> Time traveling misogynist comes to term with his mistakes when he is given a second chance. Its not Imperfect human beings that make a mess marriage ; its the lack of coherence and effort .


"Familiar Wife" is yet another excellent drama from our friends at tvN that gives a new spin to that old trope of travelling back in time to change the future for better -- who wouldn't want that? But no change comes without its consequence as Cha Joo Hyuk (played by Ji Sung) learns that [spoiler] his inability to communicate with his wife Seo Woo Jin (played by Han Ji Min) and the contemporary reality that women have to bear the brunt of housework, family, and their own jobs forms the perfect storm for a spineless male lead character to become desperate in his own misogyny and breadwinner mentality that he seeks a way out of it.[/spoiler]

PLOT
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A decent quality story that resolves around Ji Sung and Han Ji Min's characters; miserable with their married life; their relationship, the effects and consequences of time travel, and somewhat of a social commentary (as far as any k-drama go) on marriage and couples.

[spoiler] Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung) quickly realises that despite his escapist yearning and selfish decision to alter the present his new life becomes a ceaseless battle as he embraces that he still loves Seo Woo Jin (Han Ji Min) but also has to content with the new reality he lives in. Meanwhile Seo Woo Jin (Han Ji Min) has her own life and agency, but also experiences side effects from time travel and a curious familiarity towards Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung). Details about their past are featured prominently through flashbacks that blend seamlessly with the main plot and explain why things are the way they are.[/spoiler]

With many heavy hearted moments between romance and melodrama, there is also time for some comic relief and humour between the cast which offers some relief from the overall seriousness of "Familiar Wife" -- for its less 'realistic' aspects, this is a mature story that covers the ups and downs of being married and how uneven relationships do not work and are toxic to the point they slowly transform people from their best into their worst, whether they can recognise it or not.

CAST
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I love Ji Sung ; he is the best male actor in the K-Drama pieces and he choose different subjects in each of his roles and you will see a new side of him in each series as he is not a one-dimensional ( No one can forget the 7 characters he did in Kill Me ! Heal Me !!) .

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Han Ji Min and Ji Sung. As a married couple, and as a non-couple too, they were believable.
Although Han Ji Min did a wonderful job in the show ; I can't stop imagining how great the show would be if they casted Hwang Jung Eum for Seo Woo Jin ; she would be a perfect shouting wife lol and they were a good match in 2 other shows; but nothing to take away from Han Ji Min she was perfect daughter, wife and [spoiler] lover, mother[/spoiler]

Kang Han Na fits the shoes of Lee Hee Won perfectly both in attitude and aesthetics, though some people may have some criticisms over her actions and embodiment of certain stereotypes/tropes. She behaved like she was entitled to everything, but she wasn't evil or villainous like a lot other SFL.

The second male lead Jong Hoo, was a really good character. He was charming, but he never overshadowed the male lead enough to give you SLS. I really liked the bond between him and Joo Hyuk. It wasn't exactly bromance but they had a really nice friendship.

"Familiar Wife" has a pleasant cast of friendly characters and actors that fit well into the story and play the role well when the time demands so, some even having their own side stories with pinches of romance and family drama that involve the leading characters as well.

OST
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"Familiar Wife" has a fine soundtrack with a few notable songs that play during crucial points of the story as well as at the beginning of each episode. The music itself matches the tone of the story and never feels repetitive. I especially loved the 'Love Me Again' and 'Let me Stay'

Rewatch
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Overall pacing of the story is good with the exception of episode 13-14 where the plot seems to slow down to stalling point but it quickly picks up back again episode 15. The rewatch would be usually high considering its a Ji-Sung piece but familiar wife fails in pulling me in in most scenes especially the flashback romance /recollections as i was more interested in future ; may be i should rewatch and not skip scenese

VERDICT
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"Familiar Wife" is far from being a "perfect drama" (I don't believe those necessarily exist) but it's a very compelling story in the world of the time travelling trope, and if anything it's worth watching for Han Ji Min and Ji-Sung .

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this drama! It has everything, a spectacular cast, and intriguing storyline, a good OST. So please give this drama a honest chance and it baffles me that it is rated low by many.