Tag: Law

Review: Bad Prosecutor

Posted December 22, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Bad Prosecutor

Starring: Doh Kyung Soo, Lee Se Hee, Ha Joon, Joo Bo Young, Lee Shi Eon, Kim Sang Ho
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Action, Crime, Law
Country: South Korea
Director: Kim Sung Ho
Screenwriter: Im Young Bin

Jin Jung is a troublemaking prosecutor of the Central District Office. With a strong sense of justice and craziness, he punishes criminals more than they deserve. A Ra is Jung’s partner, a competent prosecutor who always judges issues objectively and handles them with a clean finish. Also at the Central District Office is the elite prosecutor Do Hwan, who believes money and power are everything. He is a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to go higher up. In a world corrupted with wealth and evil, the story of these prosecutors unfolds.

I really enjoyed seeing Kyung Soo in 100 Days My Prince and so I’ve been meaning to check more of his stuff out and when this came out, I jumped right in without even checking the blurb or a trailer first. This drama came onto my radar very randomly but I’m glad that it came across my radar because this was a pretty decent way to spend a couple of hours each week.

I thought the storytelling here was done well and though it wasn’t my favorite of the bunch of dramas that I was watching at the same time, it’s still plenty enjoyable and I definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for some good guy vs. bad guys action.

This drama centers around our main character, Prosecutor Jin Jung (Doh Kyung Soo) as he strives to take down all the bad guys in South Korea. He takes his job pretty seriously even though he is anything but the buttoned up prosecutor that one would think when thinking of prosecutors. He tackles each of his cases in a very unconventional way and I thought that worked for him. He’s got a driven personality that isn’t easily swayed but it was charming instead of annoying and like I said, it really worked for Prosecutor Jin.

When he lands himself in some trouble, he’s more determined than ever to prove his innocence and to bring the bad guys down. I wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to bring the bad guys down on his own since the bad guys were pretty powerful but I admired the hell out of his dogged determination to bring them down or die trying.

Prosecutor Jin wasn’t popular at the prosecutor’s office because of his chaotic way of working. He rubs everyone the wrong way but he had a loyal team that were just as unconventional as he was and I thought they complimented each other and him very well. They all worked really well together and even when they don’t get along, they never fail to come together when Prosecutor Jin needed them. I thought the team was charming and though they didn’t look like they’d go together, they worked really well together. I even liked the addition of Prosecutor Shin Ah Ra and Park Jae Kyung to the team. One is straitlaced and the other looks like he doesn’t care about anything but they fit into the team dynamics well and I enjoyed them.

The big bad in this show was evil as hell. I’m watching a lot of dramas where there is so much corruption in those that are in positions of power and this guy gave all of those other evils assholes a run for their money. He’s got his evil ass hand in every bad thing going on and the power to keep kicking the good guys down at every turn so it was low key frustrating that each week, the good guys had to keep fighting against so many obstacles that were put there by the rich and the powerful. What made it even more frustrating was how little care the bad guys had for what they were doing and who they hurt in their quest to get to the bigger prize around the next corner. Sure, that’s why they’re the bad guys but it still annoyed me.

The romantic in me wanted more of a romance between Prosecutor Jin and Ah Ra but I took the crumbs that we were given and made me own mind up about their feelings for each other so that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the show, haha.

Overall, this drama was action packed and had a charming cast that delivered a very enjoyable drama that had me excited to come back each week. I wasn’t ever bored and I thought Prosecutor Jin’s determination to do the right thing and how steadfast he was in keeping his hands clean and do right by the people made him a great character that I was happy to root for. The way that this story is told was fun and I’m super glad that I chose to watch it. Definitely recommend.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Posted December 8, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Starring: Park Eun Bin, Kang Tae Oh, Kang Ki Young, Jeon Bae Soo, Baek Ji Won, Jin Kyung
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Law, Life, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Yoo In Shik
Screenwriter: Moon Ji Woon
Where I Watched It: Netflix
Who I Watched It For: Kang Tae Oh

Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, 27-year-old Woo Young Woo graduated at the top of her class from the prestigious Seoul National University for both college and law school due to her high IQ of 164, impressive memory, and creative thought process. Working as a lawyer, she finds herself struggling when it comes to social interactions.

This drama came across my radar while browsing through Netflix right before the first episode dropped.

I’ve watched Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh in other dramas so seeing that they were starring in a drama together piqued my interest and I immediately added it to My List. I’m glad that I did because this show was a delight from beginning to end. Each episode showcased an interesting case that we saw our team of lawyers tackle and seeing the cases come together from start to finish made each week a fun viewing experience.

Was everything perfect? Of course not. But there was enough good in the show as a whole that I’m super glad that I watched it.

The Story

The story follows our favorite lawyer on the autistic spectrum, Woo Young Woo, as she starts her career in law at one of the leading law firms in Korea. With each passing episode, we get to know Young Woo as a person, as a daughter, as a friend, and lastly, as a lawyer. She’s new to her job but she’s smart and she’s straightforward and she’s on a team that isn’t perfect but seeing them tackle each case together (and sometimes against each other) made this show charming as hell.

I loved that we tackled a lot of things with Young Woo as well. We see her struggle and we see her fall in love and through all of it, we see how strong she’s always been and how strong she grows.

Main Male Lead

Lee Jun Ho was one of my favorite parts of this show. He was such a great male lead for Young Woo. There were moments when he disappointed me but his earnest love for Young Woo and the way that he loved her just the way that she was made me love him all the more. I thought he was great with Young Woo and great for Young Woo. He learned things about her, about the way that she sees things so that he can understand her and I loved that.

I loved that with every new thing he learns about Young Woo, his feelings for her grew. No matter what anyone said about them, what obstacle was thrown in their path, he was steadfast in his feelings. When he stands up for himself to Young Woo toward the end, my heart soared because while I understood why Young Woo did what she did, I still wanted them to trust in their love for each other to see things through together. Alls well that ends well though and Lee Jun Ho was such a delightful and loving character and I adored him to pieces. I loved Jun Ho so much that he’s at the very top of my favorite drama boyfriends of the year. Kang Tae Oh did such a great job of bringing his character to life.

Main Female Lead

Woo Young Woo was the very best part of this show. She was the heart and soul and seeing her struggle and then soar on her own made me so happy. There were many parts of the show that frustrated me, and it was mostly with the way that people treated Young Woo. They treated her like shit and a lot of it went over Young Woo’s head and that frustrated me even more. I connected with a lot of stuff that Young Woo went through and cheered her on from beginning to end. She had a unique way of seeing things and I loved that she wasted no time or energy on things that she didn’t think were worthy of her time. She stayed true to herself as often as she could and learned from her mistakes and seeing the way that her mistakes affected her made her all the more charming.

Park Eun Bin is such a great actress and I thought she did a great job with Young Woo’s character. It couldn’t have been easy and seeing in the behind the scenes, interviews, and everything else that she’s done to promote the show, it was nice to see how seriously she took her job. I’m also glad for her stance on a second season. I would have loved for this show to continue on and on forever, in all honesty, I don’t think it’s needed.

The Cast

My favorite secondary character was Young Woo’s boss. Myung Seok was the bomb. I loved that he wasn’t above doing better when he realizes that he messed up. He was the kind of leader that took care of his team and dealt with whatever problems arose as a team. He learned a lot from his team and his team learned a lot from him. I also really loved Young Woo’s best friend and her Dad. I loved the way that they loved Young Woo. Like Jun Ho, they loved her as she was and helped her navigate life when she didn’t understand anything and I just loved the relationships Woo Young had with all of them.

The character that I wanted to drop kick into Tuesday was freaking Min Woo’s punk ass and I didn’t even care for his little redemption arc in the end. He can still suck toes. The cast of characters all made this show such a delight. Lots and lots of great folks in this one.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a great show with a lot of heart, a lot of charm, and a whole lot of goodness that I fell right into this show head first. It’s hard not to root for Young Woo, her team, and just the show in general. While it wasn’t without it’s problematic stuff, like that whole thing with home dude that kidnapped those kids to show them a good time? That was weird and I don’t care what his motives were, how pure his heart was, if he had done that with my kid. There isn’t an excuse in the world that make me forgive anyone for taking my kid without my permission any fucking where. You want me to ease up on my child, then you fucking come and talk to me cause the shit that he did? Not cool. Not cool at all.

Aside from that case, I can’t remember if there were any other cases where I was mad but the ones that I do remember, they were interesting. Like the wedding case where her dress fell? Talk about embarrassing but I really liked that how that case ended and there were others that I was interested in and I really loved the way that each case came together, how Young Woo’s brain worked them all out and I really loved seeing her grow in confidence both professionally and personally. She was the very best part of this show and I enjoyed this show all the more because she was at the lead. Highly recommend this one.

Final Rating

4.5 out of 5

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Review: Why Her?

Posted November 17, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Why Her?

Starring: Seo Hyun Jin, Hwang In Yeob, Heo Joon Ho, Bae In Hyuk, Jo Young Jin, Kim Sun Hyuk
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Law, Melodrama, Mystery, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Park Soo Jin
Screenwriter: Kim Ji Eun
Where I Watched It: Viki
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Hwang In Yeop

The youngest partner at one of the nation’s most prestigious law offices, Oh Soo Jae has already proven she has what it takes to be one of the country’s best lawyers. Driven by her self-righteous principles and a never-ending desire to win, Soo Jae is well on her way to becoming one of TK Law Firm’s top attorneys. But when one of her cases takes an unexpected turn, Soo Jae is forced to watch as all of her hard work comes crumbling down around her. Demoted at work, Soo Jae is forced to take on the role of adjunct professor at a local law school. Determined to win back her position within the firm, Soo Jae does her best to settle into her new role but the sting of demotion still lingers. Only after meeting Gong Chan, a university student whose path frequently crosses with Soo Jae, does that sting begin to lessen. Despite carrying the burdens of a painful past, Gong Chan’s warm heart remains strong, especially as his affection for Soo Jae grows.

Obviously smitten with Soo Jae, Gong Chan stays by her side, even as she struggles to find a way back into the firm’s good graces. Will her determination and Gong Chan’s support be enough to restore her position, or will the powers that be continue to push her down?

Hwang In Yeop is the main reason this drama was on my radar. I really enjoyed his character and his acting in True Beauty so when I saw that he was starring in a new drama, I put it on my watch list. I was excited to see him in a role where he was the main lead. This drama was plot heavy but I really enjoyed the character development between the two main leads. It’s not my favorite drama of the year or anything but I enjoyed it a great deal any way.

The Story

This story follows our main female lead, Oh Soo Jae, who is a lawyer at one of the top law firms in Korea. When we first meet Soo Jae, it’s obvious that she’s working on adding more accomplishments to her already impressive resume but it isn’t easy for her. She’s gone through so much in her life and she’s worked hard to get where she is but being where she is comes with a lot of shit. She’s at the very center of everything that this show has to offer. She’s surrounded by so much corruption and is trying her best for redemption and each episode presented case after case after case that made reaching for the things she wanted so much harder.

The bad guys needed to be brought down because they were some serious bad guys and Soo Jae proved with every passing episode that she was the one to bring them down. When a case she’s working on goes bad, she’s sent to work as a law professor and that is where she meets our male main lead, Gong Chan. Gong Chan is a victim of the bad guys and when things heat up between Soo Jae and Gong Chan, we find out that there’s a deeper connection where the two of them are concerned. Things really take off when they start working together at the school clinic. They have the same enemy and though Soo Jae thinks she needs to take them down on her own, I was glad that she had a team that was ready to have her back against them.

Main Male Lead

Hwang In Yeop won me over in True Beauty so I was excited to see him tackle another role, a main lead role at that. Gong Chan’s story was an interesting one and it was one of my favorite things about the beginning of this drama. I wanted to see how he tackled all the wrongs that were done to him but there were times when I thought the story moved his part of the story really slowly. I also thought the way that his story was told was stilted and weird.

There were times when I didn’t buy that Gong Chan was mad. I wished he was a lot more mad than he showed. I liked how steadfast he was in his love for Soo Jae and I loved that he was a good person, with a good heart no matter how different his life turned out (through no fault of his own). My heart hurt for the things that he went through and when he finally gets the justice for everything he went through, I was relieved for him. I just wished that a lot of the way that things were handled where he was concerned, was handled differently. I still love me some Hwang In Yeop though.

Main Female Lead

Soo Jae is the main character in this drama and I thought she handled her role really well. She was a bad ass in the courtroom and I liked that thought she came off cold and reserved, she was fair and she was caring in her own reserved way. She was always thinking one step ahead of everyone else and it wasn’t hard to see why she was at the top of her game. She worked really hard to get there and suffered even harder on her way to the top. She wasn’t always at the top and the way that she fought her way up there and continued to fight at every turn was exhausting for me to watch so I’d imagine it was even more exhausting for her.

Second Lead

This is the second show that I’ve watched this actor in and I liked this guy a lot more in this drama than I did in the other one (My Roommates a Gumiho). Growing up in the family that he did, it wasn’t hard to see why he wanted to break away from those toxic pieces of shit but even as much as I admired him for that, I still didn’t want him to end up with the girl. I liked that he tried his best to protect everyone around him but his bratty attitude toward the main male lead wasn’t a good look for him and the more he balked at their romance and their feelings for each other, the more I was good on him.

The Cast

There are a lot of familiar faces in this drama and because of that, I thought I’d enjoy it a lot more. My favorite characters were everyone from the school. The team of law students that helped Soo Jae with the cases from the clinic. I loved how they each had a different role on the team and I really enjoyed the way that they all worked together.

The antagonists did their jobs well because I hated their asses. All of them. The way that they used their powers for evil, not giving one damn who was hurt in the process and sending innocent people to prison for things that they, themselves did make me mad and I stayed mad for a lot of the show. I especially hate Choi Tae Gook and Choi Joo Wan. Ugh, just saying their names in my head makes me mad. Haha. Anyway, everyone played their roles well.

Final Thoughts

This drama starts off really strong. I was invested in what happened with both Oh Soo Jae and Gong Chan. I came to love their people and the team that they both worked on. Though I don’t normally enjoy the student/teacher relationship, the way that this relationship came about soothed that beast for me so I wasn’t too annoyed about it.

The overall story being told here was emotionally driven and I liked that. Lots of revenge and bad guys that needed taking down and who better to take them down but Oh Soo Jae? I can’t say that I completely loved the entire show since there were chunks of the show that dragged for me and the story writing itself left me wanting more. The ending was satisfying and I’m not at all mad that I watched it.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

3 out of 5

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Review: Again My Life

Posted November 8, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Again My Life

Starring: Lee Joon Gi, Lee Kyung Young, Kim Ji Eun, Jung Sang Hoon, Choi Kwang Il, Hong Bi Ra
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Law, Mystery
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Viki
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Kim Ji Eun

Kim Hee Woo came from an inauspicious start as a low-grade high schooler to work his way up through university and finally pass the bar examination. His relentless hard work has finally paid dividends, and he has become a public prosecutor. During the course of his investigations, he must conduct a probe into a politician suspected of corruption. But his investigation is abruptly ended when a mysterious man kills him.

However, he later comes to, finding that he is actually alive. Restored to the mortal realm, he finds that he must return to university and complete his academic journey again – while he tries to discover the truth about what happened to him. On his journey, he encounters Kim Hee Ah, an exceptionally intelligent young woman who also happens to be the youngest daughter of the family that owns the wealthy Cheonha business group. As Kim Hee Woo and Kim Hee Ah intensify their search for answers, they discover that a shady cabal of rich power brokers may have played a part in his “death.”

I really enjoyed Kim Ji Eun in The Veil so when I went looking at other shows she was in, this one came up. I watched this entire show after all the episodes aired so I binged it over a weekend but every episode was interesting and I was rooting for Kim Hee Woo to get it right this time around and even though the romance was super small, I enjoyed Kim Ji Eun’s character in this show as well.

Our main character is offered a second chance at life if he promises to use that life preparing to take down the bad guys that he was fighting against in this life. He’ll return with his full memory in tact but he’s got a figure out how to get it right this time around. Interesting plot, right? I thought so and I’m glad that I gave this one a go because I enjoyed it.

Main Lead

This drama centered around our main lead, Kim Hee Woo, who was played by Lee Joon Gi. I haven’t watched very many shows with Joon Gi at the lead so this was my first one. I greatly enjoyed seeing him in action. I thought he did a great job leading this drama from beginning to end. His character was well rounded. He had me laughing, gasping in shock, and crying as well. I felt all of the feels watching this and I have zero complaints with Joon Gi’s delivery, with the way that he wove his character’s story and the way that he was dogged in his determination to bring the bad guys down. Gotta respect that and I did.

Second Lead

The second lead was the bad guy. I’ve seen him in several other dramas before and I can’t remember if he’s ever played a good guy. I will say that he plays the role of villain really well. I hated him in every single drama that I watched him in and this drama was no different. It was low-key scary how many people he had in his back pocket. The power he held in this drama was creepy at the same time that it was scary. It was satisfying to see him watch his dynasty crumble bit by bit because of Hee Woo’s drive to blow his shit up. There was no stone left unturned and I rather enjoyed watching Cho Tae Seob suffer with each passing episode.

Lee Kyung Young’s portrayal of Cho Tae Seob was a good one. He did his job well cause I hated his ass from the jump. I was actually surprised that he spread himself so thin on account of holding on to all of that power that he had. From the top to the bottom, there was someone from every walk of life working for him. And he was a real jerk, too. So they weren’t following him because they respected and wanted to help him, they were scared to do anything else. I was glad to see this guy fall from grace and I thought it was interesting, the way that Hee Woo did it too.

The Cast

Most of the cast was familiar to me from other dramas and I liked each and every single person. Everyone did their jobs well and I don’t have a gripe with anyone really. I really liked the team that Hee Woo put together and I liked everyone that came together to bring the big bad down. It was a lot of fun getting to know everyone and seeing how their small or big parts came together to paint a pretty awesome drama picture. I was happy with everyone.

The Story

The story was a fast-paced story that kept you interested with each episode. There are a lot of thrilling moments and scenes that had me wondering where it was all going. The story itself was solid and the cast did their thing in bringing that story to life. There weren’t too many gaps in the storytelling that I could remember and though there were some episodes that dragged a smidge for me, for the most part, I enjoyed it. The only thing that I would have wished for is for the romance to have played a bigger role in the overall story. Still, some romance is better than no romance, right? I just felt that the romance was barely there and then BAM, they’re engaged and then even bigger BAM, they’re living happily ever after…like what?

Overall, this was a fast-paced, action thriller of a drama that had me gripped in each episode. While it wasn’t the most perfect of dramas, it came pretty close and if you’re in the mood for a mystery, some fantasy, and a great cast of characters, pick this one up. It’s a good one, I promise.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

4 out of 5

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Review: Military Prosecutor Doberman

Posted October 25, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Military Prosecutor Doberman

Starring: Ahn Bo Hyun, Jo Bo Ah, Oh Yeon Soo
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Action, Military, Law
Country: South Korea
Where I Watched It: Viki
Recommended By: Ahn Bo Hyun
Who I Watched It For: Ahn Bo Hyun

Do Bae Man became military prosecutor only to make more money and be successful. On the other hand, Cha Woo In, recently joining Bae Man’s team, became one for her revenge. As these two different purposes shows, the two have very different backgrounds and personalities. However, as they work on the same case, Bae Man and Woo In help each other and even grow together as fine military prosecutors.

This drama came on to my radar after I stopped hating Ahn Bo Hyun from Itaewon Class and fell in love with him in Yumi’s Cells. When I saw that he was going to be in a military drama, I was all in.

The first half of this show started off strong. I was interested in everything going on in each episode but the second half lagged a bit. The ending felt like it came super fast and though I was ready for the ending, I wasn’t completely blown away with the ending that we got. That’s not to say that I hated the show at all, it just wasn’t the favorite that I was expecting it to be.

I love me some Ahn Bo Hyun and I thought he delivered a fantastic performance in this one. I loved him, his character, and was rooting for him in the most background romance ever. The romance lover in me wanted the romance to be more front and center but I wasn’t mad about what we got. Jo Bo Ah was a great female lead. I enjoyed her vigilanti ass and loved how kick ass she was. Their pairing made me happy too so that was good.

The overarching story being told here about Noh Tae Nam and Noh Hwa Young was interesting as well. I won’t say that it didn’t come without it’s fair shares of frustration but I was invested in what was going on and I wanted to beat both Noh’s with a bat throughout most of the show but in the end, the one that redeems themselves won me over. I cried in the end (yes, even when I thought things moved a little slow) and that was a testament to how great everyone’s acting was.

Overall, this drama packed a bunch of action, with an interesting story, a colorful cast that moved the story between episodes nicely. Now, if the ending had matched the beginning in pacing then I think I would have given this one a higher grade but still, it wasn’t a bad watch by any stretch.

Final Rating

3.5 out of 5

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