The value of a Korean drama continues to be assessed even after its broadcast ends. While viewership ratings and buzz show a drama's performance during its run, works that viewers choose again over time carry another kind of meaning. The Globe Netizen Awards' Masterpiece Award in the acting category is a stage where a drama's lasting influence can be examined from this perspective.

As of 4:46 p.m. on the 23rd, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' starring Park Eun-bin, is leading the Masterpiece Award race. Interest in this work has not remained confined to South Korea. With the emergence of 'Woo Young-woo'-style drama 'Genius Lawyer Minami Mina,' starring Mana Ashida in Japan, an opportunity has arisen to compare how Korean and Japanese actors portray similar characters.

■ Voting Status: 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' in Overwhelming First Place With 69.5%

In the Globe Netizen Awards Masterpiece Award voting for the acting category, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' is in first place with 98 votes, a 69.5% share. Second place went to 'Lovely Runner' with 15 votes (10.6%), and third place to 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' with 8 votes (5.7%).

The three works met viewers with different stories and sensibilities. While 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' focused on a character's growth unfolding in courtrooms and daily life, 'Lovely Runner' was a romance dealing with time and love, and 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' depicted people's relationships and everyday lives in a seaside village. The fact that works with different genres and narratives compete for a single Masterpiece Award is an interesting feature of the vote. It is not a matter of ranking genres against each other, but rather a process of confirming which work has remained longest in each viewer's memory.

■ Park Eun-bin vs. Mana Ashida: The Meaning of Korea-Japan Drama Comparison

'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' is particularly noteworthy again through comparison with the Japanese drama. Woo Young-woo, played by Park Eun-bin in the Korean version, and Minami Minamida, portrayed by Mana Ashida in the Japanese version, are characters that allow comparison of the actors' modes of expression and the cultural contexts of the respective productions.

Park Eun-bin's Young-woo was portrayed as an attorney with a unique way of thinking and outstanding legal ability, who also experiences difficulties and change within social relationships. The work captured not only Young-woo's process of solving cases but also her building relationships with colleagues and expanding her own life. The character shown by Mana Ashida in the Japanese version prompts the thought that even stories of the same kind can be expressed differently depending on the actor and production environment. In comparing the Korean and Japanese versions, not only differences in acting but also legal culture, workplace relationships, and the ways characters' emotions are conveyed become important elements of appreciation.

What matters in such comparisons is not determining which actor is superior. It lies in examining how characters of the same disposition are interpreted through different actors and what meaning they convey to viewers in each country. In that sense, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo's' lead in the Masterpiece Award race serves as an occasion to revisit the work. Regardless of the Japanese version's appearance, the vote makes it possible to confirm how viewers remember the power of the story the Korean version left behind.

■ Reappraisal That Continues After Broadcast Ends

The meaning of the Masterpiece Award does not stop at confirming which work currently records the highest vote share. It is also significant in that it provides an opportunity for dramas that have already finished airing to be reevaluated. Some viewers may newly appreciate scenes or characters' emotions they failed to notice during the original broadcast as time passes.

Although 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' is currently ahead by a considerable margin, its tally of 96 votes shows that there is still room for more voting participation. The current rankings also do not represent a final evaluation of the works as a whole.

■ Reflecting Memories in Results Through Voting Participation

This is where the importance of voting participation becomes evident. Memories and impressions of a favorite work remain in one's heart, but voting is the way to reflect that choice in actual tallies. No matter how deep one's affection for a work, if one does not participate in the vote, that preference is not included in the results.

In particular, the Masterpiece Award prompts viewers to think about which works they want to recall even after time has passed, rather than momentary buzz around new releases. In the process of choosing a work, viewers can revisit the lines, scenes, character growth, and story endings that have stayed with them. For viewers supporting 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' it is a chance to once again back the story of Young-woo played by Park Eun-bin, and for fans of 'Lovely Runner' and 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha,' it is also an opportunity to express each work's appeal through voting.

It is noteworthy that amid renewed interest sparked by the Korea-Japan drama comparison, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' continues to lead the Masterpiece Award race. However, the true meaning of the vote lies not merely in the leading work's vote share but in viewers who remember various works reflecting their choices in the results. A masterpiece does not vanish from viewers' memories simply because its broadcast has ended. Which work remains loved for a long time is ultimately revealed through the choices of those who remember it. The Globe Netizen Awards Masterpiece Award voting is a place where that memory can be expressed with a single vote.

[This article was written based on the tally figures shown on the Globe Netizen Awards voting screen. Vote counts and rankings may vary depending on the time of tallying, and comparisons and interpretations of the works include a critical perspective. AI provided some assistance.]