Origin and release year: South Korea (2022)

Starring: Kim Hye Soo, Shim Dal Gi, Kim Mu Yeol, Lee Sung Min, Lee Jung Eun, Kim Joon Ho, Park Jong Hwan

Firstly, any drama or movie with Kim Hye Soo as the lead role is guaranteed to be great and Juvenile Justice was no different. She was no-nonsense juvenile case judge with a strict moral compass and who stuck to her principles.

I like that she was the opposite of Kim Mu Yeol’s character because his overflowing compassion was slightly problematic at times and gave him clouded judgment. I did feel that his character was a bit under utilized at times though.

I also have to give a huge shout-out to the teenagers and young adults who played supporting roles in this series. Many of the crime cases in the series were based on true crimes that happened in Korea or existing social issues.

The support cast played their roles so well that you ended up hating the characters for their heinous acts. They came off as sick individuals with little to no remorse and had you hating on them through the screen.

On another note, the cinematography was stellar, especially in the court room. The symmetry and lighting added to the earnest mood of the series and made it a visual pleasure to watch.

I also loved the social commentary about society and the role that parents play versus the children themselves in these juvenile cases, corruption, and more.

It’s been refreshing to see an increase in K-Dramas that focus on the real aspects of Korean society rather than the shiny fantasy version.

What did you think of Juvenile Justice?