Mubeop Byeonhosa

LAWLESS LAWYER (2018) was a fun, fast-paced, slick legal drama starring the amazing Lee Joon Gi (of Flower of Evil/ Scarlet Heart Reo fame). In this series, he is a cunning gangster lawyer, name Bong Sang-pil, out for justice for crimes committed against his mother during his childhood. Being a real life martial arts expert Lee Joon Gi shines in this often action-packed role. I personally really enjoyed the energy of this show, as the action and fight scenes really spiced up what might have become a slow or tedious legal drama.

Actress Seo Ye-ji was also interesting as the courageous moral lawyer Ha Jae-yi, who is paired with Bong Sang-pil. His cheery charisma mixed with her unwavering boldness made for a very entertaining pairing, as the two become unstoppable partners in Lawless Law Firm and eventually grow to deeper levels of understanding.

Ha Jae-yi was a very likable character for me, a strong female lead from the start-fighting discrimination in the legal systems where female lawyers aren't given the same respect. Instead of being a push over, her reactions are sometimes less thought-out but certainly relatable. She was one of those characters who reacted reasonably and often felt relatable. When she did, say, punch someone in the face...it felt justified. Otherwise, she had a lot of character depth and made for a great balance to the character of Bong Sang-pil.

While there were some predictable aspects of this series, the cast was really colorful and high energy, which is what honestly sold me on the show. Episode 2 drew me in and by episode 4 I was hooked...

The "villains" or baddies are believably bad, rather than 2D cutout bad guys. I do wish there had been more motives given, however, as to what drove them to do what they did. Money, fame, power, greed, I suppose. Either way, they were very vividly characterized, especially the gangster thug/Mayor Ahn Oh-joo. He was brilliantly casted/acted and was hugely entertaining to watch on screen. Judge Cha Moon Sook was convincingly devious in her role as well, and very hard to read. She was very subtle, cunning and made for a threatening foe. Nam Soon-ja was another interesting character, brilliantly acted. The way she flipped personalities made her another unpredictable variant among the many puzzle pieces. Overall the casting was great. There are just too many great actors and roles to name. And that's what made this show so watchable for me.

While some plot points are indeed a bit predictable, the series was very entertaining and well casted. It was quirky and had a lot of heart. It was a very fun watch and being a moderate Lee Joon Gi fan, I wanted to catch up on some of his lesser known series. This one was very enjoyable and exciting, though the show was missing something, hard to say what (no fault of the cast).

Besides his usual charismatic charms, Lee Joon Gi offered some really powerful emotional performances in this series as well. Some of those scenes packed a hard punch. As far as the romance, the main leads had great onscreen chemistry that felt natural and convincing. It was great to watch their relationship progress. It made for a fun, memorable experience and overall, it was a very decent and exciting show. Very underrated and worth a chance. No regrets.

STORY: 8/10 CINEMATOGRAPHY: 7/10 ART/DESIGN/VISUALS: 8/10 MUSIC: 7/10 OVERALL RATING: 9.5/10.

This had been in my queue for some time, as the capsule description wasn't particularly compelling to me. After watching it, I realized there was no reason to have hesitated.

Overall, a strong crime/corruption/revenge k-drama leavened with a good bit of action and a bit of romance.

If you watch many k-dramas, you will recognize a number of cast members, all of whom turn in good, or at least serviceable, performances. Good cast chemistry.

I noticed a couple of reviewers comment about Min-su Choi's performance with his guttural delivery at times. While I do think he may have slightly hammed it up a little with this, and with his physical acting (his gait for example), I thought it was just fine and not over the top for his gangster character.

My main criticism is around the pacing. As I often notice in k-dramas, it can lag a bit in the middle bits. I also felt the wrap-up was needlessly hurried. They could have easily written the events of the final episode to unfold over two or maybe even three episodes while tightening up a few of the episodes in the middle.

A secondary criticism is that I think the some of the writing around various plot development slightly strains credulity, but by the standards of the genre, in which entire stories often hinge on the most improbable of coincidences, this is a pretty minor point.

The drama is action packed with Lee Joongi showcasing his talents in martial arts. It's beautiful to watch. The chemistry between the villain and Lee Joongi's character is just awesome. I loved Seo Yeji's character as well since she portrayed a smart, witty and a bold woman, who doesn't hesitate to protect justice. A badass character!

The drama was great in the first half, however, the story becomes hazy from episode 9. Still finishes well. From episode 9 onward, I only watched it for the four main characters and their great acting. The story wasn't for my liking. But, the well choreographed action kept me wanting to watch more and more!

From the first episode it is already intriguing! Exciting & enjoyable! Loved the leading actress! She is so good in "Its okay to be not okay" so swoonworthy drama! Loved her!

Here the leading actor & actress are beautiful to look at especially his fighting & his gangsters friends, they are so funny! Great interaction from girlfriend & boyfriend, turns to partner in justice! Plus the trustworthy groups! They are all awesome!

If you like some romance, thriller & action, this is the best! Highly recommended! You will love it & enjoy every moment as it keeps you on the edge at every scene & episodes! From start to ending, it's just awesome! Will binge this again!

Posted 14 December 2021 About Seo Ye Ji and Lee Joon Go Love these two acting together. My fave kdrama couple. Lee Joon Gi had excellent chemistry with this female co-star, so I'm extra pleasantly surprised by the chemistry between him and Seo Ye Ji. The chemistry between them feels sparky, natural, comfortable, unforced and organic.

I love that they feel like equals onscreen. He's not overshadowing her even though he is the more experienced actor, and it feels like they bring equal amounts of presence to my screen. As bickering adversaries, and then as partners in law, Sang Pil and Jae Yi feel equally matched, and as a couple, they feel equally attracted to each other, and I feel like the romantic connection between them feels believable and real. I don't know but I feel I should just add this bit. Remember they are just acting in a fictional story we are not expecting them to get married in real life. Here their acting is impeccable. That's what we want.

Bong Sang-pil and Ahn Oh-joo Just watched this series Lawless Lawyer again. I just can't help but admire Lee Joon-Gi as Bong Sang-pil and Choi Min-soo as Ahn Oh-joo acting skills. Truly praiseworthy and exemplary. So loved the way that they interacted together as characters in this renown work. Choi Min-soo brought every nuance of a ruthless, unrelenting, cold blooded gangster. Every part of his body and face emulated his confidence unyeilding and stubborn aura. Lee Joon-Gi was magnificent as the young man brought up by a gangster uncle who learnt to never backdown but stand your ground in all situations of conflict and contention. He showed his assurance determination and absolute fearlessness in every environment making sure that his evidence, documentation and data backs up what comes out of his mouth. Then there were the combative actions, balance and harmony in the fighting sequences. They totally were coordinated, harmonious and rhythmical never missing a beat and just catching the audiences wonderment and appreciation. Lee Joongi face was a picture of belligerence, hostility and animosity before Choi Min-soo. Choi Min-soo is so much stronger and bigger than Lee Joongi but both had advantageous and aggressive martial arts skills that made them completely suited to part and both are confident. Choi Min-soo fights likes a street fighter. Lee Joongi has his his kicks and aerials but his smaller body and lighter weight was a disadvantage. They both knew the gangster creed. Keep fighting to a standstill or until one gives up. On the ground Lee Joongi reverted to his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu where he had the advantage. It was so superb to review this outstanding, stunning and superior drama once again. I so love it. The last three episodes Wow! It is so exceptional I was savouring every moment and replaying and repeating parts that I enjoyed. Must watch it again.