Why Her?
This series caught my attention from the first episode. Soo Jae is a strong female character that lived thinking she had the upper hand when in truth she was being used by Choi Tae Guk.
This series follows the structure of the usual law enforcement series: the team (whether police or lawyers) start solving crimes that help them solve the big case that was committed a long time ago. In that sense it doesn't move far from its genre and I like this structure. But at the same time, it had its original aspects. We don't usually see a female character who is not afraid to show her arrogance the way Soo Jae did at the beginning. She is a complex, grayish character who can be disagreeable and cruel but also vulnerable and empathic. I think the plot twists were different the usual ones. Usually the victim doesn't want to see the person they love after learning the person wronged them in some way, but Gong Chan's feelings for Soo Jae didn't waver when he learned that she gave up on him on his trial. I liked that he had the maturity and empathy to understand her situation and still be grateful for what she did for him. She couldn't see him at first because she felt guilty but was able to get past it as they worked towards solving the case. it blew my mind when Soo Jae learned that her child had not really died at birth. And the background history between her and Choi Tae Guk's family was something I hadn't seen coming either.
This story weaves the double standards of the society where the story is set. Women are not truly protected against sexual harassment and other sexual offenses. I have seen this in other series, but this one really shows it in its cruelty and by women themselves. It is something to think about. . .
I liked the fact that we do get a hearing where the truth is exposed. Lately i've seen series in similar genres where the criminal gets away with it by committing suicide. In this case Choi Tae Guk does commit suicide but the world knows what he did and his partners do get to pay for their crimes, although they want to pin the heavy responsibility on the dead.
Soo Jae changes from the ambitious women to a woman who wants to be an ethical professional. And she wants to truly be independent and free. It leaves us with questions related to her health and her relationship with Gong Chan, but that is life and what matters is that the series leaves us with the sense that things will be okay.
This is a good series to watch.
Poster from AsianWiki - https://asianwiki.com/Why_Her%3F
