Some viewers seem to be disappointed with "The Atypical Family," starring Jang Ki Yong. But what could be the reason?

'The Atypical Family' In Hot Water Due to 'Fat Shaming'

Netflix dropped the fantasy-romance drama "The Atypical Family" on May 4. A week after its release, the series quickly captured the audience's interest, thanks to its intriguing and exciting premise.

It follows the story of a family with superpowers but losing their abilities due to modern life issues.

Jang Ki Yong stars as Bok Gwi Ju, he used to travel back in time and visit happy memories, but due to depression, he lost his power.

His sister in the series, Bok Dong Hee, played by Claudia Kim, had the ability to fly, but due to her obesity, she has been struggling to regain her power.

As the drama also features and discusses various issues, despite the promising start, "The Atypical Family" disappointed some viewers due to how the series handles health issues.

Claudia Kim's Role Bok Dong Hee Accused of Stereotyping Plumpy Individuals

In the first episode, Bok Dong Hee was wearing an unimpressive body suit as the family members attempted to use their abilities.

As the episode went on, Dong Hee went on leave from her work after a button broke on her clothing, causing it to hit a potential client in the face.

Adding to this, Dong Hee went to a bakery to get food where her credit card declined, and when things did not go her way, she started stress eating.

Viewers then raised their concerns after seeing these, since they could be considered as stereotypes about obesity. Bok Dong Hee's manner of eating was also said to be the result of stereotypes about plumpy individuals.

Some were not impressed with how Bok Dong Hee's issue seemed to be made into a punchline. Others were not captivated by the large suit, expressing they already expected that a dramatic change would happen but that it could have been executed better.

Further, more people expressed their sentiments over Bok Dong Hee's character and how her character is stereotyping when it comes to chubby people.

• "The drama looks fun but we're still doing fat suits in 2024? Not cool at all and so frustrating to watch."
• "I kinda expected it coming from the character bio but fat-shaming in the first episodes is just terrible and uncomfortable."
• "Why are they creating such terrible roles just because they're bigger, I hate the way they've written Dong Hee's character and that fat suit and makeup were not pleasing to the eyes.

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Meanwhile, "The Atypical Family" airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 p.m. (KST) on JTBC and Netflix.

What can you say about Jang Ki Yong's new drama "The Atypical Family"? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

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Shai San Miguel wrote this.