Extraordinary You (2019)

It is rare for me to watch a drama while it's airing, mostly because I am very impatient and I can't bear having to wait week after week for new episodes. Even if I am interested in a drama that is airing, I usually wait until it's over to watch it. Extraordinary You was an exception. Its premise was so interesting and original that it made me break my unspoken rule of not watching on-air dramas.

The beginning of the drama was good. It plunged you into a world that looked odd for the protagonist, who wished desperately to change her fate, and be permitted to live. The FL was independent, funny, and chipper, it made you root for her. I wanted her to find answers, to be able to defeat the (quite sadistic) writer and be the writer of her own destiny.

And then... the second half of the drama came. The interesting questions raised morphed into more questions that would never be answered. Why wasn't Danoh able to change the stage when she was trying to do it alone, but when Haru helped her it worked? What are the mechanics of the world they live in? If background characters have nowhere to go, why is Haru the only one skulking at school when it's nighttime? Why are some characters gaining self-awareness, but others never do?

Nothing is ever answered, as the story devolves into a love triangle that nobody needed or wanted. And it's not like love triangles are bad or unenjoyable on principle. They can be exciting if done well. But in a love triangle where the heroine has reiterated multiple times to the second lead that she loves ML and doesn't care much for anything else, why are the writers so hellbent on perpetuating a triangle where the second lead has no chance? It would have been better to develop and answer the questions they never answered.

Danoh was a hoot to watch initially, and I thank that to Kim Hyeyoon, who imbued the character with this cheerfulness that wasn't annoying to watch. It endeared you to her, and even as Danoh descended into a character who was obsessed with Haru (even though there were so many people that cared for her and loved her), Kim Hyeyoon managed to still make her somewhat likable. But she could not save the character, try as she might.

Haru only existed for the female lead, and while that could sound like something romantic for some people, it's especially boring for me. He has no hobbies of his own? He doesn't try to make new friends? I don't know. I mean, he was likable as well, but too one note for my taste. Still, Rowoon managed to do well with the character, so kudos for that.

Despite my praise, Danoh and Haru's love story got so boring to watch that I started focusing more in the side couple of Dohwa and Juda, who I liked, as they seemed actually more nuanced than our main leads (especially Juda). Imagine my anger when Juda, out of nowhere, decided to stay with Namjoo. To be honest, I wasn't angry because she didn't end up with Dohwa, but I was mad that it was never really explained in a way that made sense for Juda as a character. She had spent so many episodes shit-talking Namjoo, and all of a sudden, she decides to end up with him? I would have liked to see Juda's thought process to get to that point, but instead we spent the time watching our unwitting love triangle.

I really loved the OST, had to look for it while the drama was airing.

Being honest, I don't think this has much of a replay value, unless you like high school romance drama, though if you're looking for that, there are much better dramas out there.

In conclusion, this was wasted potential, but if you're still interested in watching, the fast forward button will be your friend in the second half.

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an ambitious drama that delivered on some parts, on some not as much.

BIG BAD
- i don't mind romance - for the most part i enjoy it but sometimes it was forced down our throats at the cost of characters' personalities and plot. the drama came to be very repetitive towards the end which is my main issue, really.
SMALL BAD
- the ending wasn't bad, per se, but i wished it explained more. too many questions left. who is the writer? and how exactly does the writing process go? what about the "changed" scenes?

SMALL GOOD
- aesthetically this was pretty epic. nice colours, a lot of pretty flowers and all that jazz.
BIG GOOD
- character development was insane!
- acting was pretty good, too!
- the whole idea behind the story is very intriguing.

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Give Me A Bone!!!

This drama had so much potential but lost itself in the melodrama.

I truly loved the potential of this show. The worldbuilding in the first few episodes had a ton of promise, but the show did an awful job developing the lore to keep us invested in the mystery. This writers didn't give their readers anything. Any of the lore came in drips and drabs. I was 28/32 episodes in and I still didn't know why Dan Oh can see into the future, why Haru can see into the past, why Dried Squid Fairy remembers everything from both worlds, who the hell the writer is. A show that hinges on mystery in a supernatural world needs to give its viewers clues to keep the interest going — red herrings would even be appreciated! Otherwise, we’re just padding through the episodes with blindfolds and with no trust that anything will actually make sense in the end.

Given the amount of care the show provided to the lore, as expected, halfway through, it lost steam. The drama got caught up in the melodrama and once Baek Gyeong became self-aware, the show shifted focus from Dan Oh and her mission to survive, to Baek Gyeong vs. Haru and their mission to save her. So disappointing. I didn’t care for Dan Oh, but I’d much rather watch an annoying yet charming girl try to change the world to live than two melodramatic men fighting for her affection, when it’s already very clear who she’s in love with.

It’s all so irritating though that Haru transformed from a quiet, doe-eyed extra to a moody, brooding bummer who instead of trying to make the most of his time with Dan Oh while she’s alive, sits on benches with his head in his hands, runs away from Dan Oh or just cries whenever he looks at her.

I was also very annoyed with how the show tried to romanticize Baek Gyeong. His realization of his feelings for her does not forgive his abysmal attitude towards her in the past. His love declarations weren't moving Dan Oh’s heart, nor were they moving mine.

Also so irritated how Dan Oh’s character was reduced to heart palpitations. Every fifteen minutes, her heart gives and she’s in the nurse’s office or the hospital, where we inevitably see Haru or Baek Gyeong taking care of her. C’mon, stop using the plight of female characters to drive male character development. I’m just so tired of dramas taking so much care of the male lead’s development while giving the female lead scraps. Dan Oh became a shell of the personality she started with.

And that's not to say that I even like Dan Oh to begin with. That baby voice had me cringing the entire show, and then towards the end of the show, her character cried way too much to the point where I liked her better when she was bratty and chaotic in the beginning. She was more interesting.

Her character wasn't really that likeable to begin with. She’s a rich heiress. As much as the drama would like to make the stakes high, they didn't do a good job making me believe that they were, so the only thing I could root for her was her love story and I couldn't see any reason why Ha Ru would like her except for the fact that she gave him his name.

Her unlikeability is evident in her friendship. Her best friend is Sae Mi, who terrorizes the FL (who tbh is such a Mary Sue that I don't even remember her name), but Dan Oh continues to be friends with her. You could chalk it up to the fact that their friendship existed way before Dan Oh became self-aware but Dan Oh still continues to call Sae Mi her best friend. I know Sae Mi is there more for comic relief than anything but I can’t imagine being friends with such a bully.

All in all, I was left with disappointment. Thank God each episode was 30-something minutes. I know, if you do the math, that's basically the same length as a 16 episode kdrama, but it was easier to stomach knowing that the episodes were going by much quicker.

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Fantastic First Half, Draggy Second Half

The headline pretty much sums it up.
I loved the overall concept. The first half of the season kept me SO HOOKED. Like I just wanted to binge and binge and binge. Every episode ended with a cliffhanger, nothing was making sense but also making sense, we just HAD to know what happens next. This, paired with the perfect OST at the end was just SO memorable, definitely A+.
But they couldn't retain this hype throughout the second half which was very, very disappointing.
One thing I loved about the show the most was Eun Dan-o's exaggerated reactions to all the cringe scenes. But that just seemed to stop towards the end. Like, she didn't react to stuff. That kinda made it a bit boring for me.
And I felt like a lot of the mysteries could have been solved sooner? Like, we could cut short 2 episodes.
One more thing was I didn't feel very much emotionally attached to any of the characters. Like, I didn't cry when I saw they were in pain, I didn't feel it. Mind you, all the pain comes in the second half only; when they realise their fate and what is the price they have to pay if they change it.
The first half was extremely funny, engaging and I truly had the butterflies anytime something happened. But during the second half, except for that star scene, I couldn't feel anything.
Gyeong's character was written pathetivcally tbh. They could have shown that he was a good person a bit earlier, because otherwise it just seems like he's doing everything out of vengeance and not true love. So even though I understand the whole concept and why they made Gyeong the way he is, it was kinda disappointing.
Ha Ru was perfect tbh. Eun Dan O perfect. Honestly, individually all of them had great characters, especially the "extras", Sae Mi and all. Beautiful. 👏🏻
Whereas the first half of the show is a perfect binge watch, the second half would be something that is more enjoyable on air. I say so because the second half seems kinda draggy as it features the same concept thingy on a loop tbh, but people who watched it on air would have definitely enjoyed it as they would have come in without much retention of the previous episode.

TL:DR; Overall : a one time watch.
OST on loop.
Certain scenes will always be replayed on YouTube.
A bit draggy towards the end, not so much for a non-binge watcher.
Amazing concept, great execution. A bit of a let-down towards the end. Nevertheless, a great one-time watch drama!

7/10

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This show was just amazing !! The story was something so new and interesting, something that I have never seen before.

The character development was amazing. The couple was so so cute and made me feel single lol. Also, the acting was just amazing especially Lee Jae-Wook, I'm gonna be watching more of his work soon now.

This showed so many themes that I love. Seeing their friendship, growth, independence, and determination was very inspiring.

The OST was just amazing!

I also love that this drama came out lighthearted but became a very deep drama. It speaks about how persons try diligently to make their own paths but are sometimes side-stepped by a much powerful force. Which can be relatable for some people. This drama showed a good message to people on believing in yourself and growth.

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Overrated, Repetitive, Cute

DISLIKES:
Production: shaky camera syndrome, zooming in way too close
Writing: very repetitive: the continuous looping of the same thing without any growth. It should’ve been shorter, because it became redundant and boring fast, making me not care about ANY of the characters the more I watched. Too many plot holes and such a mess. It felt like the script writer had become lost within the concept that was created. Which meant by episode 8 I became annoyed with the repetition, the constant crying of Dan-oh and her yelling Haru! Also the actress used an over the top cutesy voice that was very irritating.

LIKES:
Cinematography, lighting, colour pallet, locations
FX: also done well (the scar on the palm looked real), the green vortex, the floating elements, all blended in well and seamlessly. And moments between EGO/STAGE sessions were well edited and fx for it fine.
Acting well done by Rowoon and Lee Jae Wook.
Writing: the satirical take on the usual trope and cliches (concept of making fun of manga’s & anime & dramas.). I liked that the focus was the supporting characters. I liked how they showed the transition from comic character that’s written to the real character or “Ego”. The beginning episodes were good.
Music: I didn’t really notice it much, which meant it blended in seamlessly.

OVERALL:
I ended up finishing it only because of Rowan and Lee Jae Wook’s acting. I do not recommend it and will NEVER watch it again, as after the first 5 episodes it’s boring and a waste of time.

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this drama is not for every one
this is for specific age group (adolescents)
so that's why it's not my cup of tea

although it was somehow cute and has it's nice heartwarming moments
but it was boring, repetitive and childish

i liked most of the main leads except the two whom supposed to be the main two at the novel
(kim young dae & lee na eun) their role was so trivial and shallow
i saw (lee na eun's) situation towards jung gun joo so fluid & vague and i felt her so Exploitative
i dislike her character so much

and i dislike the FL (kim hye yoon) when she tried to be fluffy and cute, she was so silly and annoying

although the writer bothered us many many times with such worthless details but the end wasn't clear and rush
how (ro woon) get back to her ??

and why all the characters at the end didn't remember each other at college inspite of being at same school
is that their life out of the stage ??
and why lee jae wook was absent from the scene

and the other story from jeoson age it gave me the feeling that the writer just wanted to fill the 16 eps.
this is for me, just one time watchable drama

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Many drama plots have typical love story ..... sometimes to such an extent that you can even predict the next line the main characters will say ....
In such cases have you ever thought how the story line might change if one of the supporting character takes the lead role ?
Extra - Ordinary you ... I think it's a refreshing concept that talks about ordinary people being extraordinary . The entire setting takes place inside a (romantic ) comic book where one of the extra character realizes it's role and that the story isn't revolving around her. Her prime focus is to lead a happy life - where the writer of the book couldn't control her and she would be freely able to make her own decisions.
Here's a bonus point!
You won't be confused between the story of - the comic and the lead of the drama .... as the comic is based on the famous Boys Over Flowers !!!!
Yes the HanDan couple .
The story works on two parts - stage (printed pages on the comic )and shadow(gaps between the pages).
On stage the characters play and act according to the writer and in shadow they are free to do whatever they want .

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New Story

One thing that I really liked about this drama is how the story unfolds. After thinking for sometime I can say that the story wasn't predictable. I thought there would be a happy ending indicating an end to all the sufferings the characters had faced but then the ending wasn't happy, I'd say that the drama ended at a happy moment. The characters in the comic are still controlled by the writer and don't have their free will. It's just that the drama ended when dan oh met haru, to kinda depict a happy ending feeling. But considering how the writer erases insignificant extra characters danoh and haru could be erased anytime and might not even end up in the next comic. Baek Kyung and Do hwa were my favorites. The ending was realistic cause from the start we were inclined to think that because of fate and destiny they would be able to break free from there character but in the end they couldn't they were just able to make tiny changes and enjoy life in the shadow. It made us hope that characters would escape the comic world but that didn't happen there're still stuck there used as mere puppets. Overall it was really tragic if you put a deeper thought to it. But then what if this was a lie all along, we were shown that Haru suddenly becomes aware of himself in the trumpet creeper, and also he is the only character that is able to change the stage there's no definite answer as to why he can do that stuff. I feel he has an extra advantage after disappearing for a couple of times he magically appears again. How? Is that really destiny? I have a theory that he wasn't in fact character from the comic infact he was a real human who entered the comic by mistake or intentionally. Why are only some characters becoming self aware? Why did Baek kyung become self aware after being told about the shadow and stage several times cause nam ju and other characters were also told that they were mere characters in a comic but that wasn't enough to make them self aware? I feel that the characters who actually became self aware of themselves were infact humans. After that comic ended many weren't in the new comic, maybe they were transferred back to the real world. But dan oh and Haru stayed cause they loved each other and wanted to meet and do romantic stuff. Atleast that's what I believe.

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All cast are handsome and pretty
Cute handsome adorable rowoon
Cute pretty hye yoon
Handsome charismatic lee jae wook

I love the story thats awesome
The story has its own uniqueness
It wont makes boring or something else

And the cast have different characters but are very compatible with themselves
So touched

Main role
Kim seok woo
Kim hye yoon
Lee jae wook
Lee naeun
Jung gun joo
Kim youngdae
Lee tae rii

Soundtrack
April - feeling
VeriVery - my beauty
Sondia - first love
Epitone Project - first love
GOTCHA - i wanna say that i love

There's one another soundtrack play on last episode 16 and episode 19 in 11:05 minutes. The song was amazing so touched. I love this soundtrack and first love by sondia

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