One Dollar Lawyer

Zany, then a flood of depressing flashbacks , then boring with lots of product placement

The longer my review, the more you can tell how sincerely I wanted to love a drama ! Also, my apologies, I have no idea why this isn't rated lower.[I suspect it's due to what else I was watching at the time or had just finished that made this look so much better}
This did surprised me as I was not expecting much & I knew going in that there is NO romance (spoiler at end about this), and I was looking for something to Not get invested in. This turned into a pleasant interesting surprise, UNTIL it became depressing, bland & boring for a good many episodes. The product placements of spicy chicken with noodles & starbucks coffee were sprinkled throughout, & sort of broke the 4th wall at times, but it didn't bother me too much as the first 7 or 8 episodes were a bit frenetic, zany & quirky anyway. Besides, it gave the camera a reason to pause & focus on the male lead-as if to say : you're welcome. I was really enjoying the series with the cases/clients until they started a really deep dive into the past with multi episode flash backs & that's were the fun & my interest waned. When we are whipped back into present there is a used car scam that is more tedious than comedic & it takes up way too much screen time. From then on things get serious & boring, with Time skips (the trope I'd like most to see die!) By the time they are resolved, you are annoyed with the male lead, & the flow of the story has been damaged . It's awkward picking it up again . Ironically, even the characters express our frustration. if you could skip about 4 episodes, you might actually like this a whole lot more.

End was "happy" (?) well they bounced back to being perky again the way the series started, but it felt like there would be a season 2.
*****Spoilers**********


Episodes with Male lead's fiancé (that dies) - the flashbacks of them getting to the point of being engaged were bland & I think I can honestly say that the doomed girl was just as shocked as were were when the male lead proposed! It was a very low key relationship & it felt like we were not supposed to get invested in it. (on a scale of chocolate over romance- chocolate wins in this case!) I thought that the male lead wore dark sunglasses because they were his fiancé's & so it kept her "near" him. when he gives them to the Female lead,(in the present) it was significant as to his feeling toward her (budding romance ?), YET they have zero chemistry & nothing is ever implied . Some parts at the end seemed Pieced together badly. That the female lead's grandfather actually wasn't significantly involved in all the nefarious stuff going on, seemed like they made a quick plot change. When the male lead decides not to have him be a suspect he looks into, it really seems like it's solely because he's the female lead's grandfather. Even the "blurb" clip of the male lead having a short conversation with the grandfather didn't convince me of the grandfather's innocence.
I was annoyed that they did nothing with the dim wit prosecutor (who was interested in Female lead), as it seemed like he should end up with his colleague (who was a single mother)

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An easy watch

This series has vibes from The Fiery Priest and Diary of a Prosecutor with a lower plot grade, but still worthwhile for those days when you just need something easy but entertaining to watch.

Expect a steady flow of over-dramatization with a soft current of serious undertones and lots of fun. They did a great job with presenting the main points of the plot despite it being less than realistic. It should be appreciated that this balance is quite hard to accomplish. The main characters had great charisma with one another and the personalities of the supporting cast is not always predictable.

I do wish they beefed up more character developments which may have helped with the plot flow. But nevertheless, this is one of those series that isn't meant to be over analyzed. Just kick back and enjoy the ride.

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SPOILER WARNING

p/s: i dont know if this considered as a spoiler or not. overall, i do like this drama. even the intro is unique for me. i also love the way they explained each scene so the audience didn't wonder and sense of the plot hanging. but the reason i gave 9/10 to story is because i wish they make the throwback about CJH past is shorter. I mean it took more than 1 and half episode to talk about his past. last, i do feel a little bit dissatisfactions when realize CJH cannot moved on from his past until the end. i mean, can't the writer just make some love line between him and baek mari. well, if not why not just make love line between baek mari and seo min-hyeok. but overall i do love this story. (p/s: don't judge me)😂

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Enjoyable drama!

Smaken är som baken, delad!

If you enjoyed ...
Good manager (2017) (Same male Main Role as here)
Partners of justice (2018)
Stranger (2017)
… I would say you enjoy this show as well 😊

There is no romance becides background story.

Enjoyable relaxing easygoing crime investigation lawyer drama for when you dont want anything heavy to watch! Its centered around male main character trying to resolve the murder of his wife in the past, while working at their law firm as a lawyer with the help of two others. Because the show was changed from 16 ep to 12, and 4 ep is just about background story, it feelt little bit rushed in the end.

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Uhhhh finally finished this show and it was so much fun. I started this all the way back in April and never continued buuuuut I'm watching >My Dearest< right now, and waiting for new episodes every week is excruciating to say the least. Therefore, I decided to pick up this show again since it also stars Namkoong Min and what can I say: This man is a gem on screen. This show as a silly little treat to be honest, and I did not expect to cry at all ... but I did lmao. His backstory is quite sad but I really liked the way they introduced it to us. I loved the fashion in this show as well as the acting, it was over the top but very fitting and I loved the chemistry between everyone! I also loved Lee Je Hoon's little cameo with the >Taxi Driver< OST haha! Can't wait to see Namkoong Min in season 2 of that show since he made a cameo there - bless their friendship. The last couple of episodes were really good even though I found the one where Mu Jang got scammed a bit *too* goofy, it served much more as a plot device but to be honest it was still super funny and the show made me genuinely laugh out loud many times.

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From brilliant to...whatever!

What a rollercoaster ride! Unfortunately NOT in a good way!

This drama went from comedy to tragedy to mystery to crime to whatever! I am a difficult customer for comedy: I cannot stand the slapstick and humiliation kind of it. But here it is smart and clever banter between the characters. The opening credits are brilliant: it looks like an anime! Perfect!

It is a story of a quirky lawyer charging only 1000 wons (or 1 dollar) for his services. Baek Mari joins him as a probationary lawyer and for about 6 episodes they solve different cases using their smarts and humour. And this half of the drama is brilliant! The relationship between the three leads is cracking fun as they go around bickering and trying to get their clients off the hook. Perfect comic timing for the trio!
And then the drama takes a 180° turn and for the next three episodes, it is a completely different drama involving: rotten politicians, creepy chaebols, weak prosecutors and a lot of corruption and death. Here we find out the lawyer's story, who he is and why is he working for only 1000 wons. This part is so often seen in makjang dramas, family secrets and righteous hero trying to fight the windmills like Don Quichotte: and it is sad and serious. And sadly so predictable!
The drama then manages to combine the comedy with the revenge plot for the last three episodes managing barely to keep it in balance but never attaining the brilliance the first half of the series was. Because instead of the lawyers fighting for the little men we get lawyers watching as the rich fight each other. It ends with the corniest of cringy speeches you can imagine!

Namgoong Min as the lawyer Chun Jihun, was appropriately funny or serious or lovey dovey or fighting as need be. There are a lot of references to his other dramas which is fun, so pay attention to see if you notice those easter eggs! Kim Ji Eun was perfect as a high class, heiress lawyer who realizes there is more to life and law than her rich corporate clients. Her relationships with her grandfather and mother are so sweet and cute. She is the character who changes the most as she works with the lawyer and sees the change the law can bring. They are helped by a sort of a office manager/drycleaner serving as a balance between the two.
The support characters were varied: from the bad guys obviously bad to law office landlady and her friends to clients. I would like to mention two prosecutors friends to both lawyers. Seo Minhyuk is Mari's childhood friend who wants to marry her because his father told him to. So I thought we were getting another rich creep. Fortunately that is not the case: he is kind and smart and loyal and righteous. And he has a great relationship with his boss, Na Yejin (far a moment I thought something was going to develop between them but nothing!). She is an experienced prosecutor knowing how to balance well her own boss's demands and the need for in depth investigation. What did not sit well with me was that she, apparently a friend of Jihoon's, tells Mari his story. I was expecting more discretion from a lawyer.

This is a very colourful drama: it being a comedy it is understandable. The costumes, the cinematography is day shots, the music: everything is full of energy and joy. Things completely change for the next three episodes when everything is dark and ominous: black suits, night shots, sinister music. Then everything changes again....it is like this drama does not know what it wants to be! Unfortunately! If I remember correctly, the drama was shortened by 4 episodes and towards the end it was visible: at the end of episode 11 I wondered how they were going to wrap everything up in one episode. They actually did that rather well.

And if you are looking for romance, it is not here you will find it. Which is a shame because the two bickering lawyer have great chemistry. Nevertheless it is still a fun watch, just be aware you might be disappointed a bit.

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One Dollar Lawyer REVIEW

I honestly had a great time watching all 12 episodes of this drama. It has given me multiple great laughs and lessons about why it's named "One Dollar Lawyer". I liked all the acting, story, and plot twists while watching this drama and have never regretted watching it til the end. It is very good since it includes suspension until the next episode and I loved how it randomly became deeper in some episodes. It honestly is a funny and thrilling drama that I HIGHLY recommend to other drama lovers. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS AFTER SCHOOL ENDS OR DURING SCHOOL BREAKS TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE STORY GIVEN IN THIS DRAMA.

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it had SO MUCH potential to become one of my 10/10 dramas...

Started watching this because of Namgoong MIn, and I REALLY looked forward to this so much. It's a law drama, it has comedy, and Namgoong Min is in it. What could go wrong, right? Haha... Yeah of course it just had to go wrong. I mean, overall it's pretty good, BUT.... it might have to do with the fact that they cut off TWO episodes and made this a 12 episode drama instead of 14 episodes... It just felt wrong tbh... They literally showed the supposed big bad of the story in episode 11, had a one year time skip (of course, it was needed to the story ig..) but idk it just felt SO rushed... Tbh even at first I was so confused when ppl said it had 14 episodes, it felt a little short, but okay fine.... But then they cut it to 12.... It really feels like a lot is missing to the story...

Additional complaint, I feel like they really wasted Seo Minhyuk's character. In the animated intro, they showed Cheon Jihun and Seo Minhyuk against each other in the court and I REALLY looked forward to it. Seeing the dynamics of Cheon Jihun and Seo Minhyuk's character, finding that they're actually best friends instead of rivals, it was really underwhelming. I loved Jihun and Minhyuk's friendship and thankful for their little scenes together, but it just felt like something's missing and kinda disappointing.... Idk maybe that's just me...

But overall, it's pretty fun to watch, I had a good laugh and some pretty good tears too. I really wanted this to be added to one of my 10/10 dramas but things happen and it didn't sadly, but it was a nice watch!!

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Another Show Dropped into The Same Mistakes

Ok, I'm so disappointed to write this. This show is about Cheon Ji Hun, an ex-prosecutor attorney trying to win difficult cases using unusual methods. The beginning of the show is really promising, anyone could be easily attracted to it. Each case is a complete set with a great backstory and resolution. Ji Hun ocassionally pulls unique methods to solve them and it will makes you impressed. Namkoong Min shows a great talent here, playing as an eccentric attorney. The element of comedy is also great here, thanks to him and Choi Dae Hoon as the SML.

While the earlier episodes are excellent, the writer looks confuse while writing the second part of the show, especially after Ji Hun's backstory. The vibe of the show drastically changes. It becomes more emotional and overly unrealistic. The plot about Ji Hun disappearing for one year annoys me a lot. It is stupid, uneccesary and doesn't make any sense. How come does Ji Hun disappear after confronting with Cha Min Chul? As a serial killer it's more possible for him to kill Ji Hun, given a free timespan of 1 year! The disappearance also impacts to almost nothing but "fresher mind". After this incident, the vibe also changes into more makjang-superheroish. Thanks to this storyline, we have been left out some story hanging: Sa Mu Jang's backstory as the first client (he says Ji Hun helps him a lot, in what?), Ma Ri and Min Hyuk loveline, and even the presence of Min Hyuk's father looks unimpactful. Ji Hun is later elected as the Special Attorney, but they doesn't even bother to show the trial at all. The epilogue at the island is, again, unecessary as it doesn't help to bring closure (or even make the audience conclude a closure).

Again, the bad scriptwriting takes toll on Kim Ji Eun's character. I thought she will do something big when Ji Hun disappears, but somehow the writer only makes her wait helplessly. What a waste of a talent.

The soundtrack is quite great in this show, but somehow I feel it's overplayed. This show is still recommended to watch and even to rewatch, especially for the comedy and the great cases, although the ending is not favourable at all.

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A drama that has a little of everything from found families, slight romance, court proceedings, murder mystery, and comedy. The beginning starts out light and towards the middle gets dark with the plot, but I would recommend this to anyone that likes procedural dramas or anything to do with being a lawyer. The main plots are murder mystery and a lot of flashbacks, so definitely keep that in mind when beginning to watch. The cast were perfectly chosen and I loved the chemistry between the three leads a ton.

-- Spoilers Below --

Chun Ji Hoon is a charismatic lawyer who provides his services for only 1$ to anyone for anything. The drama delves deep into his past and what took place before the timeline of the show. His past heavily involves a woman named Lee Joo Young. She was a light in his life that helped him open up as he fell in love. She was also a lawyer who began the practice and the 1$ amount. Joo Young wanted to provide her services to anyone regardless of how much she would get paid and that stuck with Ji Hoon. This all comes to a crashing halt when Ji Hoon finds Joo Young stabbed on the train and she ends up dying. He is devastated by this and begins his own practice in the same office hers was in to continue her dream. This backstory explains his eccentric personality and also tells that he wears his sunglasses to hide the pain in his eyes. During the drama, he once again opens up to Ma Ri, his new student attorney. I loved watching their relationship build and how much they genuinely cared for each other. Towards the end as the drama comes to a close, Ji Hoon realizes that he harbors a deep anger and hatred within himself and needed to get away and realize why he actually became a lawyer and started his practice the way he did. This is the one part in the show that I did have a problem with... He leaves without saying a word, going to France for a year. He leaves Ma Ri and Mu Jang with short letters giving no good explanation. When he comes back they are obviously angry, but ready to help him with anything and everything as always.

Ma Ri was my favorite character in the drama. Her confident and sassy attitude made her character stand out amongst the cast of men, and I loved watching every scene that she was in. Her actress does such a great job of captivating you. She begins working as a lawyer at her grandfather's firm, but has her interest peaked and joins Ji Hoon's practice. There she is struck by his personality and confused by the overall purpose of the 1$ practice, but learns and absorbs everything she can. She finds Joo Young's picture in the office, hidden behind files, and puts everything together. Her and Mu Jang want to help Ji Hoon find her killer and get her justice. They always have his back and would do anything to help him be happy. After everything comes to a close and Ji Hoon leaves, Ma Ri is heartbroken. She hides this herself with the glasses he gave her before he disappeared, and begins working and becoming a great lawyer at her grandfather's firm. The scene with her and Na Ye Jin at the bar and her reading his actual letter to her had me in tears and I wish that we could've gotten a more meaningful moment between just the two of them after. (I really kinda shipped them even though he is older and they were going through the whole Joo young thing, oops)

-- End of Spoilers --

Aside from him leaving unexpectedly, I loved this drama even though it was short. It fit in a lot of amazing characters and just enough to get you to love each of them. One thing I loved especially was that a lot of the side characters were also my favorites or I just wanted to see more of.. i.e. Na Ye Jin. I marked it an 8.5 for those reasons and just that I don't think it would be that rewatchable after knowing the huge mystery.

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Worth watching once.

[ ] Story / plot:
Fairly simple plot but well executed. 12 episodes were perfect and is a good blend of everything. The pacing is steady and there is progress with every episode. There is some back story, but that too was executed well. No cheesy romance but great comedy that never went overboard. The episodes end at cliffhangers, so it keeps you wanting to watch the next episode, which is a good thing for a completed drama. Also I think it's developed from a manhwa, so might wanna check that out as well.

[ ] Character development:
Pretty decent I'd say. The story revolves around the main lead, so only his story got the most attention. The others were all support, but the characters never felt underdeveloped.

[ ] Soundtracks:
Didn't find anything to my taste.

[ ] Acting:
Above average overall. The main lead trio do a very good job. The rest, are manageable.

[ ] Likes: The plot / story and the comedy which is on point most of the time.

[ ] Dislikes: Endinf might have been a bit rushed and the villain didn't leave much of an impact. Lack of good soundtracks.

[ ] Rating: 7/10, worth a one time watch.

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