The main thing to note about this drama is the plot. It's the best aspect of the show, and the greatest reason, in my opinion, you'd want to watch it. It's so incredibly clever and convoluted I found myself gasping out loud multiple times. This great story is supported by a strong cast of actors and an iconic score that's instantly recognizable. However, while I was certainly gripped by the endless twists and turns, the show occasionally stumbled on things important to audience retention like tone balance and proper set-ups.

First, let me praise (in greater detail) the plot. The style of plot is somewhat like that of a mystery drama, but reframed in the interesting light of the legal world. Crimes and morals are all viewed through the eyes of law students, teachers, or practitioners, which- while occasionally making certain discussions seem unnecessarily obtuse- certainly lends credence to the unfortunate necessity of bureaucracy in a fair legal system. Moreover, the legal element introduces new challenges for our protagonists that we wouldn't otherwise see in a typical law enforcement mystery drama. However, the real draw of the plot is the intricacy of it. Just as you think you've discovered all there is to know, a new piece of evidence comes to light. Just as you think the mystery's been solved, a new witness arrives that changes the entire story. And-in the end- all the relevant evidence comes together to produce a reasonable yet astonishing to conclusion to the number of interconnected mysteries and conflicts present throughout the story. It's quite entertaining, exciting, and gripping, even for those who might not always like this type of plot.

To quickly mention other well-done production details, all the camerawork is good, audio is above average in quality, and the OST is very memorable. The acting, while occasionally a little flat, for the most part conveys incredibly nuanced emotion in complicated situations, and serves the character development well. Said character development is present in those characters with nontrivial flaws, and for the most part reaches a satisfying conclusion by the end.

Unfortunately, while this drama excels from a plot perspective, there are certain aspects essential to story telling that don't quite hit the mark. First of all, the tone is mostly very dark. While there are some much welcome moments of comedic relief, we often get long stretches of incredibly serious (and potentially tedious) dialogue and exposition. I watched this drama weekly as it was coming out, so I was not exhausted by this, but for those looking to binge the series I would be cautious and mindful of your own tonal preferences. I do not view the dark tone as a blanket negative to the show (in fact it may be a draw for some viewers) but I personally would have appreciated more balance in this area.

Secondly, and most crucially, is a lack of setup for many characters. While the plot is given an exciting kick off right from the start, this leaves almost no time to introduce the somewhat large cast of characters, the setting they're in, and their personal morals and goals. This becomes troublesome when the character becomes involved in something critical to the plot, because by then it's difficult to even remember their name. It's especially sad since certain characters would likely have had quite interesting introductions had they been given one. Notice how I said certain characters; this brings me to my last point.

I have found a certain degree of inconsistency among characters. Some characters are portrayed realistically, with interesting and human flaws that influence their decisions and interactions. Other characters are portrayed as gods amongst men, doing no wrong and containing vast intellect and encyclopedic knowledge, no flaw in sight. If it were one or the other, I would have no problem, but since the two are mixed together it seems to invalidate the struggles of the more flawed and unfortunate characters. It also leads to the discrepancy in character development we get between characters, as some characters are already so perfect as to be immune to further development. It offers an interesting insight into why flawed characters are more compelling, as it is difficult to connect with those characters who are perpetually right and therefor difficult to root for them. It also leads to a certain dissatisfaction with any character development of the flawed characters, as no matter what they accomplish they will never be as perfect as the others. Characters who are both flawed and extremely smart in the series prove that we don't need the perfect characters, and yet they must exist.

In conclusion, we have a vividly fascinating show which is at the same time intricately constructed and poorly established, just in two very different areas. We can say it is an incredible plot marred only by inconsistencies and missing introductions of characters, a wickedly witty work worsened only by tone too tumultuously tense. With that I will conclude that I do recommend this drama to those with even the slightest of interest in mystery and intrigue, with the caveat of a warning to those averse to overly serious tones.