Firstly, if you have any knowledge of a real legal system, please suspend all belief. As a law graduate myself, I initially found it hard to sit through court proceedings in the show and discussions about legal issues, because I couldn't stop ranting at the screen about how unrealistic it was.
The 2 lead characters are fabulously crafted. I especially appreciate Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young). She doesn't fit the conventional female lead in a drama - she is feisty, honest, and doesn't stand for any BS. We have waited so long for a lady who can do things for herself, knows what she wants, and says what she wants (well most of the time).
This show not only has a compelling lead couple - its supporting characters have stories of their own to tell and they really shine. Those worth mentioning are Kwan Woo (Yoon Sang Hyun), Doyeon (Lee Da Hee) and Hye Sung's mum (Kim Hae Sook). Not only do they each stand for certain principles and characteristics that are essential to the two lead characters' growth; by the end of the show, Kwan Woo and Doyeon, in particular, evolve as human beings and legal officers to become better people.
There are several funny moments throughout the show, and tear-jerking ones too. The ending is satisfying and full of hope for the future for all the characters. Very importantly, NO MOMENTS OF NOBLE IDIOCY.
The only flaw is the show sometimes spent too much time in court, with our characters going through their legal arguments, which we are already familiar with, and that sometimes made me turn off for a bit.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Cast: freaking loved lee jong suk and lee Bo young. This is the couple of the year for me. Really likeable cast, and hateful villains. Acting was perfection. Character development for all the cast members were great.
Music: great ost, but I couldn't remember any significant songs I really loved.
Overall: this is definately the drama of the year for me, and one of my favourite dramas of all time. It incorporates everything, sweet romantic scenes, revenge and vengeance, action, betrayal, trust and loyalty, and teaches one how to forgive and make amends.
Was this review helpful to you?
Never has a show taught me so much, and I'm not saying that these teachings have been profoundly philosophical or deep inner-soul hoo-ha. The basic things like being honest, compassionate and responsible. At the same time, being a good judge of situations and analyzing your actions before doing them. It also taught me that I should never feel ashamed to accept my mistakes and learn from whomever I can. These things may seem like everyday stuff but, for me, I'm not sure that I always go by all them diligently, even though I know I should. This show has, somehow, compelled me to. Suddenly I'm thinking, hey, maybe being honest about what I think wouldn't be so bad; but at the same time, being prudent about the truth wouldn't hurt either. I think it's suffice to say that along with the characters of the show who learned tons of things from each other, I learned a helluva lot from them.
The consistency in the show, along with the nature of the characters that only evolved for the better despite being same at the core, was commendable. It made me stick with it right till the end. The emotions portrayed by all the actors (brilliant work by them btw, another reason to watch the show) strikes the right heartstrings, without ever giving the feeling that it's deliberate on their part. You relate with them, their feelings, their predicaments, everything.
I think I should especially mention the praiseworthy performances by Lee Jong Suk and Lee Bo Young. Not that the rest of the cast doesn't deserve commendations, but for me, these two were just absolutely terrific. Surprisingly, there's this one character in this show that I adored beyond measure - Hye Sung's mom. In all the dramas that I've watched so far, I've never come across such a strong mother. She was just.. great, I have no words really. She's definitely going to stay in my heart for a long, long time.
On an ending note, I'd recommend this drama to anyone who wants to watch something worth their time. This show totally deserves all the hype and appraisal it has received. Go for it :)
Was this review helpful to you?
Lee Bo Young and Lee Jong Suk have real chemistry going on; their romance is extremely cute and believeable, undoubtedly due to their fantastic acting. This was also the first time in a drama that I rooted for both the love interests, with Yoon Sang Hyun 's character being painfully honest and genuinely kind- hearted. Lee Bo Young as Jang Hye Sung is the prime example of what I like to call a 'human' character; Hye Sung has believable failings and tries to turn these around in the best way possible, while also accepting that not everything can turn out the way she would like. The latter also goes for Soo Ha, whose motives at a point coincide with Hye Sung's.
Regarding the storyline, I absolutely loved it! A courtroom drama juxtaposed against a personal quest for revenge is an excellent way to develop conflicts, and of course solutions to those conflicts that arise naturally from character action.
Some aspects of the plot may seem a bit forced, but this being a very character-driven drama I'm sure that you will not be bothered by that.
Was this review helpful to you?
The big star of this drama was of course Lee Jung Suk, who went from being Oska's musical rival in "Secret Garden" to the main contender for Attorney Jang's affections, with Sang Hyun's character Attorney Cha as his rival. From this drama, it seems like Lee Jung Suk will continue on in more meaty roles as he matures both as a man and an actor.
And what would a drama be without a good bad guy? Jung Woong In as Min Joon Kook was the blast from the past that brought all the characters together and the catalyst for the plot and it's backstory.
This drama was originally slated for 16 episodes, and two more were added early on, most likely due to phenomenal ratings that were in the low to mid 20 percents. Fortunately, the additional episodes did not result in adding crazy plot twists nor a sloppy ending just for the sake of extending the drama's run. The story remains cohesive throughout, with the usual quantity of kdrama flashbacks, brooding, and reminiscing. Still, a great story with a great cast.
Was this review helpful to you?
I feel like I learned the same lessons that Soo Ha did in the show, and this drama was really touching to me. I felt so moved by it that I could not stop watching and my heart just throbbed constantly throughout the series. I really took a lot of it to heart and I honestly think it helped me to see the world a little differently...
The story was just absolutely brilliant. I wasn't sure what to expect when reading the synopsis, but it definitely wasn't what I had originally thought, it was MUCH better.
The acting was flawless, I saw absolutely no problems with any of the characters and I completely adored the entire cast, they all did a great job.
The music was wonderful and fit each scene perfectly. It wasn't as obnoxious as songs can get in dramas where you know whats coming and you never want to hear that song again by the end of the drama....It was nothing like that, and I will probably continue to listen to the soundtrack.
I will most probably rewatch this drama in the future....and that's extremely rare for me, I have only ever rewatched 2 dramas out of the 50+ I've seen, but this is definitely worth it.
I suggest you drop whatever you're watching now and start this! It is NOT something you want to miss out on, trust me!
Romance, Action, Thriller, Comedy, it has EVERYTHING! GO WATCH IT!
Was this review helpful to you?
The story can be said is average, the characters learn about truths and humanity through court cases and thus grow as human beings. But what really interested me was the supernatural element that was perfectly incorporated into the storyline. I loved the talent that Soo Ha had it fitted well with the story and it worked. It didn't seem out of place and it was consistent. His mind reading wasn't the main focus and thats what I love about it even more. It also made the voiceover justifiable and enjoyable as we get to understand his mind as well as the depth of other people's minds. The story had elements of everything without being overwhelming and confusing. Supernatural power, court cases, personal scars and fears along with a light but solid romantic development this drama balanced it all out well. Really well.
I loved the development of the romance as it was just so sweet and honest - none of the typical kdrama setout. The legal aspect of it also impressed me a lot! Sometimes the main story can overshadow court cases but this didn't happen - whilst there wasn't a great deal of time focused on the court cases and the characters it did however focus on the process behind each case as well as incorporating some humanity into the justice system.
I don't want to reveal too much of the story but it definitely isn't stereotypical. The characters surprised me in many ways and I absolutely loved watching their interactions and their subtly and believable grow and development. It showed me that people aren't robots, personalities can change, hearts can change. Enemies can become friends, one-sided love can be heard and not every drama needs an evil backstabbing second female lead.
The acting was incredibly from all of the cast. There is not one that I can criticise. The perfect leads and supporting cast. When I first heard Lee Jong Suk, Lee Bo Young and Yoon Sang Hyun I thought it would be awkward and lack chemistry. Boy was I wrong! There was not one moment that I doubted the love the characters had for each other - it all made sense, it was realistic, hence without such a talented casts this would've have worked. Lee Bo Young who impressed me as the rude, strong and somewhat heartless Public Defender. Her character is comedy gold - her antics are just the funniest and I enjoyed watching her become a better person. I never noticed her before but now she's definitely on my radar. Her acting is definitely one of the best I've seen.
Lee Jong Suk, well his name says it all. He ain't the hottest actor in South Korea for no reason and damn right he deserves that, he made that character come to life. I can't see anyone else who could've done a better job or him doing a better job it really was done well. He made me smile so much and cry so much too that bad man! I love Yoon Sang Hyun as the loud, naive and trusting lawyer his character brought light into the drama and he made me smile (not as much as Lee Jong Suk though) with his awesome persuasion skills and definitely brought much laughter to the audience I'm sure.
The supporting casts are just as amazing as the leads. The most impressive was Lee Da Hee. This might have been how awesome her character was (surprisingly so!) but I thought she played her role as the Prosecutor so well. She's on my radar too!
The music was great the perfect companion to the emotions that this series showed. Now that this drama is finished it's the perfect medication to stop me from missing this so much. reliving the memories.
Yes I will be rewatching this because it's not sooo heavy that it's burdensome but not so light that it makes no connection with the audience (i.e. me) so I plan to rewatch it. Not soon but I will.
Overall, this is a well executed and written drama that continuously impressed me with the plot and character development. All the characters were unexpected and I loved every moment. I try to be as objective as I can, although it doesn't sound it this review is me being objective. The story and side stories were great. There is not much I can criticise about this drama. For me it had the perfect balance of everything. It made me smile, envious, cry, learn and grow essentially to be more understanding of people. All in all I loved and enjoyed this series so much. A must watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
In conclusion, people who are a little skeptical about watching it because of the older cast or the law theme, you guys have nothing to fear. This drama is cute and hilarious, and at the same time it's exciting and the makers really know their cards and when to pull them out.
Was this review helpful to you?
The beginning of 'I hear your voice' was promising - to me, it seemed like the writers will pay more attention to the trials and the law part of the drama. And since I am a big fan of law dramas, i got excited. Too excited. Everything was okay, the pacing was normal, the stroyline was getting better and the characters were funny. And then, somewhere in the middle, it felt like the drama lost its spark. Not completely, there were exciting and thrilling moments, but it became too messy so it was easy for me to get annoyed and bored. The part that frustrated me the most was when the writers dropped the amnesia thing out of the blue. (I hope this is not a spoiler since there is an amnesia tag everyone can see) Seriously, it was unnecessary. I still don't understand the point of this amnesia.
The characters were the reason why I didn't give up on this drama, I loved every one of them. But if I have to say who's my favourite one, I'd say Kwan Woo. Seriously, Yoon Sang Hyun never disappoints with his roles. I don't know how, but he always chose the best fit for him, so I always end up loving his character. I loved every side character, I'm not joking. Every one of them. It's usually really rare for me to like every character, without having at least one that annoyed me. I couldn't even bring myself to hate the criminal despite all the people he murdered. He was cruel, but the people who made him like that... Yes, they were also cruel. There's no much to say about the two leads, Hye Sung developed a lot so that was a plus for her. Jong Suk's character was... not different from his other roles? Still, I liked Soo Ha. Another plus is that they didn't make Do Yeon a heartless bitch, she is maybe my second favourite character.
The ending was okay, but too predictable. Maybe the part I enjoyed the most was Dal Jung's trial.
The acting was good, no much to say. Kudos to Jung Woong In for his good portraying of the murderer.
Most of the OSTs songs weren't something special, but since they suits the drama well, I liked them.
I'm not sure if I'll rewatch this, but I will miss the characters, so who knows.
Overall, I'm giving an 8 mostly because of the characters. I'm not saying that the plot was bad or something, just i wish it would have been better.
Anyway, the drama teaches you that telling the truth is always the best option. It also makes you wonder if reading people's minds is actually a good idea. There are many good parts of it, so I recommend it no matter what genres you like.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
All those people that are rude to you … It’s because they’re jealous. Because you’re so fortunate. It’s because they’re jealous. So don’t hate them. Don’t be mean to them. Feel sorry for them"
I just finished watching this, and I must say: I LOVED IT !
I didn't get bored, not even for one second, and that says a lot !
It left me with a nice feeling, I also feel like I got smarter by watching this, since there was so many good lessons - good to apply to our own lives.
I highly recommend this drama!
- What I liked about this drama?
I don't even know where to start !
First of all; I didn't got bored from it - and speaking honestly; I don't think, I've ever watched a drama where I haven't skipped an episode or so - every single minute of this was exciting !
I didn't got gray hair (stressed from watching it)
~ I loved how the characters personality changed from one to another.
- I loved the couple - the supporter - I even ended up feeling sorry for Min Joon Gook.
So, give it a go ! You will definitely not regret it !
Was this review helpful to you?
