Prosecutor Princess (2010)

Recently, I was under the impression that I had finished watching all the good and best rom coms. I had totally forgotten about this drama that I wanted to watch for so long. Now that it's over I realized that it is one of the best ones I have seen till now.

Most romantic comedies are poorly written- with cliche characters, cheesy romance, lots of angst, little to no character development and just unbelievable makjang. Okay, I do enjoy that stuff but I say this drama doesn't fall into any of those categories. It's definitely one of the best-written romance dramas I know of. It's fresh and unique.

What sets this drama apart from the rest of the dramas in its pool is that it's funny, fresh, mature and original. Even though it does have lots of cliches in it, it presents them in a way that's quite different.

Ma Hye Ri is one of the very few strong, cool kdrama heroines. She's smart, naive and also has the right amount of vulnerability. What I loved about her was how she grew till the end. Her character did test my patience a lot of times but I was quite happy with her by the end. There were some unbelievable things about her too but that was a given since this is a kdrama after all! I think the actress did a fabulous job portraying her and had it been any bad actress I would have hated Ma Hye Ri's character. Also, her character is quite different not as pathetic as so many drama females. Thanks to the writer for that.

Seo In Woo makes it to the list of my favorite Korean guys ever. He was just SO COOL. He's one of the best written male protagonists ever from any rom-com drama in existence. He was pure perfection for me because he was different! He isn't a jerk, doesn't harass the female, is always there to support her and also has the tragic past we all want our male leads to have. His character had a lot of struggle with himself and between what he wanted to do and what had to be done. Park Shi Hoo gave quite a memorable performance. He made me fall in love with Seo In Woo completely. His handsome looks and charm also had him at an advantage. :D

Yun Se Jun aka our second male lead is also a likable character. He wasn't as pathetic or as perfect as second leads usually are. I also like the actor who played the role. He was cool and till maybe ep 5 or so I totally shipped him with Ma Hye Ri.

Jin Jung Sun aka the second female lead was also very nice, mature and easy to like. This is such a rare thing to come across nice second female leads. She's probably one of my favorite second leads ever too. :)

Apart from that I love how this drama stays faithful to its title 'Prosecutor Princess'. Their cases were written well and kept me interested. This drama didn't drag as much as most dramas do and I believe it's a great thing. The ending was cute too.

I also liked its soundtrack. The songs became a bit repetitive towards the end, but I liked the background scores in most scenes. The cinematography was nice too. All the scenes shot under the sakura and in the parks looked amazing.

This is probably is and will remain as one of my favorite Korean dramas.

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I was pleasantly surprised by this drama, I saw that the rating was lowish and the description for it didn't read like something I'd watch, but now I'd place it easily in my top ten dramas!

The story had me hooked from the beginning, it's sort of a surprising drama and builds up the suspense. It starts out as very easy to watch with little plot but the plot just thickens and thickens, keeping me interested. My only gripe with the story is that I feel there should have been some more happy moments in the end because it seemed like it went from happy happy happy to angst angst angst angst and happy. As with all dramas the end seems rushed, but I didn't notice any major plot holes and I caught myself laughing when things went against recognised tropes.

I love Park Shi Hoo and really wanted to see his acting again, I wasn't looking forward to Kim So Yeon after her performance in falling for innocence. Now I realise she just played a really rigid ajumma role because her acting was amazing in this drama, like completely different people.

The music was bad, they only played a couple of songs which drove me nuts and I swear it sounded quite distorted, but I don't know if that was my internet connection or shoddy editing.

Overall this drama was a pleasant surprise that kept me thoroughly hooked and entertained. I enjoyed the build up and the plot and the acting was superb! I'd recommend this for anyone who loves Park Shi Hoo or justice dramas, don't doubt the plot like I did, it is amazing!

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Don’t judge it by the first one or two episodes (or by the main character’s personality)

So underrated.
Hang on. Every episode get better and more interesting than the one before it.

In general, I don’t know or care much about character development, but this drama has one of the best ones.
I was slightly annoyed by Kim So Yeon's character at first, but upon second look she was a breath of fresh air, and the character really becomes better.
Park Shi Hoo has got a killer smile!
The leads are amazing, and so are their dynamics. I LOVE THEM

The instrumental OST is by Oh Joon Sung and it's really good. The songs will grow over you. And you’ll find yourself having unexpected feelings for the drama, in comparison to the ones you started it with.
I am someone who gets heavily influenced by the impression a drama gives me at first. but this drama makes up for any disappointments or bad expectations.

(I actually started this drama many years ago, watched half, and completed it now. And I love the first episodes more than the first time.)
I loved this drama. It's so beautiful to watch. The story was good, ending was good, the leads were good, music was good, all good in a K-drama way. It came close to heart.

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Viewers prosecuted

Usually, you would expect AT LEAST from the pilot first episode, some kind of "urgency" to give the viewers the motivation to look after a TV Show or drama. But there is nothing like this in this pitiful drama, only saved by the acting and actors, which are by the way incredibly effective to make the characters as unlikeable as possible (not their fault, I think it's all part of something supposedly called a "scenario" which is missing here). But that alone can't hide the previously mentionned invisible scenario, rhythmed by the worst piece of occidentally cloned music I've ever heard (and given that the original occidental piece is already horrible, that's not helping). Believe me, the music alone get me wondering why I was struggling to continue watching this drama till it ends, painfully.

Maybe it's all part of the project, with some kind of high level dark humor, but in this case, it's totally missing its point.

Ah right, I almost forgot : humor. Sometimes, the drama intends to look like a comedy, with bad jokes and grotesque effort to make us laugh, all included.

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Prosecutor Princess is a breeze to watch with its zippy and addictive pacing - which, luckily for us, never draws to a slow crawl during its third act (like most romantic comedies will inevitably do). The romantic story line keeps you on your toes, for a good 8 episodes, as the drama never really establishes *who* our main guy is: will she fall for the heroic Prosecutor Yoon who is still mourning over is dead wife, or the nice and funny - but mysterious,and ever-so-slightly creepy - Lawyer Seo? Who knows? (OK, the poster knows ). The legal stuff is fun to watch, but the main mystery, whilst interesting at first, is too much of a tease. Trust me when I tell you that you’ll be yelling at your screen every time you see Mysterious Nice Guy Lawyer Seo and his BFF Jenny Ahn talking about their mysterious plans. It’s so frustrating when the audience isn’t omniscient and you get characters talking in code, and the big revelation doesn’t occur until the 11th (or was it 12th?) episode! By the time it was revealed, I wasn’t too interested in the matter as well.

However, where Prosecutor Princess lacks in its plot, it makes up for with its rich array of characters. Our leading lady Ma Hye Ri - played by the delightful Kim So Yeon - starts off as a book-smart and trusting self-centred, selfish, uncaring and vain woman who matures into one of both book intelligence and life intelligence. She learns how to understand people better which allows her to become a much more capable Prosecutor because whilst she knew the law like the back of her hand, she applied it in an inflexible and unsympathetic manner - only looking at the evidence, not the truth. I guess in that regard, the main plot does very well, because it develops her and leads her to look for the truth behind the mystery (which she wouldn’t have been able to do in the first five episodes).

Of course, her growth comes with the help of Lawyer Seo (Park Shi Hoo) who mentors her - from the side lines - whilst also being a friend that she really needs. He’s arguably the most complex and intricate characters of them all. Granted, he’s a bit of a stalker with a hidden agenda (and the drama really makes a point of that, and not in that “aw, cute” way). Like Hye Ri, he’s got childlike innocence in him - although it has been somewhat scarred. I feel like my words aren’t doing his character enough justice, but Park Shi Hoo hits the nail on the head with his performance of a multi-faceted Lawyer Seo who struggles to reconcile his true feelings with his desire for justice.

The supporting cast are well fleshed out too. We have our second main leads, Prosecutor Yoon and Prosecutor Jin, who aren’t your typical K-Drama second main leads that are desperately attempting to vie for the attention of the main girl/guy or the second main girl/guy. Jin is refreshing: she’s cute and kind, but she’s also incredibly shy and feels insecure about the feelings she harbors for Prosecutor Yoon. Whilst she initially reprimands Hye Ri for her air-head ways, they come to form this cute hoobae/sunbae relationship that allows both characters to rub off on one another. The two Prosecutors also serve up some nice little breathers when PP starts getting angst-y and intense. I shouldn’t forget to mention our third female lead - Lawyer Jenny Ahn - who is Lawyer Seo’s female bestie. She’s a bit of a frosty bitch, but that’s probably because she sees everything from an objective stand point and just wants to get the job done. I didn’t feel that she was romantically interested in Lawyer Seo, but that she maintained the desire to keep her best friend on the track he initially started on before everything became one big botched up mess because of ‘feelings’ (which I don’t think she really understands). She thinks with the mind of an Attorney out for justice and petty things such as ‘love’ hinders that said justice. You simply cannot hate her, though, because whilst she’s harsh (and at times I royal bitch), she’s always right and she’s usually just being a bitch when she’s pissed that secrets are being kept from her by Lawyer Seo when she’s meant to be his right-hand (wo)man.

The shows charm is the main couple though. Even if, at first, you aren’t entirely sure who she’ll end up with, Lawyer Seo and Ma Hye Ri have brilliant chemistry and nuance. You *want* this couple to get together. The writer doesn’t employ constant angst and bickering to strengthen the pair’s relationship (any bickering is purely playful), but instead has them help each other. They have a mutual understanding of one another and know one another’s true qualities. Whilst Hye Ri can’t read Seo like he can read her (due to his omniscient presence) she feels a sincerity behind his words and trusts him. Another great thing about this pairing is that you never feel that one side is putting in more love than they other: there are no power games at play here. The love equal, on both sides, which allows for the two to help each other grow and develop as people. It might seem like Lawyer Seo is pulling all the strings in the grand scheme of things, but that certainly isn’t the case when it comes to love these two share. They’re fun as friends, but they’re even more special as a couple.

I praise the ending for being one of resolution and closure, but I do condemn it for having a run-up that includes the favourite K-Drama trope of noble idiocy. Thankfully, the noble idiocy didn’t last long and was gone in the space of 30 minutes; however, I would have preferred for it to have never occurred entirely (because noble idiocy makes two appearances in two different contexts, in order to give the couple some sort of “hurdle” they need to climb over together or whatever it is).

To conclude, it is the noble idiocy and thinly spread out mystery that prevents PP from getting an objective 8 from me. But in my heart of hearts, it’s probably my favourite rom-com (so far).

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2010/SBS

I had actually watched part of the first episode a while ago, but gave up on it halfway. I just couldn't stand Ma Hye-ri's (female lead portrayed by Kim So-Yeon) character and her style. After having completed Scent of a Woman though I decided that I should perhaps give Prosecutor another shot, since I had not been exceptionally patient the first time. Patience though, is what is required in order to enjoy this drama.

The script itself is actually quite an interesting concept, but I would expect more from the team that also produced and directed Shining Inheritence. Prosecutor's story simply takes too long to unravel and it's not until halfway into the the 16 episodes that the actual plot is revealed. In my opinion, too many episodes are used to draw the background for the story. It is nice to pay attention to the supporting cast and a side stories, but if that means the main plot keeps being delayed, then something went wrong. Now, the side stories were interesting and shows that the director does care for more than just the lead actors and the main story line. Especially the developments between prosecutors Yun Se-Jun and Jin Jung-Sun, but also the legal cases that were handled by Ma Hye-ri were for the former entertaining and cute, and for the latter serious enough to give the drama some substance.

The main story arc was unfortunately a little disappointing compared to how well the supporting characters and plots were developed. The feelings between Ma Hye-ri and Seo In-Woo (male lead Park Si-Hoo) seem unnatural and forced, which is ironic considering the key to beginning of their relationship was the fact that it was forced, intentional and with ulterior motives to begin with. I missed the chemistry between Ma Hye-ri and Seo In-Woo and despite the fact that I thought the chemistry between Ma Hye-ri and Yun Se-Jun was better, after all it was better that it turned out this way. While the chemistry may have been missing, the fact that it didn't turn into just another predictable drama does deserve credit. For a few episodes, I had honestly thought Ma Hye-ri and Yun Se-Jun would somehow end up together. I was confused about who the actual male lead was supposed to be as well, but over time it became more clear. Unfortunately, with a rather slow start there was a rather slow ending as well. Well before the last episode it was quite clear that Ma Hye-ri and Seo In-Woo would eventually end up happy, but it took too long before this actually took place. It would have been better if this drama either had handled the main story arc differently or simply cut down on the amount of episodes. For the way in which this script was handled, 16 was simply too many.

On to the cast then. Among the supporting cast, there are plenty of familiar faces. Another one of our eternal comic reliefs Kim Sang-Ho (from City Hunter) and the butler from Shining Inheritance Lee Seung-Hyeong both do there job to keep this drama lighthearted, not that this was necessary or anything. The all too familiar father and businessman Choi Jeong-Woo (City Hunter, 49 Days, Shining Inheritance) is present as well, perfectly cast for this role. The secondary leads Han Jeong-Su (as Prosecutor Yun Se-Jun) and Choi Song-Hyeon (as Prosecutor Jin Jung-Sun) both lead me to look into their projects and dramas and I look forward to see more of them. I am also quite surprised by Kim So-Yeon's performance of Ma Hye-ri. After having seen IRIS very recently I have to commend her for being able to portray two characters that are so dramatically different. Without knowing, one could easily be tricked into believing that these two were different people. Her portrayal of Ma Hye-ri was adequate and entertaining, but not exceptionally notable. Park Si-Hoo's performance disappointed me a little. He didn't seem to be a very good match to the character he was supposed to portray and while labeling him as a miscast may go a little too far, the lack of chemistry between his character and Ma Hye-ri is a substantial issue. I have yet to see another drama that features him, but Il Ji-Mae is on my list somewhere, perhaps that will work out better. A last mention to the poor Min Yeong-Won, who keeps getting cast as the best friend (or one of the mean girls in Boys Over Flowers). I really hope she gets a bigger role soon, she deserves it.
The production comes across as better than Shining Inheritance, but that is helped a lot by Ma Hye-ri's character but is important in order to establish her character in the beginning of the drama. The soundtrack was a mix between the absolutely detestable Fly High from SHINee and the touching Goodbye My Princess by Monday Kiz. Not one of my favorite OSTs, but not the worst either.

Overall, this drama does enough to keep the viewers' interest, the ones that stayed along for the ride past the first few episodes anyway. The cast and side stories help to hide the fact that the pace is rather slow and the main story arc a little shallow. This drama ends up to be alright, but there are plenty of better ones out there.

6/10

http://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/mou1w/prosecutor_princess??_????_2010sbs_demands/

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Prosecutor Princess was actually the 3rd Drama (and K-drama at that!) that I had ever watched. When I picked it out I wanted to watch something with a strong female lead, plenty of romcom, and an interesting plot.

However, within the first episode I realized the lead was not what I had been sold on. She was dumb. And despite the description of the show saying how smart she was, I didn't think so. Maybe test smarts, but not the stuff that counts. As in worldly and can actually care about something outside of her own appearance. Towards the end of the show she definitely started showing some of the "smarts" that I wish could have flavored the show right from the beginning. For the majority of the show she's obsessed with her looks, and others, and is basically an air head. She was beyond annoying. It only added to my frustration as more and more characters saying how smart she is.

Now for the interesting plot. Oh, it was . . . in fact things got really . . . crazy. Which I loved! It's this crazy first love, new love, coming of age, fat to skinny, revenge, and mystery drama all rolled into one! The coming of age part is what took me by surprise since I had thought the leading lady was supposed to be older . . . and again more worldly. It was this craziness that kept me glued to my seat long after I realized I wanted to strangle the lead.

There were a number of aspects of Prosecutor Princess that I loved! However, the main character annoyed me for too long. She doesn't become real enough until the end of the show, and I know I could never-ever-ever rewatch this drama. It's one I wouldn't go out of my way to tell others to watch either. The positives are it made me laugh, gave me a few ahhhhh moments, and when it was good I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

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This is the first K-Drama that I've completed that I wish I would've skipped. I was tempted to stop watching after the first few episodes, mainly because of the annoying main character, but I listened to posts that claimed that it would eventually get much better. Though the story started to unfold into a somewhat interesting revenge mystery, the main character's actions continued to annoy me up until episode 15. Her transformation took too long for me, and I had no sympathy for her at all, even in the fat suit.

I watched this drama without any excitement, sometimes taking two days to watch one episode, and it was a struggle to complete all 16 episodes. The only entertaining thing about this drama was Park Shi Hoo, who played charming and mysterious very well. Once he left the screen, I was no longer interested in what was happening. Some of the supporting cast were decent, but the 2nd male romantic lead was a complete bore. Eventually a secondary romance started to unfold, and it was extremely hard not to fast forward through their scenes. They should have made the drama shorter instead.

I gave the music a low score, because I often found it distracting, and at times out of place. During a somber moment, having someone belt out "GoodBYEEEE my princess", or listening to the korean version of "oops, i did it again", didn't really work for me.

The few cute romantic scenes, and a decent mystery, couldn't make up for a hard to root for main character in my opinion. Maybe I would have liked it better with a different lead actress. Overall, I did like the way the drama ended, but I was more relieved that it was finally over.

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Okay so starting I actually dropped this drama halfway through the first episode. Hye Ri was so annoying that I couldn’t do it. She was a shrieking, spoiled mess- but, like 5 months later, I was on YT and watching some fan vids when one of this show popped up and color me intrigued. It took a while because Mad Dog came first and left me in a drama rut, so then I watched Return of Superman and then I finally began again and I’m actually hooked on it.

Also, I have the “Goodbye! Goodbyyyyye my princess,” stuck in my head. I don’t usually pay attention to music, usually it’s there and if I really like it, I go find it. But this tune- it’s not annoying and I don’t exactly want to go find it but I can’t help but like it at the same time.

All characters go through major growth that make you fall in love with them, bringing out empathy from the watchers.

The story line, the main story line, is intriguing as hell. I love this anti-hero character on Park Shi Hoo and how he isn’t the classic second lead or the normal main lead. He isn’t there to get revenge entirely but to set a wrong right. He’s dark and bright and in love but has to keep on down the road he’s made for himself. Park Shi Hoo's character leans more to the anti-hero side then the hero side, straddling the line between dark and light.

The law/court setting isn’t overwhelming and leads you into the main plot seamlessly, because you have to watch her grow before she’s ready to tackle what she must. Hye Ri was such a deep character past the first couple of episodes where you actually learn about why she acts that way and how she changes from the influence of the people around her.

I like Je Ni, Je Ni was pretty great. I like how when it came to her relationship with In Woo, the writers didn’t complicate it with feelings- they’re just friends who have been there for each other and are super close. I also like how she’s protective of In Woo when it comes to Hye Ri. More like a sibling than a girlfriend vibe. With the second lead girl, I like how she handles Hye Ri and Sunbae- she doesn’t cling on when he moves toward Hye Ri but starts to separate herself. The second lead girls of this drama. Let me praise you because you deserve it. Please write more like this, writers.

These types of dramas don’t come around often and half of them are butchered in the middle or at end and you leave hating everything about like you just ate spoiled cake and can’t get rid of the taste, but this drama is one that did it right.

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I really struggled with the beginning of this drama so I skipped ahead because it's boring and we see the usual incompetencies, failure at work, incapable at her job, jumping to conclusions, inflammatory remarks, entire workplace laughing at her, etc. What kind of kick do writers get out of this?

Yay! She's working late!
Ep 7 – she's suspicious as a prosecutor – not gullible, thinks about the possibilities. This is good.
Ep 8 – her colleagues are finally respecting her. Nice that she put in terms and conditions like a real lawyer would.
Personally, she's a wreck but she's quite efficient as a prosecutor.
She's also good at making people talk.
Damn, she's a hard worker and so keen for the case. But she's not clueless either.
No conniving second female lead? It gets better.
When he's having the nightmare, her gentle compassion really shines through.
I like what she says in Ep 4, “I really do know everything. It's just that I don't always think the same as everyone else. But I really do know everything that I should.”
There's also teamwork with the lady rivals - I like this.

Se Jun (secondary male lead)
He's a nice team leader - “Later on, when you feel like saying. And if you need help, tell me.”
What an absurd...oh these Kdramas always inventive ways of being adorable and awkward as hell. Such a weirdo, this guy. 3 years since he's been on the dating scene.
She just lifted him onto her back. No kidding. He's crazy. And he's not a skinny fellow like Gong Yoo either.

Father Relationship
I roughly know that the parents strong arm their daughter, but seeing moments like this seems nice even though he's just being a scallyway.

Romance
Hye Ri is a satisfying character. “You haven't even tasted my wrath. Don't you even think about moving.”
Her calm face when she's asking him what's wrong – dignity.
He's got a great selection of vests.
Nobody in their right mind would let that person drive them home after discovering all the treachery.
Oh yeah, end of ep 13. She's great. Says what she has to. Confidently. Knows him.
“I love you. You bastard.”
I never understand how a kiss can be so grossly misconstrued by male leads / producers / writers. A kiss shouldn't take the work out for you you lazy buggers.
“Without you in the office it was so cold and lonely.” That's what you want to hear.

In Woo
In Woo is being a real decent kind of guy. Helpful, serving, kind. This is cool.
“She keeps finding the truth I've mixed in with the lies. She keeps figuring out my sincerity.” That's such a nice way to put it, don't you think?
I love this conversation in Ep 14 about her saying use your lawyer language and him saying her occupation is showing.
“My mind, heart, and eyes are filled with all your expressions.” That's a real romantic line, isn't it.
He looks better with more hair.
There is a lot of sad faced In Woo.
He's so encouraging teaching her how to cook.

Jenny
I really wanted to hate Jenny. I hated her on screen but felt annoyed because there's no good reason to hate her. She's reasonable. She's helpful. She's a good friend. Ugh!

1 year later... you better have grown more hair In Woo.
Hye Ri doesn't have a change of hairstyle. That's a first.
Her optimism is strong and she can smile at hurt.
Nope, he doesn't have more hair and he's insanely obsessed with those disgusting V-necks.
She's carrying In Woo, now? This girl is strong. I can't believe he even attempted a piggyback ride from her. So bizarre.
That's hilarious she can remember what he said a year ago and he can't believe it.

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