In 2021, Squid Game broke ground as a K-drama, winning two of the three nominated awards at the Critics Choice Awards. The popular Netflix and ENA K-drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo has been nominated for a Critics Choice Award alongside Apple TV+ series Pachinko. Park Eun-nin starred as a gifted lawyer on the autism spectrum in a heartwarming ‘Slice of Life’ K-drama.
According to Soompi, the Critics Choice Association announced its nominees for the 28th Critics Choice Awards, with Extraordinary Attorney Woo as a contender. The popular K-drama is nominated for Best Foreign Langauge Series. In the list of competitors are 1899, Borgen, Garcia!, The Kingdom Exodus, Kleo, My Brilliant Friend, and Tehran.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo aired in August 2022 and immediately captured fans’ hearts. The K-drama skyrocketed to fame and held its #1 spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list for a Non-English series. Its episodes had solid above-and-beyond ratings throughout its time on air. According to Soompi, the K-drama broke ENA records during its finale with a rating of 17.5 percent.
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Until a few days ago, the K-drama held its own in the top spot. Song Joong-ki’s miniseries K-drama Reborn Rich dethroned the drama. Could Extraordinary Attorney Woo take home the win? There is a high possibility with the influx and popularity of K-dramas after the global success of Squid Game. Park Eun-bin’s other famous work, The King’s Affection, became the first K-drama in history to win an International Emmy.
A lawyer on the autism spectrum navigates life, love, and friendship in ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’
Park stars as the lead character, Woo Young-woo. Being raised by a single father, Young-woo grew up on the autism spectrum with a gift for understanding criminal code and law. Seeing it as a way for his daughter to survive in the world, Young-woo’s father nurtured her talents ad taught her to understand human interaction.
Despite Young-woo’s talents and graduating at the top of her class, she is rejected by every major law firm. But due to her father’s past as a lawyer, the CEO of Hanbada Law firm gives her a job. Young-woo is thrust into a new world and must learn to navigate among others.
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Along the way in the ‘Slice of Life’ K-drama, Young-woo faces challenges inside and outside the courtroom. She deals with the scrutiny of her autism in a professional environment and understands what it means to be a friend and possible love interest.
Fans eagerly await an Extraordinary Attorney Woo Season 2, while the main cast and Park are unsure of their return.
‘Pachinko’ K-drama is also nominated at the Critics Choice Awards
Alongside Extraordinary Attorney Woo, the Apple TV+ K-drama Pachinko is nominated in the same category. The 2022 drama stars a coveted group of actors like Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho, Kim Min-ha, and Jin Ha. Based on the novel by Min Jin Lee, audiences follow a heartbreaking and resonating diaspora story of a young woman striving for her family’s survival across generations.
In a Japanese-occupied Korea, Kim Sunja (Kim) watches as her home is no longer what she remembers. Battling for a better life, she falls in love with Koh Hansu, a Korean businessman living in Japan. But their love story is far from a fairytale. Sunja must make decisions in the hope of a brighter future.
Pachinko takes place across three generations of Sunja’s family. Audiences also watch her grandson, Solomon Baek (Jin Ha), try to discover his roots and who he wishes to be as a Japanese-American. The 28th Critics Choice Awards will take place on January 15 in Los Angeles.
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