May It Please the Court (2022)

Nonchalant, sassy, intelligent - a solid enrichment among law&order dramas

"May it Please the Court" is one of my favorite series amid the flood of Law & Order series 2022. I appreciate its witty and grounded touch. I also appreciate the playful, sassy and natural at ease dynamic between the two leads. You get wit without silliness and on top of that an exciting story. In addition, the question (which is obviously burning at the moment in South Korea) about the solid handling of the rule of law in the face of apparently overpowering forces that control politics, the executive and the judiciary, is intelligently incorporated into the network of relationships and case processing.

The story is based on a book with real cases, written by public defender Jeong Hye-jin ("Let Me Start the Argument"). This makes the Disney production a solid enrichment for current courtroom dramas. In addition, this KDrama doesn´t try to downplay its KDrama roots in favour of international streaming market standards. The KDrama remains true to itself and doesn't rely on more violence or sex than usual It rather builds on proven emotional storytelling with an excellent cast and a loving eye for the nuances.

The intro offers an impressive, brilliantly cool stylization of the KDrama orbit, in which the one percent of society is always involved: the fircely quarreling, shaken by internal intrigues and secrets, outrageously rich family clan, in which everything is about the best law firm, the greatest impact on the prosecutor's office or the fat contract. Here you have to be clean, untouched, respectable (which you rarely are). The profession of choice is a lawyer and/or sooner or later assemblyman and ideally a presidential candidate.

So far, so good... we´ve seen it many times. Now, however, the story is driven by a new powerful perspective: the world of public defenders who handle legal cases from the world of ordinary, often destitute people at the bottom of society. Worlds clash - worlds both with people involved. The interface is incorporated by No Chak-hee, who has lived in either. As the number 1 in the law firm, in which she has just been promoted to the youngest partner, she is being transferred to the mandatory public defense. What she doesn't know: this is mere political calculation of her very esteemed superior. What she also doesn't know: the encounter with her new colleague and the world of public defense will unhinge her worldview and give her work new direction and grounding.

Suspense has the central characters fatefully under control. A series of murders occur. Crimes emerge behind old, long solved and forgotten cases. No Chak-hee realizes that even she can no longer wash her hands in innocence. Guilt. Innocence. Right. Wrong. Culprit. Victim. Justice. Injustice. The perspectives get a bit out of the sounding line.

KDrama at its finest. Good entertainment, while also being socially critical and up to date. Pithy. Nonchalant. Intelligent. Exciting. Romantic vibes included.

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This deserves so much attention. Is so freaking good!!!!

I sincerely dont understand the lack of attention to this drama. It has everything, from a good plot, to intense scenes, to love filled glances. I sware, everytime i see the main couple joking together i just want to jump into the screen and tell them to make out faster. There that cute.
I also love the mystery that this show has. Like, it can be very predictable, but at the same time it makes you question if you really know what ur talking about. If what you are thinking is truly going to happen.
The one thing I'll complain about though is the songs. They can be very tacky, and the lyrics some times dont make to much sense. But the cinematography and the actors pay up for that little inconvenience.
There is kind of a thing for people who don't like slow plots. Its not that the drama drags, bit there some moments that you wish it would go faster.
All in all though, it a wonderful drama that truly captures you in to the world of justice, betrayal, and love.

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Good but something is missing

— SPOILERS AHEAD —


I really enjoyed this show and I think the premise was really really good. The acting was brilliant too, some standout performances in Yiyeon, Lee Dongpil and Jang Gido. The romance was also just enough which I felt was fitting for a story like this. However I have a few reservations with giving it a higher rating purely because I think it failed deliver to its full potential. There were too many loose ends and not of the ‘open ending’ type. All the cases that were shown in the earlier episodes were discarded with no resolution. All that happened in the past was also not explained well. How was Lee Dongpil still alive and where did Chisik find him? Especially since the police couldn’t. Also, it seems like Dongpil had sent a letter to someone when he was still in prison. How did Chakhee’s grandmother find that letter? Next, how did Sibaek take a dead kid’s identity? Did Chisik convince the Jwa family to take in an orphan? Why did the police pick up and torture his real parents in the first place if the issue was only with Eunsoo? How did these corrupt terrible police officers go on to become such big businessmen? How did Gido marry Haran? She said their marriage helped Byungchun rise to where he is. Also Daehyeon, Gido’s aide brushed hands with Haran once and then they didn’t show anything with the two of them. What was the point? When Haran was trying to sabotage Gido, someone else sent information about Yiyeon. They never went back to that or explained who else was trying to hinder Gido. Coming to Chakhee’s father, why did he leave and how does Chakhee have a working relationship with now? He’s mentioned as an ex reporter who writes exposés on the Jang family. Surely Chakhee would’ve read one? If not, why did he not try to tell her for so many years? So many unanswered questions. This should’ve been a normal 16 ep series and they should’ve spent some more time on the details. It was still engaging and I love the characters but it felt like writer’s room lost their notes while making the show.

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What is remembered, lives.

I rarely feel compelled to write drama reviews, but I think this drama is an underrated gem of 2022, so I'd like to encourage people to watch it.

Let's first talk about romance, since I know that's what the majority of drama watchers look for. This drama is the epitome of "slight romance." The leads have a lot of chemistry, and for such a short drama without outright romance, it has skinship, tender moments, saviour moments; basically, it has the standard things that romance watchers want. Heck, it even has marriage talk. So I hope you aren't put off by others saying there's "no romance," because it's not entirely true.

Moving on to the story now. This drama, being only 12 episodes long, needs to tell a story very succinctly and focus only on the main plot. There are lots of threads that some may feel were not closed, but I have to say, I think it was quite intentional. This drama was inspired by a book of essays by a Korean public defender detailing his experiences helping the marginalized, most vulnerable members of society. It's not a drama about any character's personal life story or traumas. Its focus is on the law--how it can fail the socially disadvantaged, how it can be bent to the will of those in power. What it means to take responsibility for one's actions and choices, how heavy the burden of being wronged can weigh on people, how much it means to be listened to. So we're not here to watch Chak-hee or Si-baek's life stories. They are connected--along with other characters--to certain actions and events that have propelled them along certain trajectories in life until they came to the point where they are in the drama. We're here to see how and why that happened.

The female lead's character development is one of the most enjoyable to watch. I've already mentioned it, but the leads have a lot of chemistry, and both actors are extremely talented. From the very start, you're immersed in the mystery of how all these characters and events are connected. The episodes are very binge-worthy, because each one ends in a cliffhanger revelation. A lot of crime dramas have you asking the question "who," but in this drama, I felt the "who" was extremely obvious. My biggest question was "why."

I think the antagonists in this drama were written and acted well, because I usually have a hard time sitting through scenes of horrible people getting away with things. This drama chooses not to truly reveal the extent of horrific things that have taken place until the end. In other dramas, the frustrating thing is usually that we as viewers know something because we're already told or shown, but the characters don't know a thing. In this drama, we discover truths at almost the same pace as our female lead, alleviating the frustration.

Overall, at only 12 episodes, I think this drama is more than worth anyone's time.

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Can We Get Season 2 but make it a Romcom?

May It Please The Court (2022)

Likes
1. Wow! Didn't expect the story would get very dark in the end. I loved that it kept me guessing on who is the villain (there were a lot of them). I also decided on who they were near the end but not the motive!! The twist at the end were shocking, sad, brilliant, tragic.
2. Loved the pair of Chakhee and Shibaek. Can we get a season 2 of them but make it a romcom?
3. Super love Jung Ryu Won, esp that scene when she found out who confessed and who she was defending 😱
4. Chisik and Dongpil's storyline was the perfect revenge. But i'm curious what was so special with the place where Chisik buried Eunsoo?
5. Also didn't expect the granny and Mr Toilet's relationship 😭
6. Jang Gido was perfectly acted by Jung Jinyoung. I really thought he was a nice guy but like Chakhee i finally saw through his act and it was disgusting. And the Chairman!! 🤯

Dislikes
Wish there were better uses of Yiyeom, Haran and Chakhee's dad but overall fantastic drama.

Rating: 9/10

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Courtless Behaviour

At a first glance, the drama got a commendable cast bringing adequate performance to their character. The initial events and the 4 first episodes were eye catching, interesting and kept you looking forward to see where the story is going. However, the story just didn't quite measure up. It's like they've got all the right ingredients, but the recipe just doesn't come together. They very rarely went to court after that, it turned into mystery/investigation. They were also building a mystery around the male lead trying to insinuate something else about his character but that got boring really fast for how obvious and lazy their attempts were. Finally, the last 2 episodes and the climax were weak in general for a finale, nothing interesting or appealing came out of them. Don't expect much beyond the initial few episodes and the decent cast.

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I did not want it to end!!!!

I was almost giddy with happiness when I first learned that this drama will star two of my favourite actors, Jung Ryeo Won and Lee Kyung Hyung (I've alway wanted him to have more male lead roles since Hi, Bye Mama). This drama was well written, delving into a painful and excruciating 30 year journey towards revenge with comedic and sassy banter between our main leads. They had amazing chemistry, their attraction to each other palpable as they bicker and banter that I wished that it was put to good use by giving Noh Chak Hee and Jwa Si Baek some romantic scenes. I love that they have contrasting personalities; like chalk and cheese, Chak Hee is the sophisticated, mouthy, smart and expensive lawyer to Jwa Si Baek's, deadpan, quiet, unpretentious, hiding-a-brilliant mind personality and a dry sense of humour.

The ending was poetic where the villains got their just desserts but an epilogue with a wedding and maybe a law office for Chak Hee and Si Baek with Chak Hee charging astronomical fees from her rich client and Si Baek still doing pro bono work would have been icing on a delicious cake. They'll still be lovingly bickering of course.

This drama screams season 2; please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top. I'm rewatching it right now.

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One of the Underrated Web Series in 2022

Story starts slow when introducing the characters, as a normal series, 1st part is the introduction of the main characters and their ego's.

within 30 mins, you get hook to the story, something about the 30 mins span, if don't get the audience they will skip episodes only to see their favorites and bias actors/actresses, this series is different.

slow, and eerie pace , you don't get that a lot except the "through the darkness" series,
this web series will question your decisions and what could be a lie all along, you do your day to day not knowing your very purpose is a lie.

the encounter of the 2 main characters are not forced, they made it coincidental based on the field that they both working on,
that coincidental scene happens in real life, that makes it more interesting, after 30 mins you get to unravel a mystery that is eerie and can touch a sensitive part on some people, some people experience it for real, but not able to voice their sides because of a leash on what public attorneys can do, a leash on what a large law firms can do, and a leash what a internal police investigation happens, the leash not only for public attorneys, but for normal workers, and low rank police officers. story is very heavy and if you like "through the darkness" this is a good third one on your list.

1. Through the Darkness
2. Stranger
3. May it Please the Court


Actors/Actress, you cannot go wrong with the cast,

Music, one of the appropriate BGM out there for a mystery like this one, very awesome at the same time eerie BGM that will tap on your inner emotions when you listening to it when you are making a choice on a fork road.

it has a rewatch value during a mystery marathon at your home.

Overall, can't go wrong with this web series, the only regret is that I only watched it in 2024 not in 2022.

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Good lawyer, bad lawyer

I watched this drama every week and I had fun. I will miss it.

This drama is slow, it doesn't have mind-blowing plot twists or characters doing some extravagant things. It's not makjang which I'm glad. It's pretty realistic.

The story builds up slowly, it gives hints here and there what will happen and it's on the viewer to connect the dots. I like that we aren't always told things but we are shown. It's more interesting that way.

There's a lot of small cases connected to one big case. All of them were interesting.

The whole plot about serial murders was written in a smart way. It makes us doubt who is the murderer but it reveals everything in a logical way, it doesn't drag or become boring. Everything makes sense at the end.

The characters are not good or bad, everyone is gray.
The villains suck but they show their good side sometimes, are they pretending? Probably, but they are pretty darn good at it.

Chakhee and Sibaek make a good team. This is not a romance drama but there are a lot of good moments between the leads.

The best episode of the whole drama is definitely ep 10. It left me feeling a lot of feelings.

The ending is satisfying and happy.

Jang Gido is officially a clown.

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Not what I expected. Not what I started to believe it would be. Entertaining anyway.

1/ STORY:
Part 1 : Favourite grand daughter works for favourite grand father's Law firm working to become a big shot in the firm. She is ruthless, kind of jaded and indifferent and uses any mean possible to reach her goal. Gets dismissed and sent to work as pro bono lawyer with a weird guy she clashes with because of their different personalities and way of seeing Law and Life. But are they so different?

The murders happening are more than simple serial killings. Things turns darker and darker and more and more people around the lead couple are involved. It is not only murders, it is a whole scheme

2/ WHAT I LIKED:
- The lead couple: Their respective personality is endearing. They are clashing in a funny way. They learn from each other and they indiviual sense of moral and justice try to connect. The first part of the drama was very good on that point and they had a good chemistry. Second part with the murders was darker and they kind of worked "separately". The bond was distended and the drama became a bit draggy and less sparkling. Last part they are back. But not together. And this is the best part of their relationship with lots of mysteries unveiled and they finally see who the other one really is.
- The mystery was a bit draggy but overall the scheme was smart and the reason of all this is acceptable. The brain of the murders is a bad guy but the way he was depicted was good and human.

3/ WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
- ML: how the guy missed the evident under his nose?
- A bit draggy in the middle part.
- Some characters could have been better used: The wife of Gi Do of Gi do's henchman or FL's dad.
- I wished the daughter had a bigger role. And why it took her so long?

4/ OST :
Good enough but I felt the songs in the beginning and in the rest of the drama had a very different tone.

5/ REWATCHABLE VALUE:
Difficult when you know the outcome of the mystery. But very watchable.

6/ OVERALL
A surprisingly intruiging drama which slowly drags the viewers in a terrible and dark story which ends in a sad emotional way and then an optimistic note. I do not regret watching this. Recommended 9/10

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