Uma Advogada Extraordinária

What a fantastic show, a heart-warming tale of a girl that sees the world in a unique way. She is brilliant, quirky and sweet. The legal issues in the first two episodes are puzzles of love presented in intricate stories with memorable characters that remind me of the work of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie). I'm not a fan of drama let alone Korean drama but this show I loved. Can't wait for the next episodes on Netflix.

So in a nutshell; One to watch, you won't be disappointed!

Before I get to the critique part, I just want to say that I love this show, I think it's brilliant and the lead actor is truly exceptional! It is one of the best representations I have seen of an Autistic character, but with caveats (below). Probably the best I have actually seen is Asa Butterfield's character in the film "X+Y".

However... as the parent of a gifted Autistic son with similar IQ as the main character, who is at University aged 14, I can say there is quite a lot wrong with the representation of Autism here. This depiction is filled with clichèd stereotypes. It's as though she has taken every trait any individual Autistic person has ever experienced and put them into one person. That's not how it works; it's very much a spectrum, and each individual experiences this neurodivergence differently (and differently at different times). This performance is very exaggerated, particularly in the light of the fact that such high IQ Autistic individuals often hugely compensate with their intellect, and also develop very good masking ability. This is especially true of females on the spectrum; they often present quite differently and are sometimes not diagnosed until significantly later as a result... even more so when they are profoundly gifted like this character. The fact that she is completely 'out' with her Autism (not the diagnosis itself so much, but the physical manifestations) would be highly unusual; there is an expectation that people conform to the 'norm' in society, and I shouldn't think that's so different in South Korea.

That being said, I understand it may not have had the same impact or humour had they made the characterisation more subtle, and whilst the manifestations themselves are largely exaggerated (at least while she's in public), they are truthful aspects of what it is like to be Autistic. The lead actor's delivery and timing is superb, the rest of the cast are excellent, and the show is a complete joy.

It is very rare for me to review a series before finishing it, but this was so darn delightful that I could not stop myself sharing the good news. After 3 episodes I wrote that if you are not watching this you are missing out. Also that Eun-bin Park is simply wonderful as the autistic attorney at the centre of this drama, coping so movingly with the challenges she faces.

Having now watched the whole series my opinion has not changed. This is a joy to watch. All the usual elements of good K drama are here: fine acting, well drawn characters, believable relationships, deft plotting. I could go on: K dramas do so many things well.

But the absolute clincher is the performance of Eun-bin Park. She makes us believe in her character's difficulties. But she also makes us believe in her ability to find a path through that does not contradict her autism. You are on her side the whole series through. She managed to convey a character that struggled with emotions but also gave us those emotions. Remarkable. Utterly believable.

I am no expert on autism. I have read reviews here from those with experience of the condition both decrying and lauding the accuracy of the portrayal. Perhaps another reviewer got it right when he/she said that the condition is a spectrum, so those with experience can find that it varies considerably.

This is one of my favorite kdramas!

This story is amazing, the characters, the funny aspects and everything! Although I think there's too much whales in it XD.

Woo Young-Woo played by Park Eun-Bin has a very high I. Q. but she is also on the autism spectrum. Even though she is very smart she struggles to find work and when she is offered a job at a prestigious law firm she is unaware that she is being used. In the series we see how she looks at life and deals with her stresses which highlights the fact that she is different but the same. I think the writers did a superb job of getting the message across but luckily they had an actress in Park Eun-Bin who totally owned the role and perfectly trod the line between entertainment and education. The support cast do a sterling job and overall it is a most enjoyable story. The only reason I did not give it a ten is that even though the writers got the character development right the story development particularly at the end seemed hurried and a little contrived.