If you are not slump for Korean drama, you might have already added Extraordinary Attorney Woo to your watchlist. If you are a K-Drama maiden, this might be the right one to fall in love with the genre.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo will tug at your heartstring, as most K-Drama do. But in a legal setting. What it lacks in romance and cheesy meet-cutes will be made up in extraordinary Attorney Woo, her love for whales and her fight against prejudices.
Woo Young Woo, first autistic attorney, with an IQ of 164 and graduated cum laude from SNU, gets hired in Hanmada Law Firm. Choreography aside, the show deals with one case at a time in each episode and how someone on the autistic spectrum deals with the fast paced world of legality. It sets itself apart from the quintessential melodrama that is usually associated with K-Drama and proceeds with a sort of knowledge about the Asperger’s Syndrome.
Here’s why Extraordinary Attorney Woo is worth the watch
Sheds light on autism
It is hard to find correct representation of disability and Extraordinary Attorney Woo does it by walking the viewers through the life of someone on the autism spectrum. What we call it eccentricities, people on the spectrum sees it as normal. Whether it’s revolving doors, never making eye contact, eating gimbap every day, counting before entering a room, the show does good job in accurately portraying a part of the spectrum via their protagonist.
Great choreography
Right from the opening scene, especially Young Woo’s visual with whales and dolphins, the choreography is a visual feast when needs be. Because it’s a legal drama, the show doesn’t overdo with the choreography.
Cases about other issues
Each episode deals with single case and tackles important issues like closeted LGBTQ+, depression, different part of the spectrum. The beauty is that the focus revolves on the legal happenings cause that’s what the show is about.
Range of characters
The show revolves pretty much on legal cases. But it also showcases the endearing range of characters. Take appa, or Young Woo’s BFF Dong-Geu-Ra-Mi, litigator Lee Joon-Ho who harbours a liking to Young Woo right from the start. Even members of the firm who initially was doubtful of Young Woo’s skill grows to admire her brilliance. The show’s portrayal of relationships never overshadows the legal happenings but acts as a warm light that wraps the show.
Park Eun-Bin
The titular character played to brilliance by Park Eun Bin deserves accolades and more for her portrayal of Young Woo. Playing a character with disability is never easy but Eun-Bin tries and does it with such credibility.
