Recently, the Japanese drama 'Alice in Wonderful Kitchen' has sparked plagiarism suspicions in connection with the Korean drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo.'

Local Japanese media, pointed out resemblances between the newly aired Japanese NTV drama 'Alice in Wonderful Kitchen' and the concluded ENA drama 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' from August 2022. They presented five pieces of evidence to back their claims.

'Alice in Wonderful Kitchen' follows the story of a talented chef with autism who often says, "Cooking is chemistry," navigating through life challenges, creating a heartwarming narrative. The cast includes Kadowaki Mugi, Nagase Ren, and Maeda Atsuko.

Shortly after the first episode aired, the said Japanese media highlighted similarities between the main character Alice (Kadowaki Mugi) in 'Alice in Wonderful Kitchen' and Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin) in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' both dealing with autism.

The character development of both Alice and Woo Young Woo is said to be alike. Both grew up with a 'single father,' and the close friends of the protagonists had troubled pasts but formed strong bonds by supporting them.

Additional evidence included both protagonists and their colleagues becoming romantic partners, and a character who knows the protagonist's past being the daughter of a large company.

Quoting a broadcast official, the local Japanese media commented, "There is no doubt that NTV wanted to create the Japanese version of 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,'" suggesting that they might have thought they could borrow some elements without being noticed.

Upon hearing this news, local netizens shared reactions like "You'll understand if you watch the drama yourself," "It's really similar, not just the profession," and "It's too identical."

Meanwhile, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' achieved a peak viewership of 17.5% (based on Nielsen Korea nationwide paid households) and concluded on August 18, 2022.

The series gained popularity on Netflix globally, topping categories in both non-English and English languages, and also reached the top in Japanese Netflix.

The first episode of 'Alice in Wonderful Kitchen' recorded an average household viewership rating of 6.2% (Video Research, Kanto region).

Source[1]

NewJeans' Minji touched fans' hearts with a handwritten letter on her birthday — even while the group is currently unable to promote due to legal issues.

On May 7, Minji celebrated her birthday by sharing a heartfelt message on the group’s personal SNS account, which the members opened themselves to stay connected with fans.

Minji began her letter with honesty, writing, “I think I’m living a busier life than I expected. When I finally looked up, it was already May, and it was my birthday.”

She admitted that she had a lot she wanted to say, but her thoughts felt “messy.” Still, her message to fans was clear, “I just hope that I, our members, and Bunnies can all be happy. Happiness is the biggest goal in my life.”

Minji then opened up about her personal journey and struggles, saying, “I sometimes think that running toward my happiness by doing what I love might look foolish to others. But isn’t giving up your happiness now for the sake of a future that might not even come… too harsh on yourself?”

Despite everything, she ended on a hopeful note, “I really miss the times when we shared our feelings through the good music we made together. But I always look forward to what’s ahead."

She added, "We didn’t stop here, and we’re not going to stop! It might look like we’re standing still, but I believe we’re growing deeper.”

Her message comes during a difficult time for NewJeans. The group announced last year that they were cutting ties with ADOR, their original agency, after trust was broken. They later began working independently under the new name ‘NJZ’.

However, ADOR responded with legal action — claiming the exclusive contract with NewJeans was still valid and asking the court to stop the group from promoting or signing deals.

The court sided with ADOR and granted an injunction, forcing NewJeans to pause their activities. Their appeal was rejected, and they’ve now filed a second appeal.

Through it all, Minji’s message proves one thing — even when forced to stop, NewJeans' hearts are still moving forward.

Source: [1]