Extraordinary You (2019)
Title: Extraordinary You
Hangul: 어쩌다 발견한 하루
Writer: In Ji-hye, Song Ha-young
Director: Kim Sang-hyub, Kim Sang-woo
Network: MBC
Episodes: 16
Extraordinary You is an adaptation of the webtoon “July Found by Chance” (어쩌다 발견한 7월) by Moo Ryoo.
Extraordinary You Cast and Characters
Kim Hye-yoon as Eun Dan-oh
Rowoon as Ha-ru
Lee Jae-wook as Baek Kyung
Lee Na-eun as Yeo Joo-da
Kim Young-dae as Oh Nam Joo
Jung Gun Joo as Lee Do-hwa
Lee Tae-ri as Jin Mi-chae aka the Dried Squid Fairy
Extraordinary You Plot Summary
Eun Dan-oh is a high school girl who discovers she’s a character in a comic book. Extraordinary You follows Dan-oh’s journey as she defies her predetermined fate, falls in love, and attempts to rewrite her story within the comic’s confines.
Is there a love triangle in Extraordinary You?
There are 2 love triangles in Extraordinary You:
- Dan-oh is in a love triangle with Ha-ru and Baek Kyung
- Ju-da is in a love triangle with Nam-joo and Do-hwa
Extraordinary You Ending Explained
Does Extraordinary You Have A Happy or Sad Ending?
If you’re a Dan-oh/Ha-ru fan, the ending of Extraordinary You is undeniably a happy one. Although the world of “Secret” and most of the characters we fell in love with are gone, Dan-oh and Ha-ru find each other in a new manhwa as extras. And because they aren’t named characters, they are free to do what they want (in the strict confines of the manhwa world anyway).
However, Extraordinary You’s ending is somewhat bittersweet because the world of “Secret” no longer exists and the absence of characters like Baek Kyung, Do-hwa, and Ju-da in the new story. But there’s also a sense of hope as there is always a possibility the Writer will draw the missing characters into the story bringing them back to life.
What Happened to Dan-oh?
Dan-oh’s heart condition worsens and at the end of Extraordinary You episode 28, Dan-oh flatlines at the hospital and dies despite Ha-ru’s efforts. Because she died in the Shadow, Dan-oh doesn’t disappear from the story but returns without her memories and self-awareness.
She reverts to her original set-up of being in love with Baek Kyung (even wearing his mother’s ring!) and not knowing Ha-ru.
With the help of Ha-ru and Baek Kyung, Dan-oh eventually regains her memories and self-awareness.
After becoming self-aware once more, Dan-oh returns the engagement ring to Baek Kyung and says ”Dan-oh of Secret wants to thank you, and Dan-oh of Flower forgives you” bringing him to tears. She tells him she hopes he can find his true self.
She is reunited with Ha-ru and she is determined to enjoy their time together and fulfilling her wish list of things she wants to do with him.
Of course, the happiness is short-lived as “Secret” is nearing the end and Ha-ru’s existence begins to fade. Ha-ru disappears leaving Dan-oh alone.
A year later, on graduation day, she finds a notebook Ha-ru left for her, filled with drawings of their story. Dan-oh thanks Ha-ru for being her first love and her fate as the world of “Secret” comes to a close.
In the new world, Dan-oh is older and runs through the Hani University campus as a nameless extra.
Initially, Dan-oh has no recollection of her past lives in “Secret” / “Flower”. But after spotting a sketch of her and Ha-ru at a campus art exhibit, her memories slowly return.
What Happened to Ha-ru?
Despite Ha-ru’s best attempts to change the Stage for Dan-oh as her heart condition worsens, Dan-oh is hospitalized and eventually dies in the Shadow.
After Dan-oh dies and returns without her memories and self-awareness, Ha-ru attempts to bring her back by re-enacting their most memorable moments like she did for him.
Ha-ru’s actions seem to jog her memory but only when Ha-ru changes the Stage (with help from Baek Kyung) does Dan-oh completely regain her self-awareness and memories.
Haru is happily reunited with Dan-oh, but the happiness is short-lived as his existence in the manhwa begins to fade. His nametag and locker are blank and his yearbook photo is beginning to fade, indicating that he is being written out of the story and will disappear soon as the Writer stops writing/drawing characters no longer needed in “Secret”.
Ha-ru is the first of the main characters to disappear/be written out of the story.
He leaves Dan-oh with a notebook filled with drawings of their story which she finds on graduation day before “Secret” ends.
In the new story, Ha-ru is a nameless extra in the role of a college student at Hani University.
READ: School 2017 Ending Explained
Do Dan-oh and Ha-ru End Up Together?
Yes, Dan-oh and Ha-ru end up together…eventually.
They don’t get their happily-ever-after in “Secret” as Ha-ru is written out of the story before the end and unable to fulfill Dan-oh’s wish of being on the final page with her.
But they find each other again in the Writer’s new story set in a university. This time, both Dan-oh and Ha-ru are nameless extras.
Dan-oh finds Ha-ru again, and despite his initial lack of recognition, they finally reunite,
He initially doesn’t recognize Dan-oh but eventually does and reunites with Dan-oh, free to be together as nameless extras free from the Writer’s wrath (until the story ends).
Does Baek Kyung Like Dan-oh?
In Episode 27 of Extraordinary You, Baek Kyung confesses to Dan-oh that he likes her. He admits that he wanted to hate her because he was pressured to be in a fake relationship with her because of his father. Despite his cruel behaviour, she kept liking him and gradually he began to like her back.
What Happened to Baek Kyung?
While Dan-oh is in the hospital, Baek Kyung grapples with the decision to remove her oxygen mask to kill and reset Dan-oh to her original setting. By killing Dan-oh in the shadow, Baek Kyung can make her forget Ha-ru and love him again.
As he reaches for the oxygen mask, Baek Kyung regains his memories from his life in “Flower” and realizes that it was him, not Ha-ru who killed Dan-oh in their previous life.
Baek Kyung removes the oxygen mask to kill Dan-oh but quickly changes his mind and puts it back on, unable to bring himself to kill Dan-oh a second time.
Although Baek Kyung is unable to go through with killing Dan-oh, she dies shortly after he leaves her hospital room anyway. So Baek Kyung gets what he wants without having to be the one to kill her.
With Dan-oh in love with him again, Baek Kyung is a good fiance to her in the Shadow and on Stage. Although Dan-oh previously told him her love for him was just for the Stage and not real, Baek Kyung chooses to believe the “new” Dan-oh’s feelings for him are real.
He takes Dan-oh on a cute Stage date doing whatever she wants and Kyung looks genuinely happy for probably the first time in the drama. But after the stage ends, Dan-oh calls Baek Kyung “Ha-ru” which troubles him.
Eventually, Baek Kyung accepts that Dan-oh on Stage is not the real Dan-oh. He also realizes wanting to keep her by his side knowing she’s not herself makes him a monster.
So Baek Kyung decides to help Dan-oh regain her self-awareness by teaming up with Ha-ru. Baek-kyung asks Ha-ru to change the stage and meet Dan-oh in his place for their date resulting in Dan-oh’s self-awareness and memories being restored.
One year later, Baek Kyung graduates with the rest of the class before the world of “Secret” comes to an end.
Sadly, Baek Kyung is not one of the characters shown in the new college manhwa/world.
What Happened to Joo-da?
Ju-da chooses the path of least resistance, embracing her role as the Female Lead of “Secret” / Nam-joo’s love interest and sticking to her predetermined fate on the Stage.
Unlike Dan-oh, Ju-da lacks the courage to fight against the Writer. Her Stage set-up with the bullying and hardships like her sick grandmother has been difficult for Ju-da to deal with and she doesn’t have the courage or desire to fight against the Writer.
She rejects Do-hwa in the shadow a final time, telling him he can live and be happy without her but Nam-joo can’t.
One year later, Ju-da is no longer being bullied and running the school with Nam-joo, who remains atop the school hierarchy despite his illegitimate/fortuneless status.
What Happened to Nam-joo?
Nam-joo is revealed to be his father’s illegitimate son so he will not be inheriting the family fortune. He refuses to go abroad despite his mother’s wishes and announces his illegitimate status publicly at school. Nam-joo is glad the family “Secret” is out and he can finally be himself.
One year later, Nam-joo is still at the top of the school hierarchy, happily dating Ju-da, and graduates with the rest of his classmates.
He never gains self-awareness, unlike the rest of the main characters in the drama.
In the new story, Nam-joo is no longer the male lead but a minor character, known as the worst dresser on campus. But he still loves strawberries.
Who Does Ju-da End Up With?
In Extraordinary You, Ju-da admits to having feelings for both Nam-joo and Do-hwa but ultimately she chooses to be with Nam-joo, both in the Shadow and on Stage.
On Stage, they declare their love for each other publicly to the dismay of Nam-joo’s fan club/Ju-da’s bullies.
But even after choosing Nam-joo, she later pitches a unique arrangement to Do-hwa in which she dates both boys.
She would spend 3 days (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) with Nam-joo and 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) with Do-hwa leaving 1 day (Sunday) for herself.
Sadly, Do-hwa does not take her pitch seriously but God bless Ju-da for trying.
One year later, Ju-da and Nam-joo are still happily dating with Ju-da being the clear boss in the relationship.
What Happened to Do Hwa?
In the Shadow, Do-hwa confesses his feelings to Ju-da multiple times and is also friendzoned multiple times. But Ju-da eventually admits that she likes Do-hwa too.
However, in the end, Do-hwa is firmly rejected by Ju-da who chooses to be with Nam-joo in the Shadow, as well as on stage.
Despite already being rejected earlier, Do-hwa laughs at Ju-da’s pitch for her to date both him and Nam-joo.
Do-hwa is not shown in the new college manhwa/world.
Do Soo Cheol and Sae Mi End Up Together?
In the new story set in college, Dan-oh’s best friends, Soo-cheol, and Sae-mi, are the main characters. Ju-da’s bullies have transformed into cool intellectuals. Sae-mi and her friends chat about the smart and handsome Soo-cheol, who they believe reciprocates Sae-mi’s crush because he’s always buying her food.
What Happened to Joon-hyun?
In the final episode of Extraordinary You, Joon-hyun comforts a lonely Baek Kyung, telling him he’s happy the writer made him his little brother and promising to always be by his side. He also tells Baek Kyung that he knows who his true self is.
Later, Joon-hyun tells Ha-ru he envies him for his courage to change his fate and that he’s decided to change his fate as well. Joon-hyun is determined to stay with Baek Kyung until the final scene of “Secret”.
Do Mi-chae and Soo-hyang End Up Together?
Mi-chae (The Dried Squid Fairy) and Soo-hyang share a bittersweet reunion before the author ends the world of “Secret”.
One year later, on graduation day, Soo-hyang finally admits to Mi-chae that she is also “self-aware”. She confesses that she thought she’d be happy just being near him, but it was too hard, and she missed him too much. Mi-chae embraces her, too happy to speak.
Mi-chae and Soo-hyang are not shown in the author’s new post-“Secret” story.
What Happens to the Characters When the Story Ends?
According to Mi-chae, when the story ends, the characters go into a deep sleep and are revived only when the Writer draws them again in a new story. As the story heads towards its conclusion, characters begin to disappear as the Writer stops drawing them.
Who is the Writer of Secret/Flower?
The Writer of “Secret” and “Flower” is never named or revealed.
What did you think of Extraordinary You?
