Drama Rating: 9.5/10 Neck Score: A+
What I absolutely loved about the show was how complicated everyone was. The characters were never black or white, and especially not our Heo Im. He was chosen by the magical needle box and he had a mission. But we only slowly reveal his true heart and even what happened to make him who he is and who he was, and even who he pretended to be. Like our girl, Yeon Kyung, we spend the first half of the show figuring out who he really is. Everyone in the show is an onion, and I like onions, as characters and in food.
Another thing that I adored was our OTP. This was one of the most mature and complex relationships ever. It was built on them actually getting to know each other, as well as mutual respect for each other. She's the first person he meets in modern day Seoul, he obviously thinks she's super beautiful, and the moment he learns that she's not only a doctor, but a super competent one, the hearts in his eyes just pop. He is never stupid about it, but thinks it's super cool and attractive that she is so smart and competent. Although he can't understand her, since she keeps flipping back and forth between being nice to him and then pushing him away. But then she also keeps getting frustrated since she can't figure out who he is either. First she thinks he's crazy, before she believes he is from Joseon, and then she can't figure out what kind of person or doctor he is, because there is always more than meets the eye, and we get to figure it out right along with her.
I loved their communication and especially when they worked together, not a battle between two types of medicine, but playing up each other's strengths and referring to each other when they are better able to fix the situation. Also, their chemistry was the best. They really might be at the top, or near the top, of the best couples of all time. Give me more healthy, mature couples like this! Also, there was no love triangle (not really) because no one needs that waste of time in a drama.
Another great thing about the show is that all the side characters are great. I loved everyone in the oriental clinic her grandfather ran. I loved all the doctors that Yeon Kyung worked with, even her competitive fellow resident. I even liked the closest thing there was to a love triangle rival, the Yoo Jae Ha, because he too was on his doctor journey, and he was a good dongsaeng. Most of the Joseon peeps were great (I mean not the obvious douche bags, but everyone else). Mak Gae was super cute and fun, and thankfully not a love triangle rival, but a good dongsaeng. I do like her clip at the end too, hehehehehe.
Ultimately the show was not even about the romance, although that was a really nice bonus, but it was about both of their journeys as doctors, and that was really great. Even if it made me cry like all the time. There were a lot of crying episodes. They made me cry even when they were making the right choice. The choice I wanted them to make, because it would suck if they did it any other way type choice. But it was a good kind of crying. And with all the hard things and crying that happened, there was plenty of comedy as well. How can you not have comedy with a time travel drama. You have a Joseon man in modern day Seoul, and they were really good at those little moments, like him discovering AC- it was a beautiful moment. It was a beautiful show. I binge watched it way too fast, and not just over a weekend, which meant that I was staying up way too late, so it's a good thing that it's over so I can actually sleep, but I miss it so much!!!!! It's really, really good! I really wish it had just been subbed right away, because it deserved all the love right away too!
