Heracin

Far from a regular rom-com, this cozzy drama is foremost a slice-of-life ensemble series featuring quite tedious legal cases. If the romance felt very underwhelming, I was impressed by how they established and further developed the frienships and professional relationships. I also liked the approach taken regarding the different cases : rather than focusing on big thrills in court, they really showed the hefty background research work and preparation done to defend their clients. I loved the huge amount of time dedicated to watching the 5 lawyers eat delicious meals and speak about very mundane things.

The acting was solid overall but the romantic chemistry felt lacking between Lee Jong Suk and Mun Ka Young. They also hold less interesting roles than Kang You Seok, Ryu Hye Young and Im Sung who each had very interesting and compelling storylines in comparison to them. Their romantic relationship definitely felt more like an afterthought than anything else.

The drama esthetics was also a very strong point and compelling aspect of the series. Like the storytelling, it was quite subdue all in sepia/greyish tones showcasing the dull and tiring office life while still having a lot of mouthwatering foods shoots and enjoyable bits of OST forming a cohesive picture.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a legal slice-of-life series. It never felt boring to me, but it is clearly a series that might not be for everyone given its anticlimactic pacing. If you want ultra dynamic trials or swoony romance, this will likely not be very satisfying and even feel pretty slow because the series takes its time. But if you enjoy relationships build up and characters growth, as well as heartfelt friendships, this could be worth a try.