Why 'Typhoon Family' Isn't Just Another 'Retro Vibe' Drama
The tvN drama "Typhoon Family", which has aired four episodes so far, tells the story of youths in 1997 trying to save their bankrupt company. The economic crisis at that time was a word felt simultaneously by the entire nation. Why do the gazes and lines of those young people from that time still resonate with the youth in today's 2025 workplaces? While many period dramas and films have emerged riding the retro trend, not all achieve success. The reason "Typhoon Family" wasn't confined to being just a retro-feel drama and could establish itself as a major hit from the very beginning.
"Typhoon Family" recorded a viewership rating of 9.8% (Nielsen Korea, nationwide) for its fourth episode, setting a new personal best. The story of those who didn't lose their laughter even during the desperate times of the IMF crisis feels familiar to us living through unstable times today.
In 1997, 'economic crisis' was a term felt by the entire nation simultaneously. People worked 11 hours a day while suffering the anxiety of restructuring; some received gift certificates instead of salaries. If your 'neck' was still attached, even a delayed salary was considered fortunate. Countless companies collapsed. The characters of "Typhoon Family" endure the difficult times with humor instead of despair, and solidarity instead of resignation, right in the middle of that typhoon.
If that era was a time when the nation collapsed, now is an era where individuals endure. The nature of the economic crisis has changed, but the image of youth working steadfastly through the crisis remains current. Back then, competitiveness lay in fast fingers flicking the abacus and mental arithmetic skills; now, the ability to handle artificial intelligence and data has taken its place. Today's 'strong typhoons' must protect themselves within a rapidly changing global economic system, transformed labor values, and an unpredictable future, rather than saving a bankrupt company.
The concept of a stable, lifelong job has faded, replaced by 'platform labor' and 'single-person businesses' becoming everyday sights. The ways of earning money change rapidly, the wealth gap widens, and inflation makes all plans feel uncertain. For today's youth, the employees of "Typhoon Family", who are like weeds that get back up even after being punched repeatedly, provide quiet comfort and the strength to endure as they return from a passionately spent week.
"A country's economy has its difficult times, and tough times too, right?" "What seems important is an unshakable heart, don't you think?" Just like the lines delivered flawlessly in Seoul dialect by Oh Mi-seon (Kim Min-ha).
The protagonist's charm also heightens immersion in the drama. Kang Tae-poong, played by Lee Jun-ho, is a symbol of the IMF generation's youth. He first appears as a top predator of the 'Orange Tribe' dominating the streets of Apgujeong, showcasing the so-called 'Solid Fashion' with bridge-dyed hair, sleeveless tops, loose suits, and long dangling necklaces. This strangely vintage yet sophisticated styling evokes an impulse to try it again now. He secretly cultivated a large greenhouse behind his father, who ran a small business, exuding a prince-like aura. Scenes where he looks at flowers in the greenhouse dreaming of his future when feeling internally troubled, or plays Clon's songs, dances, and waters the flowers, were comical and elicited laughter, portraying a resilient character who doesn't lose his cheerfulness even in hardship. However, he faces his father's death and the company's bankruptcy simultaneously, becoming an adult overnight. As a character who shoulders the failures of his parents' generation and transitions from son to head of household in a day, his fashion also perfectly transforms along with his internal psychological changes into a full-fledged office worker look and a 'meeting-the-parents prepass' look. But the character doesn't become somber. While seriously searching for ways to save the company, he perfectly embodies a 'puppy-like' character with an emotional yet solid interior and spontaneously bursting humor and aegyo. Fans even say 'his true self is Kang Tae-poong,' indicating how well the actor fits the role.
The insane details that properly evoke nostalgia for that era are also viewing points. The young people roaming the city using Seoul dialect; Mix coffee, hand-mixed and shared in the order coffee-sugar-cream, two-one-two or two-two-three; The sound of the office copier running and typewriter clacks; even the popular fonts from that time.The characters appear on a popular matchmaking show from that era, sing hits like The Blue's 'With You' and Kim Hyun-jung's 'Breakup With Her,' and songs starting with Hwang Kyo-young's 'I'm Alright' to Clon's 'I' become anthems cheering on their tough lives.
The fact that it deals with the symbolic profession of a 'salesman' is also interesting. In those days, salesmen were talents working on the front lines of Korea's trade and export industries. They were a professional group considered the epitome of capable youth, earning foreign currency for domestic companies and pioneering overseas markets. By today's standards, they had the image of key talents moving the times, like planners at global tech companies or startup CEOs. Therefore, the downfall of salesmen during the IMF era wasn't just a story of a company's bankruptcy but also the collapse of a generation's self-respect.
The drama also frankly depicts how, in the midst of that, stepping on each other, deceiving, and committing fraud evading the eyes of the law became commonplace occurrences.Although we live in a fast and efficient system now, we strangely often feel more anxious and isolated. Perhaps that's why the laughter and interpersonal relationships in the "Typhoon Family" office sound even warmer to our ears.The way "Typhoon Family" comforts us is simple. Because there were people who didn't lose their laughter even in crisis, and that mindset is still valid today. Just as Kang Tae-poong did back then, we today are still enduring. Even though the world has changed, the fact that one ultimately unshakable heart remains the same. "I'm alright." This is why we mutter this on our way to work today and wait for the next episode of "Typhoon Family".
Post time 25-10-2025 06:27 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Rupa2nya Junho baru setup agensi dia sendiri tahun ni…senyap2 je xde bising2 pun…patutlah menjiwai betul watak Taepoong…
Ni update dari Junho via bubble:
I really must have lived this entire year as Taepoong. From the moment I opened my eyes to the moment I fell asleep, there wasn’t a single moment when I wasn’t Taepoong.
Whenever I act, I always feel this, but living as a character and then returning to myself… it’s never easy. And strangely, Taepoong overlapped a lot with who I was this year. I felt like we shared so many things.
Maybe it’s because Taepoong’s circumstances - the joy, the anger, the struggles, the pain, overlapped with my own.
To immerse myself more, to focus even deeper, I pushed myself hard. But now, seeing the results, I feel genuinely happy.
Author|Post time 25-10-2025 08:07 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
xyla73 replied at 25-10-2025 05:09 PM
Nasib baiklah malaysia tak ambik pinjaman IMF masa tu...
seingat iols lah bank2 kena merge pun lep ...
Yup... pasal IMF ni iols ada soft spot kat Tun M & his team... eventhough dia medical background... tapi dia tau pasal economy & effect kalau buat pinjaman tu... syukur sangat...
Tak silap iols South Korea ambil pinjaman IMF kan... tapi dapat bayar semula hasil kumpul gold daripada Korean citizen...
Author|Post time 26-10-2025 11:13 AMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Edited by Rahah at 26-10-2025 11:16 AM
Taepoong dah terjebak dengan Ahlong... bukan sebab dia pinjam Ahlong tapi Mr Park tokey kasut tu yang pinjam... iols ingatkan Taepoong kena scam ke apa, tiba2 stock kasut semua dah takde... rupanya kasut2 tu semua kena rampas dengan Ahlong... baru excited nak start berniaga & Miseon dah buat downpayment tiba2 kasut takde... sedih giler tengok Taepoong... rasa macam lost gitu... tambah pulak nak buat pinjaman susah sebab economic crisis...
Btw Miseon suruh Taepoong & omma dia stay kat rumah dia... ada bilik kosong... ada jugak tempat berteduh... nak stay kat ofis tak selesa... adik Miseon comel jer... kelakar dia layan halmeoni... tak tau la dia betul2 percaya Taepoong tu appa dia...
Si annoying Pyo tu memang akan ada setiap kali Taepoong buat bisnes... sebab appa dia boss kat port tu... huh...
summary epi 5 :
terkejut Miseon bila nmpk Taepoong & omma dia tidur kat ofis...so dia offer diorg duduk kat bilik kosong kat rumah dia...
walaupun dia sendiri pun dlm kesempitan...
sebagai kakak sulung dlm keluarga, Miseon ambik peranan jadi ketua keluarga sebab parents pun dah takde...
tapi dia rasa bersalah kat Miho sebab dlm usia 21 tahun Miho terpaksa ambik mcm2 kerja part time utk sama2 tolong menampung perbelanjaan keluarga...
mcm2 Miho kena, dari kena sexual harassment masa dia buat gig kat bar Nam Mo sampailah dikasari pelanggan masa dia kerja kat shopping complex...
sementara itu, ada baiknya jugak omma Taepoong stay dgn Miseon & family...
sebab bila Miseon & Miho keluar cari rezeki, yg tinggal kat rumah cuma Beom, adik bungsu yg masih kecik & halmoeni yg dah nyanyuk...
dgn adanya omma Taepoong harap2 dia bolehlah tgk2kan 2 org tu...
yg lain2 @Rahah dah summarize, cuma nak tambah sikit Taepoong memang buat pertaruhan berani mati bila gunakan mata sebagai cagaran sebab tak nak give up dgn kasut2 tu...
citer ni has all the ingredients utk jadi hit drama as well as tercalon kat baeksang arts awards tahun depan...acting, direction, story telling, cinematography, OST semua memang kena...
byk review positif walaupun baru keluar 5 episod...
iols pun senang buat summary sebab struktur penceritaan dia kemas & senang nak faham...
Summary epi 6 by imbcnews : Lee Jun-ho, despite successfully securing a safety shoe contract, faces another crisis after being showered with salt (Typhoon Family)
Taepung and Miseon have launched an all-out effort to sell safety shoes. The overseas markets Taepung targeted were not the usual China and Saudi Arabia but Europe and the United States.
This was because, while Asia still has low labor costs and an abundance of workers but lacks robust safety regulations, Europe and the United States consider safety a core value for cost reduction, as a single injury could lead to hospital bills, replacement labor costs, and even lawsuits.
Designed with the utmost consideration for worker safety in extreme working environments, Shupak safety shoes were a product that lived up to that value.
However, an unexpected problem arose. The ship scheduled for delivery suddenly refused to load the safety shoes. This was due to the scheming of Director Pyo Sang-seon (Moo Jin-seong), which caused Typhoon Family to be blacklisted by the shipping company. With only two days left until departure, there was simply not enough time to find an alternative ship.
Moreover, upon learning about the promissory note and physical waiver, Miseon grew angry at Taepung, feeling that he was recklessly playing the hero without understanding the responsibilities of a CEO.
Author|Post time 27-10-2025 08:46 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Finally, Typhoon Trading dapat 1st purchase order untuk kasut Shoepark... tapi ada masalah dengan shipment sebab si mangkuk Pyo... Kena tunggu next episode pasal shipment kasut tu...
Post time 27-10-2025 09:05 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Rahah replied at 27-10-2025 08:46 PM
Finally, Typhoon Trading dapat 1st purchase order untuk kasut Shoepark... tapi ada masalah dengan sh ...
Pyo anak-beranak ni memang haters abadi Taepoong…haters kan gitu perangainya…pantang dpt tau something pasal org yg dia tak suka, gigihlah nak sabotaj…
Post time 29-10-2025 06:17 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Rahah replied at 25-10-2025 08:07 PM
Yup... pasal IMF ni iols ada soft spot kat Tun M & his team... eventhough dia medical background.. ...
Iols ada love hate affection dgn Tun M…tahun 1997 ni Petronas Twin Tower baru dibukak, then tahun 1998 Malaysia jadi tuan rumah sukan komanwel…masa tu memang marah dgn Tun M, dlm kepala pikir buat apalah buat semua ni di tengah2 dunia hadapi krisis kewangan…membazir je…maklumlah kita bbnu time tu, darah tgh panas
Lepas bertahun2 berlalu barulah nmpk benefit twin tower ni…twin tower dah jadi salah satu kebanggaan Malaysia…kita perlukan pemimpin yg ada visi mcm Tun M…malangnya sampai skrg takde yg bervisi & semangat nasionalis mcm dia…
Sorry OT…just nak share apa yg berlaku kat MY pada zaman yg dipaparkan dlm citer ni…
Post time 1-11-2025 05:09 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Terjebak dgn cerita ni. Susah meols nk lekat tgk kdrama lately sbb kdg2 after 2,3 episod mcm melalut atau dah boleh agak. Tp cerita ni mmg lain la.. Lagi pun meols suka jun ho berlakon.
Author|Post time 1-11-2025 08:52 PMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
xyla73 replied at 29-10-2025 06:17 PM
Iols ada love hate affection dgn Tun M…tahun 1997 ni Petronas Twin Tower baru dibukak, then tahun ...
Relate jer dengan citer ni... sebab tahun yang sama... cuma tu yang berlaku kat Malaysia... citer Typhoon Family ni walaupun fiction tapi ni la gambarannya kat Korea masa economic crisis...
Sampai skang bangga tengok Petronas Twin Tower tu... kita nampak macam membazir tapi tu la yang jadi kebanggaan Malaysia... the tallest twin tower in the world...
Post time 25-10-2025 05:26 PM
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