I never thought I would enjoy a legal drama, especially coming right after Strangers again. I found the whole legal set up very real. There were no dramatic court room scenes with twists and turns or plot twist cliff hangers. It felt like a court and everyone were respectful and well behaved.

The best part was the friends. Love their friendship, quirks et al. I also liked how they supported each other, made fun of each other, pulled each others legs, even be obnoxious. Friends who laugh and cry together have my whole heart.

My only complaint is that we didn’t end the drama with a camping scene. I wanted Gi Yeong to go camping with his uncle and even wanted him to make friends with the other kid. I wanted to see the uncles pampering them with love.
I will just imagine this in my head :)

I would totally watch a season two. I think there is enough material to go on. We have interesting side characters and so much potential.

I totally forgive the writers (39) after this drama.

I felt rather empty at the end of it all. Not the bad review kind of empty, but the good one where you feel that it wasn't complete or it hasn't accomplished it's purposes and you strike on some of the things that made it incomplete @lovepark . Just like you said, I enjoyed the show for it's many strengths and the core of the story - Gi-yeong's custody. But some fleshes felt...rushed or stunted.

I was denied some skinship between Kim So-yeon and Hyeong-geon. I guess I won't be seeing any Lion 🥺.

Well, I felt ahead of the drama here. Granny's game plan became clear to me quite early and I was surprised it took Sung-han a while to get to it. It made me love Granny the more though. 50% is a fight. And I wished she got it.

At the end Chairman Seo got the divorce he was saved from facing. Can he not repent? Or filter his thoughts before talking. I can't believe he thought the worst of Sung-han after Sung-han saved his and Granny Ma's face.

It was truly fitting that they ended with the trio. It was a center of everything anyway.

Gi-yeong's case made me feel a lot though. His father never really knew him until the court proceedings and it hurt.
And I liked how the trio handled Jung-shik's well-intentioned meddling. It was a relief.

And I'm so glad where Jin Yeong-ju is. That insecurity of hers became her reality. I guess Granny Ma's reason for disliking her shocked her to the marrows. It's not all about money. I'm not wishing but I'll just say : it's cool that Jeong-guk stepped up at the tail end of it all. Protected his son emotionally and inheritance-wise, while stripping Jin Yeong-ju of her shield and weapons. It was satisfying but I wanted him to have been giving her some little doses before the one fell swoop.

Episode 11 and 12 dragged. I loved Ma Geum Hui so much this episode. I was wondering when shin would hire himself as his nephew’s lawyer. I was like “Wheeeeee” when that finally happened.
I’m sorry, but did Jeong Shik try to bribe a witness? Is that not a crime in Korea?
I liked the ramyeon lady from Episode 1. Glad she got a happy ending.
While I am glad that Jeong Guk grew a pair, I am disappointed he didn’t leave his evil wife. It didn’t feel like she was punished enough.
One thing I really really liked was that there was no romance between Sung Han and Seo Jin. I liked them both and friendship seemed the most appropriate thing for them.
One thing I’m at a loss to understand - I thought he studied law with some grand plan in mind. But we didn’t see any of that. He didn’t realize just how bad it was for his nephew, he never got round to avenging his sister’s divorce or death, and the grapes - well, what was he gonna do once he’d colored them all?

I just finished this and I loved it! Humanistic, well rounded cast, hearfelt stories, awesome child actors, realistic wonderful ending, good music, good food, what's not to love! Especially Jo Seung-woo! he could make a fortune selling toothpicks on the street. He's that good of an actor/musical actor. Wish I could see him in a musical too.

Hmmm, so I watched the entire series and I still don't understand why it resonated with people the way it did. The only thing I can think of is the relationships featured; particularly the friendship between the 3 guys. It's nice seeing such openly supportive friendships and I think it's kinda novel that the men are so open about their feelings.

I don't even know what to say about the cases. I don't remember how many cases were featured in this but all or most of them just made me go "huh?! Seriously? What was even the point?"
I just didn't feel the emotional impact others felt such as with the cyberbully/malicious commenter case. Her mom abandons her so she takes out her anger & hurt on a kid becomes *his* mom fought for him. Sure, fine, it's a messed up situation and she's a mixed up kid who got screwed over by having a terrible excuse of a mother but it didn't necessarily make me feel for her, it's just how I thought on a logical level and that's what this entirely drama was for me: think, no feel.

The same things I said about this show in last week's comment section seems to still be the case this week which was something like all the stepmother's actions were for money and status?
And are we led to believe their marriage resulted from an affair? She mentioned how she put her mind to getting him and if the mother in law had her way, the husband would've never divorced his first wife. Plus she threatened to kick the son out of the family. Then why not just let his mother keep custody of him?! I do not understand! She has a daughter with the husband, why does she need the son or his shares? And again, she has a daughter so why was it beyond her comprehension that an uncle could just genuinely care about his nephew?

Maybe the villians got comeuppence but it didn't feel satisfying to me. That lawyer committed perjury and what happened with that? I'm supposed care because the stepmom somehow reneged on the cafe she gave him? The stepmom will still live in the house and still have money, they just will barely talk which is pretty much what was shown before since the husband was barely a presence in the first place. The mother in law is getting a divorce but does she still get the agreed upon 50% or do they go through new negotiations?

Thanks @lovepark for the weecap this week and across the series.

This show ended well in that the nephew was finally away from a place where his only joy was being with his Uncle and the peace he had in the time out of the home with his chauffeur. It was appalling example of the impact of emotional abuse from a bitter step mum and an indifferent dad.

The fact that both the grandfather and grandmother saw the step mum for who she really was and let her know that to her face was one of the highlights but the fact they allowed her to have way too much power over their son and grandson was unforgivable. Her husband was so weak it was ridiculous that he decided at the last minute to find out just who he was living with and allowing to impact on his children. I wonder how his daughter will turn out living in a household where there is no love between her parents and her half brother disappeared out of her life like that.

I was very concerned with Jungshik’s behaviour and it’s potential very serious impact on the case. Stalking was bad enough but bribing a witness was just beyond stupid. The fact the lawyer didn’t take the money was the real surprise to me as he was so low and calculating I was sure he would use it to his advantage.

I think the final acceptance of Jun into the fold was nice to see even if the praise was buried. The new addition of females into the friendship circle was well done and I can see them bonding well into the future.

I thought the development of some of the characters was lacking. What was the point of the female character in the office she didn’t really add much to the story although she seemed well integrated into the banter re Jun. Jungshik was also underdeveloped and he seemed to be very emotional in his decision making and unable to read the room. The teasing banter and isolating of Jungshik didn’t always land well for me. The boys turning up on the camping trip was a step too far if it had of been a romantic get together but it did emphasise that being with him meant being with his friends and she fitted right in with them.

Having older actors leading a story and male friendships front and centre was a pleasant change and it was an enjoyable ride.

I would have liked the show better without the Seo family drama. The stepmother took too much time which might have been better spent on the side characters.

I wished the show would keep Sung-han's backstory and the final case of getting ki-young's custody but shift other things to the background. perhaps, like @lovepark says we could have focused more on the relationship between Ju-hwa and Sung-han and make it the motive why he wants to get his nephew back. We could keep the stepmother evil but without all that focus.

I wanted to see Sung-han meeting many people, learning and growing along them. That way we could have the final case as Ki-young's custody case but with different dynamics.

Thank you, @lovepark, for the weecap! I enjoyed this drama specially with the friendship trio. It seems like whoever becomes a friend of one becomes a friend of all three. I know the story didn't cultivate a loveline between Sung-han and Seo-jin but it would have been nice to see the two boys interact, something like a playdate. I love Gi-yeong's grandma. Because of her love for her original daughter-in-law, she will sacrifice even herself for her grandson, Jung-hwa's son.

Was it mentioned what led to Ju Hwa's divorce as they seemed happy initially? Was it implied that Young Ju pushed her way between the two of them leading to an affair and eventually forcing their divorce? Ju Hwa's husband (I can't for the life of me remember his name, he had the personality of a door knob throughout the show) seemed to be sweet to her judging from their phone conversation in the flashback scene, but we saw none of that personality with him and Young Ju.

While I fully admit that the show is on no par with My Mister, I got the same vibe after watching this through. Both are heart-wrenching (Gi Yeong story is devastating) but at the same time sparking hope for its characters (mainly the trio friends) kind of drama. I cried for Gi Yeong coz the truth is no kid deserves that kind of situation (being neglected).
Onto the friendship. I adore each and all of them with their quirky and jokes. When you've know each other for that long, you don't have the need to fill the silent. You're comfortable just being together. You go extra mile with them. No amount of mistakes can change your opinion about them (In My Mister style, I know you.) While some say Jong Shik often felt left out, I don't think that's the case here. Yes, the other two spend time more due to work, but they love and care each other deeply. While people might expect Sung Han will get more attention throughout the drama, we got the story of Hyeong Gun and So Yeon instead. We got to see how fiercely Jong Shik loves, despite his choice of actions. I cry just watching the beauty of their friendship. I like the loyal, silly and big heart of Choi Jun. While I feel bad he feels left out at times (I suspect he is just as envy as us with their friendship), I understand that you don't compete with longtime friends no matter how hard you try. Ms. Ma feels like a testament to what you sow is what you reap. It's satisfying to watch her silently caring and supporting Gi Yeong. I love the idea of Seo Jin redemption after the scandal with the help of Hyeon Woo and her closest friends.
Now about the antagonists. While I believe some people are capable of repenting and changing, some are just pure evil (Young Joo and Yu Seok). The worst of all is Jeong Guk, the father. He is enabling his wife's evil way to Gi Yeong just being quiet and agreeable. How does someone do that to a kid after doing horrible thing to your ex-wife just to get custody. I overjoyed when the judge granted Sung Han the custody.
The cases often times feels rushed, but the writer is brave enough to tackle those issues. It's not the best of the best, but love the show. Glad Cho Seung Woo taking this role and again proving he's true to his goals in acting.

I was left a little hollow with the ending. The friendship is the only thing that consistently made sense to me. When Sung Han was fighting for his nephew, all I could this was his nephew's sister was also in a toxic situation. That woman is unhealthy. Why is his nephew's dad still married to that awful woman. He doesn't even seem to like her. There are a million more whys to me, so although the friendship was beautiful, the rest of the drama fell flat for me.

This drama was nice but was superficial.

I'm curious about many things :
- Seo Jeong-Guk : Why he divorced, why he remarried, why he ignores his son during the whole time. It's only at the end when he said he still wanted to be the official father to let his son keeping his heritage.
- How the 3 friends met, they were very different but completed each other.
- Why the ML became a divorce lawyer, why he stopped the piano, etc. We have clues and we can guess, but the fact he never adressed it himself is really weird.
- What was the point of the FL's story? I don't think it was really the good drama for her story. She working in a lawyer office didn't make sense...

Their friendship was really the best part.

Overall, I like this drama which is not the most polished or coherent production. BUT, how often do we get a whimsical piece with lovely and kind souls like this? I was surprised to find out in the final episode that the radio PD was so guilt-trapped as the one introducing Seo-jin to her husband that she felt the need to do the utmost to ‘compensate’.

Indeed, this is a drama where the parts are bigger than the sum. There are so many side plots or arcs that I like apart from the universally acknowledged friendship between the three guys. And if I think back in 2 years time what I remember from this show, I’ll certainly remember the friendship, Lady Ma, the noodle couple, and the two boys who suffer from marriage breakdown.

What if this drama were made more polished or coherent in the traditional sense, it may become another melo courtroom drama. In balance, I much prefer what we have seen that differentiates it from other dramas. The most memorable scene to me is unfortunately that cctv footage showing Gi-young binge-eating and then aimlessly resting his head on the table. So heartbreaking!

Finally, could anyone enlighten me on the grapes please? The best I can come up is that each grape is a case and by the time of all grapes / cases completed and colored, Sung-Han would have acquired the skills and expertise to tackle his own case. This deduction came from what Hyung-geun said at the beginning of the show that SH would spring to action when all the grapes are colored. What do you people think?

The women on this show!

Seojin’s character and arc were pointless. Could have been, should have been, a separate show that Han Hyejin fans would watch.

Youngju was responsible for many things, but she didn’t cause Juhwa’s death. Being mean to someone on the phone isn’t a crime. I grant that by that time, post-divorce, Youngju was wearing Juhwa down with emotional abuse and threats. But Youngju didn’t kill her even though the show, at least in the beginning, wanted us to think that she did. Didn’t we all think this was a murder mystery?

I thought the actress playing Youngju did a fantastic job. Her restrained performance, all quiet rage and held-back tears, was impressive. She was never shrill and never gave us crazy-eyes, and only lost her sh*t once, at the police station with Sunghan.

It’s a tie for my favorite female character in this show between Soyeon and Madam Ma. I liked the way both characters were written. I’m a longtime fan of Cha Hwayun/Madam Ma whether good characters or mean, rich or poor, and Kang Malkeum/Soyeon has my full attention whenever she appears on any show.

Ah screw it, it’s Ramyun shop grandma goddess Kim Haesook!

It's funny, I agree with almost all of the comments - both good and bad. There was a lot to love with this drama, but it definitely was flawed. The thing that REALLY bugged me was when Seo Jeong-Guk testified that he obtained Shin Ju-Hwa's mental health records in the US because they were married at the time. I don't know the law in Korea, but being married is not reason to break HIPAA and state laws around confidentiality.

My journey through almost 100 kdrama tv series over the last 4 years began with Cho Seung Woo. Stranger was my first KDrama, which then spurred me on to watch all CSW Netflix dramas. I discovered Dramabeans as I was trying to understand Sisiphus. Even though Bean was not able to clarify Sisiphus script inconsistencies (perhaps no one can), Bean recappers are generally unparalleled, I think. Thanks to you all!

Kdrama men who dominate on screen possess a variety of individual characteristics: think - androgynous machismo (Lee Joong Gi - S carlet Heart), Cary Grant grace (Song Joong Ki - Vincenzo), handsome athleticism (Ji Chang Wook - Healer), stature & smile (Yoo Ji Tae - Healer), poker-face charm (Lee Byung Hun - Mr Sunshine, etc). IMO, CSW has an appeal first associated with classic American actors: think - emotionally tough Bogart, everyman Robert Mitchum, relatable Tom Hanks.

Divorce Attorney Shin was comfortable enough to overcome plot deficiencies so well worth watching for KDrama lovers. Special mention:

* The friend's freely expressed vulnerabilities, emotions, and love for one another. Jung Moon Sung as our hapless but loveable realtor - contrast the same actor's amazing performance as the loathsome corporate president in Life.
* Micro expressions of Han Hye Jin told us much about her emotions, in contrast to those KDrama actresses whose acting method consist exclusively of looking beautiful for the camera.
* The two children were great, as well as CSW and HHJ interactions with them.

An aside: Shin Sung Han wore an Auburn (my alma mater) sweatshirt in a scene where he sat alone drinking much wine.

Interesting comments from other beanies. My 2 cents is this was a well written drama. I especially liked that Sung-han did not speak much. He let others have last words and kept his cards close to his chest. "I have one (or two) questions for you" and left it at that.

I also liked there were no other pairings and the one they had did grow organically and really was well played during a camping outing where possibilities were dashed with "I can't drink because one of us has to drive back"

Nothing was over the top which is greatly appreciated. Nice subdued dramatic moments. The scenes showing the accident were very jarring and went to show how powerful words can be in changing the course of someone's life.

Different type of hero which I liked.