Extraordinary You (2019)

Entertaining Drama

This is one of my favourite korean drama. I decided to watch this when i first heard LJW was gonna be in. I was a fan of him since he acted in Memories of Alhambra. As more episodes goes by, i started to enjoy the drama because of KHY. She was a very refreshing cast in the drama. She brings comedy to this drama in which if they were to cast someone else, ngl its gonna be plain as hell. She is dramatic but at the same time we could relate to how she acted.

I like how she plays the positive but sick FL with a sad background. Tbh it fits her and i can’t name anyone else who can do better. All i could say was i enjoyed this drama because of her. The other casts are fine but as compared to her i could say she really did an amazing job here.

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Perfect Story within a Story Drama w/a great love triangle

Just rewatched for the feels. If you love the story w/in a story trope (one of my favorites) you will be satisfied with this drama & if something hit you right, then it could be an almost perfect drama for you, like it was for me. The synopsis here is pretty solid: she discovers she's a character (an "extra" character, mind you) in a story, who at times has no control of her words & actions & at other times, does. It seems like this aware personality is quite different than the storybook one. It's not a spoiler because you discover all of this in the 1st 3 episodes! ;) Of course, the rest of the drama plays out this tension between determined fate & the efforts of free will in a fun, magical way that feels fresh. There seem to be a lot of dramas in the last few years with this isekai-style story & this is a top favorite of mine.

:D
1.) story w/in a story where characters become aware of themselves in parallel storylines
2.) best dang 2nd lead bad boy next to Segi & the one from True Beauty (excellent use of the love triangle trope here)
3.) production quality & OST = A+
4.) sci-fi/fantasy feel with some of the visual effects
5.) manga cross-over done RIGHT
6.) good pacing w/transition scenes & fluidity of plot (well-told story)
7.) it got me to enjoy a "School drama" again; it's been a while...
8.) that being said above, lots of playfuless & satire w/the F4 concept as well as drama cliches in general
9.) some mystery mixed in w/the personal growth mantra; so many twists & turns in this plot; it kept you guessing
10.) it's soooooooo cheeseballs at times & I LOVE it
11.) the FL is outgoing & spunky! Fun to watch (though some Viki users disagreed & found her annoying, not sure why!)

Great story! If you like any or most of the ab0ve, give this one a shot. It will definitely hook you & keep you hooked!

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Literally i didnt even mean to start the drama . It was that my sister wanted to watch it so i said why not and there were like 4 episodes so i said why not?? it had only 4 episodes but boy was i in for a ride . Every week waiting for it was a torture because you didnt know what happened next . There are a lot of poeple in the comment section that are saying they didnt like it because during the end they turned Dan Oh to a lovesick puppy who went on about Haru rest of the episodes . i totally disagree . When Dan Oh figured that she was in a comic and much less pleasant fact that she was an extra, she wanted a life out of it . Where she was herself and someone who knew her as herself out of the character settings and then she met this boy who could change her destiny but also knew her for who she is and loved her for who she is not for the character setting. So why cant she be in love with him and be herself ? He respected her for who she was and loved her for who she was. in life having individuality is important but if you dont have anyone to share it with then whats the use ? ANS YES i am a bit mad that the writer didnt give us definite answers as to why Haru ha ssuch powers and what will happen next and is this really a happy ending but i am kinda ok with how the story turned out . Baekyung had his redemption that i am really glad for i would be so mad if he really killed her but he ddint and verything turned out to be fine . To be honest every drama has its shortcoming so does this but overall this drama really was a breath of fresh air and the only drama this year which had me yearning for more even after its ending . Since i watch dramas without looking at the cast and the actors this drama really surprised as the rookie actors were great .i have seen jaewook in search www so i knew how good he was but rowoon surprised me and i am really looking forward to his future works and even Hyeyoon!! the other rookie actors were really great too!!

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Disappointed, but loved the concept

I am so disappointed!! I really really really wanted this drama to be on my favourite list but they literally flushed away all the potential just to follow the same old crappy storyline after half (I didn't read the webtoon so I don't really know whose fault is xD)

First of all, I liked the actors, especially the main girl, she did a great job portraying the unlucky side character (and if I found her "haruyaaa" annoying at some point I can only blame the lame script)
In the beginning I thought this was genial. The characters who basically break the 4th wall by becoming self aware and start a quest to set them free from their destined path. I'm totally sold! The really fact that is an invented universe and there is this "shadow" had the potential to make literally anything happen!
The very idea of "mocking" boys over flowers adds a cherry on top lol (because I despise that drama, sorry ?)
The most fascinating part was when the true character came out from Pre-established characters who are usually very flat. I wondered how they would be off the stage? The same? opposite? To me opened an universe of possibilities and questions: if they're able to think outside the storyboard did they became real? Are we all part of a bigger play? How they become self aware? Why there is the manhwa in the library?
Then appears this unnamed side character who somehow gets in the way and succeed (briefly tho) in what the fl constantly failed: changing the story (even tho it doesn't really makes sense...like when he put Dan Oh's watch to Se Mi and it worked (?) Like other times things just appeared from nowhere during the stage part, how exactly did he fool the writer? can he do this because he's a tiny extra? Or because his connection with other characters? We won't ever get the answers to these questions unfortunately ?)
I don't despise the romance per se, but if it's going to be that repetitive and redundant, I'd rather leave it out, it's not like there wasn't anything to say here. Yes Haru is cute but what else? They really did a poor job with his characterization, Baek Kyung has a shitty set up and he's a jerk who can't apologize but at least he has something other than Dan Oh in his life.
And to be honest there was already a love drama between the "protagonists" of the manhwa going on, no need to add another shitty and draggy triangle.
Also, I really wanted Do Hwa to get the girl, he was really a superb character, really funny and honest he made me laugh every time (the fact the author only makes him play violin in front of Ju Da lol), but in the end she chose the hyper flat discount version of Jun-Pyo (his lines are only "my woman here, my woman there" gosh we got it you're the alpha uga uga)
The worst thing tho is that the lesson from this drama seems to be that no matter how much you try, you can't change your destiny - it may be true for illnesses somehow but it's really not a good morale to me ?

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TRULY EXTRAORDINARY

( NOT REVIEW THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR )

If you are looking for a review then this one is not the one I am just making notes and rant mine thoughts.




As I am writing this I am watching the ending/ last episode. Wow, this is something completely different from what I would watch. If I saw this title I probably not watch it but I saw a seen in tik toc for u page and then I watch it. The story....... this is confusing at first then you understand and then it hit you with more information then you get more confused. The beginning was like the F4 and then little bit of W since it about their life and comic. I personal like Nam Ju because he is so handsome, I was wishing that out of all the guys for the main girl crush / like / finance why does it have to be that guy who looks like the main lead in love holo and also I was saying he was no cute because of he has under circles but somehow I love his coldness for dan on. Another thing is every male lead in this drama is so tall like all over170 cm and also the main lead is over 180 cm like wtf. I wish that nam ju and that joo ad where the main lead in the drama but not the supporting character but also they are the main leads in the comic book for the story. ( this is really confusing because....) The story itself is really confusing for me. First, they realized their life is not what they except and they are just extra for the story and then really people find out like kguny and do Hwa. I was like why will you mention things that make no sense to them about like their character, story and author and the writing to them because of that they slow. Like even now even Joo da knows about the story. And then out of nowhere, they hit you with a strike of things like the three lead, the heart girl, number 13 and Kyung were in different storybooks and they were the mains but that was like in the historical days. Like why do we have to know this stuff and that where I started to get broad and not interested like when I first started. And I kinda think they see in the future was kinda like a spoiler for the drama but others might not agree, that my opinion. Overall I really like the first six to five episodes and then the rest I skip everything mostly because it was that great anymore. and the last thing is this story is truly really extraordinary, I kinda want to say I never have seen a story like this before but it kinda likes the W but also different. This shows like a scary part because of the f**king, that what it gave in the chilli. I just finished watching the ending like what the heck, so..... he was gone for a year but he came back at the very last minutes until the ending, I am okay for some drama to have this ending but this one nope and I also I have to comment on nam ju , why is he so cute and that strawberry shirt, hop he is going to be in more rom-com drama. Before my rating was a four and a half start ( 9.0 ) but now it is a four-start, felt that four-start ( 8.0 ) is a good rating for this drama.

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Best drama ever

❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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First of all the plot is not cliche. But the way the drama was executed can make it the cliche romance drama in certain ways. But for this show, that's not a con! It brought out the fun of watching a kdrama with the traditional formula. Why this drama was appealing to me even though it has elements that I generally don't like is because it's in a comic book setting. So the cartoonish behaviour and cliches is excusable and acceptable. Even if you do not like the cliche romance drama in a high school setting (like me), still give this drama a try. It's cute, it's fun, it's full of suspense, heart breaking at times but loaded with scenes that can't make you stop smiling, laughing or saying 'you go girl!'

Now onto my actual review:

This drama was great! It could have being much more with the latter episodes (which is why I rated it 8 stars instead of 9 like I planned to). But still it was good enough.

I really anticipated this drama because of Kim Hye Yoon since I was really impressed by her acting (and visuals) in Sky castle. And I am not dissapointed. Her acting was really good. Normally I drop dramas because of characters like Dan Oh. I'm not a huge fan of cutesy dramas with aegyo characters because it comes off as nothing but cringy and boring to me. But Kim Hye Yoon really pulled it off. It was really enjoyable to watch her. Dan Oh's behaviour could be embarrassing and over the top at times but Kim Hye Yoon's acting was not. I'm so happy she got this drama as a main lead and I hope she gets many more great projects in the future. I'll be sure to watch every one of them.

It was my first time watching Rowoon act and he was good too. I didn't expect anything less from Lee Jae Wook either. I am glad that the drama used an all rookie cast because it really brought out their potential. Can't wait to see Rowoon and especially Lee Jae Wook in more dramas to come.

In terms of visuals, the drama aced it. They really pulled off the comic book and fantasy vibe. A number of scenes were really gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing which is something I never expected from an MBC drama. Plus they really gave justice to the actresses and actors good looks with the costumes, makeup and probably lighting too. Kudos to the director, cinematographer, editors, costume designers, makeup artists and all the other behind the scene staff.

The background music and OSTs were something else that I didn't expect to be so good from this drama. But everytime I heard the first note of a bgm or ost being played I used to always pique my ears and increase the volume. The music really helped with the mood of the scenes. Without the music there would be less tears, less smiles and less goosebumps from us. That's how good the music was.

However while I absolutely enjoyed this drama (so much so that I watched 28 episodes in 2 days and had to impatiently wait for the last 4 to air) I feel like it could have also being better. It did not reach its full potential. I'm not sure how the manwha went on with the second volume and its ending but the drama could have being a little more experimental with its final set of episodes and its ending. It could have touched on the writer of the web comic and their background while also diving a little deeper into the scenes of the finale. In my opinion, the drama did not give me that settling satisfactory feeling that I usually get from the dramas I love. This feeling does not depend on 'What' they end it with (such as a happy or sad endings) but 'How' they end it. But regardless of all that I still genuinely enjoyed 30 of the 32 episodes.

So in short, Extraordinary you is one of my favourite dramas for 2019. It's not THE best I watched this year, but definitely ONE of the best :)

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Trash

Childish drama with a fantasy romance nuance wrapped in very boring and ambiguous. From the start I knew that this story was only made for lonely women who want to feel the feel of romance surrounded by handsome men. I don't know why this drama gets a high rating even though the story it tells is not very interesting, that's why this website is very bad at giving ratings, such as good dramas with low ratings and trash dramas with high ratings, which is very normal on this website. It starts with a strange story and FL can be said to be stupid because he interferes in other people's affairs even though he is only a side character. I've done everything I can to keep watching this drama but I gave up because I didn't enjoy watching this drama. maybe for those of you who like fantasy dramas and you feel happy being surrounded by handsome men who like you, maybe this drama is suitable for you but for me this is just a bunch of rubbish.

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So disappointing I'm considering dropping it. The plot had SO MUCH potential, and the first few episodes blew me away. However, like with many kdrama, everything goes out the window to make way for the romance. I'm 11 episodes in and no one has attempted to do anything to save Dan-o's life so far. Every single episode is revolving around Dan-o being obsessed with Haru and their past and present romance.

Don't even get me started on Baek Gyeong. The actor does an amazing job at portraying him and I'd say his character is one of the saving graces of this show. However, it's so clearly obvious that he will never stand a chance against Haru and my question is... why!? Haru is probably one of the most boring characters I have ever come across in my life. His whole life and existence revolves around Dan-o and he literally has no life or personality other than that. How am I supposed to root for that, compared to a passionate second lead? Ahhhh this show is driving me insane! Don't even get me started on Ju-da, Do-hwa and Namju because I will be here for another 100 years. The choices made in this kdrama are baffling. They could've done something so interesting with this plot, yet they turned it into another mindless romance and took all the life out of its characters. I really don't think I can finish this one.

On a brighter note, I give props to the actors and the original concept. I also think it has a pretty nice soundtrack. I think if romance is your thing and you don't mind every other aspect of the plot suffering for it, and you can also put up with the cringe, this may actually appeal to you.

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The premise is interesting enough, and could actually be used to offer a bit of philosophical insight about how Dan-oh is waking up from the dream of life, but the writers did not choose to go there, which is perfectly fine. However, they still proceed, in my opinion, to waste a good enough premise by failing to follow through with a strong, well-written story. The story just sort of wanders off into an aimless ramble soon after it starts. And you're made to expect greater things that don't end up getting delivered. I've noticed this pattern in most web toon-based dramas.

My main problem, however, is with the male lead. If you're fine with male protagonists that are pretty but weak, with zero personality (in this case, starts out as an actual non-entity with literally no remembered persona), then this might work for you. I personally like my men strong, especially in kdramas. But alas, with the current trend in millennial politics, those old dreamy chaebols with their Byronic charms are long gone. They have been relegated to a dark corner called "toxic masculinity" and have been wiped from the face of kdramaland. This drama is a perfect example of how this type of discourse has crept into kdramas and destroyed all the fun (at least for me or others like me). The female lead is strong (or starts out strong) and she is set up to save the pretty-and-weak male, to literally lead him by the hand into salvation (female power! Yeah!). However, things don't seem to work out well in that respect either, based on other reviews I've read.

Dear new breed of kdrama/web toon writers: You do not need to emasculate and totally lobotomize your male leads in order to emphasize strength in your female characters. Also, having or wanting a strong male lead does not necessarily equate to weakness in your female characters. Males and females have different types of strengths that are meant to complement each other. Please bring back our chaebols!

Eherm. Anyway, in an effort to upturn old notions about male dominance, the villain here is the old stereotypical bad boy with a heart of gold, which I end up rooting for anyway, despite the writers' best efforts to, well, villify him. There's a reason why formulas are formulas -- it's because they work. This one just doesn't for me. I suspect it would work for the younger breed of kdrama fans. But for the other old gals out there, kdrama veterans who love the same things I do about kdramas -- the silliness, the romance, the flawed but strong men who could sweep us off our feet, the bad boys with a heart of gold -- you might consider passing on this one.

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