Law School: Not All K-Dramas Are Rom Coms
“When a grim incident occurs at their prestigious school, justice through law is put to a test by a tough law professor and his ambitious students.”
Law School (Netflix)
I think one mistake many folks make is thinking K-dramas in themselves are a genre. Technically shows developed and produced for television in the U.S. could be labeled American dramas. Korean dramas are shows developed and produced by Koreans in Korea but they encompass any number of genres and just like American TV, Korean television has many types of shows.
My first foray into a legal K-drama was Law School and I started watching it when only a few episodes had aired so I had to wait for the new episodes each week. Streaming spoils you when it comes to binge-watching so I used to wait till all episodes are available but I’ve found it’s easier to watch multiple shows if I’m willing to watch as they air which also helps me see the latest content in real-time.
Two things drew me to this particular show—make that three. Kim Beom (Boys Over Flowers), one of the producers, Christine Ko, and the recommendation by Netflix. Kim Beom was quite charming as high school student So Lee-Jeong and one of the members of F4 in BOF, so I was curious to see him all these years later in a serious role. Christine Ko has done at least three rooms in the K-dramatics Club on Clubhouse, and even though I was only able to catch one of them, it’s always interesting to hear firsthand a few behind-the-scenes tidbits. Finally, Netflix does pretty well when it comes to recommending shows. As in letting me know it exists, which is not to be confused with describing what it’s about. I don’t always follow their lead, but at least I know it’s there. That’s literally how I started watching K-dramas—because they recommended Crash Landing On You.
From the get-go, Law School is one of those shows where you have to pay attention—especially if Korean is not your first language. Technically, Korean IS my first language since it’s all I would’ve heard the first year of my life. But as I undertake the task of trying to learn Korean now there doesn’t appear to be any remnants of that language left after having grown up in Iowa with a non-Korean family. Whether it’s legal jargon, the inside view of a law student, or solving the mystery of a couple of intertwining cases, Law School definitely keeps you on your toes.
Even though my mom used to tell me I should be a lawyer (what can I say, I like a good debate!) I know nothing about actual law school. However, I heard several people tell Christine Koh on Clubhouse they and/or their parents were attorneys or judges and they loved this K-drama. I found it interesting to watch various legal processes and compare situations with how (we think) things are done in the U.S.
Once again the expectations put on kids by their parents (and Korean society) where education is concerned is highlighted in addition to one’s position in society. I’m unsure what to think about the role hierarchy plays in Korea but if the portrayal in K-dramas like Law School is accurate it is a bit troubling. One might like to pretend it’s not as bad here in the U.S. but it’s probably worse—especially considering we’re also dealing with the role diversity and white privilege play not to mention gender equality. The latter being something Korea also has issues with which we see through the female law students.
I have seen a few K-dramas that feature a romance that doesn’t really add to the story—in fact, sometimes it’s a distraction and seems forced. This is something I was glad Law School didn’t do. Because we are talking about students it’s not like the subject of dating didn’t come up, but it wasn’t central to the plot—nor even secondary. The one relationship storyline featured could hardly be considered romantic—it was more a lesson of what to avoid. I respect the fact Law School stayed true to the core of the storyline and as a viewer, it was more enjoyable.
Who’s bad, who’s good, likeable, or unlikeable—I found myself changing my mind throughout the series based on various twists and turns. I’m not sure there was any one character I was drawn to but I admired Yang Jong-Hoon, one of the main professors. Whether it’s Korea or the U.S. sometimes you wonder if people working in the justice system are tuly searching for the truth so it was nice to see someone with Professor Yang’s ethics—whether he exists in the real world or not.
Which actor was in three 2020 K-dramas?
Who won the KBS-sponsored "Survival Star Audition" in 2006?
Which actor appeared in NINE K-dramas in 2021?
Who was in the popular Reply 1988 series?
Which actor triumphed over his high school bully in Itaewon Class?
What did you think of Law School? Let me know in the comments!
Released: April 2021, Episodes: 16
Cast: Kim Myung-Min Yang Jong-Hoon, Lee Jung-Eun Kim Eun-Suk, Kim Beom Han Joon-Hwi, Ryoo Hye-Young Kang Sol A, Lee Soo-Kyung Kang Sol B, David Lee Seo Ji-Ho, Ko Yoon-Jung Jeon Ye-Seul, Hyun Woo Yoo Seung-Jae, Lee Kang-Ji Min Bok-Ki, Kim Min-Seok Jo Ye-Beom, FULL CAST
