Except for a few privileged few, it is easy perceive the world we currently live in as an absolutely hopeless one and almost dystopian. Climate and energy crises, armed conflicts in the middle of Europe and forecasts of a sharp drop in the economy not only make the near future uncertain; They also make everyday life a very complicated dish to digest.
It is in these times when fiction seems more necessary than ever; especially the one that sweetens reality with a good dose of kindness and charm while providing an essential escape route to disconnectrelax momentarily and give a break to our increasingly failing mental health.
‘Woo, Lawyer Extraordinary’ ticks all the boxes. And it is that this K-Drama converted into the latest Korean phenomenon on Netflix manages to fall in love in each of its episodes with its cocktail of drama and investigation enriched by its commendable softness, its gigantic heart and, above all, by a neurodivergent protagonist before whom it is impossible not to fall asleep.
balm for the soul
It is de rigueur to recognize that ‘Woo, extraordinary lawyer’ does not invent the wheel in terms of structure and narrative. The series is built under the canons of television proceduralpresenting self-conclusive vertical plots in each episode —in this case, related to the judicial sphere— while developing its multiple characters and unraveling their conflicts in its horizontal plot.
The first great success of the show, directed by Yoo In Shik —responsible for the remarkable ‘Vagabond’— is the balance between both elements in terms of interest; resulting widely satisfactory both in its legal mysteries —intriguing and well resolved enough to hold the weight of each chapter— and in the evolution of the lawyer who gives the title its name.
However, on top of all this, and impeccable realization that eventually integrates animated elements with praiseworthy taste, are the great pillars that make ‘Woo, extraordinary lawyer’ a true balm for the soul: its charismatic characters and a really charming tone and perfectly calculated.
With a premise like the one proposed in the libretto of Moon Ji-won —who already addressed similar issues in her debut ‘Jeungin’—, which puts us in the shoes of a lawyer with an autism spectrum disorder, it was possible that the melodrama, the condescension and the search for the easy tear would take over the production. Nothing is further from reality.
Park Eun-bin and everything else
Instead of opting for the tearful, the tonal bet of ‘Woo, an extraordinary lawyer’ bets on giving priority to comedy and surrounds the story with an aura of magical realism that captivates from the first contactleaving tremendously emotional passages that will end up activating the tear glands of the most predisposed viewer in an organic and natural way.
Ultimately, the great catalyst for this barrage of emotions and, in turn, the great star of the function is none other than Park Eun Bin —’The affection of the king’—, whose complicated role as Woo Young-woo is worked with care and enormous respect —in fact, he rejected the role in the first instance, accepting it months later after having documented enough about ASD—.
The result of his work, in addition to an impeccable interpretation that gives us one of the most adorable characters that recent television fiction has left us, is a great example of how to transfer neurodivergent characters to the screen with sensitivity and consideration without losing an iota of sense of humor. A sample of representation as successful as it is necessary.
‘Woo, lawyer extraordinaire’ is an absolute delight and a kind of “happy place” to take refuge in when the day goes bad and you need a break And only that, in these times, fully justifies that it has become an undeniable success that, luckily, already has a second season on the way.