Minami: An Extraordinary Attorney premieres in Japan

The Japanese drama ‘Minami: An Extraordinary Attorney’ (Minami Minamida wa Tensai-gata) premiered on October 19, 2026, on Fuji TV. The series is a remake of the hit South Korean drama ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo,’ starring Mana Ashida as Minami Minamida, a brilliant rookie lawyer with autism spectrum disorder.

In the first episode, Minami, a top graduate of the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law, faces professional prejudice before being hired by the prestigious Hirokawa Howard Law Firm. The premiere follows her first case involving a woman accused of attempted murder after striking her husband with an iron. Minami utilizes her unique perspective and legal expertise to argue for a charge of injury rather than murder, focusing on the husband's pre-existing medical conditions to secure a favorable outcome.

The production has received significant social media attention for its adaptation choices, such as replacing the original’s revolving doors with escalators and kimbap with onigiri to better suit the Japanese context. Viewers and critics have specifically praised Ashida’s nuanced performance and Fumiya Takahashi’s portrayal of the supporting character, Minato Funai.