Check out some helpful insights, writing peeves, book recommendations and more! Take everything I say with a grain of salt for most of the stuff here are based on personal preferences. I'd be glad if this somehow helped other authors as well. Also...
When people hear about popular Webtoons, it's a guarantee they're gonna get a K-drama series based on them and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" is no exception.
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Now, the story is kind of unique to me as the protagonist (Woo Young-woo) is somebody on the spectrum. I have just started reading the webcomic and am already intrigued. To those who don't know, it is preferred that we refer to people with autism as someone "on the spectrum" or "neurodivergent" instead of the label "autistic." It's because autism varies from person to person. At the start of the comic, we are shown how different Young-woo is compared to the other kids her age. She doesn't respond when her father calls her and also has a hyper-fixation on whales and dolphins (which is adorable!). Upon arriving at the apartment, their landlord starts yelling at her father and accusing him of having an affair on his wife (who is mentioned to have been babysitting Young-woo while the father was away at work). This scene immediately upsets little Young-woo, covering her ears until she starts babbling ad verbatim about the punishment which this landlord will receive for assault. Her father, in tears, was filled with glee as he finally got to hear his daughter speak for the first time. It is later revealed that Mr. Woo is a lawyer and his daughter would often memorize his books. It is thanks to their shared love for studying law that Young-woo got to be a real attorney. She got to study and graduate at a prestigious law school with flying colors. She has proven herself from time to time to be the best attorney there is. Despite all that, she still faced a lot of obstacles along the way. From basic interactions to relationships, she is no doubt treated by multiple people as a major inconvenience or someone to take pity on. The worst part is she gets accused of using her autism as a crutch. In fact, she could have either been fired from her job — or worst — humiliated by the public. On the other hand, it is nice to see other characters who actually accept her and give her a chance to do her thing. For example, her dad continues to support her despite her disability. Her manager, Attorney Jung, started to loosen up to her. You have Ms. Choi, one of her ol' college classmates, who was kind of a snob but still tries her best to help Young-woo. Of course, how can we forget our boi Jung-ho who continues to be patient and understanding with out protagonist? He never blows off at her and push her away even when he has all the right to be. I am not autistic myself so a lot of things I'm spatting is coming from allistic lenses. Now, I've never watched the full movie but I am reminded of "Music" by SIA and want to compare it to the comics. In the film, the titular character is a nonverbal autistic girl who sort of views the world in this whimsical and colorful manner. It doesn't help that the visuals can be overwhelming to anyone who might be sensitive to bright colors. The ones who are supposed to take care of her are just outright irresponsible. To add salt to the wound, they chose a non-autistic actress to play the role because — according to SIA — she find it difficult to work with an actual person with autism. Whereas Music is treated like a mindless prop, Young-woo is still portrayed as a real person with her own agency. She isn't treated like this "special uwu baby with funny quirks" at all. As many other people on the spectrum, having a support group such as friends and family is important. The media should be able to understand their experiences more than just assume stuff about them. If you know someone who is neurodivergent and wants to be friends with you, kindly accept them! Don't push them away because they became too much for you to handle. If there is anything to learn from, it is that people like Young-woo don't need to be fixed in order for others to be comfortable but instead we as a society should try living with them despite their differences.
