Extraordinary You (2019)

First half was all kind of awesome but it faltered a bit in the second half imo. As much as I love Danoh in the beginning, she started to grate on my nerves with her overly aegyo (it was cute at first but you get tired of it very quickly). Her world literally revolves around Haru and only Haru (that I almost felt sorry for her other loved ones) I loved her spunk and sass in the beginning but this girl totally disappeared in the second half to my dismay. I really liked Haru but I can't help but think that his characterization fell a little flat in the end. Did he have another meaning in life other than being Danoh's love interest? No. What a shame. Don't get me started with Baek Kyung...his only role was to be a cockblock to our lovebirds...he didn't stand a chance but was too stubborn to admit it *sigh* (they better thank Lee Jae Wook, his flawless portrayal made me care more than I should for an otherwise obnoxious character. Even though, his redemption arc came far too late, he still managed to move me and it brought me to tears when Dan Oh forgave him)
Do Hwa was another character I was really fond of but once again they didn't explore him much and has been relegated as a comic relief.

Self-aware Juda was badass but her decision was quite questionable. While I felt sorry for Nam Joo (and that's probably why she chose him in the end), Do Hwa was a better fit. But we have to remind ourselves that Nam Joo never gained his awareness and that's a bit unfair to solely judge him based on how he's written. Tbh, I wasn't even annoyed by his character, his characterization was so one dimensional that it made me laugh in the end (he was such a riot)
Sae Mi never gained hers or did she? She did bully Juda in the shadows or was it a mistake of the production? She was a lovely friend to Dan Oh but a bitch to Juda (pardon my french). I'm probably the only one that agreed with Baek Kyung's comment on her being a villain (I know that's the pot calling the kettle black but still it was so satisfying). She had to hear the truth somehow even if she forget it in the next scene.

They focused too much on the pointless love triangle that they lost sight of the main themes (and the most interesting ones imo): free will, changing your fate thus stopping the neverending cycle (I would have love for everyone to work together against the writer)
Resulting in underdeveloped characters, plot holes, no explanations whatsoever of crucial points and rushed ending. Still, I enjoyed that drama for the most part and will miss it nevertheless.

Acting-wise, everyone was brilliant.

Kim Hye Yoon was great and though her character lost its momentum in the second half, she managed to give Danoh enough gravitas to keep me invested in her character.

Rowoon/Kim Seok Woo surprised me the most, he nailed the emotional parts and held his own quite well. Kudos to him! Haru is not an easy character to play since his blandness and lack of development could bore the hell out of anyone but he shines and makes you care and root for his happiness (shame they didn't explore more his bad boy side, prefer his look when he returned and lost his memories *shallow me*) . As an idol turned actor, he has the potential to be in the top-tier imo (with Im Siwan, Lee Junho, Do Kyungsoo or even Park Hyung Sik).

Lee Jae Wook ah Lee Jae Wook, my main reason on why I watched this drama and stayed...he was just perfect as usual (give that guy the awards he deserves, he's the rookie of the year, hands down) despite a terrible and disadvantageous characterization. He managed to elevate the character and made it his own. You hate his character (or rather you want) but you can't ignore him and in the end you even pity him. Baek Kyung could have easily become one-dimensional character with no redeemable features but Lee Jae Wook's amazing acting saved his character's poor characterization (conveying loneliness, vulnerability, anger and plenty other emotions as if it was a piece of cake...I swear it seems effortless to him. To think he had to juggle between two complete opposite characters (BK and Seol Ji Hwan) during 1 month makes me respect him so much more. He's a keeper.

OST was beautiful, catchy and fitting.

Does it deserve a rewatch? I'm not one to rewatch series even my most favorite ones so no I won't rewatch it...some scenes, yes (mostly Baek Kyung?! Because...Lee Jae Wook<3)

Final rating: 7.5/10.

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Extraordinary You seeks to answer the age-old question: “If you could change your fate, would you?” (Disney don’t come for me.) The problem was that its premise meant that change was unachievable. These characters existed for the purpose of someone playing god—and you do not mess with god. So the question, then, isn’t one about changing fate, but about surviving it: “If you can’t change your fate, what do you do?”

Stripped of most of her agency, Eun Dan Oh decides—screw it. She’ll find love. She’ll find happiness. Whether its her illness or the writer’s set-up, she refuses to let it consume her. She will live. The drama runs forward with this theme in mind, delivering a stellar first act. (If you’re skeptical about starting, make it to the end of episode six and then decide. Kim Hye Yoon is a scene stealer of the highest order.).

The issue is that by the time it gets to say what it wants to say, there’s still another dozen or so episodes to go. So what does it decide to do? It goes in circles. So many circles, in fact, that the ending leaves us right back where we started. Things aren’t derailed, sure, but it’s hard to stay excited when we’ve been here all before.

In conclusion: Extraordinary You is a drama that knew exactly where it was going. It just got there too early and then panicked.

Episodes 1-12 remain TV gold and are well worth the watch. I was never interested in the greater fantasy lore or the mysteries of the universe. What drew me in was Eun Dan Oh. Maybe you’ll find, like me, she’s all the magic you need.

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It had such a good beginning few episodes, and then when Haru lost his memories is where it all went south. It gets to a point where the story line is just repeating itself. And I do have to admit that I am a bit upset that they only started showing progression in Lee Jaewook's character in the last 2 episodes, after he literally tried to kill her for his greed in wanting her affection. Jaewook's characters ending was really bittersweet along with DoHwa ( aka the best character in the show ). Both of these characters got nothing in the end, which is kind of sad if you think about it. Dohwa was clearly the better out of the two from Juda's guy choices, but for some reason she ended up with the other guy... I don't get it, why did the director even throw in the bone for their possibility ending if it wasn't going to happen lmao. Haru's character got a bit annoying when he got a role in the book, which is shocking lol I liked him more when he talked less. Now he just is way too overprotective and cringe. Like dude grow up, and realize you're in a story where she is with someone else and that point isn't going to change no matter how mad you are lmao and logically Baek kyung would fall for her since he only has her around him that shows him genuine interest unlike those other two girls that most likely only like him cus he's hot. Anyway to sum this up, I really enjoyed the show until the 2nd half of it hit. It had such good potential, it didn't focus on what I thought it would, which was who was the writer, and if they were actually gonna get freewill or whatever. Instead it focuses on just the romance it seems. I don't know I just think I like a show that isn't too cliche and annoying and overbearing/repetitive. FL's character started getting annoying too with her not havign empathy for Baek Kyung when he started to show his heart, I know the comeback for this is gonna be "He hasn't either." But remember that he just found out that his whole life was a lie you can't just change personality in a blink of an eye. He was WRITTEN to act like that towards her, even that one time when she got mad at him for saying something to her and he was clearly going back to apologize cus he felt terrible even though it wasn't HIS actions, she was doing too much like..... Anyway I have more opinions but I can't even think right now. Just a bit frustrated from the 2nd half, ugh it was so good until then.............

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" Extraordinary You " was, unexpectedly, pretty good.

The drama was cute and they handled the mystery well. The romance was really good too, especially since the couple had strong chemistry. The side characters were interesting too and they formed dynamic friendships with one another.

One thing that was a bit of a let down was the leading lady, who was a bit annoying at some times, especially when she was acting cute. Other than that, the pace was just right and they didn't introduce the romance strainght up, which was really clever. The love triangle was well made too. Plus, the drama and the mystery of the webtoon world were just great. Finally, the performances were really good and the ending was decent.

So, overall, nine out of ten.

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I went into this show with no expectations, didn’t even read the description based on recommendation and honestly this show surprised the hell out of me. I was in love with it from start to finish and could not stop watching. The concept in so unique and bring new life and energy to style of drama that I feel has gotten stale and overdone recently. The direction and the turn the story takes genuinely surprised me and I could not wait to see where it went. Yes, there are aspects of this show to nitpick the overacting in some parts can be annoying for some. However, like any amazing show I was so engrossed with the story and in love with the characters I didn’t care about the nitpick flaws. You feel such empathy with these characters that you just can’t help but want them to succeed and live free lives. This is one of the stand out drama’s of 2019 and a new favorite of mine.

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one of the best 2019 drama

I think people (including me) started expecting more of this drama because it was something new and never seen before. The promise of the story itself opened so many options about how the drama was going to unfold, and as I started theorizing, it kinda made me disappointed when they didn't happen. (this also happens to me when I watch crime dramas that hide their main criminal, I start expecting something that's just basically "my version of a story".)

Basically that's why I tried to minimize MY writing/interpretation of this drama and I just tried to watch the drama's version of events. that became harder when the drama started it's last chapter, mainly because I'm an overanalyzer and things were too clear that I even fell for the writer's trap at one point xD

IF I wrote this drama I would've done it differently, but that doesn't mean the original writer's version was bad. this also goes for the characters, but seeing the end made me accept that "this" danoh, "this" haru and "this" school were made for "this" story.

I don't want to make this review long, though this might be my longest review to date, and I don't want to add spoilers, so I'll try to summarize the next part ;)
the acting were really perfect for "this" story, I already knew most of these young actors, and I'll keep an eye out for their next projects ;)

for the OST, I have to say I really loved how each character had their own little theme song, I need to find A3's song and make it my ringtone xD

my rewatch values are either a 1 or 10, and now that I've seen the ending I really want to watch the drama with a different view point ;)

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I wouldn’t tell you guys not to watch it but my opinion is that it got repetitive quick. The FL (extra) was annoying after she got with Haru, it was just ‘Haru haru haru’ it’s like they forgot her character and what her goal was and her sole focus was just on her teenage relationship which won’t last anyway because the writer could erase them in his new manhwa, I mean Haru disappeared twice, whose to say he won’t disappear again...

Also the ending, I know the reason why some of the characters weren’t in new comic, was because the writer chose not to write them, but they gave us no closure for the other characters that people liked.
And there was a time jump, nobody asked for that...

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okay so if i have to wrap this drama up in one word, it would be: unpredictable.
and this is the best part of this drama and the reason why i fell in love with it. unlike usual kdramas, i was unable to predict the ending which made me so excited to watch the whole drama and find out the ending.

the acting in this drama was phenomenal. especially the main actresses. i want to see all these cast to act in new dramas. they are young and talented and i expect a lot of great dramas from them in future.

for those who are saying that the first half was great and second wasn't. i agree that first half was more exciting. but honestly second half was good too.

i hope if you pick this drama to watch, you enjoy it as much as i did.

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Even though the last few episodes didn't come up to my expectations, i still have a need to write a review for this drama because its core still amazing to me and i think it's one of those dramas you need to watch. This drama's plot is pretty unique and new. Its start captivated me immediately and i couldn't wait for each week to watch the next episode. As the synopsis says, it's about a girl named Dan-Oh trying to find her own path/fate in life while struggling with the fact that she is a mere extra character in a comic controlled by its author. In the first few episodes we get to know the other characters important for the story and their roles in the comic. The drama portrayed each character really well and you can easily get immersed in their stories. There is also lots of parody in the drama when it comes to the story and characters made by the author because their roles are all cliche and remind us of older dramas. The comedy/parody is amazing here. The cast did a great job in portraying the characters and their lines so it was even easier to fall in love with all of them. The fact that there are stage and shadow in the story (which is explained in the beginning when Dan-Oh realizes she can't control her own actions and becomes aware of her being a comic character) is unique itself. We see those who are becoming aware of the existence of their stage and shadow personas. The stage refers to the time when they are their intended comic persona which is controlled by the author and the shadow represents the time when they are their real persona. The difference between both happens since the moment they become aware of themselves. They are struggling to deal with the lines author made for them in the stage while staying true to themselves in the shadow. It's unique because through the whole drama we have a switch from stage to shadow, we see two different personalities on most of them and we all start feeling sorry for the characters who are aware of themselves yet are trapped in the story-line made by the author. Although drama has lots of comedy, especially in the first episodes, when you realize the depth of it it's actually a sad story. The male lead, Haru is also an extra in that comic and even worse he has no lines because his existence for the comic isn't really important, he's just there to fulfill the number of students in the class. He didn't even have a name until Dan-Oh named him Haru. Just the fact that she found him and decided to change her fate together with him is already beautiful in their romance story. They kinda changed both of their fates since Haru learned that he can talk and he also became aware of himself and Dan-Oh's heart condition changed. We watch them struggling to change the stage and have a control of their lives and it was really exciting to watch. We later learn about the existence of another comic which had the same lines and it becomes even more exciting because we don't know why the author used the same characters and same lines for both comics and why is he torturing them again and again. I think this is where the drama writers got lost. Instead of focusing on that fantasy part and making it more clear, they kinda switched all of their focus on romance (and i wouldn't mind that if it was done properly) but they included love triangle in every single scene and started to get annoying. Baek Kyung as the 2nd male lead was interesting in the beginning but later they made him a character who's always angry, throwing tantrums and using 90% of the screen with his non-excusable behavior. It kinda ruined the mood with him always coming and emotionally abusing Dan-Oh or attacking Haru. It was unnecessary imo and i still don't know why they chose that direction in the last part of the drama. The redemption we got of Baek Kyung in the last ep was good but it could have been done much earlier. We could have seen his character growth and maybe see him joining Dan-Oh and Haru in changing their fates. We never got to know who is the author, why did he do all that to his characters and what was the point of them becoming aware and changing their fates when in the end they get switched to another comic and the cycle never stops. Even the ending of the drama seemed happy but it's actually sad if you think about it. After the drama ended i had so many questions and i wish they spent more time focusing on answering those questions then on a love triangle. But overall i really got emotionally connected to this drama on another level, i adore all of the characters, got to know the cast and even add them to my stan list. I followed the behind the scenes videos as much as i followed the drama itself. It's been years since i got this much immersed in a drama and its characters. I listened to the OST all the time and i still do, it's 1000/10 both instrumentals and songs. Danharu became one of my favorite couples ever, their chemistry was on another level, their behind the scenes were equally adorable. I can't stop watching the videos of those two and their scenes make me laugh and cry. I rarely cry this much as i cried on this drama. Honestly it will take time to get over this drama and even though i wished for some things to be different, overall it's a 9 from me and i still highly recommend it.

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I'm struggling with this review! I can't say I hate this drama, the concept is interesting and for the most part it is entertaining because of the unpredictable story. However, as a drama that is supposed to be set in a manga universe with manga characters it truly fails hardcore!

I never once felt like anyone was in a two dimensional comic world. The overly subtle stage to shadow transitions, the weird (poorly explained) sound effects, the very manga looking comic characters in the comic book, the very dramaesque situations make the manga world too real world to be emersive. It really just makes the story feel like its set in a high quality web drama! So instead of focusing on the mystery of why the characters were becoming self aware and actual character development I was more curious about who the author of the manga was, why the shadow area existed and the purpose of the books in the drama at all! None of these things are supposed to be important nor were they intended to be answered I suppose. Because in this story's native medium of webtoon we wouldn't really question those things. As readers we know they are comics, the situation is presented and unfolds with in those deminsional constructs. But in a live action adaptation none of that is obvious. So there is a lot of technical exposition about how things work which makes it even more obvious you are not seeing a manga world.

Without the manga related aspects the actual storyline is poorly developed, very cliched and drags mercilessly at times. I found myself wanting to skip most of the main romantic storylines and mystery of the characters relationships hoping to find out why they are characters and why the writer created them. Since that never happens I was really left feeling disappointed and a little angry!

Aside from the drama not living up to my expectations of what an emersive manga world would be like my biggest issue is with the pointlessness of it all. There were no real life inspirations to take from this! As a slice of life school drama all growth is actually unrealistic and supported mainly toxic cliches. As a fantasy drama nothing is explained as to why the fantasy elements even began or exist. As a fluffly romantic comedy it has very little actual romantic development aside from the predetermined ill fated love scenarios. Probably the worst part is that by the end none of what happens even mattered because that world disappears. Suddenly you are starting over in a new world surrounded by cliches and all the same issues to be faced as in the previous story. Except the recognized each other early on but so what? We know the author does what they will and changing a stage causes pain and suffering. They are faced with an eternity of being manipulated by a writer's whims. Which considering the "dried squid fairy" aspect of being a non character is heartbreaking. It makes you wonder if those who vanish completely are not the winners in this tale?! (Not a good life metaphor tbh)

So many disturbing revelation left as loose ends makes the drama conclusion feel pointless for the amount of toil and troubles! In the end they are litterally back at square one but knowing their purpose is supposed to be the reward?! Lmbo could of been my imagination, but the primary source of nearly all suicidal level emotions was being aware of their purpose! More than once by almost every character it's implied how much happier they would be as ignorantly unhappy puppets than self aware ones? I mean I understand what they are trying to represent overall but it's just so poorly done!

I honestly can't comment on the acting because it was such a mess of a story. The way the characters flipped from stage to shadow personalities in exaggeration was obnoxious for the most part. The internal dialogue during stage moment with those hazy real emotion moments were confusing and it was hard to really develop any emotional attachment to what was happening because the chaos made nothing feel real. As such I found very little material for most of the actors to give much emotional depth in performances. The same with music it was just so repetitively predictable or absurdly disjointed to what you would expect.

Overall there wasn't anything that would prompt me to rewatch even on fast forward. If I wasn't fueled by curiosity and the need for closure I would have most likely dropped this mid drama. If you are bored and are looking for a quick binge drama with some fantasy, romance and mystery it's ok. But if you dislike loose ends, canyon sized plot holes and lack luster character/plot development you might want to skip this one!

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This is one of the best drama I've seen so far <3 The actors portrayed the characters so well. They become the part of my life for these 2 months my wed & thu were all about watching Extraordinary You. it's so sad to say goodbye to Haru & Dan oh ????

Tbh some people say they like the Manhwa more than the drama but for me i liked the drama more. The manhwa is also dark & sorrow. The third last epi i was so scared to watch when i saw the art room become all dark & black. The moment when Haru disappeared really i was hoping some way or other they might be able to make it to the last page together, which didn't happen. :( But the good thing is they met again ????

I personally and Highly recommend this drama it's funny, it's sad, it'll give you butterflies watching the moment between Haru & Eun dan oh. I hope to see more of their works in future. Goodbye.

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