I'm going to sound like a broken record in these reviews of Korean shows, but they continue to surprise me with deep, complex, and beautiful stories, such as this one. I can usually tell when a series is getting to me because I feel it in my heart and soul, and I end up watching several episodes at once because I cannot get enough. "Live Up To Your Name" is such a series for me.
The series follows two doctors. One from 400 years ago in Joseon, and one from today. Heo Im (wonderfully played by Kim Nam Gil) is the most brilliant acupuncturist of his time--perhaps of any time, if truth be told--and yet he wonders why he's stuck in a "lowly" post of a small village rather than being exalted by the King of Joseon. And given a proper position worthy of his talents. Dr. Heo Im soon finds himself transported to the future when he is shot by two arrows intended to kill him.
Next, we have Dr. Choi Yeon Kyung, an equally brilliant doctor as a cardiologist who sees patients as a means to an end. They are there to be saved. She has little-to-no personal contact with any of them. It is ironic that a doctor's greatest strength is often perceived as a weakness: caring. Even hospitals and other doctors expect their physicians to act like robots.
Both characters are victims of traumatic pasts which hinder their true gifts from shining through. And, ironically enough, it's through each other that they not only learn to heal and learn from the past but to also love.
We have Eastern medicine meeting Western medicine, like two halves of a coin, both are equally effective and necessary. Western medicine tends to focus more on the physical body. Eastern medicine--especially in the case of acupuncture, is a science handed down from the last Golden Age that had more to do with healing the body through its various energy centers. The body is, in fact, made up of energy, and doctors from that age understood and knew how to manipulate that energy in order to heal various ailments.
I love the mystical needle box, which provides enough magic without the need for explanation and the power it represents. The acupuncture scenes were always the most fascinating to me.
This series provides us with some incredibly beautiful and touching moments as both characters learn about each other through each other, and in the end, become the doctors they have always meant to be. Thus, living up to their name. However, it is the undeniable chemistry between Nam Gil and Ah Joong that really makes this series soar!
I've seen Kim Nam Gil in "The FIery Priest" which I also enjoyed. Every time he cracks that big grin, it makes me laugh--and in a good way! He is such a master of bringing charisma and spirit to his roles. He's like a child lost in modern times when he first arrives. He's a little mischievous and a little conceited, but you can't help loving his character anyway. His emotional range is also spectacular, and you really feel what he's exhibiting.
I have not seen Kim Ah Joong in anything until now, but she equally impressed me, bringing her own incredible range to her role. First, as a doctor who is much like a robot, to a wondrous beauty who begins to shine like the sun as soon as allows her heart to open. Her scenes with Ha-Ra.
The character of Yeon-Yi was so adorable, that I enjoyed those scenes with her. I think this young actress (Shin Rin Ah) has a very bright future!
Heo Im imparts the true wisdom of healing: that it isn't just the doctor who is involved, but the willingness of the patient is equally necessary. And, yes, sometimes, despite all efforts, people still die. And doctors should not see this as a failure.
As with so many K-dramas--the series is complex, and expertly imbues heartfelt moments, with inspirational ones, to scenes of complete hilarity. I don't believe anyone does this to such perfection like the Koreans. They are deftly able to navigate and cover so much of the emotional spectrum, that one cannot help being utterly amazed by it.
This series is one of my favorites--and it deeply touched my heart--and it's become extremely challenging to pick out a "top 5" of K-dramas, because there have already been so many that I have watched that have been so good! And yet, having only watched shows over the last 5 years or so, I feel like a kid in a vast candy store, knowing that there is still so many more to watch! I can prove extremely challenging to decide what to watch next!
The series follows two doctors. One from 400 years ago in Joseon, and one from today. Heo Im (wonderfully played by Kim Nam Gil) is the most brilliant acupuncturist of his time--perhaps of any time, if truth be told--and yet he wonders why he's stuck in a "lowly" post of a small village rather than being exalted by the King of Joseon. And given a proper position worthy of his talents. Dr. Heo Im soon finds himself transported to the future when he is shot by two arrows intended to kill him.
Next, we have Dr. Choi Yeon Kyung, an equally brilliant doctor as a cardiologist who sees patients as a means to an end. They are there to be saved. She has little-to-no personal contact with any of them. It is ironic that a doctor's greatest strength is often perceived as a weakness: caring. Even hospitals and other doctors expect their physicians to act like robots.
Both characters are victims of traumatic pasts which hinder their true gifts from shining through. And, ironically enough, it's through each other that they not only learn to heal and learn from the past but to also love.
We have Eastern medicine meeting Western medicine, like two halves of a coin, both are equally effective and necessary. Western medicine tends to focus more on the physical body. Eastern medicine--especially in the case of acupuncture, is a science handed down from the last Golden Age that had more to do with healing the body through its various energy centers. The body is, in fact, made up of energy, and doctors from that age understood and knew how to manipulate that energy in order to heal various ailments.
I love the mystical needle box, which provides enough magic without the need for explanation and the power it represents. The acupuncture scenes were always the most fascinating to me.
This series provides us with some incredibly beautiful and touching moments as both characters learn about each other through each other, and in the end, become the doctors they have always meant to be. Thus, living up to their name. However, it is the undeniable chemistry between Nam Gil and Ah Joong that really makes this series soar!
I've seen Kim Nam Gil in "The FIery Priest" which I also enjoyed. Every time he cracks that big grin, it makes me laugh--and in a good way! He is such a master of bringing charisma and spirit to his roles. He's like a child lost in modern times when he first arrives. He's a little mischievous and a little conceited, but you can't help loving his character anyway. His emotional range is also spectacular, and you really feel what he's exhibiting.
I have not seen Kim Ah Joong in anything until now, but she equally impressed me, bringing her own incredible range to her role. First, as a doctor who is much like a robot, to a wondrous beauty who begins to shine like the sun as soon as allows her heart to open. Her scenes with Ha-Ra.
The character of Yeon-Yi was so adorable, that I enjoyed those scenes with her. I think this young actress (Shin Rin Ah) has a very bright future!
Heo Im imparts the true wisdom of healing: that it isn't just the doctor who is involved, but the willingness of the patient is equally necessary. And, yes, sometimes, despite all efforts, people still die. And doctors should not see this as a failure.
As with so many K-dramas--the series is complex, and expertly imbues heartfelt moments, with inspirational ones, to scenes of complete hilarity. I don't believe anyone does this to such perfection like the Koreans. They are deftly able to navigate and cover so much of the emotional spectrum, that one cannot help being utterly amazed by it.
This series is one of my favorites--and it deeply touched my heart--and it's become extremely challenging to pick out a "top 5" of K-dramas, because there have already been so many that I have watched that have been so good! And yet, having only watched shows over the last 5 years or so, I feel like a kid in a vast candy store, knowing that there is still so many more to watch! I can prove extremely challenging to decide what to watch next!