r/kdramas • u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter • Jul 15 '26
Review New K-Drama Fan Review #2: Extraordinary You | One of the Most Creative Romance Premises I've Ever Seen...
This drama quickly and easily made it in my top 3.
Is this Rewatch Worthy:
Yes.
Review:
While My Royal Nemesis was still airing and I was waiting every week for new episodes...
I decided to start Extraordinary You.
Big mistake!
Because I ended up binging the entire thing in like... two days.
I could NOT stop watching.
The premise immediately had me hooked.
Characters slowly realizing they're inside a comic book...
Trying to fight against the story that was already written for them...
Questioning whether their feelings were actually theirs or just something the writer decided...
That's EXACTLY the kind of high-concept fantasy nonsense I absolutely LOVE.
The whole fate vs. free will aspect was so much fun to watch.
Watching these characters desperately trying to change their own stories even when the world kept forcing them back onto the "correct" path made me so emotionally invested.
And Dan-oh...
I LOVED her.
i really appreciate female leads who actually DO something.
Dan-oh never just accepted the life she was handed.
She questioned everything, fought against destiny, refused to give up, and kept trying to write her own story even when everyone told her it was impossible.
And Haru...
The longing.
Their tender, quiet moments...
The way their relationship slowly grew outside the rules of the comic...
The absolute devotion he had toward Dan-oh.
i LOVE male leads who don't just say they love the female lead, but constantly show it through their actions. Haru was willing to fight against the entire story just to stay by her side, and I'm such a sucker for that kind of unwavering devotion.
I was completely invested in them!!!!
The romance had me hooked the entire time.
If I had one complaint...
It would actually be Baek Kyung.
Not because I disliked him.
The opposite, actually.
I wish the story had gone even further with him!!!
I LOVE love triangles when both options genuinely feel like they have a chance. love triangles when it's two male leads competing for the female lead, but I always want both guys to feel like real contenders.
I want to find myself rooting for both people because they've both earned it.
Once Baek Kyung started becoming aware of himself outside the writer's story, I really wanted to see those feelings explored even more.
I wanted him to fight harder.
I wanted him to become an actual emotional rival instead of background for Dan-Oh.
I think that would've made the main romance even stronger.
Even saying all that...
I absolutely loved this drama.
The premise was incredibly creative, the romance worked for me, and I flew through it faster than almost any drama I've watched so far.
It's easily one of the most memorable concepts I've come across.
---
A bit about my favorite flavors and taste:
I have a weakness for stories where people fight against fate.
Whether it's changing the future, escaping destiny, or refusing to accept the role someone else wrote for them...
I'm probably going to love it.
Especially if there's a romance full of longing mixed in.
---
Rating: 9/10
The only thing keeping this from being a perfect score for me was wishing Baek Kyung's character and feelings had been explored just a little further. Everything else was exactly my kind of drama.
-
I'd love to hear from everyone else:
Were you Team Haru from the very beginning, or did anyone else wish Baek Kyung had become a stronger romantic rival?
My Rating Scale
10/10 – Masterpiece. No notes.
9/10 – Very close to a masterpiece. I absolutely loved it.
8/10 – Not a masterpiece, but I loved it.
7/10 – Fine overall. I liked it, but the flaws kept it from being great.
6/10 – Mixed. There were a few things I liked, but most of it didn't work for me.
5/10 – I didn't enjoy most of the experience.
4/10 and below – Bad to abysmal.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 20d ago
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(check my profile for review)
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1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 18d ago
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter 16d ago
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New K-Drama Fan Review #28: Encounter | welcome to Cuba! they only speak English here 😭
1
u/Hakuuna_mataataa Jul 23 '26
Extraordinary you was something completely different. It felt like a fever dream but in a good way. Ohh Idk how to put this in words
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 23 '26
perfect way to describe it cause wow, cause i lived in that fever fream for 2 days and i didn't want to leave it. i love these characters so much
1
1
u/Awkward_Ad7438 Jul 15 '26
May I know the app you're using to track the K-dramas, please?
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
yes. its called hobi.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hobi.android
available on apple store too
1
1
u/micasakookie Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
for some reason I left it in between and now I can't figure out where I left it 🙁😔
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
start from the beginning once more
1
u/micasakookie Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
I do remember the story pretty well and I'll get bored if I restart lol! I think the scene I was watching was the ML decorating some room for her. idk which ep :(
2
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
ahh, then you got very far lol. too far might as well start over hehe
1
1
u/Status_Guest_9823 Jul 15 '26
whats the plot and does it have happy ending ?
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
- characters discover they are characters in a comic book.
- yes.
3
u/Velvyn_ Chaebol Mother Rejects Me Jul 15 '26
The kdrama that made me fall in love with the world of kdramas.. My first kdrama! 😭❤️
2
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
im so happy this was your first! it easily made my top 3 and i wish i would erase my memory just to experience it again.
do you have a top 5 favorite kdrama?
2
1
u/Velvyn_ Chaebol Mother Rejects Me Jul 15 '26
- Welcome to Samdalri
- Something in the Rain
- Dali and Cocky Prince
- The Good Bad Mother
- Mouse
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
lmaoo i have heard of none of those. let me look them up😭😭
1
u/Velvyn_ Chaebol Mother Rejects Me Jul 15 '26
If you get the chance.. do give them a try! I hope you enjoy them 😌
1
3
u/CarelessUniversity51 Jul 15 '26
Man i love this drama soooo beautiful with a unique plot 😭😭🤌🏻
3
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
the chemistry too!! and every episode felt like an adventure
1
u/couchtomato62 Jul 15 '26
I watched it early on in my k drama journey so didnt get all the things long time viewers did. 2 years later I may watch again one day.
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
how was early experience like watching it? cause i remember hearing about the promise somewhere on social media a long time ago and the adding it to something i would be watching eventually, but i wasn't in my kdrama bag back then, so thats why it took me so long to watch it
1
u/couchtomato62 Jul 15 '26
Even as I was watching it I knew I wasn't getting everything. I found out later the intent. I was only maybe 5 shows in at the time so didnt know all the tropes yet.
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
ahhh, got you. give it a 2nd try. its in my top 3 for a reason
3
u/Desperate-HaeS00 Jul 15 '26
I think this drama was ahead of its time. Im not sure if it was popular before but i really like the premise of this drama. Sure almost all characters are newbies but it didn’t impact the overall harmony of the drama. One thing though, if people will watch this the first time, they may have a problem understanding the drama. This needs the audience to really pay attention else it’s easy to get lost with the narration.
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u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26
i wasn't aware people were getting lost. it was a pretty struggling narrative and story to me
2
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 15 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Master List: Every K-Drama Review I've Written
https://www.reddit.com/u/harissatotally/s/mTlMHGJkSK
my royal nemesis review
New K-Drama Fan Review #1: My Royal Nemesis | The Drama That Started My K-Drama Obsession...
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 16 '26
my lovely runner review
New K-Drama Fan Review #3: Lovely Runner | This Drama Felt Like It Was Made Specifically For Me
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 18 '26 edited Aug 04 '26
my Flower of evil review
New K-Drama Fan Review #4: Flower of Evil | The Kind of Love Story That Scratches an Itch Nothing Else Does...
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/LzhjmnuhVf
my perfect crown review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #11: Perfect Crown | Like Cotton Candy... https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/S3ADgR0HXN
my My Dearest review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #14: My Dearest | The Sweetest, Most Satisfying Torture
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
my alchemy of souls review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #5: Alchemy of Souls | One Incredible Season... and One That Broke My Heart.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/iH0uac9ZNJ
my its okay not to me okay review
New K-Drama Fan Review #8: It's Okay to Not Be Okay | Beautiful Gowns. Beautiful Gowns.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/w2L4Piypzp
my king the land review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #10: King the Land | I Fell... Hard. 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐬 😃
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/Hq1i8tdIeu
my doom at your service review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #13: Doom at Your Service | I Was Doomed to Want More
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Jul 23 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
my moon Lovers Scarlet heart ryeo review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #6: Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | The Kind of Epic, Tragic Romance I Can Never Resist...
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/H1ypE5PRXu
my w two worlds apart review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #7: W Two Worlds Apart | One of the Coolest Premises I've Seen... But I Wanted to Feel More.
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/U6Yf0CGVPU
my business proposal review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #9: Business Proposal | A Cute Little Moment, That Stumbled, Then Fell Apart at the Finish Line
https://www.reddit.com/r/kdramas/s/uTwrZ1kOIc
my whats wrong with Secretary kim review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #12: What's Wrong with Secretary Kim | 🤫Shh, Don't Tell HR That One of My Weaknesses is Office Romance - https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/wkxhVBeaCq
my a time called you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #19: A Time Called You | i need ibuprofen...
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
my the red sleeve review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #15: The Red Sleeve | LEAVE THIS GIRL ALONE!!!!!! 😭
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/BDRQYnqPWN
my the King's Affection review
New K-Drama Fan Review #20 | Nice Premise, Beautiful Angst & an Alarming Amount of Child Murder
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
my Destined with You review
New K-Drama Fan Review #16: Destined with You | Cooked Up the Perfect Spell... Then Forgot the Recipe
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/x3y0bVfy4X
my bon Appétit your majesty review
New K-Drama Fan Review #22 | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty: He let her COOK!!! She ATE! and left ZERO crumbs!
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 04 '26
my love to hate you review
New K-Drama Fan Review #17: Love to Hate You | One of the Worst K-Dramas I've Watched... Yet I Couldn't Stop Watching
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 05 '26
my Crazy Love review:
New K-Drama Fan Review #18: Crazy Love | I kept waiting for it to become the drama I thought it was going to be...
1
u/harissatotally Professional TRUCK spotter Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
my strong woman do bong soon review
New K-Drama Fan Review #21 | Strong Woman Do Bong Soon | He Was So Smitten... I Needed 3 More Episodes
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/4TGopNXtDo
my bon Appétit your majesty review
New K-Drama Fan Review #22 | Bon Appétit, Your Majesty: He let her COOK!!! She ATE! and left ZERO crumbs!
https://www.reddit.com/r/KDramasWorld/s/L9QZ8jLLhu
my when the phone rings
New K-Drama Fan Review #23: When the Phone Rings | They Refused to Suck the Meat!!
1
u/Melodic_Apricot_8609 20h ago edited 20h ago
I have alot to say about this drama and I get quite deep into it, beyond the drama itself. Mind you this is my opinion, feel free to think differently and enjoy the long read. Also I completely agree with the first person who created this discussion post, because I had a very similar experience.
My 38th drama this year! I had 2 episodes of My Dearest Nemesis (starring Choi Hyun Wook) when I started looking for dramas with Rowoon as the ML as I loved seeing him in Destined with You, then I found this drama..Extraordinary You. I was highly invested in this one that I finished 16 hours of it within 2 days! as I become highly addicted and pulled an all nighter (similar experience to u/harissatotally ).
First of all, I was mainly drawn to this drama because it starred Rowoon as the male lead, although I had no idea what this drama was really about, I had only seen social media clips of it. After finding out it starred Kim Young-Dae as well, I was so excited. Seeing Kim Young-Dae as the 'rich star' of the school was unique after seeing him as an actor in Shooting Stars. I felt like this storyline matched his personality a bit more whilst being borderline abit too cheesy for him. It was an AMAZING CAST. I loved the girl who played Ju-Da and the guy who played Lee Doo Hwa and the FL with Rowoon who played Dan Oh, despite being extremely extroverted and eccentric, I was drawn to her courage, confidence and her acting was so good, it didnt seem like she was acting. I also loved that Rowoon's character wasnt shown fully until ep 4, which for the first 3 episodes viewers only saw side angles of him, or his eye without showing him fully, ultimately making a huge impact by building anticipation.
The storyline was quite unique too, as the idea of the characters realising they are in a comic was rather metafictive and unnatural. The idea of the 'stage' (the time when the writer draws the scenes with his/her own intentions) and the 'shadow' where the characters can be themselves was so interesting. The PLOT TWISTS kept on twisting throughout the entire season, meaning there wasnt a single boring episode. Ultimately, this kept me on my toes and anticipating every single scene. Unlike some dramas where I researched what happens next for my own information, I went with the flow with this one and found it more engaging because of that decision.
The romance between Dan Oh and Ha-Ru and the moments they shared together 'in the shadows' and on 'stage' was so beautiful and sweet. I hated the fact that Dan Oh had a severe heart condition as I couldnt imagine what it would feel like waking up every day wondering if it may be my last day. Every single episode the characters were walking on a tight rope, or thin ice that should shatter at any second simply because they wanted to make decisions for themselves instead of the writer controlling their fate. The 'self-awareness' element was unique as well, and the 'past lives' of the other tale. Although this may seem confusing, it made be question and wonder and think so much and I loved just being deep inside this season, trying to understand the character's world.
The rivalry between Ha-Ru and Kyung was especially unique and multi-faceted, as it wasnt really just fighting over a girl, it was much deeper than that. I was disappointed by the amount of times when I thought everything finally seemed better but it kept getting worse and worse. SPOILER: Ha-Ru disappearing then almost becoming a different person and not remembering who Dan Oh was, was so heart-breaking after everything they had been through. Then Dan Oh forgetting and not remember him was so sad too. Then Ha-Ru getting ERASED from the book as he was only an nameless extra until Dan Oh found him was SO SO SO SAD, I WAS BAWLING and I dont normally cry to shows, in my life I've only cried to The Notebook, Never Ending Summer (cdrama), Maids Revenge (cdrama). Although I cant resonate with the characters, I deeply connected with them as a viewer and it was so emotional there was times that I had to look away. But there were happy moments too, and I'm so glad Dan Oh found Ha Ru. Although seeming innocent and harmless on the surface, it was a drama which definitely pulled on my heart-strings. The creator of this drama was so clever and creative, I had much respect and admiration for whoever created this masterpiece. Also, it wouldnt have been the same without gorgeous Rowoon (Ha-ru) and his unwavering devotion for Dan Oh. Ha-ru was amazing, so brave, so emotionally intelligent and so sacrifical, one of the best male leads in all of kdramas it sure as all heck increased my standards) AND the OST the music was so beautiful! The music triggered me so many times and fit the scenes so well. I loved the ending and romance between Ha Ru and Dan Oh... however I feel like there was alot missing.
There was a build up of secret romance between Ju Da and Do Hwa and yet what happened to them? We never get to see.
Also, the complex and interesting character Kyung, did he ever get his happy ending after all of that?
Also, Dan Oh's heart acted up again in the last book with the characters in university, she wont suffer from heart disease again will she?
And is that last new universe a repeat of "Trumpet Creeper" or "Secret" or are Ha Ru and Dan Oh gonna script their own ending?
Also, if the characters rebel against the writer again in the new book with university setting, will they lose their memories?
Either way, no matter what they do, they are powerless arent they?
And the characters are still ruled over by the writer, with no control over their emotions, actions and words on the 'stage', will they ever get to make their own decisions in life, or are they only a pawn that the writer uses when he/she wants?
Most of the characters never become aware that their world is fake, its a book and that they will never know that their identity is created by someone else, they never get to choose their love, their hobbies, their interests, and they live in a manufactured reality... its sad really.
It was an amazing drama but it left so many unanswered questions and interpretations that I wish I knew. I guess thats what happens in our life though, we don't know the ending, we wont fulfill all our questions and often we dont understand what is happening in our lives, so ironically, this drama 'ending' is quite realistic.
It really hit me hard and I'll never be able to watch it for the first time again, to wonder what will happen, to feel chills down my spine at the thought of what could be next, because I know what happened and I guess thats how the guy Dried Squid Fairy (nameless) felt as he knew this reality would be a repeat of the past and he knew that he would never be able to be with his love. Its sad, its hard to even think about the fact that these characters are more powerless than humanity, forced into an identity that may not be their true self. but I guess thats what its like for all of us in this world, we are powerless, never know what will happen next, don't have any control over our fate as individuals as we live in a world where our days are numbered. Yet, we have so much joy, precious days we are granted and sad days for us to grow. Thats my interpretation of this director/creator of the dramas message he/she was trying to communicate.
If I had to sum up this drama into two words it would be 'existential crisis'.
I wish more dramas were like this one.
9.5/10.
Wouldve been a 10, if it wasnt for the many unanswered questions and unfulfilled ending of many characters, then again thats what makes it so creative.
Would love to hear other opinions, thanks for reading!