Kdrama Review: Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Extraordinary Attorney Woo, currently on the top ten list on Netflix, follows the life and career of an openly autistic attorney, namely Woo Young-Woo. It stars Park Eun-Bin as Woo Young-Woo, Kang Tae-Oh as Lee Jun-Oh, and Kang Ki-Young as Jung Myeong-Sok (the Best Supporting Actor award belongs to him. I don’t make the rules, sorry.)

Genre: Legal drama

Rating: 4.5/5

Woo Young-Woo is described as an “autistic genius” with an IQ of 164, eidetic memory and a fixation with Whales. Woo Young-Woo, who hadn’t spoken up until age 5, suddenly starts spouting clauses from criminal law that she memorized from law books lying around the house. This little girl grows up to be the first ever autistic attorney in South Korea (fictional, of course).

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hooked within the first 5 minutes. I wanted to know more, certainly because apart from ‘Atypical’, this is the second show I’ve seen with a main character on the autism spectrum. I was so happy to see that instead of “representation” in the form of a comedic side character, we get insight into life as an autistic person. There are some discrepancies and exaggerations for humour, do be mindful that this is a work of fiction and not a documentary.

The show has a gripping storyline, with each episode following a different ‘case’, so no cliffhangers. Yay! Full disclosure though, you might get confused with the legal jargon going on. Overall, the show is brilliant and can give you extreme butterflies in your tummy. We get to witness great friendships, and healthy relationships, with some extraordinary greetings too.

One word to describe Park Eun-Bin in this show – Marvelous. Spectacular, even. Okay, those are two words, but you see, I’m baffled at the realisation that people so talented exist in the same world as me.  For someone who is not on the spectrum, she managed to simulate minute aspects of the experience. Whether it was her facial expressions, gait, or general demeanour, it was hard to believe that she was just…acting. It was impressive, to say the least.

Truly, all the actors did a fantastic job, but the main actress stole the show. And Kang Tae-Oh as Jun–Oh was such a treat! He’s literally a cinnamon roll, end of discussion. (The revolving-door scene has a separate fanbase entirely.) 

What I adore about this show is that being different is shown as an object of envy, rather than what society usually does, making it out to be a weakness. Thankfully, the creators didn’t just wrap up the topic of Autism under fancy packaging and call it a day.

The fact that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is, well, a spectrum, and not something that affects all individuals in the same way, has been shown so well. Every autistic person is unique and has varying support needs, a fact not well-known amongst laypersons. The existence of people on the autistic spectrum is not a strange phenomenon, but normality. Instead of being ostracized, they deserve all experiences that any “normal” person would have.

“Not everything that steps out of line, and thus “abnormal”, must necessarily be “inferior”. With their new way of thinking and experiences, people with autism can later accomplish great things.”

Hans Asperger

I may not be the best person to speak on how accurate the portrayal was, but Haley Moss, the first openly Autistic lawyer in Florida, certainly is. Moss was interviewed by Korea Herald and mentioned how several aspects of the show were relatable to her as well. She says that the world needs more Attorney Woo’s. 

“I do not want to become a statistic about experiencing setbacks because I am an autistic woman. I believe being an autistic woman is extremely powerful. I exist in spaces where society traditionally would not welcome me. I am a person with a disability, when society sees us as less or deserving of pity, rather than capable or talented. I constantly have to battle society’s low expectations of disabled people.”

– A snippet from a Bustle article by Haley Moss 

The show is warm and hopeful, and I feel like this is precisely what we need sometimes. Many viewers may not care much, but if it sparks discussion and a desire to understand people who may be different from us, then I’m all for it. Let’s remember that being different does not mean being inferior. The show reignites the hope of a kinder, more empathetic society, where people are seen as people, and not as commodities. Where we can hope to see each other with love and understanding, much more so than distrust and fear.

It is my ardent (yes, ardent. no, I’m not being dramatic.) belief that good fiction is driven by strong characters. By strong, I’m not referring to physical strength. I mean, characters who give off a strong impression, strong enough to make you stop and think, maybe even shed a few tears. Woo Young-Woo is one of them, for she is kind, warm-hearted, and an absolute genius.

“Because everyone is different from me, it’s not easy to adjust. But it’s okay, because this is my life, after all. Though my life is unusual and peculiar, it’s (also) valuable and beautiful.”

Attorney Woo, Episode 16

If you liked this review, check out my review of Coffee Prince too!