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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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¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This is probably the most mediocre kdrama romcom you'll ever see, except three things.1) There is no love Triangle
2) It has come out in 2022.
3) It's trying to educate the audience a lot.
The first one is rather obvious, the lack of love triangles is always a huge plus for me. This drama is many things, but boring it is not, so I can only applaud the writers for this choice.
The second one needs more explanation. In my opinion 2022 had been a really bad year for kdrama romcoms, there were only like 3 really good ones and quite a few rather bad attempts. At the very least Law Cafe is an enjoyable easy watch, once.
As for the third one, I sense a lot of blatant -progressive- educational intent & this largely reminds me of TVING dramas. Progress is of course good and Korea could for sure use some, but social engineering works better, if it's not so much in your face..
To elaborate more on mediocrity, the romance is average, the comedy is average & we have a crazy cartoon villain alongside an incredible amount of silliness.
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All Love, No Law
I was initially drawn to this show because I thought it would be a legal drama as it had "Law" in the title. If you're looking for a serious story of trial litigation & legal cases, this show is not what your looking for. It's just a love story about a guy who has been pining for a girl since high school and they finally get together. The two just happen to be attorneys but the law is an afterthought, primary emphasis is rom-com story, then neighborhood friendship.Weak story, weak plot. Predictable storyline. I got bored around Episode 14. Episode 15 was incredibly lame: police with guns drawn have surrounded the villain who is holding a knife to the male lead, and the police do nothing- they didn't think of shooting the villain then?
The story and acting were mediocre and sometimes over-the-top (neighbor ladies). I was not moved by the performances of the two main lead actors, even their romantic scenes seem passionless. Both Lee Se-young's and Lee Seung-gi's acting skills were better in other shows. Also, Ahn Dong-goo is a pretty face but has absolutely no acting ability. Even though he had one major story arc during the series (the bullied middle schooler), he had only one facial expression throughout the series. The only acting performance I enjoyed was Jo Han Chul, who played the villain - he is so versatile in everything he has acted in, from drama to comedy (Vincenzo, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha).
I would not rewatch this show. Watching it once was bad enough. That's 16 hours of my life that I'll never get back!
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Go
BINGE - WORTHY & REFRESHINGLY FUN This definitely is a refreshing drama for both Lee Seung Gi and Lee Se Young who came from heartbreaking dramas . I've wanted to see them lead a drama eversince I watched them in Hwayugi , their chemistry and comedic banters were just too fun to watch ! Both the lead actors have perfect timing when it comes to their punchlines , nothing is overdone . THEIR EYE - ACTING IS SUPERB . All the cliche's are present , but it's not at all annoying , you actually look forward to it because it's the perfect mix of healing + romance rolled into one . Supporting cast is amazing as well , the senior actors carry their roles very well . The rookies are mixing well with the entire cast . Plus the OST is as lovely and fun as it gets . Everything just works for TLC . Praying for the overall success of THE LAW CAFE !Was this review helpful to you?
I enjoyes this drama.
UPDATE AFTER I FINISHED WATCHING THE DRAMAI really like to watch good dramas of this type sometimes. And I think this is one of them.
There's a sweet romance mixed with some serious scenes and issues. There are also quite a lot of funny scenes.
I've seen a few comments that in their relationship the main characters act like teenagers even though they are lawyers. And what's the problem here? It's good not to be serious all the time. They were not irresponsible and have learned to communicate with each other over time, which is good. In my opinion, it was a really mature relationship.
It was obvious from the first episodes that the story of the Dohan Company and their crimes would have to be developed. So I liked that the first half was focused more on the cafe customers and the second half was focused on dealing with Lee Pyun Woong. It felt natural, considering the events that were going on.
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AFTER WATCHING 4 EPISODES
rating: 9.5/10
This drama has a typical drama vibe like other dramas in which one of the main roles is played by Lee Seung Gi. The dramas in which he plays have some distinctive features, probably due to his acting style. They are definitely not for everyone. "The Law Cafe" contains very typical elements for which Korean dramas are known.
For me, this drama will definitely not beat the best Korean productions. However, from the very first episode, I knew what to expect and I am enjoying it so far. I like that the drama deals with some heavier topics, but it's not too overwhelming thanks to the whole episode.
Hopefully, this drama won't be filled with completely unnecessary fillers in the later episodes.
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A romance comedy not a law drama
I will say both good and badWell I had been waiting for this series for so long because of the cast I think and at the beginning I was waiting for something exciting with lots of confusing things and a good mystery. I can't say that It made me disappointed cause I realized the problem was my expectations not the series.
This is a colorful drama that shows a beautiful love story about a prosecuter and a lawyer who has decided to quit her job and open a cafe.
Here's some points about it:
1. I loved the way it started. In ep 2 they just show how relatable things are and I myself got interested to follow the story and know what will happen but after that the villain was not really involved a lot. He just had a little part and he wasn't really doing anything special that might be interesting and anything that happened was just something that ended up showing their love.
2. Unique comedy. I laughed a lot. every episode is so funny and whenever the FL is drunk she becomes the funniest person alive !! So this is good If you want a big smile on your face for an hour just to run away from the real world.
3. OSTs are PERFECT !! even If you are not gonna watch this drama , go and listen to the OSTs. they are so good and also they fit the scenes very well.
4. Each episode has a case and the cases are interesting but it also became boring. I can stand these cases for twice or at last three times but It had about 10 different cases that they tried to solve and It really reminded me of Extra Ordinary Attorney Woo in this case.
5. support roles participate in each episode enough and I really loved their personality !!
Generally I recommend you to give it a try but do not expect too much. It shows a great romance and a good comedy but in mystery and law? No. not a good one !
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Witty and fun romantic comedy but also bravely addressed serious topics. 10/10 Would recommend
This show never promised anything that it didn't deliver. I think if you read the synopsis of the drama, you'll know not to expect a law and order mystery thriller type of show that kdramaland has been producing in the past couple of years. If that's what you're looking for, I get it but this show is not going to be it.This show is witty, it's hilarious, it's feel-good, it's healing, it's refreshing, and it's romantic. Even with the somehow dark underlying plot to the show and the serious topics this show bravely tackled, you can still rest assured that you'll be watching each episode and come out hopeful and healed. The show really found a great way to address serious issues such as bullying, stalking, and sexual harassment in a careful and emphatic manner (via Kim Yuri and the gang) and at the same time keeping the light and comedic elements to it. A lot of what is so great about the drama is it very much just feels like a relatable slice of life. Although a lot of us don't really know the law, this show just goes beyond that. Their compound and everyone working in it feels like a big family and every case they take somehow feels very personal that everyone of the group gets involved in it-- usually for the better and for the comedy of it all.
One of the biggest things I love about this show is the casting. Every single actor casted on this show seems to fit their character very well. The second couple of Jinki and Seoyeon seemed so odd to me in the beginning but I grew to love both together and separately. Eun Kang was such a complex and great character and I was really pulling for him and Song Hwa to get together. Kim Do Hoon in this new character is awesome as usual-- it's such a contrast to his dark character in Today's Webtoon, but I really liked his character. And Jo Han Chul as the big bad villain of the show!! I was initially sad that he's the villain because he was so precious to me from the character he played in Hometown Cha Cha Cha but he executed his being a villain very well. He was sooooo good at executing his character that I both just hated him and felt sad for him at the same time.
But lastly, I would be remised if I didn't say how much I didn't expect to have missed seeing Lee Seunggi in another romcom drama until Law Cafe started. Ohhhhh boy, I missed seeing him just being funny and romantic and it's such a change from all the dark and serious dramas he's been doing. Seeing his smile with his dimples just melts my heart. I was eating up all the romance this show was serving, to say the least. This show is also the first drama I've seen Lee Seyoung lead in and I fell in love with her! She makes Kim Yuri so cool and gorgeous and funny and smart all while being so warm and emphatic. And their chemistry? Simply amazing. It was just enough to keep you satisfied and the more adult romance is so nice to finally see in Korean dramas.
Not gonna lie, the last episode was a little anti-climactic and I hated the way they did the wedding, but it was still a feel-good ending nonetheless. AND to see the ending through rainbow lens, I loved that the ending leaves just enough wiggle room for another season.
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A Relic of a Bygone Era
The first thing that came to my mind when I started this drama was "dated". Everything in this show is extremely dated. The cinematography, music, story, and tone all feel like I've been blasted back to that very warm era from 2008-2012 for Asian dramas. Unfortunately It's been a decade since then and I need a lil more than what this show was able to give. Plain talk: it's really boring.Though the drama tackles some serious issues like CA, SA, dr*gs and MORE, but it has a serious tonal issue. One moment we'll see the worse thing ever happen to a person and three minutes later you'll see some of the most cheesy comedy ever. The framing device is also weird? It's like a 4th wall break thing like The Office but it doesn't contribute anything… So what's the point in having it at all?
The story is simple… boring… and linear… At times I was shocked at how mature the content could be then be pulled out immediately by the erratic tone. This drama does not know what it wants to be: A crime solving law drama, A conspiracy drama, or a tacky rom com…. in the end it split the duty unevenly…
A big issue for me is the FL and how she's obviously not like other girls…? Shes built up to be a bad B who can take care of herself but the only reason she gets anything done is because she's surrounded by men… I wasn't a big fan of her silly or "cute" moments because I really never felt like I could take her seriously. Like if that chick from It's Okay to not be Okay acted like she did THEN I'd find it cute because that woman was actually a bad B…
The leads had pretty ok chemistry and had some nice moments from the beginning. The whole cast had great acting with only one person standing out.
But like JO HAN CHUL tho… dude was the bread and butter of this drama and carried the entire thing on his back. He was so ridiculous that I'd wake up everytime he was on screen. Man really felt like he was having fun writhing on the floor in his underpants.??? It's worth watching just for him, played a great scumbag.
All in all if you like simple straightforward stories with no detours or if you're feeling nostalgic for dramas they stopped making a decade ago then this is the drama for you. You'll definitely have some fun but never rewatch…
Has a satisfying more traditional HEA too!
Hated the wedding dress tho…
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Well not bad I guess but little boring
finally finished this drama for 3 days. What I can say about this drama is that it was good at the beginning of the drama but in the middle it was quite boring. The story begins with FL father being involved in a case and being accused of being the cause of the deaths of many people in the factory he works in and the person judging him is ML father who was bribed. The story is very monotonous because it is easy to predict, like FL doing law counseling and being helped by ML and so on until the end of the drama. The romance isn't really felt in this drama because from the start there has been a very long time skip from teenage school days to work, so ml and fl already know each other and the romance approach isn't really felt because ml already had feelings from the start and fl had feelings at the beginning. At the start of the episode, it can be said that everyone likes each other, which is a bit of a shame because the romance genre and the law genre, as usual, don't really match because the law is more pronounced in this drama than the romance genre. Overall I gave this drama a score of 7-7.5, even though in the final episodes like episode 14, 16 I skipped a lot of scenes because I was bored, but in the end I was able to finish this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
Superb acting!
This a great story that is elevated even more by the superb acting of so many but I have to focus on the master of moods in this story, the actor Jo Han Chul. He portrays the villian with so much depth. You see the character's vulnerability, his fear of his father, his anger and desire to be loved by his father. He is at turns scary, mean, crazy and despite it all --- sympathetic at times to the viewer. This is such an ensemble cast that make the whole show so good. I followed it with enthusiasm wondering what would happen next. I just finished episode 14 and I am sad that I'm nearing the end because it has just been the greatest show I've seen in months and months.I plan to update my review when I've finished.
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Dumb
The legal show deals with some very serious issues like sexual harassment, bullying, and child abuse, but the drama can't figure out whether it is a romantic comedy or a legal drama with romance.As a lawyer, Yuri acted like a hysterical and unbalanced teenager who threw temper tantrums and started physical fights. She was supposed to be a strong woman, but she acted like a screeching hyena yelling every time she was faced with adversity. Every episode was filled with her yelling at something or at someone. And, OMG, her overacted crying was like watching a 5 y/o throwing a tantrum in a toy store.
The constant yelling was so annoying that it was hard to take her or the show seriously. Did the writers honestly think it was an appropriate way to portray a strong female character? And it wasn't just Yuri who behaved like that, Jeong Ho did the same. Both of them spent the majority of their time bickering about some stupid crap, yelling, and cursing. Everyone's behavior was rude and tacky, making the characters annoying and unlikable.
It wasn't only the constant screaming, the writers purposely put the characters into situations where they acted ridiculously. In episode 8, Yuri unintentionally ate a bunch of marijuana rice cakes and behaved like a clown. So now, we had characters who perpetually acted stupid in a story about lawyers. Oh boy.
Finally, the show would've been more believable if Yuri opened her own practice and got Jeong Ho to work with her, them being childhood friends at all. Running a coffee shop while doing legal work, and presumably not getting paid, was a pretty silly plot idea. A hard pass.
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