AnthideAgiusMuscat

This serial is astonishingly true to life, messy & unpredictable. Each legal conundrum comes with a handful of new physiological or moral truths thrown in as freebies. Anyone who expected the usual romcom with legal overtones must be very disappointed by now! The intention of the scriptwriter is much more ambitious: cramming in as many life truths as it is humanly (& coherently) possible to expound within the screen time made available to her. The lady is doing a commendable job. Kudos to her.
PS: such a pity there will only be 12 episodes 😞

Neurodivergent is probably more close to the truth! Simply does not think or act like the majority (the infamous neuro normal). Normal is just what the term implies, within the common norm. This young woman was born with special abilities & an unusual outlook on what should be your life's purpose ... to spend time doing "fun" things (her own words). The catch: her idea of "fun" is homing onto the truths hidden in a mass of tangled information.
Advocate Yun is an older, much more experienced member of this elite group (the neurodivergent). Has long since learnt how to mask his true inclinations but going on what happened in the case of the abused little girl, if his particular "bottom line" is crossed, his actions will not be what most would expect them to be. It is significant that the only person from Yullim who witnessed Advocate Yun's out of norm actions was the FL (& she kept what she had seen to herself).

Running as an invisible thread through all the episodes of this drama is the truth that no one is immune to the damaging effect on their "state of mind & being" of the absence of disinterested love from those they consider their intimates (eg parents and/or significant others). Friendships sustain but often cannot completely replace "unconditionally love". The latter is actually a rare commodity: most forms of love come with strings of all hues attached ... there is always a price to pay.

Actors are normal flesh & blood persons.; they are not a separate breed. Yet in SK & other Asian countries their "errors" are deemed more heinous than those of scores of others suspected of adultery or to be clients of sex workers or gamblers or drug users. Double standards should simply not exist: either everyone is equally "guilty" & atones to victims or collectivity as prescribed by Law or no one does.

This is what happens in real life. Most perverts intuitively approach the women who initially seem unlikely to actively & openly "reject" their invasive behaviour (even though the target objectively has every opportunity to do so). The targets give off subconscious vibes of being "off guard". Perverts are opportunitists who milk what could be considered borderline socially acceptable gestures to their own advantage. So what we were shown on screen is factual; it's more than plausible. Our scriptwriter's knowledge of human psychology runs deep.

No scene in this series is "superfluous" and not all are "linked". To my understanding the scene when Yun opens up the box of soap/cologne supplies received from his ex and the aborted disposal of it in the garbage pile, makes visible to us, the internal conflict still alive within the man: he has now understood that his ex had probably never loved him unconditionally, without a good dose of calculated self interest in the mix. Yun is however reluctant to simply dismiss as worthless his own memories of the 'happy" together times with his ex. His joy at the time had been genuine. His "ownership" of the memories is precious; all part of his life's journey. Yun is however now conscious that it is time to "archive" this particular set of memories & begin a new life chapter!
Waste however is abhorrent ; his young trainee seems "to enjoy" the scent of the soap/cologne so using up the supply instead of dumping it, all considered seems the better way forward 🙂

Although to observers FL's behaviour when dealing with the predatory CEO is less than wise, it is in line with her inclination to single mindedly try to "figure out or research" matters that have caught her attention. Same as she did in the case of the Gas company. This has been her modus operandi since her school days (as we have been repeatedly told). Only post these particular incidents (& their aftermath) did FL start to understood she is now in a different "world" where some social rules must be followed as non compliance has a far reaching effect both on herself & those connected to her. IMO the FL is neuro divergent. Hence her unusual thinking pattern & sponge like memory. The missteps regarding adherence to established codes of social or professional behaviour would really not be that much of a surprise, at least to those who know her well.

Netflix

I cannot read Japanese & rely on the English subtitles to make sense of what is going on screen. I have already followed a number Japanese serials but not think I have ever seen the disclaimer that flashes on screen before now. The English "translation" mentions "unlawful practices" which might be violations. What is meant by this?

Even the drama series title "Esquire" has "depth". The term is indeed an honorific applied in NA to exponents active in the legal profession but in origin it denoted a gentleman who is training to assist a "knight" (a knight being in essence a public official who acted in defence of his country, its citizens and/or ruler). The manners of the ML are really exquisitely in line with the appelitive of Esq!
Attorney Yun's "courtly" gestures which in themselves seem of little significance, "spare" the FL unnecessary embarrassment or future emotional regret. This is the true worth of the "old fashioned" handkerchief supplied at an awkward moment or the retrieval/return of a favourite trinket which would have otherwise been lost ....
What is notable is that the our seasoned "knight" has learnt the hard way to hide his deepest held desires or convictions; he is only now risking exposing a bit of his true nature as he has ascertained that our FL is a "pure" spirit lacking any guile.
Also, I might be wrong, but our Attorney Yun,in complete contrast to his professional achievements, is still a "youngster" in the "love" department ... despite being a divorcee ... his first choice of a life companion could not have been much worse than it turned out to be 😣

To me LJW was a most pleasant surprise. A SK actor who has charisma & presence in spades (with extremely expressive eyes) but not an impossibly perfect face! LJW even has a faint but most manly beard shadow (so familiar to us European ladies!) The cherry on the cake: LJW has a "mobile" face. The man gets eye creases when he smiles or laughs. Sometimes wrinkles his nose or sports a furrowed look when under stress or "displeased! All natural reactions or expressions but actually a rare sight in KDrama land.

Instead of reflecting on the many insights this drama has already offered, too many seem to be obsessed with the age gap between ML & the FL (at times flipping back & forth between their fictional & real life avatars). I am guessing most of comments are from SKoreans who it seems favour the superficial over the substantial. Hence the unhealthy insistence on the physically "beautiful" mate only with the likewise beautiful or that age gaps beyond a couple of years are intrinsically unsound. Outside Asia such notions are ludicrous.

I fully concur with your opinion. Abortion destroys life definitely (there is no hope of rescue or recovery). Where I live abortion as a birth control method is still regarded as immoral & illegal. Also agreements that somehow pave the way to dissolution of the marriage contract are not envisaged. Either one wants to marry & assume all the responsibilities & consequence thereby or one simply does not marry.

What I find astonishing is the fact that so much of the fine points of what occurred back in 2016 with regards to LJW are in the public domain. I'm guessing that only after a full exposure of even the most lurid facts was LJW able to carry on with his life & career. Otherwise, truth would not have prevailed ... what would have prevailed are the contorted ideas of those who believe that they are "immaculate" (the faceless righteous netizens). Actors, are after all, not quite on par, humanly speaking, to their audience. Ain't that universally acknowledged.

If this was a theatre play, your skip scene strategy would be impossible to "indulge" in ... so if you have "reservations" with regards to viewing any footage of any actor (not just LJW) opt for a book!

Why oh why are the English subtitles so bad? Wang YS is so underrated; he manages to shine despite the low budget setting and/or dodgy script. Also too often his projects are screened without much fanfare or publicity .... small wonder you might miss them if you blink at the wrong moment. What did this talented actor ever do to be treated so poorly by those who should be pushing him to bigger & better projects instead?

This film project amongst other things is a barely disguised PR promotion of the ski boarding & Chinese skiing resorts/facilities. The emphasis is on this message and not on the life long implications of being born to parents who only consider you, their child (creation) as an "investment vehicle" to be used towards the betterment of their own social prospects or prestige. In view of this underlying fact (which the FL is actually well aware of) all protestations of disinterested worry for the future wellbeing of their child by the same said parents sound obscenely hollow.

What is crystal clear to my "western" eyes is understandably not a palatable notion to a mind immersed in Asian culture values. As it is, no culture strikes all the right notes ... human life should be regarded as intrinsically precious anywhere in this world of ours. The harsh truth is however that this concept is not "genuinely" acknowledged nor safeguarded neither in the Western nor in the Eastern hemispheres.

This film project amongst other things is a barely disguised PR promotion of the ski boarding & Chinese skiing resorts/facilities. The emphasis is on this message and not on the life long implications of being born to parents who only consider you, their child (creation) as an "investment vehicle" to be used towards the betterment of their own social prospects or prestige. In view of this underlying fact (which the FL is actually well aware of) all protestations of disinterested worry for the future wellbeing of their child by the same said parents sound obscenely hollow.

What is crystal clear to my "western" eyes is understandably not a palatable notion to a mind immersed in Asian culture values. As it is, no culture strikes all the right notes ... human life should be regarded as intrinsically precious anywhere in this world of ours. The harsh truth is however that this concept is not "genuinely" acknowledged nor safeguarded neither in the Western nor in the Eastern hemispheres.

One of the escapable truths of life is that one cannot "select" one's parents or the social situation he is born into. To suggest otherwise is an obscene lie and a very cruel distortion of an undisputed fact. This what renders the behaviour of the FL parents' so repulsive.
Asian culture seems to discount "spiritual" worth vs "monetary" worth. Being "poor" which in the case of many is a relative not absolute term as the essential needs of the individual are never under threat, becomes a "disqualifier" which the individual cannot make up for, whatever he does or achieves should the criterion of self worth be the "trading" instrument known as "money". What is not also made explicit is that money comes but as easily goes!
The life purpose of the FL's parents is quite obviously the making & accumulation of the most "liquid" of assets human society has given form to: money. The struggles of the FL can be traced back to the fact that her parents do not value or accumulate other assets other than money. Human connection, phycological wellbeing (sense of self worth) are foreign concepts to the parents of the FL. Not much of a surprise as these intangible assets cannot be qualified in terms of "money" or reliably secured by it. Although it can be argued that money can acquire all the elements of a "good" life, this is a cruel illusion which is proved false time & time again. All hinges on the definition of what is a "good, well spent life?

As expected much is being posted about Esther's light girly voice & mannerisms. It should be clear by now to everyone that the fluffy exterior hides a core of steel! Esther Yu reminds me of Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn's premature death secured her fame as not even a 50 year long career would have made possible but her talent was undisputable especially in the comic, satirical vein. Esther has the same ability to make nonsense palatable, the unlikely possible. In fact, no other actress of her generation pulls off the impulsive, fluffy characters as well as she does; the breathless quick speech is part of this characterization so why the complaints?

Esther Yu is more than competent at her craft & stills looks barely 20 years old when she is flooring 30! Given the Asian obsession with looking "eternally" young, Esther is managing to live up to one of C Entertainment essential criteria remarkable well 😊