“Whale Nation”, “Whale Couple”, the iconic “Woo to the Young to the Woo”, greetings were some of the viral buzz words we’ve heard prior to the ending of the much-loved Netflix series’ Extraordinary Attorney Woo.
I might be one of those who were not able to watch it when it was still ongoing because I prefer to watch a series when the episodes are completed. I finally did and I dare say this is the best k-drama of 2022.
Reasons to Watch this Korean Drama
If you need a reason to watch this extraordinary drama, by all means, proceed!
Spoilers ahead!
🐳 Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a visually-appealing courtroom drama.
On the first episode, Attorney Woo starts with an introduction:
“I have autism spectrum disorder. So for you, my speech and actions might seem inarticulate and awkward. But I love the law and my respect toward the defendant is no different from any other attorney.”
If you’re like me who loved How to Get Away with Murder, A Few Good Men, and The Lincoln Lawyer then Extraordinary Woo being a courtroom drama will appeal to you. This 16-episode drama contains passionate litigation scenes, arguments between opposing counsels, with a tiny bit of detective-like solving of cases which basically enhances the storyline of good versus evil. But what makes this drama so special is the effort to look into the mind of a lawyer with autism spectrum disorder.
There’s a free resource waiting for you at the end of reading this post. Enjoy and get your download later!
Because of Attorney Woo’s fixation on whales, whales are seen throughout the series especially on her “aha!” moments. It made me really curious about the whales shown each episode and how it relates to the character being highlighted.
In the first episode, a large humpback whale is seemingly “swimming” in the sky while Attorney Woo is on her way to work at Hanbada Law Firm (“hanbada” is apparently translated in English as “one ocean”). We also see her relate a very special type of whale to a main character in an episode. For example, Narwhal or the “unicorn” whale to refer to herself as a “Narwhal in a pod of belugas”. A Yangtze River Dolphin forced to extinction to describe Attorney Ryu Jae-sook. She is the lawyer, who despite being known in their field as someone who is “winning at losing cases” is fighting for women’s rights, labor equality and human rights, fighting for what is good and what is just.
🐳 Extraordinary Attorney Woo contains a beautifully written script with an overarching storyline.
“You told me where the lecture hall was, when class was canceled, and when the test material changed, You tried to stop the other students from making fun of me or bullying me. Even now, you open my water bottles for me and tell me that you’ll let me know when the cafeteria serves Gimbap again. You’re a bright, warm, kind, and sweet person. You’re ‘Spring Sunshine Soo-yeon’”.
The scene that actually got me into watching the drama is the scene where Attorney Soo-yeon is asking for a special nickname from Attorney Woo. That scene alone gained 1.2 million views on Swoon’s Official Youtube account with 48k likes. The character Soo-yeon is another lawyer in Hanbada along with Woo-young and Min-woo (another lawyer), who were given a period of one year contract as probationary lawyers. She is supposed to be like Min-woo who treats Woo-young as a competition. But this drama, fresh and novel as it is, is not your typical catfight drama with a jealous colleague who wants to bring the main character down with schemes. Instead of being envious of Woo-young’s intelligence and the attention and love Woo-young gets from Jun-ho and their team leader, Attorney Jung, Soo-yeon looks out for and genuinely cares about Attorney Woo.
🐳 Extraordinary Attorney Woo shows us the value of parental love.
“There comes a day for every parent when they ask themselves if their kids could be special. For my father, that day was November 17, 2000.”
There is a saying that we don’t get to choose our parents the same way that they don’t get to choose us as their children. That not all parents are “mothers” and “fathers”. It’s easy to be a parent, but to become a mother and a father in the truest sense of those words, well that is the challenging and difficult part. Even more so if you are a mother or a father of a child with autism spectrum disorder. This series highlights this fact and the choices parents make for their children: to be there for them or to unfortunately, leave them for selfish reasons.
🐳 Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a socially-relevant drama.
“Even if all they’re doing is looking up at the sky and snickering at the clouds floating by, as long as the child is smiling and is happy in that moment, that’s what playing really is.”
Extraordinary Attorney Woo makes you question the status quo. It invites you to question what you know and what you should be doing. Through Woo’s character, the drama advocates for the power of one person to effect change. It encourages viewers to be inspired by her determination and dedication to making the world a better place. The drama serves as a platform to address contemporary societal problems. It raises awareness about issues that are relevant and often overlooked in mainstream media. By putting a human face on these issues through the cases Woo handles, the show encourages viewers to think critically about these subjects and engage in discussions.
🐳 Extraordinary Attorney Woo is about finding love and being comfortable with it.
“We all want to love and be loved. It’s the same for people with intellectual disabilities, too. Rather, the desire is even greater. Because in most cases, it’s harder for them to get the attention or affection they want from others.”
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is not solely about legal cases and social issues; it also delves into the personal lives and relationships of its characters, including the titular character, Attorney Woo. The theme of finding love and being comfortable with it plays a significant role in the series, adding depth and relatability to the story. The series delves into themes of self-acceptance and self-discovery in the context of love and relationships. Characters go through personal growth, confronting their insecurities and learning to embrace themselves as they are. This journey of self-discovery is closely linked to their ability to find and be comfortable with love.
What about you? Have you had the chance to experience the captivating world of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”? We’d love to hear your thoughts and insights. Feel free to share your impressions with us in the comments section below.
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