THE SHORT VERDICT:

Unassuming, low-key and slice-of-life, this show would easily get passed over for more exciting dramas, I feel like.

However, I have to say that this one grew on me very well, so much so that I felt wistful to say goodbye to these characters, by the time I approached the finale.

This might not be as dramatic or as exciting as some of its drama cousins, but it’s got interesting cases handled with heart, and the friend group at the center really does come together to carry this show, by its later stretch.

Solid and enjoyable, on balance.

THE LONG VERDICT:

The funny thing about this show, my friends, is that it’s really low-key and leans on the subtle side of things, so much so that I think some viewers would find it boring – but as it turns out, it works for me, and really quite well.

I genuinely got to a point where I just liked hanging out with our central characters, and seeing what they encounter, in the course of their work as attorneys.

This show could have been twice as long, and I wouldn’t even have minded, to be honest. 🥲

If your taste in dramas is like my taste in dramas, you might really like this one too.

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

Overall, I found the music in this show to be very enjoyable. There’s a laidback sort of vibe that permeates the entire OST that I really enjoy.

In fact, there are some jazzy interludes in the background music that’s employed, that I thought was quite different from most other dramas, and that which I thought worked really well to bring out Show’s particular flavor and color.

In terms of a favorite, I’m picking Track 5, After the Rain, which I really enjoy the groove of. It’s kind of smoky and laidback, and it’s got that signature 6/8 rhythm that I so often find myself gravitating towards.

Here it is on its own as well, in case you’d prefer to to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about stuff I liked on a more macro level, before I give the spotlight to selected characters and relationships, in a separate section. Finally, I spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate and finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are some things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. Show takes a while to settle

To be honest, I’d found the dialogue a little too unnatural at first, and I’d also found Show’s efforts at quick characterization a little heavy-handed, thus making everything lean a bit caricature-y to my eyes.

However, Show did start to settle for me, by the end of episode 1.

So give it a bit of time; Show should settle, after a bit.

2. Show is slice-of-life

In fact, I found it helpful to think of this as being kinda-sorta like Resident Playbook (review here!) – but make it law.

You might find it helpful to know that the relationships in this show really started to pop for me, by around the episode 5-6 mark.

3. This is not romance-forward

There is a main loveline in our story, but even then, I’d say that Show isn’t big on romance, and this main loveline ends up being treated with a rather restrained sort of hand.

Knowing to expect that, helps, I think.

STUFF I LIKED

Interesting legal cases

If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’d likely know that I’m usually more about characters and relationships than about cases of the week.

So color me completely surprised, that it was the case of the week that first drew me into this show, managing to pique my genuine interest enough to entice me to continue watching, at a point when the characters and relationships hadn’t yet settled, for me.

That’s saying something, yes?

That’s when I looked up Lee Seung Hyun, the writer for this show, and learned that he’s a practicing lawyer who’d wanted to make the legal profession more accessible to viewers through this drama.

That’s likely why I found the case more naturally interesting than in most dramas; writer-nim had been drawing from his professional experience, to write it. 😉

I’m impressed that writer-nim manages to make the cases of the week interesting and compelling to me, ie, a layperson who has no special interest in law.

I consider that a big plus, because I’d honestly expected my eyes to glaze over at some point, while Show delved into the legal stuff, but that didn’t happen.

I generally found the legal cases interesting and thought-provoking, much more than I’d originally expected.

The friend group

Like I mentioned earlier, it did take some time for the characters and relationships to really grow on me, but grow on me they definitely did.

By the halfway point in my watch, I felt like the relationships were starting to come through, and show up in ways that I found heartening and heartwarming, and this definitely made the watch so much more enjoyable and worthwhile, to me.

Similarly to how things worked out in my first couple of episodes of Resident Playbook (again, review here!), I did also feel, here, that I got a better general sense of each member of the friend group, after some time, and grew to really enjoy the characters and their group dynamic.

When Show is thought-provoking

Overall, I found the cases to be more interesting and thought-provoking than I’d expected, and I really appreciated this dimension of our story, where Show challenged me to consider different points of view.

Here are few examples from various episodes, to illustrate what I mean.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. In the eviction case in episode 2, we can see both Hui Ji’s and Ju Hyeong’s point of view.

From Hui Ji’s point of view, helping the man not to be evicted is the right thing to do.

On the other hand, Ju Hyeong’s point – that this kind of ruling affects the entire system, and would end up hurting the interest of the general public in the end – is valid too.

I like that Show offers these thought-provoking ideas, which I find valid and interesting.

E3-4. I appreciated learning something new; that all surgeons operate with their right hands, even if they’re left-handed, because this is the surgical protocol.

Although, if that’s the case, shouldn’t it be more widely known, particularly in court, where surely the judge has presided over such cases before..? 🤔

In any case, I found it thought-provoking, that doctors can’t predict or prevent sudden deaths, and this can become a mental and emotional burden for them.

Which is why this doctor had wanted to apologize, even though he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

E5-6. One of the main ideas I’m noticing in these episodes, is that very often, things aren’t what they appear, and this notion shows up multiple times, in various arcs, whether it’s to do with a case of the week, or a person or relationship, in our main cast of characters.

Like that case where the teacher is falsely accused of hitting his students, for example.

At first glance, the teacher looks so strong and burly, that one would tend to think that he’s capable of hitting his students, but in the end, it’s true that it was something that the kids had fabricated, in order to get the teacher into trouble.

Just goes to show that:

1, A kid is not necessarily innocent, even though they might be young, and

2, Kids tend to take after their parents, whether via nature or nurture; those parents were horrible, and it’s not too surprising, that the kids they raised, would be horrible in similar ways.

Or that case where the drunk guy felt wronged, that the police accused him of taking a watch that he has no memory taking.

What a surprise, for him and for me too, to realize that he had taken the watch after all, but just doesn’t remember it, nor what he did with it.

I guess we don’t always know ourselves the best, and there can be blind spots too, that we’re not aware of.

E7-8. I thought the voice phishing case was an interesting one, and I also liked how Chang Won handles the case, with sympathy and compassion.

It’s quite mind-boggling to me, that an innocent person looking to get a loan, could be implicated as aiding and abetting fraud, when she’d gotten nothing out of the entire process, so this was quite an eye-opener, for me.

To my mind, it really makes no sense that that lady be found guilty, when she’d been used by the actual mastermind, to commit the crime, so I’m with Chang Won in feeling that the ruling is unjust.

At the same time, I can see, from a systemic point of view, why the prosecution would want to punish the cash mule in the case; they want to make an example out of this woman, so that other people won’t be as likely to fall for the same trick, and this would then help to reduce these types of crimes.

Of course, I feel bad for the poor lady, because while the prosecution looks at her as a statistic, this is her life that we’re talking about, and she’d have to spend years in prison to pay off the fine that they’ve slapped her with.

I do love how compassionate Chang Won is, in wanting to lend her the money so that she can avoid jail time, but at the same time, I can see how this would not be a sustainable way to approach his work and his clients.

Altogether very thought-provoking indeed.

[END SPOILERS]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Handling of the OTP connection [BROAD SPOILERS]

I have mixed feelings about Show’s handling of the loveline between Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji.

On balance, it definitely feels like Show’s handling of this loveline was quite uneven.

In terms of the balance between group interactions and potential OTP interactions, I’d expected (from watching other ensemble shows like Hospital Playlist and Resident Playbook) that the focus would lean more in favor of the group interactions, with potential OTP interactions taking a more secondary place, in terms of focus and screen time.

Instead, the exploration of this loveline took up a lot more screen time than I’d expected, up to the point where we get a minting of the OTP relationship.

And then, after that, the relationship is quickly pushed to the sidelines, with couple moments only showing up from time to time, when before, this loveline had taken up the lion’s share of screen time.

This approach felt unbalanced to me, and landed as a bit whiplashy for me personally. Like, oh, now that the OTP is minted, are we not interested in them anymore..?

I do feel like it was unnecessary for Hui Ji and Ju Hyeong to have that Hong Kong backstory, because I don’t feel like it added a lot to our story, and it also did feel like we spent extra screen time on this loveline, because of the Hong Kong backstory.

Perhaps the screen time spread would have felt more balanced, if writer-nim hadn’t been trying to work with this Hong Kong backstory?

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Lee Jong Suk as Ju Hyeong

I have to admit that Ju Hyeong took a while to grow on me, as a character, and a lot of that had to do with how he comes across as rather cold and distant, from the get-go.

However, Show does a really nice job of peeling back the layers, to give us glimpses into what really makes Ju Hyeong tick.

I found myself growing to respect him as a lawyer, then eventually coming to respect and like him as a person.

Also, I wanted to say that I think Lee Jong Suk does a nice job of the role, making Ju Hyeong approachable enough to read, despite Ju Hyeong starting out as a distant sort of character, and despite Show leaning on the subtle and low-key side, as a general rule.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. The flashbacks show that Ju Hyeong had started out idealistic too, where he’d wanted to believe his clients, but had been disappointed over and over again, such that now, nine years into the job, he’s found that it’s just safer and easier to not get emotionally involved at all.

Honestly, I feel like it’s very understandable, that Ju Hyeong’s chosen this way of handling his work; I think I’d likely make a similar choice, if I were in his shoes.

E3-4. I do think that Ju Hyeong conducts himself in the best way possible, given the difficult circumstances, of representing his ex-girlfriend’s ex-husband .

It does seem like the best course of action, to stay professional, and avoid any personal conversation with Su Jeong (Lee Yoo Young), at least in my opinion.

We don’t know the full story of what had happened between Ju Hyeong and Su Jeong that they’d gone their separate ways, and I can only conclude, based on circumstantial evidence, that she’d broken up with him to marry her husband – which is why these circumstances are all the more painful for Ju Hyeong, and humiliating for her, I think.

Even though Ju Hyeong remains professional and impassive throughout the proceedings, we do eventually see that he does care enough about Su Jeong, to urge her to do everything that she can do, and to also show his anger to Su Jeong’s cad of an ex-husband.

Honestly, I have to admire Ju Hyeong for his self-control, because Ex-husband is such a jerk, that I would’ve lost any sense of calm I’d had, long before Ju Hyeong did. 😅

Ex-husband says and does a lot of horrible things, but the worst of them, I feel, is that he’d decided to get Ju Hyeong as his legal counsel, knowing that Ju Hyeong and Su Jeong had used to date.

UGH. That manipulative piece of trash. 😡

I did feel a stab of satisfaction, when Ju Hyeong tears up those gift certificates, and then, when Ex-husband starts getting handsy with him, warns Ex-husband that there will be evidence, and that he won’t settle, which is when Ex-husband storms off – hopefully for the last time.

E5-6. I’m glad that things end on such a mature, cordial note between Ju Hyeong and Su Jeong, where they wish each other well, and agree not to meet again.

This feels like an important pieces of closure for them both, and I feel like you can see them both gain peace, from this exchange.

E7-8. I thought it was an interesting insight, in episode 7, where we see that Ju Hyeong’s friends tend to call him when they’re in trouble and want some quick legal advice, but then feel uncomfortable in his presence, because they can’t forget that he knows their shameful secrets.

I found quite a bit of pathos in that, because that puts Ju Hyeong – and any other attorney, really – in a difficult position.

As a friend, you want to help, but then, when you listen and give the advice that’s being sought, you end up paying the cost of a new sense of distance in the friendship.

That sucks, honestly, and I feel bad for Ju Hyeong, and understand why he’s known to avoid class reunions.

And, I do feel like he’s being quite the trooper about it, pretending to not remember things, and pretending not to know things, while not actually getting upset or rubbed the wrong way, when his friends act weirdly around him.

But of course, part of Ju Hyeong’s serene mood could absolutely have to do with the fact that he and Hui Ji are getting along very well, and in that tantalizing space between friend and lover, where you just know that there’s something special there, but haven’t put a label on it yet. 😁

I mean, just look at the way they wave at each other so happily, when the gang decides to go to the same bar where Ju Hyeong’s class reunion is happening, yes?

I was half amused and half secondhand mortified, with the way Ju Hyeong tries to prevent his friend from getting to know Hui Ji, by claiming that Hui Ji hates blind dates, but the whole point of this scene – to show us that Ju Hyeong’s feelings are rising closer and closer to the surface – is fine by me.

[END SPOILER]

Mun Ga Young as Hui Ji

Hui Ji is the new arrival who joins the group at the beginning of our story, and thus shakes up the group dynamics, as well as Ju Hyeong specifically (due to OTP reasons, of course).

She’s presented as being extremely idealistic and empathetic; someone who’s led more by her heart than her head.

I’d imagined that Hui Ji’s growth would have more to do with learning to balance her heart and her head, but in the end, her growth turns out to have more to do with learning to follow her heart.

While I appreciate the idea that Hui Ji’s clear-eyed idealism is there to challenge more jaded points of view (specifically Ju Hyeong’s), I must admit that there were times when I didn’t like her behavior too much.

I will talk more about Hui Ji later on, especially in the section where I talk about her connection with Ju Hyeong, but for now, I wanted to illustrate what I mean, when I say that sometimes, her behavior ended up rubbing me the wrong way.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I can understand Hui Ji’s curiosity to know more about Ju Hyeong’s case once she realizes that it involves his ex-girlfriend, since she is still attracted to Ju Hyeong, so I don’t judge her for low-key stalking his case, if only to know the progress and outcome, and thereby get a sense for what he’s going through as well.

However, I don’t appreciate her low-key snarky tone when she greets him at the elevator in episode 4, where she remarks that he looks so unhappy, first thing in the morning.

I also think that her telling him that she knows that he’s handling Park Su Jeong’s case, and asking if he’s ok with that, and that he should have protested the assignment when it had been given, is crossing the line.

It just doesn’t seem to me like she knows him well enough, for her to be in a position to say such stuff to him.

The thing that niggles at me, is that she doesn’t seem to think that she’s overstepped, in saying this to him (yes, even if she has a point, because, well, it’s not her business, right now).

I feel less strongly about that beat later in the episode, when she sees Su Jeong lingering outside their office building, and approaches her, so that she can tell Su Jeong that Ju Hyeong’s left for the day – when he’s really still in the office.

The reason I feel less strongly about this, is because she catches herself afterwards, and seems chagrined, that she’s crossed the line.

However, with that earlier beat, she doesn’t seem to feel like she’s crossed a line at all, and that does low-key bug me, and make me want Show to redeem her on this front, going forward. 😅

[END SPOILER]

Kang You Seok as Chang Won

Honestly, with the way Show introduces Chang Won as a gregariousi motor-mouth, I immediately felt like Kang You Seok’s getting typecast, because Chang Won being a gregarious motor-mouth, is honestly extremely similar to the last character I saw him play, in Resident Playbook (again, review here!).

It basically seemed to me like Jae Il had quit medicine to become a lawyer, seriously. 😁😅

However, credit to writer-nim and to Kang You Seok, Chang Won did eventually land as his own character, after a while.

In terms of Chang Won’s trajectory of growth, it has a lot to do with figuring out where his true passion lies, and we see him grappling with this on a pretty regular basis, over the course of our story.

Here’s one example, just to illustrate what I mean.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I did feel bad for Chang Won, when he’s given that task, to visit that rich dude’s son at the detention center, not to offer him any legal help, but to just chat with him.

That’s quite demeaning, and that’s even before we take into account the fact that the detained son is utterly ungrateful and disdaining, when Chang Won actually shows up.

Ugh. Talk about a thankless task.

I feel bad for Chang Won, because this really undermines his value as a lawyer, and to make matters worse, it’s an assignment from his Managing Partner (Lee Seo Hwan), which means that this is how his boss sees him.

Or at least, this is how Chang Won would naturally conclude that this is how his boss sees him.

I really can’t blame him for questioning whether this kind of work really is for him.

[END SPOILER]

Ryu Hye Young as Mun Jeong

I ended up really enjoying Mun Jeong as a character.

She’s so hardworking and earnest, even though her Managing Partner (Park Hyung Soo) is often dismissive and unappreciative. The fact that Mun Jeong continues to have passion for her work in spite of this, really endeared her to me.

Plus, the more we see of Mun Jeong, the clearer it becomes, that she really is excellent at her job, and I do love that.

On a more frivolous note, I know that not everyone agrees on this, but I just had to say that I think Ryu Hye Young looks quite cute and fetching in that short bob. 🤩

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. Mun Jeong is the only girl in the group until Hui Ji comes along, and I feel like she’s kinda like one of the guys, but also kind of still functions as the princess of the group, a dynamic that I find quite fascinating.

Like, she’s definitely outspoken, and can give as good as she gets, in terms of ribs and jokes, but also, when she demands that everyone wait for her before they start eating, they all obediently do just that – even as they grumble about it.

I find that quite cute! 😁

E5-6. I love that beat when Mun Jeong finally tells her husband, Ji Seok (Yoon Kyun Sang), that she’s pregnant.

At first, it really looks like he’s not interested in kids and wouldn’t be happy about her pregnancy, from the way he remarks that it’s too scary to bring up kids these days, and from the way the line goes dead, right after she tells him over the phone, that she’s pregnant.

But again, all is not as it seems, because Ji Seok soon pulls up in front of her office, all in a blubbering mess, because he’s so afraid that he’s scared her by apparently hanging up on her, when his phone battery had actually died, and also, because he’s just so overwhelmed with joy, at the idea that they’re going to have a baby.

It’s super sweet, and I just love how he fusses over her and bundles her up in the car, to take her home.

ADORABLE. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

Im Sung Jae as Sang Gi

Sang Gi starts out as one of the more opaque characters in our core group, but right away, I found myself just liking the fact that Sang Gi’s a food blogger, and takes picture and videos of all their meals, to upload to his blog.

A lawyer who’s passionate about food, enough to make time to blog on the side? That does endear him to me, even though there are other things that he does that I’m not so hot about, like the way he continually won’t press the lift button for Chang Won, even though Chang Won keeps asking him to.

Looking back, I’m honestly quite surprised by how well Show peels back the layers to his character, while making me care, in the process.

I’m very pleasantly surprised to say that by the end of our story, Sang Gi had become one of my favorite characters in this story. 🥲

I will talk more about Sang Gi in the next section where I talk about the group itself, but for now, here’s a beat where I found my heart going out to Sang Gi.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. These episodes, Sang Gi is confronted by the pain of his client, and the widow of the defendant, from whom they’re claiming damages.

Technically, I don’t think (as a layperson anyway) that Sang Gi’s done anything wrong, in that, he’s doing his best to establish his client’s position, in a difficult situation.

But, when you take the question of humanity and empathy into account, Sang Gi’s recommendation to include the children in the lawsuit does land as rather heartless.

However, there lies the thought-provoking bit, because it’s a tricky thing; at what point and under what circumstances is it considered appropriate to show empathy in a case?

When Hui Ji does it, it’s looked upon as kind of naive; like she’s just too young and inexperienced to know any better. But when Sang Gi doesn’t do it, he’s cursed by the perpetrator’s widow.

It feels like there’s no simple answer, but I’m still glad that Show shines the spotlight on the issue for us to ponder.

[END SPOILER]

The friend group

Like I alluded to earlier in this review, the friend group does take some time to come to the forefront, in terms of closer, deeper, more meaningful relationships than what we see, at the beginning of our story.

I like the way we get to see this develop, as the friends find themselves in situations where they stand by one another, and back one another up in real and meaningful ways. 🥲

I loved these beats the most, during my watch, and here, in this next spoiler section, is a quick spotlight on some of the best group moments.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. The biggie in these episodes, is the whole thing around Sang Gi, and whether he’s a hidden chaebol prince.

I felt bad for Sang Gi, when all of this was going down, because he looked utterly stuck and miserable, and no one seemed to believe anything he said.

In the end, though, the scenes with the friends, really were the most heartwarming thing about these episodes.

I love how Ju Hyeong starts the ball rolling, by admitting to the group, that he’d recently taken on a case where Su Jeong had been the plaintiff, and it had been very uncomfortable, which leads others in the group to also admit their struggles.

Because, yes, again, things may not be as fine as they look, and it’s true that each of them has their own struggles and burdens that they may not want to share with others, for fear that it would make them look small.

It felt like such a giving, loving thing to do, for each of them to tell the group their secrets, with Chang Won admitting that he’s been doing visitation work, and Mun Jeong admitting that she’s pregnant, and thus let Sang Gi know that he’s not alone. 🥲

E7-8. I like that when Hui Ji’s ready, she tells Ju Hyeong what’s going on with her dad’s case, and even asks for his help.

It feels meaningful too, that Ju Hyeong asks Hui Ji if she would be ok with him learning so much about her family, and if that won’t affect their relationship.

This is a very real concern, as we’ve seen from Ju Hyeong’s other friendships, and it seems very mature and sensible of him, to bring this up.

And, it seems equally mature and sensible of Hui Ji to accept this, and even proactively tell Ju Hyeong about her family situation.

I like even more, that when the rest of the friend group finds out about this, they all insist on helping.

Given that they’re all dealing with multiple cases already, with workloads that regularly have them staying at the office past midnight, their determination to help is extra touching, isn’t it? 🥲

I did love that beat, where Sang Gi insists on helping Hui Ji with that embezzlement case, so that she’d be able to focus on her father’s case instead. That’s so kind and thoughtful, and I love how matter-of-fact he is, in offering to help. 🥲

It really is such a heartening thing, to see them working together, and putting their heads together, to explore the details of the case.

E7-8. I really like how simple and matter-of-fact Show is, in integrating Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji’s new relationship, into the group dynamic.

All we have, is the group side-eyeing the lovey-dovey acts of consideration, and then having a quick confrontation about how long they need to pretend not to know, which is swiftly resolved by Ju Hyeong saying that if they already know, then there’s no need to say anything – and that’s it.

How very simple and neat. 😁

And then I really appreciate that beat, where Sang Gi gently pats Chang Won on the shoulder.

There’s so much communicated in that one single gesture: that Sang Gi’s picked up on the fact that Chang Won likes Hui Ji, and is comforting him, over the fact that Hui Ji’s dating someone else.

I love the richness of all these subtle beats in this show, so much more than I could have originally imagined. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Sang Gi and Chang Won [BROAD SPOILERS]

Among our core group of friends, there’s a subset friendship that I found really endearing, and that is the friendship between Sang Gi and Chang Won.

For a while there, it had looked a bit like a one-sided thing, with Chang Won continually insisting that he and Sang Gi were friends, and so it’s just extra meaningful, when we get to see Sang Gi confirm that friendship, in his own way. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-6. I love-love-LOVE that beat, where Sang Gi takes Chang Won to see his mom, at the restaurant where she works.

Aw. Sang Gi had taken to heart all of Chang Won’s rueful grumbles, that he’d thought that they were friends, but “clearly” Sang Gi hadn’t felt the same way.

It’s so sweet, that Sang Gi’s now showing Chang Won that he does feel the same way, and introduces Chang Won to his mom, as his friend.

And then, how fantastic is it, that Chang Won can’t stop grinning, and Sang Gi leaks a smile, coz they’ve now taken their friendship to a whole new level??

I love it. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

Yeom Hye Ran as Hyung Min [BROAD SPOILERS]

I just love Yeom Hye Ran as a general rule, so I was extremely pleased to see her show up on my screen as Kim Hyung Min, the landlady-turned-advisor of the law firm.

I will say, though, that the writing around Hyung Min is very odd. It feels like writer-nim keeps giving us various red herrings, when it comes to Hyung Min’s deal, and what she’s really about.

First, there’s the way she approaches all the Managing Partners, with vibing kinda-sorta like some kind of mobster boss.

And then, there’s the way she’s shown to appear to have some kind of special soft spot for Hui Ji, which made my imagination go into overdrive, to figure out what kind of connection she might possibly have, with Hui Ji.

In the end, though, these are both red herrings, and I just found the handling of Hyung Min’s story very scattered and strange.

I would have much preferred if Show had been more upfront about Hyung Min’s story, coz I would have enjoyed getting to know her better.

However, I definitely liked her, and here’s a quick spotlight on my favorite Hyung Min moments.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E3-4. I very much enjoyed that beat, when Hyung Min crosses off the items on her bucket list, like owning a law firm, but cancels the item which requires her to pass the bar exam, and then dances her happy victory dance, in her office.

She’s very endearing, and I think I might love her. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji [BROAD SPOILERS]

Like I alluded earlier in this review, I did think that writer-nim’s handling of this relationship came off as rather unbalanced.

Honestly, we spend so much time with this couple leading up to the minting of the relationship (especially with delving into that unnecessary Hong Kong backstory), that it felt stark and strange, when their couple interactions suddenly came off as afterthoughts, once they’d confirmed their relationship.

Not gonna lie; by the time I got to the end of my watch, I’d basically forgotten much of the good OTP moments that Show had served up.

However, looking back on my notes, I have to admit that there were some worthy highlights in the development this relationship, so here they are, for the memories. 🥲

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-2. We see very quickly that Hui Ji’s fairly fresh out of school, and therefore, it makes sense that she would still have that idealistic outlook that Ju Hyeong had once had, nine years ago.

And so, of course it makes sense that they would clash, when it comes to ideology, and their entire approach to cases and clients.

I can already guess that as time passes, these two people will start to affect each other positively, with Hui Ji reawakening at least some of the idealism that Ju Hyeong had lost, and Ju Hyeong helping Hui Ji to temper her idealism, with a good dose of realism and critical thinking.

E3-4. These episodes, the situation between Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji evolves a little more, with Ju Hyeong admitting to remembering Hui Ji, from their time together in Hong Kong – but only when they are alone and not within earshot of the rest of the group.

I’d thought that was a bit of a jerk move, honestly, but then, we eventually see that Ju Hyeong had believed that Hui Ji had not only rejected his invitation to meet again in Korea, but had actively avoided his calls.

The way I’m processing it, is that he feels hurt and rejected by this, and his defense mechanism, is to get all prickly and distant – like in the way he pretends not to remember her, and the way his words carry some distinct sharp edges, when he speaks to her.

For the record, though, I do believe Hui Ji, when she explains that,

1, she’d felt awkward at the implication of him suggesting that they meet in Korea (because “meet” can also mean “date” in Korean), and

2, she’d lost her phone and therefore had had no way to take his calls or reach out to him.

They don’t actually resolve this misunderstanding, but I appreciate that Hui Ji apologizes for meddling in his case, and admits that she hadn’t considered the perspectives that he’d pointed out either.

I also appreciate that they arrive at a truce of sorts, where he agrees to help her with difficult cases, if she needs it.

And she does need that help soon enough, with the medical malpractice case, when her client is accused of arranging for a ghost surgery, because evidence shows that he’s left handed, while the surgeon performing the surgery had used his right hand.

At this point, I’ll go off on a small tangent and say that, to my eyes, the chemistry between Ju Hyong and Hui Ji seems rather inconsistent, in that, a lot of the time, I don’t feel any special spark between them.

However, in that scene where he goes to her office and bends over to look at that video of the surgery and thus gets quite deep into her personal space, I did feel a bit of a crackle, at that moment where he turns to look at her.

I do wish that we could’ve had more of that crackle. 🥲

Ju Hyeong’s turning out to be quite the tsundere type, with his gruff way of talking to Hui Ji, but his willingness to help her.

I thought the fact that he took the trouble to call Mun Jeong’s husband (and yes, I was kind of surprised that she was even married, honestly), who’s a nurse, to weigh in on the surgery video, was very helpful, and I was surprised that he would care enough to do so.

E5-6. I appreciate that both Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji make it point to clear the air between them, even though it’s clear that Hui Ji is uncomfortable and nervous about admitting that she’d sent Su Jeong away with that lie, that Ju Hyeong had already left for the day.

Honestly, when Ju Hyeong asks why she did that, my first thought was that Hui Ji didn’t want Ju Hyeong to meet Su Jeong, because she herself wanted to be close to Ju Hyeong, but that isn’t the case.

When she fumbles for an answer, because she’d done it instinctively and hadn’t thought about her reason for doing so either, and lands on the answer that feels right – that she just hadn’t wanted Ju Hyeong to get hurt – I honestly feel as surprised and touched, as Ju Hyeong looks.

Just, how very sweet and considerate, that she would do everything her power to protect Ju Hyeong from getting hurt, even if meant crossing a line that she shouldn’t have crossed in the first place.

I do like that distinct softening in Ju Hyeong’s gaze, as he processes that Hui Ji had acted in order to protect him and his best interests; it seems to me like he’s not used to being on the receiving end of such care and concern, and he’s realizing that he doesn’t hate it. 🥲

I also appreciate that Ju Hyeong tells Hui Ji that she’d been right to say that he shouldn’t have taken the case in the first place; that it was stupid and he’d felt uncomfortable, but that he’s ok now.

Honestly, I feel like that’s not easy for anyone to admit, especially anyone with a bit of pride, or male ego, and I very much appreciate and respect Ju Hyeong, for choosing to admit this to Hui Ji, when he strictly doesn’t have to.

I do feel like this incident, and how Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji choose to deal with it, contributes nicely to their burgeoning connection; it feels so mature and healthy, doesn’t it? 🥲

E5-6. It was quite fun getting to see Hui Ji and Ju Hyeong spend more time together, as they work on the case.

Even though Ju Hyeong’s the more experienced lawyer between them, I feel like we can see Hui Ji’s influence on him more clearly.

Like the way he actually echoes Hui Ji’s earlier sentiment while talking with Mun Jeong, saying that it’s a relief that his client isn’t a bad person.

Or the way he lets Hui Ji take the lead, when it comes to connecting with the client and the witness.

Or the way he listens to her and attends the ruling even though he’s never made it a point to do so, in the past.

It feels like he’s slowly but surely regaining the sense of wonder and humanity that he’d lost, over the years, as he became more and more jaded in the course of his work.

I really like that they’re starting to have more personal conversations, and it feels significant and meaningful, that Hui Ji shares her real reason for choosing to become a lawyer; so that she’d be able to protect her family.

Aw. That is a very noble and loving reason, and I do find myself liking Hui Ji more, because of it. 🥲

As we close out episode 6, we get a flashback to the kiss that they’d shared back in Hong Kong, and it’s sweet and tender, and quite full of shy emotion.

I feel like Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji are probably both thinking about that kiss as they sit side by side on the train, being all hyper-aware of each other, and I’m honestly pretty keen to see where all this hyper-awareness will lead, next week. 🥲

E7-8. I kinda love that Hui Ji and Ju Hyeong fall so naturally into step, in going to take the bus together, while everyone else goes their separate ways.

They’re basically an item without being an item, if you know what I mean. 😁

More than that, though, I love that we get an OTP mintage by the end of the episode, in such an understated, matter-of-fact manner.

Somehow, without all the usual drama that shows tend to serve up around OTPs getting minted, this feels refreshing?

And, I very much love that Ju Hyeong uses the exact same phrase to initiate a bit of a date, by asking her if she wants to get something to eat together, which is the exact thing that he’d said before, in Hong Kong, in initiating a connection.

I also like how they end up talking about the way they’d missed meeting each other at Gangnam Station like they’d agreed, and Ju Hyeong finally admits that he’d gone to Gangnam Station that day, but hadn’t managed to find her.

I just really like how simple and matter-of-fact their exchange is, at this point:

Ju Hyeong: Tell me clearly next time, so that I understand.

Hui Ji: Next time when?

Ju Hyeong: Now?

..Which is when Hui Ji walks up to him and kisses him on the cheek, which he promptly reciprocates, by kissing her on the lips.

And just like that, our OTP is minted, without any drama or fanfare, and I just really like it, for how cozy and down-to-earth it all feels. 🥰

E7-8. I also very much appreciate that it’s very low drama between Hui Ji and Ju Hyeong, even when Ju Hyeong approaches her father’s case with a coldly logical eye, and maintains the possibility of Dad having to admit guilt at some point.

I feel like most other female leads would feel hurt that their brand new boyfriend would even entertain the idea that their father could be guilty, but not in this case; Hui Ji understands that Ju Hyeong’s just doing due diligence, and accepts it, even though she instinctively believes that her father is innocent.

That’s so mature and lovely, I thought. 🥲

Another thing that I found mature and lovely, is the way Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji are able to talk about the details of the case, him with gentleness and sensitivity, and her, with openness and honesty, even though it involves unpleasant memories.

I feel like their relationship has deepened and gotten stronger, through this entire experience.

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E9-10. I’m feeling quite wistful as I’m typing this, my friends.

One of the reasons is, I hadn’t quite registered in my head, that we were this close to the end of this show, so it’s with a bit of a start, that I’m processing the fact that we only have two episodes left.

Plus, I’d just told you guys about how our crew of attorneys has grown on me, and how I like following them on their days, and watching them interact, as an intact group.

Now it feels like I’ve barely settled into this group dynamic, only to have to deal with the fact that this will be taken away from me, and soon.

Another part of it is, our legal crew each finds themselves grappling existentially, this week, and some of them look like they’re on the cusp of leaving their jobs, and that just makes me even more wistful than the idea of this show ending.

Because, if things carry on as they are, beyond the closing credits, I can take comfort in the thought that these folks will continue to share their lives with one another, in both professional and personal ways.

But if people start leaving their jobs, then the very existence of this friend group gets threatened, doesn’t it?

That’s the thing I’m kind of holding my breath over, during this time; will our friend group survive?? 😭😅

First of all, let’s talk about Mun Jeong.

I really don’t see how she’ll be able to continue working for her current law firm, given that her Managing Partner is not ready to give her maternity leave, even though that is her legal right.

It sucks, but the facts that he lays out are true: the firm is too small to absorb the cases that Mun Jeong’s working on while she’s away on maternity leave, and it’s not practical or feasible to get a temp lawyer to fill Mun Jeong’s role while she’s away.

It might be a legal right, but it’s not really a feasible thing, with very small law firms like this.

And then, adding on the fact that Mun Jeong’s starting to need some special care and attention in her pregnancy, where the doctor has ordered that she not venture out alone, just makes it even more impossible for her to carry on in her current job, doesn’t it?

It does make a lot of sense for Mun Jeong to find a job as a legal counsel in a corporation, where she’d not only have maternity leave, but childcare benefits as well.

The only problem here, is that this is not the type of work that makes her heart sing, and that is sad.

And honestly, it feels like a waste of her talent, to not do the kind of work that she loves, especially given that she does such a great job of that case, this week, where she helps that lady whose employee stole her recipe and then opened a duplicate of her eatery, yes?

And then there’s Sang Gi, who’s faced with a tough choice between getting his PhD, with a view to eventually teaching, which is where his heart is, and staying on in his full-time job, because he needs the financial security.

With the way his mum’s health is not great these episodes, I’m sure there are very real concerns about being able to pay for whatever medical care that Mom might need.

And unfortunately for Sang Gi, the teaching opportunities are reserved for full-time students, rather than part-time ones, so he has to make a choice between one or the other; it just seems like there’s no way to strike a happy balance.

We see Sang Gi express that he’s chosen not to pursue the PhD, but it’s clear to see that his heart is still leaning towards that teaching route, isn’t it? 🥲

And then we have Chang Won, who’s also at a crossroads, these episodes, with his father putting pressure on him to leave his legal job so that he can take on the family business instead.

Clearly, this is something that Chang Won’s been actively resisting for a long time, but with the way his job’s been going, I can see why he’s torn, these episodes.

Chang Won’s full of heart, and we absolutely see that, in the way he works to help that victim of bullying, who’d stabbed his attacker in self-defense.

You can see how invested Chang Won is, in the outcome of this case, and how his heart truly goes out to the victim.

Plus, there’s the way Chang Won feels so disturbed by the fact that he’s assigned to defend a school bully, while on this particular case.

According to his (very annoying) Managing Partner, this is not a problem, and there is no reason for Chang Won to feel uncomfortable, since lawyers basically put their clients’ wants into legal terms, and nothing more.

I think that really sums up the cold, hard truth about much of the legal profession: you’re not there to help people in need; you’re there to assist your client, whomever they might be, and whether or not they are actually guilty of a crime.

Which brings me nicely to Ju Hyeong’s dilemma, this week.

All this time, Ju Hyeong’s been presented as a cool, detached sort of lawyer, and it’s only in recent episodes, that we’ve seen him show his softer underbelly, thanks to Hui Ji’s influence.

And now, with that softer underbelly awakened, we see that Ju Hyeong’s finding it hard to remain cool and detached, with his latest case, where he accidentally gets to hear the plaintiff’s side of the story, before taking on the defendant’s case.

Obviously, this is a case of the bigger corporation having more resources and influence than the widow of the deceased employee, where the corporation is presenting false evidence to prove their innocence, and Ju Hyeong can actually see it, while in the course of doing his job.

He manages to push through and get the job done, but it’s not hard to see that it still disturbs him, such that he’d even approach his Managing Partner to make a point about it, which he’d never done before, in the past.

I feel like this is likely a situation where Ju Hyeong’s discomfort will only grow, as things continue to be handled this way at the firm.

Last but not least, we have Hui Ji, who’s the most bright-eyed and bushy-tailed of them all, being the youngest and the newest joiner, in the group.

Hui Ji’s definitely all heart and idealism, and we see that, these episodes, as she strives to help that little boy from inheriting all his father’s debts, even though that’s adjacent to her case, at best.

This, even after her Managing Partner specifically tells her to simply handle the case for her clients, and nothing more.

I personally really like that Hui Ji finds a way to work around this, and protect the boy nonetheless, but for the first time since she joined the firm, we can detect displeasure in her Managing Partner’s regard for her, and that’s.. not fantastic, certainly.

We don’t know how this will eventually affect Hui Ji’s standing in her Managing Partner’s eyes, but for now, I already get a sense that Hui Ji might have begun to fall out of favor with her boss.

Stacked up like that, it really feels like our crew is going through a great deal, these episodes.

Everyone’s in a state of reckoning, with no exceptions, and like I said, I can’t help but come away from these episodes with a sense of wistfulness, because all signs point to big changes ahead for at least some of our crew members, which would inevitably translate into changes for the group as well.

In the meantime, though, I do feel comforted by that closing scene that we get, of our core crew sitting at a ramen counter, passing condiments and communication, from one end of the row to the other.

I love how they do all this without missing a beat, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, and I can only hope that Show will find a way to preserve that togetherness, regardless of where our story takes each of our characters, in our finale. 🥲

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E11-12. Sniffle. And so, it’s time to say goodbye to our group of friends, and I have to confess, I put this finale off for a while, just to feel like I was spending more time with these friends.

It was still bittersweet in the end, but I’m happy to say that our finale puts more emphasis on the sweet, than the bitter, and it all does end well, in the end. 🥲

The thing about work friend groups, is that most of them tend to be seasonal sorts of deals; you’re friends for as long as your work situation makes it such that your orbits intersect.

That had been the case in our opening episode, where Kim Kyung Nam’s character Dong Uk leaves the friend group, because he’s resigned from his firm.

His friendship with the rest of the group is only relevant for as long as he works in the same building, even though he eats and hangs out with them daily.

This is why I’d felt a little bit on tenterhooks coming into this finale, because it was becoming clear that almost everyone in the group was wrestling with the thought of going in a different direction, career-wise.

And, if Dong Uk’s case was anything to go by, it had seemed like perhaps the friend group would end up dissolving, with everyone (or almost everyone) choosing to move on.

Happily, this is not how it all goes down – but let me park this thought for a bit, and then come back to it.

First, let me touch on everyone’s individual paths, for a bit.

I’ll start with Mun Jeong, since I’d honestly imagined that she’d be the first to leave, due to her Managing Partner’s unwillingness to give her maternity leave.

It had made a lot of practical sense to me, for Mun Jeong to choose to go back to being an in-house legal counsel in a corporation, because of how that environment would be much more supportive of her pregnancy and motherhood needs.

However, like I mentioned last week, I did also feel wistful on her behalf, because it was clear that Mun Jeong was great at her litigation work, and that she loved it.

In the end, I’m glad that she finds a way to have it all, by searching for her own replacement in a mother’s group on SNS.

I loved the way she gathers all the resumes, and then marches over to her Managing Partner to present them, while cheerfully telling him that she won’t leave, because it’s her right not to.

Love how she basically twists his arm to do the right thing – and with a smile. 😁

As for Chang Won, I’m glad that he chooses to study to become a prosecutor, having been inspired by that prosecutor who had worked on his case before.

With how things have been going at work, it had been growing increasingly clear, that this isn’t the kind of work that makes his heart sing.

At the same time, he’s also never been inclined to take up his dad’s offer, to quit law and join the family business.

I love that scene after the time jump, where we see Chang Won in court doing his prosecutor thing, and across from him, representing the defendant, is his ex-Managing Partner, who’s still as small and shady as ever.

To my eyes, it feels like Chang Won’s risen above this, to a place where he finally feels like he belongs. 🥲

As for Sang Gi, I honestly love that he gets to have it all, in the end.

He gets to pursue his doctorate, and sow into someone else’s dreams, by paying forward all the scholarship funds he’d received as a struggling student, AND he gets to date his Managing Partner, who’s clearly sweet on him too.

Yes, it took a drunken encounter for him and his Managing Partner (ok, ex-Managing Partner) to get their feelings for each other out in the open, and it’s true that they’re mortified and awkward in the aftermath.

The important thing, though, is that they somehow get through it, and end up dating – YAY! 🥰

I’m a little bummed that we don’t get to see how they get through it, coz I do think that that would have been cute to witness, but I’m consoled that we get to see how she goes to campus to have lunch with him every day, as a daily sort of date.

Aw. That’s sweet, yes? 🥰

On that note, how fun, to see Hyung Min in law school too, finally fulfilling the dream that she’d once crossed off her list. 🥲

Honestly, I’d imagined that Hyung Min had had some kind of special connection with Hui Ji, with the way she was always being extra nice to Hui Ji, but apparently, that isn’t the case.

I’m just going to have to put it down to Hyung Min simply taking joy in being part of the whole law firm experience, and being able to do something for young attorneys like Hui Ji, and living vicariously through that..?

As for Hui Ji, it makes a lot of sense to me, that she would choose to become a public defender.

She’s always had a heart for the underprivileged, and she’s also always been passionate and idealistic, so I can see her giving up her job in order to have more opportunities to help those in need.

As for Ju Hyeong, it wasn’t surprising to me, that he would end up leaving his law firm and setting up his own practice.

For a while now, he’s chafed at the way his Managing Partner does things, and his newly-awakened conscience has been slowly gnawing at him, particularly with the case where he’d ended up having to represent the company instead of the victim’s widow.

I’m glad that he decides to finally act to follow his heart.

I thought the scene where he meets the victim’s widow, not only to apologize, but to make things right, but giving her pointers about her case, was very meaningful.

Of course, there’s also the way he’s inspired by his last client at the firm, Park Man Su (Kim Jong Goo), who challenges him on the idea of whether he only does things because he has something to gain from it.

I do think that this resonates a lot with Ju Hyeong, and I’m glad to see him continue to take on the case, after leaving his job to set up his own firm. 🥲

The thing that makes me happiest to see, though, is that, through it all, even after the time skip, our friend group remains intact.

Guh. That makes me so happy, honestly. 🥰

So what had made the difference between what had happened with Dong Uk, and what happened here?

I do think that in the time that we’ve spent with them, their friendship has deepened and grown stronger, as they’ve supported one another through various difficulties and challenges.

Because of these shared experiences, they’ve basically gone from a casual lunch group, to genuine friends, and I love that.

I love knowing that these friends continue to make time for one another on a regular basis, even though they now work in different jobs and different locations, and continue to find an easy and dependable comfort in one another’s company, where the food, delicious as it is, is just secondary. 🥰

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Heartwarming and hopeful, while also low-key and slice-of-life.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’m covering on Patreon, in place of  Law And The City is Legend of the Female General [China].

You can check out my episode 1-4 notes on Legend of the Female General on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment Drop (Sundays) + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +The Winning Try [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Legend of the Female General [China]

VIP (US$15): +A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You [Japan]