Namkoong Min is a brilliant actor.
Namkoong Min might just win Baeksang this year for his extraordinary performance in acting. The first episode is a bit slow. So give it some time. The drama takes a wild turn from the first one. It gets better and better. This is because the drama has a new vibe to it. Something you have never felt before. The best episodes are the ones where the past of Cheon Jihoon(Namkoong Min) is revealed. My goodness, one of the best acting performances I have ever seen. To be honest, I didn't like Namkoong Min before. I am wondering now why? Now, he is one of my most favourite actors. Consider the fact that I watched Stove League before. The drama is light and fun, but the past stories make it way better than expected. The drama has a new type of storytelling, new type of fun, camera angles, dialogue. Everything is fresh. Cannot compare it with any dramas. That's what makes it unique. The jokes are on point. The team of three is astonishing. Kim Ji Eun and Park Jin-woo did well too. Lee Chung Ha, Choi Dae Hoon and Gong Min Jeong did great. Such a great story. The past of Cheon really makes you to think twice. And this is is because Namkoong Min nailed that part. Absolutely nailed it. One of the best acting performances I have seen in my 350 kdrama watching.Plot: Attorney Cheon Jihoon takes 1$ per case. At first he looks extremely experienced in the court field. He was a prosecutor before who left to become attorney. Baek Mari loses to Cheon in a case and her father sends her to attorney as a probationary employee. Baek Mari works under Cheon and learns the excruciating past of Cheon which deals with pain all over the body. She comes to know why Cheon left prosecution and became attorney. Cheon works rigourously to get the criminals who caused his past miseries.
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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)😂Was this review helpful to you?
I'm here for the free food.
One Dollar Lawyer is pretty good. It's got unique cases, some memorable characters and NAM GOONG MIN.I love these types of shows where he's a hero who investigates some corrupt element present in his world… The thing is that ODL allowed NGM to be both a serious investigator and the funniest man on earth all at once. This show is super funny, I couldn't predict everything that would happen so it might surprise you. Definitely a fun watch. Great for passing time between fantasizing about a reality where bad people actually get punishment.
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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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It could be better, but it works
I can't explain how much I enjoyed this drama and every single episode. It's a comedy that knows exactly when to hold back the jokes and when to exaggerate them. I laughed in every episode, and while I expected some drama and angst, I never thought it would get this deep or meaningful. It's true that the shift in the middle of the drama feels somewhat drastic, because they rushed the story, but I think they handled it quite well. Every character shines in their own way, and the chemistry between the leads is insane, it's literally the reason this drama works so well. I highly recommend it if you just want to have a good time and laugh because, in my opinion, it's totally worth it.Was this review helpful to you?
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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.Was this review helpful to you?
Heartbreak
The heartbreak that comes with finding a gem of a drama only for its last two episodes to end up being so rushed and bland... it was a terrible ending ngl. The issue is the first ten eps were SOOOO good so i cant even hate it i really enjoyed the chemistry and plot and the acting was *chefs kiss*It was going so well 🥲 i dont regret watching it tho, the humour was amazing also, im just so sad it had to end the way it did :(
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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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