The Atypical Family: Critically Acclaimed Among K-drama Fans, With One Major Concern

Despite its unique supernatural romance and captivating cinematography, K-drama enthusiasts have expressed reservations about The Atypical Family due to a major red flag surrounding the character Dong-hee.

The Atypical Family centers on a woman’s arrival into the Bok family, where she uncovers the secret of their superhuman abilities. While also carrying out her own scheme, she finds herself falling for Gwi-joo.

Dong-hee is a part of the Bok family and shares a sibling bond with Gwi-joo. Similar to her family members, she possesses extraordinary abilities such as the power of flight. However, when her family is struck with real-life challenges that result in the loss of their powers, Dong-hee also loses her ability to fly. Gwi-joo’s depression causes him to lose his ability to time travel, while Dong-hee’s weight prevents her from taking flight.

The revelation of Dong-hee’s storyline has sparked criticism from fans, accusing The Atypical Family of promoting fatphobia. The show has come under fire for casting actor Claudia Kim to wear a fat suit instead of hiring a plus-sized actor, perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

Some fans on X/Twitter expressed their excitement for the first episode of the atypical family, stating that it had all the elements they look for in a hit show such as excellent cinematography, soundtrack, script, acting, and plot, making it perfect for them.

Despite the excitement surrounding Do-hee, not everyone was pleased. In fact, one individual took to Twitter to express their disappointment, stating, “Even in 2024, K-dramas continue to use overweight characters as a source of humor. It’s truly disgusting.”

Another person expressed their disappointment with the casting choice in The Atypical Family, stating that they were initially excited about the show but were put off when they saw a slim actress in a suit playing a character that they believed should have been portrayed by a larger actress. They criticized the production for not casting a fat actress in the role and expressed frustration with the lack of representation in media.

#theatypicalfamily has firmly established its position that fat = bad. that’s really all it takes to be fatphobic. and given that the character is played by a skinny actress in a fat suit, there’s no doubt in my mind that her storyline will involve weight loss. #atypicalfamily pic.twitter.com/ShfeoZsf8r

— dramakakes 🧁 (@DramaKakes) May 5, 2024

“Another Twitter user, while expressing enjoyment for the K-drama, pointed out that the show’s portrayal of the #theatypicalfamily has perpetuated the harmful belief that fat equals bad. They also noted that the use of a skinny actress wearing a fat suit only reinforces this fatphobic narrative and predicts that the character’s storyline will involve weight loss. Despite their enjoyment of the show, the fatphobia present is something they cannot overlook.”

With two episodes currently released, it is evident that a major aspect of Dong-hee’s story will involve her journey to lose weight. This is all in an effort to improve her self-esteem and regain her powers.

One day, while at Gwi-joo’s gym, a new personal trainer jokingly mentions that she knows Dong-hee from her mukbang videos on YouTube (videos of people eating). As Episode 2 approaches, Dong-hee starts to understand how others perceive her due to her weight. She becomes determined to get married and even asks her boyfriend at the time, but he turns her down.

It should be noted that Dong-hee is also employed at a cosmetic surgery clinic that specializes in liposuction. In a separate scene, she is seen running on a treadmill until she experiences a panic attack.

The Atypical Family offers both successful and questionable storylines. Tune into Netflix to see how the plot will develop and don’t miss out on other K-dramas airing in May.