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I don’t know if the recent dip in ratings for Extraordinary Attorney Woo episodes 11-12, going down from series high above 15% to the 14% range, is correlated with the recent first complaints I’ve heard about the drama or merely the 15% was the peak for this drama’s legs. This drama’s ratings are still astronomically high for a tiny cable network like ENA but since all eyes are on the drama the attention is bound to have good and bad. So far it was all good but this week I’ve heard the first negative feedback on the series so far. The viewers are complaining that the court cases per episode in the recent weeks haven’t been as well written and gripping as the first half of the drama. There is also complaints, I’m guessing from male viewers, that the most recent episode 12 has a feminist bent and in general the drama portrays women as powerful and good and men and institutional powers as bad and corrupt. That’s pretty broad strokes and I don’t see that agenda in the four episodes I’ve watched so far but let’s hope the drama holds true to its core narrative and delivers to the end the story it wants to tell.
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I don’t see any problem with the last 4 cases.
What I don’t like is the birth secret trope put in this drama with the evil male rival lawyer.
I want this to be a healing drama… not some makjang
The drama is based on primarily the austistic attorney and how she navigates in life.
The cases attempt to call attention to the certain problems in the Lirean society. Let’s face it, it’s still a male dominated society. Hence injustices will surfaces to women. I don’t thinkit pucks on men but shows disparities.
As far as the birth history,human nature causes people to harm when greed and power are concerned. In this case the birth mother wants the ministry position and the male attorney consumed with jealousy and lack of integrity. This particular aspect is not being made as a focal point but an under current which will die a death of its own.
When social concerns are presented, many people either recoil or get offended.
I think it’s a little disingenuous to say it’s just male viewers complaining. People who are interested in good storytelling should push back against hamfisted tropes as much as possible.
I (a male) personally am fine with the case in episode 12 – it’s more about unfair practice at work than feminism really, on how cynically companies can make their HR policies. But I do think episodes 10 and 11 had pretty blah cases, especially after the amazing episode 9 – eps 11 especially was full of makjang trope with two faced husband and deus ex machina accidents.
Agree with this post. The cases lately are boring. I understand that they’re trying to make Young Woo ponder on the more difficult things. Not as strong as its start but hoping the last 4 episodes bring out the best of the show again.
I agreed that the quality of Ep.11 was not up to the usual standard. The case was handled ambiguously. On one hand, the plaintiff’s lawyer was inspirational! I was rooting for her. The poem that she shared was so beautiful. The lump of coal. The Hamaba’s firm seemed so corrupt and lacking in morals.Absolutely, did not care for the romance, seemed so contrived.
I think it may be because the last few cases (ep 10-12) have been about Hanbada being the attorney for morally-questionable clients. But it’s all part of the storytelling about how Young-woo (as a young lawyer and as someone with autism) navigates working with morally-questionable clients. I think people want to see Young-woo using her skills to crush the bad guys of society, but the drama wants to explore the complexity of the profession and the people involved.
And were the male viewers complaining about the feminist bent really watching the drama. I feel like they would not have picked up a drama about a young woman with a disability crushing it at her law firm that is led by a female CEO. And the other rival law firm is also led by a woman.
I agree completely. I enjoyed the last two episodes and to people really think a law firm has nothing but top of the line interesting cases? Shame on you! I love this drama and I have watched many many. Each episode has shown me different ways to think about life and situations. Try to watch and remember this is a drama not a documentary. I feel many naysayers keep getting these two mixed up.
Korea has a lot of males complaining about feminism. It’s really crazy.
The cases were interesting because they had to defend bad guys. In the last case, it was a compagny and not really one person and it was their own lawyer firm who thought about it.
I’ve thought from the start that Park Eun-bin was terrific but the drama not so much. Dumb idea to have the law firm so often defending unsympathetic clients. My patience is tried by the romance plot too.
Well I for one, am enjoying this KDrama for what it is – a very entertaining and thought provoking show!
I miss the characters as soon as each episode ends!
Hoping for a 2nd series, but the Army looms for the Male Lead……
U.K. Fan
Meh..happens to almost every popular drama and honestly, pretty much every kdrama with “regular” episode length has a lull (it is one of my pet annoyances with kdramas in general). I expected it would happen here too and of course , people who “never liked the drama” feel now is their time to shine, especially on here when the ratings go down a bit lol.
It seems like there are men in Korea who feel triggered by any hint of what they deem to be the scourge of feminism (because Korea is already a bastion of Women’s rights and equality and anything more is overkill /s) so I don’t know about that one.
Anyway, I still love the show overall. I also think it’s absolutely worth it sticking with it through this bit of a lull but that’s also up to every viewer to decide. I do hope it sticks the landing though and I do have some trust the writer or writing team are capable.
Unfortunately there is a pretty rabid antimale strain of feminism in Korea which is counteracted with some nasty antiwomen crap on the other side. Real issues don’t seem to get dealt with because these groups are fighting all the live long day. I mean Steinem in the US is famous for the “women need men like a fish need a bicycle” quote but most didn’t take that stupid type stuff seriously.
For me, the romance part ruined everything. I lost my interest bcuz of it. No that i hate romance story (currently watching Alchemy of Souls and Love Like The Galaxy, and both dramas are in romance department lol), it’s just that Youngwoo dont really need this kind of romance. Well, she’s a human being, she can feel love but she didnt even understand her dad’s love, let alone a stranger man’s love. It takes time to learn this kind of feeling. But then, it’s kdramaland, where love has THE POWER to make everything possible. Lol.
The cases were bored but it could happen in real life. At least, not as heavy as ‘why her’ lmao.
I second this. The romance part is unnecessary.
I think it’s time k-drama writers learn to drop the love plot line and not shoe-horned one in just for the sake of it. Just leave the lead characters be. If my memory serves me correctly the story written by the Secret Terrius writer was exceptionally done. I don’t recall So Ji Sub’s character kissing his FL, a single mum with adorable twins. Neither did they have any physical intimacy like hugging or holding hands. They were portrayed as interested in each other romantically but their love was wonderfully genuine, restrained, realistic and respectful right to the end. The furthest they went was the nose kiss which SJS did with her twins as well. Even with no mouth kisses or passionate embrace, I could feel their palpable love for each other. That’s what made the drama so special and extra memorable.
I too watched till eps 11 and decided to give it a rest. Purpose and intent of the story are everything to me so I too personally feel that the romance sub-plot is contrived, too deliberate that it had somewhat derailed the core narrative ie. to bring out the extraordinaire in Young Woo. I too felt that the court cases were beginning to feel lacklustre in supporting and developing Young Woo’s flair in the courtroom after eps 9. The first 9 episodes were excellent in doing so. If anything, the love pursuit should be the least concern and, if really, really necessary, be only a heartwarming round-up to the whole series (with a very slow build-up because of her condition).
There are situations that paint a picture in realistic perspectives.
Lets understand the CEO woman who is Woo’s mom who is in power is manipulating Kwon.
I believe we are all intelligent enough to know to view people based on what they show us. The show is great entertainment. Enjoying and learning to be the best human I can be watching this show.
PEB’s performance frosted over some pretty standard k-drama issues: birth secret, mean co-worker, schmaltzy background music (I hate it so much), and hit and miss on the cases. I actually fell out of love with this one with the hamfisted story of the dude who took the kids for a fun filled outing in the woods. You’re dang right he’s in trouble. Every 3rd drama deals with the reality of hagwon/cram schools. This is not unique. That kind of story telling mixed with a very rushed romance with a character that is underdeveloped had me giving it the side-eye as well.
The drama is on hold for me until it ends and I’ll see if I jump back in because I really did like the first half.