Title: Miss Hammurabi 미스 함무라비
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Friendship, Law, Life
Release: 2018
Starring (Main Cast):
Go Ara as Park Cha Oh Reum
Kim Myung Soo (L) as Im Ba Reun
Sung Dong Il as Chief Judge Han Se Sang
Director: Kwak Jung Hwan
Writer: Moon Yoo Seok
Rakuten Viki Rating: 9.4/10
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Audience Rating: 4.7/5
MyDramaList Rating: 8.2/10
Rakuten Viki Synopsis: Click Here
Watch Free on Rakuten Viki: Miss Hammurabi
Episodes: 16 (abt. 1 hour each)
Content Rating: PG-13
Violence: Hitting, yelling
Sexual Content: kissing, hugging, verbal references, sexual harassment
Language: Mild to moderate depending on translation
Other Content: Drug Abuse, drinking
Ending: Happy, satisfying
My Synopsis
Park Cha Oh Reum (Go Ara) is a new judge assigned to the 44th Civil Affairs Department at the Seoul Central District. A woman of compassion and strong conviction, she finds herself uncomfortably set into a strict and rather uncompassionate field where those around her survive off their ability to not "stir the waters", so to speak. She is forced to fight a constant battle between her heart and her head, and the two judges that watch over her. Can she help those around her begin to see the people they deal with daily as more than just a case? Can she find a balance within herself that satisfies both the law and her conscience?
Trailer
My Review: 10/10
The plot of Miss Hammurabi revolves around the new judge, Park Cha Oh Reum (Go Ara). She really has too much compassion/empathy for the way the judicial system is set up and she finds that those who seem to survive best are those that can shut off their emotion and not see the individuals involved in the cases but rather just the cases as a whole. However, this is just not possible for her and because of it she begins to upset the entire Seoul Central District. It is a story that inspires a lot of self-reflection. At least it did for me. And, in the long run it did for many characters within this drama. The play-by-the book Im Ba Reun (Kim Myung Soo) and the complacent head judge, Judge Han Se Sang (Dung Dong Il) set to direct the new judge find themselves the ones changing the most as they grow into a new passion for the people they judge over every day. This is truly a beautiful story and goes to show how much of a difference one person can make.
I really like this actress. This was my first introduction to her... I have also now seen her in Hwarang: the Poet Warrior Youth. She has some of the greatest facial expressions and I just plain enjoy watching her act. I thought her a great fit for this role. She pulls off the compassionate, heart-led Judge Park to perfection. I thought her friendship chemistry with Kim Myung Soo was excellent. There was a very mild romance between the two, but it is a very very minor part of the story. I think this worked well this way since the real plot for this couple was their growth as judges and I think it needed to stay that way.
Kim Myung Soo played the role of the play-by-the-book Judge Im Ba Reun. This was a role that suited him very well. I think this actor plays the role of a quiet soul quite well. He naturally doesn't look like he could hurt a fly or be aggressive in any way and I think because of that he is cast in that type of role quite often. I have seen him stretched as an actor, however, and you can find my review of him as an actor/singer in my blog archive. I found he did a great job in this role and I always enjoy seeing him act, so I was looking forward to seeing him again in this role.
Judge Han Se Sang (Sung Dong Il) may very well have been my favorite character in this drama. He played a father figure/ mentor role, and he did it to perfection. I found myself absolutely loving him in this. Really, underneath all the rules he must follow was a man who also had a lot of compassion and I felt his guidance and direction over Judge Park and her emotions almost as if he was guiding a younger freer him. Not sure if that makes sense. Because of this drama I think that Sung Dong Il will always be a favorite actor of mine. I can't imagine anyone else cast in this role. An incredible actor. Truly.
Also playing a significant role in this drama was Ryu Deok Hwan as Judge Jung Bo Wang and Lee Elijah as Secretary Lee Do Yeon. They really were the main romance of the story. I liked their story, but it did give this almost a borderline racy side, which I wasn't sure I appreciated as much. Still not as bad as here in the USA, though. But, one thing I like most about the K-dramas I have watched is the romance without all the sexual stuff and this kind of got a little close for my comfort... old school as I am... lol. However, the drama may not have been the same without their friendship and support of our main characters and I thought they did an amazing job in that sense.
Overall I thought this drama was extremely well done. I could have done with less drinking and less sexual reference, but really this drama, I felt, was set to address a very real problem (sexual harassment), not just in South Korea, but in many countries. My biggest take-away from this drama was the importance of never losing sight of what really matters and what is right for the sake of keeping peace and following rules. I loved that our "Miss Hammurabi" never gave in to self-preservation at the cost of anyone. She risked her job and reputation for her compassionate conscience and in the long run had a profound impact on those around her. Definitely a drama I will recommend.
안녕! - 줄스
Comments
Post a Comment