[HanCinema's Drama Review] "The Devil Judge" Episode 1

In an opening that's surprisingly reminiscent of "Illang : The Wolf Brigade" from a few years back, "The Devil Judge" opens with a brief montage of Seoul, in a not-too-distant future dystopia. There's an explicit reference to an ominous event called the Gwanghwamun Riot, with the visual of stormtroopers in front of the neon-studded Yi Sunshin statue. Dongdaemun Design Plaza likewise looks like mushrooms from an acid trip. But most alarming of all, there's litter! In the Seoul subway! Outrageous!!!

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I jest, but "The Devil Judge" stands out for its sincerity as much as anything else. The drama's making some pretty blunt political statements, and not really caring if it looks silly in the process. Take the inherent outrageousness of the big scene with the bus. The titular devil judge Yo-han (played by Ji Sung) is simultaneously cool yet weirdly moderate in his approach. He's the hero of an era where people no longer have trust in institutions, but might be willing to support someone who still does, and cares more about the letter of the law than its spirit.

On that note, President Heo (played by Bek Hyunjin) immediately stands out as a surprisingly effective Trumpian pastiche. It's President Heo who gets overexcited in front of the cameras, making promises about justice for all which it's not clear he totally believes himself. Ah, but the enthusiasm! President Heo loves the cameras! And despite a lack of screentime, he's a remarkable foil for Yo-han's literalist faith in justice even in the context of a reality TV show.

Ah yes, the premise. The trial itself is surprisingly subdued. In addition to most of the first episode being dedicated to character exposition, the trial itself is actually much shorter than I was expecting, concluding by the end of the runtime. Turns out the devil really is in the details, and Yo-han can't be bothered to give people more than a bathroom break to mull over some pretty trifling evidence.

This is, naturally, part of the point. Yo-han is an enigmatic character, who's never clearly in perspective. Ga-on (played by "Park Jinyoung") is the actual perspective character. To date his role lack purity, since he works for Jeong-ho (played by Ahn Nae-sang), a man whose exact motives are ambiguous. This makes for a stark contrast to Yo-han, and his open willingness to troll just about anyone in the name of punishing the wicked, which makes for some fairly sharp satire.

Review by William Schwartz

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"The Devil Judge" is directed by Choi Jeong-gyoo, written by Moon Yoo-suk, and features Ji Sung, Kim Min-jung, Park Jinyoung, Park Gyu-young, Ahn Nae-sang, Kim Jae-kyung. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/07/03~Now airing, Sat, Sun 21:00 on tvN.