At the heart of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Shin-i-rang Law Office' is the character Shin-i-rang, played by Yoo Yeon-seok. Starting with the unique ability to see ghosts, this character evolves with each episode, showcasing not only his possession skills but also his sharp legal mind and endearing human flaws, creating a multi-dimensional charm that captivates viewers.
This is reflected in both ratings and buzz. The fourth episode, aired on the 21st, achieved its highest ratings yet, with 9.1% nationwide, 9.3% in the metropolitan area, and a peak of 11.3% in certain segments. It also maintains a top position in Netflix's 'Today's Top 10 in Korea,' dominating both TV and OTT platforms. Meanwhile, actor Jung Kyung-ho, known to be a close friend of Yoo Yeon-seok, portrayed a similar role in MBC's 'Labor Attorney No Moo-jin,' which ended last May. However, it only garnered ratings in the 4-5% range, failing to achieve similar success.
In the drama, Shin-i-rang has already helped the second spirit, Kim Soo-ah (played by Oh Ye-ju), find peace. Although he desperately hides his ghost-seeing ability from his mother, Park Kyung-hwa (played by Kim Mi-kyung), she has already noticed the change in her son and quietly supports him. To help Shin-i-rang, who is possessed by Kim Soo-ah, his mother makes spicy tteokbokki, a favorite among high school girls, and discreetly covers for his sudden actions to prevent his sister Shin Sa-rang (played by Son Yeo-eun) from finding out.
However, Shin-i-rang's true strength lies not in his possession ability but in his original character. He doesn't solely rely on clues provided by ghosts but uses his sharp insight and judgment as a lawyer to get to the heart of the case. In a situation where the suspect is presumed to be composer Go Jong-seok (played by Jung Si-heon), Shin-i-rang asks Han Na-hyun (played by Lee Som), who has access to Glory Entertainment, to check the audition score sheet. This narrows down the suspect to trainee Emma (played by Chun Young-min), who could only debut if Kim Soo-ah disappeared, sending chills down viewers' spines.
'Shin-i-rang Law Office' airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.
Reporter Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr