Interview with “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” writer pt. 2: Portrayal of autism, why whales were included, and more
Writer Moon Ji Won of “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” answered questions about the drama’s story and characters.
Although “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” has been gaining plenty of praise for its delicate portrayal of a main character with autism spectrum, mixed reviews are still unavoidable. Some viewers believe the reason why Woo Young Woo is so loved is because of how her autism is depicted in an unrealistically “harmless and cute” way.
In response to this opinion, writer Moon Ji Won said, “The same as all other drama protagonists, it is true that Woo Young Woo is a character created intentionally for the drama. However, if you claim that it is impossible to believe that this character has an actual autism spectrum, I don’t think it’s fair. Woo Young Woo is not a character that was created out of inaccurate knowledge. I think that somewhere in the world, there is definitely an autistic person like Woo Young Woo.”
Regarding comments saying that a character like Jung Myeong Seok (Woo Young Woo’s team leader at the law firm) is a fantasy, writer Moon shared her intention when coming up with the supporting characters.
She said, “Jung Myung Seok adds a lot of coolness to the drama as someone in his early 40s. Considering not only Myeong Seok but also the people around Woo Young Woo, the title is “Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young Woo”, so I thought it would feel like Woo Young Woo and her sidekicks. I can’t give many scenes (of other characters). But I want all of these characters’ individuality to be felt as much as possible. I want them to shine even in a short amount of screen time.”
When asked about Woo Young Woo’s love for whales and why whales were chosen instead of any other things, writer Moon explained, “The director said it would be nice to have a device to visually show Young Woo’s inner side.”
She added, “People with autism often have expert knowledge in a specific subject because they can be deeply immersed in it, so I thought about several candidates. Dinosaurs, trains, weather, and cars are usually popular, but among them, the reason I decided to pick whales is because they look cool.”
Source: daum
