Image

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.

Image

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.

Throughout this quarantine period, there had been a few Korean dramas that I have watched more than once because I enjoyed the story the first time. One of which is the romantic comedy Touch Your Heart. The show stars Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na who happens to be the second lead couple, Grim Reaper and Sunny in the 2016 Kdrama Goblin.

While I was unable to see them portray their respective roles in Goblin, I decided to give this one a go mainly because I found the trailer interesting. In Touch Your Heart, Yoo In-na plays as an actress named Oh Yoon-seo. After being involved in a drug scandal, she hopes to redeem her top star status by making a comeback as a female lead in another drama. But to do so, she must first get some work experience by serving as a legal secretary at a law firm. It is there she meets the workaholic and aloof lawyer, Kwon Jung-rok. Just when she's firm with just acquiring some field experience for her role, love unexpectedly blooms between her and her immediate boss.

I must say that I could somewhat relate to the plot of the story especially with Yoo In-na's role as a legal secretary as I also ventured in the same career before going into this unexpected hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than just a glimpse of life inside the confines of a court, the law practice, and reuniting with legal jargon, what made me enjoy watching this drama was the element of romance (of course). But specifically, I liked how the show was able to convey the concept of office romance between two people from obviously different social status in such a delightful way. I confess, there were moments when I have to lock the door of my bedroom because I was squealing in giddy delight whenever there are kilig moments involving the two characters.

But the show is not just all about all that lovey-dovey stuff. It also included some elements of suspense and conflict especially the ones that involved evidence gathering during those crime-solving scenarios. This rom-com also showed some of the pros and cons, the ups and downs that are part of romantic relationships, and how vital compromise is for a couple to sail through the rough patch and make a relationship work. 

The episode ends with Yoon-seo making a successful comeback and finally deciding to make her relationship with Kwon Jung-rok known to the public. While the ending of Touch Your Heart is simple and not as fireworks-worthy as I hoped it would, I must say it was still worth watching. 

I would recommend it to friends who are after feel-good, lighthearted Kdramas to binge-watch on Friday nights. Who knows they might end up wanting to have someone like Kwon Jung-rok in their lives after finishing the series, as in #SanaAll.  

When I was still a newbie to Korean dramas checking out for recommendations, my former colleague Anna strongly suggested that I watch She Was Pretty. She was confident that it was one show that I will enjoy watching. A month into the enhanced community quarantine, the show was one of the titles I would patiently download but would take me two more months to watch. While it was another show that starred Park Seo Joon (the same guy from my second favorite Kdrama, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim), I was a bit unfamiliar with this one despite it has been aired in Philippine TV back in 2015. I was more familiar with his other hit, Fight for My Way.

She Was Pretty is the story of childhood friends Kim Hye-jin (Hwang Jung-eum) and Ji Sung-joon (Park Seo-joon). Hye-jin, was once a beautiful teenager from a rich family while Sung-joon used to be a boy with low self-esteem due to his chubby physique. After 15 years of separation, and a reversal of physical attributes and fortune they would meet again as adults. But this time, Hye jin's family had gone bankrupt, her dad runs a home-based printing business and the physical changes of puberty had taken its toll on her. On the other hand, Sung joon returns, no longer as the shy, chubby boy but as a handsome and successful editor. Hye-jin ends up working with Sung-joon for a fictional magazine, The Most. And while Hye jin is aware that the good-looking deputy editor, Sung-joon was the chubby boy she was friends with since childhood, he, on the other hand, has no idea that the clumsy intern he often berates and mistreats was the same beautiful girl he was searching for. 

Anna convinced me to watch this drama and even said that this is better than Fight for My Way. And now that I've seen it, I can say that she was right. There's the right balance of romance, drama, and comedy in the series. My tummy was already aching from laughing out loud from the second episode onwards. There are no blood-curdling villain characters in the story. The only "conflict" I found was Go Joon-hee's character as Min Ha-ri, the best friend who pretended to be Hye-jin just because the latter was embarrassed to reveal her present identity to the guy who is also her first love.