New Heart (2007)

Medical dramas always fascinate me. I am in awe of how these dramas are shot and amazed at how these actors can memorize the complex medical terms and actually look like real surgeons. I am even more amazed at the script writer(s), research and props teams for the depth of medical knowledge they infuse into such dramas. I am no medical expert therefore cannot attest to the accuracy of such procedures or operations of hospitals but I must say those surgical scenes looked so realistic and are definitely not for the faint of heart.

This drama satisfied me on three fronts; the surgical room mystique, a physician dilemma “to save a life or not to save a life” and a heartwarming romance from two very likeable actors with a nice twist of the jerk with a heart of gold plot device; except the jerk in this case was the female lead.

Ji Sung’s character was bubbly and kind; nothing seemed to be able to get him down; his glass was always half full. Kim Min Jun’s character was the haughty female resident whose biological father happened to be the Chairman. She grew up wanting to prove her worth to him and therefore came across as cold, uncaring and ambitious. These two balanced each other out nicely and eventually learned to see from each other’s perspectives.

It has its share of hospital politics and infighting but not crazily overdone. The moral of this medical drama is mostly about the question of ethics and a doctor’s true calling. Cho Jae-hyun played a stubborn, idealistic doctor who did not care for hospital politics and protocols. His only mission in life was to save his patients but at what cost? His conviction and dedication to his profession almost caused him his career, his wife and children.

This is a touching drama that gives rise to many thought provoking questions about the profession and human nature. The pace is fast and subplots get resolved in one or two episodes but all building up nicely towards a satisfactory conclusion.

If makes for a good intro to this genre if you haven't tried medical dramas before. It may be a bit dated but is still worth watching.

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I wasn’t initially drawn to this drama just because I’ve been disappointed in some way by most of the medical dramas I’ve watched. I decided to give it a chance though because I have a new found interest in Ji Sung=)

Story- typical medical storyline. You have your patient surgeries, although I was grateful they didn’t stuff them down our throats. Each of the patients featured had a significant arc and they were all memorable. You also got your hospital politics. Although, it wasn’t as intense as I would have liked. Finally you got your developing romance. Now this is where they got me hooked. To be honest for the first 1/3 of this drama I was kind of bored and the episodes felt long. But by ep 10 things started to get moving and the episodes went by at a good pace. By ep 16 I was really invested in the romance, although it really is more of a background story arc. Lets just say some scenes really frustrated me! Towards the last couple episodes I really got restless. I wanted it to end already. 23 episodes @ 60-80 min. really was just too much for this type of drama. I liked the ending cause we got to see how everyone was doing after a years time.

Acting/Cast- I really was surprised by how much I liked the cast. Ji Sung is great as always. But really I was impressed by Kim Min Jung who I’ve only seen in Thorn Birds (must see melodrama BTW). She played her character perfectly. In the beginning her character is cold and uncaring but she changes slowly and begins to warm up through her interactions with Ji Sung’s character. I just really thought her character development was really great! The acting by the supporting cast was perfect for what their roles called for. I ended up liking most of the characters.

Music- Didn’t really notice it in this one. I don’t think I disliked it though…

Rewatch- Although I came to love all the characters I don’t think I could sit through this drama again but for some it might be rewatchable.

Overall, the story isn’t all that but leads pull you in. It’s one of the more memorable medical dramas I’ve seen.

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