WHOLESOME AF
It has been awhile since a drama has hooked me straight awayI love how wholesome this drama is
It's an eye opener when it comes to austism more specifically spectrum disorder and how it effects someone on their day to day life.
Young woo is such an interesting character, the way she memorises what's on a piece of paper just by looking at it once, she is very observant, obviously she doesn't know when it is appropriate to talk about her whale obsession or when it's the right time to speak but she is willing to learn. The way they portray her lightbulb as a whale coming out of the water is hilarious.
I love how the other attorneys on the team Myung seok, Su yeon and Joon ho.
The character min woo I absolutely despised for treating my girl young woo with so much disrespect, doing everything in his power to destroy her but that scene in Ep 15 of him protecting young woo ?? thank you for protecting her.....I still don't like you tho
The head of the team myung seok is like an older brother to young woo yes at the start he was a little stunned and annoyed by how many times she would interrupt him but eventually grew to adore her and her ways.
Joon ho was the first friend she made at the job, he helped her with the revolving door, listened to her endless facts about whales and went along with anything she wanted. He is the epitome of the perfect boyfriend.
Su Yeon also known as spring sunshine is such a beautiful tsundere person who is very protective over young woo. At first I thought she was going to turn into such a bitch after finding out that Joon Ho liked young woo, she protected and never left young woo side even if her career was at stake. I hate that Su yeon and Min woo got together at the end Su yeon you deserve so much better bruh idk whats in the air in Jeju island but it some how changed everyone.
Her father is such an adorable man that deserves the world. Raising young woo alone as a single parent, being very protective over her, wanting the best for her, giving up his career as an attorney just so he could give everything for his daughter god dad goals ?
Young woo best friend geu rami is an ADHD golden retriever, she too is very protective of her best friend and a mega shipper for young woo and Joon ho her boss min shik aka hairy boss is so wholesome aswell awkward at times but adorable.
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Overrated
Interesting premise, definitely something new. I really enjoyed the first half with fun cases and all the whales. After episode 12, it was time to wrap up.The romance needed work. Firstly, it's already difficult to write romance between an autistic and healthy person. Secondly, the romance between FL and ML was rather shallow. He started liking her after he saw her in a wedding dress. It was hard to root for them because there were more red flags in that relationship than the positives. Yes, he at first listened to her talk about whales, but it became apparent that he was getting tired of it. The recurring theme of her having no social cues and consistently disregarding his feelings was not looking good for them. Perhaps, breaking up or just having a platonic relationship would've been better for the plot. Young Woo showed no signs that she could adapt to his emotional needs and he was increasingly hurt and frustrated by her disregard of his feelings. They broke up, then they got back together and that was it. The writers showed no growth in their relationship or her fundamental understanding of how to treat her partner. That would've been an interesting plot idea to teach an autistic person how to navigate relationships.
And what was Joon Ho's position with the law firm anyway? He wasn't a lawyer. A paralegal? A secretary? An errand boy? While Young Woo was running around with other lawyers solving cases, he was mostly in the background getting far less screen time than everyone else. The romance felt like an afterthought.
The acting was really good. Park Eun Bin did a very good job portraying an autistic person. Kang Tae Oh is also talented and very very hot. I want to see more of him in major roles.
Overall, the legal procedural was mostly fun, although it became kind of boring after episode 12. The romance was pretty underwhelming.
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Objectively a 10
It's really nice to watch something so different and get a peak into the life and mind of people with autism. I can see all the research that has gone into this drama and the actress did a phenomenal job! I was awed at her mannerisms with her whole body - from the way her eyes avoided eye contact to the way she carried herself. Other than that, the drama addressed different problems in a very tactful manner: from prejudice against people with mental disorders to corruption in the legal system. All the while, I could not really hate any character. Every character had their own twist and I honestly love that there was no "big bad evil villainess" character, because I honestly get tired of that. The whale/dolphin animations were also really well made and it was fun to learn some off-topic whale facts.The only reason I did not give a full 10 is because although the drama itself is great, it is not completely my taste. But I would argue that objectively, it would be a 10.
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A Drama that Leaves the Viewer with a sense of Fulfillment
Extraordinary Attorney Woo has been a drama that I have been putting off watching for a long time and I am incredibly disappointed in myself for not watching this wonderful drama much sooner! The drama immediately establishes itself perfectly by introducing all the characters and their wide arrange of personalities. The story itself revolves around the titular character Woo Young Woo, Korea's first Autistic Attorney, who immediately became one of my favorite female lead characters with her cute, charming, shy personality. Each episode revolved around a "Case of the Week" style story telling with the attorneys of Hanbada Law Firm taking on various cases involving different situations and different character interactions with a wide arrange of conflicts and new friendships being formed. The drama also has a main overarching story revolving around Woo Young Woo being the secret child of the head of Hanbada's rival lawfirm Taesan and Minister of Justice candidate, Tae Soo Mi. The secondary overarching story was Woo Young Woo's relationship with Lee Jun Ho, a charming and kind litigator who works at Hanbada. He quickly establishes himself as the kind and caring male lead who genuinely cares for Woo Young Woo and who loves Woo Young Woo for who she, even despite his judgmental friends. The story itself is consistent throughout and it never once disappointed me, I was always thoroughly entertained however two things disappointed me was that it feel into the one episode break up trope which many K-Drama's fall into and that some cases' outcomes aren't directly mentioned so you have to judge based around how the closing arguments were for those cases. Although that wasn't enough for me to minus points off.The cast itself was perfect with Woo Young Woo being played by the talented Park Eun Bin who nobody else could have played that role better and her counterpart Lee Jun Ho was played by Kang Tae Oh who was a big fan of in My First First Love. Kang Tae Oh really shined in the male lead role, I hope he gets more roles in the future as the male lead, this performance alone was perfect. It was interesting to see Kang Ki Young play a nice, caring, mentor role with his role of Jung Myung Seok especially after watching him play the lead villain in the second season of Uncanny Counter. The first episode was odd, but he immediately showed his ability to play two totally different roles. The wide arrange of supporting casting was fantastic, specifically Choi Soo Yeon who was played by Ha Yoon Kyung.
The quality of the production was perfect with the cinematography being extremely high quality and the locations for the drama were lively. The OST was great and complimented the drama well. Overall I loved every second of watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo, I really can't wait for the second season!
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Special in every way
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is one of the most unique shows I've seen in recent times. It is certainly not your ordinary law drama.Depicting the imaginative world through the eyes of this bright rookie attorney obsessed with whales was insightful and brilliant. She is more than her diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Along with sharing the perspectives of caregivers and other relations she develops, the show dares to challenge the ableist views society has towards such individuals in an innocent and honest manner. The animation of EAW adds an element of fun to what could have been a very serious topic.
"Though my life is unusual and peculiar, it is valuable and beautiful."
If you are looking for a heartwarming drama which also presents how attorneys deal with moral dilemmas in cases of social justice then this is certainly a drama for you.
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A Sense of Fullfilment
A Sense of Fulfillment is what I felt when I finished the drama just like Woo Young-Woo, I loved and enjoyed and felt every second of this drama. I don't know, something about each character drew me to the story and the acting was phenomenal. I loved the sweet interactions between the main leads and how their romance was portrayed. I want to watch this again like it was my first time. If you have any doubts about watching this, my answer is just to start it. You'll get drawn in. I think it's a drama that anyone can like watching despite their other genre show preferences. This is definitely going on my all-time favorites list. Please enjoy watching yall!Was this review helpful to you?
Mind expanded. Check⚡️✅
The Korean drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows the exploits of an Attorney with Autism who is a savant when it comes to remembering everything she has read on Law and whales. While this drama definitely will be binge-worthy in the future, it is a drama to watch real-time now. This show is getting incredible numbers from viewers. Google users are giving it 98/100.We are use to binging our Korean dramas, but sometimes that drama comes along that provides so much information for you to assimilate that it takes a week to clear all your head talk. You don’t have time to get anxious for the next episode. And some tell me they are rewatching the episodes that they have viewed already to fully enjoy the incredible moments. Head talk is when you go into deep thought in your head, talking to yourself about the things you have seen in the drama. You get in these contemplative moods, discussing Autism in general and each creative way that Attorney Woo Young Woo (A butterfly name that is the same forward and backward like the word deed) wins her cases.
Through the week you get to marvel at the terrific writing and direction in this drama. The Revolving Door Waltz, The Nepotism Episode that was truly a disguise for discussing discrimination in general (Cryfest moment for me), and the episode on “Should those with Autism be allowed to love who they love?” (Another Cryfest episode). While these may be singled out as my highest levels of enjoyment, these moments were just the cream on top of the ice cream for Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
Actors Kang Tae Oh as Lee Junho and the incredible Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo
Then there are the ‘Whale Moments’ of Attorney Woo. Who does not know that she loves whales? I am learning so much about whales, because of her fixation on them and whale talk has even provided some of my Cryfest moments too. I anticipate the whale stories. Also, when Attorney Woo comes up with those creative law epiphanies, those are introduced with her whale associations. I get such a sigh of relief, because I know that she has figured out how to win the court case when I see her whale moments.
The one debate in my head at present, that is keeping me up at night, is “Which drama did I like the most for the year 2022, Business Proposal or Extraordinary Attorney Woo?” Business Proposal is deeply squirreled away in my heart, but Extraordinary Attorney Woo is whaling away it’s own credits.
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The Wisdom of Woo Young Woo!
It is sad that the world is not more accepting of those with mental or physical handicaps. Given a chance, we find that such beings are more than capable. Everyone can contribute to the world, no matter how big or small.If you’re like many other people who’ve seen this beloved series, you’ll find yourself immediately enamored by Attorney Woo Young Woo…no matter how it’s flipped, it reads the same! And no matter how much you try to look at Woo in a different way, she’s still her charming, cute, and beautiful self!
We all need a Woo Young Woo in our lives. Such people are often devoid of egotistical traits. There is no animosity or hatred behind their words. And when they love, they love completely. How many people in the world can claim this? We often look at people in the world like Woo Young Woo as having problems. And yet, I daresay, perhaps WE are the ones who should be more like her! Such is the purity of innocence. To have the essence and wonderment of a child. And why are children so wonderful? Because they’re like sponges who are free of shame and guilt—such traits are learned behaviors that are sadly instilled in them by parents, society, culture, religion, etc. Woo Young Woo is like being an eternal child, and that is not a bad thing! It's something we should all aspire to be.
Like very few autistic people, Woo Young Woo would be classified as a savant. Someone with incredible mental abilities to remember pretty much anything and everything. Such a skill makes Woo Young Woo an amazing asset as an attorney, despite her lack of ability to read people and understand various emotions. Sudden emotional outbursts tend to frighten her, and she’s not immediately comfortable in foreign environments. She also has an aversion to being physically touched. But don’t let these things fool you since Woo Young Woo has more charm than most people can begin to dream about.
Eun Bin Park gives a tremendous performance as Woo Young Woo. The only other characters I’ve seen that match hers were autistic performances in “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay,” and “Move To Heaven” (two more incredible Korean dramas if you’re looking for something!). Eun Bin Park will have you laughing, smiling, and occasionally tearing up with her delightful performance. She may well have given us one of the cutest characters I’ve ever seen. And yet, she also shows us the absolute brilliance of Woo Young Woo as an attorney. Yes, we’re talking about someone along the lines of a Perry Mason. But what makes her truly remarkable is her integrity; her unwillingness to compromise her values in doing what is right. How many attorneys can claim that?! Not very many, I’d wager.
And, of course, because of Woo Young Woo’s innocence, she also brings with it a childlike naivety which makes her vulnerable to those who would try to take advantage or mistreat her. It can be a bit painful sometimes to watch those scenes, as all you want to do is be like Jun-Ho and do your utmost to protect her.
Woo Young Woo describes herself once as a narwhal living among beluga whales. She knows she’s a bit peculiar to most people, but she not only learns to adapt but to accept herself as she is. I would actually go even further and say she’s like a gold nugget among lumps of coal. She’s far more precious and special than even she can comprehend or realize. And part of the charm of the show is watching those who doubted and even abused her, begin to soften and realize how precious she really is.
Another beautiful aspect of the show is the simple, and yet beautiful romance between Woo Young Woo and Jun-Ho. And the reason why it is so incredibly unique is because Jun-Ho fully accepts Woo Young Woo as she is. He never asks her to change or be anything other than who she is. In short, this is one of the rare depictions of unconditional love that many people search for, and yet very seldom find.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a true delight. It’s also light drama in case you’re searching for something that isn’t too heavy. And the court cases are always very intriguing to watch as we wait and see what magic Woo Young Woo is about to pull. I’ve already heard that a second Season will be made. And well, I never get tired of Woo Young Woo’s love and talk of whales. I definitely want another season of this charming and delightful show!
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Woo to the young to the no Woo Hoo
Primarily a law drama, which is fine because of the title, it was expected. It delivered on the law aspect of the show, but that was mostly it. The cases were mostly nice, as I enjoy a good law drama, but the dream sequence with the whales were sooooo painful. I like a space out as much as the next person, but it was a bit much. The court room antics were mostly spot on which was nice and the cases were not extraordinary but they were nice. I especially like the realism in the cases because it will be that was in real life, I even loved the realism with the case of with the defense of another mentally disabled person. The fact that everything was taken away from her and no one, not even her mother could really understand why she was crying is heartbreaking.Their was an attempt at romance in this from the onset, but it really wasn't anything to notice really. I loved Jung Myung , he was a boss among bosses, kind and supportive where ever it was needed. His hospital visit was the worst, I literally prayed for this fictional character after. It was amazing to have a side character that can connect with people so well.
Kwon Min was the biggest snake I have ever seen in a law firm, like he needed to get met in an alley and have things happen to him that cannot be proven. He was really nice to look at though, but still wanted to punch that beautiful face.
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The drama that Twitter convinced me to watch
I started watching this drama after I saw everyone on Twitter talking about it. I absolutely loved every second.+ the cast was incredible, especially Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo.
+ the topics. We had many different topics in all the cases that Woo had to solve. There was a case involving someone else with autism, there was some queer rep in an episode too, etc.
+ the romance was cute (but it sometimes felt forced).
+ almost all side characters were really good.
Overall a great drama that I recommend to everyone who wants to watch a drama with an amazing main character and with good autism representation.
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Refreshing
I was captivated from the get-go and became thoroughly engrossed in this series.Out of 16 eps, only one made me cringe a bit and that's probably more about my own discomfort over certain situations than the story!
An excellent cast, especially Park Eun-bin; without her extraordinary acting, which made Attorney Woo just that, this series could have failed.
However, this is a drama. It is not a reality programme centring around an actual lawyer who lives with autism, going about her daily life and work representing those that can afford it, at a high end legal firm.
S.Korea seem to be introducing characters with disabilities more (I thought the character in Our Blues, actually played by an actress with Downs Syndrome, was really ground breaking, yet rarely got mentioned). I hope it educates people (shocking they are so far behind), that treating those who are different to the 'norm' badly and dismissing members of society with any form of disability, or looking down on them, is unacceptable and shows poor and ignorant behaviour.
I think it is highly unlikely one would see many of the scenarios in real life, however, the way in which the programme brought to the fore Young Woo's different (often enlightening) perspective on things, was a joy. It showed that whilst she struggles with understanding human emotion, that didn't mean the character has none, and also felt hurt or concerned for others, just in a different way.
There are autistic savants (I have a cousin-once-removed that is, but he is more severely affected by it at the same time), so her amazing memory is not a step too far. Her obsessions, OCD and discomfort with human contact, I thought were well represented. I also applauded the episode showing the fact not all people with same disorder will be identical ~ there are different levels and the more severe cases are nothing like Young-woo.
Incorporating a romantic element for the character was good to see as well ~ why shouldn't or can't people care about and date someone with autism, if it works? However, whilst it touched on the fact Joon Ho was going to have to work harder at the relationship, would experience discrimination toward her (and their relationship) and would definitely feel lonely and frustrated at times, that aspect was rather romanticized. I think the reality would be more difficult, but equally, if it can work, hugely rewarding for both.
Issues of abandonment were upsetting, I thought and one character was/is irredeemable and not fit to parent. Young-woo definitely gets used, very coldly.
Sometimes aspects went a step too far out of what would be possible and the legal cases did at times feel like their authenticity was secondary, but overall it is a compelling series and I look forward to the developments in S2, even though we'll be waiting for some time.
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Heartwarming Story
If you haven’t heard about Extraordinary Attorney Woo, then you have been living under a rock. I honestly don’t know what more I can add to the conversation that hasn’t already been said. Park Eu-bin shines as Woo Young-woo, portraying her as a multi-faceted and dynamic woman experiencing the challenges and joys of a young career woman (as well as first love). Many people have commented on the actress' thoughtful portrayal of a woman on the spectrum. Whether you think she succeeds or fails in that performance, it does seem like the actress and the writing team attempted to be as authentic and genuine as possible.It’s a joy watching Young-Woo interact with the secondary characters on the show, particularly her love interest Lee Joon-ho (played by Kang Tae-ho) and her boss Jung Myung-seok (played by Kang Ki-young). I have seen Kang Ki-young in several roles over the years, and he always manages to bring so much depth and nuance to his performances. Luckily, Jung Myung-seok is a complex character dealing with many challenges as a mentor to his team and the demands of his job on his health. He was the right actor to take on such an intricate role.
Much love is also given to the romance between Young-woo and Joon-ho, and rightfully so. It’s refreshing to watch a woman on the spectrum have such a beautiful and slowly built romance with a sweetheart of a guy. The two actors had chemistry in spades - I could literarily watch any scene with them over and over again. However, I felt a bit unsatisfied by the end of the series with Joon-ho’s character. In many ways, he felt one-dimensional. Much of his character development is through the lens as a love interest, not as an individual. As a show balancing between a love story, a legal drama, and an individual introspection, I suspect his character just didn’t have the opportunity to be given the same amount of attention as Young-woo and Jung Myung-seok.
While this is a character-driven story, much time is spent on the legal cases taken by the law firm. Some worked better than others in layering challenges Young-woo faces personally alongside her client's challenges. I enjoyed that all of the cases weren’t necessarily solved within the episode - it broke up some of the procedural moments into more manageable pieces. Not to be outdone, the OST and cinematography for the show was well-executed and memorable too.
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