Albeit the sad and reality-biting life lessons, Miss Hammurabi is emotionally uplifting.
Intelligently written and superbly acted, Miss Hammurabi thrives on warming up the viewers’ hearts despite the painful situations encompassing the myriad of relatable human disputes discussed throughout the series.
- Main Cast: Go Ara | Kim Myung Soo | Sung Dong Il | Ryu Duk Hwan | Lee Elliyah
- Streaming Sites: Netflix | Viu | iflix
- Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- K-Dramas of Similar Vibe: Judge vs Judge | Misaeng
*First published on Hellokpop in 2018
The nicely blended energy of the cast tackling civil cases was the first impression we had for the series. From trivial to impossible local discords about gender roles, family ties, workplace discrimination; a myriad of prevalent societal issues has filled in the well-written narrative of Miss Hammurabi. It flows thought-provoking life lessons that it is impossible not to look forward to its chapters.
Miss Hammurabi Peak Points
Heart-tugging life realizations
Courtroom dramas usually lead the viewers to root for the stories happening inside the said fictional sphere. But not with Miss Hammurabi. It magically binds the viewers to the presented cases like how the judge characters would feel and ponder the situations requiring ruling. The string of conflicts that ensued from the onset keeps an engaging pace, owing to how the depicted cases indulge in how the outcomes will be unveiled.
Each of the sub-stories presented nudges a reality check for the viewers because the familiar disputes are wrapped with courageous pep talks that harsh life experiences have robbed us over the years. Department 44 judges sedated the watchers to reflect on their own lives if in case the basis of their human interactions has been overlooked.
Efficient Character Depictions
The writing of Miss Hammurabi strategically makes use of young and old cast to play emphasis on the changing goodness of people, which have been affected by the evolving societal perspectives of what’s right or wrong. The veteran judges represent the safe and wise decisions that have been tested through time. In contrast, the young judges highlight the bravery needed to depart from traditional views that do not cohere anymore on precedents of the modern circumstances.
Go Ara, who portrayed the emotional and whistle-blower judge, Miss Hammurabi, displays Judge Oh Reum’s change-oriented convictions that challenge the flawed organization she belongs to. Her empathetic abilities to utilize her heart and sane reasoning to protect the powerless earned the ire of her superiors, who refuse to accept her unconventional ways. But through her sincere efforts, along with the heartwarming rulings she came up with Judge Ba Reun (Kim Myung Soo) and Judge Han (Sung Dong Il), she helps in closing the generation gap between young and old arbitrators.
Thought-Provoking Aftermath
Choosing stories that would yield the viewers to sympathize with ordinary problems translated to civil cases has been one of the strengths of Miss Hammurabi. That given its straightforward narrative approach, the anticipation to wonder what kind of weekly case the judges would work on is – but a normal thing to do for the religious followers. The series felt like attending a healing program or meeting the world’s best shrink with many motivational messages to live an upright existence it has shared abundantly to its audience.
Miss Hammurabi Series Musings
Routine Storybuilding
Following multiple conflicts that decide the plot bends of the narrative would not appeal to a wide range of audiences. Miss Hammurabi maneuvers a plain approach that you can summarize its plot through a one-liner of “judges working on civil cases”. The series means business in reminding people to ponder about their evil ways by brimming the series with castigating lessons for the followers to learn from.
Weighing the judgment on who deserves to be gratified, Miss Hammurabi gives off a consoling effect as it courageously probes in showing how human flaws and pains either motivate or shatter a person.
The hastened ending is visible since the storyline has limitless options to prolong the series.
Although slightly sprinkled, romance is not an integral plot game-changer for Miss Hammurabi. Humor is evident, but it is the overall design of the main leads’ growth coinciding with the lessons they learned from the legal problems they handled – that made jTBC’s legal story a much-watch drama you should include on your list.
Takeaway Quotes
“Human dignity stems from our ability to take responsibility for our actions. But what do you call a society that abandons the powerless?”
“It’s not wise to punish every barking dog, and it’s best to avoid problems. This world is full of people who will never change. There’s no need to fight them or make them understand. We don’t have to be friends with anyone we know.
“Sometimes the reality is worse than a horror movie.”
Photos: JTBC
[wpedon id=”3227″ align=”center”]
