A New Leaf

 
Summary: A New Leaf is a 2014 South Korean series produced for MBC. This courtroom k-drama explores the life of an amoral hotshot attorney, Kim Seok Joo (Kim Myung Min), employed by South Korea's most powerful law firm. After he loses his memory due to a head injury, he's left with nothing but his skills as a lawyer and several unfinished cases. With the help of the law firm's intern, Lee Ji Yoon (Park Min Young), he tries to reconstruct his life and understand questionable choices he made in regards to personal and professional matters. With a clean slate in his head, will he turn over a new leaf and live a more honest life?

3 out of 5:  It felt unfinished!

Recommendation: I am 50/50 on this drama. It has a strong start and I think it poses some interesting questions on the nature of legal systems and the fine line between legal justice and fair treatment. The most interesting aspect of the series is the courtroom battles and the legal maneuverings of the various parties. But the script tries to accomplish too much and, with it being reduced by a couple episodes due to schedule conflicts, many of the sub-plots were rushed to a half-assed conclusion. Kim Myung Min carries the k-drama in a role that feels perfectly tailored to his skills. He's the best when it comes to playing complicated characters that require an inflexible personality and a high amount of disdain for others. Park Min Young was short-changed as the legal intern and potential romantic interest. Speaking of romance, there really is not much of it. Park Min Young more often felt like a supporting actress instead of a lead. Despite all this, I think A New Leaf is worth a watch, especially if you like dramas that explore the law, ethics, and the human capacity to change.

So nice when he smiles!

Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers):  Is it just me or did Kim Myung Min not look healthy in this drama? He was a very robust and booming figure in both King of Dramas and Beethoven's Virus but it looked like he'd lost weight and his color wasn't good. Something just seemed ... off.  Still, he managed to play his part well and I particularly enjoyed his performance post-head injury. There were some subtle personality shifts in the character that were interesting to observe. His comedic moments were wonderful and I'd like to see him do a role in the future with more of that.

Admittedly, I kept waiting for sparks to fly with Park Min Young's character, Lee Ji Yoon, but the script takes us down a weird path with the arrival of Lawyer Kim's fiancee. Park Min Young's existence is forgotten for a good 3-4 episodes through the middle while Layer Kim tries to work through the relationship with this other woman and her family's legal issues. Even at the end, it is very unclear where things are headed. I'm fine with ambiguity but this felt more like a lack of choice/action.

One of the more pleasant surprises in this k-drama is Lawyer Kim's best friend, Park Sang Tae (Oh Jung Se). It's another bromance for the Summer of Bromances. The interplay between Kim Myung Min and Oh Jung Se was absolutely perfect - particularly the scene where they are sitting on the couch playing a game on their mobile phones. Loved it! I'm really interested to watch Oh Jung Se's next project - Age Ending in 9 Boy, which is set to air at the end of this month. He'll be playing the role of the man that is age 39.