After its arrival on the Netflix streaming platform, the Korean drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo quickly broke into the top of the most watched programs worldwide. The show has captivated audiences with its splendid combination of humor, tenderness, legal tone, and a conscientious look at autism spectrum disorder.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is directed by Yoo In-sik, best known for his work in Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim and most recently Vagabond. As for the cast, the series features a formidable crew led by: Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Kang Ki-young, and Ha Yoon-kyung.
The central character of the series is Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin), a young lawyer with autism spectrum disorder who longs to practice and excel in her profession. Because of this condition, Woo has impressive mental abilities. In college, she graduated at the top of her class and can recall legal books and texts to perfection. The premise of the show is simple: an autistic lawyer with significant difficulties connecting with her environment will try to integrate into the courtroom.
The series essentially follows Woo Young-woo’s professional practice as she joins the prestigious Hanbada law firm. From the moment she starts working, her superiors question whether her brilliant mind can compensate for the communication difficulties she has. There, she will have to face all kinds of prejudices from her colleagues and clients, and prove her professional worth. As expected, the novice lawyer will do her best to overcome the skepticism and even the cynicism of a little sensitized collective.
The first impression of the novice lawyer is quite revealing, the young woman introduces herself by listing a series of palindromes, similar to her name: “My name is Woo Young-woo, whether it’s read straight or flipped. Kayak, deed, rotator, noon, racecar, Woo Young-woo”. Immediately, you can sense the audacity of screenwriter Moon Ji-Won, who takes advantage of every second to flesh out Woo’s character.
The 16-episode k-drama explores two major areas. On the one hand, it focuses on legal drama, showing complicated cases and the day-to-day life of a law firm. On the other hand, the program delves into autism and the prejudices that stem from it.
As Extraordinary Attorney Woo progresses, the legal cases become increasingly challenging. The practice allows Woo Young-woo to open her eyes to a complex, unbalanced, and often frustrating world. The rookie constantly finds herself at difficult crossroads, torn between doing the right thing or following orders. The series exposes moral dilemmas that lawyers face in providing their services.
The show written by Moon Ji-Won portrays all kinds of legal cases, mostly inspired by real court actions that have taken place in South Korea. In one episode, the issue of labor rights and gender discrimination is raised; in another, a Hanbada client is accused of sexually abusing an intellectually disabled person. Between episodes, the morally ambiguous cases stand out and usually provoke an interesting debate about ethics in work and in life; each chapter follows a specific legal process that is given resolution and closure, while the main storyline is woven in.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo also spends time developing the secondary stories and subplots. As Woo welcomes new people into her world, the main plot is robustly enriched. One of the show’s great strengths is that the characters who accompany the attorney in her day-to-day life also face their own concerns. They also stumble, learn and mature. The secondary characters are not only there to help unravel and reconfigure the protagonist’s “I”, each one has a personal identity and motivation.
Thus, the central plot is complemented by small stories that revolve around the devoted father, the absent mother, the compassionate mentor, the rival colleague, the unconditional friend and the good-hearted gallant, among others.
The secondary characters are not only there to help unravel and reconfigure the protagonist’s “I”, each one has a personal identity and motivation.
It should be added that, through the romantic relationship between Woo Young-woo and Lee Jun-ho (Kang Tae-oh), the k-drama dismisses biased ideas about romantic love in people with autism. Woo Young-woo falls in love and does so in a profound way. In this regard, the program shows the nuances and challenges that can be faced when forming a couple between an autistic person and a non-autistic person. It is fair to say that the most delightful and touching scenes occur when Woo Young-woo and Lee Jun-ho try to discover their own path to love.
For his part, Lee Jun-ho is a protagonist far removed from toxic masculinity. (Traditionally, toxic masculinity on screen can include acts of cruelty, violence, and manipulation.) In Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Lee Jun-ho is an unprejudiced, compassionate, and honest man who falls in love with Attorney Woo. If there is one thing this character is guilty of, it is that an excessive and unlimited kindness can damage verisimilitude.
Woo Young-woo may not understand personal relationships well enough, but when the Hanbada rookie decides to open her heart to the world she begins an exciting journey toward her own maturity. In this sense, the pace of the courtroom, the dynamics of the law firm, family ups and downs, and the call of romantic love awaken new yearnings for life in Woo. The first season closes the cycle with a protagonist who confesses to having experienced a sense of fulfillment for the first time.
The representation of autism
As expected, the issue of the representation of autism in the audiovisual world is always the subject of controversy and debate. However, this k-drama has received well-deserved praise for the writing and for the noble characterization of the protagonist.
Considering that this neurobiological condition manifests itself in many ways, Woo Young-woo cannot represent all autistic people in the world. Nevertheless, the series has managed to skilfully reflect several characteristics of this condition, such as social awkwardness, the habit of always eating the same food, lack of eye contact, obsessions, the use of headphones to block out noise, and repetitive behaviors, among others. It often gives the impression that the creators of the show did their homework with diligence and care.
Although the representation in Extraordinary Attorney Woo is not without flaws, it is still quite satisfying. Actress Park Eun-Bin delivers one of her best performances and strikes a chord with the audience. There is a tremendously honest emotionality in her work.
However, one thing is indisputable: any cautious viewer will come to wonder why it is that most autistic characters on both the big screen and the small screen tend to be charming, good-looking, and high-functioning…
On whales and “eureka” moments
The novice lawyer loves whales and they are a recurring theme in the drama. Whenever she has the opportunity, she tells her colleagues and relatives different anecdotes and curiosities about these mammals. Also, whenever she has a “eureka” moment of enlightenment or mental clarity, Woo Young-woo often sees a large humpback whale. Undoubtedly, the scenes in which a mighty cetacean appears out of nowhere bring excitement and great beauty to the program.
The show’s creators explain that people on the autism spectrum tend to dive deeply into a specific subject and have expert knowledge about it, which is why they decided to incorporate the marine ecosystem into Woo’s inner world. Visually, inserting a whale in unsuspected places in the real world (such as courthouses, or near the subway) is something different and fresh, actually a pretty cool touch.
Series reception
To be fair, Extraordinary Attorney Woo is not an entirely groundbreaking series; shows like The Good Doctor, Atypical, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, As We See It, have already tenaciously explored the topic of autism. However, director Yoo In-sik’s show is an excellent piece of content that invites us to question important prejudices and behaviors about neurodivergence.
The creators of the show make a heartfelt effort to make the lives of autistic people and their families more visible. Their message is clear: diversity must be respected. It is no wonder that Extraordinary Attorney Woo has accumulated more than 65 million viewing hours in just a few weeks. The series written by Moon Ji-Won is easily one of the best Korean dramas of the year.
It’s good to know that the show will be back for a second season and Park Eun-Bin and Kang Tae-Oh will reprise their roles as Woo Young-woo and Lee Jun-ho. Extraordinary Attorney Woo has achieved something that many TV series fail to achieve: Woo’s story transcends indifference and makes the viewer feel something.
