The Japanese Extraordinary Attorney Woo remake, titled ‘Minamida Minami Attorney is a Genius’, has officially premiered, sparking a mix of praise for its attention to detail and criticism regarding its direction and lead performances.
Airing for the first time on Japan’s Kansai TV and Fuji TV, the series is a direct adaptation of the hit 2022 ENA Korean drama ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’. The original series followed Woo Young-woo (played by Park Eun-bin), a brilliant rookie lawyer with an autism spectrum disorder navigating a major law firm. Despite launching on a minor cable channel, the Korean original achieved a peak rating of 17.5%, dominated Netflix’s global non-English Top 10, and sparked a massive syndrome-like craze.
The remake faithfully incorporates the core settings and narrative flow of the original. Acclaimed Japanese child-star-turned-actress Mana Ashida stepped into the lead role as Minami Minami, capturing character nuances like the blunt hairstyle, distinctive speaking cadence, and unique gaze.
Meanwhile, the counterpart to Lee Jun-ho (originally played by Kang Tae-oh) was portrayed by rising star Fumiya Takahashi. His high synchronization with the original character drew viral attention, with some viewers joking he felt like “Kang Tae-oh speaking Japanese.”
The production also cleverly localized culturally specific elements. The iconic gimbap was swapped for Japanese rice balls seasoned with salt, and the difficult revolving door obstacle was changed to an escalator, reflecting modern Japanese architecture where revolving doors are rare following historical safety incidents. Even the greeting sequence was adapted from “Woo to the Young to the Woo” to “Minamida to the Minami,” delighting fans.
However, the premiere also drew criticism over certain directing and acting choices. Prior teasers had already sparked concerns over a somewhat dated aesthetic, and the broadcast drew further complaints for its bright lighting, vivid color grading, and overly lighthearted tone during serious scenes.
A critical flashback scene where the young protagonist witnesses her father in distress faced backlash for leaning too heavily into a comedic, manga-like portrayal of genius rather than emotional gravity. While Mana Ashida delivered a solid performance, some viewers noted she fell short of Park Eun-bin’s benchmark portrayal in the original.
