Extraordinary You (2019)

Who Thought A "Main Character Syndrome" Drama Is A Good Idea?

The female lead is probably one of the most insufferable characters you might encounter in a drama. Despicable and repulsive through and through. Props to the actress for putting in the effort to sell it as such. The drama was destined to fail with how they adapted it. It suffered from the same problems most long-running webtoons suffer from, by over bloating the material with events, abandoning plotlines and threads along the way and lacking coherent structure as it progresses. Unfortunately, they forgot to accommodate to what a live action format might mandate. The leads, Joo Da and her love interest, were an example, they were used to kick start the series of events just to be worth less than a background white noise later on, despite their core involvement in the concept early on. The concept had a lot of potentials but the end product barely serviced a story, let alone, something watchable.

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An extraordinary series

I'm going to keep it short.

This series has a very interesting plotline and interesting world which is what got me hooked in the first place. I think they execute it very well although some plotpoints could be explained better - but it did not bother me.
The cast is so great, i loved seeing every interaction between the side characters but also between the main characters. there wasn't a single moment where i was bored or indifferent towards what the characters were feeling. I felt very deeply for these characters and wanted so badly for them to have the happy end they wanted and deserved.
Go watch this!!! It's a classic and a staple K-drama for a good reason!!!

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Simply Extraodinary!

Extraordinary you will always be in my top 5 Kdramas! It was so refreshing and everything about it was captivating from start to end. Most of the actors didnt have much experience at the time this drama was filmed, so it was impressive how good their performances were.
The plot is just so interesting. It has a common story of "fighting to change your fate" but it's done perfectly. It's very funny, interesting, dramatic and adds so much magic and flavor to the typical high school romance story. Though I believe that destiny can't be changed, this drama was still very inspiring and uplifting, The fact that it revolved around characters being in a comic was already very interesting but they also added even more side plots like the female leads unhappy engagement, her forced personality in the comic book, her new love interest. It was all just so entertaining and never got boring. All the characters have such distinct personalities and the music and OST's are amazing!
This drama has so much to offer and i'd definitely sat it's a must watch for anyone who enjoys K-dramas. It's fresh, entertaining and easy to rewatch. 9.5/10!!

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a simple and fulfilling drama

I'm writing this review after rewatching this drama and I had forgotten how much I loved it.
The story is quite simple and a troupe that, if you are used to reading manhwas, you'll have seen a couple times, however, it's still great. Lighthearted and funny with a couple serious and emotional moments that just add to it.
Rowoon's acting here wasn't that great yet, but his character is simple and he has great chemistry with Hye Yoon, although I'm conviced my daughter would have chemistry even with a rock if she wanted to.
Eitherway, this drama is a nice watch, and no-brainer that's totally worth it.
If you've watched and liked lovely runner, you'll probably like this one as well since Hye Yoon's character seems familiar in a way, both dramas have some similar plot lines, like the subtle suspense, two time-lines (although here they'renot simultaneous or affect each other) and of course, the romance! Hye Yoon's character is also just as lively, funny and cute.
To wrap it up, if you're wandering about watching it or not, please do, it might not be the best drama you'll see in your life, but it's surely worth it.

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My first two weeks of August 2023

There are soo little Korean dramas that I have had the intention to drop off. Extraordinary you since now occupies the first position. It costed me a kidney and my liver to finish it. I do not understand how it has an 8.4 as qualification. I simply do not understand. It is very repetitive. For all of us it is clear that she, the second FL Dan Oh (because the first FL is not important at all in all of the 32 episodes of the series!!!! Forgive the chakka Ju Da) was in love with a guy but then she has a new love and the new guy is going to help her. Ok, they are coming from a previous experience and it was a bad one, well, writer, give us all the first story and then the second story and I swear to you I understand who killed whom, you do not need to repeat such a scene six times!!!!! And then, at the end, you introduce an interesting character, Soo Hyang, you simply outline and it could have represented a better guide to the whole story. They all come from the previous Trumpet Creeper to this Secret opus but they are not connected at all at any time of the stories. Why???? All the characters are cartoon appearances for an episode not for that many. The chakka of this Kdrama is a cartoonist not a writer. This story could be told in just 4 episodes. 32 are a bunch of nonsense. These first two weeks of this August I will remember them as a wasted time watching this Extraordinary you. Extraordinary me for bearing it and extraordinary them for give such a high evaluation to something that is like a mass where you listen the same things over and over, week after week, year after year and to the infinite and over there...

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Love the Leads! Leaving a review after 2nd Rewatch.

Kim Hye Yoon, Rowoon, and Lee Jae Wook, all three did such a great job together. During my first watch, this was my first time seeing Kim Hye Yoon in action and it was such a great experience. She is an embodiment of the character Dan Oh. Usually when characters use baby voice is it so damn annoying, but with her it somehow wasn't annoying. I don't know why, it doesn't make sense to me either. She was overall such a treat to watch, she honestly carried the whole drama and whiel I love the other characters, without them, she would have still rocked this show.

Coming to the love triangle between Dan Oh, Haru, & Kyung: Dan Oh & Haru were so lovely together. They simply fit each other too well and didn't have much angst, which usually makes the romance part a bit boring but the comedic scenes and the presence these two brought to the screen kept it from being so. Haru is such an adorable character, it impossible to not love him. One of the greenest flags. Despite labelling Kyung as a jerk early on, I couldn't help but want them to be together during few episodes. Their push and pull was a bit interesting to watch. There's just something about Lee Jae Wook, no matter what kind of character he plays you just want to watch him get what he want. Where Haru was the green flag, Kyung certainly was the red flag.

Before my first watch I read somewhere that the they Dan Oh & Haru don't end up together in the Secret, but Dan Oh & Kyung do. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Dan Oh & Kyung call it quits and the comic Secret ends. After which, Dan Oh & Haru meet in another comic and reunite under the tree.

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THIS IS MY FAVORITE KDRAMA OF ALL TIME.

I finished Extraordinary You about a week ago and wow just wow. I have never felt such a connection to a kdrama before than I did with this one.

Characters/Acting/Cast:
Straight off the bat, I loved all of the characters. They all have a special place in my heart, but I'll just talk about a few. Dano's fiery spirit was so refreshing from the numerous shy, timid girls who are the female main lead a lot in kdramas. And honestly, not many of them have much of a personality and are very boring. But Dano is the exact opposite. She was very relatable, funny, charismatic, pretty, and just a really good character.
I also really loved Kyung from the very beginning. He is probably one of my favorite character in any kdrama I've ever seen. Yes, I did want to punch him a few times for hurting Dano, but his character development was some of the best that I've ever seen. I felt so bad for him with his whole family situation and just wanted to comfort him all of the time because I knew he was hurting inside but was trying to act strong. Haru is just amazing in every way. Why can't I get a boyfriend like him??? Rowoon (Haru's actor) is the most handsome man I have ever seen. He is so damn beautiful it hurt. I love his character and how much he cares for Dano. There moments together were so touching and beautiful, I nearly cried multiple times. I also want to mention Dohwa. I love that man so damn much. He is so kind-hearted and cares for Juda so much. He really was such a wholesome character. All in all, all of the cast is absolutely gorgeous and look great together. Their chemistry is amazing, I couldn't take my eyes of the screen. I think each of the actors portrayed their character extremely well and I couldn't ask for me.

Story/Plot:
I really loved the overall idea of the plot, but I have to say I did get confused a bit at times. Especially with the whole time/scene jumping and everything. Also the shadow confused me at times and I kinda wished we had gotten a little more insight into the author. I have seen many people sad over the ending but honestly I quite liked it. Yeah, they are in this endless cycle of the same events unfolding in each book but at least Haru and Dano get to be together. It's better than one of them dying or both of them dying. The ending kind of gave the drama an eternal feel to it. The story will go on for ever (well unless the author dies or something, i don't even know). I never felt bored watching this drama. It is one of the only dramas where I wasn't somewhat tempted to go on my phone instead. Extraordinary You fully captured my attention and made me feel so many emotions.

Music:
The OST for Extraordinary you is just beautiful. It tugged on my heart strings and set the mood for scenes perfectly. I am also a big Stray Kids fan (a kpop group), I had forgotten that they had made one of the songs in the OST. I had even heard the song multiple times and loved it but had forgotten what drama it was in. I nearly fell off my couch when I heard their familiar voices.

Rewatch Value:
So far I haven't rewatched Extraordinary You yet but I have gone back and rewatched many of my favorite scenes. I am planning on doing a binge session with two of my friends who also love the drama. I am sure it'll be just as amazing watching it for the second time.

Setting:
I just wanted to mention that the school Extraordinary you is mostly based at is absolutely GORGEOUS. It is so beautiful, it blew me away in every scene. I wish my school looked like that -_-. The beautiful wooden structure, flowers and plants everywhere, it was just stunning.

Overall:
If you are hesitant about watching this drama, please give it a try. I wasn't sure when I saw the ratings and took a quick glance at some of the reviews (I didn't want to spoil). After watching this drama though, the ratings and reviews really surprise me, but I guess everyone has their own opinions. This was my first review so thank you if you are reading this.

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Extraordinary You was a drama that I had heard good things about it was airing (and afterwards) more than a year ago. But for some reason I never got around to watching it until this year’s Christmas break. And I have to say that it is always fun when something that has been very hyped turns out to be as good as people say it is.

I am a big fan of when a story or a show can turn a cliché or a story you think you have seen so many times and make something new with it. Because even if this drama is just a high-school story at its core, with a really cliché love story in the background, there was just something fresh about it. It offered a different perspective on this type of story, different angle, which I just enjoyed so much.

There was this warmth that came with it. It was sweet, cozy feeling that was always there, it was light and fun throughout it all, no matter what clichés and troubles were thrown towards our main characters. And that is in large parts thanks to the characters that we followed throughout this whole story. They really made it their own. Cozy and sweet are the words I would without doubt use to describe this drama. Like a quiet summer evening just before the air started to cool and the world just seems to stand still for a moment. That was sort of the feeling this drama evoked in me.

Eun Dan Oh is just such a gem. I love her so. She is so true to herself. She is such a determined and cool character, and you feel so much for her and her quest to get to be herself. She just wants to live and be herself and be happy. Her shine was never diminished to focus on any love triangle or the boy’s story while she just floats on by until they need her. No, Dan Oh is absolutely the main character here, just like she is the main character in her life. She is this show's center through and through.

Meanwhile, all those clichéd things I would expect from a show like this one; the love triangles with these typical characters that came with that, the poor girl, the rich boys, the annoying mothers-in-law, that was all in the background. It moved the story along, but it was not the center focus. And I thought that take on it was such a brilliant thing. And how the character we were focusing on went in and out of the comic story while having their own emotions and views, and their own story aside from all that was so well done.

And by having a rather typical romantic story where you can almost see where it's going before it starts, if you've watched kdrama (or read shoujo mangas) in the background you could both avoid following it in the main story, as well as the play around with it to suit the main story and take advantage of it in a rather original way. And I think that made the drama so enjoyable to watch. Because this was something a bit classic that you knew, yet it was not totally what you knew. There was something different and new about it. And the characters were so wonderful and so vivid. They were allowed to step outside the box that was given to them or the ones we have come to expect from this type of story in a way.

Because the characters that Dan Oh meets and forms a friendship with can also avoid some of these clichés that you expect. The boys who would normally have been cast as the second leads against the coldhearted boy with a sad backstory who warms up to the world when the poor girl shakes his world a bit. They are the ones who are in the lead role here, except with a much greater personality and I just thought that was so neat. I enjoyed it so much. This drama was just so sweet, but not sickly sweet.

There were times when I thought it was getting a bit repetitive and there are certain things that did drag on for some time. But those dragged out and repetitive moments almost felt so typical to a story like this that I thought it might be done deliberately. The world in the drama is quite well thought out in my opinion.

There were times where I could see where the drama was heading but that never really got on my nerves. You could always see the authors intent for it. I was also just enjoying myself so much that I just let the drama carry me with it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this drama. I let it consume me for three and a half days, and I am not usually a binge-watcher. But I just could not stop watching it.

I found it so sweet and cozy and fun. I loved the relationship of the main couple, I loved the friendship between the characters, I loved our main characters and her search for herself and her freedom and the freedom of those around her. I cried so much over the last two episodes, mainly because I just loved these characters so damn much and something about the story just moved me. And it has been a while since a kdrama has done that. And this is somehow not a story I expected to cry over, because it actually always managed to be rather light and fun even if the stakes were raised a bit.

At its core this is a very ordinary high school drama about love and friendship and finding yourself. The drama just does a lot of things really well. It is not perfect, but it is so sweet and with a huge heart behind it that makes you fall in love with it and it takes you on a journey. And it is just so nice to watch a story, or read a story that you know quite well, is a bit of a cliché but that you know you can enjoy if done well, and it is done really well. With a slightly new touch. And that is what this drama is.

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Would watch again

The drama combines two popular concepts, fighting against fate and a character in a story finding out they are a character in a story. In the beginning, the episodes made sense, were interesting to watch, and set up the story and world well. You are introduced to Dan Oh, who is determined to change her fate because she is very sick. However, Dan Oh becomes focused on being with Haru, and the later episodes are somewhat repetitive. I felt like the ending wasn’t up to par with the first few episodes because the quality decreased significantly as the drama progressed. The ending wasn’t satisfactory, and there are a lot of plot holes. One is the biggest mysteries is whether Haru is homeless or not because he sleeps in the school. We never get to know more about the author of the story and how the scenes that Dan Oh changed affected them.

What I liked:
- The OST (Skz & April)
- Bark Kyung’s character development
- Acting

What I didn’t like:
- The character relationships had potential, but it was a little wasted
- Important characters that we know nothing about (Haru)
- Turns into your typical romance story with a high school girl infatuated with a guy and prioritizing him over her own life
- Ending
- Plotholes

Overall, I loved the actors, so I would watch it again. However, don’t be too sad when you watch it and the plot isn’t as interesting as the synopsis. If you love typical kdrama romances, this is for you. If you want some romance with more depth, you might not enjoy this drama as much as me.

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