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It takes a village to raise a child
This drama comes at you swinging and knocks you off for good with the last episode.Writing, directing and acting are all superb (and, surprisingly, I found the OST just as outstanding) but I dare say this is not an easy, leisurely watch.
Although the pacing is sustained and the storytelling extremely fluid and engaging (I personally binge watched it in 2 days), the topic is a heavy one. The writer aims at informing a discussion on juvenile justice reform and successfully conveys its complexity while reminding us of its wide impact on society as a whole, not only on the minors directly involved.
We are guided through the main discourse whilst following mainly 3 groups of characters: judges, young perpetrators and victims. The lines among these 3 groups become voluntarily blurred (at one point Judge Sim tells us that anyone can become a victim. Later on, in the episode on judge Kang and his son, we learn that the same is true for perpetrators) and, as we discover each backstory, it is impossible to remain indifferent to the grief onscreen. Nonetheless, it never feels forced or minutely crafted to obtain an easy emotivity.
This was my first encounter with Kim Hye-soo, surprisingly so given her fame and talent, and she instantly became a favorite. Her character is introduced to the audience almost as an antagonist - shrouded in monolithic severity and inflexibility - compared to the warm and sympathetic Cha Tae-joo, who protects and guides the youngsters as their big brother hero.
However, as the story unfolds, we come to respect and appreciate severity as the necessary quality to mete out justice.
A special gravitas, the most inflexible and unwavering constitution is required in seeking the truth in order to uncover guilt and reach the ultimate powerful tool of catharsis: punishment.
Shim Eun-seok transcends her private identity and tragedy to become the personification of a justice that can heal both the victims and the perpetrators.
As doctors save the body, Judges save the ethics that sustains civil society.
And this mission is even more crucial if it involves young offenders at a point in their life when their ethics, their morality, is still indefinite and unshaped.
Kim Hye-soo manages, with her Junoesque physicality, to incarnate the divine quality of justice and shape it as a quintessential mother figure.
Also, she totally feels like a formidable dominatrix (with her high heels and strict suits and natural commanding tone. Tae-joo feels like her devote sub, instead).
Take home message: It really does take a village to raise a child.
Female Empowerment Score 5/5: women are truly the backbone of society
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curious!!!!
This review is about dramas related to detectives, bullying cases, murders. heheh... don't want to move to another genre yet. because I really don't want to . This Korean drama tells the story of a judge who focuses on juvenile court. There are various types of child cases that really make you nervous. in eps. 1 has even aired a murder case. committed by a child under the age of . in another story, there are also cases of child prostitution, cases of rehab houses that were suspected of having problems but turned out to be opening up other cases. really mind blowing guys... . So on average, why do these children become so stubborn, naughty and behave miraculously, usually starting with their parents. who are busy, who do not have time and even willing to abandon their children. This drama is really complete. there are funny, touched, sad to shock. With only 10 episodes, I don't get bored watching it. know it's over. love itWas this review helpful to you?
Interesting legal drama
There are times I would veer away from my typical drama list and watch something serious. For me, Juvenile Justice didn't disappoint.With just 10 episodes, the drama was able to show several examples of delinquency among youngsters. It is a difficult thing, handling juvenile cases. It could make or break a minor's future. I liked how the writer was able to spin different cases to highlight how the judges' decision are made.
The FL's facial expression were kind of bland but as the drama progressed, you will get an insight on how she came to be the aloof, aggressive judge...
Personally, I would not mind another season of this legal drama
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Wannabe Delinquents
On one hand, it tackled some important complexities surrounding youth crime and the justice system. But on the other hand, it felt like it was hitting the viewers over the head with its message a bit too hard. They always found a way to end up being overly preachy. I guess that's part of the overdramatization? The drama had a handful of cases but these were presented in descending order, with each one being less appealing than its predecessor. I feel conflicted about some of the cast choices, but if we were to ignore that and only focus on the characters, the situation didn't look so bright either. By episode 6, they started to inject personal stories and affairs, but it was a bit too late to have proper development when the drama was just 10 episodes. In the end, it was a watchable law drama with some notable ideas but remained average until the end.Was this review helpful to you?
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Who Will Save The Children?
There is a universal disease that runs rampant throughout the world. It really doesn’t matter the country or culture. It’s there. And it’s something that has become indelibly worse over the years. The disease is indifference. And we see first-hand in this series how much indifference has seeped into the children of society. Children are no better than adults when it comes to preying upon those they deem weak and worthless. Physical and cyberbullying are only the symptoms of a much bigger problem. They are symptoms of indifference.The series could almost be called, “The Tragedy of Judge Shim.” She is a cold but effective judge who confesses that she despises young offenders. The reason for this hatred stems from a past experience that we don’t learn about until the series' last two episodes. It is not accurate to state that she doesn’t care. She does. And she is just as eager to investigate a case and uncover the truth as she pronounces sentences that she feels are the most effective and the most just when dealing with juvenile offenders. Unfortunately, Judge Shim lives in a prison of her own making. She lives in a barren apartment that has no warmth or meaning to it. Her sole purpose is to preside over juvenile offenders. In many ways, she’s allowed those who killed her son to kill her as well. For what kind of a life is that? In the end, the perpetrators may have finally been brought to justice, but she’s allowed them to destroy her too.
Judge Shim is an effective judge even though she can be quite foolish. Chasing a young offender through the streets to try and apprehend her alone wasn’t a smart thing to do. Also, breaking into the hideout of a known, violent offender was beyond foolish. It nearly got her killed in the process. But I suppose that someone who’s essentially already dead inside, probably doesn’t care too much about what happens to them. Indifference isn’t only about how we treat others. It's also about how we treat ourselves.
If the numbers that are put on display at the very beginning of the series are accurate—3,300 judges in Korea with only 20 juvenile judges—we can see why the youth of Korea are in such dire straits and why the juvenile courts certainly need more help and resources.
Each case spans about two episodes, and neither the writer nor the director holds back when it comes to depicting youth crimes. They are raw, violent, and meant to demonstrate the sheer cruelty that is perpetrated upon those who are preyed upon. It shouldn’t matter that these are children and not adults. We quickly find that it doesn’t matter the age or the circumstances. Children are just as capable of any type of violent crime as their adult counterparts.
One of the reasons I love K-dramas so much is that most of them carry a much-needed message. A show like this isn’t just for entertainment purposes but is trying to shed some light on a much-needed issue that must be addressed. Many victims and victims’ parents ask the same question: “How can someone so young do something like this?” We live in a world we think is safe. We live in a world that should be safe, especially for the children. But, sadly, it is not so.
If you don’t address the core problem, then nothing will change. Things will not only stay the same, but they are likely to get even worse. There is a common denominator among many young perpetrators. They come from broken homes. They tend to come from poor families. They tend to be bullied children and outcasts themselves. Some have mental disorders. And ironically, these are also the commonalities found among adult criminals as well.
Punishment is pointless without rehabilitation. Judge Kang is correct in his assessment that harsher punishments don’t work. Rehabilitation is required. And as Judge Shim points out to Judge Cha, it does, indeed, take a village to raise a child. People are like points on a spider web. Remove one point, and the entire web begins to come apart. And it takes teachers, friends, family, shopkeepers…everyone! Raising a child is NOT about telling them what to do and what not to do. It’s about empowering and educating them so that they can make wise decisions. But none of that matters unless indifference is removed from the equation. Compassion is a key component, for if people truly care for each other, they will always look out for one another.
One of the saddest things I saw in this series is the ostracizing of the victims. My God! This is proof of the indifference that I’ve talked about. How can you simply cut off a person for something that happened to them? And blame them? That is truly sickening, and those who do these things are no better than the criminals themselves. Indeed, they are the same.
Performances across the board were astounding and powerful. Kim Hye Soo gives us Judge Shim who is strong on the outside but broken on the inside. I saw Lee Sung Min in Misaeng—a series in which he was nothing short of brilliant—and I was thrilled to see him in this series as a judge who’s lost his way.
This isn’t necessarily an easy series to watch, but it’s a necessary one. If people don’t start to wake up and realize that changes are needed in how we deal with each other, let alone our children, then it really will be impossible to save the children, let alone anyone else.
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Firstly, the cinematography is just top notch, they set the right lighting, mood, and music to certain scenes that needs extra focus, and scenes that needs more emotions. The actors and actresses did a great job portraying their characters, especially the leads. Then again, they are the respected actors in Korean entertainment industry, no wonder they did an excellent job portraying the characters. The teenage actors who played juvenile also did an excellent job, especially the child killer. I was surprised to find the cast of the boy is actually a mid twenties actress.
The plot of this drama is also well written, not draggy and not too straight forward either, which makes a perfect thriller drama. Totally would recommend people to watch this!
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It's a shame they canceled the second season
The series moved me a lot, I was extremely emotional with the judges' story (especially in the last episode where Shim was going to visit the cemetery, that made me cry a lot). I really wanted there to be a second season, when I researched it I was sad to find out that they canceled it. These juvenile laws are absurd, they deserved to be punished more rigorously. I was angry with Judge Na, she judged the murder case of Judge Shim's son very badly, there was no justice and there were no teachings for the two murderers. The series really captivated me, I loved how Judge Shim helped those who needed it and punished those who needed it, she is incredible and perfect, I loved her so much. Judge Cha was also impeccable, I confess that I fell in love with him, I was thrilled that he found the judge who helped him as a child, and Judge Kang, he was incredible, impeccable, I was sad that he didn't enter politics, I'm sure he would have done several incredible things. The ending seemed a little confusing, too rushed, it could have had 16 episodes, I would have loved it and been interested in other new stories.A fact that I was already forgetting: guys, how hateful is that mother of Shim's ex-husband's, what a miserable old woman, how could she have done that and gotten away with it? And that ex-husband of hers? What an imbecile man, "that's how the law is" "he was also my son", how did he accept it so easily? How could he have gone after Shim just to interfere in her life? Having gone after her to tell her not to get involved in in the case of those damn murderers?! And still letting his mother know and letting her do that stupid thing in court, in front of everyone. If I were Shim I would have punched him when he showed up at her door.
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A serious series that delves into the gray areas of justice
I was in tears regularly since the early start of the show because of how real some of the issues they delved into could be. The series explored the balance between tough love, mercy and doing what is right, providing many turns in the story that kept the audience on edge about the cases. The main lead is extremely good, and her signature subtle teary eyes while angry showed much conviction in the series, one that I could relate to. There is virtually no humour nor romance in the show, so don't expect any. It's a dark and thoughtful series and delivered almost everything I could ask for. I was just not satisfied with the endings of some cases.Was this review helpful to you?
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Mostly good!
I quite like the different cases as well as the characters, buuuut there are just a handful of things that annoy me...1) I did not like the episode about the leaked exams, I know it was probably the whole point, but I did not feel bad anyone lmao. These kids and parents are already rich and privileged and then just decide to be even greedier, and then complain about having to face the consequences of their entitled actions. And I am supposed to feel bad, or have some empathy? No. Same with Eun Seok being the "whistleblower" for ratting out the previous head judge. Like, if SHE doesn't do it, the coward wouldn't have done it either since his own life mattered more. For years he was known as an impartial judge, but NOW that it concerns HIM, suddenly he wants to bury the case since he wouldn't benefit from it because he wanted to go into politics. Sir, you should have been more decent to your son!
2) The fact that Cha Tae Joo just always stands there while Eun Seok is getting CHEWED the fuck out? Sir? Either, she tells him to leave, or he really just stands there, while someone yells at her? His submissive nature is kind of annoying seven episodes into the show like say something man!
3) Eun Seok victim blaming the girl in that one episode. Listen, yes, the girl(s) should not have run away, but blaming the 14yo girl that was forced into prostitution that this is the consequence of her not following the law after she got assaulted and nearly raped was kind of very much unnecessary and heartless in that scene , i don't know. On one hand, the girl was a culprit because she did previously beat up another girl, but on the other hand she was a victim as well. It's just two different situations. But being forced into selling her body as a minor (by girls that are hardly older than her) to grown ass men and then blaming her lowkey while she's still shocked and bloody, is just wrong.
4) Lack of character development. In my opinion, the characters more or less stayed the same. I also thought that Eun Seok's speech at the end was contradictory. She says she will not be biased in court yet admits that she still despises juvenile offenders. That's.... biased lmao, but whatever.
Other than that, the quality of the show is great as well as the acting and the cases are interesting and quite diverse.
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10/10 my first time give this Score
GREAT watch at least onceeverything was Great in this show, nothing was boring for even a minute
Only complain i had was Male Judge, Actor is great at his work, but his character until end doesn't show any development
he started has fake good and end up fake good
every other character show some development and improvement
MOST admirable was Female judge
i has high rewatch value 8/10
Acting story and overall drama was 10/10
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6 gripping juvenile cases in just 10 hours that both entertain and enrich mind and soul
"I have nothing but hatred for young offenders""This is just the new grim reality of juvenile crime"
With such opening lines, Juvenile Justice seems a promising drama exploring the mentality and behaviours of young offenders and how to manage them to uphold justice for the victims in today's society, and this drama did not disappoint.
Juvenile Justice tells 6 gripping juvenile cases in just 10 hours, of kids committing crimes on kids, throwing shades at the realities and inadequacies of the juvenile act and delicate balance to punish-educate vs protect young offenders, peer pressure, parental responsibilities for their children’s behaviours, domestic violence, rat race in the educational system etc.
Throw in the solid no-nonsense Kim Hye Soo, as the Judge of the Juvenile Court who has nothing but hatred for young offenders, and viewers are in for a very compelling watch that not just entertains but enriches the souls and minds. Some standout quotes for me:
“Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is after. What happens after determines who you’ll become.”
“There’s a saying - don’t steal a candle to read a Bible. It means if the ways are corrupt, the purpose is as well.”
And if only Judge Kang can think and care for his son just like Prof Park #DesignatedSurvivor60Days..
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