This review may contain spoilers
A Light Hearted Rom-Com — but so much more!
It feels like a 2013 drama that was remodeled for a 2022 audience.
To sum it up in simple terms, The Law Cafe is a very unorthodox law drama with a sheer sense of community and heart at its core. Even though it seems like a rom com do not be fooled as it also has slice of life aspects, political intrigue and mystery.
I adored all the characters and the effort they put into their roles. Kim Yoo Ri and Jeong Ho’s story felt special but I enjoyed the incorporation of the clients stories at the law cafe even more so. In the earlier episodes, specifically the ones that covered child abuse and school bullying, really touched my heart. I appreciate all those young actors / and actresses because the emotions they evoked to truly bring the story to life was powerful. Lee Se Young nailed the part and brought across a true authenticity that you almost felt like you were in her shoes / witnessing real accounts.
I feel like it started off strong in the earlier episode but then fell off midway and towards the end. For me, the true essence of the law cafe lost its meaning after Yoo Ri and Jeong Ho entered a relationship. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy their moments and thought they were cute — it’s just that it felt super rushed. I understand that they had memories from 17 years ago and since college that was understood / implied offscreen but Jeong Ho being in love with her for so long and then feeling like she did not reciprocate his feelings was just a bit too much. Him then basically still going along with his proposal plans even though he knew her reasons for not wanting to get married, just put a little bit of a strain on the relationship dynamic for me. They eventually worked it out but I feel like the drama would’ve been more powerful without them being so close so that Pyun Woong had an angle to strike at. That is to say Yoo Ri was Jeong Ho’s weakness and vice versa. It was very predictable at that point as the villain knew that wounding / hurting one would result in action / serious measures taken from the other.
Jeong Ho’s character felt insufferable at times because he sucks at communicating. Had he told Yoo Ri the truth instead of dedicating his life to research and writing novellas all of this could have been avoided. Him continually trying to push Yoo Ri away and making her cry was also annoying especially when you hear him admit to the camera that he’s been in love with her for 17 years. In essence it seems like he dedicated his entire life to serving her and like she was his main focus. Kinda stalker-ish fr considering he knew her plans to set up a law cafe and bought that exact building… it’s almost like he laid the groundwork for her to come back to him (I guess everyone in that family shares some kind of psychotic tendencies) That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy Lee Seung Gi’s portrayal of Jeong Ho it’s just that his character arc could’ve had more substance. Through and through he was a silly character and it made you empathize or understand his reasoning a bit.
I really enjoyed the supporting cast. Eun Kang nailed the whole mysterious brooding just-released-from-prison / ex convict vibe which I just ate up. Honestly I’d like to see him as the lead in a drama. The ajumma’s were hilarious but kind of annoying sometimes. Honeybee / Bae Joon had that naive impressionable young person thing going on. I liked at the end how he was likened to Yoo Ri and shared a similar sense of spirit that she had when she first started working for Hwang & Gu Law Firm.
I loved the doctor (Woo Jin) I felt like he too liked a Yoo Ri from the get go… even before Jeong Ho expressed his feelings towards her and I felt sad that he had to restrain himself out of respect for Jeong Ho. I’m not a fan of triangles but I wish Woo Jin had gotten a fair chance or at least his own love interest. His story with his patient was so sad and I really felt sorry for him. A+ for Kim Nam Hee’s portrayal. His emotions translated well across the screen.
I want to also applaud Jo Han Chul’s acting as Lee Pyun Woong. I have enjoyed every drama I’ve seen him in but finally seeing him undertake the role as a psychotic villain was something else entirely. He made me hate him so much I just knew he was doing an awesome job. He did the role justice and was super convincing.
The final episode could have been wayyyy better but I think the fact that the ended with Jeong Ho and Yoo Ri’s wedding says enough. The fact that Yoo Ri got married in a bright red wedding dress just shows how “unorthodox” they wanted this show to be. The typhoon no less was a metaphor for their tumultuous relationship. Imo funny but also highly unnecessary. I literally found the supporting casts love stories more interesting — Do Jin Ki and Seo Yeon as well as Eun Kang and Song Hwa (not portrayed but implied) Those two couples left me wanting their dynamics to be explored.
Overall the drama is a solid 7 out of 10 for me. It wasn’t meant to be deep or intense so if you go into it just know you’re just there for a good time. There are important takeaways from each episode for sure (at least in the earlier episodes) and that’s what I appreciated about the drama. I didn’t think such a light hearted show would evoke so many different emotions but it was truly refreshing and left me entertained for the most part.
Watch this drama if you’re looking for something with a perfect mix of everything. Comedy, romance, drama, politics and a little bit of mystery / thriller.
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You can look forward to a spicy mixture of fun and seriousness
For all the law-and-order series that the KDrama Orbit has so far produced in 2022, Law Café romps on the more witty, hilarious rom+com side. A web comic served as a template.Nonetheless. For all its playful wit, it is also a production that has its serious moments as well. In the background wafts an ugly (as usual) Jaebeol mess at the expense of the honest simple people. In the foreground, the protagonist fights for the rights of ordinary people with a lot of passion, intelligence, courage and the active support of old and new friends as well as her (after all) love interest. The legal cases dealt with are close to everyday sorts of topics and provide an up-to-date overview of perennial issues such as bullying, child abuse, sloppiness in construction, etc.
The idea of setting up a Law Cafe away from the usual law firm business is unique. There visitors can get professional legal advice in addition to barista coffee in a comfy atmosphere. All of the characters are originals, and their quirks and idiosyncrasies are cheerfully staged here and there. You can literally feel the underlying comic.
The focus is on the 'four-dimensional' personality of Kim Yu-ri. (4D in Korean standards means a particularly eccentric, freaky, quite special character. 4D is generally considered a compliment, especially in the teen and KPop milieu.) She meets the ingenious, former public prosecutor Kim Jeong-ho, her school friend from back then and also son of a rich family. He lately indulges in idleness, enjoys his life in tracksuits - as a writer and real estate owner. There's some harmlessly sweet, romantic flirtation of the Korean decent kind, but also concentrated intelligence and creativity in solving some intricate cases. The evil, powerful business bosses and their crazy doings find an appropriate expression in the phrenetically perfidious, exalted, almost insane boss of the Dohan construction company.
Bottom line: You can look forward to a spicy mixture of fun and seriousness. To a love story. To a cast in good mood. To lively entertainment. However, I have to admit that 2 (sometimes 4) episodes a week was quite enough for me. I could easily wait for the new episodes. Thus, I wouldn't call the KDrama gripping. It is rather shrewed and witty in places. Rather harmless. However, it is not completely banal.
Overall, special care was taken to ensure that everyone in the audience understood the seriousness of the legal cases being dealt with. The deliberately sincere, almost missionary approach to e. g. the topic of sexism and "Yes means Yes" is remarkable. The KDrama obviously wants to be more than just good entertainment. And I think that the production succeeds in this mission quite well: A rom+com K-Drama, derived from a comic, that gently but firmly grabs society by the collar, in a good mood and optimistically presenting creative ways, how despite all the existing corruption business surrounding the machinations of the powerful, justice could actually be possible. It wouldn't be due to the law, because that would at least actually be available...
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Loud , predictable and messy
I was so excited for this lee seung gi and lee se young drama. Being a fan of lee seung gi and his track record of choosing great scripts made my expectations too high. I really wanted to like this drama. Hugely disappointedThe premise of two friends who share history and the theme of court cases seemed interesting. Especially for me who really likes legal dramas. But god the leads were annoying and the entire will they won't they irritated my like hell. The plot becomes repetitive. First the FL will recklessly do something then the ML will come and rescue her. The show tries to show that the FL is strong, independent and works hard but at the end of the day she still becomes a damsel in distress. The cases which they try to solve are mediocre at best and evoke no anticipation and emotion
The chemistry was decent but the tone of the show was jarring and loud. ML and FL kept on shouting and regurgitating legal articles and terminologies which made no sense except showing that they can memorize stuff well.
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Worthy Romantic comedy with crazy fun and heartfelt emotions ❤️
Yes the story and theme is simple but the main leads #LeeSeungGi and #Leeseyoung acted so well their chemistry is out of the world.Romcom work only when the emotions r conveyed properly as of now i felt Evey emotion.More than a romance this drama has lot of legal cases which deals with daily life and they r realistic and emotions work well in this theme as well.The comedy part is little new but they don't overdo anything they just come with the flow and i rewatched many clips of this drama because they r so funny.So if u like like rom coms which deal with life stories U will enjoy for sure.The theme is simple but it's very refreshing.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Consent Is Sexy
I have rarely seen, if ever, such a mature, openly communicative with consent and comfortableness for both partners at the forefront relationship portrayed in a kdrama. Conflicts, fears and issues between the leads never festered but were discussed and solved as quickly as possible (starting noble idiocy of ML aside.) They were affectionate, playful and compassionate with each other, as well as also challenging each other to become their better selves. They had an adult relationship that did not stop at holding hands and blushing which is still rare in kdramaland and openly discussed their needs/wishes regarding intimacy while always heeding the others boundaries.The way the drama handled consent and how much importance it put on it... it is sadly the first time i have ever seen this in a kdrama to this extent. (Dali And The Cocky Prince comes to mind here too, but it wasn't as integral as it is in TLC) Which honestly, makes me sad as it should not be the exception but the rule and the way the drama subverted typical romcom tropes and viewers expectations regarding that was well-done. It was clear from the start that this is the story of the two leads and their journey of overcoming the demons of their past in order to find together above all else. Since the drama is obviously home in slice of life romance genre more than anything else don't expect a complex law drama nor plot. So go into watching with the correct expectations of it being very character driven instead of having a heavy plot. Slice of life, as said.
And yet the drama managed to address a wide range of social issues in the out of court cases that are still prevalent in today's society, Korea or elsewhere. (Especially the SA case was handled with the gravitas and framing it needed to be) Each of the cases were also mirrored with what the leads currently struggled with, to let them grow alongside in handling it. It never got too dark, no matter how heavy the social topics were because in between situational comedy gave much needed levity. And this without ever ridiculing the issue at hand. The main plot is the weakest link in it all and drawn out too much, but overall that took little away from the refreshingly modern take on the writing of the leads/their relationship for me. The side characters are lovely too and i enjoyed my time with them (minus uncle, however well acted)
I can only hope that other writers of romcom kdramas take note of this one here in regard of how it handled consent, because implicit clear consent is sexy and we direly need more of it in this medium/genre in the future.
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I wanted to like this one, I really did
However, after reading all the good reviews, maybe it's just me, but this show really fell short. The script was all over the place and nothing was delved in too deeply. Even considering that, I still fast-forwarded through a lot. Multiple cases in a law drama can work very well, but here they didn't. I didn't find the cases interesting enough to begin with and the stories felt like they were just to get us to the next episode.I didn't care for the main characters. Lee Seung Gi - I don't believe I've seen him in anything else and I'm going to find something else to watch him in, but here I didn't find him attractive at all, especially in all of the unfortunate "squid games" track suits. His character wasn't especially likeable throughout the first part of the show. I love the idea of having liked someone for years, but you couldn't really tell, he was terrible to her.
Lee Se Young's character yelled and screamed a lot. I found that very off-putting. I did like how they tried to show her growing through the cases she took on, but she continued to be the "damsel in distress". Then there was the "sex contract". Give me a break!
Jo Han Chul, who I LOVE as an actor, WAY overplayed his part. Was he supposed to be crazy, funny, farcical, sociopathic? I don't know, but I couldn't stand to watch him.
Top all that off with the fact that I didn't feel chemistry between the leads. Now I feel like I need to re-watch something I've already loved to cleanse my K-drama palate!
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This review may contain spoilers
Is it possible for a show to choke?
This Show starts well and showed a lot of potential. It was fast paced, funny and really hooks you within the first couple of episodes. The leads have great visuals and are charismatic. The OTP also has good chemistry and their love line is quite swoon worthy. Throw in some unusual litigations and messy family dynamics and we have a nice smorgasbord of stories. What more can you ask?Everything was humming along and plots are developing nicely. The love story of the leads are progressing well. We even have a psycho antagonist which really spiced up the proceedings. That is why it is so baffling when the story telling seemed to goes off the rails at the last 1/3 of the show.
The cracks starts to appear when Team Law Cafe took on a sexual harassment case.
It is set up nicely, all the background stuff was dip fed to us. Very troubling but impactful. The veiled threats and actual dangers are there to heighten the tension. Everything is set for a multi-episodic arc with a David vs goliath style battle both in and out of the courtroom. What I didn't expect was a seemingly rushed conclusion to that storyline just when it got interesting and the tension is rising. It just feels underdone.
Yes, it does set up the big showdown with the main antagonist but the handling of this key plot felts arbitrary. It sounds like the back of a napkin type of writing rather than a finely tuned one.
Next, the hostage scene at the church is laughable. It was really illogical. We are talking about a dozen or more armed police with guns drawn standing by while the antagonist stood in plain sight waving a knife and threatening the hostage. He stood like that for minutes while ranting at the assembled police. The sorry saga only ends when the injured ML tackled the antagonist single-handedly. Yes, we get the heroic act but it really defies logic and looks farcical. Not sure how that passed script review. That was the moment the Show jumped the shark.
The acting on the whole was good. The antagonist did a very good job of portraying an unhinged person. The FL was bold and sassy and she really had fun with that. The ML was low key and conflicted. He feels out of sorts around the FL and is over protective. It worked well in the early stage of the Show but it does get a bit tiring towards the end.
I enjoyed most of the show and loved the spunky FL and the OTP's cute interactions but the weird misstep in the story telling did give me pause and took me out of immersion. The last episode is pretty much fan service. I can't rewatch the whole show but a highlight reel will not be a chore. Peace out.
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Had a promising start....
I was looking forward to this because I love both the leads. The concept of a Law Cafe was also intriguing enough.The story wasn't exactly bad but with new dramas coming out weekly, my interest in this one actually faded. So, I stopped watching at ep 12 simply because I got bored. ( Instead, I am currently watching The Golden Spoon, Queen's Umbrella and Signal (old drama).)
Chemistry wise, the leads have undeniable chemistry on screen. The story could do without the other extra characters though....
If you love the leads, you can still give this a go
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Romantic Banter of leads
●FIRST IMPRESSION2022 had given lots of law drama, so I was skeptical to watch because I had watched so many law-themed dramas in years, leaving aside the ones released this year. But still, I gave a shot for Lee Seung Gi, he is my faith and I was right after 2episodes I was hooked.
●PLOT VIEW
It has the usual pot of good lawyers catching the criminals, but what is so good about this drama is the chemistry of the leads. They have known each other for years and crossing each other after a long time, sparks the feelings that were hidden.
The cases were a bit extraordinary and how the young lawyers YuRi and JungHo resolved them was different, so they didn’t go to court often.
These minor cases lead them to clear out the past and unmask the rich people who caused them pain.
criminals were miserable so they made others miserable, I don’t pity them cause the way they hurt others for greed was unforgivable. More than criminals they felt like jokers.
The story is well written and gets uncovered in bits to keep the curiosity, and so it helps in clearing out the presumptions of the leads they had made. The pacing is slowed in the latter half.
●ACTING/CAST
Lee Se Young as Kim YuRi was badass, hot-tempered, crazy, sexy cool. I just loved her, because of the times she shouted at the moments when one should shout and don’t remain mute. She was strong and wasn’t afraid to fight anytime anywhere. She was so sassy inside out, and lastly, she was a fashionista, I loved her clothes.
Lee Seung Gi as Kim JungHo was genius yet calm but he suddenly has a soul awakening and that was so exciting to see. Seung Gi getting crazy was so fun. The action while chasing baddies was delicious. He sported tracksuit so much looking damn hot.
●MUSIC
A. More Than Me- by June is upbeat and sweet, felt like tapping my feet every time I heard this. I loved the drum arrangements of the song.
B.I am in love with you-by DVWN is had soft vocals with soft guitar tones. This song felt like seeing steam rise up from hot coffee on a cold winter day.
●REWATCH
I would watch the romance for they were just so perfect.
●APPRECIATION
Even though it didn’t have a fresh story it managed to stand out because the actors made this series so enjoyable.
I want to applaud the art director for giving beautiful background.
Also, the stylist of the lead actors, felt they were off for a fashion show every time.
●FAV SCENE
The rain sequence in ep 3, didn’t have much significance but it was visually aesthetic.
●AFTERTHOUGHT
Because of this sizzling chemistry, it reminds me of other dramas.
School time vibed Our Beloved Summer
The badass couple felt like Lawless Lawyer
The cases of the drama remind me of Extraordinary Attorney Woo
●WATCH
If you like a light heartwarming drama with law themes.
Light crime with action
Romance with unending banters.
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Waste of talent
You get a star like the ML and then waste it on a story that just drags on and on.Seriously there was nothing happening.
The FL is cute but nothing more.
No chemistry, tiring romance,no exciting legal case..........
Just a humdrum of a drama created for some specific audience that has been giving it this high rating.
It feels terrible to give such poor rating when you know there's a whole bunch of people who have worked so hard toward filming this. However if the story/acting/romance is not appealing then unfortunately everybody's work gets a disappointing review.
Sorry about that ?
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Romance - Yes, Slice of Life - Yes, Law - No
Story:Initially it was an interesting story about a pro-bono lawyer trying to make legal services accessible to all, but the theme was lost in the middle and changed to a personal vendetta which was expected, but it eventually led to anti climatic ending which was totally disappointing.
My point being - focus on one thing and do it correctly. I just felt like they tried to make it fluffy as well as serious and did not deliver anything properly. To not give away any spoilers, the main antagonist character had no depth. Intially he was accused for something and by the end it was about something else. I loved his acting and there was so much they could have done. But his ending was just comic.
The romance was good. The actors had good chemistry and it was consensual and respectful (way too respectful at times). But I felt like they had so many side characters but they didn't have enough screen time. They were totally supporting the main characters and did not have any story line of their own, which I found disappointing as I was looking forward to their back story.
Acting :
LSG's acting needs no validation. The FL was good but I didn't like her "crying". It didn't invoke any emotions.
Conclusion:
Despite my rant, it was a decent one time watch. There was one crime in the start of the series that I will never forgive the writers for but overall it was a good watch. Episodes 1-12 were entertaining but the rest were fillers. I wished they used the last few episodes to focus on side characters. The romance was fluffy with no cliche drama. It has it own drama but not the cliche tropes.
Reason to watch it : LSG (who never ages) and non-angsty fluffy romance.
Reason to not watch it : if you're looking for a law drama, this ain't it.
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100% Sweet Romantic Drama
The first thing that struck me about this drama is the lighting. The creators used a very bright, sweet, romantic and luminous filter that makes your eyes hurt to look at. The whole drama is kept in a sweet style, infused with teenage romance. The shame is that the characters are adult, supposedly intelligent lawyers, who nevertheless behave like teenage children. Even the gruesome scene where we have a brutally murdered animal has been turned into a "fainting damsel in distress" romance here. The romantic music, the slowed down pace as she falls into his arms and the FL's infatuated eyes fit this scene like vanilla ice cream on a blood steak - not my taste.Another issue is FL and Lee Se Young, who plays her. FL is an insult to me as a woman. Her behavior is unbalanced, even childishly hysterical, as if I were seeing a sulky five-year-old who didn't get a lollipop. However, I had no complaint with the actress, although her character was annoying and unconvincing. The crying scenes in episode 9, however, were so artificial in Lee Se Young's performance that I was unable to continue with the drama.
The drama tries to address some important social issues, but any meaningful themes are lost in the over-sweetened aesthetics of this production. This drama is purely a cute teenage romance, with characters on the emotional level of middle-schoolers. Potentially dark and disturbing legal themes are completely stripped of their dignity and aesthetics in this drama.
If one likes a drama heavy on romance, sweetness and established tropes, one will definitely not be disappointed. However, for me, lawyers who are almost forty years old acting as if they have no life experience and live only their love problems and behave like frisky children is a bit too much. Vanilla ice cream on blood steak.
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