THE SHORT VERDICT:

When Show is at its best, it’s very interesting to watch, largely because it feels refreshing and different, from its drama peers.

From its premise, to the way Show weaves its story, I found this quite delightful, once I got more used to Show’s offbeat, slightly melancholic, rather deadpan sort of vibe.

Unfortunately, I personally feel that Show is not at its best, in its last stretch, and could have done a lot better, in managing the development of our characters and their relationships.

On balance, though, Show has enough merit, that I don’t regret checking it out.

THE LONG VERDICT:

I think Show’s biggest selling point, is that it feels fresh and different; I honestly can’t think of another drama that I’ve seen, that feels quite like this one.

You know how, with food, sometimes a different shape or texture makes it fun to eat, even though the flavor may not be exceptionally different from what you’re used to?

This kinda feels like the drama equivalent.

Because, while it’s pretty obvious from Show’s promos, that Gwi Ju and Da Hae (Jang Ki Yong and Chun Woo Hee) will be Show’s romantic endgame, for example, Show’s quirkily different approach to our various story pieces, makes this fun to watch. 🥰

Unfortunately, it’s also true that I have a pretty major beef with the way Show handles character and relationship development in its later stretch, but we can talk about that later. 😁

Also, your mileage may vary, and what didn’t work for me, might not actually be an issue for you.

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while reading the review.

None of the songs really got under my skin, but overall, I thought the OST was very much in character with Show”s quirky, offbeat, not-quite-the-norm sort of vibe.

In particular, I thought Track 2, Look and See, did a great job of reflecting Show’s non-normative vibes, with its dissonant chords, and then the introduction of large lashings of harmony, while still retaining the dissonant chords in the mix.

It makes me feel like this track is a musical expression of the kind of creature that Show wants to be. I thought this was really nicely done.

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering both the more macro aspects of Show, as well as selected characters and relationships. I’ve opted not to do a separate section on characters and relationships, for this review.

Finally, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate episodes, as well as our finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think is helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. A black comedy / satire lens is helpful

I don’t actually think that Show is mainly a black comedy nor a satire (I feel that it’s more like part satire, part dark comedy, part healing story), but I do feel like having a black comedy / satire lens ready, would be helpful.

The reason I’m thinking that, is because the “modern ailments” that plague our various members of the Bok family, are mostly exaggerated and quite.. um, politically incorrect?

[MILD BROAD SPOILERS]

Specifically, I’m thinking of Dong Hee (Kim Su Hyun) and her food addiction. The whole thing is very exaggerated to my eyes, and the fat jokes are insensitive, to put it mildly.

I saw some people questioning the need for a fat suit in the first place, saying that they could’ve just cast a suitably sized actress for the role, but I’m guessing that the reason is because we will see Dong Hee overcome her food addiction, and return to her original size.

That’s likely why they cast a slimmer actress and used a fat suit, I’m thinking.

Also, the way Gwi Ju (Jang Ki Yong) is shown drinking all day, everyday, and going around saying that he’s depressed, and that’s why he’s like this, seems.. incredibly one-note, over-the-top and insensitive to boot – to everyone who’s struggling with their mental health.

[END MILD BROAD SPOILERS]

The apparent insensitivity is the reason I’m casting about for the black comedy label, because that’s when shows poke fun at otherwise taboo subjects, and this.. kind of fits the bill?

It all lands better, though, when I think of these characters as being purposely exaggerated to make a point.

2. Give it a little time to settle

Because of Show’s very different, unique sort of tone and vibe, I found myself feeling very uncertain of what to make of it, while watching episodes 1 and 2. By episodes 3 and 4, however, I found myself enjoying this show more naturally and effortlessly.

So if you’re like me, and find yourself feeling uncertain of what to make of episodes 1 and 2, hang in there and give it a little bit of time.

3. Suspension of disbelief is required, sometimes

There are times when Show isn’t too clear on the logic of some developments, whether those are plot-related, character-related, or relationship-related.

The more you’re able to suspend disbelief when that happens, the more you’re likely to enjoy your watch, I feel.

4. Your mileage may vary

I just wanted to say that I’ve come across reactions from across the spectrum, for this show.

Some folks love this show to bits, while others find it hard to enjoy because they find the characters unlikable.

The only real way to find out where you land with this one, is to try it out for yourself.

STUFF I LIKED

Show’s management of its premise

Like I mentioned earlier, mostly, I really like how fresh this watch feels, because I generally don’t find the unfolding of this story predictable, even if I can guess at some of the large plot points.

This might sound like a smallish thing, but for someone like me, who’s been watching dramas seriously for the past 17 years, it is a rare and precious thing, to come across a drama that doesn’t quite feel like any other drama I’ve watched before.

For example, it’s basically a given that Gwi Ju and Da Hae will end up falling for each other, in spite of themselves, and Da Hae will end up being a positive addition to the family, coz that’s pretty much all in the synopsis and the premise.

However, just because I know that, doesn’t mean that I can predict, beat by beat, what’s going to happen next, and I like that a lot.

In some ways, Show’s feels like a 3D sort of puzzle, and it feels like writer-nim likes flipping the puzzle ever so often, to tackle it from a different angle, before flipping it again, so that we can approach from another angle.

I found this all rather thrilling.

Park So Yi as In Ah

Hands down, In Ah was my favorite character in this entire drama world, over and above our advertised leads. She was my MVP, always. 🥲

Part of it is because Park So Yi is just so fantastic in the role and in her delivery of In Ah.

She’s so tiny, but she’s got these big expressive eyes, and she expresses In Ah’s internal landscape so well, with her gaze, her micro-expressions, and her body language. So impressive, especially for such a young actor! 🤩

The other part of it, of course, is how In Ah is written.

She’s such an underdog, with her quiet insecurities and hidden pain, that I wanted to protect her and keep her safe at all costs. 🥲

I was always in her corner rooting for her, and I literally perked up more at her scenes, than at the scenes of even our OTP, even when I was happy with the development of the OTP arc.

All that to say, I loved Park So Yi as In Ah, very very much. 🤩

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I can see why In Ah would be hesitant to even tell her family about her superpower, because this would mean that they would become more guarded around her.

And her determination to avoid eye contact now seems so much more poignant, because now we can see that she desperately doesn’t want to end up hearing something in someone else’s thoughts that she’d rather not know.

The fact that she keeps telling Da Hae to run away while she can, makes me feel that In Ah herself wishes that she could run away too. Aw. That’s quite sad, isn’t it?

E3-4. I kinda love the idea that the cool boy that In Ah’s got a crush on, Joon Woo (Ki Ho!!!! From Castaway Diva!!! 😍😍 – if ya know, ya know), actually notices her.

I squeed on her behalf, when she heard him think that she was pretty, and also, when he sought her out at dance practice, and wanted to know what music she was listening to.

My inner teenage heart swelled on her behalf, because it feels extra precious, given how In Ah thinks of herself as invisible to others. 🥲

It sucks that Mean-Girl-pretending-to-be-Nice-Girl Hye Rim (Kim Soo In) seems set on driving a good amount of distance between In Ah and Joon Woo, and now I’m really quite invested to see how this all unfolds.

I want Joon Woo to know that In Ah doesn’t really think he’s a jerk!

E5-6. My heart goes out to In Ah, with the way she’s making conscious decisions to allow Hye Rim to take advantage of her, in exchange for something that appears to be acceptance and friendship, but is really much more transactional and manipulative.

It’s so heartbreaking, isn’t it, to think that In Ah sincerely believes that the closest she can get to actually having a friend, is to allow said “friend” to take advantage of her. 💔

I can’t help but cheer for In Ah, over the fact that Joon Woo, the boy Hye Rim’s set her sights on, actually likes her.

That moment when he gives her that stick of cotton candy at the amusement park is so precious, for the shyly happy expression that we get to see on In Ah’s face, as she squeaks out a “thank you,” to Joon Woo’s retreating back. 🥲

When Hye Rim makes it In Ah’s job to get Joon Woo to the carousel, so that she can ask Joon Woo out, I actually got a stab of satisfaction, to see Joon Woo tell In Ah instead, that he likes her.

It’s a bummer that Hye Rim gets all upset and decides to break off her “friendship” with In Ah, but honestly, she was never really a friend to In Ah to begin with, so I do feel that this is better for In Ah, in the long run.

E7-8. I do love how In Ah’s starting to use her powers around her family; no announcement or anything – just nonchalantly mind-reading.

How far our In Ah has come! 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Chun Woo Hee as Da Hae

I thought Chun Woo Hee did a very nice job of the role of Da Hae.

From the unruffled perfect demeanor that Da Hae starts with, to the big reactions, to the subtle micro-expressions and body language in-between, I thought Chun Woo Hee did a solid job of delivering a performance that felt lived-in.

In her hands, I soon found Da Hae a sympathetic character, despite the situation, and the more I learned about Da Hae, the more I automatically thought of her as one of the good guys.

Interestingly, I rooted for Da Hae to be happy and free, but it was not a must for me, that she find love with Gwi Ju.

Which already tells you that I had mixed feelings about the OTP loveline, which I’ll talk about later.

In Ah and Da Hae

The reluctant burgeoning bond between Da Hae and In Ah was one of my favorite relationships in this show.

They are such an unlikely pair, and yet, when they are together, it becomes increasingly clear that they’re perfect for each other, and I love that. 😍

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. The moments when Da Hae manages to connect with In Ah, feel so precious.

I love the idea that Da Hae’s able to understand her “growing girl” needs, and meet her there, without In Ah asking, like with the eyebrow thing, where Da Hae’s the one who grooms In Ah’s eyebrows for her, which In Ah ends up liking a lot. Very nice. 🥰

E7-8. I thought it was bittersweetly poignant, that when In Ah had that terribly overwhelming experience of losing her glasses and being bombarded with the unvarnished, unkind thoughts of every person whom she saw, her strongest instinct, was to go to Da Hae, because Da Hae was the only person with whom she felt safe, without her glasses.

Awww. That is so precious, isn’t it?

I feel like this bond that’s grown between In Ah and Da Hae is one of my favorites in this entire story world, over and above the OTP connection. 🥲

It’s so touching that Da Hae would go so far as to risk Sauna Mom’s wrath, in order to protect In Ah – and that In Ah knows this so clearly, from having read Sauna Mom’s thoughts.

It feels so precious that in a world where everyone is pointing fingers at Da Hae for being a traitor, whether they’re from the Bok family or the sauna family, In Ah knows exactly why Da Hae’s being the way she is.

In Ah can see that Da Hae only has their best interests at heart, and is doing all this to protect them, and this only strengthens her liking for and faith in Da Hae. I love that a lot. 🥲

I also really love the fact that the trust flows both ways, like the way we see Da Hae tell In Ah, so matter-of-factly, that she is able to see Gwi Ju while he time travels, even though she doesn’t know the reason why.

That’s something that Da Hae hasn’t told anyone else, and I love that she’s taking In Ah into her confidence.

[END SPOILER]

In Ah and Gwi Ju

Even though I had mixed feelings about Gwi Ju’s characterization (more on that later), I found myself pretty invested in Gwi Ju’s relationship with In Ah; I just.. couldn’t help it.

Their father-daughter relationship was so awkward and broken, and yet, it was clear to see how badly both father and daughter wanted to connect to each other, but just didn’t know how.

How could I not be invested, yes? 🥲

While I do think that Show could have given more time and attention to healing and growing this relationship, I liked the nuggets that we did get.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. It’s exaggerated for effect, but it’s a completely relatable thing, I think, that Gwi Ju doesn’t know what kind of gift to get In Ah, because she’s growing up, and he still sees her as a little girl.

Even though Da Hae is officially trying to scam Gwi Ju, it’s still heartening to see that, with her influence, Gwi Ju and In Ah are a step closer to each other, by the time we get to the end of episode 2.

E5-6. I do love that Gwi Ju’s really applying himself and making an effort, not only to connect with Da Hae, but also, to connect with In Ah.

It’s sweet that he tries to make In Ah breakfast, which is something he’s never done before, and it’s also sweet that he doesn’t get upset when she hurries off, weirded out by him being so caring.

E7-8. The way In Ah sees right through Gwi Ju, when he claims that he has nothing more to do with Da Hae, made me grin. Yay for superpowers. 😁

[END SPOILER]

Go Do Shim as Man Heum

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I liked Man Heum, whom I took to calling SuperMom, right away.

I loved how she comes across as larger-than-life, and quite colorful, and yet, the strongest vibe I felt I was getting, was that she’s warm and kind.

And, though her methods are often unorthodox, she clearly has her family’s best interests at heart. That warm, Big Grandma energy really endears her to me. 🥰

It’s true that SuperMom shows some less endearing behavior in the later part of our show, but I always believed that she sincerely wanted to protect her family and do her best for them.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E7-8. I’m a little disappointed that SuperMom goes from being super nice to Da Hae, to being completely disgusted with her.

This really brings out two things, for me.

1, Her power of seeing the future really is limited.

Yes, she has dreams and sometimes those dreams are useful, but they are ultimately dreams without context and all these snippets that she sees are sometimes not very useful – or at worst, even unhelpful.

2, She really is fiercely protective of her family, which is why she’s so angry with Da Hae.

She believes at face value what she’s seen in her dream, and I think the main reason she’s cutting off Da Hae, is for having the audacity to hurt Gwi Ju.

At least, that’s the sense that I get; that this is more about hurting Gwi Ju, than about trying to steal money from their household.

[END SPOILER]

The connection between Dong Hee and Grace [SPOILERS]

I found myself enjoying this frenemy-ship, in spite of myself.

I absolutely didn’t like that Grace actually pushes Dong Hee over the landing ledge in episodes 7-8, which almost results in a serious accident, but y’know, I kinda love the partnership that results after Dong Hee threatens to throw Grace over the same ledge, as revenge.

The way Grace uses her slippery scamming skills to help Dong Hee get back together with Ji Han (Choi Seung Yoon) amused me, though I felt sorry for Dong Hee, when Ji Han turns out to be only interested in the building that they’d stand to inherit, if the were to get married.

I think Grace feels kind of sorry for Dong Hee too, judging from the way she takes Dong Hee back to the sauna to let her rest, and even promises to help Dong Hee get married – so that they can share it, ha.

Weirdly, once I put aside the fact that Grace is in this to scam Dong Hee, and even almost killed Dong Hee, as a result, I do enjoy the sardonic, bickery-yet-caring vibes between these two. 🤭

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Jang Ki Yong as Gwi Ju

I’ve come to the conclusion that Gwi Ju didn’t really pop for me, as a character.

It’s likely got at least a little bit to do with how he’s delivered, but I think it’s mostly to do with how he’s written.

[SPOILER ALERT]

I didn’t like Gwi Ju as a depressed character, because I felt that this was very caricature-y and two-dimensional.

I mean, he just mostly drinks a lot, and schleps around sullenly, and when he does say something, it’s mostly to state, all deadpan, that he’s depressed.

For the record, I did grow irritated with this expression of Gwi Ju’s in the picture above, all dead-eyed, and with his head cocked to one side. I felt it was overused as a shorthand for how depressed Gwi Ju was.

I feel like Show could have given a lot more nuance to Gwi Ju, particularly in the area of his depression.

I also understand that it’s because of his depression, that he’s ended up neglecting In Ah so much, in her formative years.

I appreciate that we get to see Gwi Ju try to reconnect with her, and that he shows a fatherly tenderness and love towards her.

However, it didn’t ring true to me, that Gwi Ju would not consider In Ah more, in grappling with his probable fate, of dying while saving Da Hae from the fire from 18 years ago.

Also, when Gwi Ju thinks that Da Hae’s dead and he’s lost her forever, he slips right back into the same depressive behavior that we see from episode 1, and that has the unfortunate effect of visually communicating that he hasn’t changed or grown much, if at all, from when we’d first met him.

Additionally, Show’s not very good in general at charting character growth that feels authentic, which I’ll talk more about later, and which just didn’t help, with making Gwi Ju pop.

Altogether, I just never felt very connected to Gwi Ju as a character; he didn’t feel very real to me, unfortunately.

[END SPOILER]

The connection between Gwi Ju and Da Hae

Like I mentioned earlier, I have mixed feelings about how Show handles this OTP relationship.

On the upside, I like the overall trajectory, where Gwi Ju and Da Hae form a genuine connection, despite her questionable agenda, and this connection ends up helping the both of them.

Also on the upside, I felt that Show does a really nice job of teasing out the initial moments of mutual suspicion and uncertainty, where they’re not quite sure of what to make of each other.

For 8 episodes, Show teases out their connection in this slow way that feels organic in the way it’s sometimes two steps forward, one step back.

On the downside, Show seems to rush the OTP relationship from the low-creeping-to-mid end of the OTP connection scale, into sudden off-the-charts territory, in episodes 9 and 10.

I will discuss this is more detail, in the section where I talk about the penultimate episodes, but essentially, this felt very inauthentic and unbelievable to me, and that deeply affected my interest and emotional investment in this OTP relationship.

However, looking back, I have to concede that the early work that Show does, in teasing out this relationship, is pretty great, so here’s a spotlight on those goodies.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. That closing scene at the end of episode 2 was pretty neat, I thought.

On the one hand, this is him gaining something, because he really does get the ability to go back to a specific happy moment.

Not only that, it seems that he gains the ability to touch other people, while doing so. I mean, besides holding Da Hae’s hand, he did also get pushed aside by other people who were running away from the “fire”?

As for Da Hae, she gains help in that moment; she’d been drowning in her fear of fire, paralyzed and unable to move, but it’s Gwi Ju who comes along and reaches her, in her place of darkness.

I feel like that probably summarizes the trajectory we’re about to witness, in their connection? Where they find and reach each other, in their respective darkest places, and help each other out of it.

E3-4. I find very amusing how Da Hae keeps telling Gwi Ju that he’s done this or that nice thing for her, and he thinks she’s lying and manipulating his family with those lies, but it always turns out that it was his future self that had been doing said nice thing for her, and she hadn’t actually been lying at all.

This is a bit of a running gag, this pair of episodes, and it just never got old for me; I found it just as ticklish each time. 🤭

We’d already been introduced to the moment when Gwi Ju had held Da Hae’s hand, when she’d crumpled to the floor at the announcement that there was a fire in the department store.

Therefore, I was, comparatively speaking, more amused at how shocked Gwi Ju is, when he hears Da Hae say that he’d been the one to give her those flowers, and that he’d hugged her, and invited her to live with his family.

He’s so vehemently in denial, that it makes it extra funny to see how it all eventually unfolds – and he does exactly what Da Hae had described. Tee hee hee!

It’s good, though, that Gwi Ju is coming to realize that his powers being reawakened, have everything to do with Da Hae, and that he can only return to moments where she’s present.

We don’t know yet whether it’s as Dad says, that Da Hae is the person to complete Gwi Ju’s powers, but that is a very romantic idea, I must say.

E3-4. It does feel significant that Gwi Ju and Da Hae seem to be building a bit of a connection, despite Gwi Ju’s reticence and reluctance.

And it does look like his sympathies go out to her, the more he learns about her, like how she’s afraid of fire because of that incident in her past, and also, how she’d really been left alone in the world her father had died.

I think it also says something, that Gwi Ju was worried enough about her, after hearing Mom’s disturbing dream about Da Hae being taken away from the sauna on a stretcher, to follow her.

He’s not following her because he’s suspicious of her; he’s following her because he’s worried about her. That’s endearing, isn’t it? 🥲

But also, I had to laugh, because it turns out that it’s Gwi Ju himself, that causes Da Hae to hit her head, and therefore be sent to the hospital. 😂

So.. if he’d just left her alone, she wouldn’t have needed to go to the hospital?

I do find the circular logic at play in this part of our story, a fun touch, even as it boggles my brain. 😁

E3-4. I’m quite distracted by the way Gwi Ju’s leaning in to kiss Da Hae, saying that they should first confirm their love, before talking about any marriage certificate.

And the kisses are quite molten and ardent, if I may say so.

Rawr. 🔥

I certainly wasn’t expecting kisses this early in our story, especially when I wasn’t even sure how much romance we were going to get.

A very pleasant surprise, in my books. 🔥😁

E5-6. We start episode 5 by revisiting the kiss scene from the end of episode 4, and I’m slightly surprised (though I shouldn’t be), that Gwi Ju had kissed Da Hae as an experiment, and not as an expression of love.

I should have seen that coming, since from everything that we’ve seen, Gwi Ju’s still in a quizzical, testing the waters kind of phase.

And, even though Future Him has proven Past Him wrong on a few occasions now, it makes sense that Gwi Ju would be on guard enough to wonder whether what Dae Hae says is true.

The moment taking hold of Gwi Ju, and summoning him back to it, over and over, was really funny, though.

Clearly, the kiss is more on Gwi Ju’s mind than he’d like to admit, and the way he tries multiple methods of trying to block it out – and getting summoned again anyway – is quite hilarious. 😁

I can see why Gwi Ju would try to get Da Hae to tell him more about the fire and how he might have rescued her.

I don’t think that he thinks she’s lying about having been in the fire, because he’s seen her get paralyzed with fear at just the thought of being trapped in a fire, but the way he asks her about it, does come across with a distinct note of unbelief.

I can see why this would upset Da Hae, but thinking about it, it’s clear to see, on hindsight, that the unbelief hadn’t been about Da Hae, but about himself.

Gwi Ju has been so paralyzed himself, around that moment of In Ah’s birth, which is when the fire had occurred, that he finds it hard to believe that he would be able to go back to it, let alone actually save Da Hae from the fire.

There’s a fair bit of pathos in both views of the situation, I feel.

E5-6. I have no idea how Gwi Ju knows to find her in that storage room, but I’m so glad that he does, because I just want poor Da Hae to find a way out of her panic.

I’m glad that Gwi Ju speaks gently to her, and even promises to save her; it’s such a lovely moment of raw openness, between the two of them, with him opening his heart to the idea of saving her, and her, allowing herself to hope that he really will. 🥲

It’s too bad for Gwi Ju, that Da Hae’s back to being spooked about being busted, once she comes to her senses again.

Suddenly, instead of Da Hae being the one to pursue a connection with Gwi Ju, Gwi Ju is the one trying to connect with Dae Hae, and I found this quite amusing.

Now, we’re seeing a much more proactive, earnest side to Gwi Ju, and it’s really rather endearing. And dorky. Let’s not forget dorky. 😁

Da Hae isn’t playing hard to get, in order to get Gwi Ju to appreciate her more, but it sure does land that way, doesn’t it? This amuses me. 🤭

E5-6. It’s really dorky how Gwi Ju plants himself at the sauna and insists on helping out, when Da Hae and “Mom” keep telling him to just leave already. 😂

But I have to admit, it’s really sweet that he persists and doesn’t give up, even though they keep shooing him away. Aw.

E5-6. When Gwi Ju’s mom tells her family that she dreamt of Gwi Ju and Da Hae’s wedding, I find it quite endearing, really, that Gwi Ju decides to embrace that future, and even shows up with tulips for Da Hae, and tells her that he’s getting excited about that future.

Aw. It feels like he’s opening his heart to her properly now, in a manner where his heart feels settled instead of uncertain, and that is heartening to see, honestly.

At the same time, we can see Da Hae’s sincerity towards Gwi Ju showing too, and of course, this takes the shape of her feeling uncertain about the wedding, because the wedding’s designed to be a scam.

It really says a lot, that Da Hae would come clean at the wedding itself, because she doesn’t want to hurt Gwi Ju.

Clearly, she knows that him taking this step to marry her is a huge deal, and that he wouldn’t be able to recover from it, if she were to hurt him and turn that happy memory into another painful one, just like what had happened with his memory of In Ah’s birth.

Like what Mom had said so cryptically to Gwi Ju before the wedding, this was like ripping off a bandaid.

Even so, it’s hard to see the shock and pain in Gwi Ju’s eyes, as he takes in what Da Hae is saying.

Aw. Poor Gwi Ju, and poor Da Hae as well.

I’m certain that we’ll spend the second half of our story focused on them finding their way back to each other, this time without any pretense or deceit, and I’m looking forward to see how Show brings that about, because at this point, I feel like I just never know what Show’s going to do next. 🥲

E7-8. One of the things I enjoyed, this set of episodes, is how Gwi Ju keeps going back to moments in the past with Da Hae, and ends up either learning something new about that moment, or actually affecting that moment, because he’s able to interact with Da Hae, in the past.

Of course, the most compelling part of that entire cycle of events, is how his understanding of – and therefore his feelings for! – Da Hae continues to evolve.

Interestingly, it seems that his power is either evolving to not just being able to travel back to moments when he’d been happy, or his own understanding of his power has been.. incomplete.

Because the first time slip that he engages in, right after Da Hae makes that big announcement that ruins the wedding, is to go right back to that moment, which, for him, had been anything but happy.

What I like about these time slips, is that he gets to see the part of Da Hae that he misses in the present, because he’s stormed off.

The sadness in her expression; the tears that she sheds; even the slap that she receives from Sauna Mom; he misses all these in the first go-around, but sees it all, when he returns to the wedding break-up, over and over again.

And with his recurring trips back – mostly because the moment summons him, if I understand it right, and not the other way around – he builds a fuller understanding of Da Hae.

Of course, like the emotionally stunted guy that he is, he can only get so far with piecing it all together, and needs In Ah to nudge him the last step of the way, which is when she asks him, pointedly, if he still can’t tell why Da Hae had broken off the wedding like that.

But once he gets the idea, however, I do love how endearingly persistent he is, in trying to get close to Da Hae again. 🥲

I’m also rather amused at how Gwi Ju is now able to change the future, by changing the past – and that, through Da Hae, because she’s the only person who can see and hear him, while he’s time traveling.

The way he badgered her into stopping his past self from leaving, so that his past self could go save Dong Hee, was quite amusing, I felt.

At the same time, I do find it quite delightful to contrast how much more familiar and gentle Future Gwi Ju is, so much of the time, compared to Past Gwi Ju.

It emphasizes how far Gwi Ju has come, in his understanding of Da Hae, and his feelings for her, and I like that a lot.

As for Da Hae, it’s clear that through all of this, she does have feelings for Gwi Ju, and she’s determined to protect him and his family from her sauna family.

When she tells Sauna Mom that she has feelings for Gwi Ju, and that’s why she can’t be certain that she can hold it together around him, it’s the truth – and she’s twisting that truth, just a little bit, in order to get Sauna Mom to give up the idea of Da Hae re-establishing her relationship with Gwi Ju, in order for them to scam the Bok family.

That twist on the truth, is that she wants to move on, and find her fourth potential husband.

I’m pretty dang sure that Da Hae doesn’t actually want to move on from Gwi Ju, or find a different potential husband; she’s doing all that in order to protect him, and I’m glad that Gwi Ju’s not giving up easily, now that he understands her heart.

One of my favorite things, this pair of episodes, is how Gwi Ju looks more and more happy, carefree and affectionate, when he’s with Da Hae.

Given how we’ve spent so much of our story with Gwi Ju looking vacant and listless, this is such a refreshing change, and it warms my heart that the reason for this change in him, is Da Hae. 🥲

And, I do love that his condition for the deal, that he gets to spend time with Da Hae, turns into moments of conversation, where they learn more about each other.

Her feelings as she’s learned to ride a bike; her first shaved ice; what his superpowers had first taught him; these are all topics of conversation, and I really like the idea of them understanding each other better through these conversations.

And, it feels particularly meaningful, that Gwi Ju finds himself going back to a moment at the hospital – which turns out to be when Da Hae had been holding the funeral memorial for her father.

Augh. He sees that interaction with Sauna Mom, when Sauna Mom had pronounced that Dad’s debt was now Da Hae’s to pay.

I feel like this must contribute so much, to his understanding of Da Hae, and I’m consoled on Da Hae’s behalf, that he walks up to Da Hae, and just puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, without saying anything.

In this moment, when she feels like life couldn’t get any worse, he’s providing a moment of warmth and consolation, and this feels very precious, even though Da Hae has no idea who he is, in this moment.

E7-8. I also kinda love how Gwi Ju approaches Sauna Mom and makes that proposition, that they work together, where he gets to spend time with Da Hae, and they get to benefit from his ability to time travel.

For quite a while, I had no idea where Gwi Ju was going with this – which is quite a fun sensation to have – and then I was all quite gleeful, when I realized that Gwi Ju was basically using this as an excuse, to give Da Hae a way to pay off her debt to Sauna Mom, and leave the toxic criminal sauna family behind.

What hit me harder, though, was the flashback where we see Da Hae have that first taste of shaved ice, thanks to that very kind elderly lady.

Augh. The fact that Da Hae had had it that hard, that she’d found herself stealing bread in order to have food to eat, couple with that lady’s sympathy and kindness, just put a huge lump in my throat. 🥹

I’m so glad as well, that Da Hae feels able to tell Gwi Ju about this, even as she enjoys that shaved ice, and tears up over the memories that it brings back to her.

I was honestly rather surprised that Da Hae doesn’t cash in the lottery money herself, since Gwi Ju gives it to her for the purpose of helping her get free from Sauna Mom.

But, I can see that Da Hae cares about Gwi Ju and his family, and that’s why she gives that winning ticket to SuperMom instead of using it herself.

This is her way of taking care of and protecting Gwi Ju. 🥲

E7-8. I think it’s great that Gwi Ju finally has the confirmation and clarity, that he’s the one who’d saved Da Hae, even though he hasn’t actually done it yet.

I love even more, that he looks so.. fulfilled, as he comes to this realization; it’s like he’s met his life’s purpose, and now knows how to go about achieving it. 🥲

On that note, I just thought I’d mention that I actually like this circular logic that Show is employing.

Instead of questioning how the rules of time travel work in this story world, I prefer to take this as a mindbendy fun sort of thing, which, at the same time, reinforces the romantic idea that Gwi Ju and Da Hae are just meant to be together.

He’s destined to save her, just as she’s destined to save him, and there’s no way to pull apart the threads of logic here, because these very threads need to stay intertwined, in order to hold them together. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

Kim Su Hyun as Dong Hee

I personally didn’t find Dong Hee to be a very likable character, mostly because she comes across as being rather shallow and mean, for a good chunk of our story. I didn’t like that so much.

I did feel sympathetic for her struggles, and could understand her lousy moods were a result of those struggles, but overall, I just couldn’t muster up much affection for her as a character, despite my efforts. Sorry. 😅

STUFF I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH

Show’s handling of relationships & emotions [VAGUE HIGH LEVEL SPOILER]

This only became clearer to me in Show’s late episodes (so you’ll be able to see me breaking this down in a detailed fashion, in the next two sections), and it’s true that Show’s weakness in this area isn’t as pronounced in its earlier episodes, but I have to admit that this made a significant difference to how well I enjoyed my watch.

Essentially, it feels like writer-nim only put real care into exploring our characters’ relationships and growth, in our first 8 episodes, and then suddenly realized that there were only 2 episodes left instead of, say, 12 more episodes, and therefore, leapfrogged over whatever other slow-burn, organic developments that might have happened in those hypothetical 10 extra episodes, to suddenly arrive at the end result, where everyone’s where they should be.

This made for a very bemusing watch experience of the last 4 episodes, for me personally, and I found myself feeling more and more disconnected from this story and these characters.

Ultimately, even though we only really see this weakness at play in Show’s last 4 episodes, this left me feeling rather hollow and dissatisfied, as I got to the finish line.

Of course, your mileage may vary, depending on how important emotional connection is to you, in dramas, so just because this was a big downer for me, doesn’t mean that it would necessarily be that, for you.

THOUGHTS ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E9-10. We are at the penultimate episodes of our story, and this is the first time I find myself saying that these episodes felt rather uneven, for me.

The high points were solid and engaging, but I find myself surprised by the low points; that is, I somehow hadn’t expected to feel this way, about our characters.

Let me start with the high points.

Mainly, that would be anything to do with In Ah, as well as her moments with Gwi Ju. I felt that episode 9 gave us a good chunk of goodness in both these areas, and I liked that very well.

I got all protective over In Ah, in those bullying scenes; kids can be so casually cruel. Grrrr. 😡

With the other kids being so mean, I’m not surprised that In Ah hides in the storage room, if only to get away from it all.

But trust Hye Rim to be cruel and petty enough, to lock her in the storage room, to get back at her. UGH.

I’m glad though, that this works as a catalyst for Gwi Ju to learn more about his daughter, as he searches for her.

I thought it was a fun, ironic sort of touch, that Spying Uncle, who’s been tailing In Ah all this time, for the scam, turns out to be the fountain of information for Gwi Ju, telling Gwi Ju where In Ah tends to hang out, what she does, and what her favorite drink is, even.

I felt that was quite clever of Show, to give Spying Uncle’s spying activities this useful twist.

I felt so gratified, to see Gwi Ju burst through the storage room door, home right in on In Ah, and gather her up in his arms.

Awww, YESSS for daddy-daughter healing and restoration. 🥰🥰🥰

Also, big shout-out to Da Hae, for being there, not only to be an understanding and empathetic presence for In Ah, sharing her own story of being invisible in high school, but also, to nudge the daddy-daughter relationship along, such that Gwi Ju would keep silent and still long enough, to let In Ah read his heart.

I thought that was pretty great. 🥲

And honestly, Gwi Ju’s heart for In Ah is so warm and tender, so gentle and loving, while being threaded through with so much uncertainty, that it really made my heart go out to him – which is likely what happened for In Ah as well. 🥲

And, what a suckerpunch to the gut, for Gwi Ju (and for me as well), to realize that In Ah’s always had her powers – and that she’d therefore heard her mother think that In Ah should’ve never been born, right before Mom died in that accident.

OOF. Just, how much trauma has In Ah suffered, consequently??? 😭

It’s no wonder she’s tried to hide her power all these years, and it’s no wonder she has so much fear around looking into people’s eyes.

If her own mother had thought such devastating thoughts about her, what more other people, right? So completely and utterly heartbreaking. 😭💔😭

It feels so needful, that she’s able to cry to Gwi Ju now, and give all of those pent-up hurts release. 🥹

And how healing is it, that Gwi Ju finally gets to teach In Ah how to ride a bike?? That feels so needful for both him and In Ah, doesn’t it? 🥲

And, and, AND!

We get that adorable little confession scene where In Ah plucks up her courage and squeaks out to Joon Woo (not once, but twice!), that she likes him.

Eeeeeee!!!! 😍😍😍 That is the cutest, most endearing moment, and I’m glad that In Ah found the courage to be herself and say what she really feels, in front of the person she likes. 🥲

Also, I do love that In Ah’s eventual attitude towards Hye Rim, is one of indifference.

That’s perfect, in my opinion.

Rather than gloat over Hye Rim becoming the new target of everyone’s unkind comments, or still be so desperate to be Hye Rim’s friend like she’d been before, In Ah is matter-of-factly indifferent towards Hye Rim, not because she wants to punish Hye Rim, but because this is really how she feels now, and that’s the best outcome I could want, honestly.

It shows that In Ah’s no longer affected by Hye Rim, one way or the other, and is more interested in living her own life and being happy in that, and that’s the perfect way for In Ah to move on from this friendship that never really was.

I’m neutral about the situation between SuperMom and Non-SuperDad, in that it is a bummer that their marriage has come to this, where Mom’s ready to divorce Dad, but is only keeping up appearances for now, because she wants to make Gwi Ju happy.

Admittedly, it’s low of Sauna Mom to have set up that trap for Non-SuperDad, but the fact is, even without that trap, Dad had been unhappy in his marriage, and the key issue – that he feels overlooked, neglected and looked down upon – isn’t being addressed at all, so far.

I’m also pretty neutral about the stuff surrounding Dong Hee.

I know some folks love her, but for some reason, she’s not a key point of interest for me personally.

I am more interested in her frenemy sort of vibe with Grace, than with her planned marriage to Ji Han.

Oh, I am in-principle interested in what Show does with her superpower, because this set of episodes, she finally loses all the weight that she’s been working on losing, all series long, and yet, she isn’t able to fly the way she’d used to.

I’m curious to know more about that, and what Show’s going to do with that.

I’m guessing that Dong Hee’s inability to fly has more to do with her self-confidence, than in her weight. Hopefully, Show and I are on the same page on this!

And now for my lowlight, which was the development of the OTP relationship.

Up till this point in our story, I’d bought into the quirky push-pull of the would-be OTP, where they’re mostly at an uneasy sort of truce, a lot of the time, because he isn’t sure whether to trust her, and she isn’t sure what to do with her growing feelings for him.

However, I find that the transition from “I’m not sure if I like you” (on his part) and “I’m not sure if I can be with you” (on her part), to “I really do like you and want to be with you” (on both their parts) is very clunky, to my eyes.

It feels like we made a quantum leap in terms of how the OTP relates – and we as an audience didn’t get to see the process of that leap. Instead, what we see is the before and after, and it’s quite.. weird and unbelievable, from where I’m sitting.

Whenever we got scenes of Gwi Ju and Da Hae being all sweet and happy together, I felt oddly disconnected as a viewer; it felt like body snatchers had invaded these characters, a little bit, because they didn’t feel like the characters that I’d come to know, in the last 9 episodes.

And then we get that whole dream+accident thing, which throws our OTP into a space where they need to feel very strong feelings for each other, and.. it’s landing as pretty hollow to me, not gonna lie.

Again, I feel that it’s because Show didn’t spend enough time teasing out the OTP relationship such that I can believe that Gwi Ju and Da Hae feel this strongly about each other, and would be this desperate to save &/or protect each other.

Additionally, Gwi Ju being so happy that it felt like he’d pull a facial muscle with all that bright smiling, felt inauthentic, to me, for the same quantum leap reason.

All the happy moments didn’t ring true for me, and therefore, its function, which was to lift us to a high, before everything comes crashing down, was lost on me.

I mean, I get that Da Hae’s supposed to be overly bright, because she’s planning to fake her death in order to save Gwi Ju, but at least Gwi Ju’s happiness should feel authentic, yes?

It just felt like too much of a quantum leap to my eyes, I’m afraid.

I will say, though, that it was nice to see In Ah helping Gwi Ju find traces of Da Hae; this felt like a nice payoff from the daddy-daughter bonding that we’d gotten, in episode 9.

I know I’m supposed to feel moved and touched and teary-eyed, along with Gwi Ju and Da Hae at the end of episode 10 when he finds her and they have that emotional confrontation, but.. yeah, I’m kinda coming up empty on that front, I’m afraid.

Also, I’m already seeing that Gwi Ju’s death will be a fakeout, because SuperMom had already said that she’d dreamt that they’d held a funeral without a body.

I’m holding out hope that Show will pull it together in a way that feels in keeping with its cleverness through most of its run, while giving us emotional beats that feel authentic and believable.

I’m hoping that that’s not too much to ask. 😅

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E11-12. After mulling over this ending for a fair while, I’ve had what feels like an epiphany, my friends.

To me, this ending encapsulates Show’s key strength, as well as what I would call its fatal flaw.

In a nutshell, to me, this finale basically feels like it was written by A.I. instead of a real person.

It’s clever in the way it works its various narrative pieces and plays with context, but it lacks true soul; what it does is mimic human emotion – but of course it comes up short, because it never had a true understanding of human emotion to begin with.

I feel like I can say that for just about every relationship in this drama world, honestly.

The relationships in this drama world just don’t progress in a way that makes human sense.

Maybe if our players were androids and not actual humans, these relationship developments would make more sense?

This only becomes clear in this final stretch, because that’s where we leapfrog over meaningful relationship development, to get to happy resolutions.

The quantum leap for our OTP relationship, which went from sardonic and tentative, to “I literally would lay down my life to save you” really fast, is definitely one great example.

A lot of the other relationships, where past wounds are healed really quickly, is another way this shows up.

This would apply to Gwi Ju’s relationship with In Ah, though this is mitigated in some ways by the fact that In Ah does read his mind and sees his love for her, for herself.

Still, the little that we see being done to heal that relationship, and the leap that that gives us, to In Ah suddenly cleaving him to so much, and wanting to express her love for him, does feel rather unnaturally accelerated.

All the relationships that got healed very suddenly, also fall into this category for me, and we have a whole bunch of them, in this finale.

We’ve got SuperMom and Non-SuperDad making up over a dance, when she’d been vehemently ready to divorce him, not so long ago, and there’s also Sauna Mom suddenly being all caring towards Da Hae, when not so long ago, Sauna Mom had been insistent on Da Hae paying her back by being part of her scamming plans.

And there’s also In Ah making up with Hye Rim, and Dong Hee making up with Grace.

It might make for some quirky pairings – I have to admit I do rather like the idea of Dong Hee and Grace being friends – but the emotional stuff just doesn’t really add up, for me.

Like the way Hye Rim says that she’d wanted to understand In Ah too, but In Ah had never let her in.

Uh. I don’t buy that; that was not at all how Hye Rim had come across in earlier episodes, and I am side-eyeing Show for trying to gaslight me with that one.

And then, even though it’s a fun idea that Dong Hee and Grace become friends, it’s hard to believe that Grace’s attempt to push Dong Hee over that railing, which could have actually killed her, is so easily swept under the rug.

It’s not something that any human could easily forgive, nor forget about, yes? (I get that Dong Hee isn’t an average human, but she does feel human emotions like the rest of us, which is why I am thinking about it this way.)

I also thought that Dong Hee falling for Spying Uncle was a little too convenient and also, rather nonsensical, with her waxing lyrical over how, as her food delivery guy, he’d kept the food in perfect condition.

All that put together, makes for quite a lot of instances of Show not quite hitting the emotional mark for me; it makes the emotional engagement portion of the watch experience feel very.. hollow, if you know what I mean.

For me, this was a big downside to the finale.

On the upside, Show is admittedly clever, in the way that plays with context, so that the way SuperMom’s dreams come true, isn’t at all what we might have first assumed.

Honestly, this was the big highlight for me, in this finale; I kept wondering how Show would surprise me next.

I liked the idea that SuperMom’s dreams don’t tell the full story – and that’s why context is important (heh, it aligns so well with my own neverending spiel, that context is everything 😁).

I also like the idea that our characters should therefore not be intimidated nor paralyzed by these dreams, and should learn to follow their hearts.

Like I’d guessed at during our penultimate episodes, it turns out that true happiness and following their hearts, is key to our supers being able to thrive.

Dong Hee’s ability to fly hinges on that, and not on her weight.

As for Gwi Ju, it does seem that his true happiness, and being able to follow his heart, is a big part of it too; at least, that’s my guess as to the reason the past starts to colorize while he’s in it, rather than stay black and white.

It’s while he’s feeling fulfilled, while pushing young Da Hae on that bicycle, that he starts being able to actually interact with his environment.

Curiously, he is still invisible to everyone else, in this timeslip, although he is visible to others, when he goes back to 18 years ago, to save Da Hae from the fire.

I can’t figure out why he would be visible then, but not in the time slip when he’d pushed Da Hae on the bicycle, but maybe, just maybe, he was transitioning into this new phase of his power, and that just.. hadn’t been unlocked yet? 😅

On a tangent, I thought I’d weigh in a little bit, on why Gwi Ju doesn’t even seem to think too much about going back to save Da Hae, when he has In Ah to think about.

On the one hand, yes, this does seem like another instance of weirdly hollow emotional beats; his fatherly concern for In Ah seems strangely shallow, in that sense.

On the other hand, it could also be because he’s learned that there’s no arguing with SuperMom’s dreams; Show has established from early on, that if she dreams it, it will happen, and there’s no way to prevent the dream events from happening.

I’m thinking that Gwi Ju is resigned to the fact that SuperMom’s dream, that he goes back in time to save Da Hae from the fire, will come true, whether he wants it to or not.

And while we could say that Gwi Ju could simply choose not to go back, in defiance of the dream, we’ve also seen that these moments can and do summon him, without his will or desire having to be part of the equation.

Therefore, I’m thinking that Gwi Ju is of the belief, that even if he doesn’t go back of his own accord, that the moment will summon him otherwise, and he’ll end up going back, even if he doesn’t want to.

It was rather clever, though a little schmaltzy, that SuperMom’s dream of Sauna Mom being grateful that her adult daughter was alive, was to do with Da Hae, and not Sauna Mom’s biological daughter.

The fact that there were two fires in SuperMom’s dreams, was also a rather clever twist, I thought, because it lands as something unexpected, given that we’d always associated SuperMom’s fire dreams with Gwi Ju saving Da Hae in the past.

Of course, there are points in this arc that deserve a bit of eye-rolling, like the way Ji Han stupidly leaves the tea lights alight, after pouring gasoline on the ground to threaten Dong Hee.

How could a fire not break out this way, eh? 🤦🏻‍♀️

And then, again, with how SuperMom and the rest of the family continue to sit in the audience, after she’s announced that there is going to be a fire, right then and there.

The way Da Hae continues to just talk to Gwi Ju, when the man is holding up a wall in the midst of a fire – particularly when In Ah’s life is at stake.

And then the way Gwi Ju goes back to the point of In Ah’s birth in order to save Da Hae from the fire, and then proceeds to waste time, by soaking in the moment, and then, at the site of the fire, calling out to his hyung whom he knew would end up dying in the fire, and just.. not saying or doing anything to stop it.

It’s one of those annoying things that kdramas tend to do; take one split second moment and stretch it out to an unreasonable length of time, while NOT making it clear that this is one moment frozen in time, and thus making everyone involved in that moment, look stupid for not doing anything to stop what’s coming.

I honestly felt quite aggravated that Gwi Ju didn’t, say, call out to Hyung to stop him, or run up to him, and pull him out the fray, so that he wouldn’t end up running in there and getting killed in the explosion.

By this time, I was also aggravated that Gwi Ju had wasted precious time that he could have spent getting to Da Hae in the storage room.

After that, I was aggravated that he spent all that time talking to Da Hae and putting the ring on her finger, instead of getting her to fall quickly to safety – which would have allowed him to follow after her.

I was all, less talking, more doing please; you can talk LATERRR. *ANGSTS* 😅

And then, while Show gave us a tour of our story world post time-skip, I kept wondering, with a bit of impatience, at what could be keeping Gwi Ju from returning to his family in the present time.

I figured he must have gotten hurt, or lost his memory, or lost his power, somehow.

BUT THEN.

Show does pull out a very clever solution that is in keeping with the rules it had previously established for this story world.

I admittedly do like the cleverness of the idea, that we had to wait 5 years, so that Nu Ri could be born, and grow enough, to understand the concept of his powers – so that he could go get Gwi Ju back.

If, in this story world, Da Hae could live for 18 whole years after being saved by Future Gwi Ju, when this event hadn’t even happened to Gwi Ju yet, then it makes sense that we could wait 5 years for Nu Ri to go back to the fire, to get Gwi Ju.

The fact that Show could solve this conundrum while remaining true to its established internal rules, and while not forgetting the various dreams from SuperMom that needed to be shown to come true, just in a different context, is quite impressive, I think.

Yes, I am bummed about Show’s lack of emotional depth and believability, but at least it was clever? One out of two ain’t terrible? 😅

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Quite clever and fresh in its premise and plotting, but lacks soul, particularly in its final stretch.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  The Atypical Family, is Miss Night and Day [Korea].

You can check out my episode 1-2 notes on Miss Night and Day on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +My Sweet Mobster [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +The Tale of Rose [China]

VIP (US$15): +Miss Night and Day [Korea]