|
With her love of whales and gimbap, the titular character of Korean drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo burst onto screens earlier this year. The show, led by actor Park Eun-bin, follows the career of a rookie lawyer who happens to be on the autism spectrum.
Its uplifting story has received an overwhelmingly positive response, with many describing the show as “heartwarming” and a “healing K-drama”. Others have said they appreciate the portrayal of Attorney Woo as a round character who is more than her neurodiversity. So rave are the reviews, the series has leapt into Netflix’s Top 10 Non-English Shows list and there are even talks of an American remake.
However, the drama has also seen its fair share of critics. Some have argued that the character’s appeal stems from the way she is characterised – as a graduate of the nation’s most elite university and her portrayal by a conventionally attractive, neurotypical actor. While cases of high-functioning autistic people like Woo do exist, they are rare and only form part of the autistic experience. As such, some caregivers see the character as “having nothing to do with them”, and others contend the drama may end up harming the autism community by imposing unrealistic standards on real people with autism.
Sadly, this criticism is not wholly unwarranted. The character’s popularity has also led it to be used in a darker, more sinister way – as a tool with which to mock students with disabilities.
Others have said the drama is “fantastical” in another way – by portraying her coworkers as accepting her differences and treating her as their equal. “A lawyer like [Woo’s mentor] Jung Myung-seok is a fantasy,” says Kim Hyo-won, a paediatric psychiatrist and associate professor at Seoul Asan Medical Centre. “Woo would not have been able to fully show her excellence if people around her did not understand her and complement what she relatively lacks.”
Despite the obvious step forward in neurodivergent representation, it is interesting to note that the drama’s Korean title literally translates to “Weird Attorney Woo Young-woo”. While it may not be fair to charge a single show or character with representing the entire autism community, there is still a long way to go if the “pure fantasy” world of Extraordinary Attorney Woo is to become a reality.
Have shows such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo encouraged you to learn more about the neurodiverse community? Tell us what you think on our Facebook Page.
Signing off,
Jennifer Lee
Production Editor, Social Media
Lunar member
| 
