I Hear Your Voice

"Even after 10 years has passed, I still recognized you. 

Even after I lost my memory, and even after I had erased you,

I loved you again.

Even if 10 years passes and even if I lose my memory again, 

or even if that time comes, 

I'm going to find you and love you again."

Title: 너의 목소리가 들려 / Neoui Moksoriga Deulryeo
Also known as: I Can Hear Your Voice
Genre: Romance, fantasy, comedy, thriller, crime, mystery
Episodes: 18
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2013-Jun-05 to 2013-Aug-01


Characters:

Lee Bo Young as Jang Hye Sung

Lee Jong Suk as Park Soo Ha

Yoon Sang Hyun as Cha Kwan Woo

Lee Da Hee as Seo Do Yeon

The Plot:

A thriller courtroom drama with fantasy and romantic comedy elements. It will depict the story of Jang Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young), a bold, sassy, thick-faced, comical, and materialistic public defender who becomes a lawyer after overcoming poverty and painful memories from her childhood, comes to realizations about society and justice after meeting Park Soo Ha (Lee Jong Suk), a 19-year-old boy who reads other people’s thoughts and Cha Kwan Woo (Yoon Sang Hyun), an innocent lawyer who lives a disciplined life. Jang Hye Sung is actually Soo Ha's first love after she gave a decisive testimony on his father's murder case 10 years ago and Soo Ha promised to protect her from the killer's threats. Meanwhile, Cha Kwan Woo is Jang Hye Sung's fellow lawyer who is a cheerful and idealistic former cop even though his character a bit slow, he is nice and pleasant with a firm idea of his principles and justice. Together they will team up to to find the justice in the courtroom and solve the toughest cases with less than 1% chance of winning.

credits: dramawiki

IMO:

This was the first kdrama that I watched for 2013. The last one was City Hunter late last year. Lately, all that's taken my attention are American series. I'm following about 10 shows weekly and it's really time consuming so it's a bit difficult to add more shows. Last year, Jdoramas and Kdramas have taken a backseat. Now, I've just finished Itazura na Kiss and I Hear Your Voice.

Honestly, I almost didn't pick up this show. There was a lot of buzz definitely but I wasn't that particularly interested. But on this one site that I frequently visit, it was always among the top dramas that's currently airing. So, I went and read the synopsis and watched the first episode. From the very beginning, I was hooked.

That was what's really great about I Hear Your Voice. For the months that I've been watching it, I never once felt that it lost steam or got dragging. Korean dramas are notorious for this. They started out really great but gets dragging and even at times, ridiculous in the middle. One can only hope that it gets back its footing near the end and even then, one can only hope.

I'm glad to say that I Hear Your Voice is one of those kdramas that started strong, maintained its steam and ended well. I think we really have to give credit to the writer Park Hye Run (Dream High) and director Jo Soo Won (Wonderful Life, Shoot for the Stars). The story pacing was just right and the light and heavy moments were strategically placed. Every episode served their purpose; every scene complemented the story as a whole, and the reveals were all well-thought of.

The actors all have great chemistry with each other. The relationships in the show (family, friends, colleagues, enemies, couples) all felt genuine. The love story developed seamlessly. It never felt forced. It had a good foundation and was given ample time to take root and grow in the hearts of the viewers.

The characters were all portrayed very well by their respective actors. I'm also glad that they were not one dimensional. Their personalities were complex enough to appear real for a drama.

I am not biased when I say that Lee Jong Suk really stood out for me. I find him adorable and lovable in light and comedic parts but I think he really shines when his character becomes vulnerable. His pain and struggles were all clearly etched on his face and one can't help but feel for him. He can evoke such emotion in me.

The main conflict of the story revolved around the Min Joon Gook plot and I'm happy to say that it was wrapped up well. The writer was also able to come up with a pretty engaging and heartbreaking back story that served as the main antagonist's drive to exact revenge. It was hard to pity him at the course of the show but when everything was revealed, you will - even just a little bit. 

But I Hear Your Voice is a love story at its core. It spans years with lives ruined and bloodshed. (Yep, VM fans, that was inspired by Logan's epic speech quote, just taking out 'continents' because they never actually leave Korea. ^_^) It started as a promise (to protect someone) but it grew to become a love so overwhelming that they were willing to lay down their life for another. Yes, that was typical. But what made it atypical was that, in the end (spoiler alert!), Soo Ha realized that he didn't have to be the lone hero in the story and it was better to ask for help than to die and leave the one he loves grieving for him.

All loose ends were tied at the end. It may not be a happy ending for some characters (ahem, Min Joon Gook) but at the very least all of them learned something from all of the devastating events that happened and most characters were in a good place by the story's final episode. All in all, the story ended with the characters becoming a much better individual than they were when the story started. (yes, even the main villain.)

Conclusion:

I Hear Your Voice has some of the typical Korean drama cliches but aside from that, it's actually one of the best dramas I've ever seen. 

*some pics from Google, some were screen grabbed by me