While this show DOES feature a romance, I would say it is more correct to call it a medical drama (eastern meets western medicine), with elements of romance, history and comedy mixed in. So if you are looking for the type of romantic fluff and excitement you find in a typical K-drama, you might be in for a let down. That's not to say that this film fails in the romantic department; it is just auxiliary to the rest of the story.
On the positive side, the show was technically sound, and the cast was great, with excellent acting all around. Especially Kim Nam-Gil. Even with his mostly heavy/serious role, he had some funny moments that really shone. I can't recall another actor whose expressions can so seamlessly shift between silly, happy-go-lucky, mischievous, and perverted. His expressions alone made the show worth watching!
I also enjoyed the idea of building unprejudiced respect and cooperation between eastern and western medicine (I loved the moments where the two approaches augmented and supported each other). And hooray for happy (though frustratingly un-serious) endings! The director could have chosen a bittersweet ending and I would have accepted it, but I was glad we got something more uplifting.
On the downside, there were a few dark scenes that seemed excessively drawn out/heavy handed (Heo Im's begging scene for one). I also thought Yeon-Kyeong snapped out of her memory induced shock a bit too quickly (though that might just be due to how hard it was to gauge the flow of time in the show). In addition, some side characters appeared during both the Joseon & modern eras for no clear reason, and a couple of the antagonists just sort of faded away (a more solid wrap-up would have been nice).
In summary, while this show has a lot going on, it is mostly well executed and I would rate it a solid 8 in every respect. If you like K-drama and medical dramas, this will probably be right up your alley. Also, don't miss the cute Easter eggs at the very end of the last episode! Recommended.
ROMANCE RATING: 8/10
The romance scenes in this film were a bit formulaic, but the chemistry between the MC's was still believable. There is only one real kiss, plus a few other PDA moments. Thankfully, in this case that one kiss feels very invested and passionate, rather than being a chaste little peck.
