My unexpected fondness for Korean dramas was one of the effects that the COVID19 pandemic brought me. Since February of this year, I have seen a number of Kdramas of different genres which were from the advice of peers from my former office; some of which became personal favorites while there are also a number of titles I can recommend to friends who just started joining the Kdrama hype. Incidentally, I am closing this year with a heartwarming rom-com, Shopping King Louie.

In Shopping King Louie, Seo In-guk plays Kang Ji-Sung, who also goes by the nickname Louie, the heir of a chaebol chairman who resorts to online shopping as a means to divert his emotions from loneliness. After a plot to kill him causes him to develop temporary amnesia, he ends up in the care of Ko Bok-shil (portrayed by Nam Ji-hyun), a poor but kindhearted bumpkin who, despite growing up in the countryside and acquiring limited education, adapts well to challenges and situations associated with city life.

Prior to watching the show, I have read a few reactions online saying that Shopping King Louie is fun to watch. Well, I must admit that the comments of strangers did not disappoint. Next to teaching me a thing or two about the wonders of eCommerce and how online shopping influenced our lives, watching this drama at some point made me think about what it means to be truly happy. It made me recall a part of the lecture from an online course of Yale University called The Science of Well Being which I took at the height of the COVID19 lockdown. The course lecturer, Professor Laurie Santos stated a fact: “we live in a culture whose economy relies on us wanting awesome stuff (in order to be happy)”. She even raised an advice that rather than investing in material things, we should focus more on investing in experiences because it is less susceptible to social comparison. 

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Suspicious Partner was just a random pick when I went through the downloaded dramas on my device a few weeks back. I was hesitant to watch it at first because the series seem too lengthy given that it has 40 episodes . But I still decided to give it a go because of its legal genre.

A Kdrama from 2017, Suspicious Partner tells the story of aspiring lawyer Eun Bong-hee (played by Nam Ji-hyun), who meets stern prosecutor turned private lawyer Noh Ji-wook (played by Ji Chang-wook). After a not-so-favorable first impression during a rush-hour commute in a subway train, Bong-hee and Ji-wook's paths cross again when she becomes an intern in the Sunho District Prosecutor's Office -- the same office where Ji-wook works as a prosecutor. What happens when Bong Hee becomes accused of allegedly murdering her cheating ex-boyfriend and she gets prosecuted by her immediate boss is just the start of the crime-solving events that involved a number of theories, people and clues in order to catch the real culprit and prove one person's innocence. 

I must admit that the main reason why I  chose to watch this drama is primarily because of my curiosity about Ji Chang-wook. I have only known him to be a celebrity endorser of the Filipino clothing brand Bench (and has been used to seeing his face daily in one of the boutique's branches in a mall near my former office) but I only decided to watch his Kdramas just now. And while worrying about my patience easily getting burned down given that the drama has 40 episodes, I must say that this one was worth all the puyat and my patience.

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Compared to her previous role in another Kdrama that I saw months back, 100 Days My Prince, I enjoyed watching Nam Ji-hyun play the role of Eun Bong-hee in Suspicious Partner. From her being a prosecutor's intern to how she fought and struggled to prove her innocence  to redeem herself (with the help of Ji-wook) and eventually regain her rightful role of a full-fledged lawyer. And speaking of redemption, there was another scene in the drama that involved an event in the past related to the lives of the two main characters that I would confess, tugged a space in my heart.  

Given that the story has the element of legal drama, I was able to relate to the flow of the story. I guess my previous job being in the legal profession was also helpful. Next to just realizing that prosecutors could also be crush-worthy persons of authority, the show pushed my mind to ask thought-provoking questions (mostly who, why, and what) and even make assumptions just to challenge if what I was thinking about the scenario was right. Another thing that made this show interesting (at least for me) was it tackled another query I've once had in mind. A "what if" that, as shown in the story, happens to be one of the biggest dilemmas for those in the practice of law -- what if the one you acquitted was indeed guilty and that the one you convicted was really innocent. And while I was provided with an answer, it showed me that the search for truth, as well as the act of proving someone's innocence or guilt could be a complicated, exhausting process.

The presence of supporting characters in the form of Noh Ji-wook's colleagues also provided a good balance of comedy in the story. And while there's also an angle of a past love in the show, you won't find the character of Kwon Na-ra as the prosecutor ex-girlfriend intimidating compared to how exes are portrayed in other Kdramas.

It also gave me a glimpse and an answer to one long withstanding silly question that I've always had even when I was still an employee: how two lawyers (or those in the legal profession) go through romantic arguments and quarrels. But this show won't be complete as a rom-com drama without the romantic scenes between Prosecutor Noh and Attorney Eun. Talk about getting some dose of endorphins to counter all those stressful scenes that involved some crimes discussed during the whole series. I didn't even recognize the age gap between these two characters because they were able to execute the role of a couple so well. The ending to their story was simple yet, I still found it satisfying.

If you're asking me if I would recommend this show to friends for their binge-watching sessions, despite that this might be a lengthy one, I would say yes. If you're looking for some feel-good legal rom-com to watch, try adding Suspicious Partner to your list. Take it from me, you'd get just the right mix of laughter, a bit of drama, an ample amount of suspense, and some dose of kilig from this show.