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letmereadinpeace4 · 30 days

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Why you should watch Law School?

Last year or about, I found myself searching for a new drama to watch. As I was scrolling on Netflix, I happened to look at a drama called Law School. Nothing in particular predisposed me to watch it: I am not particularly fond of the judiciary system as a setting, there was no mention of any romance, and the summary was rather vague. However, either because of the reference to an investigation in the summary, because of the preview pictures or, more likely, because I was bored, I decided to watch the first episode.

This turned out to be a great decision, and I watched the rest in about three or four days (a great feat for me, as I only do this kind of binging if the story captivates me).

Law School, as the name implies, takes place in a law school. We follow a group of law students and their criminal law professor, Yang Jong Hoon (aka Yangcrates as he is nicknamed by the students) as they face various legal cases, not the least among which is the murder of one of the most eminent professor of the university, a murder that Professor Yang is suspected of committing.

As the show progresses, the students will face the limits of the law and the way it can be used by powerful people to serve their own interests, but they will also discover their future role in the legal world and the responsibility they have in shaping the future.

This summary can seem rather vague, and it is, but that is because the drama covers so many themes, focuses on so many characters and so many plot lines, that it is practically impossible to summarize it succinctly.

Regarding the plot, it is well structured and well paced. There is never a dull moment, the plot twists are effective, and it is fairly credible as a law drama; not being realistic to the point of boring the viewer, not being outlandish to the point that it feels more like a soap opera (strong side eye to HTGAWM), yet still being entertaining and “dramatic” enough to pull the viewer in. The plot lines flow naturally from one to another and they are given the right amount of time to develop and resolve.

Regarding the depiction of the law setting, I am nowhere near qualified enough to tell whether the characters’ actions or behavior in a court of law are realistic or not, although I strongly suspect that some things are exaggerated for dramatic effect and the sake of the plot. It did not pull me out of the story, but some people who are more familiar with the judicial system might find more to criticize. One thing I appreciated was that the students are actually shown studying and struggling with all-nighters, exams, grades and all the constraints of actually being in law school. Very few of the students are actually perfect or even great students, in fact most of them are quite average in terms of grades. Compared to all the dramas where the characters are supposed to be in university and are never shown studying except when the plot requires it, this was extremely refreshing and relatable to see.

However, while the plot itself is good and effective, the two strengths of the drama are its characters and its themes.

The characters are well-written and interesting. They feel distinct from one another, with each character having their own strengths, weaknesses, desires, struggles and viewpoints on the law system. They also have incredible chemistry with one another, with the stand outs being the relationship between Kang Sol A and Han Joon Hwi’s, the relationship between Kang Sol A and Kang Sol B, the relationship between Kang Sol A and Jeon Ye Seul and the relationship between Han Joon Hwi and Seo Ji Ho.

To properly demonstrate how good these characters are, I will here introduce three of them, who can be considered to be the most important in terms of screen time. Note that they are far from being the only major characters, and that some characters (especially Jeon Ye Seul) cannot be introduced without spoiling the story.

Kang Sol A (another character is also named Kang Sol, so they receive the “A” and “B” to distinguish them from one another) is as close to a protagonist as you can get in this drama, at least when it comes to the student side, and she fulfills that role effectively. A former delinquent, due to a complicated familial environment, she is determined to pursue justice and is struggling with the limitations of the law, especially as powerful people and criminal exploits its loopholes to their own advantage. This strong sense is justice is completed by a strong loyalty to her friends and a determination to help them, which makes her the moral center among her group of friends. Despite these qualities, she is an average to bad student, often struggling with studying and grades. While this is often used as a way to provide comedy in more serious moments, it also serves to contrast her with other characters who are better students, but whose relationship with the law is more complex.

Han Joon Hwi is the most prominent male character in the student side. While Kang Sol A counts amount the “worst” students in her class, Han Joon Hwi is probably the best. He is charismatic, intelligent, funny with something of a troll side, and shares Kang Sol A’s determination for justice. However, Han Joon Hwi is in a different position, as his sense of justice has been challenged by the illegal actions of a member of his family, causing him to struggle between his affection for them and his belief that criminals should be punished. This moral dilemma causes him to be somewhat distant from other people despite his jovial attitude, rarely opening up about his true feelings and often hiding important clues and facts during investigations. He is a good counterpart to Kang Sol A, with whom he has the closest relationship with. While they are strongly implied to have romantic feelings for one another, nothing is ever resolved and the drama does not dwell too much into it, something that I am personally grateful for, as I think it would have taken a space that is better utilized elsewhere

Kang Sol B is Kang Sol A’s roommate and like Han Joon Hwi, she is one of the best students. However, while Han Joon Hwi and Kang Sol A share a strong sense of justice, Kang Sol B’s vision of justice is more complex. She is willing to be deceptive and commit illegal actions if it can suit her purposes. Furthermore, she is a far colder and distant character, whose ambition is clear to see. However, she is portrayed in a very sympathetic manner and never becomes a villain or even an antagonist. We are introduced to her familial environment and we get to understand how her family, especially her mother, has shaped the way she is. Throughout the drama, she grows into a friendlier, more balanced person, and slowly breaks free from toxic influences and patterns of thinking, to the point that she has one of the biggest character growth in the drama.

This cast of student is guided by Professor Yang Jong Hoon, who teaches criminal law, and by Professor Kim Eun Sook, who teaches civil law.

Yang Jong Hoon is one of the best teachers I have seen in media and probably one of the best characters in the drama, at the very least one of my favorites. While he is a strict and demanding teacher, he is also incredibly devoted to his work and to his students. His goal, as a teacher, is to push them to mature and to give their absolute best. However, when his students are “attacked”, he is quick to defend them against anything, no matter how powerful the threat may seem. Yang Jong Hoon takes his responsibility as a teacher very seriously, especially as it pertains to his students’ understanding of how the law works and what goals it should aspire to. Like Kang Sol A, he has a strong sense of justice, but his, due to his older age and his experiences of the judicial system, is far more mature. He is aware of how the law can be exploited, where the judicial system fails and how it can be exploited by greedy and powerful people, but is determined to teach his students that they should constantly strive for justice. The speeches he makes while in court, both as a lawyer and as a defendant, are some of my favorite moments of his, where his aspiration for justice shines wonderfully. He can also be quite eccentric, especially when he teaches. One of his best moments is when he brings the court case he is involved with as a murder suspect in class, and asks them to study it. Truly a wonderful moment.

Yang Jong Hoon shares his role as mentor with Professor Kim Eun Sook, who is probably my favorite character and a wonderfully written one. Kim Eun Sook shares Yang Jong Hoon’s sense of justice, but she can be far more cunning than him. She knows how to trick powerful people into doing things that benefit her while not compromising her morals. This aspect of her makes for delightful scenes where she is playing antagonists like fiddles all to benefit her and her students. Kim Eun Sook also displays a deep knowledge of the limitations of the law, especially when it comes to the protection of vulnerable people such as women in abusive relationships for example. She handles situations like this with grace and empathy, determined to protect her “clients” but also well aware that she sometimes needs to think outside the box to get the best results.

While this is a much less important aspect of her character, I strongly appreciate that there is absolutely no romance between her and Professor Yang and that she is played by a middle aged actress with a middle age body, and not by a younger more conventionally beautiful actress.

When it comes to the antagonists, it is difficult to talk about them without spoilers. I will however say that they are well-written and painfully realistic, which adds to the feelings of frustration we and the characters sometimes have when we see them scheme to not face the consequences of their actions. They are meant to show how the law can be exploited by powerful people and how these same people can gain sympathy from the public. The drama does not shy away from showing the damage they can do and how despicable and self-serving these people are. The fact that there are people in this world who are in similar positions and use similar tactics makes them all the more easier to hate.

As I have said before, the second great strength of the show is its themes. Unlike some dramas, TV shows and movies who portray the judicial system in either a cynical or an idealistic way, I would say that Law School depicts the judicial system in an inspirational way. As I have said throughout this review, the drama is not afraid to show the limits of the law, how it can be used to oppress people such as victims and protesters, how it is imperfect and flawed, and how the judicial system can be corrupted by powerful people like politicians for their own self-serving reasons. We see the police fail to investigate a crime properly, being pressured to solve the crime quickly and to put the blame on an innocent man, we see victims being re-traumatized in court, we see people who are fighting to protect innocents being put on trial because of their methods, we see how attorneys can be bought and how they can deceive the jury with rhetorical skills, we even see witnesses and defendants failing to use their rights because no one explained it to them, and thus damaging their cases. We see how the law can be unjust and corrupted and how it can hurt people.

And yet, the drama does not stop there. The drama shows how good and moral people can work to protect people, how they can fight to pass legislation to protect people, how the law can be changed and improved, how it is a work constantly in progress and how it must constantly adapt to new situations and cases. Instead of falling into a cynical pit, the drama uses the fact that the characters are students and teachers to show how future generations can improve a broken system and protect the marginalized and the victims. In today’s world where we are constantly confronted with the failures of our judicial system, this drama reminds us that there is still hope, and I respect it for this message.

I cannot in good faith end this review without talking about one of the most powerful plot line in the drama. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but for those who have not watched the drama or do not want to be spoiled, you can stop now.

CONTENT WARNING : The following will contain references to abusive relationships, sexual assault, recording of sexual intercourse without the parties’ consent, blackmail with a recording of sexual intercourse, and references to the judicial system’s awful treatment of victims of rape and of abusive relationships. Please proceed with caution.

One running plot line from the very beginning of the drama is Jeon Ye Seul’s abusive relationship with her boyfriend, a young man named Ko Young Chang who is the only son of a powerful family. This plot line culminates with him blackmailing her with a recording of him sexually assaulting her, and her seriously injuring him while trying to prevent him from uploading it online.

This is not the first time that law dramas and TV shows have dealt with sexual assault and abusive relationships. In fact, we have a whole spin off of Law&Order specially dedicated to that. However this is by far the most sensitive depiction of this topic I have ever watched.

By spending a respectful amount of time on the portrayal of the abusive relationship itself, the drama shows us how Jeon Ye Seul is pressured into staying in the relationship even as she is harmed both physically and psychologically. It also shows the mentality of the abuser, how he manipulates his victim and finds justification for his actions. When Ko Young Chang ends up injured, Jeon Ye Seul is so broken mentally that she cannot even bring herself to defend herself against his lawsuit, let alone press charges herself. In this moment, the support of her professors is wonderfully depicted, as they refute every justification she brings up in his defense.

“Jeon Ye Seul: It wasn’t an assault. We were in love.

Kim Eun Sook: It’s sexual assault to film you secretly.

Jeon Ye Seul: Please don’t put it like that. How is spending time with someone I love….

Kim Eun Sook: […] The moment you were forced to have intercourse and began to hide signs of assault behind your sunglasses, you couldn’t call it love.”

“Jeon Ye Seul: I know he hurt me, but he’s paying for it already.

Yang Jong Hoon: Let’s get the facts straight. He’s not paying for what he did to you. While committing the crime, an accident happened. It’s his own fault, not yours.”

We are confronted, painfully, with how the judicial system hurts Jeon Ye Seul. How the invasive questions, hypothesis and suspicions re-traumatize her. How Ko Young Chang and his father (a politician) do all they can to hurt her. Yet, her classmates and her professors rally around her and this support eventually gives her the strength to acknowledge the abuse and the rape. The climax of this plot line is a wonderfully written defense of Jeon Ye Seul during her trial, first by herself (the moment she finally expresses her anger gives me chills every time) and then by Professor Yang. The harm he caused her, the pain she endures and the anger she feels are perfectly portrayed and the resolution of the case is a victory for her, but also for future victims who may face the same situation. While it takes her the rest of the drama to fully recover, she ends the drama counseling a woman in an abusive marriage, which is the most perfect resolution I could think of.

I would like to end this review with a quote by Professor Yang, which in my opinion perfectly captures both his perception of this duty as a teacher and the message the drama is trying to convey.

“As a professor who teaches criminal law, I never tell my students that the law is just. What makes the law just are the judges’ decisions based on the presumption of innocence and the law of evidence. That is what I tell my students!”

#law school kdrama #kdrama #letmerantinpeace

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