The English teacher in me angsts over the title. The glaring misuse of adjective order has been driving me to distraction. I know, I know... it's interlanguage... Who cares... it's a kdrama title afterall? Nonetheless it grates...
The show, on the hand, is off to a flying start. At least I think it is and I approve. Mostly anyway. It's rare for me to like kdrama off the blocks but so far everything looks promising. While I'm completely sold on the two main male leads, the female lead leaves me cold. Still, it's early days yet and kdramas can sometimes go off in unexpected directions. What's not so unexpected are the hints of UST and a love triangle in the winds. I suppose there's a certain demographic that needs to be catered to which consume this stuff for breakfast.
Once again we have ourselves a genius doctor/surgeon (Park Tae Shin played by Kwon Sang Woo) in the lead. But on this occasion, our resident genius is actually a genuinely nice guy with bedside manners to die for. Like Sagara from Doctors, he too, lives by the mantra that the patients come first. Having the courage of convictions in spades, our good doctor spends his waking hours at a free clinic which, unknown to him, is on the brink of bankruptcy. Our country doctor, however, is much sought after, has something of a world reputation and as we see in the first episode, is being headhunted by a hospital from the US.
While Park is in negotiations with an agent of the US hospital at a flash hotel, a private hospital is holding an event announcing the advent of a new initiative called "Medical Top Team". It's the brainchild of Chief Han Seung Jae (Ju Ji Hoon) who seems to be the illegitimate son of the hospital-owning family. He's recruiting internally and well... as with such things, there's a power struggle by different factions to have their people in this team of elite doctors.
So far most of the elements work. My only reservation so far is the brilliant thoracic surgeon who doesn't quite feel as brilliant or ambitious as one might expect. She's set up as a foil to the free-spirited Dr Park and probably the lynch pinch of a potential love triangle. Her first encounter of Dr Park isn't a happy one and quite likely she's disturbed by how unencumbered by pride and ambition he seems to be. Idealism in medicine sees to be a foreign concept in her neck of the woods apparently.
So yeah... Dr Park is a good bloke... down right charming as he does his Florence Nightingale shtick. If he isn't already perfect, he's also a caring diagnostician. What more could his patients want? In one episode we see him perform two emergency maneouvres, diagnose a stranger's limping motions and perform not one but two emergency surgeries.
No wonder Chief Han wants him on his team.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Good Doctor (2013)
I started watching this one after Doctors and did come to love it. The story is centered around an autistic savant who is trying to gain acceptance as a pediatrician. He is ridiculously endearing and soon everyone... even his toughest critics... fall under his child-like spell.
Said pediatrician, Park Si On, is played by Joo Won, who was in the poor excuse of a spy comedy, "Level 7 Civil Servant" -- a cringeworthy shemozzle. Joo Won is good here, going for simplicity and understatement... a relief really when the temptation to ham things up is ever present.
The story begins with a bang as we catch glimpses of Si On's childhood and watch the young doctor perform an emergency procedure in the hustle and bustle of a train station. Si On, we find out, was horribly abused as a child by his father because of his disability but thankfully the show doesn't feel the need to expend multiple episodes sledgehammering us with the horrors.
Not surprisingly, the hospital where Si On is attached to, is a hotbed of infighting among those who support the Director and those who don't. If one doesn't think the stakes are high enough, the facility is also on a verge of a financial crisis.
It has all the classic kdrama elements except that the writing takes characterization seriously and the supporting cast especially the kiddies are very likeable. Yes, there are villains, potential villains and frustrated good guys. In the middle of the storm is Si On, whose presence challenges them to be kinder, gentler human beings.
It wouldn't be a kdrama without some kind of romance. In this case, the woman in question (Dr Cha) is something of a mentor, friend and neighbour. It's the sort of romance I have mixed feelings about... it's sweet and courageous but I'm not sure what the motivations are. I'm not convinced by the 11th hour I feel it in my heart scenario, however, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Frankly, I didn't think the show needed it.
More importantly, the growth and maturity of Park Si On as he faces the big bad world is really the driving force of this drama. There is something admirable about someone not quite fitting the mould making his mark in a demanding occupation. What I found more admirable is the character's determination to not position himself as a victim or to make excuses but to strive to find his niche in the hospital.
My favourite moment in the series was the Peter Pan play that the doctors put together for their pediatric patients. It's probably no coincidence that Park Si On would take on the titular role of the Boy Who Never Grows Up with his ladylove playing Wendy. Incidentally, most of my favourite parts in the film involved children... surprise, surprise... and how they interact with the doctors. Perhaps it's a K-Dramaland thing or perhaps ailing kids are smarter than most when they have so much time to reflect but there seemed to be no end of wisdom dripping out of the mouth of babes in this show.
Unabashedly I like my medical dramas to have lots of medical procedures and alas this is where Good Doctor falls short. First and foremost it's a heartwarming tale of an individual overcoming obstacles so there's not a lot of emphasis on actual medical stuff. I am such a sucker for medical jargon and it did feel odd from time to time that there wasn't more Latin or Greek being thrown around.
All in all it was a heartwarming piece of drama and the cast as a whole was a good fit.
My favourite moment in the series was the Peter Pan play that the doctors put together for their pediatric patients. It's probably no coincidence that Park Si On would take on the titular role of the Boy Who Never Grows Up with his ladylove playing Wendy. Incidentally, most of my favourite parts in the film involved children... surprise, surprise... and how they interact with the doctors. Perhaps it's a K-Dramaland thing or perhaps ailing kids are smarter than most when they have so much time to reflect but there seemed to be no end of wisdom dripping out of the mouth of babes in this show.
Unabashedly I like my medical dramas to have lots of medical procedures and alas this is where Good Doctor falls short. First and foremost it's a heartwarming tale of an individual overcoming obstacles so there's not a lot of emphasis on actual medical stuff. I am such a sucker for medical jargon and it did feel odd from time to time that there wasn't more Latin or Greek being thrown around.
All in all it was a heartwarming piece of drama and the cast as a whole was a good fit.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Brain (2011)
Been having a bit of binge of medical dramas of late. As is often the case, it starts with one and then one hears about another must-see and on it goes. "Brain" is the latest of four medical dramas that I was sucked into following the past few weeks.
The great achievement of this kdrama lies in the writing of and the casting of a brilliant performer in the role of the main character. Lee Kang Hoon is a bombastic, unlikable neurosurgeon who has several very large chips etched on his busy shoulders. He's something of a genius with an elephant-size ego to match. To declare him a complex character would be akin to saying that water is wet and as a member of the audience, I alternated between dislike, love, loathing, sympathy and love for this powerhouse of doctoring.
No doubt that the story has its fair share of kdrama histrionics and cliches: There's the traumatic childhood with abusive father who drank more than his fair share. There's a lot of top-down yelling and screaming. A bickering couple. A whisper of a love triangle. An emotionally constipated male lead. Egregious politicking in the hospital hierarchy... etc etc etc...
What makes this piece of television a cut above the usual melodramatic chaff is the handiwork of an actor that shifts seamlessly from chewing up the scenery, to emoting flashes vulnerability and angsting over the injustice of having to kowtow to the whims of lesser men. It's a mesmerizing portrayal on different levels and in the hands of such a skilled performer one inevitably succumbs to the charms of the character to the point of rooting for him. And then, there's that tilt of the head... and that swagger...
Despite his busy schedule and his unerring talent for lurching from crisis to crisis, our protagonist still manages to find time to fall in love. Romance isn't his strongest suit and the young resident neurologist that he's supervising manages to somehow get under his skin. He flip flops between a gruff awkwardness and angry posturing around her which is no doubt a coping mechanism for a man who is more emotionally wound up than a top. When he's really awkward, his voice turns shrill and his chin does an odd up and down movement. Like a Ken doll being manipulated by a child who has an urgent need for Ken to be agreeable. It's all very cute really... to watch an otherwise rambunctious grown man turn into a puddle of goo because he just can't tell the woman he loves how he really feels.
Some of the best bits of tv in this series come from watching Lee facing off with his mentor and adversary Kim Sang Chul, a man considered to be the greatest neurosurgeon in the country. On the surface, both men seem as alike as chalk and cheese but as the story progresses, it's clear that these two men have much more in common. It's fascinating to see a kind of A Star is Born subplot emerging in the latter part of the series -- a juxtaposition of two lives going in different directions.
While I like the surgery bits, I am reluctant to declare this the best medical drama I've seen (J medicals take the prize for that one, I think). Shin Ha-Kyun, the amazing talent behind Lee Kang Hoon, is electrifying and without him the show, I don't think would have been quite as enthralling. Nevertheless, I liked it a lot and would say that Brain is an example of how having a great actor in the lead role can make all the difference in the world.
The great achievement of this kdrama lies in the writing of and the casting of a brilliant performer in the role of the main character. Lee Kang Hoon is a bombastic, unlikable neurosurgeon who has several very large chips etched on his busy shoulders. He's something of a genius with an elephant-size ego to match. To declare him a complex character would be akin to saying that water is wet and as a member of the audience, I alternated between dislike, love, loathing, sympathy and love for this powerhouse of doctoring.
No doubt that the story has its fair share of kdrama histrionics and cliches: There's the traumatic childhood with abusive father who drank more than his fair share. There's a lot of top-down yelling and screaming. A bickering couple. A whisper of a love triangle. An emotionally constipated male lead. Egregious politicking in the hospital hierarchy... etc etc etc...
What makes this piece of television a cut above the usual melodramatic chaff is the handiwork of an actor that shifts seamlessly from chewing up the scenery, to emoting flashes vulnerability and angsting over the injustice of having to kowtow to the whims of lesser men. It's a mesmerizing portrayal on different levels and in the hands of such a skilled performer one inevitably succumbs to the charms of the character to the point of rooting for him. And then, there's that tilt of the head... and that swagger...
Despite his busy schedule and his unerring talent for lurching from crisis to crisis, our protagonist still manages to find time to fall in love. Romance isn't his strongest suit and the young resident neurologist that he's supervising manages to somehow get under his skin. He flip flops between a gruff awkwardness and angry posturing around her which is no doubt a coping mechanism for a man who is more emotionally wound up than a top. When he's really awkward, his voice turns shrill and his chin does an odd up and down movement. Like a Ken doll being manipulated by a child who has an urgent need for Ken to be agreeable. It's all very cute really... to watch an otherwise rambunctious grown man turn into a puddle of goo because he just can't tell the woman he loves how he really feels.
Some of the best bits of tv in this series come from watching Lee facing off with his mentor and adversary Kim Sang Chul, a man considered to be the greatest neurosurgeon in the country. On the surface, both men seem as alike as chalk and cheese but as the story progresses, it's clear that these two men have much more in common. It's fascinating to see a kind of A Star is Born subplot emerging in the latter part of the series -- a juxtaposition of two lives going in different directions.
While I like the surgery bits, I am reluctant to declare this the best medical drama I've seen (J medicals take the prize for that one, I think). Shin Ha-Kyun, the amazing talent behind Lee Kang Hoon, is electrifying and without him the show, I don't think would have been quite as enthralling. Nevertheless, I liked it a lot and would say that Brain is an example of how having a great actor in the lead role can make all the difference in the world.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Doctors: Saikyou no mei (Seasons 1 and 2)
Crusading doctors are certainly nothing new in the J medical staple -- doctors who are renegades, confrontational and do their best (or worst) to buck the system that they are forced to work in. Kosuke Sagara, a surgeon specializing in gastroenterology, is no different in that respect. However, aside from being the ultimate surgeon, he is a brilliant strategist bordering occasionally on the Machiavellian. Underneath that cloak of smiling affability that wanders around Dougami General Hospital, is a ruthless manipulator whose chief goal is to transform a mediocre hospital into a world class facility. Fortunately, for the hospital and its inmates, this meddling doctor is on the side of the angels and his clarion cry is "everything is for the sake of the patients".
J-medical dramas are almost never just about medical treatments. There's the usual team building and recruitment process as well as the moralizing about the supremacy of patient care. What's different though is the hero of the piece who uses every weapon at his disposal to make sure that his ideal of good medical practice and his own survival is maintained at every turn.
Despite the good doctor trading in some morally dubious tactics, it's impossible to dislike Ikki Saramura's charming portrayal of Sagara. Saramura plays all the different aspects of the surgeon with an understated brilliance and invokes our sympathy for his connivances especially when his main rival is such an obvious lightweight. A buffoon as you will. Suguru Moriyama, successor to the Dougami hospital, has the potential to be a great surgeon but lacks any shred of self-awareness for genuine change much less have any nous to run a hospital.
Season 1 sees Sagara transform Dougami from a three ring circus into a quality medical facility through his machinations. It's all done gently and subtly, without fanfare and before anyone else knows what's happening. From poor work ethic to disputes with nurses, the doctor steers the ship slowly, slowly catchy monkey. On top of that I've never seen anyone so chuffed about getting cancer but Sagara even manages to deploy that to shake things up within the team.
Season 2 delves into the the succession issue. The incumbent director of Dougami is desperate to retire and take a round the world cruise but her immediate successor is not up to the task and the whole world knows it. After some clever manoeuvering in the background with no substantive progress, Sagara throws down the gauntlet and puts his hand up as a contender. This brings Sagara into conflict not only with Moriyama and his sycophantic lackeys but with those loyal to the director. In spite of the mammoth task of continuing transformation, Sagara shows repeatedly why he is the master of the game.
It's a terrific show and my only complaint is the paltry number of episodes. There's even hints of romantic possibilities between Sagara and nurse Miyabe which may or may not be one-sided. The cast is good overall and there's the usual jdrama hamming around but all in all it's a blast. Bring on Season 3!
J-medical dramas are almost never just about medical treatments. There's the usual team building and recruitment process as well as the moralizing about the supremacy of patient care. What's different though is the hero of the piece who uses every weapon at his disposal to make sure that his ideal of good medical practice and his own survival is maintained at every turn.
Despite the good doctor trading in some morally dubious tactics, it's impossible to dislike Ikki Saramura's charming portrayal of Sagara. Saramura plays all the different aspects of the surgeon with an understated brilliance and invokes our sympathy for his connivances especially when his main rival is such an obvious lightweight. A buffoon as you will. Suguru Moriyama, successor to the Dougami hospital, has the potential to be a great surgeon but lacks any shred of self-awareness for genuine change much less have any nous to run a hospital.
Season 1 sees Sagara transform Dougami from a three ring circus into a quality medical facility through his machinations. It's all done gently and subtly, without fanfare and before anyone else knows what's happening. From poor work ethic to disputes with nurses, the doctor steers the ship slowly, slowly catchy monkey. On top of that I've never seen anyone so chuffed about getting cancer but Sagara even manages to deploy that to shake things up within the team.
Season 2 delves into the the succession issue. The incumbent director of Dougami is desperate to retire and take a round the world cruise but her immediate successor is not up to the task and the whole world knows it. After some clever manoeuvering in the background with no substantive progress, Sagara throws down the gauntlet and puts his hand up as a contender. This brings Sagara into conflict not only with Moriyama and his sycophantic lackeys but with those loyal to the director. In spite of the mammoth task of continuing transformation, Sagara shows repeatedly why he is the master of the game.
It's a terrific show and my only complaint is the paltry number of episodes. There's even hints of romantic possibilities between Sagara and nurse Miyabe which may or may not be one-sided. The cast is good overall and there's the usual jdrama hamming around but all in all it's a blast. Bring on Season 3!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)