New drama alert: From Moons and Suns to Medical Top Team
by javabeans
Your reaction to this news may be dependent on (1) how much you liked romance sageuk The Moon That Embraces the Sun, (2) how much you thought the directing was one of its assets, and (3) how starved you are for news about new dramas. But bottom line: We’re getting another drama from the director who brought us last year’s smash hit drama Moon/Sun, PD Kim Do-hoon (also of Royal Family), who’s teaming with writer Yoon Kyung-ah (of Brain and God of Study).
The new show is a medical series tentatively titled Medical Top Team, which is a moniker I’m hoping gets swapped out quickly for a catchier, perhaps less literal, one. ‘Cause it’s billed as a “top team,” and that’s exactly what the show is about: a team of “genius doctors,” with each team member hailing from his/her own branch of medicine. Because if dramaland has taught us anything, it’s that mere talent is worth piffle when you could have GENIUSES instead. Among the fields represented: cardiothoracic surgery, internal medicine, general surgery, and anesthesiology.
I suppose that PD Kim’s involvement on its own brings buzz to this project, since Moon/Sun topped 40% ratings and came close to hitting 50% at its height. No matter what you think about the story itself, that’s a pretty remarkable achievement and MBC will be eager to see if he can duplicate the experience. On the other hand, these phenoms tend to be like lightning in a bottle; you just aren’t going to be able to consciously reproduce the same result. And I dunno about you, but it was bad enough watching Joseon royalty act like petulant adolescents hung up on first crushes; my tolerance level for that level of juvenile dramatics is pretty much nil when it comes to medical professionals who have a job to do and responsibilities to uphold that transcend teenage angsting. So we’ll see if dramaland will welcome yet another medical drama into its ranks; we’ve got so many so far that this one will have to bring something new to the table to capture interest.
Medical Top Team is courting a Wednesday-Thursday timeslot later this fall on MBC, with October or November as hopeful premiere dates. It plans to begin courting a cast once initial scripts are completed in April or May.
Via TV Report
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1 snow_white
March 30, 2013 at 5:15 AM
again a medical drama!! sounds boring....
I didn't watch The Moon That Embraces the Sun and surely have no intention to do so......
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JO
April 1, 2013 at 1:31 PM
Brain was great! But I think it was mostly because of Mr. Ha Kyun than anything else.
I really disliked Moon/Sun (ESPECIALLY THE WRITER!@#$%^&*) and I am sure this drama will have the glitz and eye-candy but...that's it.
I'm sorry, but I want QUALITY over star power or whatever.
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2 Peeps
March 30, 2013 at 5:17 AM
Let's hope that the director does not dictate the plot line. Because, aesthetically, I could get behind Moon and Sun but the plot left much to be desired.
Whoo, the colours and music! And the scenery~
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Peeps
March 30, 2013 at 5:19 AM
And I liked Brain and God of Study, so this is good news to me. :)
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3 N
March 30, 2013 at 5:19 AM
Whoohoooo~~ medical drama!! This will definitely be on my watch list!
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4 hmm
March 30, 2013 at 5:20 AM
Looks like "grey anatomy" maybe?
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5 Lilian
March 30, 2013 at 5:27 AM
haha...I finished the entire Moon Sun series but it's definitely over-rated imho. So not too sure why the ratings were THAT high! Lots of other better dramas around.... anyway, some subtlety is always appreciated. I hated it whenever they brought up the moon , sun, dark moon etc. metaphor!!!
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eny
March 30, 2013 at 5:42 AM
i don't like moon/sun too but i like good of study, medical drama, sounds really boring
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6 So3
March 30, 2013 at 5:32 AM
The set up sounds like the recent dorama Last Hope to me...
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7 Mieosa
March 30, 2013 at 5:43 AM
I love medical dramas but this is sounding like the Japanese Drama "Team Dragon..." something ><
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Jenny
March 30, 2013 at 5:53 AM
Yup, that's what I thought too. Of course it could be loosely based on the manga or the dorama.
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gaeinalee
March 30, 2013 at 7:08 AM
Ahaha, I also thought about Iryu Team Medical Dragon.. ^^
Hope this 1 is good.
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Mieosa
March 30, 2013 at 11:13 PM
Yes thats the name! hope it would be as good as Iryu Team Medical Dragon if it is gonna be a remake of it.. i dont want some iffy medical drama with no solid surgery scenes ><
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8 maldita
March 30, 2013 at 5:53 AM
I'm a med student, so I have a love-hate relationship with medical dramas in general. The only Korean medical drama that I've seen is Third Hospital with Kim Seungwoo and Oh Jiho and I was surprisingly impressed with it.
But ugh it's Moon/Sun's director. :|
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Annie
March 30, 2013 at 6:17 AM
Fellow med student here.... aside from White Tower (which was brilliant), I've never really bothered watching medical dramas from anywhere around the world. I see too much of that stuff in real life lol.
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ida
March 30, 2013 at 7:00 AM
Have you considered watching the epidemic-medical drama At The End of the World? Not The Virus, but the other one on jtbc?
It's directed by the PD Ahn who directed White Tower, and it is both realistic and engaging- and the themes it deals with is pretty interesting too. And if you've seen White Tower you'll be aware of how good a director PD Ahn is.
Oh and the music that complements the directing/story is to DIE for.
Perhaps something you'd consider watching once you finish the year in the summer haha?
Oh another thing I liked about it is that the whole drama was filmed before it began airing, and there isnt any unnecessary PPL shots. :) always a bonus I think. ;)
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Annie
March 30, 2013 at 7:39 AM
I've heard about this one but unfortunately I don't understand Korean and I know that there's a slim probability of it getting subbed so I decided to pass. Maybe someday though, when I finally have time to learn Korean, haha.
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ida
March 30, 2013 at 7:09 AM
Can I just ask what year are you now?
D'you have time to watch dramas whilst studying?
Just curious as a prospective med student myself.
how do you keep yourself going when the going gets tough?
Oh and I dont know if I'm being too nosey here, but where are you studying? I get pretty excited when I'm reminded there are med students all over the World all studying to become a part of this universal community of healthcare professionals, specifically doctors, that I also will hopefully become a part of. It's just.. Mind blowing to me when I think of that. Granted not every doctor is a genius and will be the fundamental fulcrum of scientific/medical development, but all will be working to do their own small contributions to the medical community as a doctor, as a research scientist, as a relief worker..
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Annie
March 30, 2013 at 7:47 AM
I'm finishing up my 3rd year.
I don't know if I'm just a slacker (I don't think so, but you never know) but I've always been able to balance studying and personal commitments. You just have to have a little bit of self control and know your priorities. Finding time to watch dramas and do other stuff has never been a problem but that also depends how far along you are - I'm currently in a clinical rotation where I have oodles of free time after studying so I'm able to be a little bit more active in the drama community but other rotations are much more hard-core and time intensive.
Med school is what you make of it and it's not the fun vacuum that some claim it to be. It's stressful, eye-opening, and so very worth it. Just like being a doctor, I guess :-)
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9 djk
March 30, 2013 at 7:08 AM
No, thanks! I'll just watch Gu Am Heo Joon (<3) instead.
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10 altair
March 30, 2013 at 7:30 AM
I hate medical dramas! Hate them! No matter who's in them, who's writing them or who's directing them. I just hate them! What I mean to say is: pass!
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11 Fasha Mamat
March 30, 2013 at 8:13 AM
booooring you should recap NINE drama and alllll TVN drama
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12 jomo143
March 30, 2013 at 8:28 AM
OMG YERGH
My only experience with this PD is Moon. My impression is he had a good premise that should have been fraught with all kinds of things, but mostly it was not.
Lead woman was too flat. Is it HIS fault she was cast? I can't remember. Maybe not, but even if he inherited her, I would have expected a talented director to be able to set a fire under her.
Didn't someone somewhere post a long treatise on how the adolescent viewers end up skewing the ratings?
That the sampling is all wrong for deciding what all of SK is watching?
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Annie
March 30, 2013 at 8:35 AM
"I would have expected a talented director to be able to set a fire under her."
Under Han Ga In? Not sure that's possible.
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ar_arguably romantic
March 30, 2013 at 9:04 AM
I thought she was almost good in Bad Guy before that drama crashed and burned at the end.
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Annie
March 30, 2013 at 9:18 AM
Fair enough. I guess she can approach competence if she really tries but I don't think she will ever be a 'good' actress. The PD can only take so much blame ;-)
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pogo - sailing HMS Queen of Tears and HMS Sailboat Lovely Runner🍉
March 30, 2013 at 1:24 PM
yeah, she actually tried in Bad Guy and it almost worked, but Moon/Sun had her back to playing her character with her usual flatness.
Say what one might about Kim Yoo-jung (the child version of Yeon-woo) having done better work, she did well on both actually playing the character (instead of just mouthing the lines and I liked the odd serenity in her demeanour, it matched her drama-mom's manner really nicely. And of course the writing was a mess, SUCH a mess.
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jomo143
March 30, 2013 at 5:53 PM
LOL
I bet the Vampire Prosecutor can, lucky girl!
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13 anotheraddict
March 30, 2013 at 9:35 AM
Color me skeptical. I stuck with Brain to the end only because of Shin Ha Kyun's riveting performance. I thought the writing was hackneyed, particularly the characterizations which were all pretty much caricatures. Based on Brain, I expect Medical Megalomaniacs would be a more apt title for this upcoming drama. I didn't watch God of Study though-- maybe the writing was better in that?
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Mystisith
March 30, 2013 at 10:44 AM
That's what I think too. Brain was a strange animal and certainly not the best medical drama I've ever seen.
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14 ida
March 30, 2013 at 9:36 AM
@Annie
Yeh.. If ever there are subs for EOTW, I will make sure to mention it on the OT or something
.
ahh, balance! I suppose that is most important. Some may require more time studying, whilst perhaps others dont... All to their abilities. :)
Thanks! For the advice!
And all the best for the remaining months of your year :)
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15 acejihyo
March 30, 2013 at 9:49 AM
ah i really liked brain, but i can't tell if it was because of the writing or shin ha kyun's ability to mesmerize.
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16 JC
March 30, 2013 at 10:30 AM
Eh, I blame the writers for Moon/Sun.
It was however very, very pretty.
So there may be some director potential there.
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17 kisschuu
March 30, 2013 at 10:34 AM
Medical dramas aren't my thing and I really disliked Moon-Sun. Guess I won't be tuning in to this drama.
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18 KimYoonmi
March 30, 2013 at 10:43 AM
I like Japanese medical dramas more.... skipping this one though I have nothing against Moon/Sun.
(The book, however, is better than the drama, though still inaccurate towards Mudang.)
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19 Mystisith
March 30, 2013 at 11:14 AM
I will wait for more informations: Will it be realistic or not for the medical part (which I would prefer)? Will we have hospital politics? (bleh...) Will it be a short or long series?
Not against it by principle.
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20 paula
March 30, 2013 at 2:35 PM
jang keun suk??? I was right about him starring in love rain and now this.
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21 Trina
March 30, 2013 at 3:28 PM
The only thing I like moon/sun is the kids part other that. Pass on this one.
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22 plick
March 30, 2013 at 8:21 PM
What I only like in MoonSun is the childhood part. When the transition from children to the adult happened, nah, boooring! The only reason I watch it till the end is because of Kim Hyun Soo and Jung Il Woo. XD I don't like Han Ga In's acting here, quite underwhelming. I watched few episodes of Brain, but then dropped it. I hate the characters. The lead girl is also annoying. I like God of Study though. If it's gonna be like Golden Time (but I doubt), I think I'll give it a try. IMO, Golden Time is still the best medical drama so far.
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plick
March 30, 2013 at 10:28 PM
*Kim Soo Hyun, I mean. XD
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23 JIW_sobangnim
March 30, 2013 at 10:30 PM
Reminds me of the Jap Drama - Mr Brain :P
Kimutaku fan here :P
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24 reglest
March 31, 2013 at 1:22 AM
I'm actually fond with medical drama...
But not for k-drama, please no mushy-romantic-line this time. I'm wishing a professional medical drama like Japanese Code Blue, or At least Iryuu (ok, this sounds exaggerated)n but really! I need those kind, when you're touched by humanity it self. Casted aside the romantic feeling and flowery background, time to act! *cue to the helicopter sound*
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25 Mindy
March 31, 2013 at 6:46 AM
Kim Soo-hyun is already seen practicing in a hospital. So unless there is another show about doctors, i think it can be pretty much confirm he is in this drama. I love medical dramas from Japan. kyumei byoto 24, White tower etc. But so far, Korea has not yet show they are good at this genre of dramas.
The Moon That Embraces the Sun is seriously over-rated imo. I don't understand the appeal. The show is draggy and the plot is cliche. Kim Soo-hyun is cute and good looking, but he is not a very good actor. He is a ok, decent actor but i would not say he has good acting chops. I cannot understand why he won the acting award. Perhaps you only need a hit show to win such acting award which is very unfair for the good actors.
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26 ilikemangos
March 31, 2013 at 8:28 AM
lol. yall know why it was over-rated.
Beautiful cinematography, good director, awesome actors (excluding han ga in), and a good set up with the childhood portion. Everything else was complete drab.
If you appreciate good writing the show just didnt do it for you. but if you love the pretty, you loved the show.
I personally didn't mind a show like moon got such high ratings. The only glaring flaw i had with that show was the meh plot that didnt go anywhere.
People watch what they wanna watch.
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27 wei
April 1, 2013 at 1:01 AM
oh darn. medical dramas are just ugh.
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28 nervi
April 1, 2013 at 2:52 AM
Owh..it's a little bit like j-dorama last hope that just recently finished airing then.
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