Law and the City

A Complete Hit or Miss- Not Worth Exploring!

This show was a mixed bag of emotions for me!

The reason why I waited for the show to get over before publishing this review is that I was unsure of how I felt about it. The legal drama could be very well described as a slice of life, with lovable characters who share meals and their problems closely. Boasting an ensemble casting that includes Lee Jong Suk, Mun Ka Young, Kang You Seok, Ryu Hye Young, Im Sung Jae; the show focused on their individual growth as attorneys. Each of them have their own paths to follow and discover; the only point of countenance being that their law firms are housed in the same building. As acquaintances, these five lawyers share weal & woe during their lunch breaks, no matter how busy they are. Things begin to change when all the four law firms in the building are merged and a new attorney joins them as a replacement of their old friend.

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https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/law-and-the-city-series-review/#more-2028

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How many dodgy lawsuit does it take to break a lawyer’s back?

I came for the promised romance of our OTP plus Lee Jong-suk’s return to the small screen since 2022. While my expectation is tapered, LJS seldom disappoints so I was a little surprised that this show didn't grab me at all. At least not from the start.

Some of the problem lies with the legal cases which form the backbone of this show. Sure, all our associate lawyers are hard working and dedicated, but they seem to spend more time sharing meals and trading banters. While cozy, it is hardly fertile grounds for a 12 episode run. The first few eps are really like watching “Law and the Lunch”.

Rather than dramatic courtroom scenes, the show seems to be hellbent on normalising the drama until they are just little ripples in your consciousness. I’m sure everything is close to RL, but watching someone's daily grind is not exactly riveting drama.

Thankfully, the OTP romance does provide some much-needed distraction. Our leads reconnected and give their aborted relationship a second chance. There is a blossom of skinship but then it settled down to a background hum. Their romance is sweet but hardly melting. This is a problem that hung around. The show went out of its way to divide the screen time between the ensemble cast. Who is the top star here? By the time you add the sundry cases and shared meals, there is precious little time for PDA.

I also grew concerned as the show seesaw between mundane lawsuits and office politics. Even when one of the cases hit too close to home, the process is measured and prosaic. Our Gang of Five delivered as expected. They lawyered away, day and night. There is no doubt they are smart and diligent. Most of it is still just grunt work. I'm sure this mirrors RL, but it is just not very entertaining.

We finally got some clarity in the last few eps. In essence, the show is about how the law is being manipulated by some, and the corresponding uneven access to legal representation. It is hardly new grounds for a k-drama. It is true that each situation is very grounded, but they feel (hate to say this) dull and transient.

Our leads are given more freedom with their roles at this point. Allowing them to flex their acting muscles. Better late than never as most earlier performance would be considered constrained. This is particularly true for LJS. He just looks tired and worn out. There are odd moments when he sparkles, but it is rare. As a low key fan of his, I am disappointed.

In the end, it is less about the cases, but the evolution of the main characters. They finally realised while they have the right calling, they are doing the wrong jobs. After much soul searching, they realigned their goals and reset their career paths. In that sense, the last few episodes are the real payoff. Most of what went before are just spadework. It is nice to watch our protagonists break out of their shells. They can finally breath. Just wish it happened in the beginning rather than the end of the run.

One thing I noticed while writing this review is how many times the word "entertaining" crossed my mind. This show is oddly lacking if you look from that angle. That is a shame. It just needed some Special Sauce™.

Any fans of our leads would enjoy this series. Sample a couple of eps if you are fence sitting. If it doesn't grab you, just move on. It does get better, but your patience might be sorely tested. Inner peace . . Inner peace. 😉

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They're Serving Us Lawyer's Mukbang Show

I don't know but I feel something's off with this show. Normally calming shows like this have something emotionally hooking to keep the audience interested, but apart from the final two episodes this show feels so empty. The show was promoted as calm and heartwarming series. However when I went through the first episode the first cases are really dark. Luckily, the cases are all resolved safe and sound. The problem is, the writer does this pattern repeatedly until we fed up, no matter how easy or difficult, big or small, malicious or petty the cases are. It looks like the writer is trying to put cases as many as possible so they can bring a lot of "life messages". But as they slip away quickly, the audience may not be able to be emotionally attached to the case before they decide to close the case and bring the other one. I even think more effort shown on screen on the Watch Theft case compared to Hui Ji father's case. Also on the Student Attempted Murder case, Chang Won is a bit distrubed when defending an opposing party on a similar case, but they never show how he overcomes it.

Lunch and dinner maybe the two key events in this show. Somehow I can't find this "friendship" to be categorized as healthy. Apart from Ju Hyeong and Hui Ji, they rarely share any personal thought and burden between them. Their responses when Mun Jeong says her boss rejected her maternal leave request aren't convincing either. I thought after Ju Hyeong reveals his story of taking a case against his ex, everything will be better. Everyone begins to help each other, even on Hui Ji's father case, but I was wrong. Sang Gi hides his desire to enroll in a PhD program, Chang Won hides the pressure coming from his father. To me, they just look like lunch partners, not friends. The writer should highlight the original reason about how they end up together because they aren't coming from the same company and they don't seem really close enough.

The story about Kim Hyeung Min also remains unclear. It doesn't show about her backstory apart from she failed to become a lawyer, especially why does she has a lot of enemies? Alos the love line in this story comes up pretty early. But personally, I think it has been brought up too often for a slow show like this. To make it worse, this plot is probably the best part of the show.

Looks like the main leads are carrying hard this show. Lee Jong Suk plays a logic-oriented attorney, Mun Ka Young plays a more opposite trait, emotional-oriented attorney. They both play their character excellently, and their romance serves well. Kang You Seok has been really busy this year, but it is still a waste of talent because his character isn't very special.

This show has a weird pace, quick on the case but slow on everything else. Yes the final two episodes are excellent, but the path to it doesn't seem encouraging enough. I don't think it's worth for rewatch given the story is calming but feels hollow.

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Playbook/Playlist Series Knockoff

I usually don’t write reviews before I finish any show, but I had to write this because this drama just frustrates me lol.

I get the feeling that this drama is trying to emulate the vibe of the Playbook/Playlist series (Prison Playbook, Resident Playbook, Hospital Playlist)—from the friend group dynamic, to the mukbangs, and the episodic plots featuring different cases. That said, it wasn’t done very well.

The entire friend group is very bland, and none of the characters are particularly interesting. Heck, I find the building owner more interesting than any of the leads. The mukbangs just look like they were added simply to copy the Playlist/Playbook series. And the different cases aren’t really moving or anything—they’re just boring.

I also have an issue with the main couple. I absolutely love LJS, but his acting isn’t doing it for me in this drama. Maybe it’s just his character? Maybe it’s the bad directing? But really, his character has the personality of a rock. MGY’s character, on the other hand, is quite annoying for being extremely nosy (also, this might sound like a personal attack but for someone who plays a lawyer, she speaks like a child). Their backstory feels out of place, and not to mention, they have zero chemistry.

While I’m at it, I might as well critique the OSTs. ‘In the End’ by 정인 and ‘Can I Love You’ by DOKO don’t match the show at all. They feel a little too heavy? ‘In the End’ sounds like it could be an OST for The Devil Judge, while ‘Can I Love You’ feels like something that would be played in DP or Weak Hero Class.

Overall, this drama is painfully boring. I’m usually into law dramas, and I think this could’ve had potential if it had the right director and writer.

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until now it's a 10/10

LJS comback finally!!!! I've been waiting

honestly it's going good do far i mean i understand why people wouldn't like it
but for me it's a summer kdrama that's refreshing and i really wanted a soft kdrama after all the traumas that i have been watching so far

i mean i really love these silly love tropes it makes me super nostalgic and especially if it's from lee jung seok i mean oh my god look at his charisma

and the cast oh my god i ADMIRE kdramas that has friend groups and these typa things they kill boredom

and last but not least this kdrama deserves to be sat for while eating popcorn or a snack

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A breath of fresh air

'Law and the City' is a slow-paced/slow burn drama, and that is what I find refreshing about it. While in other dramas there is always a main villain who tries to do everything in their power to see the main leads suffer (always keeping the watcher on the edge), there is no such trope in this drama.

The story revolves around five lawyers who got to know each other while working in the same industry. They go through various cases (be it alone or togheter), while their friendship becomes more and more genuine with each passing day.

I am always looking forward to my favourite actors' new dramas/movies, and for this one I've been waiting for a while. I find the cast to be perfectly chosen, by which I mean that all the main characters can act. I've been following Lee Jong Suk and Mun Ka Young's dramas for a while, and all I can say is that I'm happy to see them play the main leads togheter. Their chemistry is definitely there.

Although I've read a lot of negative reviews, the only conclusion I came to was that "it's not everyone's cup of tea", and that's fine. I, personally, dropped a lot of dramas, and I can certainly say that there is someone's favourite in that list as well. It may seem like a boring drama at first, and I can't say for sure that it isn't. A reason as to why some may find it boring is because the main leads aren't struggling to keep their relationships alive, nobody is trying to separate them, and most certainly there aren't any misunderstandings that drag on for more than 1 episode.

The main characters all have a mature side to them, and know how to rely on each other, knowing that keeping everything to themselves wouldn't do any good to any of the parties involved.

Despite the relaxed vibe it might try to show on the surface, daily struggles are not neglected. Everyone goes through a rough patch or unexpected situations during their lives. The important thing is that we should try and deal with it/come to terms with what is happening, and make the most of our limited time in this world.

To sum it all up, 'Law and the City' is a slow-paced, relaxing and what you may call a "slice of life" show. While it may appeal as boring to some, it is also a drama to which most people can relate. I look forward to the one hour of daily relaxation provided by this drama's episodes every weekend.

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Disappointing story and wasted potential

I started watching this show because of Lee Jong Suk as he is one of the better actors in Korea. However, I think the show did him dirty because his character development is severely underdeveloped and cliche. The premise of his character is he was jaded by his own career which makes him kind of cold and I feel like there’s so much potential in there. However, they chose the most cliche development, which was how he was changed because of his idealistic girl friend. I also expected more dilemmas and challenges that he has to faced in the different cases but the only one that I felt was testing his belief was the ex girlfriend case. Plus, his change from a cold to a passionate lawyer was so abrupt that it makes it hard for me to believe in his change.

Another issue I had with this drama was how the FL was so unnecessary in this show. She was the typical idealistic lawyer and because of main character syndrome, she always gets her way, which is so unrealistic. Her loveline with ML is also extra as I felt that without the love part, the drama would still work.

Personally, I feel that the drama has too many main leads which cause a lot of characters to be underdeveloped. I feel that taking out the FL makes sense as she barely did anything for the drama. Sanggi was another character which I felt didn’t do anything for me. His scandal doesn’t seem big enough for me to feel his character and can be omitted in the series.

The one that really surprised me was Chang Won as I really felt his struggles and humiliation from different challenges he faced. All in all, wasted potential in the casts and too ambitious in having five leads

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Tepid romance but great friendships and some compelling storylines

Far from a regular rom-com, this cozzy drama is foremost a slice-of-life ensemble series featuring quite tedious legal cases. If the romance felt very underwhelming, I was impressed by how they established and further developed the frienships and professional relationships. I also liked the approach taken regarding the different cases : rather than focusing on big thrills in court, they really showed the hefty background research work and preparation done to defend their clients. I loved the huge amount of time dedicated to watching the 5 lawyers eat delicious meals and speak about very mundane things.

The acting was solid overall but the romantic chemistry felt lacking between Lee Jong Suk and Mun Ka Young. They also hold less interesting roles than Kang You Seok, Ryu Hye Young and Im Sung who each had very interesting and compelling storylines in comparison to them. Their romantic relationship definitely felt more like an afterthought than anything else.

The drama esthetics was also a very strong point and compelling aspect of the series. Like the storytelling, it was quite subdue all in sepia/greyish tones showcasing the dull and tiring office life while still having a lot of mouthwatering foods shoots and enjoyable bits of OST forming a cohesive picture.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a legal slice-of-life series. It never felt boring to me, but it is clearly a series that might not be for everyone given its anticlimactic pacing. If you want ultra dynamic trials or swoony romance, this will likely not be very satisfying and even feel pretty slow because the series takes its time. But if you enjoy relationships build up and characters growth, as well as heartfelt friendships, this could be worth a try.

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