VOL.69/2024.04

 

[Book & Media ⑤]

Divorce Attorney Shin

Everyone Has the Right to a “Sacred” Divorce

 

2023.06.05

 

 

The drama “Divorce Attorney Shin,” which aired simultaneously on JTBC and Netflix in 2023, was a drama based on the webtoon with the same title. The original story Divorce Attorney Shin (book publisher: MIMESIS Co.) was a hot series recording more than 25 million accumulated views, and the decision to dramatize the webtoon was welcome news for the fans as they had been praying for it throughout the serialization. Also, drama fans have eagerly waited for the show’s premiere, as it featured a cast of Korean actors known for their excellent acting, such as Cho Seung-Woo, playing the main character Shin Sung-Han, and Han Hye-Jin, who joins him in a lead role. With massive support from webtoon fans and drama fans, the drama “Divorce Attorney Shin” has steadily kept its 3rd place on Netflix Korea, achieving fine results. In addition, it also captured the hearts of international fans as it ranked 5th on Netflix Japan.
The drama's success was largely thanks to the original story's power and the casting of famous actors and actresses and their excellent acting. The webtoon Divorce Attorney Shin features various episodes revolving around Shin Sung-Han, who becomes a divorce lawyer for revenge, and his clients. The writing team of the original story “Team Kang Tae-Kyung (story writer Kang, illustrator Tae-Kyung”) have proven their talent for amazing descriptions in previous works such as “Them” and “The Robber.” The team also commented that they used realistic portrayal of the human aspects of the characters surrounding divorce in Divorce Attorney Shin. The drama version as well reflects the characteristics of the original story, humanizing the desperate stories of divorce lawyer Shin and his clients. Now, let’s compare the original webtoon and the drama, and see how the drama drew the subjects of divorce and litigation, which can often be triggering, in a “sacred” way (translator’s note: shinsung also means being ‘sacred’ in Korean).

 

 

PlotI’ve Got that Divorce Covered!

 

Divorce is like a “fight you always lose,” because you’re undermining the person you once loved. The protagonist, Shin Sung-Han, is the victim of an unfair divorce in the past, and becomes a divorce lawyer to find a way to get revenge. Most of his clients are desperate people on the verge of losing, but Shin goes through countless trials with them. Through the course of this, Shin gets closer to the truth of his painful memories. Will Shin be able to get his revenge?

 

Book vs DramaA Drama with a Twist

 

#1. Shin Sung-Han’s Total Makeover

 

The most significant difference between the original story and the drama would be the change in the character of Shin Sung-Han. In the original story, Shin is cold and brusque and is a stereotypical lawyer who always wears a suit. However, in the drama, he appears friendly and humorous, wearing casual clothes. Also added were his past as a pianist and the part where he passed the last bar exam at a late age. Thanks to these, Shin Sung-Han in the drama became a character who has a mysterious image with strong ambition, making the audience wonder about his story.
The target for revenge has also changed in the drama. While the original story is mainly about Shin having a conflict with his heartless mother, who abandoned his father and himself for her own successful career, Shin takes revenge on the entire former family of his younger sister, who died after being wrongfully divorced.

 

#2. The Actors and Actresses Made the Drama Unique

 

There was a person who greatly influenced Shin Sung-Han's makeover in the drama – actor Cho Seung-Woo, who acted as Shin. As he participated in shaping the character “Shin Sung-Han” together with the drama team from the planning stage, it is no exaggeration to say that casting Cho created a special character unique to the drama. Also, Kim Sung-Kyun and Jung Mun-Sung, famous for being all-around supporting actors, were cast as Jang Hyung-Keun and Cho Jung-Sik, friends of Shin Sung-Han in the drama. The acting and ad-libs from the three actors’ friendship made the scenes realistic, as if we were watching real friends, enriching the drama. The genuine laughs created by their chemistry are one of the drama’s charms made by the sensible casting of the drama team.

 

#3. Sometimes Heavy, Sometimes Light

 

The original story Divorce Attorney Shin received good comments that it composedly and meticulously covered the triggering subject of divorce. While the episodes are heavy and complex, people said the writers were good at portraying human beings and organizing the settings, making it hard to take their eyes off every episode. On the other hand, the drama version is somewhat lighter. It makes the viewers laugh easily by adding odd scenes in between serious cases and helps them to brace for the next case to come. Also, unlike the webtoon version where people could pause reading and return to the story when they wanted, let alone the short episodes, the drama, which is relatively longer (around an hour), inevitably used this tool to have the audience stay focused. So, even though they are based on the same story, the different nature of the format has brought about a distinct uniqueness. Now, how about enjoying the webtoon and drama of Divorce Attorney Shin – sometimes heavy and sometimes light - and have double the fun?

 

 

* Trailer of the drama “Divorce Attorney Shin”

 

 

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Written by Song Su-Hui