“The Law Cafe” (법대로 사랑하라)

By Jae-Ha Kim
jaehakim.com
November 6, 2022

Kim Jeong-ho (played by Lee Seung-gi)
Kim Yu-ri (played by Lee Se-young)
CEO Hwan (played by Kim Won-hae)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

“The Law Cafe” is a cute K-drama centering on a couple that has always been in love with each other, but doesn’t realize it. Or, rather, is unwilling to acknowledge it.

Jeong-ho is a former prosecutor who quit his job after a scandal involving his estranged father who, at the time, was his boss. Yu-ri is his fearless childhood friend — also an attorney — whose passion lies in helping powerless people get justice. She quits her well-paying job at a top law firm to follow her dream and opens the Law Cafe, a coffeeshop where clients can get affordable legal advice.

I’m actually not sure how she had enough money to pay the rent and other bills, because she didn’t seem to charge her clients much, other than the price of a coffee. At her old job, she had her company’s resources to do pro bono work. But here, she’s responsible for paying her employees and her landlord, who just happens to be Jeong-ho.

The two begin this K-drama with a contentious relationship. He tries to dissuade her from setting up shop in his building and she refuses to listen to him, even after he gives her 100+ pages of restrictive rules that she must abide by in order to remain a tenant.

I am giving away no spoilers when I say that the two do end up pursuing a romantic relationship. And in an interesting twist (in Episode 13), Yu-ri gives Jeong-ho a revised contract that includes their use of birth control and condoms for any intimate encounters. Does it sound too clinical to be romantic? Maybe. But on the other hand, being on the same page prior to pursuing a sexual relationship leaves less room for misunderstandings, no?

Normally, Jo Han-chul is so good in whatever series he’s cast in. But here, it appears that he was directed to play Jeong-ho’s duplicitous uncle almost as a caricature of the unhinged chaebol Ok Taec-yeon played in “Vincenzo” (where Jo portrayed a sycophantic attorney).

There were also significant plot holes that were never tied up. For instance, the cafe’s barista has longing eyes for one of the regulars. But that’s a far as it gets. And one of the most egregious storylines occurs in Episode 15. A hostage is being held at knifepoint. Though he is surrounded by armed police officers and snipers poised on rooftops, the kidnapper is allowed to make all kinds of demands even after he lets his guard down and is no longer holding onto the hostage. What? Whyyyyyyy? There was a clear shot to shoot his arm or leg and capture him, while safeguarding the hostage.

I started off liking this series much, much more in the beginning. Yu-ri and Jeong-ho worked together on some interesting cases, including school bullying, sexual harassment and a psychiatrist’s stalker. But as the series progressed, it was clear to me that I was only watching the remaining episodes because of Lee Seung-gi’s and Lee Se-young’s charm and likeability.

Airdates: Sixteen hour-long episodes aired from September 5 through October 25, 2022 on KBS2.

Spoiler Alert: Yu-ri’s father died a wrongful death that was covered up by Jeong-ho’s father, on behalf of his powerful chaebol father-in-law. Because Jeong-ho was aware of this, he is afraid to confess his feelings for Yu-ri, because of the guilt he feels for his family’s part in her family’s tragedy.

He has always been in love with Yu-ri. He even bought the building where the Law Cafe will later be housed in, because Yu-ri had once mentioned that she loved the building and wanted to open a cafe there. Incredulously, Yu-ri doesn’t realize it’s the same building for the longest time. Really?

It’s no surprise that they fall in love. The series ends with their wedding, where Yu-ri gets married in the ugliest wedding gown I’ve seen in a long time. I have no problem that her dress is red. But to put such a tacky dress on this beautiful woman just seemed wasteful.

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