ysadulset

Pro Bono works best when you watch it as a legal comedy as advertised, not a strict legal procedural. I did, however, raise expectations from the start after learning that the screenwriter used to be a South Korean judge. Knowing that, I found myself paying attention to how the courtroom dynamics were written, especially how Kang Dawit handles cases. However, the drama proves to be fictional. Kang Dawit was written in a way that he doesn’t just argue law and evidence. He reads judges, predicts their leanings, exposes conflicts of interest, and sometimes corners them morally instead of legally. Whether that’s fully realistic or exaggerated for drama, it made the cases feel more layered that needs strategy rather than just technical law jargons, which was something I'm still not sure how to feel about.

On another note, it ended up being exactly the kind of legal comedy drama I was expecting for from a Kyung Ho project. Serious themes, messy systems, and questions on morality, but delivered with teamwork and humor. The comedy helps keep the show from getting too heavy, but it also sometimes undercuts the weight of the cases themselves. There were moments that should have been tackled more seriously but were softened too quickly by the gags.

Kang Dawit is exactly the kind of lead who is hard to like at first, but you'll expect to change. He is loud, egoistic, shamelessly tactical, and very willing to bend process if he believes the outcome is justified. The fall from respected judge to being shoved into a pro bono team he used to look down on is a familiar setup, but his personality keeps it engaging, because lol it's also how he copes. He, however, never turns into a pure idealist. He stays sharp and a little dirty in method, usually matching how dirty his opponents play too.

I’m not a law expert and don’t know Korean legal technicalities, but the storytelling made the conflicts clear enough to track. The cases themselves, anyway, are less about legal complexity and more about moral and social pressure points, just written to fit the pro bono narrative. They supposedly deal with vulnerable groups, abuse of power, exploitation, autonomy, and systemic unfairness. The writing keeps them understandable even if you’re not a law expert. The tradeoff is that a lot of resolutions come from emotional truth and "public accountability" (protecting reputation) and less on airtight courtroom strategy, so nothing really lingers after a case. If you want tight legal procedure, this is not that show. If you want legal stories that push ethical questions and human rights issues into the spotlight, it does bring them forward, though often in a convenient way of writing (dramatized) rather than deeply challenging the system. If I were to point out anything about how they handle cases, I'd say I learned more about how much outcomes depended on phrasing, timing, and reading the judge and prosecution, rather than the statutes. It also does not shy away from showing how power and connections bend outcomes, for both the team and their opposition.

The pro bono team itself is chaotic and I liked them, but they didn't feel like a team until like, the last 3-4 episodes. They can be idealistic to the point of frustration, sometimes preachy, sometimes naive about their privilege inside a giant firm, but I guess I can say that they grow into their roles. I just wish that development came earlier, especially because this is a short drama. Their chemistry that should've become one of the strongest parts of the show was only felt towards the end. The only moment I found worth remembering was when the team learns to use Dawit’s tricks, but it was used against him in court lol. The rest, predictable.

There was ambiguity on some of the characters, but I'll be particular on the Oh Jungin, the ex-girlfriend. She sits in a morally gray space for most of the drama. She's not a clean villain, but she's not a clean ally either. Her choices are driven by ambition, pride, and personal gain, not for either pure good or evil. She was one of the few characters I actually stayed curious about until the end. Thankfully, her presence did more good than harm for the team.

Tone wise, the balance worked for me, but there wasn't anything groundbreaking nor deal breaking. It handles heavy topics but doesn’t stay emotionally suffocating. The humor is frequent and sometimes outright ridiculous, but it fits the exaggerated personalities and power plays. It’s one of those shows where a serious case can somehow sit next to a comedic stunt. I'd question if it feels coherent, but I guess it worked. It is not a drama I'll be missing, however.