This drama was recommended and as I was open to recommendations, I went in with little knowledge of the story other than a brief summary indicating it would revolve around law. After episode six, I desperately appealed to people who have watched this with one simple question "does this ever get good?" I feel people who don't get the rave reviews asked the same question. The whole drama in general has a feel good lackadaisical aspect about it. The law is poorly done, the characters uninteresting and there is little to cling to. I was told the characters are very compelling. Yet, you have a pretty boy highschooler crashing on his "noona" who helped him like 10 years ago, I'm surprised he remembers her. Unsurprisingly, the "noona" happens to be a pretty lawyer who is hired for no reason at all. She is neither qualified nor has taken her job seriously prior to that point. Then is the innocent lawyer Cha who is actually, the only character I felt any affection towards. The acting though is decent, nothing worth raving about. I've seen them all in different dramas before and the feeling is the same.
The selling point could have been the villain, who is the best actor in this alongside the mom. However, he is such a nonsensical villain who up to episode 10 has no backstory hence rendering anyone who can't tolerate this anymore, disinterested. It starts with him committing a murder which is never explained. He then nonsensically wants to kill the girl/later woman who witnessed his murder and testified against him. What makes even less sense is that no preventative measures are taken by this little girl and her family to prevent any future mishaps. I'm just saying if I testified against someone and they yelled they were going to kill me. I would not only expect witness protection but I would appeal to the government and relocate somewhere! Plus, evidently, you can now burst into a courtroom and just testify.
It would have been great if the villain plotted his revenge well, but it's not that any of his actions are done well. It's that the officers and system is so terribly incompetent that I just don't get it. That is unintentionally incompetent. The drama doesn't portray it so but you find yourself wondering why no one is investigating shit or even finding very blatant evidence that I as a viewer could find...
I honestly have so much more I can write about especially in regards to how incompetent they are as lawyers and what a dumb law system that is that seems to pardon people based on reasoning rather than evidence. My 5 is generous.
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When I read the intro for this drama I liked the whole concept idea for a moment thought it would be a nice twist to the regular K-dramas with a hint of police work (You know something like CSI). But truth be told it was far away from my expectations.
The acting was well done, nice amount of humor, not enough "police feeling" and perhaps too much DRAMA. I don't regret watching it, but I would definitely not watch it again at least in like 20-30 years from now. This could have been completed on a 16 episode series 17 tops. The last one for sure it was a waste of Time.
But... I guess as a drama addict you must face all kind of dramas.
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Charming, solid plotline, cute and intense moments, but lacking in a subtle way.
So, I've always been a fan of older lady-and younger guy love stories. Maybe its because it's unrepresented in Kdramas and maybe I like it because I'm in an age gap relationship myself, but I always like watching dramas with this premis to see how they are going to do them. I found this drama while searching for these type of stories, and after all the glowing reviews and the supernatural element I was super excited going into this.'I Hear Your Voice' is a really good drama and I enjoyed it immensely. But in my humble opinion (which as you can see many disagree with) it could have been better. Why? Maybe my expectations were too high after reading these reviews but... well, my biggest disappointment with this drama is that I feel like the leads lack chemistry. As I watched, I was sold on the male lead loving the female, but I didn't quite get the same intensity from the female lead towards the male. Maybe its because I watched 'A Witch's Romance' just before this drama and their chemistry in that is the best i've seen in a Kdrama EVER-- its hard to top that level of interaction and chemistry and perhaps I went into this a bit spoiled. But in 'I Hear Your Voice' the FL falls in love very subtly, and as such, maybe its too subtle. The ML feelings are immediate and intense, they are a core part of the plot, and at first she isn't on the same page, but when she catches feelings, it seems a bit forced. And while it was nice watching them those feelings play out, I kept hoping they'd have super heart-stopping romantic scenes and they never truly did. I mean yes there are many cute moments between them, but as someone who loves to internally squee at cute scenes, there just wasn't enough for me, and this made me sad. And part of the problem might be that the second male lead is a great match for the female lead too, in terms of personality and chemistry--so it's almost difficult to root for the main male over the second lead at times. In the end, I felt like I wasn't given enough GOOD reasons to want the two leads together, even though Jang Hye Sung seemed to be drawn to Park Soo Ha, I would have liked to feel it from her more intensely. Ultimately she treats him like a child for a lot of it (and he acts like one too sometimes) and I never felt the drama managed to quite break that dynamic for me-- perhaps because Park Soo Ha's actor comes across as so young in this. His inital attraction to the FL starts as a crush when he is a boy, and the drama (in my opinion) never quite shakes this-- He really does seem like a High School Student with a long-lingering crush. Dont get me wrong, the love story is cute AF, but I would have liked to see their love evolve and feel more 'real' and I was disappointed in that respect personally.
Other things I didn't like were just tropey things that plague most dramas-- the 'horror movie' trope where people do stupid stuff instead of running away, taking precautions, etc, are par for the course for kdramas so it was fine, but they did rely on it a bit to advance certain dramatic plot points, which was frustrating. Also some of the courtroom stuff was kinda laughable in the way it was dramatized-- they tried really hard to make the legal stuff seem realistic, but they definitely broke/bent the law in this drama to fit the plot and it is a tiny bit silly at times. That said, the second female lead-- the rival lawyer of the LF was great though, and they do an amazing job of turning her from conceited villainess to a real person with real feelings. And the main villain really shines too--- he is terrifying at times, and is a real highlight of the show. In fact, all the acting of the side characters in this is really solid, and at times they outshine the leads.
The plot itself was very different and rather cool with the supernatural element in it, and the premise itself is where the drama shines. Its very clever and riveting and it makes you sad and mad and all at once. I was stuck on the edge of my seat for a lot of this drama. I was not bored at all and I dont think I fast forwarded unlike I usually do with other dramas. The flashbacks of the female lead are also where this shine, Kim So Hyun does an amazing job as the young version of Jang Hye Sung, and those scenes stood out to me as really memorable.
Over all, it was a pleasant drama with a great premise, intense moments and quite good acting. It's a good first step into noona-type romance kdramas. If you are a fan of that type of kdrama definitely give this one a try! The suspenseful story will keep you hooked for sure. It's not my fave Kdrama but its definitely worth watching.
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Good Drama :)
Story (My key points):- I am not a fan of the first half of this drama. I thought it was pretty slow and it was missing something to keep my attention during the first 8 or so episodes. There were parts I did like though, just not the majority.
- However, the second half did keep my attention for the most part. I loved a lot of the character's interactions! Their struggles with their morals and decisions were great to watch and everyone learned from each other throughout the show.
-The court cases were ok, I was a little disappointed with one of them as I wanted to see the end result but overall they helped to develop the characters :)
- I don't feel strongly about the romantic relationship. I actually shipped the leads with different people for a while because the relationship seemed one-sided. The noona romance ended up being cute but they could have ended up in a sibling/platonic relationship and I wouldn't be bothered. Something wasn't 100% clicking for me so I'm neutral when it comes to the romance.
Acting/Cast- I grew to like almost all the characters in this show (The villain is the main exception haha) The acting was good and funny when needed! Certain moments were kind of awkward but I think they fit the essence of the show. In conclusion, the cast/acting was good :)
Music- The music fit the show well! My favorite song is Why Did You Come Now by Jung Yup <3
Rewatch Value- I typically don't rewatch shows but if I did I probably wouldn't rewatch this one but it's a good drama! Maybe if someone else was watching it for the 1st time I would watch with them but I'm unlikely to on my own.
Even though the 1st half of the show wasn't my favorite, I liked the 2nd half (it was interesting and there was great character development). If you're a fan of any of the actors/actresses I think this drama is worth the watch! Happy watching :)
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THE CHARACTERS
First of all, I did love/hate the characters (that is always a good sign if I hate a character). Jang Hye Sung played very well by Lee Bo Young, well, she was simply repulsive through the first half of the show and then I loved her for the last half. The writers and the actress did a fabulous job fleshing out the somewhat incompetent defense lawyer. From her nasty eating habits to her prickly attitude, she was not boring in the least. She was a perfect foil to the upright forth right outstanding lawyer Cha nicely done by Yoon Sang Hyun and the hot headed but very loyal young Park Soo Ha (Lee Jong Suk – I might have to add him to my oppa list).
The three make for a very interesting and plausible love triangle that did not nauseate me in the least. A whole host of other interesting legal-type characters such as Prosecutor Seo Do Yeon (Lee Da Hee), Defense Lawyer Shin Sang Duk (Yoon Joo Sang), and Judge Kim Kong Sook (Kim Kwang Gyu) plus a few more lawyerly types kept things interesting. A little levity was provided by high school friends played by Park Doo Shik and Kim Ga Eun. All in all, there wasn’t a character that wasn’t nicely written or portrayed in the whole show.
THE STORY
So then, why don’t I give this 10 out of 10? Simply, because it wasn’t funny. It was actually quite scary and sad. We see the murder of parents and the subsequent trials for them. We see a father who was obsessed with always being right….no matter the cost. There is also a case of a false accusation and a mother losing her livelihood because of it, causing the family to be homeless for a time. All of this could be just fine and actually really good, especially the mind reading part if there would just have been a moment of two of humor to alleviate all this trauma……but alas, not ONE joke.
The story is of Park Soo Ha who witnesses Min Joon Kook murdering his father and Jang Hye Sung and Seo Do Yeon also witnessing the murder. The two young women grow up and become lawyers on opposing sides. Park Soo Ha goes to school and spends all his free time practicing martial arts so he can protect Jang Hye Sung who he is eternally grateful to for putting his father’s killer in jail. Years later they meet again and lawyer-ish drama ensues. The older woman/younger man thing is done very nicely….not at all creepy (but I’m a woman and any character played by Lee Jong Suk is just dreamy).
I especially love love love love how the two women (not friends) lawyers learn something about themselves and the law...that is what I really found fun about this show. Interesting women characters are hard to come by and Lee Bo Young and Lee Da Hee were fabulous together....so worth watching just for their performance.
THE MUSIC
The music was not over the top or repetitive, but truth be told, I can’t remember a single song, so it wasn’t very outstanding either. It didn’t hurt the story but I’m not sure if it did anything at all for the story.
CONCLUSION
This is a very well-done lawyer drama that showed a very passionate side to the business of justice. If you like lawyer dramas, then this will definitely entertain you. If you like a scary and manipulative bad guy, then this drama is for you. If you like interesting characters that are well performed, then this show is just perfect for you. If you want a little humor in your drama……well watch it for the lawyer stuff and the cute romance anyway. Then contact me if you can’t find a good drama with humor….those are my favorite types of dramas. I’ve got a list!
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This review may contain spoilers
Top marks for pacing.
It's always great to find a drama that manages to keep all the narrative balls in the air (on a first watch anyway) all the way through 18 episodes. I was hooked from the start, I binged it like a delicious pudding and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has some genuinely original characters and some genuine surprises, it has some excellently meaty moral dilemmas, and I think I might be a little in love with the scriptwriter right now. WELL PLAYED, LADY. Big hearts for you.What might put you off: it's a noona romance and the FL is pretty much a female tsundere, which delighted me, but might not be everyone's cup of tea. The actress did a great job with her though and all the cast were great: the fantastic mom and the baddie deserve special mention. I liked Yoon Sang Hyun a lot in Secret Garden, and he was very likeable in this too. But it gets a 9 and not a 10 because I wasn't 100% sold on the romance. Not sure why exactly: the actors were both good, but maybe their chemistry wasn't quite up to the script? I shall probably watch it again at some point and see how it hits the second time round.
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Story 〆(・∀・＠): The story in itself is nothing incredibly new. It has plenty of similarities to other shows that use the courtroom as an essential factor. What makes this show unique is the super-powered teenager twist as well as all the other memorable characters. In the beginning, the story went exceptionally quickly in the best ways. You feel every episode is progressing and you never get bored. I'd love to give the show a 10 in the story category, but the high-speed plot did have a slow bump in the road that made some of the actions lose their buildup. But it got back on track and ended strongly. All I can say is that the writers made you feel scared, giddy, and emotional for these fictional characters. And for the leading romantic duo, there is quite an age gap, but you won't even care about that after just watching them together for a few episodes. Their chemistry felt so real that the age gap between them will most likely be forgotten anyways.
Acting ｡゜(｀Д')゜｡: The acting is so well-done and believable. The actors really brought it for both emotional and comedic scenes. And as mentioned earlier, the chemistry between the two characters was played out so amazingly by the actors to the point that you'll feel emotion at times you wish you couldn't. Even side characters that didn't give much impact to the plot were acted out amazingly. I genuinely started laughing out loud at times due to one specific group that really added comedic relief.
Music ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ♪: I didn't have much of an opinion on the music. There was never a song that felt off-putting, and everything fit together nicely, but that's just it. There was not a particular song that hit me nor caught my attention. That's not to say the soundtrack was bad, but it's nothing especially new or memorable.
Other (ง°ل͜°)ง: As already said, this show has a lot of moments that take place in the courtroom. Two of the main protagonists are public defense attorneys, and another character is a persecutor, so of course, there's going to be a lot of tension and character building intertwined with the cases. I am not a lawyer, nor do I have any experience in that field, so I can't say if the trials are entirely accurate. What I did feel off was the use of all other law-related jobs. It felt as if the attorneys were doing the investigations with very little help from the police or any other research teams. Another thing was the reuse of characters in trials. All the trails had the same people almost every time. This is mostly done for character development, but don't expect anything 100% accurate.
In the end, I recommend this show! It has a fresh new take on familiar tropes and will make you want to watch it all in one sitting. The story writing, acting, and romance are all done so well, and the ending won't leave you feeling confused or uneasy. If you love romance and mystery with a twist of fantasy, this is the show for you.
Happy watching - <3
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Entertaining show. Not perfectly written but it's beautifully executed
Entertaining show.. Took us with their journey. From a shared traumatic experience to some kind of unrequited love. From hero worship to reality. Then came acceptance followed by unconditional love.The formula of the show was really nothing new but it works well. It has fair amount of intrigue, mystery, crime, paranormal, comedy and of course, romance.
The cast did good and gave their characters justice. Every single time that the ML shed tears, it really tugs at my heart strings. .OST is ok too..
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My Ipdeok Drama
This my first korean drama which i can finished and also introduce me to Lee Jongsuk. I like everything, like literally everything from the story itself that's quite unique, the plot that never feels boring at all, the acting and casts was *chef's kiss* a solid 10. The story really flows so well to the point i can't help but binge watched it.Age gap between the mains didn't bother me at all as long as they create lawfully good chemistry. Which they did!
For the music, i don't remember the music it used so i guess it wasn't memorable or even worth downloading over.
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A decent drama with nice plot
This is my first ever drama with Bo Young and Jong Suk. I enjoyed watchin this.The story developes at a good pace.
Never thought that the director would show all the background connection vetween the characters. But the episodes can be a little shorter, doesn't felt that 18 episodes were needed for this.
Jung Woong-in also played his part quite well.
The romance between the leads developes gradually but as K Drama cliché female lead tries to push away male lead but yeah in the end they all get together.
If you like the leads chemistry then you can watch:-
- W
- Pinnochio
Rewatch value - NOPE.
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I hear your Voice
The rate is 9.5, but since I was gonna remove a star for lack of chemistry, I don't think it matters. Actual chemistry is not something I expect much from KD anymore.The cases were really interesting. Of all the characters, my favorite was Mr Cha. He was deep and human in every possible way. I admired him, and felt for him and even found myself rooting (a bit) for his love. I can never forget him. It didn't bother me to see how miss Jang just didn't care about her clients. I know for a fact that a lot of lawyers are like that. That could be why Mr Cha seemed to be a knight in shining armour.
In fact, I liked all the characters. The friendship between the lawyer and the client he failed to help was really moving.
Of course, the plot was nothing that could happen in real life. So what? This is KD land! They still managed to turn the villain into a victim, isn't that trendy?
Lee Jong Suk was handsome as ever, but what I noticed was his great acting, especially when he grew desperate and mad. The scene with the pay phone is worth seeing.
This show is definitely one of my favorites. Tchuka!
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However, if this drama is one that could weave its magic for you, it would be a gem not easily forgotten, as it was for me. I held off watching this drama for years even although it was considered by some to be the ultimate in Noona romance - a favourite trope of mine - just because I could not stand looking at Lee Jong Seok and not a fan of Yoon Sang Hyun either.
However, Lee Bo Young and Lee Da Hee captivated me, so after coming off from another disappointing drama, I opted to plunge into this classic.
Story:
As a wannabe legal and courtroom drama, it might come off sorely lacking in many aspects, and many-a-times laughable - but with the many miscarriages-of-justice in real life at the back of my mind - I could not fault the show’s at times wide-eyes idealism when it comes to law and its principles (and I was reminded by a different review that Korean law would be very different from laws in other countries, so bear that in mind when we compare the procedural here with what we gleaned from UK/US shows, which were not always accurate either).
At the heart of this show was its sincere believe in the inviolable notions of truth and justice, a theme threaded throughout, as were other more spiritually illuminating lessons, peppered across the the storyline, which in actuality were catalysts for and vehicles of learning and growth for the characters. I also thoroughly appreciated the beats of comedy dotting the story, which had me chuckling each and every time, as ridiculous as they could be sometimes.
The strength of this drama was not its plot - which was overall quite simplistic and straightforward - but its ability to weave in the disparate bits and pieces of each sub-story to build towards a momentum highlighting the relationships and growth of each of the main/secondary characters, while delivering heartfelt messages, a feat in my estimation.The pacing was also gold, with not many sub plots leading us on a merry chase, as most were resolved within an episode or two at most, which meant not too many unnecessary fillers. Even the extensions were put to good use, fleshing out more of the secondary characters and providing skinships for our main OTP.
Characters/Cast:
The drama excelled in its characters and the development arcs for each, whether they were the leads or seconds, even the minor and villainous characters. Solidly competent acting backed up each, though I was wholly impressed by Jung Woong-In (as Min Joon-Gook) and Kim Hae Sook (Hye-Seong’s mother, Eo Choon-Sim), top notch veteran actors who stole the show even with the little screen time they had.
Lee Jong Seok and Yoon Sang Hyun mollified me with the actings chops they brought to their roles, and made their characters wonderfully lovable and engaging. Still, I had to keep myself from covering LJS’s face nearly the whole time I was watching the drama. I got used to his visuals just as the drama ended and rewatched the series for the ‘love story’ afters, since that was after all the original reason for which I watched this drama (a first for me, to rewatch just after completing a drama, and generally not fond of rewatching except for particular scenes).
Lee Bo Young and Lee Da Hee, while not really wowing me with their acting, did so excellently in the roles they were given that they embodied Jang Hye-Seong and Seo Do-Yeon for me, both of whom were amazing female characters I adore.
Lee Bo Young, with her elegant beauty, had my eyes glued to the screen all the time with her wonderful interpretation of Hye-Seong.
Romance:
I won’t actually categorize the romantic relationship for the main pairing here as a romance, as I didn’t feel any romantic vibes while watching. The progress in the relationship was executed organically in a somewhat low-key manner, excepting the constant comfortable domesticity and skinship. What we undoubtedly have, however, was a love story in the true essence of such.
The beginning of the love story began with a courageous choice, and the progress, marked by loyalty, determination, familial love, sacrificial love, comfort, caring, courage, honesty, trust and acceptance. The dynamics of their relationship were such that each spurred the growth and maturity of the other, nudging them to be better people by the end. After all that, why not a romantic and sexual bond too?
While the life-and-death situations in the show gave our couple the adrenaline to bond over, the reciprocated small gestures of care and love, as well as the honest communication shared, that cemented theirs as a relationship and love to stand the test of time and other ravages. (I never imagined that I would be getting a love story after my own heart in a drama, but colour me happily surprised).
Music/OST:
I did not find the tracks or music particularly appealing while I was watching the drama, but they grew to become favourites after the fact. The listening durability of the tracks were high, and am glad I stumbled upon some good singers and bands via the lovely OST.
Overall, am one of those who fell under the spell of IHYV, and felt extremely fortunate because of it. How often does a story and its messages pierce our heart and mind and do not let go even through the passage of time? Not often (in my case), and hence I treasure those moments when such a story comes into my life. This drama shot into my short list of Favourites after a long, long drought, and the emotional and intellectual resonance from it has been extremely satisfying, if nothing else. Truly a gem of a drama.
My rating is an effort to be more ‘objective’ about shows, and while they might be lower in relative to others, it is not a reflection of how I feel or think about the show. I love IHYV and it comes highly recommended, but it is not a 10 and I can’t in good conscience give it that even if my heart tells me otherwise.
It is also in acknowledgement that loving something and considering it “Daebak!” is very subjective, given the many people who could not get into or enjoy IHYV. The good thing is, though, that there are so many wonderful stories and dramas out there that there is one bound to appeal. Enjoy.
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