Lawless Lawyer (Lawless Attorney) is a legal action thriller about a gangster (Lee Joon Gi) turned lawyer who doesn’t mind using his fists or doing whatever is necessary to bring justice as he works to avenge his mother.

Lawless Lawyer is a slick drama with a solid story. It’s an intense ride that provides thrills, action, humor, and romance. That’s quite a nice combination to make for an overall exciting and enjoyable watch!

Lee Joon Gi plays our lawless lawyer Bong Sang Pil. His mother was murdered when he was a child so he becomes a lawyer to take revenge on those responsible. But he’s not your average lawyer since he is willing to use loopholes in the law to his advantage as well as his fists.

How refreshing to see Lee Joon Gi get to showcase his charms in a drama! He usually plays somewhat more serious roles, so this was a nice change. He has so much charisma, and he was able to really put that on display in Lawless Lawyer. But as would be expected, he also delivers some seriously intense emotions that capture the hurt Sang Pil has experienced. Lee Joon Gi is always amazing, and this drama perfectly highlighted his versatility.

Seo Ye Ji is another lawyer, Ha Jae Yi. After getting suspended, Sang Pil approaches her to work with him at his law office. He also has a connection to her because of the death of her own mother.

Seo Ye Ji easily held her own opposite of Lee Joon Gi, which says a lot about her. She was perfect to play the strong willed and moral Jae Yi. She will pull you right into her character through her wonderful performance.

Now the villains. Choi Min Soo plays Ahn Oh Joo. He’s confident, intense, and he’s the man who killed Sang Pil’s mother. Choi Min Soo definitely does his thing by going all in and makes Oh Joo such an intimidating and unique character. His intensity always comes right through the screen and completely creeps me out. And that’s the best kind of villain!

Then there is Lee Hye Young as the big baddy Cha Moon Suk. She’s a respected judge who has everybody fooled. She’s immensely powerful and is involved in all kinds of shady business. Lee Hye Young is another case of really doing well even opposite our other villain Choi Min Soo. She has this calm and collected manner to her that still has a fierceness behind it. Well done.

 
 

As you can see, talk about bringing together one fantastic cast for Lawless Lawyer! All four of our main leads are incredibly talented and bring such intensity to their roles. They were cast perfectly and did not disappoint in any way.

This is a drama where the legal stuff is well balanced with the overall story and the thriller element including plenty of excitement outside of the courtroom. And despite having a fairly heavy story, the drama incorporated humor appropriately to provide moments of levity throughout.

The plot is very well done with a few twists and turns and wonderful pacing. The characters from the heroes to the villains are all interesting and engaging to help bring this story to life. There are a few times where you have to not think too hard about some elements of the story, but everything else was so well done that I found those times easy enough to overlook.

Lee Joon Gi and Seo Ye Ji make one fantastic couple! Just look at these two. Aren’t they gorgeous? And they have some seriously amazing chemistry. Despite being a legal thriller, the romance element was done very well. The relationship feels mature yet it still was a lot of fun. They just had this wonderful rapport between them, and they made me smile so much.

Sang Pil and Jae Yi have a lot of hurt from their past though. They were really able to come together to not only support each other but to share each other’s pain. They also took action to bring justice to those responsible for what happened to their loved ones. This duo was such a good one, and I think most people will appreciate what a great team they were.

I also particularly enjoyed the antagonistic relationship between Sang Pil and Oh Joo. They are both such strong and distinct characters that seeing them go head to head was something else. Every scene that features them together is packed with a palpable intensity that gave me goosebumps. They are exactly what you want to see when a hero and villain go against each other.

Lawless Lawyer was an all around fun watch that provided a nice mixture of elements. The story, thrills, characters, and talented actors all came together for an entertaining drama that left me pretty well satisfied.

My Rating: 8/10

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35 responses to “Lawless Lawyer Korean Drama Review”

  1. Shrestha Sen Avatar
    Shrestha Sen

    And that’s the perfect rating! Totally and completely agreed with you. It was a pleasure to read your review once again.
    Keep up the good work. Thanks Kay. 😃

    1. Kay Avatar

      Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the read as well as the drama. It was certainly a fun one that I really enjoyed 🙂

  2. raistlin0903 Avatar

    Okay…I am not going to be flipping a coin or rolling some dice to decide what to watch next: this is it. Your post totally convinced me, so am looking forward to this one. Glad to see such an enthusiastic and wonderful review for a series that seems to be blending so many different elements in a terrific cocktail. Will get started with this one in the weekend 😊 Great post!

    1. Kay Avatar

      Well, I guess you answered the question of what you will be watching next, lol. It was a really good blend of elements and just all around solid. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on it and really hope you enjoy it!

      1. raistlin0903 Avatar

        Lol…yeah…it was such a convincing post…and seeing that this was one of the dramas that was pretty high on my list anyway, it was a quick and easy choice 😊😊 And of course I will let you know 😀

        1. Kay Avatar

          Well, glad to be of service in helping you choose, hehe 🙂

  3. D Avatar
    D

    Fantastic review. I am still watching this show and have not completed it yet but your review is on the spot to what I have seen so far. The main four actors are simply fantastic. And a good story line to go with it. Thumbs up so far.

    1. Kay Avatar

      Thank you 🙂 This really is a show where the actors truly stand out. They were so spot on with the casting and just watching them is enjoyable on its own. But luckily, the drama itself holds up very well with a good story and nice blend of other elements. Really hope you continue to enjoy it 🙂

  4. FredFred Avatar

    Will watch this next. Thanks Kay! 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      Good luck! Hope it’s a good one for you 🙂

  5. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    I was waiting for your review before adding this one to my watch list ’cause I know if you like it, I will too! 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      Alright! Glad you will be checking this one out. As long as you like the genre, it is a really good one. I definitely recommend it. Hope you enjoy it 🙂

      1. Kate Avatar
        Kate

        I’m not a huge fan of the legal/crime/medical dramas as you know, but I’d watch Lee Joon Ki watch paint dry 🙂 So if you recommend this, that’s all I need to know!

        1. Kay Avatar

          Same here. But this worked for me since there was plenty of story outside of the courtroom, and it was so solid and entertaining. And Lee Joon Gi is a definite bonus. If anything, you will thoroughly enjoy his character in this drama 🙂

          1. Kate Avatar
            Kate

            Finished it last night and wow! Hard pressed to find a flaw in this. Legals are still not my genre but it was so well done. Peeling off layers and getting to the end of the revenge/justice storyline was incredibly satisfying. I was completely surprised when I found myself feeling sorry for the bad guy by the end! The chemistry between Choi Min Soo and Lee Joon Gi was amazing. When those two fought on the same side at the hospital against the assassins then turned on each other I was out of my seat cheering! The music, everything was fantastic.

          2. Kay Avatar

            Wow is right! 🙂 So glad you loved this one too. I’m right there with you. Legals will never be a favorite genre of mine, but this drama pretty much nails it. Story, thrills, directing, and acting came together beautifully. And yes, that chemistry between Choi Min Soo and Lee Joon Gi was something! Seeing two actors of that caliber go toe to toe was thrilling. I would definitely be for lots more legal thrillers like Lawless Lawyer 🙂

          3. Kate Avatar
            Kate

            The scenes between them were so intense that I actually had to go in search of behind the scenes footage to see how those two behaved when the cameras were turned off and it was freaking hilarious. I wish I spoke Korean so I could understand all of the back and forth banter. Gosh I loved them together! I’ve not seen Choi Min Soo before so I’ll need to find him in other things. He’s good.

          4. Kay Avatar

            Oh yes, they are great behind the scenes! You should definitely watch more of Choi Min Soo. The first time I saw him was as the king in Daebak, and his intensity was seriously intimidating and just leapt right off the screen and grabbed my attention. He’s also well known for his role in Warrior Baek Dong Soo where he was equally as good. His comedic abilities are amazing too. We got to see some of that in Lawless Lawyer of course. But it always seriously impresses me when an actor is equally as good at being intense and comedic. He’s just so talented! Now anytime he is cast in a drama I perk right up 🙂

  6. shadowoftheoperaghost Avatar

    Excellent review as usual. I am very impressed by how quickly you watch and review things. I am glad you liked this one though. 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      Thank you! Haha, and I was feeling behind since it ended Sunday, and I was really wanting to get it out as soon as possible. And yes, I definitely enjoyed it 🙂

  7. anewchapter Avatar

    Totally agree with your rating! I loved Lee Joongi in this and his chemistry with Seo Ye Jin and the villains were great too. Great review!

    1. Kay Avatar

      Thank you! Lee Joon Gi and Seo Ye Ji really were a fantastic couple both romantically and as a team. And yes, the villains were amazing! They cast this drama so well 🙂

  8. […] Lawless Lawyer was an all around fun watch that provided a nice mixture of elements. The story, thrills, characters, and talented actors all came together for an entertaining drama that left me pretty well satisfied. (Lawless Lawyer Review) […]

  9. Fred Avatar

    Brilliant, Kaye.

    This drama was able to achieve the fairly hard feat of mixing action, drama, rom-com, “coolness”, seriousness, humor, etc. It was very enjoyable from start to finish. The way it was presented, the plot, the characters. Just brilliant.

    The main loophole in this drama? One or two people fight against a gang AND they win. What’s worse? THE GANGS DON’T HAVE GUNS. C’mon! If they had been more realistic, Sang Pil would have already died in episode 1. HAHAHA. But it was not really a big deal.

    This is also the first time I have seen Seo Ye Ji. Those strong eyes and strong personality coupled with cuteness. I love her. I hope to see more of her in the future. Too bad the most recent drama she had was Save Me. I can’t watch because I am easily scared. LOL. And as always, brilliant performance by Lee Joon Gi. No question about that.

    I agree with your score of 8. Mine is probably an 8.5. If it had a Goblin/While You Were Sleeping level of OST+cinematography and had more focus on their love story, maybe it could go as high as 9.5. But that is my personal preference. It just wasn’t the focus of this drama. Anyways, thanks for the recommendation. =)

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yes! Achieving that genre mix is so difficult, and Lawless Lawyer did it perfectly! I too loved it from beginning to end. Ah, you’re first time seeing Seo Ye Ji. She is a wonderful actress and I love her. I was more than a little excited when I heard she would be paired with Lee Joon Gi. They both have pretty strong personalities as well as deep voices coupled with intensity and talent.

      And yes, I would have totally recommended Save Me to you, but I know it’s not a genre you love. She was absolutely amazing in that drama! It’s not really a scary drama, but the cult is just so disturbing that it makes you uncomfortable. And the drama as a whole is pretty dark and depressing, hehe. But she was matched perfectly in Lawless Lawyer with the always fantastic Lee Joon Gi!

      And I like your score. If I went completely objective I would probably give it a 9 because everything is just so well done. Honestly, my only issue is that I just have trouble getting into legal dramas in general. I just don’t like the courtroom. But I thought it was a perfect legal thriller, and it really couldn’t have done much more to please me 🙂

      The gangs, lol. I do think I’ve seen quite a few of those instances where one or two take down dozens. I think they like giving off an almost superhero vibe to the leads in dramas. And for the guns, this is something I’ve noticed in dramas and wondered about. More times than not, gangs in dramas don’t have guns and usually come armed with steel pipes and knives. I thought it was because guns are a lot more difficult to get in Korea so maybe even bad guys don’t have lots of them. Like you will even see many cops in dramas don’t carry guns or if they do they are very basic ones. I wonder if more organized criminals in Korea really don’t have a lot of guns? I may have to check into that, because now I’m more curious, lol.

      1. Fred Avatar
        Fred

        HAHA. I have seen too many legal Kdramas. This is mainly because of Park Hye Run HAHA. I would say I neither love it nor hate it. But interestingly, I never get interested in TV Series like Suits (neither the American one nor the kdrama).

        As for the gangs, I based my observation on what I saw in City Hunter (best action kdrama so far). There were guns. Lee Min Ho was shot a couple of times. Maybe Lee Joon Gi is just a luckier guy. HAHA.

        1. Kay Avatar

          Yes, to the Park Hye Ryun dramas! For legal dramas, that’s the style I most prefer since the romance and characters are so strong. I would love to see more dramas like she does. But I’m the same in that I rarely do procedural type legal dramas (or crime or medical). I just don’t like the format and prefer serialized shows 🙂

  10. Nick Watts Avatar
    Nick Watts

    The praise this review heaps upon this drama is thoroughly deserved and is accurate in every detail. I only started watching as a LJG fan – I don’t much care for Legal dramas but this just grew on me for the superb acting, characterisation and plot line. The romance is convincing and was unexpected after 7 episodes. Incedentally I am watching on Viki and want to give credit to their subtitlers who did an excellent job.I can hardly wait for the remaining episodes. I looked to Dramabeans for a review but there wasn’t one – their loss!

    1. Kay Avatar

      Your comment pretty much sums up my feelings with Lawless Lawyer as I completely agree! Like you, I’m also not a big fan of legal dramas, but this one did the genre perfectly by really combining with the suspense element and creating a wonderful plot with such interesting characters. Then the actors were above and beyond in every respect. Truly a fantastic drama all around. I really hope you enjoy the rest of it! It’s a fun ride 🙂

  11. ourhealthapps Avatar

    Hmm…I was waiting for your review before adding this one to my watch list ’cause I know if you like it, I will too!
    Moss & Colella

    1. Kay Avatar

      It is a fantastic drama! It’s exactly how a legal thriller should be. Hope you enjoy it 🙂

  12. […] together and have some seriously amazing chemistry. The romance angle was very well done in Lawless Lawyer even though it was a legal thriller. This pair was both fun yet mature, and they had an amazing […]

  13. Lt Avatar
    Lt

    Just watching now Nov 2021. I feel like this was the precursor to “Vincenzo “ 👌🏼😁

    1. Kay Avatar

      I hope you enjoy it! I loved Lawless Lawyer 🙂

  14. […] Lawless Lawyer was such a fun watch that provided a nice mixture of elements. The story, thrills, characters, and talented actors all came together for an entertaining drama that left me pretty well satisfied. My Rating: 8/10 (Lawless Lawyer Review) […]

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