The Atypical Family

The Atypical Family (Korean: 히어로는 아닙니다만) is a 2024 South Korean television series starring Jang Ki-yong, Chun Woo-hee, Go Doo-shim and Claudia Kim. It aired on JTBC from May 4, to June 9, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST).^[4] It is also available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.^[5]

The Atypical Family
Promotional poster
Also known as	Although I Am Not a Hero
Hangul	히어로는 아닙니다만
Literal meaning	Although I Am Not a Hero
Revised Romanization	Hieoroneun animnidaman
McCune–Reischauer	Hiŏronŭn animnidaman
Genre	Fantasy romance[1]
Created by	Gleline[2] & Kang Eun-kyung[1]
Developed by	Park Joon-seo[2]
Written by	Joo Hwa-mi[1]
Directed by	Jo Hyun-taek[1]
Starring	Jang Ki-yong Chun Woo-hee Go Doo-shim Claudia Kim
Music by	Jung Jae-hyung[3]
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	12
Production
Executive producers	Hwang Bo-sangmi (CP)[2] Kim Joon-hyun[2] Jung Seung-soon[2] Park Bum-soo[2]
Producers	Hwang Ji-woo[2] Kim Do-hyuk[2] Kim Tae-kyung[2] Kim Hye-in[2]
Cinematography	Kim Young-guk[2] Kang Ye-sum[2]
Editors	Hong Hyo-sun[2] Ham Hyeon-kyung[2]
Production companies	Story & Pictures Media[1] Drama House Studio[1] SLL[1]
Original release
Network	JTBC
Release	May 4 (2024-05-04) – June 9, 2024 (2024-06-09)

Plot

The Atypical Family tells the story of Bok Gwi-ju and his family. All members of the family except his father have inherited particular superpowers and they come from a long line of similarly blessed ancestors. Gwi-ju's power is to travel back in time to events he experienced. His sister Bok Dong-hee can fly, and his mother Bok Man-heum can dream in which she can see the future, including major family events, deaths, and even future winning lottery numbers and stocks. The latter has amassed them a fortune and has maintained the large family house. But as the series opens, the family superpowers now on the wane, and they are dysfunctional and failing to meet their expenses despite owning a substantial office building. The family have also experienced tragedy, including the death of Gwi-ju's wife, which left him to raise his teenage daughter Bok I-na on his own, often poorly.

A side plot is a teenage coming of age story for I-na who conceals, and then reveals to the family, that she can mind read other people if she makes eye contact. But she is miserable and bullied at school, addicted to smartphones, and usually wears glasses which mask her ability.

At the beginning of the series the entire family have lost their abilities due to chronic disease and incompatibilities with modern lifestyles — depression, insomnia, drinking, obesity. However, their lives change after being intertwined with Do Da-hae, who is a beautiful con artist who manages to attract Gwi-ju's attention, at the same time allowing him to shrug off depression and regain his time travelling ability.

Much of the show revolves around the on-off relationship between Gwi-ju and Da-hae. While she first tries to secure a marriage with him to gain a share in his family's fortune for her unpleasant step-family led by a conniving mother (Baek Il-Hong), both characters increasingly fall for one another, interrupted by their scheming families, near-death experiences, and time travels. The two matriarchs constantly spar, seeking control over money and their children.

Cast and characters

Main

• Jang Ki-yong as Bok Gwi-ju^[6]

He has the ability to go back in time and revisit happy memories. However, he has lost his ability after the death of his wife, as he struggles with depression and is no longer able to find any of his previous memories happy.

• Chun Woo-hee as Do Da-hae^[7]

A mysterious woman, who is interested in Bok Gwi-ju and his family.

• Go Doo-shim as Bok Man-heum^[8]

Gwi-ju's mother, she has an insomnia which stops her from accessing her "precognitive dreaming" superpower.

• Claudia Kim as Bok Dong-hee^[9]

Gwi-ju's elder sister, she had the ability to fly, however, she has seemingly lost this ability due to struggles with obesity.

Supporting

People around Gwi-ju

• Park So-yi as Bok In-a^[10]

Gwi-ju's daughter. A thirteen year old girl, she remains isolated from both her family and her classmates at school.

• Oh Man-seok [ko] as Eom Soon-gu^[11]

Man-heum's husband and father of Gwi-ju and Dong-hee. He is the only member in the Bok family without any superpower.

People around Da-hae

• Kim Geum-sun as Baek Il-hong^[12]

Da-hae's mother.

• Ryu Abel [ko] as Grace^[13]

Da-hae's younger sister.

• Choi Gwang-rok as Noh Hyung-tae^[14]

Da-hae's uncle.

Original soundtrack

Album

The Atypical Family (Original Television Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released	June 9, 2024 (2024-06-09)
Length	61:04
Language	Korean
Label	SLL Antenna
Singles from The Atypical Family
"Walking With You" Released: May 12, 2024 "I See You" Released: May 18, 2024 "Laputa" Released: May 26, 2024

The Atypical Family's soundtrack album was released on June 9, 2024.^[15]

Tracklist

CD 1

No.	Title	Lyrics	Artist	Length
1.	"Walking With You" (너와 걷는 계절)	Jung Jae-hyung	So Soo-bin	3:54
2.	"I See You" (바라 봄)	Lee So-ra	Lee So-ra	4:28
3.	"Laputa" (라퓨타)	Jung Jae-hyung	Yi Sung-yol	3:17
Total length:				11:39

All music is composed by Jung Jae-hyung.

CD 2

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Atypical Family"	0:57
2.	"Hero is Coming"	1:32
3.	"Super Power"	1:48
4.	"First Step"	1:21
5.	"Hero World"	1:45
6.	"Family Harmony"	1:42
7.	"Scam Plan"	1:26
8.	"Funny Moment"	1:59
9.	"Bizzar Love"	1:19
10.	"The Sign for Hero"	4:15
11.	"Not to Say"	1:23
12.	"Not to Say" (String version)	0:49
13.	"Conflict Echoes"	3:10
14.	"Mysterious Mystery"	1:27
15.	"Contrast"	1:00
16.	"Tearful Waves"	1:31
17.	"Passage"	0:46
18.	"Tides of Tension"	2:04
19.	"Suspicious Waltz"	1:48
20.	"Dong-hee's Dream"	1:26
21.	"Gwi-ju in Silence"	2:20
22.	"Tears within I-na"	2:20
23.	"Be My Saviour"	2:07
24.	"Hidden Truths"	0:40
25.	"Da-hae's Secret"	1:32
26.	"Familial Bliss"	1:29
27.	"Echoes of Sadness"	2:13
28.	"A Journey through Time"	3:16
Total length:		49:25

Singles

Released on May 12, 2024

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Walking With You" (너와 걷는 계절)	So Soo-bin	3:54
2.	"Walking With You" (너와 걷는 계절; Inst.)		3:54
Total length:			7:48

Released on May 18, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Artist	Length
1.	"I See You" (바라 봄)	Lee So-ra	Lee So-ra	4:28
2.	"I See You" (바라 봄; Inst.)			4:28
Total length:				8:56

Released on May 26, 2024

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"Laputa" (라퓨타)	Yi Sung-yol	3:17
2.	"Laputa" (라퓨타; Inst.)		3:17
Total length:			6:34

Original soundtrack (Part 1–3)

Part 1

All tracks are written by Jung Jae-hyung.

Part 2

All music is composed by Jung Jae-hyung.

Part 3

All tracks are written by Jung Jae-hyung.

Viewership

Season		Episode number												Average
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	1	807	759	726	984	921	925	877	963	781	915	847	1141	887

The Atypical Family : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)

Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.^[16]

Average TV viewership ratings

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[16]
		Nationwide	Seoul
1	May 4, 2024	3.289% (1st)	3.796% (1st)
2	May 5, 2024	2.985% (4th)	3.104% (4th)
3	May 11, 2024	3.168% (2nd)	3.241% (1st)
4	May 12, 2024	4.056% (1st)	4.777% (1st)
5	May 18, 2024	3.883% (1st)	4.332% (1st)
6	May 19, 2024	4.178% (1st)	5.462% (1st)
7	May 25, 2024	3.480% (1st)	4.096% (1st)
8	May 26, 2024	4.248% (1st)	4.973% (1st)
9	June 1, 2024	3.613% (1st)	4.655% (1st)
10	June 2, 2024	3.734% (2nd)	4.304% (1st)
11	June 8, 2024	3.838% (2nd)	4.572% (1st)
12	June 9, 2024	4.858% (1st)	5.705% (1st)
Average		3.778%	4.418%
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination

Award ceremony	Year	Category	Nominee / Work	Result	Ref.
Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards	2024	Best Writer	Joo Hwan-mi	Won	[17]

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publisher	Year	Listicle	Placement	Ref.
NME	2024	The 10 best K-dramas of 2024 – so far	Placed	[18]

References

1. Park, Soo-in (August 29, 2023). 장기용 천우희 '히어로는 아닙니다만' 출연, 판타지 로맨스 어떨까 [Jang Ki-yong and Chun Woo-hee appear in 'I'm Not a Hero', what do you think of the fantasy romance?] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
2. 1회 다시보기 [Episode 1 Replay]. The Atypical Family. May 4, 2024. JTBC. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
3. Kim, Myung-mi (February 5, 2024). 정재형 '히어로는 아닙니다만' 음악감독 합류 "장르 확장 설레고 기뻐"[공식] [Jung Jae-hyung joins 'I'm Not a Hero' as music director "I'm excited and happy to expand my genre" [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
4. Yoon, Hyun-ji (April 3, 2024). '히어로는 아닙니다만' 천우희, '초능력' 장기용 가족 앞 수상한 등장 ['I'm not a hero' Chun Woo-hee, 'superpower' Jang Ki-yong's suspicious appearance in front of family] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024 – via Naver.
5. Lee, Seong-mi (May 4, 2024). '히어로는 아닙니다만' 원작·웹툰 NO, 천우희·장기용·수현·박소이 출연진 '눈길'...OTT 재방송 넷플릭스 ['I Am Not a Hero original work/webtoon NO, cast members Chun Woo-hee, Jang Ki-yong, Soo-hyun, and Park So-yi 'eye-catching'...OTT reruns Netflix] (in Korean). BizEnter. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024 – via Nate.
6. Jang, Woo-young (August 29, 2023). 장기용, 전역 후 첫 안방 복귀 "설렘 반 기대 반"...열일 시동 [Jang Ki-yong returns to his home screen for the first time after being discharged from the military, "half excitement, half anticipation"...ten day start up] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
7. Hwang, Hyo-yi (August 29, 2023). 천우희, 수상하지만 사랑스럽게 '히어로는 아닙니다만' [Chun Woo-hee, Suspicious but Lovely 'I'm Not a Hero'] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyung. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
8. Kim, Bo-young (September 6, 2024). 국민배우 고두심, 예지몽 초능력자로...'히어로는 아닙니다만' 출연 확정 [National actor Go Doo-shim, a psychic with precognitive dreams...Confirmed to appear in 'I'm Not a Hero'] (in Korean). E-daily. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
9. Ahn, Yun-ji (September 6, 2024). 수현, '히어로는 아닙니다만' 출연 확정..장기용 누나 된다 [Soo-hyun confirmed to appear in 'I'm Not a Hero'..becomes Jang Ki-yong's older sister] (in Korean). MT Star News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
10. Jang, Woo-young (November 13, 2023). '대세 아역' 박소이, 황금촬영상 아역상 수상...'히어로는 아닙니다만' 열일 행보 ['Top child actor' Park So-yi wins Golden Cinematography Award for Child Actor...'I'm not a Hero' but I'm working hard] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
11. Yoon, Hyun-ji (March 21, 2024). '히어로는 아닙니다만' 장기용X천우희, 대본 리딩 현장 공개...상반기 방송 ['I'm not a Hero' Jang Ki-yong X Chun Woo-hee, script reading site revealed...Broadcast in the first half of the year] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
12. 등장인물소개 – 다해 가족 [Characters Introduction – Da-hae's family]. JTBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
13. Ahn, Byeong-sil (February 20, 2024). 류아벨 '히어로는 아닙니다만' 캐스팅...천우희와 호흡 [Ryu Abel's 'I'm Not a Hero' casting...Breathing with Chun Woo-hee] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyung. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
14. Kim, Ye-eun (March 22, 2024). 최광록, '히어로는 아닙니다만' 출연...이미지 변신 예고 [Choi Gwang-rok appears in 'I'm Not a Hero'...Notice of image transformation] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024 – via Naver.
15. Yu, Su-yeon (June 9, 2024). '히어로는 아닙니다만', 오늘(9일) OST 온라인 컴필레이션 발매...소수빈→이소라·이승열 참여 ['I'm Not a Hero', OST online compilation released today (9th)...So Soo-bin → Lee So-ra and Yi Sung-yol participated] (in Korean). Osen. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024 – via Naver.
16. Nielsen Korea ratings:

    • "Ep. 1". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 4, 2024. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
    • "Ep. 2". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 5, 2024. Archived from the original on May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
    • "Ep. 3". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 11, 2024. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
    • "Ep. 4". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 12, 2024. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
    • "Ep. 5". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 18, 2024. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
    • "Ep. 6". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 19, 2024. Archived from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
    • "Ep. 7". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). May 25, 2024. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
    • "Ep. 8" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. May 26, 2024. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
    • "Ep. 9" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. June 1, 2024. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
    • "Ep. 10" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. June 2, 2024. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
    • "Ep. 11" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. June 8, 2024. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
    • "Ep. 12" (in Korean). Nielsen Korea. June 9, 2024. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
17. Merican, Sara (October 6, 2024). "Wong Kar-wai's 'Blossoms Shanghai,' Coupang Play's 'Boyhood' Take Top Prizes At Asia Contents Awards". Deadline. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
18. Chin, Carmen (June 27, 2024). "The 10 best K-dramas of 2024 – so far". NME. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.

External links

• Official website (in Korean)
• Production website at SLL (in English and Korean)
• The Atypical Family at IMDb 
• The Atypical Family at HanCinema