Was "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" extraordinary or really quite ordinary?
First I'd like you say I enjoyed this k-drama in spite of my hook title. This is a spoiler free, relatively quick review of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" to give the curious k-drama fan an idea of what they are getting into when it comes to this show. I hope you find this helpful in your decision to watch, or if your trying to process your thoughts after watching it yourself. Now lets get into the review :)Story(7.5): This k-drama is an episodic show, bringing new ideas and mini stories to light with each episode as Woo Young Woo navigates life as an attorney with autism. with each episode there is an exciting new element that presses the characters to grow and express themselves in different ways to help the viewer feel progression. I found the narrative to be quite good early on, but as it progressed to the ladder half, it started to become a little predictable with the same story structure being recycled for most of the episodes. don't get me wrong the second half was still very good, just lacked a bit of the surprise you find in the earlier episodes. To be extra critical ill say, with the episodic nature of this show there are moments where you want more, and either the episode ends, or it cuts ahead without explanation(sometimes the answer comes later). I will say this was mainly an issue for me when a specific someone wasn't introduced to someone's father.. But I digress, with the main negatives out of the way, This story is so special. This is because of how it approaches misunderstood people, and discriminations of those not excepted. You will find that this show almost makes you be a judge or a moral compass in the back seat. Through this position you can see how people are treated in situations whether its a side character or Woo Young herself and without spoiling, this show is about giving the misunderstood a voice and does so beautify. Also you will gain a new found passion for whales lol.
Acting/Characters(9.5): I mainly like to think of this part more so for characters than for the acting itself. This is mainly because in my experience you'd be hard pressed to find bad acting in a k-drama. But good characters? Good relationships? now that's a more rare commodity. That being said I cant move on to characters without recognizing the amazing job Park Eun Bin did as Woo Young. Literally the highlight of the show, and her friendship with Geurami was chefs kiss. Aside from these two the main and side characters were great. Both interactions inside the Attorneys office and in adventures outside the lawful narrative were great without missing a beat. This is most notable when you see characters from different sides of the story brought together by peculiar circumstances and their interactions are both exciting and hilarious to watch.
Music(9):This K-drama while not having note worthy music that you might want to listen on your phone afterwards, Had amazing tracks to be played in the background throughout. I noticed this show constantly hit me in the feels, whether it was sad, heartfelt, or funny. I found this was most attributed to the effect the music has from scene to scene. Its connected beautifully to the dialog and you have to watch the show to really get what I mean.
Rewatch Value(7.5): In this category Extraordinary Attorney Woo has in my opinion, has one main pro and one main con. The pro would be, with the stories episodic nature its easy to go back to most episodes individually and watch them as a stand alone to rehash your perspective. The con would be that like I mentioned in the story portion, the second portion of the story starts to become a little predictable. This might make the ladder part of the show a bit less compelling than the first time around.
Overall(8.5):Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a great series. If you are a sucker for heartfelt comedic stories or moments that catch you getting emotional, I'd highly recommend you this show. There are a few things that keep it from being perfect, but I promise, you will enjoy the ride it takes you on. Thank you for reading my review of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, I hope you found my thoughts helpful. Have a great day and I hope you find this show as special as I did.
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Absolutely Loved it
This was an amazing series that I am disappointed in myself for not starting it earlies. It was perfect. The plot is so good. I loved how it is centered around only one character. That one characters has some problems and she faces it on her own but also sometimes with someone's help. She faces them and learns from them. I also loved that they don't dismiss the problem so quickly and show it throughout the entire series. I love how the love interest is just the love interest. He doesn't solve all her problems with the snap of his finger. He is there for her when it is needed but not all the time. Sometimes she gotta be the only one to solve her own problems. I love how she doesn't win every case. Also even if the case is not morally good, she still solves it as she is an attorney. I love how the characters aren't evil but just bad people. They are just selfish human beings that want to achieve something they want. It is more realistic. I hate it when series become so overly dramatic and kill anyone who apposes them. So I really love the plot, the writing, the characters and the pacing and all. Really amazed. A wonderful series.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not a perfectly written drama, but my enjoyment was extraordinary.
Attorney Woo is delightful, and the characters and cases were all interesting, which is saying a lot since I'm typically not a fan of legal dramas or shows that follow a case-of-the-week format. Park Eun Bin's acting was amazing; she embodied the role. I also enjoyed all of the side characters, but especially Ha Yoon Kyung as Choi Soo Yeon.Two points of dissatisfaction:
I struggled with the romance storyline from the beginning and felt dissatisfied with it in the end. Jun Ho's crush on her started with the cliche scene of seeing her in a wedding dress, and it seemed to grow from his delight in watching her talk about whales and solving cases. But they didn't seem to have anything in common or any moment of real connection. Why couldn't they have given them some common interests? He could have been a whale fanatic too. Or loved gimbap. It's like he kept insisting, "I really do like her," as if he needed to convince the audience as well as everyone around them because nothing in their interactions made it make sense why he would like her. In my opinion, what he liked about her was taking care of her (their very first interaction was him helping her through the revolving doors, for instance), and I really disliked that because both people in a relationship should feel like equals.
I also felt that the story dragged in the episodes on Jeju, followed by some underwhelming character development in the final two episodes. My theory is that they knew by then that they had been picked up for a second season, so at that point, they were trying to follow two playbooks. Standard Korean Drama conventions say they need to resolve the story threads by the end of the season, but a second season means they need to leave some things open. Trying to meet both endgoals, the show ended up making the motivations of the characters feel whiplashy. They didn't spend enough time teasing out Min Woo and Soo Yeon's relationship (probably so they have romantic tension to work with in the next season), so Min Woo's final decision seemed out of character. Similarly, they left Tae Soo Mi a villain until the last 15 minutes (probably so they can develop her relationship with Young Woo in season 2), which made her decision feel too sudden. They brought the story to the end - season 1 could reasonably stand alone if a viewer didn't want to continue with season 2 - but it was somewhat dissatisfying.
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Woo to the Young to the Woo
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)Likes
1. Woo to the Young to the Woo! She's so cute and fierce no wonder she has a lot of support from friends and her dad. But of course she wouldnt prolly be treated so nicely if this was real life.
2. It's a role reversal where the male lead is the candy girl, meant to be the support for the female lead and he doesnt need to do much but look pretty and support WYW. I hope they give Junho a meatier storyline in S2.
3. Spring sunshine Suyeon is always nice to WYW. I hope she is also able to show her legal brilliance and win cases too. Her only fault is liking Minwoo.
4. Jung Myeongsuk is one of the nicest and most supportive bosses in kdramaland. I hope he gets better!
5. Dong Geurami and Hairy guy. WYW's dad. The entire cast was wonderful!
Dislikes
1. The last episode was a little underwhelming maybe because there's going to be season 2. Hoping that Atty Tae Sumi will have a better r'ship with WYW, including the genius brother.
2. Minwoo was so bad throughout most of the show but suddenly became nice in the end, without getting any "punishment" for his bad deeds. And don't understand why 2 girls are fighting over him.but i dont mind if he continues to be nice in s2 and introduce a new villain attorney.
Rating: 8.5/10
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Quirky & Sweet
EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO (2022) was a wonderful Kdrama, filled with memorable characters, as well as having a beautiful, moving and inspiring story (and sub stories). The Autistic heroine Attorney (Woo Young Woo) is really such a memorable character, and one of the few representations of autism in females that I've seen.This series was such a heartfelt drama depicting a brilliant young woman with autism whose passion for justice and upholding the law, is not held back in the least by her limitations. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's wonderful to watch her overcome any and all obstacles, grow as a person and ultimately thrive.
This Kdrama was really sweet and so full of heart. It's so endearing and entertaining, unforgettable. A wonderful, heart-warming watch!
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A Captivating Woo Young Woo
I've never posted a review for a drama before, even though I've probably watched thousands of them since my youth. I have posted my opinion about Extraordinary Attorney Woo in the main comments section but I really love this drama so I want to repost it here in the reviews section also.For me, I rate a drama very high when it makes me feel deep emotions along with the main characters. I've watched Asian dramas for many decades and this drama is ranked at the very top of my list. This is a story of Young Woo's journey and experiences as a woman, an individual on the autism spectrum and a first year lawyer. She learns and grows through each case she takes on and the people she encounters.
I feel that the cases are relevant to Young Woo and reflects real cases in Korea and real life (many times people will sue and go to court for stupid and crazy reasons). However, those cases are not a waste because Young Woo is able to reflect afterwards and understand herself and recognize the emotions she goes through as a lawyer.
I was alongside Young Woo every step as she faced all her challenges from the beginning to the end of the drama. She captivated me with her positive outlook in life, her blunt and straight forward ways and her willingness to advocate and fight for what she believes in. I will echo what many people have already said, Park Eun Bin deserves to win The Baeksang Awards for her role as Woo Young Woo.
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Extraordinary
Yes... As the name the drama is also extraordinary. I love the whole of it, from the story to acting and I really admire the actress as she played the role better than anyone else could have. She never lacked anywhere. I know the other staff members worked really hard, and their hard work really paid off. I really like this drama. Somewhere it's different and somewhere it's unique. Playing a character like that so good is something really appreciating. I just thought if Woo Young-Woo joined Attorney Ryu Jae-Sook to work with her, the character would've been more like how it should be. She is not some ordinary attorney, she doesn't go only after money! So I think this would've been better. And to be honest Attorney Tar Su-mi or The CEO of Hanbada got what they deserved. They both needed some punishments. And to be honest they should've showed more chemistry between Jun-ho and Woo to the young to the woo... And yeah, they totally skipped the part where it is shown who gets ina relationship with whom! They really skipped that part! And to be honest I think they should've made Young-Woo's father go in a relationship.... Maybe they will have all this cleared out in season 2 if it ever airs... I really hope they will have season 2! I really liked this drama.... There isn't a time I cried while watching the last part where all content of the drama is shown shortly... I really cried while I remembered the every emotion I felt whole watching each episode....... This is something that doesn't happen often...Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Enjoyable, however I acknowledge I can't speak to the autistic rep
I had put off watching this drama for a while, despite some stellar reviews, because the general vibe I got from the trailer and the crowd I saw praising it made me wary of the representation. Americans are no stranger to the (hopefully) well meaning "inspirational" stories of "extraordinary" people with disabilities. These stories are usually meant to inspire people without disabilities, while infantilizing and sensationalizing, people with disabilities. This story fell into that trap at times, (that I noticed) while I did enjoy some aspects of the show.The good:
- lead female character with autism. I actually can't think of any other examples of this in media.
- legal cases that were engaging and interesting to watch
- story that was pretty well paced, complex enough to stay interesting with family dynamics
- i loved Woo Young-woo's friendships with her Dong Geraumi and Choi
- a cast that was fun to watch for the most part (I still hate Kwon. I don't care about the attempt to redeem him)
The bad:
- this story falls in line with implying that people with disabilities are worth loving/paying attention to/existing if they're extraordinarily skilled at something. There's an entire episode where Woo Young-woo tries to help another young man with autism and she explains that people would view her worth differently if she had a similar presentation to the defendant she was representing and the entire show sort of enforces that. She's literally named as "extraordinary" in the title of the show and it felt like another example of a disability being presented as an added "bonus" because she's a great lawyer. I don't really remember people saying she'd be valued even without those skills.
- the attempt for WYW to be independent from her father is never furthered or addressed. Maybe in the next season? In a way it almost seemed to imply she'd go from relying on her father to relying on Jun ho
- Kwon is trash and that's never really addressed. Also, it bothered me that WYW's friend and Choi both wanted to date the guy that had it out for WYW the whole time
- Jun ho is cute and all, but his interactions with everyone in his life were discouraging. This guy repeatedly encountered horrible ablelist comments from his roommate (Kwon) and his college friends and yet he acted like a surprised child every time he did. It happened over and over and then he decided to bring WYW around his family, who he hadn't vetted? I get that the show wanted to show that you can have autism and still be in a romantic relationship, but if someone really cares about you, they should do the bare minimum and make sure you're going to be in a safe environment when they bring you around people in their lives. As it was, Jun ho's friends, family, and roommate were not welcoming people for WYW to be around and it bothered me that he was shown to be so thoughtful in so many other regards, but this was a blind spot for him.
- it did start to bother me that WYW's father and Jun ho really had no lives outside of WYW. On one hand, a change of pace as its usually female characters without the side missions. However, it made Jun ho seem to only exist to be in love with WYW and I actually felt really bad for her dad that he just... had nothing else going on. I thought he would have something with the CEO but he really did just sit in that shop cutting vegetables all day
So, overall, this was an enjoyable watch for me. However, I acknowledge that I'm not equipped to discern if the representation of autism was harmful and would render my enjoyment in consequential.
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Interesting and entertaining drama
There's a quality encompassing this show that is genuinely extremely appealing, and all credit must be given to Stop Eun Container for making it so convincingly. Yet, when you get underneath that, the actual show isn't anything especially unique. It is a procedural regulation show that looks at idiosyncratic cases throughout the span of a couple of episodes in an especially cerebral manner and there is nothing surprising about it.I'm happy I coincidentally found this enchanting South Korean show concerning an unpracticed, Optimistic, honest youngster lawyer compelled to explore the lions' nooks of court theater, ferocious workplace issues, and client plotting, while at the same time managing 'chemical imbalance range jumble'.
Recording was postponed for a year until Park Eun-canister opened up for the job, and (contentions about recruiting an entertainer with genuine chemical imbalance in any case) she is ideally suited for this generally delicate lawful show, in spite of the fact that she appears to 'forget' her problem in certain scenes of the early episodes. It's hard not to experience passionate feelings for Charm Youthful Charm's peculiarities, assurance, and fixation on cetaceans, and her fearless recuperation from exacting and figurative knockdowns en route.
Charm's father makes a respectable attempt, yet the genuine science is with her 'flighty' dearest companion (supporting areas of strength for the of female strengthening), and there is a lot of humor to offset the more serious occurrences.
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A Lighthearted Drama with Good Messaging, Sentimental Value, and a High Quality Cast
I enjoyed many aspects of this show. My favorite part was probably the romantic plot line between the two main love interests. Their love story was very cute in a way that made me giddy. I also appreciated how, as a law drama, Young Woo didn't always win every case/ how sometimes she had to represent people or situations that were morally grey. I feel like often in law dramas, it can get repetitive watching the genius lawyer stick up for the little guy and continuously win every case. But the variety of clients that Young Woo took on not only added more interest to the show, but absolutely furthered the story and her character development. I would definitely watch this show again. A perfectly lighthearted drama that still feels very sentimental and also carries many good messages.Was this review helpful to you?
furthermore, since i believe a generous majority of the people enjoying this show are neurotypical, it is impossible for any of us to even scrape the surface for understanding just how detrimental this poor portrayal is to the autistic community and how this simply exacerbates stereotypes. therefore, it is important to understand why this show and its misrepresentation must not be praised solely for its entertainment value. in entertainment and the media, autistic people are typically and very frequently portrayed through a black and white lens, as extremes on each side of the spectrum: the freakishly intelligent genius with outstanding memory, or the socially isolated nonverbal individual (as seen in woo young woo and jeong-hoon).
as someone who has consumed mass amounts of media and entertainment, i can easily tell you that the media is highly influential in the way i think, speak, communicate, and act. also as an asian american, i can 100% tell you that how asians are depicted in the media has severely impacted the way people see us. i've seen classmates of mine get heckled about why they weren't good at math despite being asian. i've had friends who were labeled as a shameful asian and an embarrassment to their family for not getting that perfect 4.0 gpa. the stereotypical "nerd" asian is not representative of the asian/asian american community and experience as a whole, just as these archetypes for those who are autistic is not representative of the entire autistic community. in fact, the media portrayals can be used to invalidate others' experiences at school, in work, and throughout their daily lives when they don't live up to these stereotypes or don't show signs of being neurologically atypical "enough" to bypass "excuses" for not producing the same quality of work or behaving a certain way.
however, there is one aspect of the show's portrayal of autism that i commend them for: displaying at least some form of (albeit watered-down) realistic systemic and institutionalized oppression that hinder those who are neurodivergent. it's easy to watch things like forrest gump and want to, and choose to believe that anyone despite their differences and inequities can be successful, but that's just not how it is in reality and it's important that people can distinguish that. i also thought it was refreshing that they displayed autism in a woman! anyhow, it was sort of bewildering to think that korean entertainment (in a highly conservative country) has slightly progressed to the point that they'd be willing to even portray someone who isn't neurotypical as the main character. it's a big step for them, but they've still got a long way to go!
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My politically incorrect opinion is that this drama has rosey glasses on
FL was amazing actress, acting with such detail, e.g. coming into a room. BUT she got cocky by the end and you could see the glee in her eyes HEY LOOK I DID IT YAY AM I NOT GREAT??So I think this kdrma has some good messages and also some super thick rosey glasses.
Common, that handsome straight dude who fell in love with the woman who didnt allow him to touch her. The actor looked majorly pissed in the drama...
And glorifying and hiding the bad stuff lawyers do...
I was pissed off that Attorney Woo thought how to make the monastery lose their income. That was rotten.
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