Good Doctor to Extraordinary Attorney Woo: How K-dramas portray autism right

South Korean dramas have mastered the art of setting high standards, whether it's showcasing ideal male leads or addressing mental health with sensitivity and depth. Over the years, these dramas have evolved, offering increasingly nuanced portrayals of complex and sensitive topics, like autism. Let's take a closer look at how they've achieved this and why they resonate so deeply with audiences worldwide.

In Short

• Korean dramas have often shown autism spectrum disorder in their dramas
• Good Doctor, Extraordinary Attorney Woo and It's Okay To Not Be Okay offer a sensitive and realistic portrayal of characters with autism
• All the three dramas are streaming on Netflix

When we talk about autism spectrum disorder in the context of Indian shows, one television show that instantly pops up is Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai. While the character of Alekh was shown as 'mentally unwell', any sane person who understands autism spectrum disorder would know that the character had autism. However, the portrayal was, well, way too far from reality. This character's mother believed that getting him married would 'cure' him. What was wilder was the fact that it actually did! Alekh became 'normal' a few years into marriage, thanks to wife Sadhna's dedication and love.

While we won't say that all Indian shows have portrayed autism inaccurately or insensitively, daily soaps are infamous for the lack of nuance when it comes to dealing with a character with any disorder. However, what stands in stark contrast is how characters with disorders, especially autism spectrum disorder, are presented in the South Korean dramas. Case in point - Good Doctor (which was later remade in America) and Extraordinary Attorney Woo, where the lead characters have autism spectrum disorder, and It's Okay To Not Be Okay.

Good Doctor: One that put K-drama on the world map

Good Doctor is one of those early shows that actually put K-dramas on the world map. Released in 2013, it was the first K-drama to have been remade in English, with the same title, in 2017. While it might not have enjoyed a similar popularity in India, those who have watched it can easily understand why it was remade and made accessible to a wider audience.

While it is understandable that iconic characters like Sheldon Cooper and Dr Gregory House have autism spectrum disorder, it's never spelt out loud. What the Americans too couldn't do, South Koreans did! They made the Good Doctor with Joo Won in the lead, as the good (and brilliant and flawless) doctor who is an autistic savant, and it is spelt and said out loud.

Yes, people around him have their doubts about him, he faces prejudice from not just patients but also fellow doctors, but he does not give up on his dream of becoming a paediatric surgeon. Joo Won's portrayal of Dr Park Shi-on was nuanced, consistent and so on point that it earned him several awards, including the Baeksang Arts Awards that year.

One of the aspects that also stands out in the drama is the fact that the show also gives space to Dr Park Shi-on's romance, with his colleague Dr Cha Yoon-seo, played by Moon Chae-won. The show was also remade in Japanese.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay: Sidelined portrayal but nuanced nonetheless

If there's a romantic Korean drama featuring actors as good-looking and impeccable as Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Ye-ji (let's not forget that it also marked Soo-hyun's comeback after serving in the military), then the chances of the spotlight moving on someone else is almost impossible. And yet, we have Oh Jung-se's standout performance in It's Okay To Not Be Okay as Kim Soo-hyun's older brother, Moon Sang-tae, who develops a fear of butterflies after witnessing the murder of his mother.

In this drama, Oh Jung-se excels in playing a man of the spectrum who, unlike the rest of the characters being discussed here, is not a savant but dreams of becoming an illustrator. His brother, Gang-tae (Soo-hyun), thinks he needs a caregiver due to his condition, but that's not the case. In this way, It's Okay To Not Be Okay also teaches an important lesson: autistic people don’t always need someone to care for them — they are just as capable as anyone else.

Sang-tae also builds a bond with Seo Ye-ji's character, Ko Moon-young (over time, of course) and it is the three of them in this case who heal each other and help get over their trauma, which turns out to be interconnected in the end.

Jung-se holds the audience's attention with his performance, which is powerful and emotional, and delivers a consistent portrayal, which is one of the biggest challenges when playing someone from the spectrum. And, as one can expect, he also won the Baeksang Arts Awards for his portrayal of Sang-tae.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo - wooing the global audience

While It's Okay To Not Be Okay won an International Emmy Awards nomination, the focal point of the show was the romance between the leads. However, when Extraordinary Attorney Woo earned a nomination too, it was because of the fact a woman from the spectrum made her place in a law firm despite the initial prejudices, jealousy from peers and, of course, her disorder.

Park Eun-bin, as Woo Young-woo, delivered a stellar performance. With every episode, we saw the character growing as Eun-bin embodied Young-woo. With all of her quirks, the character got closer to the audience. What was even more heartwarming to witness on the show was her romance with Lee Jun-ho, played by Kang Tae-oh.

However, the standout sequence from the series is from the third episode, where another man from the spectrum is introduced. In this episode, one understands why autism is called autism spectrum disorder, because the way one exhibits it is not the same. While someone like Young-woo is a savant and is considered a genius, the man brought in front of her has diminished mental capacity.

The episode was shown with sensitivity, while critiquing how society looks at it, placing every individual with the disorder on the same plane.

So, if you want to watch a new K-drama, and you are looking for something beyond the swoon-worthy romance that they are so popular for, you can definitely opt for any of these shows. Bonus - there's also romance in all three of the shows.