My Lawyer, Mr. Jo (2016)

If I could describe this show in two words it would be these: "High Energy." One of the defining aspects of this drama is the way the characters never stop moving, both literally and figuratively. From Episode 1 to the triumphant climax, this feeling of energy is almost omnipresent, only occasionally ebbing for a tender or romantic moment here and there.

While it's not without an issue or two, My Lawyer, Mr. Jo is both clean in content and high in entertainment value.

The plot centers around the titular character as he makes a transition from high-powered prosecutor to penniless lawyer. While there is a central conflict that progresses in each episode, the story is told through multiple court cases that connect to one another, which creates multiple emotional climaxes through the course of its 20 episodes. You'll rarely feel like you're just being teased, and the action never feels like it's being prolonged artificially.

There are villains aplenty here as well, and the story structure does a great job of keeping the audience wondering "Who is REALLY the Big Bad here?" Only one villain is a mustache-twirler, but even he has complex motivations and a true story arc.

While one or two of the early dramatic courtroom scenes come off as overdone due to some sloppy editing, you mostly won't see an issue with the storytelling at all. The endings of the episodes are also some of the best I've seen, not so much for their "cliffhanger" status as for their emotional impact and comedy. This is a very well put-together show. Many times, when the End-Of-Episode Musical Glitter thing happens, you'll be completely taken aback.

Unequivocally, though, the biggest strength of this drama is its cast. I can't even take the time to point out the stand-out actors, because they basically all stand out. Just go to the Cast page for this show and look at all the Main Roles and Supporting Roles: you're looking at the stand out actors. There's essentially no "soap opera acting" here. While larger than life, these characters are people, and the writing never leans on the crutch of Sudden And Inexplicable Stupidity in order to create drama, tension, or conflict.
The entire ensemble is a joy to watch, and I'd love to see it be nominated in the "Best Ensemble" category for any 2016 awards.

My Lawyer, Mr. Jo is one of the most fun watches of the year, free from the usual kdrama trappings of either "too serious" or "too silly". It's a clean drama with a ton of heart, energy, and positivity. One of the overlooked gems of 2016.

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I watched this drama because of Park Shin-yang..but I also gained Ryu Soo-young.. *giggling*

This is a light black-satire drama for me. Talking about how injustice has infiltrate the justice system. Talking about establishing the justice and defending the righteousness.

Simple idea converted into a great performance. The cast's acting are great, the cases are interesting too. It turns out that some of them are really happening in reality. A great drama with minimum love-story. I have mistaken couple times in guessing the story line.

One little minus point perhaps about cast plot that haven't been considered well. Kim Dong Jung role and character. His role is kind of useless and there are no progress on his character too.

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