches time for life do-overs, it echoes Gwi-ju's experience of time being both an endless loop and too short to save someone. The show got the big things right. And both families turn out not to be so atypical after all - they have the same mix of conflicts and failings and support and love that a ‘typical’ family does, and make the same parental sacrifices and mistakes and good choices.

This show is just like some relationships... You can't fully understand them, you hate them sometimes, but yet you love them and they keep you wanting more!

Exactly how I felt while watching it... I still don't understand the time travel bits, but everything else was so darn compelling that it held me in thrall for its entirety. It's in my top shows for just this reason - that not everything was shown or told, and that made all the difference - I could use my imagination to fill in the blanks.

The acting from the support cast- Sauna mom, especially - superlative.

A huge, huge, shout out to the amazing cinematography, art direction, production design.

And like I've always said, the music director needs to sweep ALL the awards... The music on this show, honestly, needs to win Emmys... The score and ost was phe.no.men.al.

This drama is going to stay with me for a long time to come.

It was a very human series, albeit quirky, where all characters are depicted with imperfections and several undergo transformations. For the most part, their redemptions were justified. The conclusion was fine—it was happy, though somewhat brief (sudden?). Additionally, the show featured brilliant offbeat and sometimes playful music, which complemented the scenes perfectly.

I never understood the time travel bit but that’s ok cos i still enjoyed this not typical drama. I would’ve liked to see more of Nuri and also teenage Ina at the end though! Bummer not to see Ina and Da Hee together post-fire one last time.

This drama had such great premise with so much potential but it felt like the scriptwriter could not find a good way to wrap up the drama and had to find a convenient way to give the audience a happy ending. It's like a wrapping for an elaborated christmas present but did not have the skills for it and had to just tape everything together messily.

Ohhh how I love this drama. It seriously came out of nowhere. Reading the synopsis did get me interested but the first two episodes were pretty slow. I didn't mind that because this is jtbc and I'm used to their slow start anyway.

This show felt like a scam. I started it hating on all the characters (not I-na and Dong-hee) especially Da-hae. I just can't with scammers. However, at some point, I just found myself rooting for these people. I felt so attached to them. It's insane! Lol

The superpowers were quite confusing at first but the more I watched, the more they made sense. I think it has to do with things not changing. They were absolute. The future mom sees will happen. The problem with it was her interpretation so it seems like it "changes" based on that. As for Gwi-ju's power, it doesn't really change anything because they already happened. I like that. Things get messy when you play with time. Get rid of the wrist watches!! 👀

All my questions were answered so I'm really satisfied with the ending. It was so nice to see flawed characters learn from their mistakes and have changed perspectives going forward. It's so hopeful. I'm not perfect and I have a number of things I regretted doing. It was comforting to see here that you can do wrong things and still turn yourself around and be loved.

I think Nu-ri's power is not about going to the past and retrieving them because it wont make sense to go back to a time you didn't exist yet. I'm imagining a dimension where lost things go and he is able to go there to retrieve things. Gwi-ju got stuck there because he dies in the past as his future self. There was no place for his body to go to so he was sent to "Lost Things Dimension". Nu-ri's powers did not manifest until he was this age so he was only able to bring back Gwi-ju now.

Overall, a really good drama. Perfect pacing and episode count. Great writing, directing, acting, and music! It's amazing how a show about superpowers felt more real and relatable than anything I've seen this year. I love you, Atypical Family. You go straight to my favourite dramas of all time list.

I am a latecomer to the scene but I would like to add some observations. I was engaged throughout the drama, mainly because of the actors -- both the leads and the supporting cast. While I was not convinced by the romance between Gwi-ju and Da-hae, the actors made me very interested in their characters. I expect that had the series followed the normal 16-episode ebb-and-flow of Kdramas, the romance would have been more effectively developed. On the one hand, I am happy that Netflix (who imo has the best user-interface among streamers) is now into Kdramas, but I hate that they may be imposing their brand (hence 8 or 12 episodes).

I find Jang Ki-young to be magnetic on the screen. I feel that I can read emotions in Jang Ki-young’s face, though that might be my projecting such emotions onto his face, rather than his skill with micro expressions -- but the effect is the same for me. I loved his small part in My Ajusshi, particularly the extended fight on the stairs that turned bromancy. In Come and Hug Me, he played the strong silent tortured soul (but with much shorter though still cool hair).

I have seen Chun Woo-hee in only The 8 Show, where she played a very different sort of role. I will definitely check her out in her other dramas.

Even in the early episodes I held off judging Gwi-ju’s and Dong Hee’s self-destructive behaviors because I expected their stories would reveal root causes. I compared Gwi-ju’s alcoholic neglect of his (wonderful) daughter to the experience of women with severe postnatal depression: they are not doing this because they want to, rather they are emotionally powerless at the time.

@unit -- I so enjoyed your recaps, especially because I get much out of hearing opposite Beanie views that are so articulately (and entertainingly) expressed.