Autumn Kaeul
I have to start out by saying that this is one of the BEST DRAMAS I have ever seen in my life. Period. The plot is incredibly refreshing and unique, and the drama does a great job of subverting viewers' expectations again and again--but in the best way possible. If you're looking for a great drama that will make you laugh, cry, and think about a number of important issues in society, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this drama!
STORY: The story/plot starts off seeming fairly stereotypical/in line with many typical K-drama tropes. However, by the 2nd and 3rd episodes it proves to be much different from, and much more realistic than, most K-dramas. As has already been stated, the story was written by a real judge who works at the Seoul Central District Court, which alone sets it apart from other legal dramas/K-dramas in general, and makes the personalities and perspectives of the main characters more realistic, believable, and empathetic. I, personally, don't have much interest in legal/crime stories. However, this drama focuses more on ordinary, everyday, human issues in society (i.e., sexism, sexual harassment, workplace bullying, classism, exploitation, etc.) that everyday people face and can empathize with/understand. The dialogue in this drama is very smart, witty, moving, and memorable. I loved the back-and-forth philosophical debates between the 3 main judges wherein they try to find out the truth and serve justice to the best of their abilities. And, while other people had some issues with it, I appreciated the subtle love story between Oh Reum and Ba Reun--I found it to be very realistic and refreshing, and I liked that it strayed away from most (but not all) of the classic K-drama rom-com tropes.
ACTING/CAST: I have to admit, I was a little wary of watching this drama due to the cast and I waited quite a while before finally watching it due to my reservations about it. I am NOT a fan of Go Ara, I thought she did okay in Reply 1994, but she is by no means one of my favorite actresses. Likewise, I was a bit prejudiced about L (Kim Myung Soo), since he is an idol-actor and I had never seen him act in any other dramas before, so I wasn't sure if his acting would be convincing or good. However, this drama put all my fears to rest. While a lot of people are bashing Go Ara's acting, she did OKAY, in my opinion. Her acting isn't great, and she definitely had some weak acting moments here and there (especially during the flashbacks to their school days), but her acting isn't terrible and it did not keep me from enjoying this drama at all. Kim Myung Soo, on the other hand, completely exceeded my expectations--he does a PHENOMENAL job in this drama. I absolutely LOVED his character, Im Ba Reun, and Myung Soo completely embodies this character from beginning to end. Needless to say, I became an L-fan after watching this drama, that's how good he is. Sung Dong Il and Ryu Deok Hwan are also EXCELLENT actors--their characters are super funny and likeable, and their acting was completely natural and convincing. The only reason I give the acting in this drama 8.5/10 is primarily because of some of the weak acting moments by Go Ara and some of the supporting cast. But Myung Soo, Dong Il, and Deok Hwan absolutely KILL IT in this drama.
MUSIC: The music in this drama is FANTASTIC and super on-point. I immediately downloaded all of the songs right after I finished this drama. It's super good.
REWATCH VALUE: I've already rewatched this series once from beginning to end (even though I don't usually rewatch dramas), and I've rewatched certain parts of it numerous times. You will definitely want to rewatch the touching scenes between the main characters (especially between Oh Reum and Ba Reun) again and again. There are so many moving scenes in this drama that will tug at your heartstrings and warm your heart.
OVERALL: This is drama is AMAZING. It is hands-down one of the best dramas I've ever seen and I'm shocked that it's not getting more attention/better reviews. It has some minor acting/writing flaws here and there (but most K-dramas do), but overall it is a beautiful, refreshing, unique, and heartwarming drama. Please watch it!
STORY: The story/plot starts off seeming fairly stereotypical/in line with many typical K-drama tropes. However, by the 2nd and 3rd episodes it proves to be much different from, and much more realistic than, most K-dramas. As has already been stated, the story was written by a real judge who works at the Seoul Central District Court, which alone sets it apart from other legal dramas/K-dramas in general, and makes the personalities and perspectives of the main characters more realistic, believable, and empathetic. I, personally, don't have much interest in legal/crime stories. However, this drama focuses more on ordinary, everyday, human issues in society (i.e., sexism, sexual harassment, workplace bullying, classism, exploitation, etc.) that everyday people face and can empathize with/understand. The dialogue in this drama is very smart, witty, moving, and memorable. I loved the back-and-forth philosophical debates between the 3 main judges wherein they try to find out the truth and serve justice to the best of their abilities. And, while other people had some issues with it, I appreciated the subtle love story between Oh Reum and Ba Reun--I found it to be very realistic and refreshing, and I liked that it strayed away from most (but not all) of the classic K-drama rom-com tropes.
ACTING/CAST: I have to admit, I was a little wary of watching this drama due to the cast and I waited quite a while before finally watching it due to my reservations about it. I am NOT a fan of Go Ara, I thought she did okay in Reply 1994, but she is by no means one of my favorite actresses. Likewise, I was a bit prejudiced about L (Kim Myung Soo), since he is an idol-actor and I had never seen him act in any other dramas before, so I wasn't sure if his acting would be convincing or good. However, this drama put all my fears to rest. While a lot of people are bashing Go Ara's acting, she did OKAY, in my opinion. Her acting isn't great, and she definitely had some weak acting moments here and there (especially during the flashbacks to their school days), but her acting isn't terrible and it did not keep me from enjoying this drama at all. Kim Myung Soo, on the other hand, completely exceeded my expectations--he does a PHENOMENAL job in this drama. I absolutely LOVED his character, Im Ba Reun, and Myung Soo completely embodies this character from beginning to end. Needless to say, I became an L-fan after watching this drama, that's how good he is. Sung Dong Il and Ryu Deok Hwan are also EXCELLENT actors--their characters are super funny and likeable, and their acting was completely natural and convincing. The only reason I give the acting in this drama 8.5/10 is primarily because of some of the weak acting moments by Go Ara and some of the supporting cast. But Myung Soo, Dong Il, and Deok Hwan absolutely KILL IT in this drama.
MUSIC: The music in this drama is FANTASTIC and super on-point. I immediately downloaded all of the songs right after I finished this drama. It's super good.
REWATCH VALUE: I've already rewatched this series once from beginning to end (even though I don't usually rewatch dramas), and I've rewatched certain parts of it numerous times. You will definitely want to rewatch the touching scenes between the main characters (especially between Oh Reum and Ba Reun) again and again. There are so many moving scenes in this drama that will tug at your heartstrings and warm your heart.
OVERALL: This is drama is AMAZING. It is hands-down one of the best dramas I've ever seen and I'm shocked that it's not getting more attention/better reviews. It has some minor acting/writing flaws here and there (but most K-dramas do), but overall it is a beautiful, refreshing, unique, and heartwarming drama. Please watch it!
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