Daebak K-Rambles

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Re-watch value: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis

*partially taken from Dramafever*

The drama’s original broadcast period is from May 10, 2017, to June 29, 2017. The drama reunites Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun after their work on Warrior Baek Dong Soo. Love in Trouble is also known as “Suspicious Partner,” a romantic comedy where a prosecutor and his intern slowly start to fall for each other… but a forgetful killer has some other plans for their future. Now Eun Bong Hee and Noh Ji Wook have to work together to save themselves.

• Noh Ji Wook (Ji Chang Wook from The K2, Healer) is a prosecutor. He is hard-headed, handsome, intelligent, stern and successful. He is the epitome of what a prosecutor should be, and he has a new headache to deal with.

• Eun Bong Hee (Nam Ji Hyun from Shopping King Louis) is a prosecutor trainee. A former Taekwondo athlete, she is both confident and naive. She has been assigned to work under Noh Ji Wook, who really, really does not like her.

• Prosecutor Cha Yoo Jung (Nara from Hello Venus), Noh Ji Wook’s ex who really wants him back.

• Ji Eun Hyuk (Choi Tae Joon from Missing 9) is a longtime family friend of Noh Ji Wook’s. Deep down, though, this private attorney harbors some serious resentment for the stubborn prosecutor.

Rambling

*Beware of spoilers*

I was hesitant to start this show, since I only know Ji Chang-wook from all the action and serious work that he’s done. To my knowledge, he didn’t crop up much in the realm of romantic K-drama. Also, Nam Ji-hyun’s character in Shopping King Louis was so unbelievably naive that I wasn’t sold on her as a lead actress. I’m pleased to say that both our leads pulled off this drama quite well!

Their chemistry was sizzling once things picked up between them (after Eun Bong-hee’s murder trial is thrown out and Noh Ji-wook becomes a private attorney). In fact, it was their romance that kept me interested in finishing the drama. (Forty episodes is a long time to stay invested in a show, even if the episodes are only 30 minutes long.)

Eun Bong-hee’s low-key independence and self-sufficiency were startling to me ::shudders at Shopping King Louis:: Her character held her own when she fought off her friend’s attacker and came out with just a scratch. Noh Ji-wook really didn’t need to show up and sniffle all over our lead girl; she was doing just fine.

I need to take a second to applaud Choi Tae-joon’s performance. He was so evil in Missing 9 that when he first popped up on the screen, I just shriveled up inside. He managed to shed his malicious persona from Missing 9 and give us a really well-rounded character. I was happy Ji Eun-hyuk wasn’t the traditional second male lead. It was almost like he played a second male lead only in the flashbacks with Noh Ji-wook’s ex-girlfriend, in another timeline, another life. His nervous, goofy laugh was proper dreadful, and I have to give him props for coming up with that eruption repeatedly over the series.

The whole subplot of Bong-hee’s dad possible killing Ji-wook’s dad was overkill. I think those episodes where they were separated because you can’t date your father’s murderer’s daughter were like watching a student driver try to parallel park, definitely slower than the zippy first half of the show.

Anyway, the stakes got higher as the drama progressed, however, and the Jung Hyun-soo character was absolutely disturbing to watch. Some dramas back off and lose steam when faced with punishing characters that have committed serious crimes (I’m looking at you, Missing 9), but I was so relieved to see that Suspicious Partner took us through to the trial and to his sentencing. I thought the rape flashbacks were super compelling; I haven’t seen anything like it since I Miss You. The entire trial was heavy, especially the revelation that Jung Hyun-soo was a passive witness to the gang rape of his high school crush. Definitely unforgivable, and although you pity his mental state, I’m glad the drama gave him no redemption.

Papa John’s

It’s sad when a good drama gets dragged down by poor sponsorships and endorsements. In the name of all that is holy, whyy would Papa John’s ever be considered fantastic pizza, and why would I believe it when our characters are happily chowing down on it every chance they get? Also, Ji-wook’s mom owning and managing a Papa John’s franchise while wearing her designer clothes was just rude.

All in all, Papa John’s atrocity aside, this is a respectable drama with an appropriate number of moving parts, riveting crime/thriller storyline, and a decent romance.

Did you see Suspicious Partner? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!