The adulterous content of "My Wife Is Having an Affair" is hard to stomach, but the way the show pieces together the different ways that affairs affect families, friends, individuals, and communities is very clever. Production is very focused on camera storytelling, on letting the frames comment on Hyeon-woo's emotions. Dialogue and scenes of different instances and interpretations of the effects of affairs compound to make large statements. Although I find the subject matter hard to watch, it is the storytelling that makes it much easier to watch.
Perhaps the most clever part of the story is how situations are layered and paralleled. The show on affairs that Hyeon-woo's production team is working on directly mirrors his situation with his wife. The myriad of fast-paced comments from his online community mirror his frenzied thoughts. His adulterous friend, Yoon-gi, displays behavior Hyeon-woo imagines his wife could be displaying as well. Even Bo-young, who suffered a cheating ex-husband, fits in with Hyeon-woo's current situation and lashes out at an adulteress the way Hyeon-woo wishes he could. Such great writing doesnt' come along often in K-drama and I'm tickled pink by the quality, although a bit perturbed by the subject matter. But it is a sadly integral part of society's faults and deserves to be touched upon. Lee Seon-gyoon as a beta male suffering the agony of a potentially cheating wife is really brining the message of pain, confusion, and disarray that cheating creates.
We haven't seen much of Soo-yeon beyond what Hyeon-woo sees: a beautiful woman who takes immaculate care of her appearance, her household duties, and her child, but who also systematically avoids any intimate or detailed conversation. We haven't been given insight into her feelings about her family or the secrets she is obviously keeping. The camera storying telling and the writing is skewed towards Hyeon-woo's point-of-view, which is great for the days leading up to the "potential adulterous" stay at the fancy hotel. I wonder how the storytelling will change now that husband and wife have come face-to-face during Soo-yeon's potential act of adultery.
There are a couple of very funny moments, including a Kang Ho-dong cameo, and more spastic antics from Hyeon-woo's long time friend, Joon-yeong. More than that, there are some gorgeous shots, especially towards the beginning of the drama. The director is creative with his framing and the use of CG. It is never overdone and quite tasteful. I hope that continues as the emotional frenzy continues to build.
