Typhoon Family

 #TyphoonFamily

If there were options, I’d vote for Pamilyang Binagyo ng Kamalasan (as in “binagyo talaga” or a family stormed by a series of misfortunes, or unfortunate events) as an alternate or a translated version of this drama's title 😁

After it made its landfall, Typhoon Family was indeed massive and powerful, with most viewers waiting for the return of the King (the Land), #LeeJunHo. During the initial episode/s, he was already showing off his 2PM idol swag and good looks (omg, his hair with blonde highlights). We missed him that much.

Synopsis: Kang Tae Poong's (Lee Jun Ho) father runs Typhoon Trading (you get it now? Tae Poong = Typhoon), a small but settled company. Known to his peers as the Gangnam Prince, Tae Poong was a carefree but kind-hearted young man, would sometimes get into trouble and fighting, and had no plans apart from maintaining a flower nursery as he was into horticulture. But when the 1997 IMF crisis hits South Korea, and his father passes away, everything changed for him. Determined and driven by a strong sense of responsibility, Tae Poong vowed to ensure the company's survival, whatever the cost.

Cast:

• Lee Joon Ho as Kang Tae Poong

• Kim Min Ha as Oh Mi-Seon

• Sung Dong Il as Kang Jin Young

• Kim Ji Young as Jung Jeong Mi

• Kwon Han Sol as Oh Mi Ho

• Kwon Eun Seong as Oh Beom

• Kim Young Ok as Yeom Bun

• Lee Chang Hoon as Go Ma Jin

• Kim Jae Hwa as Cha Seon Taek

• Kim Song Il as Koo Myung Gwan

• Lee Sang Jin as Bae Song Jung

• Kim Min Suk as Wang Nam Mo

• Park Sung Yeon as Kim Eul Nyeo

• Yang Byeong Yeol as Hwang Yun Seong

• Kim Sang Ho as Pyo Bak Ho

• Mu Jin Sung as Pyo Hyeon Jun

• Kim Do Young as Manager Ha

According to reports, Typhoon Family debuted on Netflix South Korea at No. 2 and has maintained the top position since. In the week of October 13–19, the show ranked No. 5 in Netflix Global’s non-English category and was Top 10 overall in 19 countries. In the week of October 20–26, it went up to No. 7 and was Top 10 overall in 8 countries.

However, despite the high ratings, halfway through the season, the audience was 50-50, asking when the unfortunate streak will end. Tae Poong, his family and friends and company Typhoon Trading suffered from an endless series of misfortunes. Bad things would happen one after another. Lahat na lang yata ng kamalasan. And lahat na lang ng pahirap (hardship). Hindi na natapos. And we wondered why Pyo Bak Ho (played by Kim Sang Ho), CEO of Pyo Sang Seon (Pyo Merchant Marine) and his son Hyeon Jun (Mun Jin Sung) were so G na G and persistent on destroying them, when the Kang family and the employees were not doing anything at all. 

What was Bak Ho looking for, when he visited Kang Jin-Young, Tae Poong’s father (played by Sung Dong Il), in the hospital? Turns out that there was a hidden promissory note, where Bak Ho owed Typhoon Trading 40 million won, and in exchange for the loan, he would transfer a 30% share of his own company, Pyo Merchant Marine to Jin Young.

But until that promissory note is found, it was getting to be tiresome, and frustrating. Was it still worth watching and waiting for?

Other highlights / elements that I loved in the drama:

1. Emotional and meaningful story, layered storytelling, good character development, realistic setting and strong cast performance.

2. The recreation of 1990s South Korea, the affluent young people in Seoul known for their flashy, carefree lifestyles during that time, and the nostalgia and emotional weight it created – how we feared Y2K, how we survived the analog era - fax machines, pagers, pay phones, cellular phones, free TV, the desktop computer with diskettes and green or black and white monitors, cassette tapes, and the early beginnings of CDs, MP3 or iPod and CCTVs. 

3. Lee Jun Ho does not disappoint. Once again, he delivers a compelling performance, with this role further solidifying his reputation as a versatile and bankable lead actor, following his award-winning performance in #TheRedSleeve and his popular role in #KingtheLand. His portrayal of Tae Poong exudes charm, energy and humor, injecting life (even a few dance moves) into the character even amidst the serious backdrop of economic hardship.  

4. #KimMinHa is said to be a replacement for the female lead role. But it doesn’t matter, bare face, freckles and all, she is, for me, the perfect Ms. Oh Mi Seon. I remember the episode where she accepted Tae Poong’s offer to be his employee, when he couldn’t offer anything. When she said Yes, I couldn’t help but cry.  She may not be the prettiest actress, but I find her acting natural and effortless. For me, her on-screen chemistry with Jun Ho feels organic, full of quiet tension and warmth. To recall, Min Ha’s breakout role is her critically acclaimed portrayal of Kim Sunja in the international hit series #Pachinko.

5. Tae Poong's mother adjusting to their life from being a spoiled wife living in comfort to being broke and homeless. And how she embraced the Oh family. 

6. The combined support of his mother and Typhoon Trading’s loyal employees contributed further to his strength and resilience.

7. Same with the support system of Mi Seon.

8. The existence of “angels” on earth – the ones who helped him along the way (from his first textile case to safety shoes case, helmet case, surgical gloves case, Dabontech / cooling fan case).

9. At the same time, gigil na gigil na ko sa antagonists hahaha Ayaw tumigil, ayaw paawat.  Ang yaman na nila, and ang laki ng company compared to Typhoon Trading.

10. The second lead couple Nam Mo and Mi Ho added charm to the story.

11. The flowers serve as a significant metaphor throughout the series, reflecting the characters' growth and their ability to find hope and build a "flower garden" (a fulfilling life and strong community) even amidst hardship: Roses for hope, representing Tae Poong’s optimism and ability to rise again; Cosmos representing resilience and strength, the ability to endure, light pink for budding love and dark pink for passion; Freesias carrying a message of small comfort and encouragement; Gerbera for passion and wealth; Lilawadi (Frangipani) conveying a heartfelt message, "Meeting you was luck"; and Lilies: respect.

12. The OST is also memorable, with contributions from the lead actors: "Eternity" by Min Ha, "Did You See The Rainbow?" by Jun Ho (the drama's opening theme song), and “Updraft” by Han (Stray Kids) which is a hint that something is happening in favor of Tae Poong each time Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh. Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh plays. There’s also an unreleased track featured during the train ride scene in the first episode, which goes like: "Strangers with flowers on a crowded train, smiled at me like you knew my name".  The BGM perfectly complemented the visuals of the scene where the two leads who at the time didn’t know each other yet share a moment of unspoken connection on their commute. 

13. Bonus: Jun Ho singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”

14. The episode titles are real names of popular Korean dramas from the 1980s and 1990s, with the writer Jang Hyeon-suk paying tribute to the classic K-dramas that laid the foundation for the industry today. 

To simply say that the moral of the story is ‘Don’t give up’ is an understatement. Typhoon Family cannot emphasize perseverance enough. It also shows how one’s strength of family ties, holding on to values and hope in the face of hardship can help people overcome life’s difficulties. Frustrating yes, and you can’t help but wonder why there are people out there who will intentionally make your life difficult. The “silver lining” or the end of the rainbow seemed so impossible to obtain for Tae Poon and a lesser mortal would have given up or worse, died in the process.

We see in the last episode that Tae Poong told Bak Ho that while the latter’s son grew up knowing this world is a hellhole, his father on the other hand taught him that it was full of flowers and fruits. 

I wish you luck, Bak Ho said. See if the world will wait for the flowers to bloom, and the fruits to bear.

Bouncing back, did Tae Poong go back to his flower nursery?  He didn’t have to. Ultimately, his decision to stay on as Typhoon Trading CEO tells us that the people and their strong human connections, forged through shared struggles and support, are "more beautiful than flowers". His flowers are here.

The drama finished strongly with the final episode hitting 10.3% rating nationwide. 

All 16 episodes of Typhoon Family are available for streaming at Netflix

P.S. Watch out for Lee Jun Ho’s next project Cashero, an upcoming South Korean superhero fantasy action series coming out also in Netflix this December. #BuhayKPam