Not gonna lie but I started this drama for Kim Hye-soo (the brilliant leading actress as Jung Geum-ja). This is not really a drama about court and legal cases, it's more about the characters - how Yoon Hee-Jae and Jung Geum-ja do things similarly but also very differently. The script is good, something totally different from the cliche romantic kdrama (no offence), the acting of Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon are excellent as always. Hye-soo really can pull off a wide range of characters, I can't think of any other Korean actresses that can do a great job portraying this role. (So, kudos, Hye-soo unnie.) What I didn't expect that I'd root for is the chemistry and tension between the two main characters. I don't usually get attached to pairings on kdrama but this is really good. A must watch, trust me.
30 Reviews
WHERE DID THIS COME FROM, AWESOME
backnblack-0612322 February 2020
Okay one episode but man was this a wild ride, going along kind of fun and cute and maybe 45 min into it all hell breaks lose, never ever seen KD have a first episode impact like this, Kim Hye Soo is the best Korean actress in my book and the most beautiful still i wont watch a bad show because of pretty face.Give it a chance and don't give up on it
Three episodes in now and its getting even better, this is one vicious bitch, her sidekick assistant is funny and cute adds a lot to the show.
Great Show!
hansbeimsap26 April 2020
Loved every single moment: Great actors. Great acting. Extremely well-written script, witty alongside a good portion of humor. Also, love to get an insight to the Korean culture, their way of thinking and the lifestyle. Definitely worth a binge. 😄
Breaking new ground in Kdrama
anthonyparker-421414 March 2020
No Cinderella here , no wide eyed looks with the wrist grab , no plastic surgery or Rapunzel hairdos. Cutthroat intrigue and dark humor, if the woman starring here was a guy s(he) would have Cannon balls. A must watch !
I need a season 2 like yesterday!
nadinechucri20 April 2020
I have watched a few courtroom based Kdramas and this one I classify as epic! Not a dull moment and omg don't even get me started on the last 2 episodes that were out of this world hilarious, amazing and downright addictive.
Kudos to the writer for such an outstanding character like Jung Geum Ja, and Kim Hye Soo who portrays her. I bow down to the mistress. Let's be honest, the woman stole the show and every scene she was in.
I need a season 2!!!
Kudos to the writer for such an outstanding character like Jung Geum Ja, and Kim Hye Soo who portrays her. I bow down to the mistress. Let's be honest, the woman stole the show and every scene she was in.
I need a season 2!!!
Amazing!
alicali-5033714 May 2020
Friday night fun!
rmheyward22 March 2020
This kdrama is such a pleasant surprise! The leading couple are not Barbie and Ken. They instead are smart, clever and flawed. This show is LOL funny with lots of fun plot twists. The writing and acting is so good! Highly recommend!
I really like Legal Dramas usually but not so much this one
leahcubed2 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.
Jung Geum-ja (Kim Geun-ja) is a lawyer who, like a Hyena, has no issue with scavenging off other's weakness to win a case. She crosses paths with Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) who works for a distinguished law firm that caters to the wealthiest of the wealthy. Yoon Hee-jae is confident in his ability and has risen through the ranks of his law firm at an accelerated rate due to his exceptional legal skill that is until he goes against Geum-ja. Their first encounter is on a divorce case and Geum-ja seduces Hee-Jae in order to get close enough to him to steal information that is critical to winning the case.
In general I did not find the cases they worked on very compelling. It was mostly corporate level cases or rich chaebol and that type of law was not very interesting to me. I did not feel a lot of chemistry between the leads. I also did not like Geum-ja's underhanded way of doing law. It was okay a lot of times for the criminals she was pursuing but tricking someone by pretending to love them then stealing information to win a case was cruel and it made it so I did not like her very much. She is supposed to be very attractive but her short hair did not make her look very attractive to me. I have been watching this for many weeks and I usually watch things quickly but I find it very slow.
It took me a long time to finish this drama. I did not hate it but I certainly did not love it. Spoiler Alert* I found the way Geum-ja treated Hee-Jae in the beginning reprehensible. She seduced him to steal information to win a case. Hee-jae was a nice guy so I could not excuse the way she treated him as just being competitive or breaking some rules for a good outcome. If he had been a jerk then maybe I could have gotten past that but he was nice and what she did damaged his career. I also did not find the cases they were working on very interesting. Corporate intrigue is just not much my thing. Since I was not pulling for the romance between the leads, I was not super invested in them getting together. It was also very slow in some parts. If you are someone who really likes legal drama, particularly corporate law, or likes one of these actors a lot - you might find it worth the watch. In general I would say there are far better legal dramas to watch and I would pass this one over.
Jung Geum-ja (Kim Geun-ja) is a lawyer who, like a Hyena, has no issue with scavenging off other's weakness to win a case. She crosses paths with Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) who works for a distinguished law firm that caters to the wealthiest of the wealthy. Yoon Hee-jae is confident in his ability and has risen through the ranks of his law firm at an accelerated rate due to his exceptional legal skill that is until he goes against Geum-ja. Their first encounter is on a divorce case and Geum-ja seduces Hee-Jae in order to get close enough to him to steal information that is critical to winning the case.
In general I did not find the cases they worked on very compelling. It was mostly corporate level cases or rich chaebol and that type of law was not very interesting to me. I did not feel a lot of chemistry between the leads. I also did not like Geum-ja's underhanded way of doing law. It was okay a lot of times for the criminals she was pursuing but tricking someone by pretending to love them then stealing information to win a case was cruel and it made it so I did not like her very much. She is supposed to be very attractive but her short hair did not make her look very attractive to me. I have been watching this for many weeks and I usually watch things quickly but I find it very slow.
It took me a long time to finish this drama. I did not hate it but I certainly did not love it. Spoiler Alert* I found the way Geum-ja treated Hee-Jae in the beginning reprehensible. She seduced him to steal information to win a case. Hee-jae was a nice guy so I could not excuse the way she treated him as just being competitive or breaking some rules for a good outcome. If he had been a jerk then maybe I could have gotten past that but he was nice and what she did damaged his career. I also did not find the cases they were working on very interesting. Corporate intrigue is just not much my thing. Since I was not pulling for the romance between the leads, I was not super invested in them getting together. It was also very slow in some parts. If you are someone who really likes legal drama, particularly corporate law, or likes one of these actors a lot - you might find it worth the watch. In general I would say there are far better legal dramas to watch and I would pass this one over.
"Hyena" - A K' Rom-Com For Adults
jaybizman4 February 2021
From IMDB:
"Hyena' deals with very competitive private lawyers who only work for the richest 1% of society. Stars: Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hye-su, Kyeong-Yeong Lee."
Of course there's much more to pack into 16 x one hour episodes, in this (so far) first series. Hopefully there will be a second. IMO, it's that good.
Standout amongst the three main leads is veteran S. Korean actress Kim Hye-Su, who plays lawyer 'Jung Geum Ja', at high powered law firm 'Song & Kim.' IMO she steals every scene and is the epitome of a mature Bad Azz Boss Lady, who grew up poor and worked with "lowlifes" before being recruited for 'Song & Kim', as she was rough and tough and willing to bend the rules. With short hair and couture clothes she gets the job done. (BTW: She is a third Dan Black Belt Taekwondo, in real life and her nickname from fans is "Wonder Woman.")
Of course there's romance, betrayal and jealousy - as usual at the law firm, where gossiping is a way of life, and Jung uses her female wile's to get what she wants, when she wants it - leading her into a 'love-hate' relationship.
Clever and fast paced, this 'Hyena' series will keep you satisfied until the end. I rate same an easy 9/10.
Of course there's much more to pack into 16 x one hour episodes, in this (so far) first series. Hopefully there will be a second. IMO, it's that good.
Standout amongst the three main leads is veteran S. Korean actress Kim Hye-Su, who plays lawyer 'Jung Geum Ja', at high powered law firm 'Song & Kim.' IMO she steals every scene and is the epitome of a mature Bad Azz Boss Lady, who grew up poor and worked with "lowlifes" before being recruited for 'Song & Kim', as she was rough and tough and willing to bend the rules. With short hair and couture clothes she gets the job done. (BTW: She is a third Dan Black Belt Taekwondo, in real life and her nickname from fans is "Wonder Woman.")
Of course there's romance, betrayal and jealousy - as usual at the law firm, where gossiping is a way of life, and Jung uses her female wile's to get what she wants, when she wants it - leading her into a 'love-hate' relationship.
Clever and fast paced, this 'Hyena' series will keep you satisfied until the end. I rate same an easy 9/10.
Good Enough
PennyReviews15 April 2020
" Hyena " was a legal drama with two intense characters.
Actually, the two main characters were the heart and soul of the whole drama. Especially the leading lady, who, more often than not, dominated her scenes and overshadowed her partner. However, she did got a bit endearing after a while. The subtle romance with the male lead was messy and probably should have been avoided, as they have better chemistry as partners rather than lovers. The theme about lawyers representing the elite was kind of refreshing, as most legal dramas tend to go for the more emotional, underdog stories. However, soon it was obvious that the cases were more about one family in particular rather than a series of cases. And it got a bit boring too.
So, overall, six and a half out of ten.
Actually, the two main characters were the heart and soul of the whole drama. Especially the leading lady, who, more often than not, dominated her scenes and overshadowed her partner. However, she did got a bit endearing after a while. The subtle romance with the male lead was messy and probably should have been avoided, as they have better chemistry as partners rather than lovers. The theme about lawyers representing the elite was kind of refreshing, as most legal dramas tend to go for the more emotional, underdog stories. However, soon it was obvious that the cases were more about one family in particular rather than a series of cases. And it got a bit boring too.
So, overall, six and a half out of ten.
One of the Best Dramas
sylar_carter23 March 2022
good on the whole but the leads don't match
gsmarcom15 June 2022
I like the story, lawyer & courtroom drama is always interesting and this one too. I also like the 2 main actors, there's no doubt about their acting skills but the chemistry isn't not that great due to the huge age gap and that's why the love line is not v. Convincing.
Awesome Kdrama!
trishaavl13 April 2020
This is easily one of the best kdrama's out there if you give it a chance! Their chemistry is SO great that it'll makes you feel like an outsider whenever you watch the leads together LOL! I really wish they had more episodes :( BUT every episode was worth it!
This is not your ususal Law Thriller, definitrly a worth watch!!
Minhad_Rizwan13 January 2021
At first i wasn't really sure of watching this drama.
cuz i thought it will be your usual law thriller but it wasn't. Just after watching the first episode i was totally hooked up.
i really liked the OST and the leading characters especially our leading actress cuz she is one hell of a tough lady and i really enjoyed her being so rough and tough.
Obviously, a typical heroine lawyer will try to fight for the weak. While Geum-ja does head in the opposite direction, we can't help but realise that she's working within the parameters of reality.
Yoon Hee-Jae and Jung Geum-Ja both did a fabulous acting with Jung Geum-Ja being a strong female lead . It's worth a try!!
Yoon Hee-Jae and Jung Geum-Ja both did a fabulous acting with Jung Geum-Ja being a strong female lead . It's worth a try!!
Woman Power
jgardiner-871-7267294 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Review: Hyena (2020)
Oh I really admire this crazy woman. She is a kickass crazy bitch. What player. I wish I could play half as well as her. Wow! And we are only in the first episode. Whoa! This is so good. She has no martial arts skills but what an awesome fighter.
She made he opposition lawyer fall in love with her and used it to get information out of him. Then dropped him after he had totally fallen for her. Manipulative az! These two have incredible and undeniable chemistry both attracting and repelling each other. He is really admirable in his hurt and unrequited love for her as he works on the sideline with her. She uses him to overcome her bad experiences with her dad.
Wow! She is truly formidable and clever . She knows out to out think her opposition and play both sides of the fence. I want to be her. Then she is recruited by the lawyer firm that has fought against her. They know how ruthless she to get what she want done. They need her to clean up some messes. She knows how to do difficult tasks. She is there to stir up the other partners, for them to look at solutions in a different way. The lead partner is sending on of his team to the US to calm down his past experiences and wants her to take over from him.
Sometimes it's difficult to interpret the lawyer speak. You know legalese (the formal and technical language of legal documents).
She digs deep to get the facts data and information she needs to get her client off the hook. When she join the Law Firm she starts to where these high class stylish power suits that makes her stand out more in that environment. She becomes the no mess, clean up mess woman that they want and need. She is also expendable to the firm but makes herself indispensable.
She has a very compelling story of parental abuse. Where she even stabbed herself so that her abusive father was incarcerated for 23 years for attempted murder. I so love the way that she screams out her frustrations and stamps her feet in a tantrum to release here feelings of anxiety and anger. She is an outstanding actor. She is new to me but I love her.
Once her teeth get s grip on something she never lets go even if it draws blood she is never ever going to let anyone trample over her be it physically, mentally or intellectually. Once she has got the facts there is no return. No backward step.
This girl is so good she suspects everyone. She usually right with her hunches. She is such a clever cookie and her past experiences has made her resilient. What I have seen in this drama is the things that motivate the superrich are power, jealousy, control and money along with their greed. She has never been silent about what motivates her and its her independence and money which she is saving to buy a building she wants. She has been coveting it for years.
Then the three high powered women start working together to bring down the top boss of the lawyer firm that they were kicked out of. Two lawyers and one hope to be CEO of a huge Korean Company. Girl Power takes over.
You must watch this.
Oh I really admire this crazy woman. She is a kickass crazy bitch. What player. I wish I could play half as well as her. Wow! And we are only in the first episode. Whoa! This is so good. She has no martial arts skills but what an awesome fighter.
She made he opposition lawyer fall in love with her and used it to get information out of him. Then dropped him after he had totally fallen for her. Manipulative az! These two have incredible and undeniable chemistry both attracting and repelling each other. He is really admirable in his hurt and unrequited love for her as he works on the sideline with her. She uses him to overcome her bad experiences with her dad.
Wow! She is truly formidable and clever . She knows out to out think her opposition and play both sides of the fence. I want to be her. Then she is recruited by the lawyer firm that has fought against her. They know how ruthless she to get what she want done. They need her to clean up some messes. She knows how to do difficult tasks. She is there to stir up the other partners, for them to look at solutions in a different way. The lead partner is sending on of his team to the US to calm down his past experiences and wants her to take over from him.
Sometimes it's difficult to interpret the lawyer speak. You know legalese (the formal and technical language of legal documents).
She digs deep to get the facts data and information she needs to get her client off the hook. When she join the Law Firm she starts to where these high class stylish power suits that makes her stand out more in that environment. She becomes the no mess, clean up mess woman that they want and need. She is also expendable to the firm but makes herself indispensable.
She has a very compelling story of parental abuse. Where she even stabbed herself so that her abusive father was incarcerated for 23 years for attempted murder. I so love the way that she screams out her frustrations and stamps her feet in a tantrum to release here feelings of anxiety and anger. She is an outstanding actor. She is new to me but I love her.
Once her teeth get s grip on something she never lets go even if it draws blood she is never ever going to let anyone trample over her be it physically, mentally or intellectually. Once she has got the facts there is no return. No backward step.
This girl is so good she suspects everyone. She usually right with her hunches. She is such a clever cookie and her past experiences has made her resilient. What I have seen in this drama is the things that motivate the superrich are power, jealousy, control and money along with their greed. She has never been silent about what motivates her and its her independence and money which she is saving to buy a building she wants. She has been coveting it for years.
Then the three high powered women start working together to bring down the top boss of the lawyer firm that they were kicked out of. Two lawyers and one hope to be CEO of a huge Korean Company. Girl Power takes over.
You must watch this.
This is the Best Love-Hate Relationship Kdrama with strong leading roles so far
fallforinnocence28 April 2022
Hyena is more thrilling than I expected. And it is rarely to see all castings have good-acting in Korean drama like Hyena. All actors did a good job.
The age gap between Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon is an unnecessary problem. Instead, their chemistry in "Hyena" is out of my imagination. When Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon have rows with sarcastic expression, their mocking eyes staring at each other is like passing the electrity instantly , and the sparks flying on dry air. This is why their chemistry becomes so sexy and hot even without long kiss scenes or bed scenes as those 99.9% Kdramas did.
Unlike most female leads always stand on righteous side, "Hyena" female lead is strong, clever, and extremely selfish-- earning more money by any means even that is immoral. The male lead is also strong ,clever, and arrogant. I really love to see the male lead expression when his pride is wounded after the female lead poaches his clients numerous times.
These settings make "Hyena" become so unique and interesting.
I hope the kdramas which is like "Hyena" will be more in the future.
But so far, this is the best love-hate relationship Korean drama for me.
The age gap between Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon is an unnecessary problem. Instead, their chemistry in "Hyena" is out of my imagination. When Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon have rows with sarcastic expression, their mocking eyes staring at each other is like passing the electrity instantly , and the sparks flying on dry air. This is why their chemistry becomes so sexy and hot even without long kiss scenes or bed scenes as those 99.9% Kdramas did.
Unlike most female leads always stand on righteous side, "Hyena" female lead is strong, clever, and extremely selfish-- earning more money by any means even that is immoral. The male lead is also strong ,clever, and arrogant. I really love to see the male lead expression when his pride is wounded after the female lead poaches his clients numerous times.
These settings make "Hyena" become so unique and interesting.
I hope the kdramas which is like "Hyena" will be more in the future.
But so far, this is the best love-hate relationship Korean drama for me.
Not bad
eclaridge27 April 2022
A legal drama that had good and bad episodes. The start was good but it dragged a bit in the middle. The plot was a bit convoluted and sometimes made no sense. The two leads were good but the heroine was a itle old. The actress is good but I preferred her in Signal pr Juvenile Justice where she was cast for a part of an appropriate age. All in all a pleasant time waster but I wouldn't go out if my way to watch it.
Quality show
SofiCastle29 April 2020
Good script, good direction, great characters (a super badass female lawyer and her partner, who is not so bad himself), great acting, perfect cinematography, great ost, no sappy romance... This show is certainly worth watching.
Only minus, a couple of weird scenes that are supposed to be funny (maybe they are, for the korean viewers) and annoying product placement - the characters spend too much time drinking George Clooney's coffee brand, eating at the same pizza restaurant the same pinapple/corn pizza (!!, although more appetising than the live octopus they eat at some other point) or casually praising how tasty some kind of stuffed bagels are.
there should be more Yoon Hee Jaes in real life
kriszti-3990016 December 2020
I found the main male character very attractive, the leading lady on his side not so much - but there was an undeniable chemistry between them and as the story progressed it became obvious that she was born to play this part.
I didn't find the guy too smug, he had confidence which is required in his job. It must be a cultural thing that those who don't bow low enough when they meet, are considered to be arrogant, I guess. In my opinion he behaved completely normal. It is a very entertaining series and I would have wished a clear happy end, not just a half one. Maybe a second season could bring more clarity to the issue.
This Series only for feminist and Fan of Kim hye-soo
rohitadwal18 June 2023
It's a One Woman show and male lead is just to show off. No good dialogue wrote for him and his character is very pathetic in first eight episode where I stopped watching this series. Hyena is all about Kim hye-soo character and ju ji hoon just for assist her in very pathetic manner. Both Actors acting is good but Script is written only for women so my male ego don't allow me to watch this show. If you are a women or feminist you will enjoy this show. Yoon hae jae is a big loser, how they showed him ace lawyer atleast show him a new recruit. If you don't have male ego and want to watch some Only and Only female lead show you can watch this. This show is real fantasy for Feminist.
Outstanding legal kdrama series!
prinzjohnpagador24 July 2020
I can't refrain myself watching their next episodes whereas every episodes are all interesting and thrilling. Indeed, This is highly recommended to aspiring lawyers and lawyers by profession. I can't wait for season 2!
Strong Female Drama
rthomas-137824 November 2020
Hyenas and vultures
manidis-400-79666212 August 2020
Brilliant show - great acting, fabulous characters and solid and exciting storyline. This series starts off slowly but ends with a bang. Lots of unexpected twists and turns. Loved every second of it. Converted to K-dramas!!
Mastrclass in producing a tv series
phillipjbrown15 March 2021
I'm not normally keen on lawyers or courtroom dramas but this series is so well donne I enjoyed every monute of it. Hard to find any faults but didn't personally see the eed for the strong swearing anf graphic violence in some scenes. But the photography, direction and writing are a masterclass in how to produce a classy tv series.
Ju Ji-Hoon is on top form and Kim Hye-su knocks it out of the park. Great chemistry and such wit and clever acting. TTheir romane is subtle and believable. Good music throughout and their clothes are amazing. All the cst act well with some nice comedic spots.
Great show with interesting cases and a satisfactory ending. Loved it
Ju Ji-Hoon is on top form and Kim Hye-su knocks it out of the park. Great chemistry and such wit and clever acting. TTheir romane is subtle and believable. Good music throughout and their clothes are amazing. All the cst act well with some nice comedic spots.
Great show with interesting cases and a satisfactory ending. Loved it
See also
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