“Miss Hammurabi” (Korean Drama) Review
“Miss Hammurabi” is one of those true gems that may just have slipped by you unnoticed. Due to airing among some of the more mainstream dramas of 2018, it sadly has not enjoyed the deserved exposure.
The cast
- Kim Myung-So (‘L‘ of Infinite) as Im Ba-Reum
- Go Ara as Park Cha Oh-Reum
- Sung Dong-Il as Han Se-Sang
- Ryo Deok-Hwan as Jung Bo-Wan
- Lee Elijah as Lee Do-Yeon
You had me at Hello
Im Ba-Reum (‘L’) is a young judge who was just assigned as the Right Hand Judge to Unit 44.
Brilliant and hardworking, Ba-Reum has gained recognition for his excellent academic background among his peers. Because he is not the most social person, many perceive him as being standoffish and rude.
Early experiences with small minded people have made him somewhat of a cynic.
To him, the world appears a messed-up place, but there is nothing to be done. One has to just bear with it and ignore one’s surroundings as much as possible.
Only once did he let down his defences and take an interest in someone outside his immediate family. This occurred back in high school and the person who caught his attention was none other than Park Cha Oh-Reum (Go Ara).
To him, Park Cha Oh-Reum seemed like an angelic creature: Perfectly flowing long hair, a soft-spoken voice and a talented piano player. Mesmerized by this image of her, Ba-Reum got up the courage to approach her.
Although their short friendship remained only that, he has been unable to forget her. His first love.
Miss Hammurabi
Fifteen minutes into this story and it was clear to me that the main heroine was something else. Not letting obnoxious people bully her, and withstanding peer pressure, Park Cha Oh-Reum knows how to hold her own.
With a twisted sense of humour she even stands up to someone committing sexual harassment on the train.
While we – the viewers – might be amused at her way of handling things, our lead male character is in complete shock.
And we quickly see why.
Because from the moment Park Cha Oh-Reum boards the train, Ba-Reum recognizes in her his first love.
Although her actions during this morning’s journey make him question everything he thought he knew about her.
This young woman’s behaviour is so far removed from what he remembers about her from their high school days. Gone are any remnants of the angelic creature he always pictured her to be.
Ba-Reum is further shocked when he finds out that Oh-Reum is his new colleague.
Like a breath of fresh air, Oh-Reum is about to change life inside the courthouse with her no-nonsense approach to issues many avoid addressing.
And like it or not, her co-workers and superiors cannot deny the magic pull she has over her surroundings.
Author’s Note
Since watching “Miss Hammurabi” for the first time, I’ve have become completely addicted to this story and it’s characters.
There is so much character growth and development throughout the drama with an ending as near perfect as can be.
I’ve also fallen for the soundtrack, which creates the perfect backdrop for the story’s variety of emotional moments.
Be prepared to laugh, cry, get mad, and even become pensive as you follow the characters of “Miss Hammurabi” on their journey.
Until we drama again,
-Cee
