Law School - Full Review
Welcome to Law School -Full Review. A murder at an elite law school gives the students the opportunity to practice their legal skills in a real crime case. If you haven't watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Law School
♥ Aired: April 14 - June 14, 2021
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Netflix
♥Genre: Legal Crime Drama
♥Starring: Kim Bum and Ryu Hye Young
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The Story
Students and teachers at an elite law school get a front row seat to try justice when a teacher is killed on campus and one of their own is the prime suspect. Now they must put aside all their own opinions and biases if the truth is to prevail. Working as a team, they quickly learn that things are seldom exactly what they seem and everyone has a secret to hide. All of things they studied will be put the test as learning meets practical use in the fight to make sure an innocent person doesn't take the blame for someone else's wrongdoing.
The Leads
Kim Myung Min as Yang Jong Hoon
Yang Jong Hoon is a strict, no-nonsense law professor at an elite law school. As a former prosecutor, he has has managed to make a lot of enemies, including Seo Byung Joo, who is also a former prosecutor. Professor Yang and Byung Joo worked together closely until Byung Joo got then-prosecutor Yang fired to cover up his own criminal actions. So, when Byung Hoon suddenly turns up dead in his office on campus, Professor Yang is a natural suspect. He is arrested and there is just enough circumstantial evidence to make him look guilty. Luckily for him, he has some amazing students who are willing to lay everything on the line to make sure that an innocent man doesn't take the blame for a crime he didn't commit.
Professor Yang is careful and deliberate in all he does. For him life is just like the puzzles he likes to complete in his free time; every piece fits somewhere if you take your time and work with it. In the beginning, Professor Yang doesn't seem like a very likeable character, but with time we learn that his aloofness is an attempt to hide his true heart, which really cares about those he teaches. What he really wants most is to to see his students succeed, both for their own sake and the sake of the system they will represent. Kim Myung Min is great in this role. He portrays the polished role with finesse, while still managing to hint at just a bit of parental tough love.
Kim Bum as Han Joon Hwi
Han Joon Hwi is the nephew of Seo Byung Joo, the murdered professor. As a law student at the school where his uncle and Jong Hoon teach, he finds himself quickly pulled into the middle of the case and even allows enough suspicion to make himself a suspect early on. As a star pupil who never believes that Joon Hoon is guilty, Joon Hwi puts all of his skills and connections to the test as he works with his classmates to discover the truth.
Han Joon Hwi is smart and even-tempered. He is also handsome and a natural leader, which has helped make him a very successful law student. To insure that he doesn't receive any special treatment, he keeps the fact that Seo Byung Joo is his uncle a secret from even his closest classmates, until the murder brings it all out in the open. Although he is a strong student who excels well on his own, he puts together a study group to help the other students in his class and to make friends. In the beginning, Joon Hwi does come across as cold and arrogant, much like his role model, Professor Yang. This is great because it really leaves the audience wondering who we are supposed to trust in all this, and that keeps the mystery interesting. Kim Bum is making a name for himself these days playing enigmatic roles like this that leave us guessing if he is good or evel. That wicked glint in his eyes gives us just enough pause to wonder if we are being conned by his flawless charm. I love him taking on such complex roles and making them work.
Ryu Hye Young as Kang Sol (A)/Kang Dan
Kang Sol A is a student from a poor family who attends school on scholarship. When she was a high school student, she was accused of school bullying and met Professor Yang, who was the prosecutor in charge of the case. Because of being unfairly accused, Sol A becomes determined to be a lawyer. Sol A is especially close to Joon Hwi and attends his study group. There is obvious romantic chemistry there, but it never goes any farther that that. She and Joon Hwi take the lead in Professor Yang's case and as she investigates, Sol A finds out that her twin sister, who mysteriously moved away to the US several years ago, may play an important role in finding a motive to Byung Joo's murder.
Sol A is hard-working and driven. Her sister, Dan was the smart one in the family who always wanted to be a lawyer, but when Dan picked up suddenly and moved to the US without any explanation to her family, Sol A uses Dan's study materials to try it herself. Because of this, Sol A isn't confident in her abilities and never really believes she deserves to be there. But that also gives her the determination to study around the clock and push herself to the breaking point to succeed. Ryu Hye Young is perfect for this role of the quirky, slightly frantic student with an unexplainable charm that makes her endearing. When you see Joon Hwi smile at her indulgingly you totally get where he's coming from.
Supporting Characters
Lee Jung Eun as Kim Eun Sook
Kim Eun Sook is another law professor who teaches at the school. She is the teacher with heart, who takes on the boring subject of civil law and tries to make it fun and exciting for her students. She is also the only colleague that Professor Yang can really confide in and trust.
Lee Soo Kyung as Kang Sol (B)
Kang Sol B's also has a family connection among school administration that she keeps secret. Her dad is the Vice Dean. From a wealthy family of judges, Sol B's mother has spent her whole life pushing Sol B to be the best law student, even when that meant submitting plagerized work. But after years of being pushed to the brink, Sol B may be a the end of her rope.
Lee David as Seo Ji Ho
Seo Ji Ho is another law student who is Joon Hwi's roommate. Like everyone else in this group, Seo Ji Ho has a secret in his past. Seo Ji Ho's father was framed for selling dangerous toys in his company, that resulted in the death of some children. His father's guilt caused him to kill himself. But Ji Ho finds out that Byung Joo, who was the prosecutor at the time, was actually the one responsible for framing his father. Now he wants to expose the truth and clear his father's name.
Things I Liked
♥ Lots of Backstories
Though it may have left us wanting more about certain characters, "Law School" gives us a large group of diverse students who all get a decent amount of screen time. Male and female characters are equally represented and supporting characters are allowed their own chances to shine and grow. I really loved that they didn't just focus on the lead characters and how the supporting characters interacted with them. Each character had their own story to tell.
♥ Powerful Message
Professor Yang's lasting message in "Law School" is that the law itself is neither good or bad, it's the people who represent it that give it direction. As a teacher, he is determined to produce students who will become just lawyers who aim to protect the legal system and all those who struggle because of it. Of course, greed and self-interest can sneak in on even those with the best intentions, but it is a noble goal and a worthwhile endeavor anyway.
♥ Not Simple Stereotypes
It's common, especially in school dramas, for the characters to become very stereotypical and one-dimensional; this one is the rich one, or the smart one, or the funny one. But "Law School" created complex characters who were realistic and represented by more than one personality trait. This also allowed for an element of mystery as we got to know each one, because it was never obvious whether the character was good or evil, and in many cases, once you knew them better, you found they were neither black or white, but some hazy shade of gray.
Things I Didn't Like
Cheating
I felt like Seung Jae's cheating storyline was a bit far-fetched. For an institution that obviously takes their exams very seriously, the idea that one student could repeatedly break into various teacher's laptop just doesn't make sense. Really, even the first time, no matter how much shock she is in, I can't see Professor Kim just handing a student her computer and password when she knows the test is inside. But then to turn around and get Professor Yang's computer as well was really just too much. It was an interesting twist to his character, which I appreciated, but not very realistic.
Not Really About Murder
"Law School" is one of those funny dramas that starts out as a murder crime story but then the murder gets solved and it moves on to the bigger picture. In the end, Byung Joo's death wasn't really that important to the theme of the show. The focus is really Assemblyman Ko and the corrupt prosecutors who covered for his many crimes. It's a classic case of the bait and switch, which isn't necessarily bad. It keeps the plot from becoming too predictable. But it is funny when what was supposed to be the main mystery gets solved before the end of the show.
Sol A and Dan
Erica Shin's character was a weird one for me. Having Sol A have a mysterious twin sister was a fun twist, and having her involved in a scandal with Assemblyman Ko was interesting, if not a bit too convenient. But the way that Erica just ran away and broke all contact with her family was extreme. It would have been nice to see some kind of resolution to their family story, at least. Instead, Erica leaves Korea again without even taking the time to meet with her twin privately. It's not like her family did anything to her and they really didn't deserve to be treated with such disrespect.
The Ending
"Law School" does a nice job of trying to tie up all the loose threads for the many plots and sub-plots they have introduced. Our team of teachers and students finally gets their revenge on Assemblyman Ko and he is arrested and put in jail. It was a little disappointing that all of his underlings walked away to continue their shady dealings, but you can't take them all down at once, I guess. And in case you think Prosecutor Jin has changed, he is already trying to make a deal with Ji Ho over his father's case. Luckily, Ji Ho isn't interested in settling for anthing less than full justice. The final mock trials happen, with Ji Ho, Bok Gi, and Ye Bum winning their round. Sol A, Sol B, and Joon Hwi, technically lose, although their loss is caused by a penalty that proves their integrity is more important than the victory. So that's actually a win! The whole group gets together to celebrate all they have achieved. After a small time jump, we are back to see Sol A and Joon Hwi using their degrees to help an elderly man with his legal troubles. Ye Seul is providing legal counseling for victims of sexual and domestic abuse. And Sol B and her parents are receiving some much-needed counseling of their own. Seung Jae has asked for the maximum amount of punishment for his crimes, so it is possible that he may spend some time in prison, although we don't see what actually happens with his case. The show ends with Sol A, Joon Hwi, and Professor Yang meeting in the school entryway, with the statue of Justice looming in the background, as the trio powerwalks down the hallway. It seems like this team will be together for a long time to come.
Should I Watch
"Law School" is a suspenseful murder mystery told through the eyes of a group of law students who work together to investigate the case. As with many law dramas, "Law School" can get overwhelming with all the lingo and indepth dialogue, so it's not an easy, fast watch. Also, because many characters have their own sub-plots, there are a lot of storylines to keep track of and many of the stories are complex and confusing. The drama doesn't even include romance in the list of genres it might be considered, so don't watch this expecting a romantic love story. But what "Law School" does do is present an interesting story full of unpredictable twists and turns that will keep you on your toes and engaged. The cast is amazing and character development isn't isolated to only the main roles. I found it smart, insighful, and intriguing. I give "Law School" a 8 out of 10 ramen.
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Please someone to tell me what kind of laptops Kang Sol uses. Please, I searched everywhere and I don’t get it.😩