Extraordinary Attorney Minami Episode 1

A good start

Having already watched the original series, I can't help being curious at the Japanese adaptation of the Extraordinary Attorney. Casting-wise, I have to say they're pretty good... not just due to some of the close resemblance, but also because of how closely they act like the original. Comparison with the original K-drama would be inevitable, but so far, Minami-chan do have her own personality. Like Woo Youngwoo, Minami-chan also has her own autistic traits that may pose a difficulty in her line of work. Even then, Mana is not Park Eunbin and vice versa, and neither would completely portray the same character in the same way, and that's fine. And I like the fact that some of Minami-chan's autistic traits were displayed slightly differently than Woo Youngwoo's, since not all autistic people on Youngwoo/Minami's spectrum behave the same way.That said, having watched the original, obviously one can't help noticing some of the changes that have been made in the Japanese adaptation. There's the part about Youngwoo's kimbap was changed into Minami's onigiri, and then the rotating doors were changed to an escalator. But to be fair, those changes do make sense. Aside from the reasons why rotating doors were rare in Japan, some autistic people do find it hard to use escalators due to the movement. Some people may argue that Mana may be exaggerating her acting too much to match Eunbin's performance, but personally, I felt that Mana was doing fine. Cos yes, not all Savant-like autistic people have to have the same exact behaviour patterns.So far, the first episode looks promising. I can't wait to revisit the series again, this time, with a Japanese flavour.

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From Goosebumps to Boredom in 54 Minutes

The Japanese remake of *Extraordinary Attorney Woo* seems so desperate to prove that Minami Minamida is Woo Young-woo that it forgets to give her enough time to become Minami Minamida.The first episode is practically a checklist of the South Korean original. The whales, the photographic memory, the discomfort with physical contact, the peculiar mannerisms, the first trial, adjusting to the law firm, and even the mystery surrounding her mother. All crammed into just 54 minutes!Mana Ashida initially impresses with how precisely she reproduces Park Eun-bin's gestures and mannerisms. But as the episode progresses, that imitation begins to feel exaggerated. Her vocal delivery comes across as cold, and the mannerisms gradually overwhelm any sense of naturalness.And let's give credit where it's due: Park Eun-bin created that interpretation. Mana Ashida is reproducing an already established performance. She may execute it brilliantly, but those are two very different artistic achievements.The excessive use of whales doesn't help either. What originally worked as an expressive narrative device eventually starts looking like a National Geographic documentary.The episode piles up events, quickly resolves its first case, and rushes the protagonist's adjustment to her workplace. There is such an urgency to introduce every recognizable element that barely any room remains for genuine conflict or character development.An adaptation can preserve the original story without sacrificing its own identity. So far, however, it feels as though the writers simply went through a checklist of everything that made the Korean version famous.**I started this episode with goosebumps and finished it thoroughly bored.**And that perfectly sums up what this remake has accomplished: reproducing almost everything I remembered about *Extraordinary Attorney Woo*, except the desire to keep watching.

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