Faith (2012)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ out of 5
Cast: Lee MinHo, Kim HeeSun, Ryu DeokHwan, Park SeYoung

Faith was posed to be the most epic Korean drama to date, and it sadly failed in all levels. The team behind the series used big words to entice the audience, with a promise that makes the audience set high expectations. Honestly, I don't think any of those expectations are met at all. It could have been a great drama, but it failed to deliver so many times. It's a shame since it truly has the makings of a drama that will leave you breathless, only if it's given a better treatment and a better pace.

So, did I like it? Yes and no. Yes, because there's still a lot to be loved. And no, because it really leaves you hanging time and time again.

WHY I LOVED IT?

Because of the characters

With a set of characters as amazing as the one in Faith, it really makes you ask what went wrong. I love so many characters in the series and I can't even pick which one is my favorite! But overall, the characters I enjoyed the most are:

• Woodalchi - You adorable dorks who are supposed to be the best warriors in the land but fail everytime, I so love you. Woodalchi aren't exactly as good as everyone expected them to be, but that doesn't stop them from being the cute sidekicks to our Woodalchi general. DaeMan, DeokMan and the gang surely liven up the scene whenever they appear. This drama could have been a drab if these dorks weren't being dorks. Heehee.

• Lady Choi - She's like the head of the household, but in this case, the palace. She keeps things in order and even the general of Woodalchi cowers under her stare! It's just enjoyable how she's an elderly who knows how to handle soldiers and how to pacify hot-headed men. You rock, Lady Choi!

• Noguk - The queen is a badass and everyone should bow down to her. She doesn't take crap from anyone, not even from the king. She doesn't just sit around waiting to be ordered around and letting everyone do the works for her. She thinks of solutions herself and devises ways to help the king. She carries herself pretty well, but she's always a good supporter to the king.

• Gongnim - The king is one of the best written characters for the drama. This drama is a good character study for the king in a way that we see him start from a weak king into one of the strongest in Korean history. In no way is he perfect but that makes his character even more amazing. He gets confused at times and craves for his people to trust him. But he holds his head high no matter what and when he trusts and uses the right people, he emerges victorious.

• Choi Young - He's the anti-thesis of a hero. He just likes to sleep a lot and doesn't really care whether he lives or dies. He's just intent to finish one task after another until he can finally leave the life of a warrior. But when he finds something worth fighting (living!) for and a king worth to be supported and hailed, he rises gracefully and become worthy to be the Woodalchi general. The fact that he's not just good in combat but also quite brainy when it comes to politics and warfare strategies make me love him even more. Daejang, I love you.

• EunSoo - The heavenly doctor is the life of this drama. I do not know what would have happened if another actress played EunSoo, but Kim HeeSun adorably portrays the doctor. In the present, she's a dermatologist who's only intent on finding a rich guy that can help her build her own clinic. But transport her to the past and she's the breath of fresh air. She brings humor to not-so-humorous situations and she uses her head at all times. I think it'll be different to hate her when she's basically being the most humane character in this series. She's not a noble idiot, that's for sure. She fights to live and she fights  to be with the man she loves. When I grow up, I want to be EunSoo.

Because of the humor

This drama is heavy on political maneuvering and mind games, but it's also peppered with a touch of humor that makes it interesting at the very end. Most of the witty exchange of lines are thanks to Choi Young and EunSoo. Let a perky doctor meet the greatest warrior in Korea and see how laughter ensues. Their little bickering is always the highlight of an episode for me.

Because they take time travel seriously

Most time leap Korean dramas brushes over the implications of time travel. They only look at it from the perspective of the characters and how it would affect their lives. But since Faith involves a lot of famous historical figures, they see it from a larger perspective. 

Since EunSoo is the one that did the time traveling bit, let's focus on her character for a moment. Everything EunSoo does in the past, she mulls over whether it would greatly alter the course of history. There are things she doesn't meddle with in fear that it would change the events that are supposed to happen. She also shows signs of trauma for all the brutality she sees. After all, compared to the killings left and right during the Goryeo period, the present time seems to be pretty peaceful.

Because Choi Young and King GongNim have the best bromance ever

That moment when Choi Young finally decides to fight for GongNim, ah, it still gives me the fuzzy feelings. We have a king who wants to fight but doesn't know how and a warrior who knows how to fight but doesn't have the willingness to do so. But when they get together, they become an unstoppable force. Once they learn to trust each other and to learn the motives behind each one's actions, sparks fly, okay.

I noticed that the drama is in its strongest when the story's focus on the two. But once it deviates and gives too much attention to the baddies, it just loses its flavor. Choi Young and Gong Nim is such a good pairing in a way that their strengths and weaknesses merge well with each other.

Because my new favorite OTP is Choi Yoong and EunSoo

Oh you two. Despite the actors' age gap, Lee MinHo and Kim HeeSun made it work. They have so much chemistry and they are both so pretty that when they're in the screen together, it's just so beautiful. The way they've always been honest with how they feel is endearing. It's not something we see often in the Kdramaland. They aren't quick to say "I love you" but they don't hide their affection for each other. With EunSoo's playful personality, she manages to break Choi Young's exterior and enters his heart effortlessly. Choi Young gladly lets her in despite knowing that he'd have to let her go in the end.

They show grand gestures for each other which are nice. But it's the little ones that make my heart flutter. Whenever Daejang combs EunSoo's hair, when EunSoo tucks a flower behind Choi Young's ear, when Choi Young traces EunSoo's outline, when EunSoo stays at Choi Young's room, when Daejang reaches out for EunSoo's hair, and pretty much every other time they show they care for each other. If I'd watch this series again, I'd probably skip all the scenes that don't have them.

Hello, current wallpaper.

Because LEE MIN HO

I don't think this needs any more explanation. Well, okay maybe it needs some explanation. Some people claim it's MinHo's weakest performance to date but I still can't stop myself from loving him. He carried out the role of Choi Young quite well, in my opinion. And besides, his mane of glory is just ASDFGHJKL.

To further prove my point, please see this gallery.

Also, I have seen him in person and have touched him, too, but I will save my spazzy encounter for a later post. Heh.

WHY I DIDN'T?

I don't even want to go in full details because it'll take forever. Faith is a good drama but there's just way too much about it that's quite disturbing but most of all, disappointing.

• If they marketed the drama as something that's full of magic, then they should have carried this premise until the very end. At the start of the drama, they should Choi Young as a warrior who has some kind of electric power or whatever that is. And our antagonists also use their powers on a regular basis. But into the series, we see them using it less and less. Heck, Choi Young only used his power twice! If they do not have the resources to make the characters use their power all the time, then they shouldn't have powers in the first place.

• ** If the ending would only give a nice resolution for EunSoo and Choi Young and only on the two, then I wonder why the series spends so much time on things that aren't that relevant to them? There are way too many hurdles to be overcome and no sort of resolution is offered. Too much time is spent on politics that ended up having no bearing on the ending of this series. This drama has 24 episodes but if more planning was devoted to it, I bet they could shorten it to 16-20 episodes. Yes, I just believe that there are way too many irrelevant scenes.

• ** KiChul's assistants, Hwasuin and blondie, are just annoying. They act all high and mighty when they don't really do anything of value. The way they easily escapes any repercussion for their actions is annoying. Then it's time for them to be defeated and it's weird how they are defeated so easily! I was happy that they died, okay. But I just thought that if they could be defeated that easily, then they should have just killed them off earlier. Seriously.

CONCLUSION

This drama has way too many flaws but not once did I think to stop watching. There are just too many good characters in this drama, fleshed out ones, that I keep hoping until the very end. Faith may not the best drama this year, but it has enough memorable characters to leave an impression on the viewers.

The ending also gives a nice closure to a rather messy series. If there's one thing the drama got right, it's Choi Young and EunSoo's story. And that is enough for me. The rest of the story is chaotic and there are way too many questions left unanswered. But Choi Young and EunSoo are established characters and their relationship with each other is one with complexities, one that seems so real. The conclusion for their epic love story is one that's quiet, almost to the point of tranquil, really. It's quite a journey for the two, and if there's a couple in Kdramaland who deserves a love story, it's this one. After all the crap that they've been through together, the waiting and the time leaps that they experience, I want nothing else for them but to have a happy ending. And I sure hope that's what happened after the closing credits.

With all this said, here's a lovely Daejang for you:

Photo credits: Hancinema.net