I’ve known about this up and coming American Adaption for awhile but it doesn’t look like too many peeps have been out there actively talking about it. Whether Positive or Negative, there’s little reactions to go around. So I gotta ask, is this on anybody’s radar and is there like anybody out there who’s hype for it at all? Or could it be that I’m really the only one? I’m aware American Adaptions of stuff like this don’t have the best track record to say the least but I’ve been getting lots of positive vibes from this project actually. The first trailer I saw for it was released 4 months ago and I thought it managed to capture the most important aspects of the original K-drama.

Which when you look back on it, at it’s core was a show mainly centered around one specific question. Should this guy named Park Shi-on who is on the autism spectrum be allowed to be a surgeon. Because while he might be insanely smart his social skills aren’t on the same wave length as everybody else around him, thus patients and doctors alike have problems reacting to him. Leading to sometimes comedic moments but more often times than not some serious ones that the k-drama wasn’t too scared to address. If anything it had it’s moments when things would get “real” as they say. Cuz unfortunately there IS a lot of stigma around people with autism. Not only in Korea either but in many places all over the world today.

Thus the casting for something like it was a super important element. Because you needed someone who would be able to play the character both believably and above all else respectfully at the same time, right? Luckily the Kdrama found someone who could do exactly that and now it seems its American counterpart has seemingly done the same. In fact, to me hiring Freddie Highmore gives me faith they wanna do this right. If you have never seen him over on Bates Motel you would be doing yourself a terrible disservice. What he does as a young Norman Bates on that show is nothing short of masterful. He can make you feel a gambit of emotions within a single episode. One moment you can be cheering him on, the next you are scared of him because he is being all psychotic, then the next you find yourself pitying him. It’s crazy how quickly he can shift between gears and range of emotion. To me that makes him a perfect pick to tackle a complex role like this one. Oh and btw that show I just mentioned is on Netflix so yeah go watch it and familiarize yourself with his work in time for his new show. 😀

But getting back to what we were talking about, like I mentioned before the original focused on that important question and from the first trailer it looked like they were full on embracing it here as well. In fact I even found people after watching the trailer began to ask if they themselves would mind being treated by someone like him. To me that tells me that the writers are fully aware of what they are doing and that everything is on the right track. They know this is a chance to shine a light on something that we haven’t really seen much of on screen before. And to add on I can’t help but be intrigued by the more serious approach they also seem to be taking with this newer version. Because while the original did touch on some deeper subject matter it did ultimately fall on some typical K-drama tropes too. Yeah it wasn’t without its fair share of cheese. So It’ll be interesting to see how the two diverge. For example I’m curious to see how the romance angle will compare.

In addition to all that I think it’s important to not downplay how cool it is too see/have a main character who has autism. Because I think it’s awesome to represent everybody in our media. And usually with this type of character they would be regulated to a secondary character but here there is a chance to have somebody front and center who is actually fully fleshed out. Somebody who might even serve as an inspiration for those on the spectrum who might rarely get to see themselves represented in media at all.

…Aaand on the off chance that it does end up totally sucking…well you will always have the original to fall back on. But I truly believe it will be hard for this thing to fail and be bad. Why? Cuz if there is ANYTHING Americans can pull off it’s crime shows or hospital shows. 😛 And this is on ABC after all, remember Grey’s Anatomy anybody? Nuff said. Hahaha

Though if it does well in ratings and with critics you will need to buckle up. Because I’m sure you know very well they’ll try and get at least 10 seasons out of it. That’s potentially the biggest problem in my eyes. Well with all that said, what are y’all’s opinions in all this? I’m dying to know. The show will air it’s pilot September 25th I believe, so be on the lookout.  ^____^