This was a truly heavy and disturbing watch, but a much-needed and eye-opening one. I remember, as a 16 yo when I started my K-drama journey , thinking of South Korea as the safe heaven, I realized later that as any country in the world, it has its own set of problems. As a 23 yo, still this drama still shook me in many instances, especially with the type of crimes it tackles. I didn't know much about the teen runaway gangs, young offenders using the law to commit horrible crimes and avoid the consequences, the heinous world of teen prostitution, the fragility of life, or how anyone can be a victim yet the court can't take a firm stance... The last scene truly resonated with me: "It takes an entire village to raise a child. In other words, a child's life could be ruined if the entire village neglects the child". As someone who questions, "How am I supposed to bring a child and raise them well in a messed up world?" this watch was scary and haunting and makes me dig even deeper and re-think that over.

Technically, it was a well-made show. The pace was on point, each episode is poignant and impactful without dragging. Maybe the 10 eps format is the best for this genre instead of dragging it for no reason. The casting was stellar across the board, with a standing ovation for the veterans Kim Hye Soo and Lee Sung Min and Lee Yeon from the kids (kudos for portraying a 11 yo guy for a 28 yo woman...lol even the math isn't mathing, but she was impeccably believable). The background music was haunting, and the ending score was calming esp after each scary episode. Character-wise, Shim Eun Seok will def go to my fav female characters: she was poised, extremely intelligent, capable, and competent for her job without losing her humanity. The scenes where she said: "No matter how many young offenders cases I take, I never get used to them," and when her co-worker was telling her to give up on the case to not be disciplined, she went on: "Is that what scares you. The type of adult these young offenders will turn into if we don't deal with them rightfully is what scares me," pierced through my heart. I wish we had more screentime with Kang Won Jung instead of just being an ill-tempered boss and ending his character arc prematurely. His journey to change "the juvenile act" would be a great sequel to this. Cha Tae Joo's character fell flat, like someone with no substance other than a supporting lead with a fitting melodramatic background, but he didn't add much for being the friendly judge bc Sim Eun Soak was already a morally sound and humane character at heart, him being there just to balance her was not needed. Honestly, I didn't understand Na Guen Hee or her character arc or her motives. She was like any bureaucrat wanting to end things fast, but a little character building would've let me understood her better.

Overall, a well-paced, well-written, and well-acted show with a serious topic that was eye-opening for me, but I won't rewatch it or recommend it unless I know the viewer can handle and be invested in it well: 8.5/10