It’s a done deal for SBS‘s next weekend drama Divorce Lawyer in Love. The drama has confirmed the casting of Yeon Woo Jin and Jeo Yeo Jung as the titular leads in what is being described as a fun bickering rom-com. I certainly do love those, except I’m conditioned like a Pavlovian dog now not to immediately believe what the production claims the drama is about, with too many so-called fun bickering rom-coms ending up anything but that. With that said, I’ll still give this one the benefit of the doubt because I do like the two leads very much.
It’ll be Jo Yeo Jung’s first drama in 3 years since Haeundae Lovers whereas Yeon Woo Jin is striking while the iron is still hot off his well-received performance in the rom-com Marriage Not Dating. He really is amazing as a rom-com leading man, with the emphasis on delivering the requisite comedy even at his own expense. Same goes for Jo Yeo Jung who gets more attention for her serious and sultry movie star career and less for her spot-on comic timing and very approachable and warm leading lady aura. Joining the two leads will be perpetual second lead Wang Ji Won who I am still trying to figure out how I feel about her other than always disliking the character she plays.
The synopsis of Divorce Lawyer in Love centers around the two leads who are both lawyers but at different times in their career. Yeon Woo Jin starts off as an office manager at Jo Yeo Jung’s firm and leaves when they butt heads one too many times. Years later he’s gone to law school and become a lawyer himself, only to hire on Jo Yeo Jung as his officer manager when she gets her law license suspended and can’t practice. They are clearly meant to be as fate keeps bringing them together and hopefully the practice of law in this drama will be kept to a minimum and not drive me crazy. Divorce Lawyer in Love premieres in March after The Family is Coming wraps up.
Love the leads, ditto about Wang Ji Won. She is slowly turning into Korean Aibu Saki, aka perpetually bitter second fiddle.
She didn’t end up a bitter second AT ALL in INR3 – a major part of the storyline was the reconnection between her character and Kim So Yeon’s. Likewise in FTLY, where her character was so much less hateworthy than in the original, she did not end up bitter.
Each to his own, I found her characters equally unbearable in both I Need Romance 3 and Fated To Love You. When it comes to Wang Ji Won as an actress I will reserve my judgement until I see her play smeone more likable.
WJW may not have been bitter in INR3 but I couldn’t stand her character in there at all. So smug and what’s with the attitude, ugh. Her character in FTYL was basically already written in stone to come across as the shafted second female lead so I don’t have an impression beyond she delivered what she was asked to do at least with more charm than Bianca did.
Would have been more interesting if the genders in the synopsis were reversed… but this drama’s predecessor has 3% ratings (eek even for an SBS weekender) so I think crappy ratings are a given. Pity as I really like Yeon Woo Jin.
Woo-hoo! Woo-jin again!
I hope they also get to do a lot of physical humor. Both are good at that!
I’m still waiting for Wang Ji Won o get a Drama role that focuses on dance. Her official Facebook page lists her just as “dancer”, and her Instagram posts are often about dance and dancers she knows. It would be great if she could get a role that let shine in what’s clearly most important to her.
I wonder why she wants to act then? Three dramas in I don’t think she’s a particularly good actress or all that charming/memorable in her onscreen aura. She’s a stunning ballet dancer so is it a career change because the lifespan of a ballerina is so limited? If she wants to be a legit actress then she’s going to have to deliver on any role and not just shine only when she’s playing a dancer.
i don’t know her performances in other show.. but for me her performance in ftly is soooo good. it’s a shame no one give her credit for her nuance acting in that drama. you may dislike her character. but not her acting. the only good thing about ftly is witnessing jang na ra best performances with her understated but nuance acting and wang ji won. yeon wo jin and wang ji won’
i will give it a try.