First off, I’m sorry for keeping everyone hanging with my last post! Life seems to keep getting away from me. I promise that one day I will keep my promises.

But anyway… I’m kinda-sorta watching stuff now, as in I am watching a grand total of one (1) drama. And somehow it’s not the “fluffy” time slip romance drama with the brilliant Kim Hye-yoon that everyone else is watching (I just got kinda bored of it, okay?!).

I find it so curious that The Atypical Family feels fresh despite having so many of the markings of your typical k-dramas. The male lead from a rich family, the female lead from a poor one. The traumatic pasts. The superhero powers that seem to be more and more common in dramas as time goes by. The broken families. The “time travel” element. The past connection.

So what is it that makes it feel unique? Is it the conwoman female lead? Is it the widower male lead? Is it the brutally flawed yet sympathetic characters? Is it the odd directing style that is somehow simultaneously a bit elegant while also being a bit grungy? Maybe all of the above and more?

It’s somehow quite unlike anything I have watched before, and as someone who has been watching k-dramas for practically half of my life now, I can’t remember the last time a drama felt new to me. The show doesn’t grab me and give me that high that many of my favorite dramas do, but I feel this odd sense of ease and pleasure while watching it for some reason. I can’t quite describe it, but I enjoy it and all of its oddity.

I think it helps that I’m not quite sure where the drama is headed, and I’m happy to let it show me.

Also, Chun Woo-hee is beautiful and contains multitudes.

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    It seems this drama has divided beanieland into those of us who think this show is interesting and quite different (for everything you said) and those who totally dislike it.
    I’m in the first group 😊

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      I’ll be honest, I found some of the comments on the first recap to be… a lot. I am, of course, not saying that shows like this portray flawed people with generation trauma, depression, alcoholism, etc. realistically, but the way people so easily write off even fictional characters and call them worthless, incapable of change, and even suggesting they should just die came across as incredibly callous to me.

      TV is not real life, but if people can’t even give fictional characters grace, give them the opportunity to make mistakes but also find their way, how can we ever be capable of giving real people that grace?

      And to be clear, I am not saying that people need to like watching damaged, flawed characters. For many people that is not what they go to fiction for and that is totally fine! But it’s the comments from people who DO watch and view these flawed characters so cruelly that give me pause.

      Speaking as someone who HAS struggled with mental health, we exist in real life and we deserve to live. And seeing the overly cruel comments directed towards fictional characters whose struggles and experiences mirror those of real people can be very disheartening.

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    Thanks Mindy for your thoughts on THE ATYPICAL FAMILY. It is such an interesting and unusual drama. I figure by episode 4 those whose cup of tea it isn’t will probably have dropped it.

    If you think some of the first TAF recap comments were rough wait until (if and when) the recap for the first episodes of DARE TO LOVE ME is released. Buckle your seat belts.
    I am enjoying both so I will be sticking with both dramas.

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    Hi Mindy! Glad to see you’re back watching something! I, too, am enjoying the directorial and artistic choices that Atypical family is giving me. I didn’t really read the recaps for 1-2 at all, but did read 3-4 and left a comment as well. Gone are the days that I would read every line of the recap and comment accordingly. Ain’t got no time for that. I’m loving the musical direction of this show too, for the most part. See you around!

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    Welcome back, life happens so we all accept that beanies come and go.

    Did you still want to do the weekly What we’re reading? If so is it going to be hosted on your wall or the Open Thread and are you doing it on a Saturday too or will you opt for mid week to avoid the weekend site glitches?

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    I’m so glad you’re enjoying the drama. It is quite a refreshing chance.

    Also we literally watch dramas to see our characters grow … what would a drama be if all the characters are perfect from the get-go.

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