Shin's Project

Justice is a dish served with chicken

There's no doubt about Shin's Project being one of the best and most underrated kdramas this year. I started it because of its comedic and unique premise but I ended up gaining much more than that.

First and foremost, I'd like to praise the writers for bringing up such a clever script on the table. A story about a former negotiator who is the owner of a chicken restaurant and who fights injustice? Count me in! I became invested in Shin and his team from the get-go, the plot was so refreshing and the setting was shown to deliver what was expected.

The first half of the drama focused on different individual cases which Shin, Philip and Sion had to solve while the second half focused more on the case about Shin's son. The drama remained consistent, there were no boring episodes and every case contributed in the development of the story and the characters.

It was mildly amusing watching Shin negotiating with all of these people or even manipulating them in order to triumph against the ones who had wronged the victims. His philosophy regarding justice appeared to be peculiar on the surface but once you got to know his character, you'd understand where it derived from. Each case was handled in a different way, I wasn't able to predict Shin's next move and the procession of his plan was always fascinating to observe.

Shin's Projects handled the themes about justice and corruption wery well. Even though this is a fictional work, every case felt painfully relevant. Unfortunately, there are many vicious people who take advantage of others and who are not afraid to go to great lengths in order to gain power. The law cannot always ensure the protection of the victims, nor punish their perpetrators. So when law fails to provide justice, what's left to do? To what extent is it ethical to take matters into our own hands and seek justice for ourselves? These are some of the questions that are raised while watching the drama and while it's not easy to answer them, one thing was certain: no matter what, Shin would do the job.

It was so refreshing to see Shin and the rest of the characters work as a team to help those in need. As someone who is fed up with all the corruption and injustice that takes place every day, watching them handle the cases and bring some comfort to the people gave me so much satisfaction. For one hour, I was able to relax and just observe Shin doing his job, without having to worry about his attempt being jeopardized.

But event hough it was nice to see Shin handling all these cases, the main point of the series is not that we need more "Shins" in our world. What needs to happen is to establish a system which will not favour those with power against common folks. Measures must be taken in order for lawyers to be diligent and help the victims in the best way possible. While that's a difficult task, small steps can bring us closer to a society that will be rightful. Yes, it would be nice if we had more people like Shin, people who are not afraid to call out those who abuse their power and who are determined to bring justice. But what we actually need is a rightful system so there would be no need for more "Shins".

Aside from these cases, the plot also resolves around Shin's son's death and who orchestrated it. Slowly but steadily, the setting is established in order to fully unveil this story. It was very exciting to try and guess the motives behind this murder and why the culprit did it. The writers handled this part very well, they didn't let it overshadow the other incidents and when it was time to bring light into this murder, it was done with caution.

Shin's Project blended many genres in such a clever way. Comedy and mystery are the strongest ones of course but there were some moments that added more emotional depth. The scenes about Shin mourning his son never failed to bring tears to my eyes, especially during the eleventh episode. There were always some funny parts to elevate the mood but they never diminished the cases, nor disregarded the victims' feelings. Everything was balanced and done with care and I must applaud the writers for shifting between the genres so effortlessly. Not to mention that the drama made me carve some chicken, hehe.

While I'm not a huge romance fan, especially when it comes to romance subplots in non-romance dramas, Philip and Sion's developing chemistry was cute. Philip was literally besotted by her and his reactions were always so funny to see, he was literally a lovesick puppy. The writers did a good job to show their developing feelings, they had some nice interactions and it felt natural for them to grow closer. It helped that both actors had good chemistry together.

The characterisation was another great aspect that made me love the drama. I'll start with Shin since he's one of the most complex characters in a kdrama this year. On the surface, Shin appeared to be carefree, always with a smile plastered on his face and always ready to help others. From the very first scene, we see how much empathy he holds for people who have been wronged and that he always helps without seeking fame or recognition. But the more we get to know him, the more we realise how much pain he holds inside him. He is a mourning father who blames himself for his son's death. The sick irony of saving Madame Ju's daughter while being unable to save his own son made me so much sad. Obviously Shin wouldn't be able to do something sooner. But he's drowning in his own guilt and he is desperate to atone by making sure that no other people will experience the same type of pain.

This was my first Han Suk Kyu project and it's needless to say that I couldn't have chosen a better drama to get introduced to him. He embodied so many different emotions and he literally transformed into Shin. Happiness, sadness, anger, determination, he displayed every aspect of Shin's personality so naturally. I loved the way he used his face (especially his eyes) to convey Shin's thoughts and feelings and his subtle maneuvers in some scenes added more depth to Shin's character. They couldn't have chosen a better actor, he made me warm up to Shin and feel close to him from the very first moment (dare I say the poster?) and he owned the role.

Philip, the lawyer who got appointed to work with Shin in his restaurant, was another well-written character, who underwent the biggest development too. At first, he was bewildered at having to work at a chicken restaurant instead of an actual law office or something related to his studies. I had a blast with his reactions and inner commentary but at the same time, I admired the fact that he was still willing to work with Shin instead of giving up.

The writers did a great job showcasing his inner conflict regarding what he knew about law and Shin's philosophy for justice. As a law student, Philip believed that justice could be served only through law. But the more he worked with Shin, the more he realised how easy it was to manipulate the law and how corrupted the system is. He questioned Shin's methods, which defied his perceptive of what it's "legal" but at the same time, he came to understand that sometimes it's necessary to jump into unorthodox methods in order to serve justice. I beamed seeing how far Philip came, he learned so much under Shin and he applied that in his cases.

Bae Hyun Jung was great in this role, he was charming, funny and loveable. He never came across as awkward or unconvincing while portraying Philip's embarrassment or awkwardness. He made the character so entertaining and he nailed Philip's softness. It goes without saying that he food is an actor whose works I want to watch more.

As for the third member of the main trio, Si On was a joy to watch. Fierce and yet so kind and caring towards the people she cared about. I adored her bond with Shin and how much she cared about him. Her relationship with Philip was very charming as I mentioned above, her teasing was fun to watch. Lee Ree was great as Si On, she delivered precisely what was required and she was great to see. I discovered that she started as a child actor so I'm looking forward to see more of her future projects.

From the very first episodes, the chemistry between Shin, Philip and Si On was undeniable. It's very important to establish the dynamics between the characters from early on and the writers passed with flying colors. I immediately became attached to the characters and their precious bond. I am a sucker for the found family trope and Shin's Project did not disappoint. Watching them work together as a team was very interesting and fun but I lived for the domestic moments when they showcased their deep love and gratitude towards each other. They had each other's back and that was so lovely to see.

The rest of the cast was equally great, every single actor nailed their role, no matter how big or small it was. Kim Sung Oh was great as Detective Choi, he portrayed Choi's guilt over Shin's son's death very well and I was looking forward to his scenes. Jung Eun Pyo as Kim Su Dong was so fun to watch, I liked how Shin trusted him and how much he cared for Shin in return. The villains were great, everyone nailed their role and made me hate them so much. And I want to give a special nod to Choi Dae Hoon, who made a guest appearance on episode 9. He ate up his 10 minutes of screen time.

There were some flaws that prevented me from rating Shin's Project higher. As much as I enjoyed Philip and Si On, I think that their characters could have been utilized even more. After a while, the romance subplot seemed to consume them, I do not complain but it was as if they couldn't exist outside of it. I wish we had seen more interactions between Si On and her family, to grasp even better the sacrifices she had to make and it would have also been nice if we had seen more of Philip's inner turmoil. Another minor setback was that sometimes, the story was less engaging, of course it held my attention but there were times when my interest was kinda low. Additionally, sometimes the comedy was a hit or miss and the final episode felt anticlimactic and drugged but overall, nothing was too bad in order to spoil my overall impression for this drama.

In conclusion, I had an amazing time watching Shin's Project. Itreally felt like a warm hug and it gave me hope for a better society, where people will look out after each other and justice will prevail no matter what. It had its bittersweet and comedic moments, nice mystery and stellar acting. I will miss these characters so much!

Read More

Grief Won't Be Healed, Until Justice Comes.

A law, mystery, and comedy drama. Following a man who has mysterious identity, every step he took always leading him into a new case. Bro is a nonchalant, but everytime he walks, a bunch of cases get through behind him. Different cases he took, some looks simple, and some looks miserable.

Those little dot tighten up and guide him into a big one that so called "have distroyed" his life for at least 15 years long. One by one was unveiled. A man by a man gathered and banding up with him to be a new team. A team of unserious people, but somehow their chemistri was unbeatable.

If you love a series with typically 'protagonist always won' and heavily weight on plot armor, you might love this. Also, the witty jokes that hilarious, never failed to make me laugh while watching it. Never be a bored. The storyline was on track and neat. I love the pace that seems fit for me, not too fast nor a sluggish.

Shot out to casting director, the kids character have similar looks like the adult one. Also, their acting was good. Not forget to mention, the performance of Han Seokkyu as Shin Jay, oh he's amazing, every project he did was always nailed. I love how he build the Shin Jay's character, looks like he is born to be Shin Jay. His attitude, his mimic, even his stare were on point.

Anyway, the cinematography, lighting, and every visual aspect were good enough. Honestly, I barely focus on the visual or sound aspect, because I've been hooked since the very first sequence. Ths story was indeed profound. So, I don't care enough about the technical aspect. Blessed my taste of story, to be honest.

Okay, this one was honestly profound by its screenplay and the acting of heroine. Also, the witty comedy that never exaggerate and fit with my taste. It's been a while since I'm this excited with a Kdrama. Honestly, this drama was success to bring me back on Kdramaland, I'm back from my kdrama-slump y'all!

Read More