My Wife’s Having an Affair this Week (2016)

This drama is the reason I’m watching kdramas, the reason I started and the reason I’ll keep coming back. Kdramaland is full of unrealistic romantic comedies and stretched melodramatic stories whose only purpose is to entertain. That being said, once in a while we get blessed with something small and real like this drama that, if you’re willing to realize what you’re actually watching, is deep beyond imagination targeting several issues on a personal or social level.

Story
The drama’s tags: comedy, family, romance. One would expect a rom-com. First thoughts I had coming in, this is all a misunderstanding. Well it’s not. The drama starts on a comical note but quickly escalates to a proper melodrama. This is a drama about an extramarital affair; and while the base concept is that, the drama offers so much more than a story about infidelity. With us hardly realizing it, it widens its spectrum to relationships, marriage, friendship, career, family; ultimately aiming to show how in midst of our crazy hectic lives we forget and overlook the important things taking people and situations for granted, sacrificing our well-being over work and faceless responsibilities.

The drama is all about different perspectives. We get a wife who cheated on her husband. Is this just about a woman who cheated on her spouse, though? The show focuses on the husband/male lead but does a splendid job introducing every perspective; all we have to do is see them. Relationships are a two way street maybe it’s time we stopped looking solely at ourselves and our obligations, and take a look at those around us. We all hurt, and the best way we can heal is protect each other. The key point here is caring, showing it and ultimately communicating and showing affection. Nothing should be taken for granted!

What’s more, it introduces a 2nd adulterous story, which is mainly used as comedic relief but also wants us to compare the two stories, understand the different dynamics, the reasons and further grasp what is this thing called affair and what lies behind it. The 3rd wheel of the main cast is two loveable people expressing how difficult it is nowadays to love, become vulnerable and be self-confident giving an insight on the diversities between single and married life.

Simultaneously, the drama introduces the social spectrum on such a personal matter. Affairs are all about the couple; but in reality they are not, nothing is. We live in the public eye, technological wizardry aimed to make our lives easier but instead it confined us to our little phone and pc screens making us afraid to strike a normal conversation or even care. Talking to strangers suddenly feels safe, but it’s not. We get a glimpse of other random stories, demonstrating that there is no magical or general solution to this problem. The repercussions might be similar, the issue is one but the basis it grows on changes thus the solution shifts as well. When is it worth fighting, when it’s not? Is there always a solution, is there not? Valid questions with invalid answers.

What mostly shocked me were the comments people made all these weeks while watching. It actually made me think on several occasions that we’re probably watching different dramas, but this is why this drama is so special and why such dramas must be protected and celebrated. It is not about a cute story that we will all cheer upon and move on after it’s done. It triggers something in us, it puts our cognitive ability in motion, hons our critical thinking and eventually puts our entire beliefs in question. It’s a topic that opts for conversation. Of course this is not for everyone and this is why some people will resolve to unreasonable hate. People who refuse to see things from a different corner will hate this.

Bottom line, what the show wants to do is to negotiate what adultery really is; its reasons, its triggers and types; after that, on a second basis it gives an unconventional message that we need to open our eyes and our hearts to the people around us, the people we love, and protect them. Even if they seem fine, they’re not. Nobody is. Ultimately, see things from different perspectives and walk on other people’s shoes. Nothing in life is black and white. We all have it hard, but no one has it harder than the other person. Be considerate be open be respectful!

Acting
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed deeply by the acting, but I might be biased because of how much the concept of the drama touched me.

Song Ji Hyo lived her role, and I appreciated the fact that she barely spoke and yet I felt the complete amount of feelings her character did. First time I saw her here, and I’ll be sure to check her older projects and look forward to the next. A round of applause to her for picking such a particular role and for pulling it off so immaculately

This was my first time seeing Lee Sun Gyun as well, and I didn’t regret it. I loved how people’s interpretation of his character varied, means he did a hell of a job, same goes for Song Ji Hyo. Another actor for me to look out for, especially during the later episodes his acting spiked becoming increasingly emotional and determined.

Special mention to my favourite –and I believe everyone’s favourite – duo BoA and Lee Sung Yeob. Loveable, quirky, funny and playful, they aced every part of their roles delivering an overall meaningful, enjoyable and luscious performance.

Lastly the fan favourite Ye Ji Won who was as charming as ever in this and deserved more screen time and the ludicrous but amusing Kim Hee Won gave a spectacular performance presenting the… ugly side of the affairs in the most entertaining way possible.

I feel inclined at this point to congratulate the writers. They delivered a great well-thought-out plot with several layers to entertain but also give us something meaningful and worthwhile. Thank you!

Recommend/Rewatch
Easy. If you’re of the mentality “You cheated, die you little slut” then steer clear of this drama for your own mental well-being mostly. If you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone, watch something that isn’t cute and playful, trouble yourself with what is right and wrong and you are open-minded as a person then do watch this. I’ll go ahead and say this is one the best dramas I’ve watched, but it demands a certain type of viewer. I will rewatch this at some point, certainly.

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