It's quite an intense drama, with a bit of everything romance, murder, a lot of rather interesting lawsuits and a dash of supernatural. Actually, I really like super powers/fantasy/etc. but the mind reading in this story was a bit strange - we weren't suggested any explanation for it and it seemed to come and go for strange reasons (it appeared because of an intense trauma and then went away when the character lost his memories, only for him to regain his powers the moment he remembered the trauma in question). The romance is cute and all the characters are very entertaining, with strong personalities (even the small side characters manage to be easy to remember). Anyway... because I'm too lazy to write a long review I'm just going to say that I recommend this to those that can get into a pretty long story (the episodes are 1h long and A LOT of things happen all the time) with a bit of interesting debates on ethics (and law).
24 Reviews
Loving it!!
pratikshya-mishra7220 June 2014
I have always loved court room dramas and legal thrillers- books, movies, soaps and sitcoms. I like those well written scripts that take advantage of the loopholes in law to build powerful twists in the plots, keeping the audience or viewers engaged till the end. 'I hear your voice' is a romantic comedy- my most favorite of Korean drama genres, with the right amount of courtroom cases, and a bit of fantasy. The episodes were an easy watch, interesting and entertaining. He is a high school kid who can hear people's thoughts. These extra voices in his ears make his world noisier. She is a lawyer- a public defender, quite a few years older than him. She is his first love. He admired her since she came as a witness of his father's murder to the trial 10 years ago. Searching for her when he grew up, he found her on the pages of a newspaper. Then as they became closer, from just acquaintances in a case, he starts helping her during trials- by reading everyone's minds; and she takes the responsibility of his guardian. It's just fun to watch them – when she tries to hide her humiliations and embarrassed thoughts from him, but he reads them anyhow. I like the plot twists a lot. The prisoner of 10 years is now released, who holds a grudge against the public defender, as she had been a witness to that murder, and threatens to kill her. But her protector is there to save her from every mishap with all his might.
I'm loving it!!! It's one unconventional love story...
I'm loving it!!! It's one unconventional love story...
An inspiring story of an eight-year-old boy overcoming heartache and hardship
Abbye-Sei8 June 2020
An Inspiring and heartwarming story, good presentation and superb performance, great OST. Definitely worth the time.
Pak Soo Ha (Lee Jong Suk) the courageous little boy who witnessed his father's murder and abandoned by his family, overcome hardships and became a fine young man. The character is very well written and very well presented, Soo ha is kind, smart and considerate, a man of great patience, matured for his age and a man of his word. Lee Jong Suk's outstanding acting makes Pak Soo Ha comes alive, you can feel his heartache and pain over the course of the 18 episodes. Lee is a very promising young actor, always delivered and always impressive. It is definitely a joy to watch his show.
Jang Hye-Sung (Lee BoYoung) the flawed, sometimes annoying with her fake bravado and inconsiderate mouth. She can endear the audience with her strong sense of justice and irritate us with her sometimes lack of empathy, also her "mouth faster than her brain" hurtful statements to Soo Ha makes you root more for Soo Ha. Lee BoYoung is a good actress when given the right material. In this series, her performance is superb, watched her in Whisper, didn't think she is as good as she was in I can hear. What makes Jang endear/irritate us is she represents the majority of population. We are all flawed and yet we are all unique in our own little world.
Seo Do-Yeon and Cha Gwan- Woo : the second lead pair, superb performance both, specially Yoon. I like both Soo ha and Gwan-woo's character, they represent the kind and the good in the world. Both have strong characters and stand firm by their decision/believe and wont sway even under immense pressure or stress.
Min Joon Gook (Woong-in Jeong): the villain. The character is cunning and evil, very good performance from Woong, adds a lot of climax to the story, his interaction scene with Joon Suk is captivating and exciting.
I thoroughly enjoy the show and urge people to make time for it. Look for the deeper meaning of this series than just the romance of the leads. The romance is sweet and there are average chemistry between the leads. The soundtrack is great. Overall, highly recommended.
Pak Soo Ha (Lee Jong Suk) the courageous little boy who witnessed his father's murder and abandoned by his family, overcome hardships and became a fine young man. The character is very well written and very well presented, Soo ha is kind, smart and considerate, a man of great patience, matured for his age and a man of his word. Lee Jong Suk's outstanding acting makes Pak Soo Ha comes alive, you can feel his heartache and pain over the course of the 18 episodes. Lee is a very promising young actor, always delivered and always impressive. It is definitely a joy to watch his show.
Jang Hye-Sung (Lee BoYoung) the flawed, sometimes annoying with her fake bravado and inconsiderate mouth. She can endear the audience with her strong sense of justice and irritate us with her sometimes lack of empathy, also her "mouth faster than her brain" hurtful statements to Soo Ha makes you root more for Soo Ha. Lee BoYoung is a good actress when given the right material. In this series, her performance is superb, watched her in Whisper, didn't think she is as good as she was in I can hear. What makes Jang endear/irritate us is she represents the majority of population. We are all flawed and yet we are all unique in our own little world.
Seo Do-Yeon and Cha Gwan- Woo : the second lead pair, superb performance both, specially Yoon. I like both Soo ha and Gwan-woo's character, they represent the kind and the good in the world. Both have strong characters and stand firm by their decision/believe and wont sway even under immense pressure or stress.
Min Joon Gook (Woong-in Jeong): the villain. The character is cunning and evil, very good performance from Woong, adds a lot of climax to the story, his interaction scene with Joon Suk is captivating and exciting.
I thoroughly enjoy the show and urge people to make time for it. Look for the deeper meaning of this series than just the romance of the leads. The romance is sweet and there are average chemistry between the leads. The soundtrack is great. Overall, highly recommended.
highly recommended
bet_bbv14 December 2013
I love this drama! I just watched in two days and just sleep 3 hours I'm a total sucker for Lee Bo Young romances and Lee Jong Suk, the writer knows how to touch our hearts! The plot arrangement was very very impressive and the characters combination was suitable with the storyline. Many messages that i got from this drama. After watching episode 18 learning the true meaning of Hearing people's voice, the feeling I got is something I have never felt before... Once again I have to give it to Korean story. Better than anything i have seen so far. Excellent performance by all the casts specially Lee Bo-Young. This is must watch drama
loved it to bits.
elsamirre15 December 2021
The rate is 9.5, but since I was gonna remove a star for lack of chemistry, I don't think it matters. Actual chemistry is not something I expect much from KD anymore.
The cases were really interesting. Of all the characters, my favorite was Mr Cha. He was deep and human in every possible way. I admired him, and felt for him and even found myself rooting (a bit) for his love. I can never forget him. It didn't bother me to see how miss Jang just didn't care about her clients. I know for a fact that a lot of lawyers are like that. That could be why Mr Cha seemed to be a knight in shining armour.
In fact, I liked all the characters. The friendship between the lawyer and the client he failed to help was really moving.
Of course, the plot was nothing that could happen in real life. So what? This is KD land! They still managed to turn the villain into a victim, isn't that trendy?
Lee Jong Suk was handsome as ever, but what I noticed was his great acting, especially when he grew desperate and mad. The scene with the pay phone is worth seeing.
This show is definitely one of my favorites. Tchuka!
The cases were really interesting. Of all the characters, my favorite was Mr Cha. He was deep and human in every possible way. I admired him, and felt for him and even found myself rooting (a bit) for his love. I can never forget him. It didn't bother me to see how miss Jang just didn't care about her clients. I know for a fact that a lot of lawyers are like that. That could be why Mr Cha seemed to be a knight in shining armour.
In fact, I liked all the characters. The friendship between the lawyer and the client he failed to help was really moving.
Of course, the plot was nothing that could happen in real life. So what? This is KD land! They still managed to turn the villain into a victim, isn't that trendy?
Lee Jong Suk was handsome as ever, but what I noticed was his great acting, especially when he grew desperate and mad. The scene with the pay phone is worth seeing.
This show is definitely one of my favorites. Tchuka!
One of my favorite drama ever!!
amoonii-noonii26 December 2018
It is so enjoyable, kind of sad, funny, and romantic. Although I'm not a fan of fiction in drama I literally enjoyed everything; the characters, the acting, the plot, the court scenes, and the cases were so realistic and touching. I cried in many scenes, got angry and disappointed in some. But I was satisfied with the ending.
Excellent really
elena_ataur2 February 2015
This is the first drama I've watched where Lee Jong Suk was one of the lead actors. I was simply amazed and kept wanting to watch the next episode, no wonder they added a few episodes after they reached the initial announced number and of course I get now why the series received so many awards.
Lee Jong Suk plays someone who has gained the ability to read minds, after he was involved in a car accident which killed his father when he was a child. The driver who hit the car, actually aimed at killing both father and child, however the main actress was present and even though she was intimidated into not going to court to testify whether the accident was no accident, she did go. The series starts basically from the point both main actors grew up. It is interesting how they meet, how they work together and how they protect one another.
I would suggest this series to anyone as I believe it can match the tastes of any viewer.
Lee Jong Suk plays someone who has gained the ability to read minds, after he was involved in a car accident which killed his father when he was a child. The driver who hit the car, actually aimed at killing both father and child, however the main actress was present and even though she was intimidated into not going to court to testify whether the accident was no accident, she did go. The series starts basically from the point both main actors grew up. It is interesting how they meet, how they work together and how they protect one another.
I would suggest this series to anyone as I believe it can match the tastes of any viewer.
Only good thing in drama is Lee Jong Suk
Giselle171021 August 2020
If it weren't for LJS I would have left the drama midway! The actress tried too much to get into her chara but she never actually did! And what's wrong with her walk? She must have forgotten she was to portray a lawyer not a model! Not to mention their was no chemistry between them. The cases were a bit boring too. But LJS and his acting depths and perfect expressions saved the day in the end. I loved how his character was molded into a wonderful adult from a high school senior.
a drama you can't forget
tbhoishe7 December 2017
my second lee jong suk drama. I fell for park sooha. the age difference that doesn't matter. what matters is chemistry. I was totally into park sooha. the dedication of boyoung to be a public prosecutor taught us something. why attorney cha choose to be a public prosecutor the reason was really emotional. one character beside the protagonists who touched our heart was min joon guk. wowww that damn man. I hated him very much. but there are reasons behind every single thing. i wish i could watch this series for the first time again. the osts are awesome. background score is perfect. if you wanna spent some good time, wanna learn some good thing then watch it. ;) I LEARNT SOMETHING, THEY TAUGHT ME SOMETHING.
Could be better
jaclyn_cyf24 September 2020
The story is interesting, but the chemistry between the two leads are like brother and sister instead of romance. I find it rather silly to portray the two of them to be in love with each other when there's no excitement there.
All round great drama
leahcubed27 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Jan Hye-sung (Lee Bo-young) and Park Soo-ha (Lee Jong-suk) share a bond around a crime that occurred when they were children. One was a victim and the other a witness. The tragic event impacts the lives of both main characters as well as the daughter of Hye-sung's mother's former employer (Hye-sung grew up with the daughter as her mother was a live in housekeeper). The killer vows revenge on Hye-sung for her testimony as a witness and Soo-ha states his intent to protect Hye-sung for her brave deed. Time passes and Hye-sung becomes a defense attorney. She had an impoverished childhood which makes her original intention in law just to make money. Soo-ha looks for Hye-sung knowing the killer will soon be released. Hye-sung does not immediately recognize Soo-ha from that childhood connection. However, when she finds out he has a unique ability, he can hear what people are thinking, she beings to utilize his skill in the court room to solve cases. Soo-ha's childhood housemate and frenemy has now become a prosecutor (who was with Hye-sung and was also a witness to the crime but did not testify). When the killer is out he begins his plot for revenge but in a society where reform is believed in, will anyone believe the two that he hasn't changed? Soo-ha will stop at nothing to protect Hye-sung but can she convince him that killing the killer makes him no better?
I loved everything about this drama. It had romance (and a love triangle of course), suspense, action and mystery. It was very well acted - I have loved everything I have seen with Lee Jong-suk. The roles he takes are complex and the storylines are always exciting and surprising. Lee Bo-young's evolution from a non caring only out for me person to someone that cares deeply about justice is great to see. You can tell it was always there and just took the right person and right set of circumstances to develop. I also liked the friendships that developed and the competitive nature of both the women and men who bettered themselves through their interactions with each other. It is a deep, moving and complex story. I would put it at the top of any list to watch especially for those that love a good mystery or suspense romance. Just a great drama!
I loved everything about this drama. It had romance (and a love triangle of course), suspense, action and mystery. It was very well acted - I have loved everything I have seen with Lee Jong-suk. The roles he takes are complex and the storylines are always exciting and surprising. Lee Bo-young's evolution from a non caring only out for me person to someone that cares deeply about justice is great to see. You can tell it was always there and just took the right person and right set of circumstances to develop. I also liked the friendships that developed and the competitive nature of both the women and men who bettered themselves through their interactions with each other. It is a deep, moving and complex story. I would put it at the top of any list to watch especially for those that love a good mystery or suspense romance. Just a great drama!
Good enough
PennyReviews29 July 2018
Maybe it's because I'm watching this one after a while, but for me, it wasn't as great as it is expected to be. Maybe I was expecting too much out of it. The story is okay, with the big case with the vilain and everything, but it gets tiring after a while. The drama uses cliches like amnesia as twists, but overall, it was just okay, with a so so romance, as the characters didn't have chemistry. The cases though were interesting to follow, but often the main story took over and left them in the premisses to fill in the gaps. Now, the performances were okay, especially from the actor that played the bad guy, who was excellent. So, 5,5 out of 10.
Very enjoyable
marshmallow_kitten2 December 2019
Best drama with superb story
seaskyster28 October 2017
this is a charming drama each episode is filled with everything I saw Mr actor LJS 1st in W two worlds and I got fan of Kang Chul that he played such subtle natural acts he has done as Kang Chul and this drama is his old drama I must say I am in love with this story plot and the scripts
Of course its a treat to see Mr actor LJS acting :) at his such young age
I wish I could somehow land in the drama (lol!!!) and started living with Jung Hye Sung under same roof - I bet we could be best girls friends :D
characters in drama is such nicely portrayed and I totally loved the drama that I seen it for 4 times :P
Of course its a treat to see Mr actor LJS acting :) at his such young age
I wish I could somehow land in the drama (lol!!!) and started living with Jung Hye Sung under same roof - I bet we could be best girls friends :D
characters in drama is such nicely portrayed and I totally loved the drama that I seen it for 4 times :P
LOVE THIS DRAMA
pradyushabehera21 June 2019
I watched this drama without knowing anything about this drama or casts and then i thought it was good to watch this movie .I really enjoyed this drama. I liked Lee Jong sook's character I liked his performance . All the actors the whole cast was amazing . A must watch drama .
Pleasantly surprised! LJS delivers again!
shareen_shany8 January 2022
Another drama from leading actor/ LJS! He is fantastic in any role but his role in the drama'Doctor Strange'not a fave!
In this drama LJS is good as usual & can deliver any lovestory with any leading actress even the most stiff, frown-looking ones. He is definitely any leading lady best partner in any drama. He can sparks chemistry, his romantic scenes & kissing are definitely swoonworthy! Like LJS & HHJ in 'Two World Apart" But here there is no excitement no sparks from the leading actress to create the love in this drama.
The leading actress is ok. She is too stiff, lacks the romantic chemistry, she doesn't have the aura of a lawyer, she doesn't walk like one, even sometimes doesn't even dress like one.
Another leading actor/Cha is good, plays his role well & has the potential of a good lawyer! He is considerate, thoughtful & kind-hearted!
All the supporting casts are fantastic! A good storyline. Worth watching! I enjoyed it!
In this drama LJS is good as usual & can deliver any lovestory with any leading actress even the most stiff, frown-looking ones. He is definitely any leading lady best partner in any drama. He can sparks chemistry, his romantic scenes & kissing are definitely swoonworthy! Like LJS & HHJ in 'Two World Apart" But here there is no excitement no sparks from the leading actress to create the love in this drama.
The leading actress is ok. She is too stiff, lacks the romantic chemistry, she doesn't have the aura of a lawyer, she doesn't walk like one, even sometimes doesn't even dress like one.
Another leading actor/Cha is good, plays his role well & has the potential of a good lawyer! He is considerate, thoughtful & kind-hearted!
All the supporting casts are fantastic! A good storyline. Worth watching! I enjoyed it!
It's not your fault
alaningle731 December 2020
A boy who can read thoughts becomes involved with a public defender who has links to his past. This is a well acted series with a clever plot involving a murderer seeking revenge for most of the episodes. Well paced with an interesting second male lead who is nearer the age of the prosecutor. Who will gain her trust and love ?
Absolute letdown
helanren8824 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I went into the show with an open mind. The synopsis sounded good and the show has an 8.1 on here at the time of this writing.
Unfortunately due to the current K-Drama rage, the ratings for a lot of shows seem inflated. The two leads are unbelievably wooden and have no chemistry whatsoever. Furthermore, even though apparently it's called "noona romance", the relationship between the two seemed sick considering they met when she was a teenager and he was a little boy. It doesn't help that they cast an actor with a blank boyface.
The show started off okay, when it left the possibility of the two not ending up together. The murder story moved along quite nicely in terms of tempo, and the supporting cast was much better than the two leads. Sure, the courtroom scenes seemed like they were written by a 5-year-old but it also kept things short and breezy. Everything seemed okay and I was excited to watch the next episode. Until the amnesia episode.
The amnesia episode, I think, is the proverbial jumping of the shark. It's extremely lazy writing, and it dragged the show from that point on. Before the amnesia episode there was little rehashing of old footage and the pace was good. But ever since that episode, the audience was treated as if we were the ones who lost our memory of the show we just watched. No director, I would not like to see the scene at the fishing pond for the sixth time!
Granted, pre-Netflix shows tend to be more heavy-handed in helping audiences remember what they watched before, but this was extreme even compared to the first half of the season.
Beyond the show just not being enjoyable to watch, we were also treated to some bad morals. Abuse of the law, stringing along people, and something I would almost consider elitist propaganda against ordinary people. Are Korean shows used to keep ordinary Koreans down and make them accept the corruption inherent in their society?
Unfortunately due to the current K-Drama rage, the ratings for a lot of shows seem inflated. The two leads are unbelievably wooden and have no chemistry whatsoever. Furthermore, even though apparently it's called "noona romance", the relationship between the two seemed sick considering they met when she was a teenager and he was a little boy. It doesn't help that they cast an actor with a blank boyface.
The show started off okay, when it left the possibility of the two not ending up together. The murder story moved along quite nicely in terms of tempo, and the supporting cast was much better than the two leads. Sure, the courtroom scenes seemed like they were written by a 5-year-old but it also kept things short and breezy. Everything seemed okay and I was excited to watch the next episode. Until the amnesia episode.
The amnesia episode, I think, is the proverbial jumping of the shark. It's extremely lazy writing, and it dragged the show from that point on. Before the amnesia episode there was little rehashing of old footage and the pace was good. But ever since that episode, the audience was treated as if we were the ones who lost our memory of the show we just watched. No director, I would not like to see the scene at the fishing pond for the sixth time!
Granted, pre-Netflix shows tend to be more heavy-handed in helping audiences remember what they watched before, but this was extreme even compared to the first half of the season.
Beyond the show just not being enjoyable to watch, we were also treated to some bad morals. Abuse of the law, stringing along people, and something I would almost consider elitist propaganda against ordinary people. Are Korean shows used to keep ordinary Koreans down and make them accept the corruption inherent in their society?
brilliant
davidgarbacz21 March 2024
Brilliant deep asks for all charachters to come to their truth. So many personal myths and illusions . A lively love story if not plural love stories. The power of love and acceptance being the strongest power. It is tough , gritty, bloody, heartbreaking, and beautiful. Each charachter a special gem. It is on viki and lends itself to binging as each episode leaves us on the edge of our chair. We found ourselves rooting for the charachters . Some confront their own hate and the poison it becomes to oneself. The law parts are complex and human. It is a worthy story and grateful for it. Blessed be.
Overrated
kajalkashsinha18 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I stopped watching after ep 2. I really hated the female characters lawyers portrail. For the first time i have seen lawyer pushing client to say that they are guilty. Lawyer asking the client to give proof. I have seen lawyers defending the criminals. But i have never seen lawyer forcing the client to say that you are guilty. That made me realize how this drama is gonna be. Female character is so incompetent and didn't have conscience. I know she will change untill the end but i don't have patience to tolerate it till then.
Dated Noona Romance
fake_moviestar15 November 2020
I actually had never heard of/seen a "noona romance" before, and I can tell after this show that I am NOT a fan.
It's unfortunate because this show had a lot of potential.
I broke my own rule to watch this show and I wish I hadn't. My rule is to never watch k drama's that are made before 2015 because I dislike the older style of k drama's. However I thought the story sounded really interesting and I recently watched While You Were Sleeping and was really impressed by Lee Jong- Suk.
This was a disappointing watch for me - predictably, I hated how dated it was; from the music, to the cinematography, to the costuming. The story was pretty decent but it was dragged out unnecessarily and I grew bored and frustrated towards the end. You could see Jong-Suk's potential of being a great actor in this, but I definitely felt that he was trying really hard (he did a great job but at the same time he felt like a rookie actor). I also HATED the romance - they had zero chemistry and it just made me feel weird. I would have loved it if they had made it a respect/love between pseudo-siblings, but that was not the direction they went with. Overall if you like the older style of k drama's and are a fan of Noona-romance, I think you will actually like this a lot. It just wasn't for me.
This was a disappointing watch for me - predictably, I hated how dated it was; from the music, to the cinematography, to the costuming. The story was pretty decent but it was dragged out unnecessarily and I grew bored and frustrated towards the end. You could see Jong-Suk's potential of being a great actor in this, but I definitely felt that he was trying really hard (he did a great job but at the same time he felt like a rookie actor). I also HATED the romance - they had zero chemistry and it just made me feel weird. I would have loved it if they had made it a respect/love between pseudo-siblings, but that was not the direction they went with. Overall if you like the older style of k drama's and are a fan of Noona-romance, I think you will actually like this a lot. It just wasn't for me.
Terrible Writing, Acting, Directing, and Story, So What is There to Like?
spasek14 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
"I Hear Your Voice" is a series that never seems to be able to figure out what it wants to be. Unfortunately, this becomes even true of the characters, who don't know who they want to be either. The writer took many liberties for this story, even going so far as to make up things just to make the story work. This is one of the cardinal "sins" of writing. Always write about what you know. And never change a character for the sake of the plot.
Many K-Dramas successfully blend various genres such as comedy, drama, romance, and even thriller-aspects. Most of the series I've watched do this extremely well. This is one of the few series that does this very badly. It uses comedy when something isn't funny. It uses romance when things are cheesy and not even romantic, and it completely undervalues the killer of the story, causing him to tap-dance around in order to prolong his presence in the series for no real reason.
We also have some of the absolute worst acting performances from an ensemble cast that I've seen in a very, very long time. Everything from hamming up scenes to overacting, to being completely disingenuous are just a few of the major mistakes this cast makes. Usually, it's only one or maybe two actors who are weak. In this series, only one or two actors are actually strong and believable.
The story is in intriguing one in which Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye Sung are brought together one fateful night when Min Joon Kook slams into Park Soo Ha's car and proceeds to brutally murder Park Soo Ha's father right in front of him. Park Soo Ha himself was about to be killed as well until a young Jang Hye Sung witnesses the crime and proceeds to take photos and be a witness to the crime. This brings about an ominous threat from Min Joon Kook who swears revenge upon Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye Sung, whom he attempts to strangle to death in the courtroom.
Years later, Park Soo Ha is a high school senior who has never forgotten Jang Hye Sung and what she did for him. It's also obvious that he's very smitten with her. Park Soo Ha is also a young man capable of reading people's thoughts. Obviously, this can be very unnerving for anyone who knows of his ability. He trains hard in fighting, knowing that one day, Min Joon Kook is likely to come looking for him as well as Jang Hye Sung. Coming across her, he begins to follow her, especially after learning that Min Joon Kook has been released from prison on "good behavior."
Jang Hye Sung becomes a public defender. Not because she feels any sense of responsibility, but because she feels she can do the job. And "doing the job" entails lazily arguing for a lighter sentence. She never believes her client and simply feels that her only "duty" is to get a reduced sentence for them. She's incredibly immature, conceited, and believes that the whole world revolves around her. She's vain and has no problem showboating when she's defeated anyone in court. If something goes wrong, it's always the other person's fault. She loves playing the victim. If someone lies, she holds a grudge. If she lies, she feels justified. She's a true hypocrite in every sense of the word. There isn't much that's likable about Jang Hye Sung.
Cha Kwan Woo is a mousy, sheepish man who's dropped out of the police force in order to become a public defender. He seems to have high values despite being a very wishy-washy shell of a man. He constantly looks as though he's on the verge of tears, and he's immediately infatuated with Jang Hye Sung. A real head-scratcher is why anyone would be enamored with Jang Hye Sung! And we've got an absolutely ludicrous triangle involving these three characters, when none of them are worth it.
There are some serious plot problems in this series. At one point, Cha Kwan Woo feels compelled to defend Min Joon Kook when he's caught for murdering Jang Hye Sung's mother. Of course, Min Joon Kook comes up with a ridiculous story, and Cha Kwan Woo buys it. The real problem, however, is that at this point in the story, Cha Kwan Woo is dating Jang Hye Sung. And yet, at no point, is a "conflict of interest" raised by anyone! Mr. Shin, the veteran of the public defenders, cowardly removes himself from consideration rather than realizing that it's his job to take the case. Of course, Cha Kwan Woo is so gullible, one has to figure out how this man could ever be a public defender, let alone a police officer. He also has zero police skills! At one point, he sneaks up on Min Joon Kook to capture him-from the side! Anyone with peripheral vision (and supposed police training) would never do that!
Another ridiculous point in the story is that Min Joon Kook cuts off his own left hand-with a 15cm knife! I'm not sure the writer had any notion of just how painful and difficult it would be for anyone to try and cut off their own hand with such a blade. They try to justify it with a pitiful demonstration that nobody with a brain would ever buy!
At one point, when Min Joon Kook is suspected of being murdered by Park Soo Ha, a witness claims to have seen Park Soo Ha, and yet nobody goes out to speak with the witness or even bring the witness to court until nearly after the fact. Talk about lawyers not doing their job! I had no idea they were so incompetent.
We have judges who roll their eyes and show emotion in court (something judges are not allowed to do!) during testimonies. We also have jurors who constantly nod their heads at every, single thing. I've served on juries. Jurors don't do that, and certainly not all of them at the same time!
The courtroom scenes are just about the worst I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot in movies and TV shows. It all played out like a bad soap opera by directors and writers who haven't a clue what really goes on in a courtroom and what court proceedings and protocols look like. I especially laughed at Jang Hye Sung wearing miniskirts to court. Somehow, I don't think a judge would allow that kind of attire.
This is the first series I've seen with Lee Bo Young, and she is just plain awful. She can't seem to find the fine line between being comedic or being dramatic. I understand that her character is supposed to be haughty, but she comes across like a spoiled high school prom-queen, constantly flipping her hair and giving snide remarks. In short, she's just not believable in any aspect of her character. She's absolutely clueless. She also has zero chemistry with anyone in the series. She reminded me of Denise Richards, one of the worst American actresses (or any actress!).
Yoon Sang Hyun (Cha Kwan Woo) is almost as bad. He often says his lines with a wooden expression as though he's reciting a poem in front of a school class. I understand that his character likes Jang Hye Sung, but acting like a 15-year-old milksop is hardly the way to endear the viewer. He's simply pathetic despite his ideals as a lawyer being very noble.
This is the second series I've seen with Lee Jong Suk (first being "Hymn of Death"). He's easily the strongest of these three. He reminds us that his character is a good six or seven years younger than Jang Hye Sung, but he also comes across as easily the most mature of the three. While he's prone to losing his temper, he's also the most levelheaded. However, his age and lack of world experience prove to be his weaknesses. Lee Jong Suk juggled this complex character rather well.
I've seen Jung Woong In (Min Joon Kook) in a number of series. He's good a playing the villain or the antagonist. However, he really hammed up and overacted his role in this series as he was obviously trying to find the line between a sadistic killer and a sympathetic victim. He's prone to shouting way too much-especially when his character wouldn't-and spewing ridiculous nonsense in his tirades. I would have preferred a calmer and cooler killer who revels in his intelligence rather than some madman.
Yoon Joo Sang (Mr. Shin) and Kim Hae Sook (Jang Hye Sung's mother) were easily my favorite performers of the series. We had some peripheral characters, such as Park Soo Ha's high school companions, who brought absolutely nothing to the story. I had a hard time figuring out if Kim Choong Ki was his friend or not, since they were constantly engaging in fist fights. So much for being friends.
The writer was clearly making it up as you go along without any notion or idea about how things actually work in the real world much less the courtroom. Perhaps the writer watched too many dramas and thought, "Hey, I can do this!" Wrong.
The music was equally bad, playing light, fluffy songs at points when something dark and sinister was about to happen. That made no sense either. The series failed as a romance, failed as a comedy, and only barely stayed afloat as a thriller. This "ship" should have been sunk before it ever left port.
Many K-Dramas successfully blend various genres such as comedy, drama, romance, and even thriller-aspects. Most of the series I've watched do this extremely well. This is one of the few series that does this very badly. It uses comedy when something isn't funny. It uses romance when things are cheesy and not even romantic, and it completely undervalues the killer of the story, causing him to tap-dance around in order to prolong his presence in the series for no real reason.
We also have some of the absolute worst acting performances from an ensemble cast that I've seen in a very, very long time. Everything from hamming up scenes to overacting, to being completely disingenuous are just a few of the major mistakes this cast makes. Usually, it's only one or maybe two actors who are weak. In this series, only one or two actors are actually strong and believable.
The story is in intriguing one in which Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye Sung are brought together one fateful night when Min Joon Kook slams into Park Soo Ha's car and proceeds to brutally murder Park Soo Ha's father right in front of him. Park Soo Ha himself was about to be killed as well until a young Jang Hye Sung witnesses the crime and proceeds to take photos and be a witness to the crime. This brings about an ominous threat from Min Joon Kook who swears revenge upon Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye Sung, whom he attempts to strangle to death in the courtroom.
Years later, Park Soo Ha is a high school senior who has never forgotten Jang Hye Sung and what she did for him. It's also obvious that he's very smitten with her. Park Soo Ha is also a young man capable of reading people's thoughts. Obviously, this can be very unnerving for anyone who knows of his ability. He trains hard in fighting, knowing that one day, Min Joon Kook is likely to come looking for him as well as Jang Hye Sung. Coming across her, he begins to follow her, especially after learning that Min Joon Kook has been released from prison on "good behavior."
Jang Hye Sung becomes a public defender. Not because she feels any sense of responsibility, but because she feels she can do the job. And "doing the job" entails lazily arguing for a lighter sentence. She never believes her client and simply feels that her only "duty" is to get a reduced sentence for them. She's incredibly immature, conceited, and believes that the whole world revolves around her. She's vain and has no problem showboating when she's defeated anyone in court. If something goes wrong, it's always the other person's fault. She loves playing the victim. If someone lies, she holds a grudge. If she lies, she feels justified. She's a true hypocrite in every sense of the word. There isn't much that's likable about Jang Hye Sung.
Cha Kwan Woo is a mousy, sheepish man who's dropped out of the police force in order to become a public defender. He seems to have high values despite being a very wishy-washy shell of a man. He constantly looks as though he's on the verge of tears, and he's immediately infatuated with Jang Hye Sung. A real head-scratcher is why anyone would be enamored with Jang Hye Sung! And we've got an absolutely ludicrous triangle involving these three characters, when none of them are worth it.
There are some serious plot problems in this series. At one point, Cha Kwan Woo feels compelled to defend Min Joon Kook when he's caught for murdering Jang Hye Sung's mother. Of course, Min Joon Kook comes up with a ridiculous story, and Cha Kwan Woo buys it. The real problem, however, is that at this point in the story, Cha Kwan Woo is dating Jang Hye Sung. And yet, at no point, is a "conflict of interest" raised by anyone! Mr. Shin, the veteran of the public defenders, cowardly removes himself from consideration rather than realizing that it's his job to take the case. Of course, Cha Kwan Woo is so gullible, one has to figure out how this man could ever be a public defender, let alone a police officer. He also has zero police skills! At one point, he sneaks up on Min Joon Kook to capture him-from the side! Anyone with peripheral vision (and supposed police training) would never do that!
Another ridiculous point in the story is that Min Joon Kook cuts off his own left hand-with a 15cm knife! I'm not sure the writer had any notion of just how painful and difficult it would be for anyone to try and cut off their own hand with such a blade. They try to justify it with a pitiful demonstration that nobody with a brain would ever buy!
At one point, when Min Joon Kook is suspected of being murdered by Park Soo Ha, a witness claims to have seen Park Soo Ha, and yet nobody goes out to speak with the witness or even bring the witness to court until nearly after the fact. Talk about lawyers not doing their job! I had no idea they were so incompetent.
We have judges who roll their eyes and show emotion in court (something judges are not allowed to do!) during testimonies. We also have jurors who constantly nod their heads at every, single thing. I've served on juries. Jurors don't do that, and certainly not all of them at the same time!
The courtroom scenes are just about the worst I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot in movies and TV shows. It all played out like a bad soap opera by directors and writers who haven't a clue what really goes on in a courtroom and what court proceedings and protocols look like. I especially laughed at Jang Hye Sung wearing miniskirts to court. Somehow, I don't think a judge would allow that kind of attire.
This is the first series I've seen with Lee Bo Young, and she is just plain awful. She can't seem to find the fine line between being comedic or being dramatic. I understand that her character is supposed to be haughty, but she comes across like a spoiled high school prom-queen, constantly flipping her hair and giving snide remarks. In short, she's just not believable in any aspect of her character. She's absolutely clueless. She also has zero chemistry with anyone in the series. She reminded me of Denise Richards, one of the worst American actresses (or any actress!).
Yoon Sang Hyun (Cha Kwan Woo) is almost as bad. He often says his lines with a wooden expression as though he's reciting a poem in front of a school class. I understand that his character likes Jang Hye Sung, but acting like a 15-year-old milksop is hardly the way to endear the viewer. He's simply pathetic despite his ideals as a lawyer being very noble.
This is the second series I've seen with Lee Jong Suk (first being "Hymn of Death"). He's easily the strongest of these three. He reminds us that his character is a good six or seven years younger than Jang Hye Sung, but he also comes across as easily the most mature of the three. While he's prone to losing his temper, he's also the most levelheaded. However, his age and lack of world experience prove to be his weaknesses. Lee Jong Suk juggled this complex character rather well.
I've seen Jung Woong In (Min Joon Kook) in a number of series. He's good a playing the villain or the antagonist. However, he really hammed up and overacted his role in this series as he was obviously trying to find the line between a sadistic killer and a sympathetic victim. He's prone to shouting way too much-especially when his character wouldn't-and spewing ridiculous nonsense in his tirades. I would have preferred a calmer and cooler killer who revels in his intelligence rather than some madman.
Yoon Joo Sang (Mr. Shin) and Kim Hae Sook (Jang Hye Sung's mother) were easily my favorite performers of the series. We had some peripheral characters, such as Park Soo Ha's high school companions, who brought absolutely nothing to the story. I had a hard time figuring out if Kim Choong Ki was his friend or not, since they were constantly engaging in fist fights. So much for being friends.
The writer was clearly making it up as you go along without any notion or idea about how things actually work in the real world much less the courtroom. Perhaps the writer watched too many dramas and thought, "Hey, I can do this!" Wrong.
The music was equally bad, playing light, fluffy songs at points when something dark and sinister was about to happen. That made no sense either. The series failed as a romance, failed as a comedy, and only barely stayed afloat as a thriller. This "ship" should have been sunk before it ever left port.
Good enough drama
sanafyz28 June 2020
Everything was good in this drama except the romance of leads.there was absolutely no chemistry. So it wasnt very good on that note. But the actors were amazing in their characters. Everyone had a strong amazing character. Especially the female lead. Very non k-drama ish very realistic too. Good enough can be watched. First drama if lee jon suk so acting versatily i dont know but as the portrayal of a 20 year old high school kid he fitted well.
Osts abd background music is superb so is the cinematography
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