Legal High [ep 1]

Casts:
Sakai Masato – Komikado Kensuke
Aragaki Yui – Mayuzumi Machiko

Where do I begin with this show? It’s so over-the-top and exaggerating that just left you wanting for more! Yes, I love it. Sakai is amazing as this over-confident lawyer who’s so full of himself. He thinks everybody’s lower than him and can’t help but looks down on them. As if to make things worse, he only considers accepting business if the clients can pay his required amount of money which most of time are crazy lot. Millions of yen. Normally in real life, somebody like him would piss us off, we’d surely think this type of person is the worst ever, but in this show, he’s the main reason I watch it. Although he’s pompous and self-absorbed, his skills in law are still admirable. He’s not all talk and useless, in fact, his confidence has solid grounds to be respected. The only thing he should change is his attitude perhaps.

As for the rookie lawyer, yes, as always, without fail, we have a rookie in dramas. Whether it’s rookie cop or rookie doctor, it’s always a ROOKIE. It’s so cliché that most of us would just roll our eyes but it depends on the actor/actress to present the rookie. Most of the time, it’s the same. There’s nothing different in Aragaki Yui’s character, Mayuzumi, who works at a renowned law firm and decides to ask for Komikado’s help when her own boss denied her request for a second trial of the client, whom she believes to be innocent and falsely charged with murder. I find rookies represented in dramas are always similar. It’s either they’re full of spirit and very enthusiastic to help someone or the other way round. Protagonists like these are old tactics so I don’t find anything much to desire from them.

Well, let’s look into the first episode.We know rookies can come from two types as mentioned earlier. Mayuzumi is the first. She's so kind as to help the guy she believes is innocent so much so that she doesn't mind paying all the consultation fees worth 30 million yen to Komikado straight from her wallet. I can only agree 100% with Komikado when he said she's stupid for doing so. A normal person in his/her right mind will not risk that much money for a stranger! He's a convicted killer, no less. Of course, you can start your argument that he's a victim in the unjust law and may spend the rest of his life in jail for something he didn't do, while the real killer is out there probably targeting his next. But seriously?

But nothing stops Komikado when money flashes right in front of him. His weakness? MONEY. He's not all perfect with his skills though, the part where he never thought the opposition could've used dirty tricks actually kinda propelled him to the abyss. The part where he got drunk and channeled his anger to Mayuzumi was hilarious but you do feel a tinge of pity for him.

Another thing to notice, the butler. I'd call him the butler, instead of secretary. Why? Because secretaries don't cook or do other housework. Despite being a humble butler, he seems to be great in a lot of things - cuisine, calligraphy and even brain mathematics (which I have to rely on calculators nowadays). No, he's definitely not just any butler. He must have his history, but that will have to wait. The case itself, nothing to shout about. However, I do find oamikado's words true at the end when Mayuzumi began to wonder if she has truly saved an innocent man. Komikado replied saying as lawyers, they'll never know the truth.

Rating: 8.5/10

A great opening for the drama. Hilarious. I still need time to get used to both Sakai and Aragaki's hairstyles though.