



By

Pratikshya Mishra









T he story starts in old Goreyo. A young new king is escorted from Yuan—the present day China—to Goreyo by a group of Woodalchi—a specially trained brave soldiers who protect the king, under the leadership of General Choi Young. They defend the King with all their might from enemies who want him dead, but the Queen, Princess of Yuan, is injured fatally in the process. Her condition becomes so critical that the royal doctor gives up on saving her. In those days Goreyo was not completely independent, but at mercy of Yuan. Most of the kings were married to Yuan princesses, so the queens of that era were non natives, and the death of the newlywed queen would mean war, death and loss for the kingdom. The King therefore is in a great dilemma. So on the advice of ministers, he commands Choi Young to enter the ‘heaven’s gate’ and bring a doctor from heaven to the mortal world to save the queen.

The heaven’s gate is actually a portal to the present day Seoul. Choi Young abducts a plastic surgeon, Eun Soo, to the Goreyon land. While Eun Soo operates on the Queen using ‘heaven’s tools’ thinking it all to be a nightmare at first, the rumors of Hwata’s disciple descended on earth spreads across the kingdom. This attracts the attention of The Prince of the Court, Gi Cheol, who at first wants this fake High Doctor publicly executed for misleading the king, but then wants her for his own overambitious self, for his own gains.





A Still from "Faith" aka "The Great Doctor"

This is a drama in which the writer has deftly used the history, mythology, and Korean legends along with a bit of fantasy to weave a beautiful and powerful story.





Mythology and Legend: About a thousand years ago a heavenly doctor came to Joseon, the former Goreyo, who cured the deadly, incurable diseases and saved many a person from death. He was their savior when communicable diseases were rampant and became an epidemic. This legend is used to advantage in the story. About a thousand years ago a heavenly doctor came to Joseon, the former Goreyo, who cured the deadly, incurable diseases and saved many a person from death. He was their savior when communicable diseases were rampant and became an epidemic. This legend is used to advantage in the story.





History: Though I don’t know much about the history of Korea, from the Joseon era to the present day, what is depicted in this drama series is very interesting. It tells the story of one of the most influential kings of that time, who ascended the throne at just the age of 21, not knowing whom to trust and whom not to, but brought about freedom to Goreyo from the over-powerful Yuan in the later years of his reign. And the Woodalchi general, Choi Young, had the most important role in it—from making the King able to take the decisions of the nation, to devising plans and fighting alongside. Though I don’t know much about the history of Korea, from the Joseon era to the present day, what is depicted in this drama series is very interesting. It tells the story of one of the most influential kings of that time, who ascended the throne at just the age of 21, not knowing whom to trust and whom not to, but brought about freedom to Goreyo from the over-powerful Yuan in the later years of his reign. And the Woodalchi general, Choi Young, had the most important role in it—from making the King able to take the decisions of the nation, to devising plans and fighting alongside.





A Still from "Faith" aka "The Great Doctor"

Fantasy and Paranormal: Such elements bring twist in the tale, thereby elevating the entertainment quotient. The concept of time travel proves to be one of the best attributes of the story. It creates mysteries, and keeps the audience’s interest till the end. And certain individuals have special abilities too: Choi Young has lightning power; the antagonist Gi Cheol, the over ambitious achievement freak who is the best political opposition to the king, has the power to freeze things and his pledged brother and sister duo can kill people through the music of the flute and creating fire, respectively. Such elements bring twist in the tale, thereby elevating the entertainment quotient. The concept of time travel proves to be one of the best attributes of the story. It creates mysteries, and keeps the audience’s interest till the end. And certain individuals have special abilities too: Choi Young has lightning power; the antagonist Gi Cheol, the over ambitious achievement freak who is the best political opposition to the king, has the power to freeze things and his pledged brother and sister duo can kill people through the music of the flute and creating fire, respectively.





A Tale of Love across Time: The love story of Choi Young and Eun Soo is sure to tug the viewers’ heartstrings. This love across centuries, love defying time, will be a hit among romantics. From making her learn the way of their world to protecting her from innumerable death traps, Choi Young is falling for Eun Soo, even though he knows he has to keep his promise to her, to help her return to her world. And Eun Soo changes her perspective from seeing him as her kidnapper to the only one she can trust in the unknown world of past, and to be with him becomes a habit she’s reluctant to change. The gradual falling in love is beautifully portrayed in this period drama, while the question ‘will she return?’ refuses to cease anyone’s mind.





A Still from "Faith" aka "The Great Doctor"

The Elements of Mystery: Twist in the tale occurs when Eun Soo discovers a rusted set of surgical tools similar to hers, and a journal written in Hangul (the Korean script these days; back then only the Chinese script prevailed) in her own handwriting and addressed to her, which is claimed to be Hwata’s. Twist in the tale occurs when Eun Soo discovers a rusted set of surgical tools similar to hers, and a journal written in Hangul (the Korean script these days; back then only the Chinese script prevailed) in her own handwriting and addressed to her, which is claimed to be Hwata’s.





Characters: The best thing about a Korean drama is that even the smallest and least important character has a memorable role to play and is strongly portrayed. The best thing about a Korean drama is that even the smallest and least important character has a memorable role to play and is strongly portrayed.





The group of Woodalchi who live like brothers, supporting each other till death, and who don’t think twice to give up their lives for their king, are some of the best characters of this warrior story. Their respect and obedience to the General, and the unquestionable allegiance and loyalty to their King is worth a watch. It is believed that a 50 Woodalchi are equal to 500 military men. Ah, brave and chivalrous knights!





Dae Man, the jungle boy who grew social under the tutelage of Choi Young, is the cutest one of the lot. He stammers, has difficulty in remembering or speaking many words at a time, but is Choi Young’s best sidekick, and is a master in hiding, spying and escaping tactics.





A Still from "Faith" aka "The Great Doctor"

The Ministers’ political antics give a flow to the story, against the conspiracies brewing against the king. The queen is proud, egotistical yet sweet. From adapting to a change of land, language and culture, to loving the king and siding with him against her birth kingdom, Yuan, her character is the one to root for.





The Acting: Everyone’s acting is commendable. What I love the most about the acting is the grace with which they do everything. The grace with which they bow their head to pay respect, to wish, to apologise, or to take a command from a senior. The grace with which they fight, the sword play and martial arts being the best. The grace to show their pride and ego, or to protect their beloved. The grace to be shy, and avert eyes when embarrassed and the grace to cry, accept defeat, only to rise again.





All in all, Faith is a complete package. And the unforgettable ending adds to the viewing experience. Will Eun Soo go back in time or shall she stay? Will their love story culminate or will it prevail? Well, you’ll have to watch to know, and you’ll be glad you did.





Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your feedback is highly appreciated!





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