The thread is open.
Many of you know of my aversion to legal dramas. I find that many legal dramas provide an inaccurate depiction of lawyers and the legal system, and this infuriates me.
Take for instance the showboating at the trial of the hero Kang Han Soo. In real life, no attorney can get away with his kind of theatrics. The judge will have moved rapidly to control the courtroom and squash Han Soo’s crowd agitation. In the drama, however, his courtroom antics deliver a necessary plot twist. It also unveils an aspect of Han Soo’s identity, that is, behind his flamboyant facade, he’s ruthless at his job. His show of competence wins over the people and they begin to root for him.
Though it’s clear that the screenwriter’s prime objective is to show that attorneys like Han Soo have a critical and laudable function in a civil society, it’s clear as well that the script itself presents nothing fresh. Remove Han Soo from the Joseon setting and you’ll see that his character is unoriginal.
He’s the stereotypical anti-hero who’ll go to extreme lengths for a personal vendetta. We, the audience, can tell right away that his mission is to use his law degree to avenge his mother’s death and to take down some corrupt bigwig in the Joseon monarchy. We’ve seen this storyline play out plenty of times so what else is new?
Since I’ve long decided that life is too short to nitpick the substantive and procedural errors in legal dramas — and ruin other viewers’ enjoyment of the show along the way 🙂 — the least objectionable recourse for me is recusal. I avoid legal dramas in this blog.
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Anyway…
I wish the actor Woo Do Hwan success in his first drama after military service. His acting looked forced in the first few scenes, probably because he was still fine-tuning his role. I expect him to get his rhythm pretty soon. His co-star Bona (?) is as pretty as ever. It waits to be seen if she can deliver during the tough scenes.🤞
Enjoy the show!
Thank you @pkml3! @Cleo and @Fern, you asked for this thread on the What We are Watching in March thread.
How are you liking this show?
@packmule3, Recusals are good. Although I a not an attorney I spent the bulk of my career in criminal justice and labor relations. I’ve also made many appearances in criminal term courts either giving testimony or acting in a liaison capacity. I have worked with prosecutors and members of the defense bar. I get you. I generally don’t watch American police procedurals and court shows. I do watch Korean legal dramas primarily to see the differences in the systems. For example please, it looks .Ike riminal cases are presided over by tribunals. And when I watched Muvenile Justice with Kim Hye Soo (a favorite actress) it seemed as if judges take a more active part in engaging with n young offenders.And in police asks, it almost seems as if there is an attempt at restorative justice at the time of arrest.
I started Prison Playbook. Apart from visitation, our systems are so different. The idea of prisoners sharing a cell and sleeping together on the floor would be unheard of here. I have also been to detention facilities, jails and prisons as well as holding facilities in precincts. So different in South Korea. Like homes, so much is done on the floor.(I can see lots of Americans with interested sleep)And don’t get me started with the differences between probation and parole. And S. Korea uses its own version of Mjranda warnings.
For me the cultural and governmental differences are fascinating. That5 why I continue to watch.i also know one thing having traveled abroad. Awareness of other country’s laws and customs can save one a whole lot of trouble.LOL
Kalimera Ladies!
Thank you @Packmule3 for this thread!
@GB Unnie, I enjoyed the first episode and I will watch the second one shortly. I didn’t manage to do so yesterday.
It is interesting so far. We get to see a sageuk – world that is not that strict, I may be mistaken, but let me watch the second episode and I will come back for that.
It starts as comedy but has some dark elements. We get to see a King who is a puppet, his Court is ignoring him. A Princess who tries to help poor people in disguise and corruption in a big scale.
Woo Do Hwan has the most beautiful smile and I really mean it. I like to watch him on my screen and he is trying to find the character as @Packmule3 pointed it out!
I will be back!
Thanks for this thread, @PM3
I find my humor bone tickled with this show. I am rooting for Kang Han Su (esp now that we have the background) – although he plays dirty – i like that he saved his first client’s mom from committing suicide – then we find that he didn’t get to stop his own mom committing suicide- poor kid- he had to grow up fast. so he followed the footsteps of his dad to attain his revenge- i like. 1 down, 2 more to go? guess, the next guys will take longer. obviously.
i like that the princess is an undercover do-gooder. she’s brave in many ways already (and to put her life as collateral). so she wants to train Kang to be her servant? hahaha we shall see. Kang thinks she’s getting in her way haha. but i like her outfit as an assistant. she’s serious. sad how she tried to help the first client but didn’t go anywhere. tsk. sad king. like @cleo said, just a puppet. he tries.
to more of Woo Do Hwan’s smile –
Kalimera Ladies!
What to say about Joseon Attorney: A Morality?
As it seems, it is more than a revenge story. So far, we have learned who was responsible for killing Kang Han Soo’s parents, but as it seems Lee Yeon-Joo’s father the previous King.
Kang Han Soo cases are involved with the people who murdered his family and Lee Yeon Joo is meddling without knowing who he really is.
I am glad that she finally realized that the world is bad place, because people have made it like that and law cannot win when they have made it to suit them accordingly.
BTW, the Minister Yoo Je-Se is getting on my nerves. He is hallucinating that he is the King himself…
@HK_Lady,
Good to see you here!
@cLEO, good to be here, as well. thank you.
I was getting annoyed with Princess Lee Yeon-Joo’s meddling as well, but yes, she finally realizes that the world is a bad place through Kang’s perspective. Her “la vie en rose” glasses are shed. glad she was able to save Kang from drowning though. he’s hilarious. afraid of the water and his bouy has a hole in it. omg. poor guy. and there goes his boat?
i’m watching like 3 sageuk shows right now.. haha so i’m getting all characters a bit meshed together. ay yay. Although “blooming youth” is ending. 🙁
Kalimera Ladies!
I continue to watch this show and I have to say that it delivers.
It has a fine balance between comedy and drama and gives us satisfactory scenes with the main OTP, Kang Han Soo and So Won / Princess Lee Yeon-Joo.
So, what we have learned so far?
That the previous King and Legal Officer Kang were trying to transform the Joseon’s Law System for the commoners when two Ministers (Yoo Je-Se and Im Sang-Ho) found out and killed both of them.
The Princess tried to carry a letter Legal Officer Kang sent to her father and Minister Im along with Minister Yoo took it from her. The culprits murdered both of them in the same time.
So, not only Kang Han Soo has a revenge scheme but also the Princess aka So Wol who also has deep regrets.
The thing is that she is “using” in a way Kang Han Soo to strengthen her brother’s the King position because his Inner Court is being manipulated by Minister Yoo.
It is interesting to see that Minister Yoo’s son is so righteous and he doesn’t like what his father did / does. Although he is also the Princess betrothed, she doesn’t want to continue this marriage, because she blames his father for her father’s demise.
So, we have been left in a place where, Minister Yoo has Kang Han Soo’s sister in his side, and Kang Han Soo has the Princess.
So Won needs to tell him who she really is because if he finds out by their enemies, he will be devastated. Also, Kang Han Soo has to be elevated into a meritorious subject by the King, in order to be able to propose to her and their marriage can actually happen… o.O
P.S. @HK_Lady She finally realized the world. They have both outgrown themselves. Let us see how this will go.
Hello 💗
I am also still watching this show and loving it.
@cleo, i love their little confession moment. and the kiss. *giggle