About 15 minutes from the end of Forrest Gump*, I walked out of the cinema. I remember being so angry and frustrated that such a ’silly’ man could achieve so much, and worst of all, I could not accept that a ‘normal’ person like myself needed to know how ‘the other half’ lives.
(*Note: from what I read, Forrest Gump does not have autism although a few researchers think he is on a less severe part of the spectrum.)
Barely 10 minutes into Extraordinary Attorney Woo, I felt the same urge to walk away. I kept thinking, “Is this series everyone’s talking about going to be just 16 hours of ForrestGumping?”
But I didn’t want to be left out, so I decided to stick around for a bit more, and a bit more, and a little more, and by the end of episode 1, I knew exactly why I want/wanted/have to watch it.
The good news is, if you are brutally honest like me, you are not abnormal.
It is hard to look at a serious issue like autism, and that’s exactly why series like this needs to be made.
Most people remember It’s Okay To Be Not Okay because above everything, it made many of us look at personality disorder and autism seriously, if not with a different gaze. We are encouraged to talk about a taboo subject, that frankly, is still hard.
Yes, we can say that Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a continuation of the social messaging, which I’m personally very fascinated with. So even if a series is a bit OTT, I tend to want to recognize the greater goods it is trying to achieve.
Whether or not Park Eun-bin will be recognized at the awards no longer matters (although I think she should win Best Actress), because I believe her amazing portrayal will make people think twice about wanting to skirt the topic.
If you are skeptical about my claims, spare an hour to at least watch episode 3, which brought me to tears.
Sure, there are many things uncomfortable about coming face to face with someone with autism.
Are we supposed to treat them like ‘normal’ people? Is acting ‘normal’ a way of showing that we don’t discriminate and happy to embrace? Can being extra patient because they do not speak at ‘normal’ speed like us be seen as patronizing? What are some stupid questions we should never ask someone with autism? Do we assume they are all ‘differently talented’ or is that phrase just painting with a broad stroke? Can people with autism love?
Wait, is it even right to call them ‘people with autism’?
Before you go away having the impression that we the ‘normal’ ones are put in an awkward position because they are so hard to understand, how about just being honest and ask, “sorry I’m really ignorant about this topic, can I ask you some silly questions so I can understand a bit more?”
A few things I do know or learned from this series so far: not all people with autism know each other. Remember that.
So if this series makes you laugh a little, don’t think you are being insensitive. If it makes you cry a little, you ain’t weak. But if you feel nothing, then I suggest, try watching again.
Lastly, you won’t learn everything by just watching k-dramas. Try reading.