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JTBC's New Drama 'Esquire': Information and Expectations for the Lawyers Who Dream of Being Lawyers

1. The Arrival of a New Legal Drama and Its Genre Characteristics


A new legal drama, 'Esquire,' has ambitiously premiered on JTBC. Legal and medical dramas inherently possess a powerful ability to capture viewers' interest. This is because the courtroom and the hospital are spaces where the full spectrum of human emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—is revealed in its most dramatic and condensed form. These settings, where life and death, justice, and human desire and conscience collide, are in themselves an endless source of stories. 'Esquire' is expected to build on these genre traits to deliver deep empathy and catharsis to its audience.

 

2. The Formula for a Successful Legal Drama: Freshness and Differentiation

Thanks to their ability to delve deeply into human lives, legal dramas have been consistently produced and loved by the public. However, this also creates a limitation of genre familiarity and cliché. Viewers are already accustomed to the formulas of genius lawyers, battles against powerful entities, and dramatic courtroom reversals. Therefore, the success of 'Esquire' will largely depend on its ability to break away from the existing mold and present fresh material and an unpredictable narrative.
3. The Trend of Authenticity: Written by Active Legal Professionals

One of the recent trends in legal dramas is the direct participation of active lawyers and legal professionals in the scriptwriting process. This serves as a crucial element in elevating the realism and expertise of the drama. A lawyer can essentially be described as a 'writer.' Their core job is to reconstruct a client's desperate story into a logical legal document based on clear facts and to build a meticulous argument by reviewing vast amounts of case law and legal theory. The vivid experiences accumulated in this process create stories more realistic than any fiction.
4. The Meaning Behind the Title 'Esquire'

The title 'Esquire' is intriguing in itself. Derived from the honorific 'Esquire (Esq.),' used to address lawyers in the Anglo-American world, the title symbolically showcases the professionalism and authenticity the drama aims for. It hints at the production team's intention to explore not just the lawyer as a problem-solver, but also the professional calling and ethics of a legal expert. By using this term, which may be somewhat unfamiliar to viewers, the drama successfully establishes a differentiated image from the very first impression.
5. A New Transformation: Lee Jin-wook as 'Yoon Seok-hoon'

At the center of the series is 'Yoon Seok-hoon,' played by actor Lee Jin-wook. Having been beloved by the public for his dandy, gentle, and romantic characters, Lee Jin-wook transforms into the ace partner attorney leading the litigation team at 'Yulrim,' the nation's top law firm. Expectations are high for his new acting challenge, as he portrays an expert with a meticulous personality and cool-headed judgment who values time above all. The focus will be on how his sharp charisma will anchor the drama.
6. The Main Stage: The Litigation Team of 'Yulrim' Law Firm

The primary setting of 'Esquire' is the 'litigation team' within the major law firm 'Yulrim.' The litigation team is responsible for all aspects of a lawsuit, from drafting documents to arguing in court, placing them on the front lines of legal battles. As this is where the fierce intellectual struggles of lawyers and tense courtroom confrontations unfold most vividly, it is the optimal stage to maximize the genre's entertainment value. Viewers will get a realistic glimpse into the inner workings of legal disputes through the activities of the litigation team.
7. A Spirited Newcomer: Jung Chae-yeon as 'Kang Hyo-min'

'Kang Hyo-min,' played by actress Jung Chae-yeon, appears as the figure set to shake up Yoon Seok-hoon's litigation team. She is a rookie lawyer with impressive credentials, having graduated at the top of her class from Seoul National University, yet she also shows a clumsy side, such as being late for her interview. However, she is a character with extraordinary tenacity and outstanding skills who is determined to see things through once she sets her mind to them. Her passion and spirit are expected to inject new energy into the somewhat rigid litigation team at Yulrim and act as a catalyst for unpredictable events.
8. The Meeting of Oil and Water: A Growth Narrative of Two Geniuses

Yoon Seok-hoon, a man of principle who is meticulous about time, and Kang Hyo-min, a free-spirited yet brilliant talent. From their first meeting, the two form a contentious "oil and water" relationship. Yoon Seok-hoon is displeased with Kang Hyo-min for boldly applying to the litigation team that everyone else avoids. However, the narrative is expected to follow an interesting dynamic where "geniuses recognize one another," as they begin to acknowledge each other's true abilities while solving cases together. Their conflict, reconciliation, and growth will be a core driving force of the drama.
9. The Drama's Core Message: The Last Resort for Wounds, the Lawsuit

"People think of lawsuits when their pain reaches its peak." This line from the drama's trailer encapsulates the core message the series aims to convey. A lawsuit is never a pleasant process; it is the final measure one can lean on in the most painful moments of life. The people who stand in court as plaintiffs and defendants each carry their own deep scars and desperation. 'Esquire' will explore how it illuminates and comforts the individual stories and wounds that lie beyond the verdict of winning or losing, posing profound questions to its viewers in the process.
10. A Stable Start and Future Prospects

With a unique production history as a joint venture between SBS's subsidiary Studio S and JTBC, 'Esquire' has made a solid and stable start with a 3.4% viewership rating for its first episode. This figure is neither high nor low, providing a foundation upon which the show can build upward momentum depending on future developments. The content released through the first two episodes signals the appearance of intriguing legal cases alongside the hidden personal stories of each lawyer. With the addition of power struggles and political intrigue within the giant law firm 'Yulrim,' the drama is expected to deliver a richer and more multifaceted entertainment experience.

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