Fair warning: may still contain spoilers.
Watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo reminded me once again just how amazing it is that Koreans are able to weave such excellent stories that not only keep people eagerly waiting for the next episode, but also showcase characters that simply leap out of the screens and endear themselves to the audience.
Compared to other shows where the people’s actions are mostly dictated by whatever circumstance they are in, Extraordinary Attorney Woo is largely driven by the supporting characters’ behaviour towards the lead.
The show features a person with autism and how she navigates a world that is not all that understanding of people within the autism spectrum. I’m no expert, but I believe that the crew and cast did a wonderful job in this show that tackles a sensitive topic. The time they spent on careful research to get the show to where it is really paid off.
Through simple and straightforward storytelling, it also showcases the fact that Woo Young-woo is still very much human like everyone else. She has her likes and dislikes, a job, family and friends who love her, and very human emotions that needed to be spelled out for her when the need arose. Things did not always go her way even with the best of intentions.
And despite experiencing discrimination in almost every aspect of her life, Young-woo always managed to get through them with her no-nonsense, yet awkward perspective towards living. These combined with Young-woo’s off the charts intelligence and obsession with whales make for a charming and light-hearted show that’s delightful to watch.
And let me just say, Park Eun-bin is simply brilliant as Woo Young-woo. It’s no wonder that she won several awards already this year for the role.
Here are a few of my favourite things about Extraordinary Attorney Woo, listed at random: (Fangirl mode activated)
1. Choi Su-yeon. At the beginning of the series I thought she was going to be the antagonist. Yet as the show went on, she proved this viewer wrong as she is a really kindhearted person who looked out for Young-woo in every way and did not treat her differently.
Su-yeon has no problems in speaking her mind. She scolds Young-woo whenever she needed it, and does not think twice about defending Young-woo like when she was accused of benefiting from nepotism. The disappointment is definitely there when Su-yeon realised that the Hanbada Law Firm cutie Lee Jun-ho liked Young-woo instead of her. She could have been petty towards Young-woo because of it but surprise, surprise, she actually made sure that Jun-ho is not playing around with her friend’s feelings. Su-yeon is the friend that everyone should have.
2. One scene I particularly love with Young-woo and Su-yeon together is in episode 5: Young-woo seeing Su-yeon as something more than how the latter sees herself.
“You’re like the spring sunshine… You’re a bright, warm, kind, and sweet person. You’re Spring Sunshine Su-yeon.” – Woo Young Woo
Ah, my sappy, sentimental heart. We really never know how kindness impacts others unless they verbalise it. Here’s a clip of that scene.
3. Attorney Jung Myung-seok. He is everything that I look for in a boss. Haha. Anyway. While he did not appreciate having Young-woo on his team at the beginning, Attorney Jung eventually had the grace to acknowledge Young-woo as an asset to the team. He knew when to allow Young-woo to unleash her brilliance in court, and when to rein it in when the situation called for it (“Whoa, whoa.”). He is the very mentor that Young-woo needed to succeed in their field, and Young-woo knew that. I could relate a lot to Young-woo’s concern when it was uncertain that Attorney Jung would return to Hanbada after his stomach cancer surgery.
4. Attorney Kwon Min-woo being the guy version of vicious female antagonists. I was quite surprised that this character is the one that really came off as jealous and petty. He saw Young-woo as a rival professionally, but his jealousy had driven him to sabotage Young-woo’s law career through most of the show. This guy however is full of surprises especially towards the end. The second season may be kinder to our favourite (or not) tactician.
5. Han Seon-young and Tae Soo-mi. While not exactly antagonists, they are definitely vicious in an underhanded way when it comes to their rivalry. Having watched shows that have female characters with extreme, nearly unrealistic behaviour, these two are refreshing to watch. Same thing with Kwon Min-woo who is really good at being annoying.
6. Young-woo and Dong Geu-rami’s friendship. They were dubbed as the loser and the psycho back in high school. Geu-rami was quick to defend Young-woo against the bullies even if they weren’t friends then. It’s this act of kindness that drew Young-woo to her against her will at the beginning lol.
7. Young-woo fully trusting Su-yeon and Jun-ho during overwhelming situations that cause her to have panic attacks in episodes 6 and 11, respectively.
8. The Pied Piper case, episode 9. Let’s just say, I’m with Gu-ppong on his quest. Hehehe.
9. The dreamy, serene atmosphere in episodes 13 and 14: The Blue Night of Jeju I and II. It is lovely to see our attorneys in a more relaxed setting despite being in Jeju Island on business. I think I even cheered with the rookies when Atty. Jung told them to stop working and just relax. The episodes are named after the song The Blue Night of Jeju Island by Soyou. It has a nice, groovy beat to it, made even dreamier by Park Eun-bin in the OST version.
Noteworthy things about these episodes:
- The way the meat noodles served at Haengbok Noodles are described that it made my mouth water. (I’m happy to note that meat noodles is really a specialty on the island called Gogi Guksu.)
- Tactician Kwon Min-woo and Spring Sunshine Su-yeon’s budding romance (?)
- Su-yeon’s “Christian name”, Saint Jennie of BLACKPINK.
- The great lengths Young-woo had gone to find the son of Haengbok Noodles’ owner so that Atty. Jung would be able to eat a bowl of the noodles once more. (She really, really loves her boss. Ah, there goes my sappy, sentimental heart again.)
- The way Young-woo tried her best to make a good impression on Jun-ho’s family and the consequences thereafter.
10. Inevitable by Bae Suzy. This song for me is the best among all the songs in the OST. Suzy’s warm, soothing vocals and the sweet melody combined give an innocent quality to the song. It is very much like a cosy, fuzzy blanket on a rainy day. A creamy, comforting cup of hot chocolate topped with just the right amount of marshmallows. Or, a pair of arms slowly wrapping around you lovingly just because.
If the English lyrics translated by Google is at least ninety percent accurate, I’d say it perfectly describes Young-woo and Jun-ho’s romance: the hesitation at the beginning, and then finally finding the courage to reach out despite the challenges. Inevitable is the perfect accompaniment to Young-woo and Jun-ho’s scenes in episodes 7 (“Can I touch you?”), 10 (their first kiss), and 11 (Jun-ho’s declaration that he’ll be her personal hug chair, and their second kiss).
It’s great that a second season for Extraordinary Attorney Woo is announced. Here’s to hoping that all the characters will still be in the show in 2024.
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