Faith: The Great Doctor Review

Faith (2012) 

Looking for a historical drama with a hint of fiction and a hot general that will do anything to protect the woman he loves? You’re at the right place! I don’t think Faith: The Great Doctor is a well-known drama or if it’s in anyone else’s favorite list, but it is in mine- with some reservations. I think the fact that I have watched this drama mora than twice says enough. Not to mention this drama is full of lovey-dovey and saving scenes- which is right up my alley.

Faith is a drama about this Goryeo Period General, Choi Young (Lee Min Ho), going to the heavens to find a doctor who can save the queen, and keeping his promise to send that doctor back to the heavens. Only that keeping that promise seems to be more impossible every day, for greed, politics, and love are great opponents.

The plot of this drama is not something new because there are a couple of stories with the time travel element in them. Yet what sets this drama apart is that element of the supernatural and fiction I mentioned before. The characters in this drama have special abilities like being able to control fire, emanating lightning and ice, and even having keen hearing, making it possible to hear from far away. Not to mention that the abilities of the great doctor Yoo Eun Soo (Kim Hee Seon) look supernatural and advance for that period. I enjoyed every moment where Choi Young had to save Eun Soo -I love that “saving her” type of stuff. So, the conflict per se was simple, just like the story. With what I was no too pleased was the ending. I didn’t see its purpose and it just showed how weak Choi Young was. [SPOILER: And here I am referring to not only disliking the scene of Choi Young and Ki Cheol (Yu Oh Seong)’s fight, but alto the typical time skip. ENF OF SPOILER] I think there could have been other ways to end the story.

On a better note, I came to care for, not only the main characters but also, the supporting characters. Specially the Woodalchi guys, Choi Young’s men; Doctor Jang Bin (Phillip Lee), and the King and Queen. Doctor Jang Bi was one of the character I wanted to see most, but I felt sad at his lack of screen time and sudden disappearance. I didn’t feel Choi Young and Eun Soo’s chemistry nor did I see them as a couple for she seemed older than him. And this is merely a personal taste, but I don’t like when the woman looks much older than the guy. (side note: this also happened in Personal Taste with Lee Min Ho too.) Yet, his portrayal of love for Eun Soo looked genuine. Like he was experiencing new thing with her -and you know with her being from the future she is more open than what those guys have seen. The King and Queen’s relationship was nice and an additional romance I was not expecting. It’s like we had two love stories, and thank God for no love triangles hahaha! Talking about the king, his portrayal was different from the previous kings I have seen. And the character development, his change and growth, was different and enjoyable to see. Something that threw me off was Hwa Soo In (Shin Eun Jung)’s character. Her fire ability was cool at times and annoying at others -just like her acting.

On a more technical note, the sets were pretty, but I have to point out how small the palace looked and felt. It was as if they could only film in designated places that they felt like sets -not helping to the credibility of the setting. The set designs that stand out the most were the medical/ herbal area where Eun Soo and Jang Bin worked/ lived. Is was fantasy like. Same with the Woodalchi’s quarters looked manly and, for some reason, fun to be in. Maybe because of the men.

In general, Faith leaves a fresh impression with the help of a nice and simple story, and a memorable OST. Honestly I have played that ost on my playlist like crazy. Yes, there could have been room for improvement in some areas, but I can’t complain much. And Yes, there is a lot of talking, but hey! It’s a period drama, there must be some explaining to do.

My rating for this drama is: ♥♥♥