I have an affinity for Korean movies and shows. They're just much more solid than typical American fare. I also enjoy legal dramas, and have all the way back to the black and white glory of the original Perry Mason. And I typically find shows like Psych, Monk, and Columbo appealing as the characters use their quirks to figure out the circumstances of cases.
Woo is an oddball mixture of all of that. Like a tasty gimbap it also layers in some nighttime soap opera components (like LA Law), some inter office political maneuvering, and a Sam/Diane 'will they won't they' VERY chaste romantic angle. Plus whales. Don't forget the whales.
It's not anything you'd ever expect me to enjoy. I didn't expect to enjoy it when I started it on a recommendation. But it hooked me and I really, really liked it.
The biggest reason is Attorney Woo. In the show, she has autism. Her condition manifests itself in the recitation of whale facts, sometimes at the most inopportune times. Woo is played by diminuitive (5-4) 31-year old Park Eun-Bin and she's utterly fantastic.
No, she doesn't have autism. Yes, Karens here and some there have squawked that playing an autistic person is demeaning and insulting.
Well, screw those shrews. Eun-Bin is utterly adorable in the role. Like 1000% adorable. She plays the part without being condescending. She's better at playing autistic than Shaloub is at obsessive/compulsive and better than Roday is at playing psychic. The facial expressions, the oddness of taking things literally or leaving things left unsaid, the struggles to maintain normalcy in a world of sensory overload (simple things like just entering a room or using a revolving door), the agitation that comes when noise or confrontation becomes too much, were all portrayed perfectly and with a kind sweetness by the actress. She wasn't demeaning or insulting, she was endearing.
I thought it was great when she'd have one of her epiphanies and it was always accompanied by an imaginary whale or dolphin splashing in the background. You'd think it would be annoying but when she'd rattle off some long string of whale facts in a rapid clipped voice, but it wasn't. It was perfect.
The supporting cast is outstanding too. Her conniving workmates (guy and girl who were great), her stern but secretly kind boss, her doting dad, her wacky best friend, and the guy she develops a crush on and tries to figure out how to handle it logically are all well suited for the roles - and each got their chance to shine as the season went on.
Everything about this series worked for me.
I hope there's a season two. I will be watching.
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