ibisfeather

I really enjoyed this as a comfort show while watching it on air. It is not so much a legal show as a group ensemble (i.e. the "slice-of-life" generically weird label); each of the five members of the lunch group of associate lawyers goes through an engrossing character arc. All of them make important life decisions by the end of the show but remain eternal lunch buddies.

The gentle pace of the show had, in retrospective, very little emotional excitement. Soundtrack, musical editing, directing and cinematography contribute so much to the emotional tension and climaxes of any show that I actually think this might have been a choice, and not a successful one. I dont feel as if I should blame the main leads, but very little romantic excitement was generated by their romance, and their dialogue was mediocre.

While the story of the two leads, played by Moon Ga Young and Lee Jong Suk, was somewhat underwhelming on several levels, the personal stories of the three other members of the lunch group, played by the excellent actors Kang You Seok, Ryu Hye Young and Im Sung Jae, were absolutely wonderful. I look forward to watching any show in which any of those 3 actors appear.

I loved the revival of cocktail jazz for much of the soundtrack, the well-done retro-fashion (oh tan suits!), and the very non-sterile street scenes of Seocho-Dong.

Yet when all is done, I would return to watch this only on a rainy day in summer after a really exhausting day of work. Easy watching for the nostalgic.