[Drama 2014] Repentance / A New Leaf 改过迁善 개과천선

[Guest pandak]

I hope to see a love story in the next episode... :\">

[Guest AndOne]

SJ finally found out about the watch.

[OksanaS]

AndOne said: SJ finally found out about the watch.

[2ndComing]

Funny clip. Seok-ju desperate to know if something happened between them??? Ji-yoon says she's really not sure about it.

[Guest emmeo]

SJ & JY please let them together writer nim

[haruhi17]

post-amnesia SJ is just as flustered as pre-amnesia SJ was, except he is sooooo adorable and awkward.  Love KMM's portrayal of post-amnesia SJ 

[hana_b]

Not having watched epis 14, 15 and grand finale yet, I have no idea if this post is relevant at all, but I thought I'd expand on something I posted somewhere else:

On episode 13, I could finally understand why the writer had been preparing the path for the dad to finally lose his memory (albeit only for a couple of scenes): he needed to forget the "bad" SJ and only remember the time when he had his hopes placed on his smart son to become a future pillar for the Justice system in Korea.

This needed to happen so that he could tell adult SJ what he really wanted for him. Had the old SJ and the pre-collapse dad met, this conversation would not have happened.

I don't know why, but that scene made me think of a possible resolution: that SJ becomes a judge. Maybe I'm being too hopeful, but who knows? maybe that would show CHA firm that dirty tricks not always get people to the top positions (yes, I am an idealist).

Also: about the female characters -- (again, hope this changes for epis 14, 15 and grand finale) - I was sad to see how the writer and producers have relegated them to the background: it is as if, except for the fierce prosecutor, the only screen time they get is to be the pretty and mysterious fiancee jogging to do some obligatory product placement scene (the Samsung sports watch), or the cute intern who gets asked to walk SJ's dog.

I know the core of this drama is SJ's transformation and that they need to resolve main issues before next week; I also am aware that the main focus are not his past or future romantic liaisons, but, as someone told me somewhere else: why give hints of a possible romantic future between ace lawyer and intern then?

Ay ay ay... how I wish Korean dramas went back to the old style of shooting, not live, not pali-pali, but planning and producing them with time, care and leaving the story in the hands of a capable writer, not of programming schedules, product placement pressures or irrational netizens' demands. Aish!

Now... off to watch epi 14 tonight, hoping for a possible "redemption" of the initial promises the series made, i.e. seeing SJ fall in love (ok Kim Myung Min playing a role in which he falls in love). <-- ha ha I sound like an irrational netizen myself!

[hana_b]

Sorry, my job is strangely slow today and I could not help making some screencaps from Epi 14!!!

If this is the LOVE line they were building up on this drama, I'm completely fine:

Ahhh... the beauty of seeing (or NOT seeing) Kim Myung Min in his character. All I have to say about this fabulous actor is:

Not that he needs to, though. His work does it for him.

[suchadiva42]

“A New Leaf” Episode 14

The drama has decided its final conflict will be a battle of wills between Seok-joo and Ji-won. Too bad we know almost nothing about Ji-won's actual personality.

The drama has decided its final conflict will be a battle of wills between Seok-joo and Ji-won. Too bad we know almost nothing about Ji-won’s actual personality. “A New Leaf” has had a lot of trouble developing its characters beyond Seok-joo. I can’t decide whether this was because of poor scripting or whether the drama’s material was just too ambitious from the get go. There’s just not enough time to do the series the epic justice it so badly wants to have.

The lawyer battles here are a fair matter of turnabout. Seok-joo doesn’t just have to face the logistical obstacles the drama has been discussing up until this point- he also needs to fight within the context of an explicitly corrupt system that just gets worse the more they try to challenge its credentials. I like this drama’s cynicism- “The Attorney” was a big blockbuster last year on the strength of its legal premise, yet because it dealt with law under a dictatorship, it was easy to dismiss the problem as being a thing of the past. Not so here.

Consider, for example, what happens with Seon-hee. I doubt very much her experience is an isolated incident. The law is politics- oftentimes literally, given how the people in charge are either appointed or elected. There is, naturally, nothing concrete and nothing that can be easily proven- I doubt this drama is going to end in a flawless victory for Seok-joo. The negative undertones are just too strong.

Ji-yoon finally gets something to do in this regard, even if it’s not much. She realizes that the system is messed up, and, well, that’s it. Ji-yoon has the very awkward position of being an underpowered character in a drama that’s an all-out brawl between people who know very well what they’re doing. There just isn’t much she can contribute to the proceedings, which makes it somewhat disappointing that Ji-yoon hasn’t worked more as a cipher. An intern in the process of being disillusioned would be a fitting contrast to Seok-joo’s rediscovery of his past.

At this point, though, it’s pretty clear that Seok-joo’s amnesia has always just been a plot device to get him reevaluating his life, and having to reorient his legal mind to find workarounds to the abuse in the system rather than exploiting it properly. I really liked the way he countered Ji-won- a fitting counterattack against a system that’s clearly rotten to the inside.

Review by William Schwartz

“A New Leaf” is directed by Park Jae-beom-I, written by Choi Hee-ra and features Kim Myeong-min, Park Min-yeong, Kim Sang-joong and Ahn Seon-yeong

Source: www.hancinema.net

[Guest asyree]

suchadiva42 said: - The drama has decided its final conflict will be a battle of wills between Seok-joo and Ji-won. Too bad we know almost nothing about Ji-won’s actual personality. “A New Leaf” has had a lot of trouble developing its characters beyond Seok-joo. 
- Ji-yoon has the very awkward position of being an underpowered character in a drama that’s an all-out brawl between people who know very well what they’re doing. There just isn’t much she can contribute to the proceedings, which makes it somewhat disappointing that Ji-yoon hasn’t worked more as a cipher. An intern in the process of being disillusioned would be a fitting contrast to Seok-joo’s rediscovery of his past.

- It’s pretty clear that Seok-joo’s amnesia has always just been a plot device to get him reevaluating his life, and having to reorient his legal mind to find workarounds to the abuse in the system rather than exploiting it properly. 

Review by William Schwartz

“A New Leaf” is directed by Park Jae-beom-I, written by Choi Hee-ra and features Kim Myeong-min, Park Min-yeong, Kim Sang-joong and Ahn Seon-yeong

Source: www.hancinema.net

[Guest miguel10]

ep 14 caps

[AmeldaL]

My view of ANL is almost exactly the opposite of yours, @asyree. Whereas the characters to you are "disconnected from the people who exist in the drama world", to me they seem unusually real. There are no noble self-sacrificing idiots (in fact, no idiots at all), no sweet and intuitive young things making an indelible impression on grim but hunky 2nd-generation chaebol guys, etc. No one's actions have made me want to throw things at my screen. Oddly enough, the only character that I find a bit unrealistic is SJ himself, but only because I can't quite believe that amnesia can work that way.

While I do agree with you that many of the characters are not portrayed in much detail, I feel that it doesn't detract from the story. Moreover, I think each of the supporting characters is sketched (yup we don't get much more than a sketch in many cases) so vividly that we can fill in the blanks ourselves. Take JW. It's funny that you see him as sympathetic, because from where I'm standing there was nothing about him that indicated that he was any more than a very intelligent and ambitious man who might be easily flattered into mis-using his talents. Being nice to an old lady, especially in full view of his colleagues/superiors, could mean anything. And the way he needled SJ when they were outside JY's old apartment seems to suggest a somewhat over-developed competitive streak. (I bet SJ, even at his worst, would never bother to make such remarks to anyone's face.) I also thought it was quite clear even in the first few episodes why SJ's dad disapproved of SJ so much. He was a human rights lawyer who had fought the good fight and even gone to prison for it - CYW's firm must stand for everything he despises. I'm not going into the topic of JS, because I think it's already been discussed at great length.

In response to your view that ANL lacks heart, I would argue that its heart lies not so much in the characters or in the relationships between the characters (though I find some of them rather moving, e.g. the father-son relationship), but in the writer's protest against the stranglehold that banks and big business have on modern society. The main theme of ANL, I think, is how difficult it is for ordinary people to survive in a world where the rich and powerful are constantly trying to cheat and confuse them; and how difficult it is even for extraordinary people like SJ and JW to do the right thing. A drama series that engages so angrily and passionately with what is actually happening in the word today is a rare thing in any country, let alone in South Korea. 

[AmeldaL]

No need to ship SJ and Sang-tae - MBC is doing it for us. 

[Guest asyree]

AmeldaL said: No need to ship SJ and Sang-tae - MBC is doing it for us. 

[Guest lina123456789]

AmeldaL said: No need to ship SJ and Sang-tae - MBC is doing it for us. 

[Guest]

@AmeldaL  I really enjoyed your comments on what #ANL means to you and agree with most of it. It is rare indeed to see a Drama that chooses not to make romance the main core of the story, and like you' I've enjoyed the way it's tried to expose the depth of corruption in the society it portrays. I also agree with your comments about JW, and think that episode 14 did a fine job of showing us both sides of him - at first troubled by the extent to which the firm would go to achieve its end but finally, stung by hurt at losing, determined to imitate his boss and do whatever it takes to win.

My one major complaint about the series is the apparent pointlessness of CJA's character. Not introduced until episode 8, it now seems she's gone again. Her character, and her relationship with SJ, had real potential, but now she's an irrelevance. I'm sure part of this was due to the axing of two episodes, but I do feel sorry for CJA. She's at an age where strong, meaningful second roles are the best she can expect to get, and seeing her denied the opportunity here is disappointing. 

[Guest man_du13]

My two favorite K Dramas (this and Triangle) are not doing well in the rating department.  Maybe I have an odd-ball taste than normal people.  Or there is no market for out-of-box dramas for Korean viewers.  In any case, I bet executives in Korean TV stations will have second thoughts next time before trying something fresh and different dramas than typical who-is-shipping-with-whom type and it is sad.  

Having said that, I think this show has its own issues.   They spent significant amount of the screen time for the court arguments with details.  I presume their intention was trying to be as realistic as possible.  If that was the intention, the court argument should be highly convincing.  Hedging for/against U.S. dollar is hardly a complex business strategy/concept.  Furthermore, if the mid/small corporate CEO’s could not understand, they should not buy the product.  My point is the sob story of the corporate CEO’s did not sway me for them and neither the arguments of Seok-Joo.   For most K dramas, I would not make fuss on this since they are incredibly (laughably) unrealistic anyways.  This show, however, really strives to be as realistic as possible and thus my complaints.  Now, I will get off from my soap box.

[AmeldaL]

@asyree: I love the bromance too! Especially the way ST, who is so different from SJ, is nevertheless so loyal to him.

I see your point about how ANL might appear too cold and controlled to some viewers, though I guess different people are moved by different things. For me, it's precisely ANL's restraint that intensifies the impact of the more emotional moments. An early one is SJ's long walk from his office to his car during the fishermen's demonstration. I barely breathed when watching the sequence, gripped by the way Kim Myung Min conveyed horror and grief without a word, and amazed that the director/writer had the balls to stretch that moment over several minutes. A more recent one is the way SJ's dad smiled - really smiled - after SJ's latest courtroom victory. I'm embarrassed to say that I actually shouted "Make him proud, SJ!" at the screen. And there are many more: SJ's reaction to the old lady giving him an energy drink at the hospital; the reactions of all the members of Team Jung Hye-ryoung after SJ won the case; SJ's final conversation with CYW and his departure from the firm: etc. 

[AmeldaL]

stuartjmz said: episode 14 did a fine job of showing us both sides of him - at first troubled by the extent to which the firm would go to achieve its end but finally, stung by hurt at losing, determined to imitate his boss and do whatever it takes to win.

[Guest]

AmeldaL said: stuartjmz said: episode 14 did a fine job of showing us both sides of him - at first troubled by the extent to which the firm would go to achieve its end but finally, stung by hurt at losing, determined to imitate his boss and do whatever it takes to win.