“This is a drama you must watch and the reason why is simple: It screams what is happening with our youth, and why”.
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First things first
The following review has no spoilers.
I haven’t posted any K-drama reviews in a long time. To be honest, it is not because I didn’t have time, it is because I never finished watching any of the dramas I started during the past few months.
Here applies the classic: “It’s not you, it’s me” (it’s not the K-drama, it’s me).
The reason: I did not like any of them enough to continue watching. It seems exaggerated, but it’s the truth. I would like to know if this has also happened to you.
I have tried everything: romantic comedy, terror, thriller, action, but none of them caused on me that intense excitement that kept me hooked in a K-drama up until the last episode.
I’m currently watching a romantic comedy and I love it (Business Proposal) it’s very cliché and lovely; I am enjoying it so much, that as soon as I finish it I will happily write a review.
Juvenile Justice is a drama that I started watching with not much expectation, but I ended up loving it from episode one. I thought it had a good plot, especially because it shows the reality of our society today.
Juvenile Justice is a Korean series of 10 episodes, released on February 25 2022, on Netflix. Its genre is legal drama.
Synopsis
Juvenile Justice follows the story of Shim Eun-seok, an elite judge with a cold and distant personality, who is known for her aversion towards juvenile delinquents. When she is transferred to a juvenile court in Yeonhwa District, she breaks customs and administrates her own method to punish the offenders. She has to deal and balance her hate towards these minor offenders, with strong beliefs on justice and punishment, as she tackles complex cases.
In general terms
This is a drama you must watch and the reason why is simple: It screams what is happening with our youth, and why.
It is a very sensitive subject, also very real. It urges you to educate your kids well; to give them all the attention they need. It urges society to find effective methods to help kids with their psychological and/or behavioral problems, to guide them in the best way possible. It urges the Government to find advice concerning ideal methods to help children and youth in their countries. Because not every kid has conscious parents, or parents at all, and need help.
This matter is delicate and urgent. This may sound old, but it is real: children and youth are the future of our planet. Their mental health is a priority, and most legal and educational systems in the world do not have efficient methods to help and protect them.
Why do I recommend Juvenile Justice?
The plot
I explained above why the plot of this series is important. During the drama, we see many cases, and each one has its importance. It makes you think, not only about the crime but also about what could have happened to these kids in order for them to reach to that point. You will get your own conclusions, and they won’t be encouraging.
The main character
Judge Shim Eun-seok is a very enigmatic woman. Her apartment has barely any furniture, neither has food, and she barely sleeps. Her focus is 100% her job, and we learn nothing about her personal life until the ninth episode. She hates juvenile delinquents and shows it all the time.
However, everything she does goes according to the law; she never contemplates the idea of doing something outside of it, which upsets her even more, because she knows that laws must change.
Her attitude also brings problems with her superiors and co-worker, they cannot understand her, but they can’t confront her either, because she does nothing illegal.
I loved this character, I understood her from day 1; even though I did not know her story, I could feel she was a woman in pain, who wanted justice.
The OST
The OST is very good; it goes on point with the emotions that this drama convey.
During the first scene, which takes place in wintertime, we listen to a version of Schédryk, a Ukrainian folk chant, created by composer Mykola Leontóvich in 1916. The piece is spectacular, and in this case, it adds a creepy vibe to the scene. This version is by INNI, and you can listen to it on this YouTube link. Other song I liked is Boy, by Safina.K, and you can listen to it on this YouTube link.
A little ending note
Juvenile Justice is a drama in every sense of the word. It is hard to watch, painful and real. It is not fiction, this is happening now, all around us. That’s why I recommend you to watch it.
As soon as I finished the drama, I talked to my husband about it and ended up crying, for the kids nowadays, and for the kids who caused me a lot of psychological damage when I was a child, because at the end of the day, no kid is born with malice in their heart, NONE. All of that is a result of the environment in which they grow up.
If you watch it, I would love to know your opinion.
Xoxo,
MJ
Other reviews on my Blog:
Mi terapia es escribir. Me desahogo escribiendo sobre la vida, mis aficiones, aprendizajes, bienestar, historias, libros y recetas. También me hace feliz conectarme contigo.