'Shin Irang law office' Yoo Yeon-seok is captivating home audiences with a twist of charm that alternates between meticulous intellectual ability and an endearingly clumsy humanity, beyond the bold premise of a "ghost-seeing lawyer."
At the center of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Shin Irang law office' (directed by Shin Jung-hoon, written by Kim Ga-young and Kang Cheol-gyu) is the "spirit-hosted" character Shin Irang (Yoo Yeon-seok). Starting from the premise of suddenly being able to see ghosts, this character has, as the episodes progressed, captivated viewers with a three-dimensional appeal that is more than a simple "possession ability": he is a meticulous brainy lawyer who also possesses a shabby humanity. And this directly reflects in ratings and buzz. The fourth episode, broadcast on the 21st, surged to a nationwide 9.1%, 9.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area, and a peak of 11.3% in the minute ratings, setting a new personal best, while maintaining a high position on Netflix's "Today's Korea TOP 10," dominating both TV and OTT and continuing its upward trajectory.
Before he knew it, Shin Irang had even completed the resentful spirit's grievance for the second deceased, Kim Su-a (Oh Yeju). He desperately hid his ability to see ghosts so his mother Park Kyung-hwa (Kim Mi-kyung) would not worry, but his mother had already noticed her son's changes and quietly supported him from behind. For the Shin Irang who was possessed by Kim Su-a, his mother made a spicy "customized tteokbokki" that high school girls love most, and naturally covered up her son's sudden actions so his sister Shin Sa-rang (Son Yeo-eun) would not find out. The mother's warm love, like a hill you can always lean on even when most frightening, and Shin Irang's clumsy charm, which he believes he has perfectly hidden but in fact is in the palm of his family's hand, serve as viewers' "points of falling for him."
But Shin Irang's real strength is revealed in his "main self," not in possession. He did not rely solely on clues provided by ghosts, but approached the essence of the case with sharp insight and judgment as a lawyer. In a situation where the suspect was suspected to be composer Go Jong-seok (Jung Si-heon), Shin Irang asked Hanna-hyun (Esom), who has access to the agency Glory Entertainment, to check the "audition score sheet." Through this, he narrowed the suspect down to trainee Emma (Cheon Young-min), for whom debut rights could only be obtained if Kim Su-a disappeared, sending chills. It was a deduction based on the fact that the culprit is always the "primary beneficiary." The "sting operation" that induced a confession by deliberately giving her a stun gun with the battery removed showed the pinnacle of brainy Shin Irang.
Also shining was the "on-site play" that used his brother-in-law Yoon Bong-su (Jun Suk-ho). Shin Irang had Yoon Bong-su, who has rich acting experience from countless bit parts, play a detective, and Yoon Bong-su blocked the escape route of Go Jong-seok (Jung Si-heon) who was trying to flee and even clumsily gave the Miranda warning. The fantastic back-and-forth between the brother-in-law and the brother-in-law-to-be delivered both exhilaration and laughter. Above all, Shin Irang's rational side, piercing the essence of the case with "what is scarier than ghosts is human desire," provided a thrilling catharsis.
At the end of episode 4, having accepted the fate of seeing ghosts, Shin Irang calmly introduced himself to the newly arrived dead person by saying, "I am your lawyer, Shin Irang." No longer denying reality, his awakening as a lawyer who resolves the grievances of the dead increased anticipation for future developments.
[Photo] Studio S, Mongjakso provided
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