he showed her a whale, DO NOT TALK TO ME. literally the most beautiful love demonstration ever and he didn't say…
"i was concerned about how this show would portray autism but i'm so glad to know that all my concerns disappeared and i can completely trust this drama to make an accurate and educated representation of autism"
Oh, if you want to learn more about autism and maybe become an "ally" or make it your advocacy to spread the correct information about it, feel free to join autistic online groups; as well as your local autistic meet ups.
I suggest joining an online group first then ask them which organizations you can participate in (there are organizations who are just using the autistic community for their own benefits only; or is misrepresenting us).
Even a simple post explaining autism in your SNS is a great help. ^_^
I needed something lighthearted and endearing, and this is it!!! I grew up learning the word "이상한" meant…
Yep. I am happy they chose a more positive word as the official English title. "Strange" and "weird" in the English language has something 'negative' attached to it already. A very good decision there.
respectful = yes accurate = that's impossible; no two autistics are the same
The character they created is a combination of different autistics. I would say, it is indeed the proper way to portray an autistic character with "fiction" in mind (it's still a show so you have to add an entertainment value touch). What I love is no exaggerations and stereotypes.
Think of autism as your sound equalizer. A high-end equalizer usually have 10-15 bands.
The middle 5 bands are the "common autistic traits and quirks" (like OCD, finding it hard to read facial expressions, intense interest on a certain subject, intense focus, sensory sensitivities, and so on).
The other bands are the "uncommon autistic traits and quirks". "Uncommon" in the sense that there is no doubt it is an autistic trait or quirk but not everyone has it.
With me so far?
Now, each band of the equalizer (in this case, trait and quirks) are set to neutral or "0" at start. If you go up, that audio band gets stronger; if you go down, it gets weaker. It doesn't disappear--audiophiles can usually hear those audio bands still--it's the same for us autistics for those common traits and quirks.
Each autistic, while we share common traits and quirks, does not necessarily mean each trait have the same "setting" or "volume" (psychs and other people call it "severity").
In the character Woo Young Woo, many of the common traits and quirks, plus other uncommon ones, are all higher in settings while at the same time she can also "function in society". Which is rarely seen in real life but not impossible.
There are those who considers Woo Young Woo as "unrealistic", however, I beg to differ.
#1: I seriously doubt we've seen all types of autistic--not because there are no reports or we haven't seen one does it mean such a person like Woo Young Woo doesn't exist or never existed.
#2: The show is an autism advocacy. They have to make the character as someone many autistics and parents can relate to because it resonates with them.
#3: At the end of the day, it is still show business. Add a little bit of entertainment value.
So, is it "accurate"? That is impossible because again, as explained, no two autistics are the same. Even if a person like Woo Young Woo exists in real life, it would represent only that person if we are going to talk about "accuracy".
But is it "respectful"? Yes it is. And this is what I love about this show, as an autistic myself. (Not to mention, they are exposing the prejudices, discrimination, and even touches on the politics [like Asperger].)
I think FL's teammate got annoyed about preferential treatment most of all. That's why he questioned his superior…
Oh yeah the guy who left the table. We see that a lot in office politics when there is someone doing things that are already violations and yet was still accepted without punishment.
There was one similar incident in one company I worked with. The person was known to not be doing anything, or at least only does the very minimum. Then in their team, she got the highest annual pay raise.
I am still not sure what happened there but I'm suspecting it was because of attendance. Most companies place more weight on attendance than productivity and performance. But of course, a lot of people did not like it.
There was no official explanation so the whispers just kept on going.
I tried, it was rejected, the volunteer admins have become ridiculous when it comes to contributions
I agree. But, again not defending them (I'm not part of the team), they are probably now stricter on the definitions of each genre.
Maybe it has to do with "Alchemy of Souls" too because some trolls from that other country kept complaining about … you know.
Maybe, just maybe, they started to be strict about the definitions of the genre.
Also, it isn't just about the genre that they became stricter. There were other areas too, and they also started to explain the reason in detail instead of a generic copy-paste.
There was one edit I submitted elsewhere that was rejected, and my only reaction was "seriously?!" =)) I mean, it makes sense but … still … "seriously?!" =))
I tried, it was rejected, the volunteer admins have become ridiculous when it comes to contributions
I think they are starting to streamline the process and criteria. (I've been one of those who always complain with the craziness.)
I'm not defending them or anything but by official definition of the "Romance" genre, it actually has less to do with the "romantic love" most people think it means.
The "Romance" genre in the strictest sense is about chivalry, adventure, heroes, knights, duty, and you get the idea.
For example, the Arthurian legends falls under the "Romance" genre even though it barely contains any "romantic love".
Another good example, and we discussed this in school, "The Count of Monte Cristo".
At least based on this definition, EAW would definitely not fall under the "Romance" genre.
It is no different from the "Romantic Era" from the late 1700s up to the the early 1800s. Not because there is "Romantic" in the name does it mean it is about "romantic love". Because if it is, the baby boomer generation should have happened during the "Romantic Era". ;P
Lastly, the "Romance" genre and the "Romantic Era" are not the same; however both does not mean "romantic love".
As for the "Romance" genre, unfortunately it is generally misunderstood as only about "romantic love" (it's actually the least part of it), good thing no one's thinking that the "Romantic Era" is about "romantic love". ^_^
Sorry friends … no feedback for episode 4 (yet, maybe?) I've been a little occupied. Maybe next week, if it goes through, some will probably see it and post it here.
But here's a short one: - Attorney Woo's attention when her friend was talking about her father and uncles was on the name patterns. --- This was a good one, in some shows I've seen with an autistic character, they "explain", they "tell", even when no one asked them. Here in EAW, they "showed" it. That's a plus for me. As is usually taught in creative writing: show don't tell.
About the trait itself, yeah, many of us see patterns and get distracted, focused on it. I still do myself, sometimes I laugh by myself, and if the person talking noticed it … well … it's either rude or weird. But sorry, just noticed something. ;)
- Young Woo not laughing at with them when her friend told them the other name of her father; Young Woo's father also laughed. --- I did not get it either like Young Woo. I still laughed but I laughed because I had no idea why they were laughing. Can someone explain what was funny? If my guess is correct, it has something to do with the meaning of the name?
About the trait itself, most people laugh at jokes but we rarely do because we usually can not get the joke. Or, it just is not funny to us at all. If we do get it, we'll laugh after everyone already laughed and it was too obvious we understood the joke super late. (And then everyone will laugh because we laughed late … if the company is good, it turns into total laughter and some friendly teasing.)
- Later, her team was a bit annoyed at her for just "quitting". Her manager gave reprimanded her about it and explained that she is part of the team. --- I smiled at this one because I've been in that position too … not the quitting part but the disregard for the team. My supervisor said the same thing, you are part of the team, you don't just do this and do that, and so on.
It's not a trait per se … I think it's more of experience. We're used to doing things ourselves by ourselves so if something needs to get done we just do it. Or, in Young Woo's case, just quit. Which we both learned as rude and not acceptable because … we are part of the team. We are one team. Not a "you team" or a "me team".
It's not an autistic thing, at least I don't think it is. I attribute it more on the lack of experience working in a team when all your life you've been doing things alone.
There are more about episode 4 (and episode 3) but we'll see if I have more time to write down my thoughts.
If you are also looking for another show about autism, one of the highly recommended show is "Adam" ( https://trakt.tv/movies/adam-2009 )
Adam is one of the few which represented autism well. One notable is how they incorporated into the story what many autistics do: people watching.
Ever heard of bird watching? Yes, just change it to people watching. I myself still do that a lot, and when people notice me and ask what I'm doing or thinking, I just say, "nothing, just watching people". So when I saw them use it in Adam, I knew they did their research properly.
Another highly recommended show is: A Brilliant Young Mind (2014), original title was "X+Y". (see: https://trakt.tv/movies/x-y-2015-03-13 ) It is about a math genius who is autistic, based on a true story (but fictionalized). Pay attention to Nathan's quirks, traits, and sensitivities.
((That reminded me, I know I wrote a review of these two shows in my blog … I must find it and migrate it to the new version of my blog.))
I've been searching for some other autistics doing their own content today, it would be unwise to only have me as a resource person as I am but one of many.
My feedback also mainly comes from my own first-hand experiences as an autistic and does not mean the entire community is the same. Again, we do have [1] common traits; and [2] each traits have varying degrees of effect (or "severity" if you prefer that word); and we also have [3] traits that are not common but are no doubt autistic.
Omg are you okay now. Hope it does not traumatize you. Please be happy always.
I'm good. It has been a few years back already. But yeah, something I'll never forget. (His name I've forgotten.)
It was crazy. Most people would stop, and those I've met all of them stopped whatever they were about to say; but him … nope, he dropped the biggest bomb ever: autism is not real.
Oh well, there really are people who think autism is not real, but that was the first time I've met one personally, at work even.
I remember I even told him to be careful telling that to other people because he can be sued for it under our laws. That he got lucky I have no desire to go to the court. I hope he never said it to anyone again because it'll be just a matter of meeting someone who'll bring him to court.
He felt bad when his friend touched Young Woo and said, "hwaiting" (usually translated as 'fighting' but it's more closer to "wish you luck" or "wish you the best").
Since his friend volunteers for a PWD (Person-With-Disability) center, she noticed Woo and understood.
Secondly, it appeared to his friend that Joon Ho brought Woo to the center to be registered/enrolled. It was why she asked him if he returned to volunteering to the center (because she noticed Woo).
For Joon Ho, it was rude. Joon Ho felt that he offended Woo.
Analyzing the reaction of Young Woo, it did not matter to her. She even said that it is understandable (or as NTs would say "I understand") because she's autistic and they're in front of the center, and his friend is a volunteer there. What she's saying is, it makes total sense her friend assumed Joon Ho brought her there to register/enroll her.
Then she walked like nothing happened. = Don't make a big fuss about it, it's okay, seriously, I was not offended, I wouldn't even think about it if you did not apologize.
But again … in the neurotypical society, what his friend did was rude, she assumed something and then touched her (when supposedly she already know she's autistic) and told her "wish you the best" or "good luck".
So … to make amends because it is bothering him … he looked for a gift as a peace offering.
Which well … she really doesn't care. (Which is our general reaction anyway … it's no big deal, really, seriously … but if it makes you comfortable, okay, thank you for the gift. ;) )
1 
via Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@youronlyone/108620224788769933
via Twitter: https://twitter.com/YourOnlyONEofcl/status/1545928389827219463
You nailed it. ^_^
I suggest joining an online group first then ask them which organizations you can participate in (there are organizations who are just using the autistic community for their own benefits only; or is misrepresenting us).
Even a simple post explaining autism in your SNS is a great help. ^_^
accurate = that's impossible; no two autistics are the same
The character they created is a combination of different autistics. I would say, it is indeed the proper way to portray an autistic character with "fiction" in mind (it's still a show so you have to add an entertainment value touch). What I love is no exaggerations and stereotypes.
Think of autism as your sound equalizer. A high-end equalizer usually have 10-15 bands.
The middle 5 bands are the "common autistic traits and quirks" (like OCD, finding it hard to read facial expressions, intense interest on a certain subject, intense focus, sensory sensitivities, and so on).
The other bands are the "uncommon autistic traits and quirks". "Uncommon" in the sense that there is no doubt it is an autistic trait or quirk but not everyone has it.
With me so far?
Now, each band of the equalizer (in this case, trait and quirks) are set to neutral or "0" at start. If you go up, that audio band gets stronger; if you go down, it gets weaker. It doesn't disappear--audiophiles can usually hear those audio bands still--it's the same for us autistics for those common traits and quirks.
Each autistic, while we share common traits and quirks, does not necessarily mean each trait have the same "setting" or "volume" (psychs and other people call it "severity").
In the character Woo Young Woo, many of the common traits and quirks, plus other uncommon ones, are all higher in settings while at the same time she can also "function in society". Which is rarely seen in real life but not impossible.
There are those who considers Woo Young Woo as "unrealistic", however, I beg to differ.
#1: I seriously doubt we've seen all types of autistic--not because there are no reports or we haven't seen one does it mean such a person like Woo Young Woo doesn't exist or never existed.
#2: The show is an autism advocacy. They have to make the character as someone many autistics and parents can relate to because it resonates with them.
#3: At the end of the day, it is still show business. Add a little bit of entertainment value.
So, is it "accurate"? That is impossible because again, as explained, no two autistics are the same. Even if a person like Woo Young Woo exists in real life, it would represent only that person if we are going to talk about "accuracy".
But is it "respectful"? Yes it is. And this is what I love about this show, as an autistic myself. (Not to mention, they are exposing the prejudices, discrimination, and even touches on the politics [like Asperger].)
I hope it helps. ^_^
I think it explains why she took this project and can portray autism well.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Eun-bin
See: https://kisskh.at/discussions/money-heist/73967-where-are-episodes-7-to-12-season-2
Be sure to update your watchlist.
There was one similar incident in one company I worked with. The person was known to not be doing anything, or at least only does the very minimum. Then in their team, she got the highest annual pay raise.
I am still not sure what happened there but I'm suspecting it was because of attendance. Most companies place more weight on attendance than productivity and performance. But of course, a lot of people did not like it.
There was no official explanation so the whispers just kept on going.
Maybe it has to do with "Alchemy of Souls" too because some trolls from that other country kept complaining about … you know.
Maybe, just maybe, they started to be strict about the definitions of the genre.
Also, it isn't just about the genre that they became stricter. There were other areas too, and they also started to explain the reason in detail instead of a generic copy-paste.
There was one edit I submitted elsewhere that was rejected, and my only reaction was "seriously?!" =)) I mean, it makes sense but … still … "seriously?!" =))
I'm not defending them or anything but by official definition of the "Romance" genre, it actually has less to do with the "romantic love" most people think it means.
The "Romance" genre in the strictest sense is about chivalry, adventure, heroes, knights, duty, and you get the idea.
For example, the Arthurian legends falls under the "Romance" genre even though it barely contains any "romantic love".
Another good example, and we discussed this in school, "The Count of Monte Cristo".
At least based on this definition, EAW would definitely not fall under the "Romance" genre.
It is no different from the "Romantic Era" from the late 1700s up to the the early 1800s. Not because there is "Romantic" in the name does it mean it is about "romantic love". Because if it is, the baby boomer generation should have happened during the "Romantic Era". ;P
Lastly, the "Romance" genre and the "Romantic Era" are not the same; however both does not mean "romantic love".
As for the "Romance" genre, unfortunately it is generally misunderstood as only about "romantic love" (it's actually the least part of it), good thing no one's thinking that the "Romantic Era" is about "romantic love". ^_^
LOL, yeah, suddenly it is funny. What happened, why did grandpa gave them those names. Hahahaha.
Thank you for sharing, at least it gives some context.
But here's a short one:
- Attorney Woo's attention when her friend was talking about her father and uncles was on the name patterns. --- This was a good one, in some shows I've seen with an autistic character, they "explain", they "tell", even when no one asked them. Here in EAW, they "showed" it. That's a plus for me. As is usually taught in creative writing: show don't tell.
About the trait itself, yeah, many of us see patterns and get distracted, focused on it. I still do myself, sometimes I laugh by myself, and if the person talking noticed it … well … it's either rude or weird. But sorry, just noticed something. ;)
- Young Woo not laughing at with them when her friend told them the other name of her father; Young Woo's father also laughed. --- I did not get it either like Young Woo. I still laughed but I laughed because I had no idea why they were laughing. Can someone explain what was funny? If my guess is correct, it has something to do with the meaning of the name?
About the trait itself, most people laugh at jokes but we rarely do because we usually can not get the joke. Or, it just is not funny to us at all. If we do get it, we'll laugh after everyone already laughed and it was too obvious we understood the joke super late. (And then everyone will laugh because we laughed late … if the company is good, it turns into total laughter and some friendly teasing.)
- Later, her team was a bit annoyed at her for just "quitting". Her manager gave reprimanded her about it and explained that she is part of the team. --- I smiled at this one because I've been in that position too … not the quitting part but the disregard for the team. My supervisor said the same thing, you are part of the team, you don't just do this and do that, and so on.
It's not a trait per se … I think it's more of experience. We're used to doing things ourselves by ourselves so if something needs to get done we just do it. Or, in Young Woo's case, just quit. Which we both learned as rude and not acceptable because … we are part of the team. We are one team. Not a "you team" or a "me team".
It's not an autistic thing, at least I don't think it is. I attribute it more on the lack of experience working in a team when all your life you've been doing things alone.
There are more about episode 4 (and episode 3) but we'll see if I have more time to write down my thoughts.
Adam is one of the few which represented autism well. One notable is how they incorporated into the story what many autistics do: people watching.
Ever heard of bird watching? Yes, just change it to people watching. I myself still do that a lot, and when people notice me and ask what I'm doing or thinking, I just say, "nothing, just watching people". So when I saw them use it in Adam, I knew they did their research properly.
Another highly recommended show is: A Brilliant Young Mind (2014), original title was "X+Y". (see: https://trakt.tv/movies/x-y-2015-03-13 ) It is about a math genius who is autistic, based on a true story (but fictionalized). Pay attention to Nathan's quirks, traits, and sensitivities.
((That reminded me, I know I wrote a review of these two shows in my blog … I must find it and migrate it to the new version of my blog.))
My feedback also mainly comes from my own first-hand experiences as an autistic and does not mean the entire community is the same. Again, we do have [1] common traits; and [2] each traits have varying degrees of effect (or "severity" if you prefer that word); and we also have [3] traits that are not common but are no doubt autistic.
Here are a few I recommend. They also talk about other things I haven't touched on. You'll also learn some of the terminologies commonly used (but I want to avoid). (Also see https://twitter.com/Misty_Melanie/status/1543795431246893056?s=20&t=g5Ot06onzi2zyu0gAFwy3g and https://twitter.com/Misty_Melanie/status/1543796819477598210?s=20&t=g5Ot06onzi2zyu0gAFwy3g )
1: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAspieWorld
2: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKXYTaXNKo7z6kjhNd0itWg?view_as=subscriber
3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4vurv9usYA
It was crazy. Most people would stop, and those I've met all of them stopped whatever they were about to say; but him … nope, he dropped the biggest bomb ever: autism is not real.
Oh well, there really are people who think autism is not real, but that was the first time I've met one personally, at work even.
I remember I even told him to be careful telling that to other people because he can be sued for it under our laws. That he got lucky I have no desire to go to the court. I hope he never said it to anyone again because it'll be just a matter of meeting someone who'll bring him to court.
Since his friend volunteers for a PWD (Person-With-Disability) center, she noticed Woo and understood.
Secondly, it appeared to his friend that Joon Ho brought Woo to the center to be registered/enrolled. It was why she asked him if he returned to volunteering to the center (because she noticed Woo).
For Joon Ho, it was rude. Joon Ho felt that he offended Woo.
Analyzing the reaction of Young Woo, it did not matter to her. She even said that it is understandable (or as NTs would say "I understand") because she's autistic and they're in front of the center, and his friend is a volunteer there. What she's saying is, it makes total sense her friend assumed Joon Ho brought her there to register/enroll her.
Then she walked like nothing happened. = Don't make a big fuss about it, it's okay, seriously, I was not offended, I wouldn't even think about it if you did not apologize.
But again … in the neurotypical society, what his friend did was rude, she assumed something and then touched her (when supposedly she already know she's autistic) and told her "wish you the best" or "good luck".
So … to make amends because it is bothering him … he looked for a gift as a peace offering.
Which well … she really doesn't care. (Which is our general reaction anyway … it's no big deal, really, seriously … but if it makes you comfortable, okay, thank you for the gift. ;) )