[Drama 2018] Miss Hammurabi, 미스 함무라비

[natalia_esperon2000]

i felt bad that Judge Han Se Sang. resigned i wonnder what will be his next job. I can imagine that he will become a lawyer.coause how can he support his kids and i thinkk that's more realistic. this drama affected meso much cause i think the writers really know what's happening in real liife....

[philosophie]

Wow this show as so good. Just sad it’s over now and wish we had a little bit more closure. Maybe even a scene of three months later with everyone meeting for food like they did to comfort OH at her house last episode. But this time judge Han and his family is there too. Maybe both couples are engaged or writernims and her man are married and OH are engaged so there’s like that display of how things are solidified between both.

[lara2018]

@bebebisous33 I see... but the show implies that Mr. NJ Group is going to get exposed for buying off the victim so that she changed her testimony.  That was the basis for the appellate reversal.  And Justice Sung was in charge of the reversal, and he’s been publicly-exposed as abusive and incompetent.  So I get why Judge Han would have the impulse to resign, but by the end the episode, there’s really no need.  And he made BOTH of our sweet judges cry!  

[bebebisous33]

22 minutes ago, lara2018 said:

@bebebisous33 I see... but the show implies that Mr. NJ Group is going to get exposed for buying off the victim so that she changed her testimony.  That was the basis for the appellate reversal.  And Justice Sung was in charge of the reversal, and he’s been publicly-exposed as abusive and incompetent.  So I get why Judge Han would have the impulse to resign, but by the end the episode, there’s really no need.  And he made BOTH of our sweet judges cry!  

You are mixing up the cases. The case I was referring to was the last one: the abused wife who killed her husband in order to protect herself. This has nothing to do with NJ Group. The jurors found her innocent too but their opinion is just a recommendation. The judges have the final saying. However, since in such a case, a victim has never been declared innocent before, there might be an appeal.

[jl08]

Wow! this FMV of Ba Reun and O Reum #laracouple sweet moments is just so lovely...

Credit : Mazzy @bpwinces!  She's awesome as her laptop crashed and yet she did this video..

I already miss our beloved BaReum couple so much....

I'm thankful that we are able to indulge in the beautiful chemistry between L and Ara not just in MH, but also in Knowing Brothers and Baeksang Awards as you can see in this wonderful vid...

 

 

[jl08]

On 7/17/2018 at 3:34 PM, lara2018 said:

It's not just a desire for romance, but an issue of character development and the series' arc.  Judge Park is a passionate person, and part of her journey is being able to express that with a man after years of bad experiences with them.  Judge Im has been more or less pining for Judge Park since they were teenagers, and I think that seeing him express his affection physically is important to show that he no longer just keeps his feelings checked by expectations of disappointment and bottled up.

 

I share the same opinion here. As I've also mentioned in my earlier post from previous episodes, I've noticed that there is no follow up with the love relationship and character development of Im Ba Reun and Park Cha O Reum. In one episode, Ba Reun visited her mum; in the next episode, they're back to formal colleagues and there's no connection with previous episodes. It's like that distant feeling again in their relationship, on and off. 

 

I also wonder how it's possible that they're not affectionate in the final episode after 'kissing' and holding hands in ep 15. Again, there is no follow up between ep 15 and ep 16. It's glaring that this part is omitted or perhaps since it's a legal drama, they needed to cover all the legal stuff within ep 16 and it's true that all the villian were taken to task in a flash. Perhaps it would be good to have 20 episodes so that we can see the growth of the judges and their character development.

 

It's also funny that after mutual confession, ep 16 seems to have an awkward atmosphere in the 2 judges' office and in their behavior - I agree that some physical display of affection would make it more realistic after having a 'hot' date the previous day supposedly...lol.

 

My conclusion is that the romance is not included by the scriptwriter and even if there were brief scenes, you could see that the PD does not have creative ideas of dating and Ba Reun is left holding his handkerchief during the entire kiss shot! lol...He could have put it down and at some point, maybe close his eyes? I know he's surprised but he could have closed his eyes later....it would have been more romantic. Also, during the hugging scene bts, I heard the director suggesting that Ba Reun hugged O Reum with one hand and that it is more heart-fluttering with one hand! Really? I 'm so glad that Myung Soo suggested that he would decide when the real scene is shot. 2 hands caressing his woman is much better than one hand imo....one hand would have shown that his consolation is not wholeheartedly done.

 

But there again the lead couple seemed shy at times (bts of kissing and holding hands and standing on the kissing spot in the heart-shaped lights - they do looked awkward/shy)  so...maybe they're spared from all the melo scenes to ease their mind?  

 

With the open-ended finale and the high rating, I definitely wish for a Season 2 with the same cast and please include "Romance" in the genre next time!  

[lara2018]

10 hours ago, bebebisous33 said:

You are mixing up the cases. The case I was referring to was the last one: the abused wife who killed her husband in order to protect herself. This has nothing to do with NJ Group. The jurors found her innocent too but their opinion is just a recommendation. The judges have the final saying. However, since in such a case, a victim has never been declared innocent before, there might be an appeal.

 

Judge Han resigned before they got the verdict in the last case; he just told the associates after getting the verdict.  Anyway, I like that he wants to protect them and I even think it is fine for him to want to move on with his life.  But the show emphasized that the world is right and just with the three of them, so I’m not happy with the implications of separating the world from right and just!

[Veronica Park]

https://ahjummamshies.com/2018/07/19/k-drama-reaction-miss-hammurabi-finale/

[jl08]

https://www.dramafever.com/news/miss-hammurabi-episodes-13-16-review-a-not-so-final-finale/

 

Nice write-up about the last 3 episodes. Missing Ba Reun's warm protection over O Reum....

[ende]

I came across the link to this forum after watching the cast on Knowing Brother. Thank you Julia, wherever you are. 

 

I spent some time to read all the discussions here and I'm very grateful for all the contributions as I found a good personal closure for the drama as well as a great personal continuation of thoughts. 

 

I've only been watching kdrama selectively in recent years so when a gem like Miss Hammurabi came along, it is worth the discussion. 

 

Knowing that kdrama is not widely known to give heavy dose of legal dramas like Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Judging Amy or Suits, I'm always happy to chance upon one. 

 

Going into the first episode, I managed to watch one trailer and read on the Code of Hammurabi, and I didn't think much about any of the characters or plots. Somehow, from that very episode, I felt MH is special. BR and OR set the tone well at the start. As more of these stories unfold, a lot of things tucked into my mind especially about child custody battle, BR's dad and OR's mum where these matters are next to me everyday. In many ways, I could understand both BR's and OR's situations and their growth in work/personal relationships. A slice of life indeed. 

 

Someone mentioned about OR's coat being her armour. In fashion theory, her coat can serve as a metaphor hence as much as it annoyed some audience, I find it purposeful for her character too. Even Bruce Wayne is known for two main outfits - fine suits and cape. 

 

Like everyone, there will be work/projects we do, that are not our best but we had the right intention therefore I understand why some reserved second thoughts on Go Ara's projects; say after watching Hwarang, where the writing (and makeup) did not do much justice to the main casts. Therefore it's great to see her in this role, supported by an excellent writing, casts and crew.

 

My MVP in MH is Kim Myung Soo because I have almost no knowledge of his work so to watch his BR lead and support Go Ara's OR with conviction, made me grateful for his work. I will definitely come back to rewatch MH whenever I need it. 

 

Here's a quote by author E.B. White that made me think of BR, OR and MH: 

"As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time." 

 

Good day to all. 

[jl08]

2 hours ago, ende said:

"As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time." 

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and observations on MH, Go Ara and Kim Myung Soo. 

The above quote is really very apt to the drama's context. It's like Ba Reun saying that the seeds are spreading...you can see the female reporter and old woman that O Reum had helped, coming back to help her at the end. It's heart-warming. We can also see O Reum's staff and colleagues rallying around her at the end, even though O Reum had stepped on their toes. It's like at the end of the day, the one compassionate woman has brought hope where desolation lurked before. She had fought a tough battle yet she persevered. 

 

I hope the people who criticized actors and actresses know where they're coming from. The actors and actresses act according to the script and the producer's calling. As we can see in bts, at times the producer and director leave it to the actors and actresses to execute certain emotions, as long as they're within the script. Say, if Ara is required to wail, she will wail. However she does it, she might be given the freedom to wail but she will still need to wail. It's in the script.

 

As for the huge coats etc, shouldn't we focus on the acting and story? We don't know the background of her attire. In one of the bts, we saw that she was so cold (hanbok thin material) that Myung Soo saw and asked for a heater or blanket for her. Some people just can't take the coldness...we really don't know the background. 

 

Anyway, I really enjoyed the drama and the great cast with their camaraderie and I hope  to see a Season 2 with more complex issues and learning points, not to mention spicing it with more romance from Ara and Myung Soo. Yes, the same cast would do the trick. 

[ende]

Since Go Ara doesn't go on variety show as much (she's awesome in Running Man), and in the short time they both had, I appreciate that she displayed a lot of relatable scene/theme found in MH during the Knowing Brother episode. I watched it twice to realised she pointed out things like her first love story (Im Ba-Reun throughout MH), ice-cream penalty (them eating in ep15), her magic tricks (Ga On's magic tricks in ep 11 & 15) and sharing their own regrettable moments to learn from; just as we've seen through the stories found in MH. 

[jl08]

Thanks to the many fans who did such lovely MVs for Miss Hammurabi...and took fancams of Kim Myung Soo and Go Ara at Baeksang Awards....I really enjoyed this drama and the soft love line between Ba Reun and O Reum. I need more hugs from them! lol

The OSTs are awesome though I'm disappointed because Myung Soo and Ara could have collaborated on an OST for MH. Their voices are beautiful and a joint OST would be great!

 

Credit Macko Fules

 

credit ddysmybag

 

Credit July Le

Spoiler

Credit Ares Heika

 

Credit  July Le

 

 

Credit Kpopislife

 

 

[kalidreamz]

I am a big fan of Infinite L (Kim MyungSoo) so I do pay close attention to his acting.  I am very happy that Miss Hammurabi with him as one of the main leads received many praises and the drama was a success.  Please, if anyone who can translate my message to Hangul, translate it and post it on Naver or any Korean forum so Kim MyungSoo could read it.

First, he needs to improve his posture, he needs to stand up straight or he will have a hunchback later all.  By standing up straight he shows his confident and his height since other fellow Korean male actors are very tall.

Second, he needs to genuinely smile, not a tight lipped smile when he purposely stretches the lips to right side to show the dimple.  We've already known he has two dimples.

Thirdly, when he acts angry, he should not cringe his teeth because it shows unnatural and bad acting, just use emotional memory and go all out by not worrying that your face won't be handsome.  Because, handsome guy gets more handsome and cool when he is angry, and Myungsoo will look handsome no matter what he does to his face.  Please work on your angry acting and stop cringing teeth.

Finally, because he is an idol so he always has to worry about his image, however; when you are acting, you need to show your emotion, and not worry about your image, then you will become a better actor.

I am always looking forward to Kim Myungsoo -- an actor with new work, new drama.  Because I am your true fan, I wish that you will improve and become one of the best Korean actors.

 

Regarding Go Ara, she is pretty, good crier but I am sorry to say this, she is bad at every dramas, and always overreacting.

[roli]

Oh..boy I really miss this drama. Monday and tuesday its not the same. 

[jl08]

@kalidreamz

 

lol.. Since you have serious concern about Kim Myung Soo's acting , you should feedback to him personally through a private platform  and not public cos some of your comments are not exactly favorable to him. This forum is not a feedback platform for the actors and actresses. It's a drama thread about the plot and characters. To me, Kim Myung Soo did an excellent job as Judge Im Ba Reun. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him giving his best in MH.

 

As for Go Ara, you're entitled to your opinion but it's a bit unfair to say that she's bad at every drama. That's generalization. Have you seen her in Reply 1994? Or You're all surrounded? There has to be a clear distinction between the real person and her character requirements. Ara did a superb job as Judge Park Cha O Reum in MH, despite knowing that her character is controversial. She is brave enough to take the risk and it pays off well.

 

To me, she's one of the most hard-working and real actresses around. Unpretentious. Natural and sincere. Awesome acting. No frills. Adorable and down-to-earth.   

 

 

[ende]

Here's some questions for anyone who still has Miss Hammurabi in his/her mind: Answer whichever works for you. 

1. Which episode has been a stand-out for you? 

2. At which point in the drama, got you hooked, to follow through all the way? 

3. Which character is the most relatable to you?

4. How many times have you watched MH?

5. Name 3 scenes you would replay and reflect upon. 

[lara2018]

I have been thinking about the episodes that have to do with court personnel.  Those are the people who aren't in the limelight like the judges, but who make everything run:  the security officers, the clerks, the stenographers, the janitorial staff.  I really appreciated that the show gave some attention to their lives, their talents, their problems.  In particular, I was moved by the court clerk who was a single mother -- she worked diligently and uncomplainingly, and then rushed to pick up her child from daycare.  She agonized about whether her best was good enough for her child.  For her birthday, she got to let loose a little -- dress glamorously, and dream about romance.  This show is so good about making human people who are so often overlooked.

 

On a separate and totally frivolous note, the Knowing Bros episode 131 on which Go Ara and Kim Myungsoo appeared is adorable.  They apparently shot the episode the day after production wrapped, so maybe the actors were still in character -- certainly Kim Myungsoo said that he was still talking like Im Ba Reum.  Or maybe the people in the editing room were trying to sell a shipping line.  Whatever the reason, there sure seems to be genuine affection between GA and KMS.  KMS can't help smiling (and he really tries not to) or leaning towards GA when GA does or says anything remotely cute.  He steps forward to help her when she is having trouble with limbo.  He can't help giggling after the brothers tease him that when he says he lives with a cat, maybe that's code for living with GA.  He looks down shyly when GA talks about first love and how she fell for a boy from church who brushed snow off of her feet.  He peers at her intently when the brothers joke that GA must have dated Henry when she taught Henry English.  He listens attentively to her talk about her childhood dream of being an anchor and her experience of online anti-fans.  He looks eagerly at her when she seems stunned at the revelation that he had to throw up noodles that he ate while acting.  For GA's part, she looks reluctant to demonstrate her dancing skills until she sees him urging her on with his clapping.  It all makes one long for the two of them to work on another drama (or do anything else, really) together.          

[jl08]

21 hours ago, lara2018 said:

He can't help giggling after the brothers tease him that when he says he lives with a cat, maybe that's code for living with GA

 

Yes, Heechul was actually teasing Myung Soo about receiving a call from "Cat" or "Go Yang Yi" in Korean and Ho Dong was quick to pick that up - "GO?" and they all turned to look at Ara...lol. I didn't think they were teasing MS about living with Go Ara but more of MS giving the nickname "Cat" to "Ara" in his handphone since both start with "GO" in Korean... and both Ara's and MS's denial were quite feeble...with Ara only saying "No" once..lol

 

 Myung Soo was very attentive of what Ara was saying and likewise, Ara was very supportive when it was Myung Soo's turn. She raised her hand to answer his questions, she clapped supportively at his aversion of jiajiangmian's professionalism, she gave many suggestions to his questions and that was awesome. They were clearly there for each other and I was happy that MS still had his deep attractive Im Ba Reun's voice! haha... and yes, MS stretched out his hand wanting to support Ara during the limbo session...he was just too shy to move fast enough for her. I could see them looking at each other as one speaks. Cool. Ara was clapping and jumping up and down like an excited little girl too...lol

I thoroughly enjoyed watching both in Knowing Brothers and seeing their closeness there as well. Ara suggesting ice-cream as the prize....they had an ice-cream scene right? and MS was caught eating ice-cream during his regretful moment...perhaps Ara knew that he likes ice-cream? 

 

21 hours ago, lara2018 said:

Whatever the reason, there sure seems to be genuine affection between GA and KMS.

 

Agree undoubtedly with you. Their affection and support for each other was evident from the early stage of filming as we saw Myung Soo happily passing Ara's birthday cake to her. Ara's birthday was on 11 Feb and imagine their first script reading was on 16 Jan...in less than a month, they had developed a close relationship, enough for MS to take selfies with her at her food truck when she was carrying her birthday bouquet and during the hall volleyball event bts where he passed her the cake and wished her happy birthday personally. Too bad Ara was busy thanking the crew....lol.

Throughout filming, we saw from Ara's selfies in her ig with Myung Soo and most were in close proximity, head touching head and shoulder touching shoulder, arm linking arm etc...I'm so glad they had such a close camaraderie and perhaps because they're so close in real life, their chemistry shines through Miss Hammurabi and draws everyone in, with many wishing for more romance in the story.

 

There is minimal romantic moments yet Ara's chemistry with Myung Soo is so great that many wish for more romance with this beautiful couple. However, even up till the last ep, the PD had kept it to the minimum and the story ends with court cases again. It's truly just a legal drama and the excellent visuals of our lead couple is wasted. Pity. That's my opinion. Of course others will say it's a legal drama after all. Still, without romance, you don't need 2 visually beautiful soulmates to be the lead couple, do you?

 

I felt an anti-climax in ep 16. I couldn't believe that there was no follow-up with baReum's date in ep 15. It was left out  in the cold.

It leaves a craving for Season 2 with both legal and romance genres of course. Fact is - stick to the original cast. The dramas' PDs have a knack of changing artistes for sequels and mostly, it's not as popular as the original cast. Ep 16 did not give me the satisfaction of seeing CEO Yong Jung being brought down badly as promised by Ba Reun. I need to see that! I also need to see Ba Reun and O Reum fulfilling their bicycle date at the romantic Han River, darn it! Or both walking down the isle...yes, that would be better. A married couple for judges...hmmm...they'll definitely have double pension!   

 

#jtbc - Season 2 please. 

[jl08]

On 7/31/2018 at 11:13 PM, ende said:

1. Which episode has been a stand-out for you? 

2. At which point in the drama, got you hooked, to follow through all the way? 

3. Which character is the most relatable to you?

4. How many times have you watched MH?

5. Name 3 scenes you would replay and reflect upon. 

 

1. Im Ba Reun to O Reum : "Have you thought that what you wanted as justice could actually be revenge?" - I can't remember this ep but it was a wake-up call for O Reum and she admitted that she was seeking revenge in truth because she felt a close connection with all her cases - the sexual molestation, the suicide case and the abuse case....when she was confessing to the female judge and crying in her arms. That was awesome and she stood out totally with her admission and honest sharing of her sad family story which had shaped her into wanting to fight for justice for the weaker ones.

 

2. I got hooked from the start...lol..mainly due to the beautiful leads, then their beautiful high school story and the English OSt - someday, somehow coming in at the right time as both were separated after that confession from O Reum about her piano teacher molesting her and she confided that she was afraid to speak to her dad....and later in the final ep then it was shown that Ba Reun actually went to the police station with a molest report...that's so sweet of him...except that he was ticked off because he wasn't her boyfriend...poor guy. The subway wrestle against the old man for the molested woman, the courage to talk back to the loud voice lady and the stretching to put that guy's legs into place....I was mesmerized by O Reum's courage right from the start....it's easy to get hooked.....and wishing for more romance too!

 

3. O Reum's character to stand up for the weak and the poor....definitely. But it's not a popular character for sure. You will face a lot of resistance and hostility in reality. I had. It's easy to take sides right from the start, depending on your preferred basis. For me, my heart usually goes out to the poor and weaker ones....lol. I would have banged my head many times too, if I were Park Cha O Reum.

 

4. Countless times. Replay after replay. All the exchange between Ba Reun and O Reum. He raising his voice that she'll get hurt if she persists with her rebellious ways. Ba Reun's sweet gesture of wanting to send out the email for the Judges' Meeting for O Reum and again in another episode where she wanted to report that friendly judge for corruption. He wanted to help her again. Favourite scenes especially those that showcase my beautiful couple - Myung Soo's and Ara's loveline, if you even think there's one. Just a bicycle date and a brief butterfly kiss and hands holding scene in ep 15 - did someone say the PD gave us crumbs where their loveline deserves a main course?  Too bad it's a legal genre!

Oh yes, Ba Reun putting his hand on her shoulders to calm her and O Reum seeking refuge and consolation in Ba Reun's arms were some of the best scenes. His stroking of her back is heavenly.  I won't talk about the court cases because they are obviously.....memorable lessons to be learnt.

 

5. (i) Judge Han: " The pain of the victim cannot be weighed on the same scale as the pain of the perpetrator" - this calls for  conscious effort to be fair and give due consideration to the circumstances of the victim and her trauma arising from the inconsiderate and purposeful act of the perpetrator.

 

 (ii) Judge Han: " Judges are the most dangerous and most powerful people in court" - so are people who are in  a position of authority - be mindful that decisions made will have consequences that may be drastic for some.

 

 (ii) Im Ba Reun : " I'll go with you. Wherever you go"  -     I couldn't resist this. It's the sweetest words that a guy can ever utter to the girl he likes and it's a romantic way to show his deepest feelings for her. What more assurance does the girl need if she faces a difficult decision? Whatever she decides, she'll have her beloved boyfriend around to support and love her. Isn't that wonderful? O  Reum is very blessed to have Ba Run who is prepared to give up his passion as a judge for her. Without the need for words, he really loves her a lot since he  first crushed on her. To be loved by guy who is smart, remotely detached with an aloof exterior but has a soft and gentle heart inside and who is prepared to go to the end of the world for you - is one of  the best gifts of life! Don't you think?  

 

Thanks for bringing up such interesting questions for discussion and MH definitely deserves lots of discussion even though it has ended.