Depression and Withdrawal...

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I'm having an intense Prosecutor Princess Withdrawal. TT_TT

Let me set the record straight, I started watching Prosecutor Princess (PP) along side Cinderella Sister (CS) and Personal Taste (PT). Half-way through CS and PT, I stopped. Why? Because my mind was constantly wandering off to think of when the next soft subs of PP will be out. Yes, I watch PP by downloading the full HD HAN video and having soft subs from WithS2 Fansubs.

Mind you, while waiting for the subs, I dare not allow myself to peek at the uploaded and subbed videos on Viikii because I want the complete and highly detailed subbed version. I'm THAT OCD when it comes to dramas.

Ahem, so yeah, as I was saying, now that Prosecutor Princess was done, I'm having a withdrawal syndrome. I constantly lurk at the PP Soompi Thread hoping for any positive PP-related news. Do you know how hard this is for me? I haven't experienced something like this since the So Yi Jung and Chu Ga Eul pairing from BOF!

*sigh*

Anyway, so yeah...
To let go of this illogical and emotionally-upsetting withdrawal, let me tell you why Prosecutor Princess is one of the best dramas I've seen.

Aahem...

Comparing PP to CS and PT, critics have said that PP is the worst-casted drama of all three. Why? Because the actors and actresses who have been casted on the series are nothing like the actors and actresses on the other two series. PT has Lee Min Ho who achieved phenomenal stardom from BOF. And CS has Moon Geun Young and idol Ok Taecyeon who both has somehow a solid fanbase to back them up for the ratings.

The only artist on PP to note was the main actress, Kim So Yeon who acted along side Lee Byung Hyun and Kim Tae Hee in the bug-budgeted production, Iris. Other than that, nada.

But how did Prosecutor Princess charm me?

One. Great character development.
Initially, through the first few chapters, I was constantly upset with Ma Hye Ri's personality. I was LITERALLY cursing at her for being such a clueless and completely unreliable person! And to think that she's a prosecutor and has a job to uphold in honor of the law! (I aim to be a lawyer someday so these issues really stir me up.) The part where her co-workers mocked her, I do believe she deserved it, but at the back of my mind, I didn't want her to suffer. She just needed to learn which things to prioritize.

Anyway, gradually, as the story progresses, Ma Hye Ri slowly matures into a person who learns to value things other than herself, fashion, shoes and bags. She learns to give more of herself to help the people around her. And through her growth as a prosecutor, she earns the respect of her co-leagues and even the admiration of the man she proclaimed to 'like' (Prosecutor Yoon Se Jun).


Two. Intriguing Plot.
What started out as a light-hearted story of a naive prosecutor slowly progresses into a story of mystery, deceit and lies when the past was suddenly intertwined with the present. This was in the form of the handsome and charming yet conniving lawyer Seo In Woo.

When Ma Hye Ri met Seo In Woo, everything seemed to have been purely coincidence. It's a little cliche but when I thought of how they met, everything seemed like pre-destined. To be honest, I guessed that maybe Seo In Woo had something for Hye Ri ever since she was small but only had the courage to pursue her now that he's a lawyer... I instantly thought it was cliche. But BOY was I wrong!

Three. Intense Inner Conflict.
For Ma Hye Ri, it was later revealed in the series that Seo In Woo was the son of Seo Dong Gun, the man accused to have killed someone 15 years ago when in fact, he wasn't even involved. And the truth was that, It was Hye Ri's Father who was present during the crime. And after 15 years, Seo In Woo was trying to clear his Father's name by pinning the crime on Hye Ri's Father.

Imagine, the friend you trusted so much, the only person you turn to when you're scared, in doubt or when you needed help, the very same person you unconsciously learned to love with all your heart... is actually the person who got close to you in order to get back at your Father.

And yet, even if Hye Ri was supposed to hate In Woo for his deceit, she could not find it in her heart knowing how he lived the last 15 years of his life... What was even more painful was the fact that she already loved him.

This intense inner conflict I'm talking about was greatly highlighted in the last scene of Episode 13, when Ma Hye Ri barged in on In Woo's room and accused him but in the end, she confessed her feelings to him. Personally, I cried during this scene. I didn't just sob, mind you. I'm not the type to be usually affected by dramas but for this particular scene, I cried with snot and tears, and the whole crying-out-loud thing. I was crying inside my room so nobody saw me. teehee. I was trying so hard to control my voice though.

As for Seo In Woo, for someone to have worked hard to finally clear his Father's name for the last 15 years of his life and finally, just when things were about to go as planned, he realized that he could not hurt the woman he used as a pawn, the very same woman who was the daughter of the man who escaped innocently while his Father was pinned down for a crime he did not commit.

This was especially highlighted when Seo In Woo had a drink with his childhood friend Jenny and was tearing up because he was being torn about what to do. On one hand, he wanted to fulfill his promise to his Father that he would clear his name; on the other is the happiness and heart of the woman he loved.

In Woo's inner torment can also be seen on Episode 14's elevator scene. It was the time when Seo In Woo and Hye Ri realized that they could never be together. This was a truly heartbreaking scene. Especially the shot before the elevator closed, when Ma Hye Ri looked at Seo In Woo and saw that tears were streaming down his face. Truly heartbreaking.

Four. Amazing Character Depth.
This isn't just your average Romantic Comedy and its characters aren't simple-minded people who are just for laughs. They're funny and comedic at times but they have depth. The characters weren't merely made for the sake of having characters. They were characters that have complex personalities in them, only waiting for the right actors/actresses to give them life.

Ma Hye Ri isn't just a naive and spoiled daughter. She's kind, genuine and caring. She may have been gullible but she was kind-hearted and honest. She was true and she understood very well what suffering Seo In Woo had gone through.

Seo In Woo isn't just your typical smooth-talking lawyer. He may appear harmless but he was, in fact, a very dangerous man to deal with. He's rich. He's got connections. He's meticulously smart. And he's conniving. He can plan a whole assault without letting anyone know that he was the puppet-master behind the plan.

Don't even get me started with the other supporting characters. We could go all night here. =)

Fifth. Effective and Capable Actors/Actresses.
Although some people considered this series as the worst-casted series compared to its other competitors in rating during the T-Th slot, I think they casting director was the best. They may not be idols or famous artists but they are capable ones. They brought the characters to life. They gave the characters depth.

Whenever I think of Prosecutor Princess, I think no one would ever be able Ma Hye Ri's character like Kim So Yeon did. It was amazing to see her previously acting as a cold-blooded assassin and then suddenly switch to a naive, outgoing, princess-like, spoiled prosecutor. Her expressions, her gestures, the way she spoke and even when she was crying, Kim So Yeon really gave Ma Hye Ri a life of her own. And for that, I really, really am amazed with her as an actress.

And for Seo In Woo, the handsome and charming of a lawyer that he is, who is smooth, cool and suave, but secretly harbors a heavy burden within his heart. Actor Park Shi Hoo really did give his character justice. The way he playfully teases Hye Ri yet leaves a sincere piece of himself; the way he would appear outgoing and carefree yet secretly suffers when Hye Ri wasn't around; actor Park Shi Hoo has got Seo In Woo nailed both in and out.

Sixth. Actor PARK SHI HOO. (a totally fan-girl reason)
I just had to add him in for one of the things that charmed me in this drama. I mean, come on! I'm a girl and even if he's 13 years my senior, I'm still drooling for him! Gosh! Who could resist that smile?! XD I'm pretty sure a lot of people would agree with me on this.

Aaaahhhh... I still miss Prosecutor Princess. I'm hoping for a Season 2 and more of Seo-Pyeon & Ma-Gom... But I don't know if the PD would allow it. *sigh*