'Witness' Jiwoo's Dream of Becoming a Lawyer, Achieved by Woo Young-woo
Cast and Crew's Sincerity Earns Viewer Praise
Social Minorities Like LGBTQ+ and Single Fathers Also Featured
Ranked #1 in Drama Buzz... Also Tops Netflix Top 10
Movie 'Witness' (left) and ENA channel drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'. Photo by Lotte Entertainment, AStory·KT Studio Genie·Romantic Crew
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] "I probably won't become a lawyer. Because I have autism. But maybe I can be a witness?"
In the 2019 film Witness, Ji-woo (played by Kim Hyang-gi), a girl with autism, becomes the sole witness to a murder case and testifies. Although her credibility is questioned because of her autism, Ji-woo does not give up on testifying. Based on her exceptional hearing and memory, Ji-woo achieves a turning point in the trial, and her dream is to become a lawyer.
Can a person on the autism spectrum really become a lawyer? The answer to this question, which Ji-woo once had, is provided by Woo Young-woo (played by Park Eun-bin), a lawyer with both a genius mind and autism. Young-woo is the protagonist of the drama Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo, which premiered on the 29th of last month. She joins the major law firm Hanbada and grows into a true lawyer by solving various cases.
The common point of the two works is that writer Moon Ji-won wrote the scripts. Although they do not share the same universe, both feature protagonists with autism who are active in the courtroom, forming Moon's warm 'human courtroom drama' universe. Director Yoo In-sik, who directed Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo, mentioned at the production briefing, "Writer Moon, who wrote Ji-woo's story, also wrote about a lawyer with autism spectrum disorder. So I thought the big concern must have been 'Can they really be a lawyer?' and 'How can they do it?'"
Viewers are applauding the sincerity of the actors. Park Eun-bin, who hesitated several times out of caution, confessed at the production presentation, "When I first read the script, I had no idea how to act it out. I felt I shouldn't have any preconceived notions and was very cautious. I even questioned whether acting itself would be okay."
Park Eun-bin is said to have studied extensively and been very careful to avoid unconsciously recalling or imitating characters with autism spectrum disorder previously portrayed in the media. Her heartfelt effort and authenticity were the foundation for her lovable portrayal of Young-woo, who sometimes uses echolalia (repeating others), loves whales, and insists on only eating kim sushi even at high-end Japanese restaurants.
Kim Hyang-gi is also known to have put a lot of effort into playing Ji-woo. She said, "I was very concerned that children like Ji-woo and their families and acquaintances might feel uncomfortable or hurt." She studied autism spectrum disorder by referring to films and books before taking on the role.
Poster of the ENA channel drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'. Photo by Ace Story, KT Studio Genie, Romantic Crew
The production team's efforts also stand out. Writer Moon emphasized at the production briefing that "Autism spectrum is not just a topic to attract attention. It is the most important element conveying the drama's message. The entire production team devoted themselves to researching materials to accurately understand and portray autism spectrum." As he said, everything appearing in the drama?from Young-woo's extraordinary interest in whales, the headphones she wears on her commute, to her counting to five with her fingers before entering a room?reflects the production team's meticulous consideration.
The characters who add warmth to Young-woo's world are also the drama's 'healing points.' Lee Junho (played by Kang Tae-oh), a litigation team member at Hanbada law firm, teaches Young-woo how to pass through revolving doors by comparing it to a waltz, and her company mentor Jung Myung-seok (played by Kang Ki-young) reflects on his own prejudices about autism. Young-woo's colleagues Choi Soo-yeon (played by Ha Yoon-kyung) and Kwon Min-woo (played by Joo Jong-hyuk) show jealous glances at her abilities but accept her as she is. This is similar to the warm efforts of lawyer Soon-ho (played by Jung Woo-sung) in Witness, who studied autism spectrum disorder and communicated through quizzes to approach Ji-woo's world while eliciting her testimony.
One reason this drama is receiving praise is that it breaks down societal prejudices. Although it is a warm and harmless healing drama, it does not hesitate to address minorities in our society such as sexual minorities and single fathers.
Cultural critic Jung Deok-hyun evaluated that the media's perspective on disability has changed. He explained, "The view of disability no longer stays within the range of normal and abnormal. In the past, the focus was mainly on normality, and others were seen as abnormal, portraying people with disabilities as objects of care and pity. But now, it shows characters fulfilling their roles."
Continuing, critic Jung praised Woo Young-woo as an example, saying, "What is noteworthy is that characters with disabilities have their own jobs. The fact that their social lives and work are naturally integrated into the content is definitely different from the past."
Meanwhile, Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo is receiving a hot response, ranking first in drama buzz. After only two episodes, it reached 2.0% in the metropolitan area and a peak of 2.7% in minutes (AGB Nielsen, paid households), achieving the highest rating ever for the ENA channel. It is also attracting attention by ranking first in popularity on the online streaming service (OTT) Netflix.
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