SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Shin-irang law office" (directed by Shin Jung-hoon, written by Kim Ga-young·Kang Cheol-gyu, produced by Studio S·Mongjakso) proved the value of Yoo Yeon-seok–style "possessed refreshment."
The second episode aired on the 14th posted a 9.2% rating in the Seoul metropolitan area and a peak of 11.3% per minute, breaking into double digits in just two episodes. (Nielsen Korea provided) Also, both the average and the target 2049 ratings ranked first in the same time slot and among all mini-series dramas aired on Friday and Saturday. Beyond an ordinary lawyer, the "possession hard carry" that absorbs the deceased's characteristics exactly as they were earned viewers' approval, announcing the birth of a new hero who continues SBS's lineage of refreshing courtroom works. As thrilling catharsis truly erupts, expectations for his possessed exploits are rapidly rising.
#. "I really hate lawyers who see ghosts." an unwanted new-concept hero is born
Shin-irang (Yoo Yeon-seok) is different in tone from the heroic, justice-driven figures we commonly saw. After repeatedly failing law firm interviews because of the "scarlet letter" engraved by his prosecutor father's "that incident" 10 years ago, he opened his own practice with the ambition, "I will stake my name on building the best law firm."
But the office he rented, "Okcheon Building room 501," had once been a shaman's house, the walls covered with talismans hidden under wallpaper, and after Shin-irang lit an incense burner he found in a desk drawer, he began to see ghosts. Although the persistent deceased who stuck to him was maddening even when he tried to flee in fear, Shin-irang could not ignore the victim's unfair story and performed a painfully funny struggle that even put his own body on the line. This unprecedented character, the "possessed lawyer," born "half by choice, half by force," gave viewers fresh enjoyment and possessed refreshment.
#. From gangsters to high school girls, the "possessed transformation" that changes with the deceased, Yoo Yeon-seok's boundless acting spectrum
From a soft-hearted lawyer to a terrifying gangster spirit possession, Yoo Yeon-seok's limitless acting transformations drove immersion. He delivers thrills with bare-handed action that turned a warehouse into chaos like Asura: The City of Madness, spat out rough dialect and curses with flushed cheeks before he knew it, and after the possession lifted he was embarrassed at the spilled milk. The full-fledged comic performance was Yoo Yeon-seok's first challenge in comedy and a moment that genuinely drew laughter.
It did not remain just comic. He left a lingering impression when he sincerely comforted Lee Ji-woo (Ahn Chae-hum), who blamed herself for her father Lee Kang-pung's (Heo Sung-tae) death, saying, "Your father's death is not your fault," and touched viewers with the reversal of holding on to Lee Kang-pung to tell him to stay to see his daughter grow up. Yoo Yeon-seok's hard carry is only the beginning. According to the stories of various deceased people of all ages to come, he will perform "multi-character" work that embodies their personalities and traits exactly. Starting with the schoolgirl ghost who appeared at the end of episode 2, viewers await which deceased will borrow Shin-irang's body to cry out the truth and Yoo Yeon-seok's limitless transformations that will change moment by moment.
#. "Becoming the lips of the dead." the evolution of SBS's refreshing courtroom drama that clears the unjust
SBS, which received great love for dark-hero characters such as Taxi Driver and The Judge from Hell, this time exploded refreshment with a possessed lawyer. The core of "Shin-irang law office" lies in directly delivering the "voice of the deceased" that can no longer be heard. So it served fitting punishment to criminals who believed they could escape the law.
The production team said, "The dead are silent, so their grievances tend to be buried forever, but Shin-irang becomes their lips and drags the truth out into the world. The core is the process in which Shin-irang, who unwillingly begins to see ghosts, grows into a hero by resolving the deceased's resentments." They added, "Going forward, narratives will follow that refreshingly resolve the grievances of those who, hitting the walls of law and reality, have buried untold circumstances in their hearts, and we are confident it will be a work that continues the lineage of SBS's refreshing courtroom dramas."
SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Shin-irang law office" premieres every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
[Photo] Studio S, Mongjakso
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