Story-10 , Definitely one of the best story lines in the dramas that I've watched. It made me laugh, jump up for joy, frustrated at times, and even get mad at the leads sometimes! Very unpredictable! I expected for things to happen, but it twisted and went the other way around. I usually don't like romance between an older woman and a younger guy, but it's exceptional here! The story definitely kept me at the edge of my seat throughout the whole episodes!
Acting/Cast-9, The actors portrayed their characters very well. Lee Bo Young annoyed me a bit at first, but she turned out to be really good. Lee Jong Suk is just simply amazing. This is my first drama with him in it, and I fell in love at first sight! He is spectacular for a 23 year old. Yoon Sang Hyun is really good too... but I didn't really payed much attention to him in here xD Plus, the chemistry between Jong Suk & Bo Young is incredible!
Music- 8, the music's pretty good. Some really great OST's there!
Rewatch value- 9, I watched this 3 times already and never got bored once! xD
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Also Yoon Sang Hyun (he acted in Secret Garden as Oska) and Lee Jong Suk (his acting in School 2013 gained lots of praise) as the main casts, yum.
And yes, the trailer didn't disappoint me at all. The first episode was so strong and left a very deep impact. I know I must watch this drama, as it got me hooked right away, plus it's another masterpiece by Dream High's screenwriter. (I love Dream High!)
This is a courtroom legal drama, mixed with romantic comedy, seasoned with fantasy "super hero" theme and his full-of-hatred-and-revenge villain. It might be too much for some people, but complicated is my thing (^^,)
Expect some thrills along the way, but it blends very well with the comical elements, so no need to worry about "heavy and tense" atmosphere at all.
First scene opens in Park Soo Ha's school, so one can think it's another usual high school drama. But as we ride throughout the journey, the story starts to unfold.
I love how it rolls seamlessly from present to past, describing the main casts' history/relationship and their current states/jobs/lives.
Beautifully woven story, nicely executed. And I promise it will be as enjoyable as it is, until the final episode.
One of the strongest and satisfying finale in kdramaland nowadays.
Also, I find it impossible not to falling in love with the main characters.
Either for the heroine Jang Hye Sung, a thick-face, comical, sharp-tongued lawyer.
Or Park Soo Ha himself, our hero with super power ability (he can hear other people's thoughts) who grew up without parents, but he made a sincere promise to protect the woman he love as a child (awwww... sweet puppy love T.T).
Or Cha Kwan Woo, a former detective who turns into lawyer because he has noble idealistic point of view.
Or even Min Joon Gook (Jung Woong In, acted in Queen Seon Duk as MiSaeng), our ruthless villain and his possible history that turned him into his current "beast" state.
All of the characters have realistic traits/flaws, it feels like they're "real" people. The actors and actresses did very great job in expressing them. Their acting levels are superb, and the chemistry are sooo great as well. Smartly written and casted!
What I love about this drama is, it delivers earnest messages about sincere love and trust, also how to be honest and brave and stick on to what you believe. It gives me warm and fuzzy feelings inside, without being too overly preachy. The nuna - dongsaeng love relationship (as well as the classic triangle love) is also cute, without being too corny or delusional. Something I can relate to in my personal life.
The musics are also great, really suit the drama mood. I'm currently listening to the OST while writing this. One of my favorite is by Jung Yeob (of Brown Eyed Soul) - Why Did You Just Came Now.
Nevertheless, this drama is not THAT perfect. Sometimes it feels too draggy in some episodes, especially after the extensions were announced. There is also one boring theme that goes over and over again, but it's all worth the wait because the ending is nearly perfect.
And I don't understand why almost in every case on this show seem to revolve around the same lawyers, prosecutors and judges LOL
Overall, I can say this is a pretty great watch and fully entertaining. IT IS THAT GOOD.
As for the re-watch value, all detective and legal dramas aren't fun to re-watch, are they?
But I have my personal favorite scenes and I might watch again later in the future :)
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i can say that it gives a very unique taste because of it story line. especially how the script made and the acting.. the cast it so perfect, it's like a dream cast.
The story dongsaeng love is not that new but i can't seem to distinguish the age gap coz their really have a great chemistry to think that the female lead is in a relationship..
every episode is a must watch that you wish it was longer...
i highly recommend this drama for thirsty drama addict out there.
jjang!.. :))
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This review may contain spoilers
It has been a couple months since I watched this drama, and it has truly stayed with me - for my first drama review, it's fitting that I should write about I Hear Your Voice, the last drama that really struck me, no?For anyone who wants to read a long review ;)
So, in general, what interests me most in a drama is the romance. But for that romance to touch me, I need the characters to be well-developed - this drama fills the bill by far. The characters and the actors that impersonate them were endearing and alive (this being said without being a fan of any of the actors before watching it). For once, I found the love triangle to be rather interesting and justified. Neither of the two men she had to choose from was without flaws, and after all, strategically speaking, her final choice may not have been the safest/most profitable one. In other words, none of the three main characters were stereotypes, they were all very human and relatable. Jang-Hye Sung is funny, although at the beginning she may seem irritating. Eventually, she comes to be both brave and sensitive/feminine, mature and childish, which makes her a female lead one can easily understand and like. Park Soo Ha, as well, was an amazing character - the drama shows how he matures intellectually. From the start, he is a character one gets attached to - and the drama plays on that. Being both a kind/intelligent young man and a moody teen with nothing to loose, there is a tension all along on whether he will throw his life away for revenge or not that is truly gripping. The parallel made with the villain at the end was well-done as well - I don't think it's spoiling to say that the drama shows how easy it is to become monstrous when you are attached to no-one, that no-one is naturally a monster and anyone can become one, which is really a strong message when a drama portrays characters that are so likeable.
I couldn't give the story full marks though, because there definitely were some loopholes - the whole courtroom plot part was sometimes irrational, too obvious or just plain stupid - I'm certainly not a law expert, and am usually terrible at figuring out mystery plots, but (to avoid spoilers) the solution to the most dramatic problem Jang Hye-sung had to solve as a lawyer was so evident even I had seen it from the start.
But the courtroom scenes are not that terrible either, and the rest of the story flows pretty well. As it often happens with me, I personally preferred all the moments "outside" and useless to the plot - and this drama is great for that, with all its domestic scenes that are both heart-warming and funny. The relationship between Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye-Sung is so warm and casual from the start, and seeing them doing various chores together just makes them feel so true...
In terms of tragedy and comedy, this drama has its fair balance of both. There were times it was so funny I had to pause the video and laugh for a few minutes before starting again - which is pretty rare for me. I also appreciate when a movie/drama tries melodrama, since it's such a tricky genre - here the tragedy worked pretty well, and I actually liked the whole "fate" aspect around the main couple. In fact, somehow it erased the weirdness of the age gap, and it suddenly felt extremely romantic that a boy, no matter his age or circumstances, would love and desire to protect the same woman unconditionally. In the end, there's a nice feel to the main couple - like they can be the victims of any kind of tragedy the world throws to them as long as they're together to support and protect each-other. What is nice, also, is that despite the horror around them, there aren't too many tears - on the contrary, a lot of smiles and laughter that make the tears all the more touching.
As for the music: well, in general in dramas I either don't notice it or it gets on my nerves. Except at this moment, I still remember the strange futuristic bleep bleep song which annoyed so many people - I actually liked it. It had this mysterious feel to it, and it fit perfectly well with the image of the aquarium, which, even though its appearance was brief, was striking, as it fit so well with the general feel of the drama - weird, both subtle and a little supernatural, dreamy...
On the other hand, I never rewatch dramas - and in this case, since the drama is based on a mystery plot, I guess the surprise factor would disappear. On the other hand, i still do rewatch certain scenes occasionally.
And to finish: this is a very unusual drama, I had never really seen anything like it... And, despite some flaws, i think it's fair to give a drama that honestly tries to be new (not just re-using themes/stereotypes that are usually appreciated) a chance, no?
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This review may contain spoilers
I watched this after seeing Pinocchio & While You Were Sleeping. IHYV is very similar to these two, it's written by the same writer who seems to specialize in these procedural supernatural romance dramas, so no surprise there, I wasn't disappointed, for the most part. What's interesting that While You Were Sleeping feels like an improved version of the same underlying story, we even had precognitive dreams in IHYV too, so in originality naturally IHYV wins big time.So let's begin with the negatives. I really didn't like the love triangle, especially around episode 9-11. In a mystery/procedural drama there is no need for this, since there are plenty of tools to keep the viewer on edge, this defo felt out of place. (Pinocchio & WYWS also had triangles, but those were very weak & benign in comparison) Sungbin's story felt unnecessary once her trial was over. I like the actress, but there was definitely problems with her scenes in the second half of the drama, maybe she served as a tool for some clever product placements that I've missed?! The amnesia plot was annoying & unnecessary,it was a low point in the drama. Also there are problems with drama logic, like can the Korean police be really that incompetent...
Positives are aplenty. I really liked the unusual main couple. Especially Lee Boyoung did an excellent job. I also loved the judge character that is played by the guy I already knew from Running Man. The ending was one of the best I've seen so far in a kdrama. Also the bromance between the female leads was really good, even better than in DoTS. I liked the OST, though it's obviously nowhere near as good as in WYWS. The plot (except around ep9-11) had a nice flow & I liked the theme of the show overall. There are more positives, but there is not much reason to talk about them, overall this is a very pleasant watch with forgivable flaws. I think Pinocchio is still the best in this genre, out of those that I've seen, but this is not far behind.
edit years later: Decided to change my rating to 10, while my criticisms have merit, I have seen very few kdramas I enjoyed more & the rewatch value is really one of the best as well..
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If you are looking to watch something with realistically well-written characters who are not exactly 'prefect' but are very relatable and more so extremely likable then this is the right drama to watch.
Not only does it have a solid plotline but it is also does a great job at connecting all sub plots to the main plot and giving it a very satisfying ending.
I have previously watched multiple LJS dramas and am a big fan of his . Two of those included Pinocchio and WYWS. I am a fan of the writer for how well she connects all plots but this has to be her most superior work of the three for me (Pinocchio is a very close second).
The only reason I did not give this drama a perfect 10 is that after a relatively light start, the drama takes a serious turn after the initial episodes and the tone becomes slightly heavy in the following 2 episodes but it quickly comes to an balanced tone and the shift in tone is also necessary to understand the gravity of the events that occur. It does not take anything away from the drama.
The acting by the entire cast is amazing and everyone is super well cast for their role. Each side character is likable and adds a lot to the story and makes it more fun to watch. The three main leads do a phenomenal job with their roles. I loved seeing them throughout the show and really felt like the characters were written for them.
The FL played by Bo-young is super relatable and likable. LJS's young Park Soo Haa fits him perfectly and he adds a lot of charm to the character as always. Yoon Sang-hyun as Cha Gwan-wo is extremely likable and you root for his happiness throughout the show. This is one show where you are happy with whoever the FL ends up (though I was secretly rooting for Soo Haa). Lee Jong Suk and Park Bo-young have great chemistry and they deliver the perfect romance that is well-paced and has a foundation of mutual care and love.
I highly recommend this to whoever is reading my long review and if you are a fan of courtroom dramas it just gets better.
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Third,being a fan of mystery,I enjoyed the court scenes,and how they managed to prove the innocence of their clients when everything was there to prove the opposite.
Fourth,the bad guy actually had a reason for his actions.I hate it when drama charaters have no justified reason for being evil.
Yeah,that's about it.I was pleasantly surprised by this drama. Vey good drama indeed.
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Withstands the Test of Time!
I first watched this drama 5 years ago as of writing this review but was suddenly compelled to watch it again. A slightly nerve-wracking prospect as tastes and times both change and I was worried I wouldn't love it as much the second time all these years later.Well - I definitely did love it! My rating has changed from a 9 to a 8.5 but that's because watching it now having seen hundreds more dramas, I'm more aware of the cliches and problematic tropes. And this drama definitely has them - keeping unnecessary secrets is the worst offender considering our ML can literally *read minds* but there are other offences here and there (wrist grabs and male characters trying to rob the FL of her agency etc).
BUT they really are only very minor offences. In every other way both the characters and plot have stayed as refreshing as the first time. The FL is arrogant & lazy to the point of being unlikable but we see her through Park Suha's eyes and watch her grow into an admirable lawyer. The relationship between Jang Hye Seong & Prosecutor Seo is also a fun breath of fresh air as they go from enemies with genuine reason to be enemies to something better when they meet again as adults. Considering the trend of the times (and in many places the continued trend of today) it's nice to see women navigate a complicated relationship together without it devolving into high-school type nonsense. (Though there is some pettiness and it's always hilarious).
The drama is funny when it wants to be funny, heartfelt when it needs to be heartfelt and surprises you with the care it shows its characters. Park Suha is romantic & emotional so the perfect balance to Hye Seong's more pragmatic and realistic nature but their chemistry together is genuinely adorable. He's a genuinely likeable lead that's super easy to root for from start to end. Because the show focuses on public defenders, the cases are all blue collar crimes which is nice in this chaebol-filled drama landscape and the drama's lesson about the blind hand of justice needing to be able to see from time to time in order for true justice to be given is a genuine one that's put across super well.
Oh and - the villain is consistently awful and deserves everything that happens to him.
Highly recommend no matter what genre you tend to pick!
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One of these few dramas that successfully combine romance, suspense, comedy, drama, character development and social critique. Watch if 1) like me, you're a sucker for dramas that inspire you and make you think, 2) You've seen a few average dramas and you want something a little better. Don't watch if 1) You have a hard time with characters that bear flaws, 2) You nitpick about small plot mistakes.
THE STORY
Gripping tale, made of plenty of plot twists and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, uncertain about where the story will take you, from beginning to end. The characters evolve throughout the drama - and not just the main protagonists, almost all of them - but the best thing is, they are all relatively 'complex', which in my own speech means that they all have flaws and/or vulnerabilities, but all end up getting some kind of positive emotion from you, if not love, at least pity or understanding. The story is also one that makes you think about the world and how you've been living, with some quite deep lines and conversations. There might be a few plot elements that don't seem very realistic, and the romances might seem a little bland, but there's been a lot worst in Kdramaland, trust me.
THE ACTING
All the cast did a pretty good job in this drama. I just can't give a 10 because I thought there wasn't much chemistry between Lee Boyoung and Lee Jongsuk, and it was a shame, it would have made it perfect.
THE MUSIC
Quite good, well chosen. My personal favorite: Every Single Day, by Echo. Rock or acoustic version, the song's cool.
REWATCH VALUE
Rewatched.
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The story is fantastic, however, if you examine it closely there are some hole with the legal stuff. Knowing that it does not take from the story at all. It's just such a heartfelt story that has you cry (a lot).
The casting was perfect I love the lead actors, however, I admit there were times that I was upset with the heroine.
The music selection was perfect, it complimented the story perfectly.
I consider this one of the best that I have seen and would most definitely watch it again.
Overall, this drama is just awesome and one would really be missing out if they didnt watch.
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It has everything -
i)a recurring theme of justice, notions of culpability, a moving discourse on the thin line of difference between fair and unfair and the human desire for connection
ii)A solid ensemble cast who put up stellar performances (Lee Bo Young is outstanding as the prickly, smartass, intelligent, independent modern woman and so is Yoon Sang Hyun as the goofy but upright defense attorney. Lee Jong Suk is quite convincing in his difficult role as well)
iii)A well plotted story that makes sense and doesn't frustrate us with its lack of rationale.
iv)great music which goes with the overall tone of the story and adds to the many tender or suspenseful moments that the characters share with each other
AND last but not the least.....
v)a heart-melting noona-dongseng romance. If Soo Ha and Hye Seong's romance didn't move you or you are still cringing at the age difference thing then I'm sorry to say you're not a very sensitive human being.
So if you're still hesitating and wondering whether it's worth a shot to invest 18+ hours in this specific drama, do not worry and JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD AND WATCH IT. This drama gifts you with an amazing, amazing experience, teaches you lots about human empathy, nitty gritties of the law and the ultimate need to hear and respond to someone's voice (be it a stranger or someone you've known for ages) (Yeah sorry couldn't help but use that cliche)
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When I started this, I never thought I'd like it this much, I thought it was just other drama to pass time with, but I was sooo WRONG!! the first 10 minutes grabbed my attention and I couldn't stop watching after that. The story is really unique, whoever heard of Justice with a twist of mind reading?? Every moment makes you guess and wonder whats going to happen!! I mean legit you really don't have a clue on whats going to happen next, it can go in that direction or the other, you have to just watch and wait, which personally kills me!!. The Acting is perfect,some people have a problem because the women is older, but trust me even though the main leads have an age gap, you really don't see it because their chemistry is shining threw the shine,The main guy is MANLY!! Watch it and you'll know what I mean. The Music is really catchy, it fits with every scene well, and I don't usually rewatch dramas, but this one is an exception for me,that's how good it is.
*** GOO WATCH NOWW!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET!***
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