What if Cordelia Chase were a Korean prosecutor? Prosecutor Princess welcomes you

[dangermousie]

This cap (by rubie of soompi as are the rest of caps in this post) basically symbolizes everything about this drama. I can't explain it but it does.

I love Prosecutor Princess ridiculously much - in fact, instead of watching now-subbed eps of Cinderella Unni, I keep refreshing the viikii PP page hoping links for ep 4 get fixed.

I kept thinking of who Hyeri reminded me of and only today it finally hit me - she is the Korean Cordelia Chase (Buffy and Angel). I've seen Legally Blonde comparisons but they don't fit - except for similar love of fashion, she and Elle of Blonde have little in common.



Hyeri is smart, blunt, fashion-obsessed, materialistic woman with delightful joy and forthrightness. She has ample abilities but no interest in her prosecutor job - she only passed the bar because it's her father's dream to have a prosecutor daughter and her father holds the purse strings - if she does not do what he wants, he will disown her and as she tells In Woo (about whom more below) without any attempts to cover the truth up - she doesn't want to live on her own because she wouldn't be able to afford the lifestyle she likes without her father.

She says things that are true but other people are too polite to say, she has awesome comeback skills (just watch her totally pwn the women who bitch about her behind her back in ep 2), but she is also pretty self-absorbed and not much on empathy. She is smart but she doesn't like hard work.

I haven't seen many kdrama heroines like her (she is like a more mellow Anna of Fantasy Couple) and I adore her.

But the drama doesn't just boast the awesome Ma Hyeri character. There are a number of awesome characters in addition to her. (The writing is by the writer of Brilliant Legacy and it shows - it's so rock-solid). It doesn't look like a drama with your typical quadrangle but one that will (hopefully) end up with 2 otps with the same type of shuffling that When It's At Night had.



We have Se Joon (the scrumptuous Han Jung Soo), a senior prosecutor in Hyeri's department. A by-the-book workaholic (I may be odd but few things are hotter to me than a man dedicated to and good at his job), Se Joon is both puzzled, put-out, and drawn by Hyeri with her atittude and sharpness. You see, she looks somewhat like his dead wife, a woman Se Joon still mourns. Once he saves Hyeri from a pretty nasty fate, Hyeri develops a crush on him which complicates things mightily.



We have the awesome Jung Sun (Choi Song-hyun), an experienced, dedicated female prosecutor. She is appalled by Hyeri's lack of dedication and unsuitable clothes (every prosecutor wears a proper and somber suit and then there is Hyeri in her pinks and greens). Jung Sun has carried a torch for Se Joon for a long time - they are close friends (she even has her mother take care of his little girl on weekdays) but Se Joon is not the type to let anyone in easily, not even her. I ship her and Se Joon quite a lot.



And then we come to my favorite character (except for Hyeri herself) - mysterious, assured lawyer In Woo (played by my MAJOR crush, Park Shi Hoo). In Woo is sharp, incredibly capable, with a wicked sense of humor and a dark past, and he sort of follows/protects Hyeri for reasons of his own. Whenever Hyeri and he are on screen together, the drama sparkles - their verbal back-and-forth, overlaid by pretty powerful chemistry, makes my head spin in the most delicious fashion. In episode 3 we find part of the reason he is so invested into Hyeri - they were friends in childhood and she was very nice to him when something (unspecified as yet) horrible happened. He wanted to repay her and I presume fell for her asap - who could blame him - she is gorgeous and awesome. But I can't help but think there must be something more to it for him (otherwise why would his secretary be involved) - probably something involving her powerful but shady father. Either way, I love their interactions, especially since the makers of this realized the simple truism that Park Shi Hoo looks at his sexy best when he angsts. Mmmmm. MMMMMMM. (In some ways, his role is that of a tradtional secondary guy - the one who is nice to and in love with the heroine while she chases the unattainable main guy (Se Joon) and finally wins him over. Only here In Woo is the main guy so yay!).

Comments

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

I have nothing relevant to say except for, damn, those heels are fierce. And I would never wear them. *Q*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I would definitely wear them!

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

I never wear heels (the pretty ones that I own are like, 3 inches?), so I'd be flat on my butt. XD

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

Ah - yes! She is the Korean Cordelia Chase! I'd been wondering who she reminds me of and it's Cordelia Chase in the third season of Buffy/first couple of seasons of Angel.


I love the way she says what's on her mind and what's truthful - not to be mean, but because she just doesn't have that filter. She just doesn't understand that telling someone they could look better if they added color to their wardrobe or telling people that they an eat tomatoes as a snack instead of candy, because it will help them lose weight, could be seen as rude. She's honestly trying to be truthful and helpful.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The thing is - I wonder how she'd react if someone said something truthful but subjectively hurtful to her. I am genuinely curious.

[scanky-chops.livejournal.com]

From the sound of things she sounds a lot like Yonekura's character in Monster Parents - killer clothes, extremely able to do stuff but being pushed into doing stuff she doesn't want to (act as an arbitrator between crazy ass parents and schools).

While there are no subs so far, at least i'm safe in the knowledge that this'll be good. And hot.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Viikii has subs for all eps :)

[mishane.livejournal.com]

(In some ways, his role is that of a tradtional secondary guy - the one who is nice to and in love with the heroine while she chases the unattainable main guy (Se Joon) and finally wins him over. Only here In Woo is the main guy so yay!).

This scares me...only because he was involved in the one other drama with the switched OTP's. I mean, I'm sure he'll be the final OTP, but Neighbors made me really doubtful of most k-drama romance set ups.

Ahh, I'm gonna watch 3 & 4 later tonight. I just watched CU subbed, you should watch it subbed!! So good and I'm kind of going crazy; I need spoilers like RIGHTNOW.

Back to PP, I really do love Hye Ri's character. You almost feel like you could stick her into a typical k-drama fold, but then she surprises you. I think my favorite quality of hers (and one that I say over and over again) is that she's competent. She's not an idiot. And I don't get who started the Legally Blonde references because she's definitely not like that at all. Not at all. The only similarity is that they are both lawyers. That's it. I'll take the Cordelia Chase/Anna references, although I think she's much kinder/nicer than them. Cordelia/Anna were kind of . . .well, bitchy is the best term I guess, and I don't think HR is like that at all.

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

but see, in Neighbors it swtiched because PSH CLEARLY was hotter, more charismatic, and had more chemistry with the lead than the main actor. In PP, since he's the lead and gets to show off all those things, it shouldn't be a problem!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think we are safe from switched OTPs - they switched in Neighbors only because of chemistry etc but most people here ship the couple they should.

I do love that she is allowed to be someone who needs to learn but who's smart and not defenseless.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

That first cap is so perfect. I LOVE this drama. Idc but this is the kdrama of the season for me. I don't even need to watch anything else. I love the characters so much. And the chemistry and interactions between Park Shi Hoo and Kim So Yeon are just - guh! I can't wait to watch the rest of the subbed eps.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

viikii links are fixed again btw!

I just LOVE the chemistry.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

ooh yay thank you! i'm going to be marathoning it tonight!

[calixa.livejournal.com]

This post just sold me on Prosecutor Princess. I tried Oh My Lady but couldn't get into it (hot celeb/normal person pairings just don't do anything for me) but this one sounds great!!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's ridiculously entertaining. And I want her shoes.

[shinystory.livejournal.com]

I think I will like this and adding to this to the dramas I will try to watch. Hye-ri sounds delightful! I kinda need someone like her.

I got disappointed with "Personal Taste." I couldn't have a heroine so..., for lack of a better word, dumb.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, PT's heroine was dumb as a box of rocks.

PP is adorable.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Dude, stop making this sound so appealing! I DONT HAVE TIME FOR KDRAMAS GAAAHD. You had me at the korean cordelia chase ;_; I stood no chance!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa - tremble before my dealer power.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEE! I am so watching this tonight.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay! Hope you like!

[eraeos.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, dangermousie, you're making me want to watch this drama midst of work and more work.... *sigh* Should I give in? Yes, I should...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes you should :)

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

YES. Have never seen Buffy so can't comment on that resemblance but Hyeri is so awesome - a bit flighty and plenty insensitive and kind of off in her own world all the time but at the same time so forthright and capable and in general a powerhouse of a woman. I love she and PSH's character together even though I'm a little suspicous of how quickly he seems to be falling for her - I mean when he first started meeting her he CLEARLY had ulterior motives - his love can't be quite innocent since there's obviously something else going on. I just wish I knew what it was! Because the thing is he doesn't seem conflicted abotu falling for her -and yet he was nefariously stalking her in a non-romantic way earlier.

But PP is so pitch-perfect; on the surface very standard romantic fare until you realize how very well-written it is.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking that even with the revelation that his reasons are benign that is not the whole deal - in which case, HELLO ANGST.

[thinking-lotus.livejournal.com]

OK, I am going to watch this instead of Personal Taste!

Clearly, this is my "Kdrama Spring."

I will have to get some new icons.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay! I thought PT was (regardless of whether you liked the characters or not. I did not) very 'jerky' - the pacing was off and nothing kept grabbing.

[kororin.livejournal.com]

i love both Hye Ri and In Woo too (well, pretty much every character. Hye ri's mom is crazy, i love her-), this drama is epic.
last drama i saw on-air was Brilliant Legacy (i usually wait for the whole series to be fully subbed, and unfortunately i don't have much time left to watch dramas, lately), and now Prosecutor Princess is the only kdrama that keeps me guessing every week. i probably have a thing for the writers, who knows ;D
loved your post!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I am so addicted to this, it's insane!