Juvenile Justice (2022)

A serious series that delves into the gray areas of justice

I was in tears regularly since the early start of the show because of how real some of the issues they delved into could be. The series explored the balance between tough love, mercy and doing what is right, providing many turns in the story that kept the audience on edge about the cases. The main lead is extremely good, and her signature subtle teary eyes while angry showed much conviction in the series, one that I could relate to. There is virtually no humour nor romance in the show, so don't expect any. It's a dark and thoughtful series and delivered almost everything I could ask for. I was just not satisfied with the endings of some cases.

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Wannabe Delinquents

On one hand, it tackled some important complexities surrounding youth crime and the justice system. But on the other hand, it felt like it was hitting the viewers over the head with its message a bit too hard. They always found a way to end up being overly preachy. I guess that's part of the overdramatization? The drama had a handful of cases but these were presented in descending order, with each one being less appealing than its predecessor. I feel conflicted about some of the cast choices, but if we were to ignore that and only focus on the characters, the situation didn't look so bright either. By episode 6, they started to inject personal stories and affairs, but it was a bit too late to have proper development when the drama was just 10 episodes. In the end, it was a watchable law drama with some notable ideas but remained average until the end.

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6 gripping juvenile cases in just 10 hours that both entertain and enrich mind and soul

"I have nothing but hatred for young offenders"
"This is just the new grim reality of juvenile crime"
With such opening lines, Juvenile Justice seems a promising drama exploring the mentality and behaviours of young offenders and how to manage them to uphold justice for the victims in today's society, and this drama did not disappoint.

Juvenile Justice tells 6 gripping juvenile cases in just 10 hours, of kids committing crimes on kids, throwing shades at the realities and inadequacies of the juvenile act and delicate balance to punish-educate vs protect young offenders, peer pressure, parental responsibilities for their children’s behaviours, domestic violence, rat race in the educational system etc.

Throw in the solid no-nonsense Kim Hye Soo, as the Judge of the Juvenile Court who has nothing but hatred for young offenders, and viewers are in for a very compelling watch that not just entertains but enriches the souls and minds. Some standout quotes for me:

“Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is after. What happens after determines who you’ll become.”
“There’s a saying - don’t steal a candle to read a Bible. It means if the ways are corrupt, the purpose is as well.”

And if only Judge Kang can think and care for his son just like Prof Park #DesignatedSurvivor60Days..

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Must watch Korean drama shedding light on the realities of issues in Korean law and society

This is one of the best Kdramas of 2022. If not THE BEST and will always be a top tier kdrama in my heart along with Mystic Pop-up Bar, Flower of Evil, and Move to Heaven. This Korean drama has amazing writing, pacing, and dialogue brought to life by top-tier acting and music we have a kdrama that sheds light on juvenile offenders, the leniency they receive, the ubiquitous repeated offenders, and other issues in law and society.

Characters

We have a cold hearted and emotionless judge, who despises juvenile offenders with the philosophy that the law is too lenient towards young offenders. Contrast to that we have her colleague, Cha Tae-Ju who is a warm hearted and has a philosophy of rehabilitation of offenders. Each with opposite ideals but the same goal: serving justice, but in their own way.

Examples of the many ways it sheds light on Korean society

My favourite episode of this kdrama were episode 3 and 4 where it focused Seo Yu-Ri's case. Seo Yu-Ri was part of a runaway gang and has a history of minor crimes including theft. But when we get to know more about her, the kdrama teaches and important lesson which is a re-occurring theme throughout the show as we see more juvenile offenders: you're a product of your environment.

This child dealt with horrific abuse from her father. But what I loved most about this story is the grandmother. She is good hearted but she discouraged her granddaughter to report the abused because "he's her father", how she tried to convince her son to stop, and when she confessed to the police that she raised her son wrong and how his father was also abusive; which led to her son continuing that cycle down her granddaughter.

I know this sound shitty of the grandma but this really touched me because this is exactly the problem with Asian society in general. Hitting your child as a form of discipline is normal (not to that extent) and it is why child abuse is so common. The sentiment of "respect your parents" and "respect your elders" is also the standard in Asia.

I've never seen a Korean drama talk about truly deep and sensitive issues about Korea like Juvenile Justice does which is why it's my favourite. It doesn't just talk about issues in Korea that everyone is okay with talking about like corruption, or beauty standards; It sheds light on genuinely critical societal issues that most don't want to talk about such as academic pressure and competition, child abuse, forced prostitution, gang violence, juveniles being unafraid of the law because of how lenient their sentences will be and fucking scary they are because not even the law is stopping them.

It's not like some other dramas about law where justice is ALWAYS served (cough, cough, While you were sleeping). It shows the reality and how the law doesn't always protect the victim and those perpetrators do get away or get extremely lenient sentences.

Conclusion

This kdrama is on the darker side of things but if you're okay with it I strongly recommend it! I finally found a kdrama to be on my top tier greatest of all time kdramas through the stories important stories it tells.

10/10

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A little heavy on the melo, but an original take on juvenile justice

It is a common fault for writers to try too hard. To think that the more emotion they put into the writing, the more the viewer will feel it. Paradoxically, it is the opposite.

The art of moving a viewer is to leave enough space for a reaction to arise within them through their own volition. The more the viewer is told how to think and feel, the less they actually will think and feel. This is not just because we all hate being told what to do, but because it is coming overwhelmingly from the outside, pushing against us and closing down the available space for our own response. We need only enough to peak our empathy, then we will naturally do the rest. And because it is not the emotion of the actor but our own emotional response arising from our own understanding, we will feel it twice as much. Knowing where the trigger point is and just how much is enough for any particular audience,is the thing that separates a brilliant director from an average one.

Here, the director (Hong Jong Chan) did the writer (Kim Min Sook) no favours in overplaying the melodrama. Trauma does not automatically lead to excessive and noisy crying. It can lead to anger, denial, confusion and often numbness and silence. This range of responses can also be utilised by a good director to emphasise the horror of a situation but they were not featured in this drama. By the time we reached episode 9, character after character was either crying or wailing in a string of consecutive scenes that became less and less effective as they rolled by. The result was to distance me rather than draw me in. Which is a pity because this was a powerful drama and had the potential to be more so.

Music also plays an important part in evoking emotion, and here the swelling orchestral music was way too heavy. There was far too much of it, it was far too loud and far too emotive. I found it oppressive.

Having said all that, there was much to appreciate in this production. The characters of the two leads are interesting and well fleshed out. Kim Hye Soo and Kim Mu Yeon gave convincing performances. They represented opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their attitudes and judgements. It was a wise choice not to have them as adversaries but genuine colleagues who maintained respectful regard for each other. This gave an opportunity for a more rounded viewpoint of the case scenarios, and highlighted the ambivalence that is always present. It meant that the focus remained on the ethics and morals of the action and was not diverted by inter-personal conflict. As a result, there was plenty for the viewer to reflect on.

The treatment of the young people also aimed at more realism than is common in k-dramas, especially in terms of their language, behaviour and attitudes. At times there was confronting material to watch but it was never gratuitous.

This was a deliberately victim-centred presentation and constantly emphasised the impact of anti-social and violent behaviour. As most court and crime dramas are heavily focused on the perpetrators this was a refreshing take on things.

A lot of the dialogue was educational in tone. Some of it out of character for the professional environment it took place in, but not so much that it was irritating. It was forgivable in the circumstances as the juvenile court is rarely depicted and little understood. As a piece of social commentary the show was very successful. As a drama, slightly less so but well worth watching.

What my rating means: 7+ A watchable drama, but nothing exceptional. Good enough to qualify for the race, but finished with the pack. The sort of thing that promises more than it delivers.

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(+) amazing performance from the cast. para pemeran utama bisa dibilang ngga punya visual 'sebunga' aktris/aktor muda yang lagi digandrungi, tapi gimana yeee jam terbang gabakal bisa boong. emang beda pemain layar lebar mah.
(+) penulisan dan penceritaannya apik tenan! hubungan dari kasus satu hingga kasus terakhir mulus banget, pengungkapan backstory para main lead juga alus. detil sebab akibat dari segala sudut pandangnya lengkap. cakep dah pokoknya, rapih.
(-) dua episode pertama udah kece dan solid abis dengan pace yang satsetsatset, tapi sayang kesananya pace udah mulai kendor jadi berasanya agak lama gitu.
(-) sinematografinya oke, tonenya juga cakep, tapi ada satu yang cukup mengganggu karna sempet kenotis; cgi waktu lagi di mobilnya keliatan banget ???

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Exposure of delinquent juveniles

Juvenile Justice showcases the reality of underage kids doing crimes and escaping harsher punishment. The drama emphasizes on the requirement of strict law when it comes to underage kids involved in heinous crimes.

The drama uses the premise and it's characters very well. Each episode, or rather, each story was built amazingly and the ending for each of them had a very important message in today's society. This crime courtroom drama deserves an appreciation for not only bringing this case to the limelight, but also making the show intriguing with twists and turns, and entertaining as well as educating it's viewers.

My Rating : 8.5/10

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Juvenile punishment or reform?

Likes
1. Heavy drama about juvenile offenders. Bullying, murder, gang rape. Should they be punished or help them reform? Can they really change? This drama will make you think and this is not just applicable to SK. It's an issue around the world.
2. Realized it's very important for kids to grow up in a loving and stable family/environment since their childhood trauma remains even when they grow up as adults.
3. Liked each of the cases although not always how these were resolved. It also made me think how far should we do our jobs. As judges they weren't supposed to investigate but they crossed the line. Coz if they dont do it who will? Or maybe they need everyone or the system (prosecutors, police, workers) to effectively work together.

Dislikes
Couldn't connect with or care for the two main leads despite their background stories.

Rating: 8/10

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One of the best crime-law series I've watched. Simple concepts yet so deep.

I love this drama for several reasons and I'll tell you each of the reason why you should need to add this on your watchlist.

1. Very deep meaning using relatable situations for almost everyone. One of the things I really commend about this series is the fact that they used common scenarios that can be understood easily. They also didn't add a lot of law technicalities so even if law genre doesn't interest you or you don't know anything about law, you can still enjoy it.
2. The colorful characters. In most dramas we identify who's the main leads and who are the villains however in Juvenile Justice, it's difficult to draw a line. Everyone has a fair share of good and bad in them that it's really hard to tell whether they're a good or bad person. Personally, I can't stop myself loving all the characters.
3. The actors and actresses. Of course, this series won't be successful without the casts outstanding portrayal. Kim HyeSoo did not disappoint and she perfectly embodied a judge who is strict and serious but at the same time uses logic and compassion to teach the juvenile offenders a lesson. Her portrayal is certainly outstanding. On the other hand, Kim MuYeol, another actor who's known for versatility. His character here is a lot more passive than the previous shows/movies I've seen which is why I'm a bit sad. His portrayal as an associate judge who's very emotional and show empathy to all the juveniles is on point but I guess his character as Judge Cha TaeMu is a bit plain. Compared to Judge Shim's character, who's very fierce and aggressive, Judge Cha's saint-like personality has been outshined by Judge Shim's unique way of handling her cases.

Actually there's a lot more to expect from this series and it's definitely worth the watch. I hope you try watching this and fall in love with its heart-wrenching show filled with a lot of lifelong lessons.

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