Drama|Extra-Ordinary You

Why hello, hello my dear BAYOG Fam! It’s been a minute, but I’m finally back with a drama post! LE GASP. Shocking, I know. I honestly didn’t realize how long it had been since my last live action drama post. I’m pretty sure it was [Girl From Nowhere] for 2019 Spoop Fest. I’m not really counting the [Odd Girl Out] one since it wasn’t really my usual in depth kind of post. Also, it was a really short web series. I think my last in depth K-Drama post was [Memories of the Alhambra]…which was January 2019… Damn…it’s been a while. It’s alright though! I’m getting back into my specialty! Also, huge thanks to Lita (Lita Kino Anime Corner) for giving me that push I needed to get back into writing drama reviews~ (♡°▽°♡)

So today’s post is on a drama that I actually had been wanting to post about for a long time. It’s 어쩌다 발견한 하루 Eojjeoda Balgyeonhan Haru, or “Haru Found By Chance”. The official English title is Extra-Ordinary You. I did briefly mention it on my [Quarantine Drama Recommendations list]. It’s a romantic comedy that stars: Rowoon (member of idol group SF9), Kim Hye Yoon, Lee Jae Wook, Lee Na Eun (member of idol group April), Jung Gun Joo, Kim Young Dae, and Lee Tae Ri. It’s actually a good drama to pick up if you want something short to watch. Each episode is only 30 minutes long. You can find it

It’s a live action adaptation of the Daum manhwa/webtoon [어쩌다 발견한 7월/Eojjeoda Balgyeonhan 7-wol, or July Found By Chance]. It’s also known as “How I Found It In July”. It’s by Muryu and was released in 2018. It basically falls under the shoujo category. I did read the webtoon briefly a long time ago. The art is really pretty. The webtoon and drama do differ a bit in the story and personalities of the characters. I think the drama definitely feels more light-hearted and fun. Although, I think the webtoon was still really good.

Synopsis:
Eun Dan Oh seems like your typical high school girl. Except for the fact that she’s the doted only-child from a rich family, and that she has a congenital heart condition. Still, she loves her life and thinks that it’s perfect. However, things get weird when she suddenly hears weird sounds and starts noticing missing lapses of time in her memory. Everything changes when she finds out the big secret about her seemingly perfect world: she’s a character in a romance comic. To make matters worse, she finds out that she’s not even the main character. She’s only a minor extra who’s fate is to die. Dan Oh doesn’t want to live her life following the will of someone else. She decides that she should be the one to decide how to really live her life and who she truly loves. Changing the story isn’t easy though. Until she meets a minor background character who doesn’t even have a name. Student Number 13 may be the key. Together, they’ll try to find the secret of this romance comic, change their fates, and get to live their lives how they decide.

Genres: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural, School, Live-Action Adaptation, Idol Drama

Good for:

• If you’re looking for a more light-hearted series.
• If you like alot of comedy.
• If you like a more sweet and innocent kind of love stories.
• If you like something with wholesome moments.
• If you like wholesome leads.
• If you like female leads who don’t follow K-Drama character tropes exactly.
• If you’re interested in live-adaptations of webtoon titles.
• If you’re looking for series with episodes that aren’t too long.
• If you’re looking for an idol drama.

What I Liked:

• It makes fun of typical romance tropes.
• It’s a great light-hearted series.
• It’s freakin’ hilarious. Seriously.
• Interesting premise.
• Fluffy and wholesome moments.
• Great characters and actors with amazing chemistry.
• Main lead is a great example of ideal/wholesome boyfriend material.
• I can relate to the female lead. She says all the things I think about typical romance stories and cringey scenes.
• The female lead doesn’t totally follow typical K-Drama character tropes.
• It’s based on the webtoon 어쩌다 발견한 7월/July Found By Chance.
• Episodes are only 1/2 hour long instead of a full hour.
• Kind of a teen kind of drama, but is honestly enjoyable for all ages.

Aired: October – November 2019
Episodes/Status: 32 Episodes/Completed

Watch It: [Viki*] [Kocowa]
*Only with Viki Plus Pass, which includes Kocowa content

To be honest, I saw this on Viki’s recommendation list for a while. However, I just wasn’t sure of picking it up. I enjoy romantic comedies. However, I’m no longer a big fan of school or teen dramas. It might just be because I’m officially getting that old ajumma status, but it’s just hard for me to get into those now. Teen and school dramas tend to be overly naive and superficial for me now, and usually pisses me off. The production also just seemed to be a bit more on the lower end than my usual kind of series. Still, I started the drama on a whim (as per usual). I don’t even really remember why. It was either that I ran out of things to watch, or that I needed something to watch as I waited for my other series’ releases. I’m honestly glad I picked it up. It ended up being so much more enjoyable than I expected. I do have to admit that it probably did take me about 5-6 episodes to really get into it. However, the episodes of this series is 30 minutes long. So it was basically equal to watching 3 episodes of a regular 1 hour long drama. It was basically the equivalent of a 3 episode test. I honestly got hooked and I binge watched it in one night. I think finished it at like 5am…so 3 hours before I had to get ready for work. It was that enjoyable for me. It was definitely worth it because it just ended up being such a fun and cute series.

Once again, I also roped my gals, Brit (K-Drama Circle) and Jess (my bestie and aka Loha’s Jess), into this drama with the promise of abs. We forgot this was a high school setting drama cuz the actors are all college age and up. Honestly, Rowoon’s ab scene was really cute and funny. Also, all us were basically Dan Oh LMAO

Warning: We gonna get a bit spoiler-y ahead!~

I admit it was really enjoyable, but I think it’s a little confusing to explain the story. The thing is this world is apparently a comic book called Secret. So you have the comic’s main leads, and you also have the leads of the drama itself. So it gets confusing when I have to go “comic male lead”, “drama male lead”, etc. All you gotta know is this comic is kind of like a parody of your typical shoujo comics. It’s got a hella Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers kinda vibes and set up goin’ on. The comic’s story is you got the A3, the 3 best looking and reputable guys in school. A4 if you include the good looking school chef guy. So basically like Hana Yori Dango’s F4 y’all. The comic’s female lead is a poor commoner on a scholarship. The comic’s second male lead, Lee Do Hwa (Jung Gun Joo), is the calm nice guy type who plays violin. So like Hana Yori Dango. So like Rui/Jihoo from Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers. The personality types of the characters are similar to Hana Yori Dango too. Anyway, point is that it’s very much like your typical shoujo high school manga with rich bishies and a normal gal. I actually like this drama because it does make fun of all these typical shoujo tropes and situations. The names of the comic’s male and female leads, Nam Ju(Kim Young Dae) and Joo Da(Lee Na Eun), literally give them away as “male lead” and “female lead”. Dan Oh is hella extra, but I love her. Her reactions (eyerolls and gagging) to these hella typical, hella ridiculous, and cheesey scenes is me and K-Drama Circle.

Dan Oh (Kim Hye Woon) realizes her life is a lie, and that she’s living in a comic book. The biggest shock to her is that despite being the fiancee of one of the A3 members, she’s just an extra. To make matters worse, she’s supposed to die from her heart disease. Of course she doesn’t want to live her life the way that someone else had decided on. She wants to live her life her way, so she wants to change her fate. It’s hard to go against the plot of the comic since they’re basically like puppets that are forced to go with the premeditated scenes (known as the Stage).

However, she notices that she might actually have a chance to change something thanks to the mysterious student. Like her, he’s also just an extra…except he’s supposed to just be a background character. Boy doesn’t even have a name. He’s listed as Number 13 on the roster, so she names him Haru(Rowoon). Still, it seems that with Haru, Dan Oh is able to set some changes in motion.

Dan Oh and Haru are so freakin’ ridiculously cute and wholesome. Dan Oh’s comic character set up is a weak and sickly girl. However, her true character in the Shadow (between the scenes of the Stage) is hella extra, bubbly, and quirky. I admit that during the first few episodes, she was too extra for me and I low-key found her annoying. However, I loved how she reacted to the hella extra and corny shit in the comic world. Cuz honestly, that’s how I react (which is why I’m not typically into teen dramas or high school setting stories anymore). She’s actually super cute with Haru.

Haru is also just a complete sweetheart. He’s the complete opposite of Dan Oh. He doesn’t really say much at first. He’s pretty quiet and reserved. However, he’s still kind, seemingly innocent, pretty sweet, and is always there for Dan Oh. He always treated her like a treasure. It’s wholesome and I freakin’ ship it. Honestly, I think Haru is probably one of my top favorite male lead characters. I think he’s an ideal lead. Dude has so many cool and sweet lines. Like dude captured my heart with those hella smooth and sincere lines. K-Drama Circle wishes we could find our own Haru (ಥ﹏ಥ)

You also have Baek Kyung (Lee Jae Wook) who is Dan Oh’s crush and fiancee. He’s this douchey, hella cold, and selfish kind of character. He has issues and is really mean and straight up cruel to Dan Oh. He has issues, but it still doesn’t warrant him being an ass to Dan Oh. Yeah, yaknow how I’m usually [team second lead], or at least understanding and somewhat support of second lead? Yeaaahhh…that didn’t happen here. Baek Kyung was a huge jerk and I honestly thought he didn’t deserve Dan Oh at all. Of course he comes around later. However, it rubbed me the wrong way because of course it’s that whole, “You’re not paying attention to me (even though I treat you like shit and told you to stay the fuck away), and now you’re paying attention to some other guy?? You’re mine though!” I hate those kind of male characters. He’s the fifth character to become self-aware in the comic. However, he’s just hella shady and full of himself. In the end we’re shown that Baek Kyung does have some genuine feelings for Dan Oh. Still, it wasn’t enough for me to be like “Baek Kyung is cool.”

We also got Lee Do Hwa (Jung Gun Joo) who is the comic’s second male lead. He’s Mr. Friendly Nice Guy. As a member of A3, he’s close to Nam Ju and Baek Kyung. However, he’s also in love with Joo Da, the comic’s female lead. He’s stuck in the second lead trope. He’s the next one to become self-aware after Haru and Dan Oh. Despite everything, he does truly care for Joo Da and tries to support her all that he can. He’s a good friend and has also called Baek Kyung out on being a bit too harsh. However, he’s that kind of character that can’t totally read the room and can be a bit dense when it comes to others’ affairs.

Honestly though, I love the friendship with team Self-Aware (Dan Oh, Haru, and Do Hwa). They’re super cute. It was definitely one of the enjoyable parts of this drama for me. The actors all had such cute chemistry together. I honestly want to be a part of this squad.

You also got Mr. Dried Squid Fairy (Lee Tae Ri), the cafeteria cook. He’s also the unofficial fourth member of A3…er A4. He’s the first one to be self-aware, and the one to break out the truth to Dan Oh. He’s the one to explain the whole Stage vs Shadow thing to the self-aware kids. However, he seems to know way more than he lets on. He also seems to be hiding another big secret around our characters. He’s pretty good comic relief too though LOL

Honestly, the drama was so much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. Not gonna lie, I expected it to be a bottom tier drama because it seemed like a lower production series. However, it honestly was one of my favorite 2019 dramas. It honestly didn’t seem that cheap in settings, props, or costumes. The only time it did was for the historical kind of costumes and scenes. Those just really stood out and looked kinda fake and on the lower end at times. I’ll also admit that I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the ending. However, it was still super enjoyable. I think I actually ended up rewatching it 3 times! K-Drama Circle and Jess loved it too.

Like I said, don’t let looks deceive you. Extra-Ordinary You turned out to be a super fun series. It’s got romance, comedy, mystery, you name it! I honestly just loved how it poked fun at your typical set ups and tropes of comics and dramas. I love that they react the same way I do to those hella cheesey and cringey cliches! However, they do manage to have some cute cliches too! The main ship was also hella endearing and wholesome! My other favorite thing is that this is a series about find out who you really are. You don’t have to be what others tell you to be. You can be true to yourself and try to live how you want to. I know…this review is probably my messiest one. I’m still trying to get back into the hang of writing these. However, I swear that this is a good drama. I definitely recommend it if you want something fluffy and wholesome. It’s definitely up your alley if you enjoy shoujo manga/manhwa too. Give it a try~ Have you watched Extra-Ordinary You? What did you think? What’s your least favorite cliche of a romance comic or drama?

Take care y’all~ Have a wonderful day, and stay safe!

---

LET’S BE FRIENDS!~ (つ✧ω✧)つ

Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
I’m BAYOG’s hella basic Asian chick, Real People Stuffs expert, and boba addict. I fangirl and blog about music, live action movies/dramas, and manga/webtoons~ When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing/singing Thai-English covers~

It’s nice to meet all of you lovely people from around the world! Thanks for stopping by our blog!~
• ขอบคุณค่ะ • ありがとうございます • 감사합니다 • 谢谢你 • Salamat Po •

Let’s Be Friends On SNS! 💜(♡°▽°♡)
Let’s talk memes, music, dramas, movies, or fan spazz!~
[Twitter] | [Instagram] | [YouTube] | [LinkTree]

BAYOG (つ≧▽≦)つ 🎮🎞️
We share and chat lots of stuff on Discord, and we’re on other platforms too!
[Discord] | [YouTube]| [Twitch] | [Facebook]| [Podcasts @ Spotify]
Follow the BAYOG Bros Too!🎮
They all good people! These your guys for anime, manga, and games!
[Kenny – Blackatron] | [Nick – Rokutsu]
[Marc – cmdrcluckcluck] | [Loha – Loheezy]

Boba/Coffee For Your Bobae (´｡• ω •｡`) 💜: [Ko-Fi]
Dramas I’ve Watched/Am Watching 🎞️: [DramaList]
My Music Playlists/What I’m Listening To🎧: [Spotify]

---

BE SAFE. BE RESPONSIBLE.
WASH YOUR HANDS. WEAR A MASK.
SOCIAL DISTANCE. PLEASE.

Take care y’all. Please stay safe and take care of yourself. All jokes and fun aside…please, please, please, pleaaaase always wash your hands, practice social distancing, and wear a mask! I’m serious. Please take COVID-19 seriously. It truly is a matter of life and death. It’s something that needs to be taken seriously. It’s not just about the death of if you or someone you know gets it, but it also heavily affects those left behind. There are also aftereffects for those who are able to get through COVID-19. Be responsible. Be safe. Take care y’all. Have a wonderful day.

---

BLACK LIVES MATTER

This is a difficult, but necessary matter to address. I’m not good at putting things into words, so I apologize. We all know the matter regarding the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others. The current Black Lives Matter protests are being covered globally. I’ve even seen it being covered daily by the Thai news. Racism is a very real thing. Being Asian, I’ve personally encountered bullshit racism on a daily basis. So I can relate and understand the struggles. However, I’m also aware of how much more difficult and blatant it is for black POC. AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation. Make sure to have those conversations. Aside from donating, I had several conversations with my family. I explained things to my parents, especially since some news stories were being reported inaccurately. I was afraid it’d be a bit difficult. However, as fellow POC and human beings, it was a necessary conversation. My parents and grandma understand, and now stand on the same page regarding BLM as well. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

• http://blmsites.carrd.co
• http://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
• http://blackliveswillalwaysmatter.carrd.co
• http://blmstanguide.carrd.co
• http://saytheirnames.carrd.co
• http://useyourvoice.carrd.co

Stay strong. Fight racism, brutality, injustice, and bullshit. Don’t lose sight of the goal. We’re witnessing and being a part of history. Be allies and make sure change happens. Once again, BLACK LIVES MATTER.