Review: I Hear Your Voice (2013) ~ My Feeling Heart

Image via SBS.

Nine year old Park Su-ha (Lee Jong-suk) lost his father in a make-believe car accident conspired by Min Joon Gook to avenge the untimely death of his wife. Little Su-ha might have lost his life too, if not for Jang Hye Sung (Lee Bo-young) who, coincidentally, caught Min in the act that same night. Having been urged by her conscience to testify against evil, Hye Sung mustered all of her courage and opened the door to the court, thus putting an end to Min's not guilty plea.

Su-ha: "Today, I saw another one who looked like you. I haven't forgotten you. When I see you again, I will protect you. Where are you now?"

Cut to: Hye Sung at the public defender's office. Growing as a bold, sassy and smart ass woman, she swept away not only Su-ha nor several helpless cases in court, but also the people who have watched her in this year's hit drama: I Hear Your Voice. A nail biting, edge gripping 18-episode romance/comedy/fantasy series broadcasted by SBS from June 5th to August 1st; I Hear Your Voice follows the lives of Hye Sung, Su-ha and Min Joon Gook, and their 11 year story of love, deception, hatred and forgiveness.

THOUGHTS...

More than writing raves and rants for this drama, this'll probably be just me going over one point to another... since I have tons and tons of thoughts about it but don't know where to begin and how to concisely wrap it up.

1) I Hear Your Voice is a beautifully crafted journey, so much so that it reached the 20% mark of viewership ratings making it the first non-daily weekday drama to have achieved such feat since 2013 rolled. Yes it had flaws, and the legal aspect of the show wasn't its best foot either, but it had perfect execution. Even more so it had that ability to swerve expectations and weave the unknown surely within the plot. It deviates itself from the most typical K-drama norms—no evil bitchy second leads, no noble idiocies, no dominance over its fantasy element nor unnecessary makjang wildcards. I love that Su-ha's mind reading ability didn't go in the way of being the focus of the show, and was instead effectively blended within very worldly situations.

2) Writer Park Hye-run sure knows how to tug hearts in excruciating degrees. Everytime I watch I Hear Your Voice I get a whole bunch of different emotions all at the same time. I laugh at the cute, bite nails at the building up tension, swoon at the romance, and cry rivers at the sad. It's a whole new spectrum of an emotional roller coaster, and I enjoyed the ride.

3) It has the richest leads and ensemble of characters. I love love love Jang Hye Sung. She's my favorite heroine to date—feisty and smart ass yet has a heart. I love her sometimes contradicting personalities: strong but at times weak, loves but at times denies, acts like a girl and at the same time, a grown woman. I love that she's flawed, and that she eventually grew throughout the course of the show. Most of all, I love how she learned without losing her spark, thus never outgrowing that trademark of personality she had since the beginning.

4) I love that the extension had been milked well within the plot to utilize its characters. I have always feared extensions—most of the time it is what destroys a good show. I have been dreading that I Hear Your Voice might then become 'a victim of its own success' and it's reassuring to find out that writer Park Hye-run does know how to go where she is heading to no matter the sway. The pacing may have dropped a bit due to lengthening, but I really don't mind since it did well in character development. The extension was a good way to showcase Do Yeon's character depth, and the cute was an added bonus.

5) Acting was superb, and Lee Bo-young totally nailed it. I love how she portrayed Hye Sung with all that charisma and bravado, and adore that scene at the revolving door where she cried rivers after Min Joon Gook got acquitted. She realistically portrayed how Hye Sung was written and acts with so much heart that I no longer see Lee Bo-young, just... Jang Hye Sung. And yes, Lee Jong-suk can act well enough too; he did pretty well playing Su-ha. It's a bonus that he's handsome. But Lee Bo-young, still... I couldn't imagine I Hear Your Voice any better without her.

6) I have always been a fan of figurative writings and symbols, and the use of revolving doors to trap the most candid thoughts and emotions in this show had me right *there*. Hye Sung spinned through it to gather her courage and give birth to a brainchild. Lawyer Shin tried experiencing it to rid himself off of doubt and fear. Kwan Woo trapped Do Yeon in it to make her realize that the law can have a heart just as much as it can be cold. Ah, revolving doors...

7) I am a sucker for quotes. And clever wordplay. How Writer Park ended Episode 16 with the phrase: "July 26, 2013, 3:10 in the afternoon. She was kidnapped by Min Joon-gook. And two hours and thirty minutes later, our story of eleven years came to an end." was intelligently tricky. And how she had Hye Sung get even with Judge Seo using those same words he said to her outside the court was the most awesome comeback I have seen in quite a while. The fact that I Hear Your Voice has several heartfelt quotes is an added cake, making me such a happy camper.

8) Keen attention to even the smallest detail is a form of consistency for me, and consistency makes a good show. It has been present between Hye Sung and Su-ha when they exchanged the use of a spoon over a spatula as well as opening bottles for each other. It was also present during Hye Sung and Judge Seo's face off. I Hear Your Voice is good at that, using previous details to reverse roles and strengthen relationship.

9) Relationships, for the most part, is the heart of this drama. I'm glad to see an awesome mom in Hye Sung's, which for once differ from those mothers commonly present in a drama. She was one of a kind. I love how she cared for Hye Sung, and that dance she did in front of the chicken shop when Hye Sung finally became a public defender made me love her even more. I also love Hye Sung and Su-ha's relationship. Their love for each other is strong enough to endure, that even if they happen to part ways, Su-ha can still find her... find her, and fall for her over and over and over again.

Su-ha: "I know why you’re anxious, and I know why you’re always preparing for a time without me. But even if that time comes, I won’t worry. Even when ten years had passed, I recognized you. When I lost my memories, when I had erased you, I came to love you again. Even if ten more years pass, if I lose my memories again, if that time you’re worried about comes… I’ll find you… and I’ll love you again."

10) I Hear Your Voice is truly a rare gem that managed to hold on well to its footing. It started strong and ended just as strong. It tied loose ends and wrapped up conflicts, thus arriving at a well-earned ending—one that doesn't feel convoluted nor rushed. I love Su-ha's last minute narration and how he connected everyone to his growth, all the while learning how important it is to listen to other people, trust their stories, and fight for the truth without just giving in or giving up.