“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is a Korean drama based on the manhwa “Woo Young-woo” written by Mo Seok-won. This drama has been broadcast on Netflix since 2022 with 16 episodes. 

“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is a captivating Korean drama that follows the journey of Woo Young-woo, a brilliant attorney with a unique perspective on the world. She is employed at a prominent law firm in Seoul called Hanbada and demonstrates remarkable intellectual capabilities, although she may struggle with interpersonal skills and understanding others’ emotions. This drama showcases unique cases that seamlessly combine drama and comedy, while taking an unconventional approach.

The story of this drama centers on Woo Young-woo, a dedicated employee at the law firm Hanbada. She is known for his impressive intellectual abilities and remarkable memory, which she applies to effectively handling cases. Nevertheless, she faces challenges when it comes to social skills and empathy, which can make it difficult for her to navigate unexpected situations. This drama is a delightful blend of unique cases and an innovative approach, which adds to its captivating nature.

This drama also showcases Woo Young-woo’s interactions with friends and family, providing a glimpse into the life of a single attorney in South Korea. She has an impressive ability to handle cases, although she does face some obstacles that can be difficult to overcome, such as social difficulties and limited life experience. The drama is highly entertaining as it portrays the life of a single attorney who possesses exceptional intelligence and remarkable emotional resilience.

The story starts with Woo Young-woo’s father, Woo Gwang Hoo, who is completely caught off guard when he finds out that his daughter has been diagnosed with autism. He had noticed that his only daughter stood out from other children her age. Even at the age of five, Woo Young-woo didn’t speak much and tended to be more introverted. In addition, ever since Young-woo was a child, they have displayed a great passion for statutes. Whenever she cried or got angry, Gwang Hoo would often playfully take on the role of a prosecutor or judge, playfully “sentencing” her based on certain statutes. Even when Woo Young-woo pitched a tantrum, she would quickly settle down, as if she was terrified of being judged. Woo Young-woo solely lived with her father in a rented home owned by married couple Park Gyu Sik and Choi Yeong Ran. 

Park Gyu Sik was always envious of Gwang Hoo’s single-parent status. Gyu Sik believed that Gwang Hoo had feelings for his wife. Due to pointless disagreements, Gwang Hoo ended up fighting Gyu Sik. Young Woo, who had witnessed her father fighting, abruptly spoke up.

She ordered them to stop employing violence and assault statutes, including their punishments. Gwang Hoo was astonished and delighted because, for the first time in five years, he heard Young Woo speak. Young Woo learned the information by reading her father’s law books. After a few years, Gwang Hoo and Young Woo relocated.

To support his daughter, Gwang Hoo ran a kimbap store. Woo Young Woo grew up to be a clever young woman eager to work at Hanbada, a well-known law business. She became regarded as South Korea’s first autistic lawyer. Despite her shortcomings, Woo Young Woo was able to overcome the prejudices of those who consistently misjudged her.

After receiving no employment offers following her graduation, being recruited at Hanbada felt like a blessing, particularly for Gwang Hoo. He was thrilled to see his daughter working as a lawyer. Previously, Gwang Hoo was saddened by his daughter’s difficulties to obtain work despite receiving the top bar test marks. When Woo Young Woo arrived at the Hanbada legal company, he was assisted by Lee Jun Ho, a young man working in the litigation department, in finding Attorney Jung Myeong Seok’s office.

Of course, Young-woo’s autism presented difficulties and added pressure. When Woo Young Woo arrived at the Hanbada legal company, a young guy working in the litigation department named Lee Jun Ho helped him find Attorney Jung Myeong Seok’s office.

Attorney Jung was already there in the room, as were Choi Su Yeon and Kwon Min Woo, both attorneys. Unlike Jun Ho, who appeared unconcerned when he first met Young Woo, the three of them were taken aback, particularly Attorney Jung and Min Woo. Young Woo cheerfully presented herself to them. Young Woo also rambled excessively for no apparent reason. Su Yeon, Young Woo’s law school friend, quickly reminded her.

When Attorney Jung discovered that the new attorney on his team is autistic, he went to meet with Hanbada’s CEO, Han Seon Young, to protest. Jung doubted Young Woo’s ability to operate alongside the team, let alone manage the situations that lay ahead. Han Seon Young, who recommended her, remained unconcerned and believed in Woo Young Woo’s ability. Attorney Jung subsequently reached an arrangement with CEO Han to test Young Woo’s ability. If Young Woo fails to connect with clients or appear in court, she will be sacked. As a result, on her first day of work, Young Woo is already assigned a case.

The first case Young Woo must handle is one of public interest. The defendant, a woman around 70 years old, is accused with the murder of her husband, who has moderate dementia. It turns out that the defendant in Young Woo’s first case is Choi Yeong Ran, Park Gyu Sik’s wife. They are a married couple who own the house where Young Woo and her father once lived. Young Woo uses her astuteness to exonerate Yeong Ran from murder charges.

Each episode will keep you interested since the cases presented are unique and provide new perspectives on the law and its complexities. Woo Young Woo’s performance is very great, thanks to the incredible talent of veteran actress Park Eun Bin. Park Eun Bin’s extensive acting expertise allows her to accurately portray the character with autistic spectrum disorder. She truly shines at playing the character of Woo Young Woo, catching all of the subtle aspects that distinguish her. She easily brings her feelings to life.

The drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022) not only showcases Woo Young Woo’s competence in managing legal problems and defending her clients, but it also depicts her interactions with a variety of personalities. The plot also delves into the beautiful bond between Woo Young Woo and Jun Ho, although its execution is clichéd and hasty. Despite Jun Ho’s amorous sentiments for Woo Young Woo, the presentation appears forced given the limited exposure. The romantic subplot is not given special treatment, despite the fact that the notion of love for people with autistic spectrum disorders, such as Woo Young Woo, should provide a unique experience.

This drama’s love storyline feels more like a simple love tale than it does a realistic job of showing how a girl with autism spectrum disorder navigates relationships. Given that a second season of this drama is planned, it would make more sense to centre the first season around Woo Young Woo’s journey of coming to terms with her emotions.

Woo Young Woo should feel uneasy or challenged by Jun Ho’s presence, but this isn’t made apparent. It also seems incomplete how Woo Young Woo’s feelings are portrayed when confronting new difficulties. Furthermore, Jun Ho doesn’t appear to have any serious difficulties when it comes to loving an autistic girl.

This representation focuses more on hurried writing that fails to provide the viewer a rich experience, particularly when it comes to the experience of falling in love from the perspective of someone with autism, than it does on the right of people with autism to love and be loved. 

Despite the hurried nature of the romantic plot, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022) is nonetheless a powerful drama. The popularity of this drama in South Korea and abroad may be attributed to the minute details that are revealed in each case as well as the way the actors and actresses represent their characters.