This review may contain spoilers
Spoilers in 7th & 9th *paragraph
I don't understand why this show is praised so much.
I recently read 2 articles that promote 2016 as the best year for KDramas; this show is usually in the Top 2. It is often credited for helping start Hallyu streaming influence. This show was expected to impress since all of the internet glows at the mention of the title. So I have to ask, "who is threatening you and forcing you to praise it? Blink twice if you're in danger."
Acting and story are the main culprits for this trash heap going up in flames.
The acting was flat. I can't name one actress who gave a worthwhile performance. A few of the boys had impressionable moments... just a few. It was as if they plucked this cast from the waiting line at a soap opera audition and said, "while you're waiting...?" The acting felt so performative; they never acted past the camera, to the fictional world, but right at the camera. Chemistry was nonexistant in both lead couples (and you don't have to tell me about the Song couple, I know). Chemistry among the 2 teams (medical and military) was lacking. The doctors, while at the UN medical camp, never gave me anything to root for. Why did I feel I'd rather see a poverty stricken village doctor then the likes of this foreign medical team.
Quick sidenote: costumes. Whose idea was it to have our female lead where only skirts and blouses while on a volunteer medical mission trip? Everyday, she was dressed ready for a picnic, not treating Asia and its ailments. She wore a skirt and heals to a disaster site. Just dwell on that for a second.
Back to cast. If you're a fan of seeing a favorite KPop star try their hand at acting, don't watch this. I don't listen to much KPop but I will avoid Shinee as much as possible, thanks to this show. Do you desire to watch a female emote nothing when she speaks romantically but, when she's doing her job as a medical officer, suddenly have a personality. Yeah, me neither. I prefer personality in both scenarios. Do you love being confused about the demographics of a fictional country within the story? If we want unexplainable diversity, just check-in with this country Urk. And our female lead. I think a kind estimation would be 35% effort. That's all she gave.
*My pitch for this show is "it weaved unimaginative junk together hoping we'd ignore the constant unrealistic and ludicrous situations." I mean, where to begin? One of the main antagonists is a gem smuggler and his trade is a handful of 1 caret diamonds? (rubs temples) Korean antagonists, aim higher! There's a Korean owned and opperated power plant in this small Arab country. Isn't that convenient! A young doctor, who has previous experience in a hospital, shrivels up at the reality of a human dying. Also, when he can't rescue a man buried in rubble - cause that's not his job - he loses all purpose in life and suffocates himself with guilt - again, for something that was never his responsibility. His wife is expecting! He is not gonna last one day parenting a child!*
Our main couple's story can be framed 'how does a soldier and a doctor court when their lives are so chaotic'? Well first, you can give the female doctor a realistic approach to healthcare. She wasn't just a doctor; the writers wanted her to be a Mother Theresa. A child stubbs their toe and she summons the whole Urk government to fix uneven pavement in the country. She spots a man with a slight bald spot, who makes no gesture of wanting to be bothered, straps him to a hospital bed, and surgically plants a wig. She notices that Urk children have a more agrarian diet and buys cows for each one to encourage growth and wellness. None of these happen in the show... but they could. Her savior complex was astronomical.
*Our soldier was no different. It's explained that he's an elite soldier within an elite team. But you're telling me that a night ops, rescue team to Afghanistan is the same team you pull for a North Korean escort? He and his team shouldn't do both. He's either elite stealth or he's bodyguard. Isn't it convenient that he's the one to wield the sniper at you-know-who. He's the only one who could do it! Of course, he gets dibs to return to the medical camp and become earthquake search and rescue. Korea's best stealth team isn't needed anywhere else? In the meantime, he'll try to solve disputes between a foreign couple cause his lady-love thinks 'the girlfriend deserves better.' He spots a childen being pursued for stolen candy. To him, that's his cue to become morality officer and enforce mercy on the kid.*
Addressing his heroics, though, is an interesting task. Half of his rescue missions are necessary because they involve... rescuing her. Yep, the doctor. She says in ep 12, "I'm considering if you're a man I can handle." THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE! He needs to consider if he can handle her! Half of his life-threatening moments arose because she did something stupid or selfish. She guilted him for having dangerous missions and making light of the duties he performs. She never wore that guilt, despite the dangers he faced, were her doing. If he admitted 'she's a pretty face but not worth the trouble,' I would shake his hand and congragulate him as he left the room. Whether I was the doctor or the soldier, I would break up with the other because life gets uncharacteristically and annoyingly ridiculous when they are together.
This writer really dug deep in the pockests of creative license to write this show. If she had grounded these characters with either more realistic events or just less nonsense, I might've understood the complications of our main couple's pairing. But she threw them under the bus, repeatedly. You can't root for something when all it does is struggle and wimper? I lost patience with her laziness.
I recently read 2 articles that promote 2016 as the best year for KDramas; this show is usually in the Top 2. It is often credited for helping start Hallyu streaming influence. This show was expected to impress since all of the internet glows at the mention of the title. So I have to ask, "who is threatening you and forcing you to praise it? Blink twice if you're in danger."
Acting and story are the main culprits for this trash heap going up in flames.
The acting was flat. I can't name one actress who gave a worthwhile performance. A few of the boys had impressionable moments... just a few. It was as if they plucked this cast from the waiting line at a soap opera audition and said, "while you're waiting...?" The acting felt so performative; they never acted past the camera, to the fictional world, but right at the camera. Chemistry was nonexistant in both lead couples (and you don't have to tell me about the Song couple, I know). Chemistry among the 2 teams (medical and military) was lacking. The doctors, while at the UN medical camp, never gave me anything to root for. Why did I feel I'd rather see a poverty stricken village doctor then the likes of this foreign medical team.
Quick sidenote: costumes. Whose idea was it to have our female lead where only skirts and blouses while on a volunteer medical mission trip? Everyday, she was dressed ready for a picnic, not treating Asia and its ailments. She wore a skirt and heals to a disaster site. Just dwell on that for a second.
Back to cast. If you're a fan of seeing a favorite KPop star try their hand at acting, don't watch this. I don't listen to much KPop but I will avoid Shinee as much as possible, thanks to this show. Do you desire to watch a female emote nothing when she speaks romantically but, when she's doing her job as a medical officer, suddenly have a personality. Yeah, me neither. I prefer personality in both scenarios. Do you love being confused about the demographics of a fictional country within the story? If we want unexplainable diversity, just check-in with this country Urk. And our female lead. I think a kind estimation would be 35% effort. That's all she gave.
*My pitch for this show is "it weaved unimaginative junk together hoping we'd ignore the constant unrealistic and ludicrous situations." I mean, where to begin? One of the main antagonists is a gem smuggler and his trade is a handful of 1 caret diamonds? (rubs temples) Korean antagonists, aim higher! There's a Korean owned and opperated power plant in this small Arab country. Isn't that convenient! A young doctor, who has previous experience in a hospital, shrivels up at the reality of a human dying. Also, when he can't rescue a man buried in rubble - cause that's not his job - he loses all purpose in life and suffocates himself with guilt - again, for something that was never his responsibility. His wife is expecting! He is not gonna last one day parenting a child!*
Our main couple's story can be framed 'how does a soldier and a doctor court when their lives are so chaotic'? Well first, you can give the female doctor a realistic approach to healthcare. She wasn't just a doctor; the writers wanted her to be a Mother Theresa. A child stubbs their toe and she summons the whole Urk government to fix uneven pavement in the country. She spots a man with a slight bald spot, who makes no gesture of wanting to be bothered, straps him to a hospital bed, and surgically plants a wig. She notices that Urk children have a more agrarian diet and buys cows for each one to encourage growth and wellness. None of these happen in the show... but they could. Her savior complex was astronomical.
*Our soldier was no different. It's explained that he's an elite soldier within an elite team. But you're telling me that a night ops, rescue team to Afghanistan is the same team you pull for a North Korean escort? He and his team shouldn't do both. He's either elite stealth or he's bodyguard. Isn't it convenient that he's the one to wield the sniper at you-know-who. He's the only one who could do it! Of course, he gets dibs to return to the medical camp and become earthquake search and rescue. Korea's best stealth team isn't needed anywhere else? In the meantime, he'll try to solve disputes between a foreign couple cause his lady-love thinks 'the girlfriend deserves better.' He spots a childen being pursued for stolen candy. To him, that's his cue to become morality officer and enforce mercy on the kid.*
Addressing his heroics, though, is an interesting task. Half of his rescue missions are necessary because they involve... rescuing her. Yep, the doctor. She says in ep 12, "I'm considering if you're a man I can handle." THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE! He needs to consider if he can handle her! Half of his life-threatening moments arose because she did something stupid or selfish. She guilted him for having dangerous missions and making light of the duties he performs. She never wore that guilt, despite the dangers he faced, were her doing. If he admitted 'she's a pretty face but not worth the trouble,' I would shake his hand and congragulate him as he left the room. Whether I was the doctor or the soldier, I would break up with the other because life gets uncharacteristically and annoyingly ridiculous when they are together.
This writer really dug deep in the pockests of creative license to write this show. If she had grounded these characters with either more realistic events or just less nonsense, I might've understood the complications of our main couple's pairing. But she threw them under the bus, repeatedly. You can't root for something when all it does is struggle and wimper? I lost patience with her laziness.
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