Faith

Title: Faith / Shin-ui / 신의
Genre: Classic, Palace Intrique, Medical, Time Travel, Drama
Cast: Lee Min-Ho as Choi Young, Kim Hee-Seon as Dr. Yoo Eun-Soo.
Directors: Kim Jong-Hak
Scriptwriter: Song Ji-Na
Broadcast Network: SBS (Sony One Channel on Indovision ch 164)
Number of episodes: 24
Runtime per episode: 75 min
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

This is my new time splurge. I don't really into it, but, who can resist Lee Min-Ho's charm, right? Yeah....
And, I just saw it up to #4. So, this is 1/6 point of view's review.

***

Great General Choi Young tasked to bring King Gongmin from Yuan Empire (China) back to take throne in Goryeo (Korea). Gongmin had been taken as hostage for extended periods of time before the Emperor decided to named him King descending his unresponsible brother. Gongmin also had been married to Yuan's Princess Nogoog. On the way, they'd been attacked by some assassins, and although the new King was all right, Queen Nogoog's neck was slashed. This wound was quite severe, so even Jang Bin, who was the best doctor there was, could not promised to save her. By heaven's will, that time a "gate to heaven" opened so the King ordered him (correction: General Choi Young said that The King only have to give him a word, he'd do whatever it takes) to get a Doctor from Heaven to save the Queen.

This "gate to heaven" was actually a wormhole so General Choi Young was thrown some 700-ish years in the future to Seoul present time. Here he kidnapped Dr. Yoo Eun-Soo back to his time. She's actually learned to be a general surgeon but then thought being a surgeon was too much responsibility so she change her major to plastic surgery. Dr. Yoo did save the Queen, but not without fuzz. Accidently, she stab General Choi Young, which got to his liver. He's alive, but merely. His internal injury was not something that easy to heal in that past time. Meanwhile, the "gate" now closed, so she stucked in the past.

Being back to the capital, the King should faced many obstacle to preserved his throne. From power strugling with previous Queen's brother Ki Chul to not being a puppet to Yuan Emperor. All with sword hanging by a thread to his head. His only weapon was his General Choi Young. But he's injured and above all, a little reluctant to help him for some personal reason. The General's loyalty to King was unquestionable, but.....

***

Like I said in the first place, this serial is a splurge of time. The premises of the story are doubtful, unreal, and halfheartedly. The characters are very singular, not very intriquing at all (except for Queen Nogoog, I think she's smart and could be her King's strenght, if she want to). The costumes are much too contemporer for my taste and the colors are also off. The dialog, well, once in a while it has witty lines, I admit, but most of the time, nothing special. The acting is so so. The only thing that keep me watching it is Lee Min-ho, but in fact, I thought his face was too modern and cute to be an ex-assassin-for-hire-left-broken-hearted-I-have-nothing-to-lose Great General Choi Young.

But, having said that, I'm actually yearning to know how this different-time love story would end (yes, the doctor and the general, who else??). Last series I saw with the same theme was Journey to the Past, which ended nicely, but not entirely satisfactional (I haven't seen Time Slip Dr. Jin, so no comment on that). And then, there's The King and Queen relationship which is also worth seeing. Could they ever overcome the barrier of the different nation and being solid as ruler and as couple? I would also like to see more of modern versus traditional medical's way on action. If not, what a complete waste to kidnapped a doctor from the future just to do one stiches, no matter how important she was!

To be continued... next week!
(this 2 series a week is killing me... should find dvd... soon) **kepo mode**

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Updated 09/10/12 - up to #10

OOOHHHH..... I luuuvvv this quote!
I never heard such loyalty given in such way!! Good for you Great General Choi Young.

The king does not fight. The king possesses. There are simply kings who possess one or two, and kings who possess thousands, and tens of thousands. Start by possessing me. And I will do the fighting.

And the King finally get his brain and his guts back. And the Queen too. So things gonna be all right now??

Well, yeah.... not really. Ki Cheol is not going down so easily. By the end of #10, The King stands between  the rock and hard place. And it makes me want to screaaaaaaaaammmmm!!!

*uhm, oh almost forget, he had a new hair do* ;)