The drama has been released in October of the last year. This review contains loooots of spoilers for both webtoon and drama. I watched it in spring since it’s so full of hope and youth and vibrance, but it is warm enough to save you from autumn melancholy and winter snowstorms.
Extraordinary You is based on Daum webtoon “July found by chance” which was the highlight of 2018-2019 for me. And I still patiently wait for every single chapter.
Actually I hesitated watching this drama ever since I heard of the release. So far I’ve encountered lots of webtoons turned into dramas I wanted to unwatch. I felt the writers would go all astray with the story and characters and I would feel angry because of my favorite scenes and characters.
First of all I have to assure you, I really enjoyed this drama, I binge watched it, like, 16 episodes in 2 days, and for the record, usually even if I like the drama, I still finish it over a week, about 2-3 episodes per day.
Secondly, the creators did completely rewrite the plot, the scenes, the characters. Some of the scenes and concepts still remained but overall the changes were big enough so that I could watch this as a separate work.
Still, there were changes in concepts I personally deem unnecessary.
The plot. The rich schoolgirl with a weak heart since birth and a one-sided crush, Dan-Oh, gradually realizes there’s something wrong with her. It turns out she’s actually a character in a romance shoujo comic book. And she isn’t eve the protagonist, more of an extra character. Such a pitiful fate since the author can get rid of her anytime. She decides to change her own fate. Later she gets to know another extra without a name, her classmate. Dan-Oh realizes that as an extra without much presence in the story he is capable of affecting the story in his own small ways. They become close and Dan-Oh gives him a name - Haru.
Have to say, I loved the main couple. They’re so cute!!! I also really love when the protagonist isn’t introduced from the very beginning and isn’t obvious, we can see some clues of Haru in the first episode, but we actually get to see him only in the second. And I love Haru way too much both in the webtoon and in the drama, at the beginning he is so mysterious, a bit dazed and yet so warm. And as his character develops, he shows different traits, determination, despair to save his beloved, jealousy etc. Yes, Haru is definitely my favorite.
Dan-Oh had a different interpretation from the webtoon, but different is not bad. The actress is not too beautiful but she is charismatic and cute. Her smile is absolutely charming. And I love the way she cries - it’s real and her face becomes a bit ugly but I can totally believe her grief. As a sarcastic person I would have liked to say she cries too much, but actually every single time she cried - there was a proper reason, I mean, who wouldn’t cry, I would totally wreck my nervous system with all those meta rollercoasters.
Compared to the webtoon the dynamics in the couple have changed because of the changes in Dan-Oh character. Dan-Oh in the webtoon is more serious and strong-willed. Dan-Oh in the drama is more light-spirited. The drama creators decided to do the classical trope where the heroine is often in the dark.
Have to say I liked and not liked at the same time what the writers have done with the story. I personally am really fond the concept of nameless extra becoming aware and falling in love with Dan-Oh. Without there being some kind of fate and dark story behind it. And then in the drama they show the scar and like how come the nameless extra with no features except for handsomeness gets to have a scar?
There wasn’t such a thing in the webtoon so obviously I started to suspect something like past connection from the very beginning. I still loved the storyline, the way they brought in the previous book, Trumpet Creeper. And I just loved the characters in all-those... um... Joseon? clothes (sorry if I’m wrong about the time).
Another thing I have to point out - the characters’ motives. In the drama Dan-Oh originally became close to Haru because of his ability to change the stage (comics scene). And it’s in the second half of the story when she realizes her feelings for him. They have such good chemistry from the very beginning. And then Dan-Oh goes all “Omg! I love him! That can’t be!” and I find myself facepalming a bit. I mean. In what way she is different from all those classic romance novels heroines? Thank god the writers didn’t drag that for way too long, not enough to get annoyed.
Still. what I really like about the webtoon. It’s not that the webtoon Dan-Oh wanted to rebel by completely changing the story. No. She wanted to find her first love by herself, from the very beginning. And that’s how she found Haru. They’re such a couple from the very beginning. And that’s just a biiiiiig difference.
In the drama Dan-Oh mentions somewhere in the last episodes that Haru is her true first love. But that was not her intention from the very beginning, just the way it turned out. Ad the actors look so cute together, their difference in weight is adorable and I’m also satisfied with the acting.
To sum it up, I thoroughly enjoy the dynamics in the Haru-Dan-Oh relationship both in the webtoon and in the drama. They’re just different. I personally recommend first watching the drama and only then reading the webtoon.
I think I mentioned but I really love the cast. The actor playing Kyung did his best. I mean if it were another actor I would have seen Kyung as no one but a total asshole. But I could really see the confusion and internal struggles here. Also the previous book storyline enabled us to feel more for Kyung, how he was written by the author as nothing but a really bad character for two books straight. I could feel his loneliness and despair to find out who he truly is apart from his character. In the webtoon I simply can’t feel anything for this character XD
Also I really loved the way they introduced Kyung’s little brother. Maybe I have missed some of the scenes but I don’t remember him in Trumpet Creeper? But he is definitely a very interesting and mysterious character. I hope he stays by Kyung’s side in the next book and the spend lots of good time together.
I can’t believe I enjoyed their storyline so much. Jung Gun-joo, the actor playing Do-hwa was nominated for the best new actor for this role. And no wonder. He was truly extraordinary as Do-hwa struggling within his boundaries of supporting character. His one-sided love and inability to do what he want in the stage was just heartbreaking. Do-hwa is definitely the highlight of the whole drama. And I laughed because of his violin dilemma. And I cried because of his love for Joo-da.How he slowly came to realize that his actions cause hurt to the other characters. Ouch. I really hope in the next books he finds happiness. With Joo-da or with someone else.
And Joo-da. I really hoped she will get her ego. But honestly I couldn’t see their story with Do-hwa ending in any way but heartbreak for Do-hwa. Still. I really enjoyed the way Joo-da turned out to be once she got her ego. Every scene with her was delightful since then. And the way she herself admitted she wanted to date both... I really want to hug Do-hwa.
Namju didn’t leave any impression throughout the story except for the last episode strawberry jumper. And I laughed at the scene Joo-da gave Namju the spending diary (I myself wouldn’t mind one, have been anxious of my spending habits lately).
The Squid Fairy and his lover storyline was cute though too short. Glad they didn’t have much drama and got to spend time together in Secret.
The finale of the story left many questions but overall I got the picture. So they’re still together in the new book. But. Where’s Do-hwa??? And it seems Joo-da will still go for Namju... And I can’t tell who the protagonists are. I made myself think that this is some loooong new series by the author based on the students’ calm everyday (except for exams) life and that Haru and Dan-Oh can live happily ever after in this and next books as extraordinary characters.
Some concepts I really missed in the drama which are in the webtoon
The scene in both the drama and the webtoon where Haru gives Dan-oh the starry sky. The webtoon thing is that all the scenes in Secret happen during the daytime. And that’s why Dan-oh would like to see the starry sky. The not disappearing hole in the curtain holds a special meaning for Haru and Dan-oh. In the drama the creators made it so the whole give me the starry sky wish comes from the previous book. And there’re night scenes in the Secret. Though without the stars, yes.
In the webtoon there’s a special place for Dan-Oh and Haru - the flying bench, a mistake made by the artist (and as I draw myself I can feel this deeply, sometimes you just don’t calculate something right and then that box or bench is way too high). In the drama there’re just random things flying everywhere in the shadow. And there’s also that black hole that appears in all the right places, gives scars and shows previous lives... I mean... *long sigh*
What I really love about the webtoon. We all know that artists and writers have to stay objective and do what they want to the story without listening to anyone’s opinion. But at the same time they can’t help to see the comments, what makes the readers annoyed or what they would like.
In the webtoon “July found by chance” sometimes we’re given glimpses of the comments to the webtoon “Secrets”. That gives us another perspective, how the artist thinks, how the readers react. And that’s just so exciting! Compared to the webtoon, in the drama The artist seems too distant.
Oh. I’ve really written a lot.
Hope you enjoy/ed the webtoon and drama as much as I did.
And now I’m off to watch “Touch” while I still have some time off *_*
I’ll also have to do the best 2019 dramas list at some point (at least for my own use).
