Divorce Attorney Shin follows Sung-han, a pianist turned attorney, who aims to use the law to fight the people who wronged his sister. All episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Sung-han used to be a pianist and a music professor at a university in Germany. He quit his job and moved back to Korea when his sister, Ju-hwa, passed away in a tragic accident, leaving behind her son, Gi-yeong.
Sung-han knows that there is more to his sister’s death than this; Ju-hwa had just gotten divorced when she died. To get to the truth, Sung-han passes the bar and becomes a lawyer specializing in divorce cases.
While trying to find out the truth about his sister’s death, Sung-han helps several clients get justice, something that his sister never got. At the same time, he must learn to deal with his past regrets and move on in life.
Sung-han is not alone, as he always has the support of his two best friends — Hyeong-geun, his paralegal, and Jeong-sik, his childhood friend and tenant.
Furthermore, throughout the show, he impresses many people with his competence and disposition and gains their support as well in his fight to get justice.
Performances
Cho Seung-woo could have carried the show all on his own, as he gets the audience completely invested in his story. He successfully portrays the sadness and regrets that Sung-han carries around in his heart, but that does affect his performance in the lighthearted scenes.
Han Hye-jin is extremely graceful on-screen. As a woman who has to face humiliation on a daily basis, she portrays the anxieties of Seo-jin very well; she never lets the audience forget what she has been through.
While Kim Sung-kyun perfectly fits the part of a sensitive man who has his own struggles in life, Jung Moon-sung fits the part of a carefree spendthrift, and he impresses the audience with his acting skills when his past regrets are revealed.
Han Jae-seok stands out every time he appears on-screen. He makes use of the space around him as well as his whole body to make Choi Jun’s antics hilarious.
Positives
Music is an important part of the show when Sung-han’s past is taken into account. In every episode, the music, including classical pieces, is used to evoke the emotions that the makers want the audience to feel, and it works without fail.
The show gives the audience several touching and memorable platonic relationships between various characters. It celebrates human connections that soothe one’s pain and help them get through the most difficult times.
The cases depicted in the show are interesting and never dragged out. These cases and Sung-han’s solutions give the audience something new in every episode while the main plot progresses alongside them.
These cases are also quite unique in nature. Sung-han mostly represents the spouses at fault according to the law, but the show depicts their stories in a way that it smoothly manages to make the audience understand their circumstances and sympathize with them.
The characters in the show are quite quirky, and while the comedy is nothing extraordinary, the characters make it work. The writers have given adequate attention to the main characters, even the antagonists.
Negatives
While the new cases keep the audience interested, the show takes a very long time to fully introduce them to the main conflict. When it is finally revealed, as compared to the subplots, it seems dull and does not stand up to the audience’s expectations.
After the last case gets over, the ending of the show appears to be rushed. It would have been much better if enough time was taken to show how the end of the central conflict affected the lives of the characters.
Verdict
Divorce Attorney Shin is a courtroom drama that will offer new characters and conflicts in every episode. Platonic relationships get a lot of attention in the show, and they successfully win the audience’s hearts. For the most part, it is a light-hearted show and pretty entertaining.
Also Read: Divorce Attorney Shin season 1 finale recap, review & ending explained