The cases presented are interesting and do offer insight into ideas of justice, empathy and ethics within the legal system, but the technical side just does not reach the same level. This feeling stems from what is the drama’s biggest weakness - the clumsy handling of its courtroom scenes and larger legal world. The desperation in this situation is understandable though, and hopefully future episodes will pick up where we left off, though the feeling that no-one seems to know where Hye-sung’s character is actually going in terms of growth is not easily shaken off. Sure, she still had walking, talking, Deus Ex Machina Soo-ha to help her out as always, but it’s progress nonetheless - which appears to become undone in the next episode when she plots with now public prosecutor Do-yeon (played as an adult by Birdy Buddy‘s Lee Da-hee) to falsify evidence. Seeing her actually empathise with someone was a nice character moment, and she even acts on her own to procure a settlement that would keep the defendant out of jail. In fact, one of my favourite scenes thus far is in episode 7, when she imagines the old man searching the subway train for newspapers to recycle (let’s just ignore the fact that this will probably be the only time in the drama where she actually uses the subway).
#I CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE AWARDS TRIAL#
Hye-sung is petty and insolent, but these characteristics-cum-defence mechanisms do make a really great starting point for Hye-sung’s character arc, to regain what she lost at that trial ten years ago. It’s hard to see the girl who cared about justice and truth in this Hye-sung - I can understand why she says she regrets her decision to enter that courtroom, as it has led to the shut-down of her conscience. It’s later revealed that she testified against murderer Min Joon-gook ( Ojakgyo Brothers‘ Jang Woong-in) which gets him convicted and her a death threat so menacing that it seems to have sapped her of her pluck and sense of righteousness Hye-sung grows up to become a detached and complacent lawyer with little regard for the clients she represents in court. This exposition is given to us by an adult Hye-sung during her job interview for public defender, though she stops her story at the climax. Tragedy was expected, but the thrill this backstory presents is surprising - though not unwelcome. Soo-ha is inadvertently saved from the same fate by a teenage Hye-sung ( I Miss You‘s Kim So-hyun) who, along with frenemy Do-yeon ( Jung Min-ah), had witnessed the incident.
#I CAN HEAR YOUR VOICE AWARDS DRIVER#
Ten years ago, a young Soo-ha (played by Goo Seung-hyun) and his father are involved in a car accident which takes on a much more sinister turn when the truck driver who barrelled into the pair kills the father in cold blood.
This is seen with the reveal of Soo-ha’s link to Hye-sung, which was one of the vague clues dropped prior to airing.
You won’t need to read my mind to know that SPOILERS FOLLOW. Luckily for the show, this ambiguity has paid off by managing to create enough suspense to keep audiences hooked the apparent need for “mystery” was seen as foolish going into the drama, but doing so has given what is a fairly standard drama story an edge that audiences are very much enjoying. Even information about the other two leads - public defenders Jang Hye-sung and Cha Kwan-woo played by Lee Bo-young ( My Daughter Seo-young) and Yoon Sang-hyun ( Secret Garden) - was kept to the basics, with a “fantasy romance” label, promises of mystery, hints of a love triangle mixed with a noona romance and Lee Jong-suk’s pretty face left to promote the drama to the masses. This was the meatiest piece of information revealed before the drama’s airing. Monstar has been an enjoyable watch (and even more enjoyable listen) thus far, and School 2013 broke my heart - as does I Hear Your Voice.įollowing his turn as student Go Nam-soon in School 2013, latest it-boy Lee Jong-suk returns as another student, Park Soo-ha, who also happens to be a mind-reader. This wasn’t for want of good K-dramas of course, with runners-up School 2013 and Monstar also deserving praise for their naturalistic and engaging portrayals of high school life, among other strengths.
Continuing our wrap-up of this year’s mid-year polls, the results for our “Drama Dilemma” are in! Unlike our first poll for Most Underrated Release of 2013 thus far, which resulted in a tie, I Hear Your Voice pulverised the competition.