Legal High (2012) - Review

Today I'm reviewing one of my favorite jdramas, called Legal High. It came out in Japan in 2012 as Rigaru Hai. Jdramas, or Japanese dramas, are tv series made in Japan with Japanese actors. You can easily find them online with English subtitles or import DVDs of them, also with English subtitles. I've gotten into jdramas thanks to the videogame Judgment, which features the Japanese actor Takuya Kimura in the leading role, both in motion capture and voice acting. I thought his character was played brilliantly, so I had a look online and found a completely unexpected world.

Basic plot

The official poster doesn't actually reflect
how the series feels, to be honest.

For various reasons, young lawyer Mayuzumi-sensei (sensei in this case refers to her being a lawyer) comes to work at Komikado-sensei's law firm. Komikado-sensei is famous as the lawyer who never lost a trial, but his methods aren't always what you would expect from a professional lawyer. Mayuzumi-sensei, instead, has a strong sense of justice and doesn't care about winning a trial if it makes the situation worse. These differences make them amusingly clash every time because they must work together despite everything. Still, in some way, they can team up successfully to win each trial. 

Characters
The characters are one of the reasons that make this series exceptionally great. 

Komikado-sensei, the attorney who never lost a single trial, surprises you with his witty and fast speech, and even if sometimes he comes across as incredibly rude, what he says often ends up being wholly or partially true. He can be extremely mean and cruel towards everyone and everything. His mannerism is also hilarious and makes him unique and entertaining to watch. What surprises me the most is the character's backstory. I do not intend to spoil it.

Mayuzumi-sensei, the Asadora Heroine, as Komikado-sensei calls her, is truly a heroine. 

The two protagonists

[From Wikipedia: Renzoku Terebi Shōsetsu (連続テレビ小説, "serial TV novel"), also known as asadora (朝ドラ, "Morning Drama"), is a serialized Japanese television drama program series broadcast in the mornings by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Virtually all of the storylines center on the life of a female heroine who faces challenges while working to achieve her dreams.] She is always trying to put justice above everything else, and it's primarily thanks to her that the customers are happy in the end. She is also as stubborn as Komikado. This fact makes them continuously clash in amusing ways. It was interesting seeing her growth as an attorney and as a person during the series. I think she's the one that delivered the most profound values in the show. She is also adorable, which is the exact contrary of Komikado.

The main antagonist, the Miki Law Firm, is a particular one. The mannerism of the people in this firm makes it feel like an exclusive club, which you belong to only if you keep being successful. What makes the audience laugh is how defeat is handled. It's a common occurrence for the firm's lawyers because they're against that one attorney that is never going to lose. The boss, Miki-sensei, is always trying to beat Komikado with his own employees and is also always acting exaggeratedly angrily when he loses. His secretary Sawachi is probably the most mysterious character in the show. She is often shown massaging Miki-sensei to calm him down. She was probably put at Miki-sensei's side with her calm attitude to counter his negative traits, like Mayuzumi for Komikado.

Episodes storylines
They're all equally amusing, and you can never guess how they will end, even if the point of the show is supposed to be Komikado-sensei, never failing to win. They become more unexpected as the show progresses. It's never so easy to win. The only real problem is that Komikado-sensei always wins and the Miki Law Firm always loses, so unpredictability has a limit, but it's more interesting to see how the two protagonists manage to win than seeing them win.

I love how sometimes Komikado-sensei is right about a lot of things, despite being unnecessarily rude. He shows that not everything is how it seems and that being excessively naive can hurt you in the long run. You might think you're helping others while in reality, you're just temporarily consoling them and leaving nothing done. It's interesting how you get to see things differently from the usual good-character view, and that makes this drama unique. 

Music
Lastly, the ost is a good one, especially the phrase "Legal High!" used in the most glorious moments of the show and at the end of the episode. I can't really describe how, but its rock feel really fits the tone of the show. The rest of the soundtrack is generally good and fits the atmosphere.

There would be a lot more things to talk about, but long story short, watch this. It won't disappoint you.

Pros

Fun and witty characters

Amusing scenes

Unusual plotlines

Interesting methods to win

Cons

In the end, you know the protagonist will always win and the antagonist will always lose

Grade
Story: 9.0
Acting/Cast: 10
Music: 9.5
Rewatch Value: 8.0

Overall: 9.5