Currently Watching: Train (2020)
CW: Live Up to Your Name, Dr. Heo (2017)
What is it about time travel, doctors doing their best, the daily struggle circumvented with awesome side characters and unbelievable situations that just sucked me into this drama? That’s right, all of it. From the first episode, I could see that these main characters had so much growing to do as professionals and as people. It’s easy to get caught up in one or the other, apparently. Losing touch with the world or yourself. It’s certainly not easy, as these characters certainly find out! So, what should draw you in as well? Here’s a list:
The Awesome Cast
Our mains: Kim Nam Gil as Dr. Heo Im and Kim Ah Joong as Choi Yeon Kyung.
There’s something about both of them that simply works, be it in the Joseon Period or the present. Also, seeing them in any scene just drew me in. I love Heo Im’s facial expressions!
As an added bonus, for me at least, I got to see these actors from many other dramas. Not only do these actors wow me with their performances, but even knowing they’re included gives me the sense that everything’s going to be alright.
Lee Jae Won, Kim Young Ok and Uhm Hyo Sub. At this point, I think Kim Young Ok is in everything but for me, the last thing I saw her in was Falling for Innocence. I haven’t seen Ahn Suk Hwan since that same drama. It certainly left an impression!
I could list everyone in this drama and I’d still be adding more about how they’d individually captured my heart but I’ll settle to only one for now. Did you have different favourites? Looking forward to seeing a particular actor or a role? I do like doctors and the struggle they go through, but there is always more tugging at my heart!
It was easy to get attached to individual characters, and Mak Gae was one of them! Following Heo Im and an awesome friend, I was looking forward to seeing what would happen! The cheerful banter between the two and the honest loyalty was heartening to see, especially in a drama where you know something bad is going to happen!
Acupuncture vs Surgeries
One of the main reasons going into this drama for me was finally getting to see what acupuncture is like and how it was regarded in Joseon. Acupuncture has so much knowledge behind it that we simply don’t know about in the present day. Well, not as widely as it was in Joseon. I absolutely loved seeing it as an instrument to save people from harm and it was being portrayed excitingly! Isn’t that what being a doctor is all about? Doing their best to help patients with whatever they have. It wasn’t simply the acupuncture that had me scrambling for more research between episodes, it was moxibustion as well. Basically, it’s a form of heat therapy that often looks like little triangles. It’s a dried plant, moxa, burned on or near the surface of the skin and used with acupuncture because of the intention to invigorate the flow of Qi in the body, from what I understand. Huh. I always learn something new from dramas!
To the modern surgeries side, knowing isn’t helping! I still have no idea of the importance of specific things in surgeries but that very small details and locations are very important! It takes a lot of concentration on both sides to make sure everything goes off without error! What was interesting about this was the politics involved with doctors and doctors in training, interns and nurses.
The poor interns look like they can’t get enough sleep and that can’t be good for their concentration or mood! It makes me wonder if their mentors are piling on stress quickly to see if they snap. How mean! But also, if they’re going to snap, is it better for it to happen sooner rather than later? Then again, as people grow from their experiences, could that stop someone who would snap early on from being at the very peak of their level later on? Again, this drew me in! I love the relationship between all the workers in the hospital and getting to see how this all gets to them!
Hospital vs Hospital
It all begins at Haeminseo, where Heo Im treats hundreds a day. This place is set up to accept large amounts of people, most travelling a long distance for medical treatment. It’s a contrast to the palace where royal doctors seem to wait on those of higher importance, higher rank.
I really hope hospitals don’t compete but it was interesting to see how the following three were. It wasn’t just the competition for patients, but for credibility. I felt that the two main hospitals were side-by-side as antagonism or as for the patients and never quite decided which one it was.
Shinhae Hospital is where our main girl works and where we spend a lot of our time. She’s queen of surgeries or will be acknowledged as such soon. The only problem? Surgeries are about a lot more than getting into the procedure itself. We have a lot to learn about the workings of a hospital and how she fits in.
Then we have Shinhae Oriental Medicine Hospital. How’s that for competition? Even the name! Our main girl has a lot of ties to this hospital as well, and our second lead guy spends a lot of his time here. I liked the interplay between doctors from each hospital. It seemed that even in their precious downtime they wanted to be involved with work somehow. Not sure about you all, but I’m like a different person once work ends. Here though? They live and breathe work.
Haeminseo Oriental Medicine Clinic. It belongs to the grandfather of our main girl and becomes the bridge between the acupuncture and surgeries aspect. Anything beyond acupuncture, you can bet they call the ambulance! Handy having a talented acupuncturist and surgeon in the one place. Maybe that’s why the two other hospitals are so close to each other.
Shenanigans!
That’s right. I really wanted to know what it’s like when a man from Joseon comes to modern Seoul. He comes across more than he can imagine and his reactions are the best! The response from everyone surrounding him is also just perfect! Well, not our main lady. I thought, for a doctor dealing with patients all the time, she could have been more sympathetic. She’s no-nonsense and not believing his incredible accuracy in all things Joseon. Female doctors, is it possible? Nope, got no time for this, got lives to save and police to get anyone interfering away. What will he do?
On the other hand, will she travel to Joseon? Is it something only he can do? Will he return or is this it? I just had to find out. I’ve been watching this eagerly every week and I’m sad to see it come to an end, but I hope I can get you all as hooked as I was! You won’t be disappointed!
What are your thoughts on this drama so far?
Thanks for reading!
