Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have come across Extraordinary Attorney Woo one way or another. The legal drama follows lawyer Woo Young-woo, who has autism. It’s been sweeping the Top 10 chart on Netflix globally, so here are 9 facts that will give you a better insight into the drama.
1. The director waited 1 year to cast Park Eun-bin
Isn’t she lovely~
Image credit: @namooactors
Did you know that the drama was originally scheduled to air in 2021, but the first episode only premiered in 2022 due to casting reasons?
The production team was adamant about casting actress Park Eun-bin as they believed she was the perfect fit for the protagonist role of Woo Young-woo.
Image credit: @namooactors
In addition, the production team put a lot of thought into the casting process because they knew how the nuance of the drama would change depending on how the actress portrayed the main character.
Without having other actresses in mind as a Plan B, the production team tried to cast Park Eun-bin multiple times. However, the actress refused their offer due to the pressure of taking on the role.
Image credit: @namooactors
Despite several rejections on Park Eun-bin’s part, the production team insisted on waiting – for 1 year.
Moved by their unwavering dedication to the drama and belief in her, Park Eun-bin finally accepted the offer, and we’re beyond glad that she did.
2. Immense drama production costs
Image credit: Namu Wiki
Those who’ve watched at least an episode of the drama would have noticed the high calibre of production.
It’s not surprising that a substantial amount of investment was put into creating this work of art.
Video adapted from: Netflix
Young-woo, the protagonist, has a penchant for whales, and they are an important motif in the drama.
The jaw-dropping use of CG impressed many viewers, and the production team was lauded for creating such elaborate scenes.
Image credit: @namooactors
Besides the state of the art visual content, immense costs also went into casting numerous cameos such as actor Koo Kyo-hwan.
Reportedly, it cost 20 billion won to produce the extraordinary drama.
3. Woo Young-woo’s character was inspired by a real person
Image credit: @namooactors
The main character, Woo Young-woo, was partially inspired by a real-life person named Temple Grandin.
Known as a professor of animal science and an American scientist, Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism during her adulthood.
She played an indispensable role in academia and society by breaking down the stigma of individuals with autism.
4. Some of the legal cases were based on real life
Woo to the Young to the Woo!
Video adapted from: Axistro
Some of the legal cases in the drama are based on true stories, and were even published by actual lawyers who were in charge of the cases.
For instance, the Lottery Case in episode 11 was published in lawyer Cho Woo-sung’s essay.
However, there are differences between the real-life case and what was portrayed in the drama. In episode 11, three people purchased the lottery ticket. But in reality, there were four people involved in the case.
Image credit: @eunbining0904
Here’s a fun fact: the production team borrowed the format of an employment application form from a large law firm in Korea. You can spot this form in the first episode.
5. Korea’s best underwater photographer’s work was featured
The ending scene of episode 4.
Image adapted from: Netflix
At the end of episode 4, Woo Young-woo and Lee Jun-ho gaze at a black-and-white photograph of a whale.
An enormous humpback whale shot by the amazing Chang Nam-on.
Image credit: @namon_chang
This photograph was taken by Chang Nam-on, also known as the best whale photographer in South Korea.
You may be wondering why the photograph was displayed in black and white instead of accentuating the splendour of the whale underwater.
According to the photographer, the contrast between black and white helps viewers to better focus on the body and shape of the whale.
Image credit: @netflixkr
6. Turned into a webtoon
Image adapted from: Namu Wiki and Namu Wiki
Webtoon fans will be thrilled to know that Extraordinary Attorney Woo was recently turned into a webtoon, and the first chapter was released on 27th July!
A new chapter is released every Thursday, and there will be 60 chapters in total. This series includes stories from the drama, as well as new elements exclusive to the webtoon.
Image credit: Astory
Currently, the webtoon is only available in Korean, but fret not as it will be translated into several languages including English, Japanese, and Chinese.
Keep an eye out for the release of the translated series on Naver Webtoon’s global platform.
7. A mural of the drama went viral
*Screams internally* – iykyk.
Image credit: @kto940620
On 25th June, the cafe street of Seongsu-dong in Seoul was more vibrant than usual thanks to the collaboration between KT, a South Korean telecommunication company, and Y, a digital platform for the youths.
Image credit: Y
These two brands collaborated to create a masterpiece – a mural dedicated to the drama.
Image credit: @kto940620
Alas, the beautiful illustrations were only on the wall till 24th July.
Kang Tae-oh, the actor who played Lee Jun-ho in the drama, visited the street to take a look at the mural for himself.
Pentagon’s Shinwon against the mural.
Image adapted from: @goprofashional
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is gaining traction on the Internet and among celebrities as well, and stars such as Pentagon’s Shinwon took a picture with the mural.
8. Viewership increased drastically
The adorable trio.
Image credit: @netflixkr
The unceasing craze for Extraordinary Attorney Woo wasn’t achieved right from the beginning. In fact, the first episode garnered a viewership rating of 0.9%.
Perhaps it’s the power of word of mouth, but the 5th episode’s viewership rating rose to 9.1%. The highest thus far was 15.8% for the 9th episode.
9. Premiered on a new cable channel called ENA
Image credit: Namu Wiki
Channels such as KBS, SBS, and MBC will be familiar to fans of K-dramas, but ENA may be a first to many.
ENA was initially known as skyTV, a subsidiary of the Korean telecommunication company KT.
In April 2022, skyTV was rebranded as ENA, which is derived from “Entertainment” and “DNA”. Thanks to the drama, ENA has been experiencing an increase in brand awareness.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo facts that will enthral you
This legal drama takes a sensitive approach to addressing uncomfortable issues that are seen as a hot potato in our society. We hope this article has convinced you to give the drama a shot if you haven’t already.
For more K-drama facts, check out:
- 10 Money Heist Korea facts
- 12 All Of Us Are Dead facts
- 8 Squid Game facts
- 9 Hellbound facts
- 8 Taxi Driver facts
Cover image adapted from: Namu Wiki, @funnybluemoon and @namooactors
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