I am obviously quite late to jump on this bandwagon. While I was aware of the hype, I hadn't heard enough about this drama other than it was good to really feel the need to watch it. Guess the joke's on me. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a charming but at times surprisingly deep episodic drama. The episodes' tones run the gamut from quirky and fun to dark and heartbreaking. And through it all is Woo Young Woo, brilliant but autistic, and faced with learning to be an adult and an attorney in a world that doesn't quite know what to make of her.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo is an episodic legal drama, each episode focusing on a different legal case, however, there is still a general overarching plot. The strong point of the drama was certainly that episodic nature and getting to see the team tackle each case regardless of the outcome. It was not what I was expecting but I very much enjoyed it. I did not find the general plot to be quite as compelling as there would be multiple episodes with no development before it suddenly popped up, moved along a bit, then disappeared again. That story in itself was weak as the rivalry between the Tae Su Mi and Han Seon Yeong was not developed enough to make it in any way compelling nor was the position Tae Su Mi was running for explained enough to make it seem high stakes despite the implication. There was a struggle to balance everything: the plot of the episode, the plot of the drama, and developing the characters. While the episode plots were generally fairly well thought out and portrayed, as I mentioned before, the main plot was inconsistent and the characters and their development was lacking. The legal aspect was well done. There was plenty of legal jargon but even though none of it would make sense to anyone not working in law, it wasn’t distracting or overbearing, but rather served to give credibility. While I did enjoy the visual of the whales and dolphins every time Young Woo had an epiphany, what I would have liked to see was more collaboration rather than her ideas saving the day every time. It felt unrealistic and it would have been nice to see the team pulling together more to solve the cases.

I’ve seen a lot of debate about the portrayal of autism in this drama and I can see both sides. I do think the character of Young Woo was presented with the best of intentions and with the goal to be as authentic as possible. I think there was also the goal to present the world as seen through the eyes of an autistic person and the challenges and stigmas they face. That being said, I do also see how it fell into the trap of portraying autistic people as either geniuses or children. This is especially evident in Episode 3. Though a point is made to say that autism is a spectrum, it’s still far too prevalent in media to meet with these two extremes which are far from the ordinary. And while Young Woo does develop relationships, both platonic and romantic, much of the legwork is done by others while she remains static. She is, in general, coddled by everyone. There is very little of her learning to adapt to others and instead everyone else learning to adapt to her. Similarly, there is no desire to seek independence aside from one fleeting moment which is quickly forgotten. I would have liked to see more on both fronts, both more growth and more independence.

This drama has a good mix of characters, both likable and unlikeable with a few in between. Part of what makes it stand out is the lack of a universal villain. Though certain episodes have their own personal villain, there is no central villain. And while most dramas leave me feeling pretty certain with how I view characters, this one did not. Despite the lack of background for most of the characters, their personalities and actions were enough to allow me to form opinions on them and more than a couple ended up in a kind of limbo. And while backgrounds weren’t necessary per se, in some cases, I do think it may have beneficial in helping to understand some of them. For example, I don’t believe it’s ever explained why Han Seon Yeong wants to take down Tae Su Mi so badly or if it was, it was so forgettable that I can’t remember it. A little more about Min Woo to explain why he is so driven, we get a hint there towards the end that it’s likely related to his parents and their health, but I’d like more.

Young Woo and Jun Ho are pretty much impossible to dislike. Despite her quirks and moments where I found myself facepalming, Young Woo is endearing. She is the opposite of a cutthroat attorney, seeking justice and wanting to do the right thing, even if it goes against her company’s client. Her romance with Jun Ho was a surprise, though a pleasant one. I thought it was developed well though it did stumble, unnecessarily in my opinion, there at the end before recovering. Jun Ho was a breath of fresh air and though at times I did find him to be too much of a push over, I did really like his character and appreciated how respectful he was of Young Woo. I loved Young Woo’s dad. He always tried so hard and with the best of intentions to take care of his daughter. I kind of wanted him to find someone and get a chance at happiness too. He deserves it. Also up there are Min Shik and Geu Rami. Their love and loyalty for Young Woo is adorable to watch if sometimes misguided.

I was initially uncertain of both Myung Seok and Su Yeon. I was fully prepared to dislike Myung Seok. His treatment of Young Woo in Episode 1 had me all up in arms. Who had have guessed I’d end up adoring him. I was terrified they were going to kill him off and I’m so glad they didn’t. He was such a good mentor to Young Woo and the other rookies, accepting of her quirks and guiding all of them the best he could. I thought Su Yeon was going to be the stereotypical mean girl, but I loved how loyal she actually became and how protective she was. I honestly would have liked to see her friendship with Young Woo developed a bit more. I also just generally appreciated her growing confidence in herself and saying what she wanted. I’m still up in the air about her relationship with Min Woo, mostly because I’m still not sure about him and I think she deserves better.

My gray area folks are Min Woo, Tae Su Mi and Han Seon Yeong. While Min Woo certainly improved in the last couple of episodes, that in no way erases all the crap he pulled prior to that. He had some vulnerable moments that revealed that not everything in his life was sunshine and roses, but again, didn’t excuse his behaviour. I appreciate that he’s working to make a change, but I would also like to see him actually apologize for his past actions or at least acknowledge them rather than just sweeping them under the rug. As for our two ladies, there’s such a gray area where they’re concerned that I’m still not totally sure what to make of them. Clearly neither is completely without a moral compass, but both are also willing to be shady if pushed. I appreciate that they’re both badass, powerful women. There’s just not enough to them at this point for me to have a fully developed opinion.

The cast was unanimously superb. Everyone did an amazing job with, of course, an outstanding performance by Park Eun Bin. Regardless of your opinion on how the show portrayed autism, I don’t think you can say that she didn’t give her all. It’s evident the amount of work she put into the role.

I have to comment on the cinematography for the Sodeok-dong and Jeju Island episodes as those were beautifully done as well as the sunset scene at Nakjo. The OSTs were all quite pleasant though I can't say that any really jumped out at me.

I found this to be a generally heartwarming drama that I quite enjoyed. There were certainly some episodes that I enjoyed more than others, but none that I hated. And while certainly not a perfect portrayal of autism and it did lean into the cutesy, I do think intentions were pure and it tried to be authentic. This is one that I would recommend, especially if you enjoy episodic dramas and you're looking for something that strays from the ordinary.