I love korean dramas, good looking people with beautiful scenery, romantic lovelines and (sometimes questionable) plots. Nice short dramas, usually 16 eps or 16 hrs long, that may leave one unsatisfied should the ending is hastely wrapped up.
LIFE is a medical based drama, about the usual hospital politics and in fighting, with an added element of business. You can google about the drama and so i will not mentioned anymore about it.
What drew me to LIFE? I love medical dramas and although i am not expert in korean medical dramas, LIFE is one of the best i have seen. Why? Cos it talks about the workings of the various departments, showing the very human side amidst the chaos.
Through this drama i became a fan of Cho Seung Woo, who took on the role of Gu Seung Hyo, His portrayal of the character drew me in, his expressions his presence are enough to grab my attention. Also his character is multi facets, revealing his thoughts and struggles.
His Mother
Mummy dearest has probably a few scenes,3 if not mistaken, but clearly she rules the household.
GSH came home after a long day and unplanned tour, he sees her sleeping in tue living room with TV on. Her reason your father snoring but i think she is waiting for GSH. He has started at the hospital not long and perhaps she was worried about his work hours and not wanting him to come back to an empty house. The pair had a convo about sick kids and she immediately reacted thinking he felt unwell. A mother’s love.
Next is when GSH brought home Nighty, and we see her true powers. Glaring and lecturing GSH and his father. Both men just stood meekly and trying their best to avoid her wrath. Laughable moment here seeing a meek GSH.
Final scene is breakfast. GSH caught mummy playing with Nighty who immediately changed to her mighty woman as soon as she sees him. Father and son pair had a convo about food and Nighty's health, a somewhat way of apleasing mummy. She served some chewy rice cakes for GSH which daddy promptly helped himself before mummy placed it infront of GSH who took one and complained about it. He is just like a little boy infront of mummy.
GSH obviously learnt from the BEST. Mummy's every look and glare strike fear in his heart, just see how much GSH glared at work.
PA Kang
An important woman in his work life for the past 6 years. An efficient assistant who has learnt to read his moods and gestures, and perhaps his thoughts. She is very protective of him, as we can see from his visits to HQ and QL chairman. She often knows what he expects of her even when he does not answer her queries. This just goes to show how close they are.
He listens to her counsels and acts upon them. From the medical error (though i think he already knew what he wanted to do) to having a vet centre to accommodating her drunk request. He obviously valued her. She fights for him at work and at love, playing cupid.
Their interactions showed a less guarded GSH. Kinda of like the perfect work pair. An interesting fact is that they shared the same office, which is unusual as most PAs are "parked" outside the office acting like some guard to the President's office. Why did GSH refuse to allow PA Kang to move out of his office? I think it showed how much he trusted her and perhaps his way of protecting her. She is there to see the different situations occurring in the office, the good and the bad, and also helps him to take notes of certain issues.
Dr Oh
This woman is feisty and you wouldn't want to mess with her. Yes she is rather direct and loud cos she is one of the few (the other is Chief of Ob and Gyn) girls in this all boys club, and with her family background, she probably has a lot to prove to them and to herself. She is a fighter and a problem solver, not to mention another glarer.
Although she looks tough, she shows her girly side when talking about her new 3D biosimulator. Christmas came early for her. GSH has not much handle on her, indeed he has met his match in Dr Oh. In Dr Joo's words, should GSH and Dr Oh are to join forces they would be undefeatedable.
The number to times Dr Oh challenged GSH over issues of medical records, drugs, manpower management etc, showed her passion for medicine and also her seeing GSH as an outsider, an intruder into the elite medical community. Does she see herself, being a doctor, better than others? To a certain extend, i think yes and it is due to her passion, which unfortunately also led to her being blind to certain unsavory practices.
Life was so much more peaceful when she finally see him as an ally and not a foe.
Dr Lee No Eul
Pixie is what she reminds me of. Her pettie build and bright personality. I see her as a moral compass, along with PA Kang, for GSH. GSH is not immoral or a jerk but through his interactions with Dr Lee, he was being changed to see things from a different perspective.
Initially Dr Lee was used to punish Dr Ye Jin Woo by GSH. He changed and became curious of this pixie who voluntarily seek him out. While the rest of the hospital staff avoided him like plague, Dr Lee bade him good nite, good morning, provided little stories to show him the other side of his actions and not to mention little nite tours around. Perhaps her intentions was really to educate GSH, seeing how he was willing to flip their hospital around but slowly these feelings became more for both of them. To her, the kind of man that he is very important to her as she is constantly asking him this.
So why did GSH accommodate her when he could just brush her off? He was intrigued by her intentions and maybe she was the 1st to reach out to him all his career. Imagine employee bothering the president of the company, a perfect recipe to get fired. GSH challenged himself to achieve both profit and quality, and he put in efforts to learn the hospital environment. Cue his trip to Operating Theatre, articles on medical malpractice etc. So when Dr Lee offered to show him around, he went along to learn more and figure why she seek him out.
They have been stealing glances at each other, the feelings are slowly changing without their knowledge. Dog shelter ep is probably my favourite cos of Dr Lee’s actions and words. GSH was very much bothered by her close relationship and rumours with Dr Ye, hence the glaring intensified.
GSH is very much aware of Dr Lee' presence and emotional state, he stated twice how her face was puffy from crying, the other person who noticed was Dr Ye bro. Given her close relationship with Ye bros and how Seon Woo likes her, it is significant that GSH noticed given their short interactions.
GSH protects those he values, from Transplant coordinator Dr Sunwoo, PA Kang, Dr Oh, the hospital as a whole and Dr Lee, to the extent that he is willing to sacrifice his career for them. A man of few words, but many thoughts, thoughts and plans that he kept within himself so as not to complicate others should he fails or falls. It is his nature to protect those he loves from the company, mainly crazy chairman choi, that kept him and Dr Lee from confirming their feelings and also the many misunderstandings.
FINAL NOTE: Why do I like GSH? He takes the effort to enter the doctors' world, combining his work experience to best protect what he has learnt to love. Perhaps he came to the hospital with a main "profit" mission but soon he sees the human side and need of each individuals and departments. He is someone who sees and values the potential of each and everyone.
