8;10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean historical legal romance drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. It is based on a webtoon of the same name. Also known as Josean Attorney: A morality. It has 16, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a synopsis then review

Synopsis
Kang Han-soo (Woo Do-hwan) is an attorney with a strong sense of justice just as his father before him. It was that strong sense of justice that led to his father and mother’s early death as those that are powerful and corrupt wish to operate outside the law. Orphaned as a child and with his only sister married off just prior to the tragedy, Han-soo is now grown and determined to avenge his family. Along the way he encounters the Princess whi has disguised herself to avoid the same evil politicians. Josean Princess Lee Yeon-joo (Kim Ji-yeon or Bona) was wrapped up in the incident that occurred so many years before and feels responsible for the tragedy. In disguise she works with Han-soo enamored by his caring for the average Jisean people and united in their quest to bring down their common enemy. When Han-soo discovers her true identity nit inky is his devastated at her deception but also realizes how impossible their love is. Can the two overcome obstacles to pursue happiness and ontain revenge for themselves and others who were wronged by the corruption?

Review
It was good, worth watching but not great. I really expected the lawyer to be some super lawyer but that did not turn out to be the case. My hooe was that I would learn more aboit the laws in the Josean period through a bariety of interesting cases. There were a few, early in but then it quickly switched to the revenge arc and there was not a lot of interesting legal cases after that. If youlike either if these actors you would likely enjoy their performance as they did a great job acting their characters. The romance was okay but I am not a huge fan of romance where there isn‘t a slow build and clear events that draw the two together. Sice they were mostly at odds with a lot of the cases it is hard to see how that would have drawn them close.

Spoilers*

If you do not like sad shows there are some sad events in this one. Particularly when he finally finds his sister only for her to die as a result of the same corrupt elite that caused the death of his parents. Her death seemed unnecessary as there were so many ways she could have lived. She also had a side romance going on with 2nd guy that I thought would play out and would have been good.

I was disappointed he was not more successful as an attorney and that success did not lead to a position of position of power next to the king. He won some big cases but he also lost some important ones. And he was falsely accused and tortured. He did not get oit if that situatiin with his brilliant legal prowess , instead it was due to the pleas of the people he helped. I know they were trying to keep it real but I watch for good to win over evil so I did not like that part. He wound up just being the legal lackey.

I did not feel there was a believable romance between the Princess and the lawyer. Maybe their chemistry was just off for me. She spent so much time early on suspecting him of being unethical and disagreeing with his actions I did not see where there were enough events for her to have fallen for him.

I was very disappointed in the King. He started as a very likable character but then somehow changed so he had his finger poised on the kill switch. He basically killed lead guys sister (well drove her to suicide) because he was hurt Han-soo hadn’t recognized his power to stop her execution. He wanted him to come and implore him to save her. Because he did not do that he made Han-soo read the execution verdict. That was so psychologically cruel it was nit a redeemable action in my opinion. Then he simply says he will reflect in it for the rest of his life and Han soo seems to forgive him completely. That whole thing was just messed up and unnecessary. And where was the king’s bride? Where was the pressure on him to marry? That was a missed opportunity for the evil element to force a bride of their choosing on him. It was just odd that was missing because that is such a strong element in other Josean dramas.

So many flaws in and around the Princess character. As strict as the Regent Queen was with palace rules it never explained how the Princess was able to live as a commoner outside the palace. That is what allowed her to meet and fall in love with Han soo so it was odd not knowing why she was living outside. If the elites were able to get the rules changed so their sons could retain their positiin yet marry into the royal family how was it the only solution the Regent Queen could come up with was to fake her granddaughter’s death and exile her?

I like happy endings so I looked into this quite a bit and many say it was a happy, well wrapped up, ending. I do not agree as it was very sad and heavy in several episodes toward the end that it felt pretty sad, on balance, to me. thought it was silly and selfish for her to go off after being reported dead from poisoning and not let him know she was alive and well. He had horribly lost so many people and suffered so much yet she was okay with him suffering because if her. I thought, as much as he wanted kids, her being infertile was sad for him. He lost his entire immediate family and, being with her, he would not be able to build a family of his own. I mean I am sure they could adopt but they did not even discuss the issue or how they would resolve it.

#JoseanAttorney
#Bona
#KimJiYeon
#WooDoHwan