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Live up to Your Name – Full Review
This is a full review and contains
Spoilers!
Live up to Your Name – Full Review
Welcome to Live up to Your Name – Full Review. A Joseon physician finds himself traveling between his own time and modern day Seoul. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Live up to Your Name
♥ Aired: August 12 – October 1, 2017
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Netflix
♥Genre: Historical Medical Drama
♥Starring: Kim Nam Gil and Kim Ah Joong
The Story
A Joseon doctor who specializes in acupuncture accidentally time-travels to modern day Seoul. At first he is overwhelmed with his new surroundings, but a beautiful surgeon and her father take him in and help him adjust to his new life. Eager to learn all he can from the advanced techniques of modern medicine, he finds a job at a traditional medical facility in the city. And as he begins to settle into his new life and build relationships with the people around him in the present, he wonders if he wouldn’t be happy staying here and never returning to the past he left behind. But he is torn between his heart and his sense of responsibility.
The Leads
Kim Nam Gil as Dr. Heo Im
Dr. Heo Im spent his whole career as a doctor trying to get promoted to a Royal Physician. But when he finally gets his shot, his hands refuse to stop shaking and the King accuses him of treason. Im goes on the run but the Royal Guard chase him down and shoot him with an arrow. Miraculously, instead of dying, he wakes up in modern day Seoul, where his adventure really begins. Along the way, he makes some friends, works in a huge, successful traditional medicine hospital, and falls in love. But with his people at home in his time on the verge of war and needing medical assistance, his conscience keeps tugging at him to return to where he belongs, and where he can do the most good.
Heo Im is ambitious but he still has a heart to serve those in need. His time in the present helps him gain a fresh perspective on his priorities and what really makes him happy. Kim Nam Gil was excellent in this role. His range of emotions, from silly and overly upbeat to emotional and vulnerable gave this character a surprising amount of depth. No matter who he was onscreen with, I looked forward to seeing what he would say and do next. This role seemed to fit his skill set perfectly and his larger than life laughter was a great highlight for me.
Kim Ah Joong as Choi Yeon Kyung
Choi Yeon Kyung is a cardiothoracic surgical fellow. She works tirelessly and goes clubbing when she needs to relieve her stress. But one night after dancing her worries away, she meets an unusual man trying to perform medical procedures on a stranger in the street. And, as if by destiny, the man continues to show up in her life. As she gets to know him, she realizes he is not as crazy as she had initially thought, but there is definitely something different about him. When the two of them are thrust back into the Joseon period together, she has no choice but to believe he really is who he says he is. And as their feelings for each other grow, they wonder how they will ever find a way to stay together.
Choi Yeon Kyung began studying modern medicine as a way to rebel against her grandfather, who is a well-known acupuncturist. But her anger at her grandfather stems from a misunderstanding about how her mother died. Im’s appearance helps her finally mend their broken relationship. I liked Kim Ah Joong in this role. She is fierce and passionate and her enthusiasm and authority come through the screen well. Her character’s straight-forward approach to life was well portrayed.
Supporting Characters
Yoo Min Kyu as Yoo Jae Ha / Yoo Jin Oh
Yoo Jae Ha is Yeon Kyung’s childhood friend. After being inspired by her dream to study medicine, Jae Ha became a traditional medicine physician, like both of their grandfathers. Jae Ha’s grandfather, Ma Sung Tae, is the Director of the Eastern Medicine Hospital. Sung Tae and Yeon Kyung’s grandfather were once close friends before a mysterious falling out.
Yoon Joo Sang as Choi Chun Sool
Choi Chun Sool is Yeon Kyung’s grandfather. He is a famous acupuncturists who has a small clinic where he administers traditional medicine to those who can’t afford to go to a big hospital. He and Yeon Kyung have been distant since she lost her parents. Although he tries to make peace offerings to her, she usually ignores his efforts.
Uhm Hyo Sub as Heo Jun
Heo Jun is a famous doctor from the Joseon Period. He has been a kind of mentor to Im. Before Im’s turn, Heo Jun himself also travelled to the present time and met both Yeon Kyung and Jae Ha’s grandfathers. Using the knowledge he learned there, Heo Jun now teaches and writes medical books that are still a part of medical history.
Things I Liked
♥ Two-Way Time Travel
The whole time travel element of this drama is done very well. I liked that it wasn’t just Im coming to the present, but both he and Yeon Kyung going between the Joseon Period and the present. It was also interesting that the way to jump from one time to the other could only happen through death. Especially for two doctors, this must have been a significant experience. These mechanisms gave the drama a unique feel and felt more intersting than random time shifts.
♥ Traditional Medicine
This series gives a fascinating look into the world of Eastern medicine. I have to admit that while I have grown used to medical shows that have patients open on an operating table, watching Im poke needles all the way through a patience hand definitely had me squirming. Traditional healing is a subject I have always found intersting, and I enjoyed getting to see some of the ways it is practiced, both in the past and now.
♥ Oh Ha Ra
Oh Ha Ra’s story was both beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved her individual connections with both Yeon Kyung and Im. I was so sad to see her die after all she had been through. But I understand how her death affected both lead characters and their perspectives on their jobs. The impact that her character had on the arc of the drama was as profound as the role itself. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who would have like to see more scenes between her and our doctors.
Things I Didn’t Like
Dong Mak Gae
Seeing the young Moon Ga Young was a delight and Dong Mak Gae had a great backstory, so I was interested in her character. After giving her so much potential, there is really no character development for Mak Gae. I would have loved to see a storyline that focused on her and her struggle to practice medicine as a woman. Especially when it could so obviously be mirrored by Yeon Kyung and her modern career. I just wish she could have had more screentime to explore this role.
Lackluster Reunion
Im and Yeon Kyung had great chemistry throughout this drama and a couple very romantic kisses. So because of that, I was a bit disappointed that their reunion at the end wasn’t more emotional. After believing they would never see each other again, a few glistening tears on the cheek just doesn’t seem like enough excitement for how they should have felt. I’m glad it was a happy ending, but I wish they had put a bit more effort into the drama of the moment.
Purpose of Time-Travel
Fantasy dramas don’t always feel the need to explain why a magical event happens, and I get that. It is part of the mystery and appeal. But I would have like more explanation about the magic tool set. Did Heo Jun choose Im as the next time traveler, or did he at least know that was his fate? Now that the front of the case is blank again, has Im lost the ability to return home forever. Or is the case now intended for Mak Gae, who is there with him now? A little more explanation would have been nice.
The Ending
“Live up to Your Name” gives us the happy ending we all wanted, after a bit of nail biting. Im decides to go back to his own time to help the people through the upcoming war. Yeon Kyung’s father gets his surgery and is back to his old, healthy self. And he and Yeon Kyung have finally made peace with each other about their past. Jae Ha’s father, Director Ma also makes peace with Yeon Kyung’s father and asks if he can work in his clinic with him. There is romance in the air for Jae Sook and Byung Ki, finally! Back to our lead couple, Im and Mak Gae are together in a pavillion when an accident causes them to fall together. Im happily wakes up to find himself back in Seoul. And he immediately looks for Yeon Kyung, who is at a medical tent helping the homeless. He hurries to her and the two have a sweet, if not overly emotional reunion. The couple walk together and banter as if no time has passed. And as a surprise bonus, in the final scene, we also find Mak Gae at the Eastern Medical Office as she bumps into Jae Ha in an examination room. It seems like she may finally be able to live as a woman and a doctor. And there may even be a spark of romance to go with it. This actually opens the door for a Season 2, but there is no talk of this series actually getting one. Which is too bad, because I would definitely watch it.
Should I Watch
“Live up to Your Name” is a time travel drama with a medical twist. The comedy elements are fun and the romance is sweet. If you have an interest in traditional medicine, this one is an interesting watch. The story is unique and Kim Nam Gil is wonderful as the gifted, though sometimes clumsy, physician. If you are looking for a serious, realistic hospital series, this is not it, although it does have its heartbreaking medical moments. But the heart of this drama is more about the characters and their relationships than the cases themselves. I give “Live up to Your Name” a 9 out of 10 ramen.
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