This is a great topic choice and I would go with influencing the narrative of the wider choice of characteristics leads can display in order to be more representative of the reality people are living. Drama is about escapism but feeling represented is so important. I like that dramas are showing characters as multidimensional. Our blues showcased the artist living with Down’s syndrome, Dear M. had a character with diabetes and Miracle had a lead with tinnitus all the story lines were about day to day issues that showed the personality. It will be good to see more people with hidden life long conditions. Quite often the reason for dodgy choices is down to money issues due to responsibility for the hospital costs of a relative with a long term health condition it would be good to see the more realistic elements of managing these conditions.

by proving we need more whales in kdramas :P

What really excited me about WYW before it started was the fact that its lead had a disability. That is rare in kdramas in general. I hope it leads to more diversity in future kdramas.

Personally for me, I got more awarness about ASD. I already mentioned in some post that I was from a region where this condition is not common and awareness is less, so this drama was educational in an entertaining way. I have watched a lot of legal Kdramas, but the cases here were thought provoking.

Whale facts.

I don't think Extraordinary Attorney Woo will have long-term impacts on dramaland. The drama's success was lightning in a bottle -- in the right place at the right time and couldn't be predicted or replicated. ENA won't become tvN overnight.

Woo Young-woo was atypical, but Lee Jun-ho was still the typical, perfect K-drama male lead. He made us swoon because he was an unrealistic fantasy. I hope Kang Tae-oh can capitalize on his popularity after his military service. When did he play a wacky side character?

We got a masterclass in dancing correctly along the line between cute and cheesy and never stepping over it. (I guess that's personal, to a large extent, but as someone who is hyper-alert to cheese, this was just a gem!)

I was really happy that the drama was so popular outside of Korea too - it was in the Netflix top ten pretty consistently for the last few weeks of its run. I know that Netflix has a reputation for making dystopian/gritty/thriller/horror-type kdramas, and I think that partly feeds into (or from, or both) a pretty limited understanding/portrayal of Korean culture in western (or at least US) news. So I'm really happy that this did so well on that platform as well, and I hope it helps give people who aren't as familiar with kdramas a wider understanding of what they can be, and the culture they come from.

It shows a small network or platform can produce a quality product on a reasonable budget.

It shows formerly taboo subject matters like mental health can find a receptive audience when done with respect.

It shows in Korea word-of-mouth plays a greater role than traditional show promotion in getting viewership.

It shows that good actors do not have to shy away from smaller platforms to have an impact on their careers. Park Eun-Bin's CF rate doubled during the show's run. Her agency said it is getting bigger offers for her services.

I hope this drama will open opportunities for new writers and directors with different storylines and characters. I loved the upbeat tone of the show even though it handle some serious subject matter. The show was a ray of sunshine for me and my best friend ( her first k-drama) week. Also, last but not least to scale back on some of the product placement ads.

For me, like others, it was the representation of everyday difficulties and prejudices that people with ASD face. As well as representing diversity in a kdrama (which let's face it, generally leans towards perfection) I'm so glad the show gave me an opportunity to consider the daily challenges faced by non neurotypical people. I'm also grateful to the other beanies who helpfully explained things and added context on ASD from their lived experience.

"Our team is very colorful."
--Myeongseok, Episode 2

For me, the drama is a milestone, in terms of celebrating Individualism instead of Collectivism, which is always the theme in past KDrama.

The law firm Youngwoo works in is called "Hanbada", means "Great Ocean". It is not only refer to the real law firm it model from as well one of the advisors of this drama. It is refer to a Chinese Idiom: "海納百川，有容乃大", means "ocean can contain everything." This is a rare theme in common Kdrama.

Common Kdrama is more like, let's say, Mr. Sunshine, everyone sacrifice for the greater good, i.e. the community. In its finale there is a scene, everyone put their hand paint to the flag of Korea, because the people of Korea is a gathering of people. As a result, individual must be suppressed. Attorney Jang, the boss in the last 2 episodes, who is being hated by almost everyone because he stops Youngwoo from even expressing herself. However, he is very common in other Kdramas, and he shouldn't even be an antagonist in those dramas (so as Minwoo, even because of some other reasons, that's why the screenwriter want to redeem him in the end, I guess).

Not Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

We all know in Korean, the drama's name is "이상한 변호사 우영우". "이상" can be translated as "Not common", even "strange". Being strange is not something should be celebrated, but should be suppressed (Therefore Tae Sumi says Boston is more accepting to people like Youngwoo, this is, in some sense, the truth, better for Youngwoo as well, not only because she wants to kick her illegitimate daughter out of the country). It's only the English choose "Extraordinary to translate the title, which is way positive.

The drama also not putting everyone to be simply "good" or "bad", even Minwoo. Some East Asian audience even think he is the character most to-the-ground (in fact, most of the characters surrounding Youngwoo are way too extraordinary kind to her, especially Junho). The drama also tackle issues rarely mentioned in other dramas (or if mentioned it will be for mocking, or the character is simply evil), like sexual orientation (Ep. 2), right of people from North Korea (Ep.6) mentally challenged (Ep.10) and women (Ep.12).

That's why I always, redeeming Minwoo itself is not a problem, even having Suyeon falling in love with him. It is the problem of pacing, which is always appear in comparatively inexperienced screenwriter (Itaewon Class writer is another example, who rush almost every plot to a close in merely 2-3 episodes). Screenwriter Min's last writing is a movie, which pacing is totally different from a 16-episode drama, therefore I think the flaw on Minwoo's character building is not very good, but forgivable.

Above all else, Woo's success reminded me that in the end, if a writer knows what they are doing, they can transform any story, idea, character, or theme into something truly special. So I would hope that executives looking at the show recognize that it's extremely important to invest in and cultivate good writers.

Yes, the actors, direction, and unique central character can be (deservedly) credited for some of the show's success. But it's also important to realize that the show itself wasn't revolutionary--it had a fairly conventional procedural plot, a love story that incorporated many common k-drama tropes, and threw in some makjang elements we've all seen before. I would even go so far as to say that Attorney Woo herself, despite being on the spectrum, is a pretty typical female kdrama lead following a well-worn k-drama arc to self-actualization.

So again, what made this show so good, was that the writer had the talent to present these well-worn elements in a way that looked and felt and sounded fresh and fun.

If there's any justice in this world, Moo Jin-won will be given the support and encouragement and opportunity to tell whatever stories she wants to from now on.

It single-handedly introduced millions to kdramas (who otherwise had no interest in Squid Games or other more violent kdramas).

Cemented Kang Tae-Oh’s leading man status.

Made everyone notice what an acting genius Park Eun Bin is and increased her per episode salary.

I hope Kang Ki-young gets a romantic lead role

I think that EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO will indeed have a real impact on dramaland, not least because it was a phenomenal success. This was a top ten show on Netflix- that is a lot of people worldwide watching.

I think that the key to its success was in its realism. It very realistically portrayed the challenges and ethical dilemmas of the practice of law. It also showed not just the prejudices towards the neurodivergent but also the very real drawbacks that accrue to those who have a different neurology even though it can also sometimes be an extraordinary talent.

A show that strives so hard to be dramatically true has to become a success- because people respond to shows that speak truth.

That then is the real impact on dramaland: This show set a higher bar for what constitutes a good drama.

I realize that 2 of my favorite all time dramas have autistic characters…It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and now Extraordinary Attorney Woo. In both cases the writing was excellent and 2 excellent actors…Oh Jung Se in IONTBO and Park Eun Bin in EOW brought these wonderful characters to life.

For me EAW has a more werstern storytelling structure while having a lot of kdrama tropes. Maybe I have not watched enough law, police or medical kdrama, but it seems to me that they do not abide by the "1 case per week" structure and that there are always some case that take more episodes.
There is a possibility that this more familar structure helped with the international popularity of this drama. And I fear a levelling in style.
Anyway, it is good to have excellent audience on Netflix without bloodbath.

I hope EAW’s success will give courage to bigger diversity in Kdrama production. What hope were there if the director with the fame and track record of the two Dr Romantics couldn’t convince SBS to carry this drama? Glad he worked with ENA to broadcast this gem and what a feat from 0.3% to 17% rating. Another lesson for the big broadcaster. I doubt they will change but EAW means audience can make the right choice if not the broadcaster.

Maybe by being the most accurate description of kdrama fans?
Woo and her whales are little me and my dramas. Every time someone says something out of nowhere a kdrama scene comes to may mind the same way Woo reminds things about whales.
And yes, just like Woo's dad, my mom is also done with me talking about dramas.

2. It's super famous, Idk if Squid Game level, but having it in the top 10 in my country says A LOT when this show isn't about killing, zombies, or a makjang... People are actually open to diversity? Something new? When I saw Woo and Oh My Venus in the top 10 Netflix's shows in my country I was shocked (not that much for Oh My Venus, people here loves that trope), "Woo isn't their style" that's what I thought.

I hope next time someone tells me they saw a kdrama they mentioned Woo and not Squid Game or Marriage and Desires, because it always gets awkward when I tell them that I didn't like those shows. 😂

I don't believe it did anything. It is just another kdrama. That was shown towards to tail end of its run.

Netflix buying more licensing rights to programs have expanded the shows and that is about it.

I have seen Kang Tae oh in other dramas and found him very beautiful to look at... but as for now, even though he had not so much screen time in this drama, I lived for the moments in which he was there! Now i remember his name, and am aware of his life and will wait for him when he comes back from the military service.
He gained an international fan... how cool is that??? LOL....

I loved EAWoo! Hope Season 2 explores: jun- ho back story - and further develop him more as a character
Backstory of the warring CEOs and Dad - why? What happened?
More about younger brother and the 2 siblings developing a relationship
More about Mom CEO developing a heart, soul & conscience & being a mom toYW
Why whales and dolphin obsession comes from
Perhaps conflict in the J-H/ YW romance about exploring a relationship between a neuro- typical & someone on the spectrum---- maybe a new love interest w/ YW meeting someone on the spectrum like her, and she has to choose OR J-H meeting someone he really likes and He has to choose
So many possibilities to explore!! Can it be as good as the first season?

The female lead character does not have to be in the standards of femininity (i.e. feminine behaviours, seducing, attractive, dressing sexy) for a show to be highly successful! But you definitely need a brilliant actress and a brilliant scenario!
Of course Park Eun Bin is a beautiful and feminine actress but her character was not meant to be.

I'm late to the party on this one.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo was an extraordinary show that created a slew of new Kdrama fans. I'm proof of that. Prior to EAW, I never once considered watching a Kdrama. Those shows were never on my radar. Not my type, not my style, not my language. EAW shattered all of those notions in one powerful whale tale like swoop. I can barely stand western shows anymore. It feels weird to not read subtitles. My viewing style is now completely different that what it was prior to EAW. I wouldn't be here on this site contributing if not for EAW.