Phantom Lawyer 2026 Tv Series Review Trailer
Yoo Yeon-Seok returns to our screens, this time in the role of a lawyer capable of seeing ghosts. The series feels quite nostalgic in its presentation, without necessarily attempting to conform to current trends. It immediately reminded me of shows like Phantom Lawyer, which blend comedy with heartfelt messages to craft an endearing storyline.
Only two episodes of *Phantom Lawyer* have aired so far, but I already have a feeling I’ll enjoy the rest of the series just as much. Lately, K-dramas have been so intense that this production feels like a breath of fresh air—especially within the legal drama subgenre. That said, the series also features a performance by Esom, who—in my opinion—never makes a wrong choice when selecting her roles. For the moment, it seems there won't be any romance in the series just yet; however, considering that both actors are so extraordinary in that genre, I have a hunch that romance will eventually blossom at some point. With that cleared up, let’s dive into the first two episodes.
Stars: Yoo Yeon-seok, Esom, Kim Kyung-Nam
The first episode of *Phantom Lawyer* opens with the introduction of I-Rang, the protagonist lawyer. He is eager to land a job and performs excellently in his interviews; however, just when it seems they’ve gone well, he invariably receives rejection letters shortly thereafter. No, this isn't merely a career slump; in reality, it is a much deeper issue. It turns out that I-Rang has a "red mark" on his record. This means that no law firm is willing to hire him. It is, essentially, the Korean equivalent of being blacklisted.
Now, the problem lies in the fact that I-Rang has never done anything to justify being placed on such a list; the series gradually reveals that his father was, allegedly, unjustly accused of wrongdoing. We don't know all the details yet, but it appears his father served as a prosecutor, and ever since his passing, I-Rang has been subjected to mistreatment in every sphere of his life—from his school days right up to his current job hunt.
This situation leads I-Rang to decide to establish his own law firm. While under the influence of heavy intoxication, he discovers that his mother has some savings. The exuberance brought on by his drunkenness prompts him to meet with a real estate agent; however, the agent is merely looking to swindle him and ends up selling him the former premises of a shaman. At first, everything seems to go well, and I-Rang believes he can truly run a business on his own; but will he actually be capable of doing so? In reality, he has already been scammed and has lost his money.
Shortly after starting work at this office, I-Rang notices a man who is supposedly there to fill the position of legal assistant. However, he receives a phone call in which the person on the other end of the line informs him that the legal assistant has already found another job. I-Rang simply ignores the call, given that the individual is already standing right there; but suddenly, he realizes that the person standing before him is floating—for he is not a person at all, but a ghost. I-Rang rushes to see the broker, attempting to annul the deal and recover his mother's money; however, the broker manipulates him by playing on his guilt to convince him to stay, arguing that he can simply tell his mother he used her money to rent the premises. To spare his mother any further stress, I-Rang decides to stay, and before long, he strikes up a friendship with this ghost.
The first thing they must do is attempt to exorcise the place, and a priest arrives to instruct him on the steps to follow. The priest explains that if he burns the talisman on the wall, the ghost will vanish. But he also tells him that if he manages to discover the ghost's name and date of birth, the spirit will find peace and depart of its own accord. The priest—who, incidentally, used to be a shaman himself—suggests to I-Rang that he help the deceased, as doing so will lead to a better life for him; thus, I-Rang agrees to help the nameless ghost.
Fortunately for him, the deceased man's wife shows up at his office, and I-Rang convinces her to open up about her troubles, given that the shaman is no longer available. She tells him that her husband passed away on the operating table and that she had sought out the shaman specifically because her daughter hasn't left her room in five months—ever since her father's death. I-Rang listens attentively, almost as if he were an old friend; and, just as she is about to leave, he asks for her husband's name and date of birth—at the ghost's instigation, of course. She reveals that his name was Gang-Pung, and instantly, the ghost experiences a series of flashbacks regarding what happened to him. He even possesses I-Rang and embraces his wife, who—for obvious reasons—proceeds to slap the lawyer.
It turns out she suffers from severe stomach cramps triggered by stress and anxiety. Consequently, I-Rang approaches the nurse—whom the doctor had paid to stay out of the case (as she was an eyewitness)—and attempts to persuade her by appealing to her emotions. He tells her that the children will ultimately suffer for the mistakes their parents made—just as happened to him—and hints that her own son will eventually discover the truth about her.
She replies that she is powerless to act, as the doctor would ruin her life; however, she offers him a solution: locate the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) machine that was used in the case. Somehow, this leads I-Rang to a warehouse owned by gangsters where they stash drugs, as the hospital had sold the EMR machine on the advice of Na-Hyun’s boss, Do-Gyeong—who appears to be a shady character. In any case, Na-Hyun also shows up at the warehouse, intending to seize that very same device herself, having realized that someone else had been trying to obtain it anonymously.
As often happens in such situations, the gangsters all appear and go after I-Rang and his friend; when Na-Hyun makes her entrance, she attempts to maintain her composure and demands what she is looking for, utilizing her skills as a lawyer. It works at first, but then I-Rang intervenes and things get complicated, prompting the gangster ringleader to decide to beat them up. It is at this moment that Gang-Pung decides to possess I-Rang’s body, having finally had enough of putting up with that guy—just as he used to do when he was alive. Gang-Pung proceeds to thrash the gangsters, and thus I-Rang ends up becoming a hero.
Towards the end of the second episode, Na-Hyun realizes that I-Rang is carrying the EMR machine’s hard drive in his pocket; At first, he decides to snatch the case away from her in order to win it himself; however, upon recalling how he had stepped in to protect her when one of the gangsters tried to strike her with a baseball bat—despite the fact that they were on opposing sides—he changes his mind. Ultimately, I-Rang wins the case and tells Gang-Pung’s daughter that she must not blame herself for her father's death.
It turns out that she had once remarked that he snored too loudly, prompting him to visit a doctor to resolve the issue. Had she not said that, he never would have left. But Gang-Pung visits his daughter later that very night, while she sleeps, and tells her that the fault was not hers, but rather the doctor's and the hospital's. Suddenly, she sits up in bed and tells her mother that she heard her father's voice. This signifies that she now knows she is not to blame, and that all the characters in this story have found their closure. Finally, despite his protests, I-Rang has to let Gang-Pung go; he walks away happily, knowing that he no longer belongs to our world.
The episode concludes with the introduction of the next case, in which a K-pop trainee will be the ghost. It involves a case of school bullying and raises the question of suicide versus murder. It certainly promises to be interesting. On another note, I-Rang’s mother has discovered the truth about his shamanic practice—and has even witnessed him in a possessed state—so she is now a co-owner of the business, given that it was her money he invested. How amusing! I already love the dynamic between them. Thus, I believe he will also succeed in bringing justice to his father's past, likely with the aid of these ghostly cases. I can't wait to see what the future holds for us in *Phantom Lawyer*.
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