[Drama 2018] Life 라이프

[bedifferent]

 

LIFE.  Was good for me as it gives different perspective on how to live and be thankful of life in general.  Whether we are in a fight for our own survival, our ideals or for others, we should do it with open hearts and minds.  Perseverance, love, hope, humility, morality, tolerance are too important to give up.  For that, everyone fighting!

 

The death of Director Lee was never fully revealed.  I do think it was accidental. The truth was not disclosed and his death ends up an important footnote for the change Sangkook sorely needed.  There's much to applaud in Life's efforts to show the medical world, of how their own battles are no different than anyone else. The daily struggles are real.  The moral conflicts, the human needs, they share your concerns and walk in your footsteps.

 

Healthcare will eventually be segregated, tiered or whatever based on the economics.  It's a grim outlook for all of us so the fight will continue for it to be inclusive.  Be thankful for people like Jin-woo, No-Eul, Dr Joo-Lee-Oh who fight for your interests while figuring out their own personal baggage.  The hospital will remain a place to heal the ill of society because there are people who care enough to compromise for the greater good.   I am talking about the Goo of administrators and corporate who understand their purpose in the big scheme of things. They are admirable for staying and not quitting. It is not an ideal world so we don't expect people to be perfect the first time around or to do the right thing.  Give them a helping hand once in a while. Meet them 1/3 of the way with a handshake.  However, be vigilant and stand your ground for what matters.

 

Don't let work swallow us.  Life is precious for all its simple happiness.  Family, friendship, a rainbow cake, coffee date, ramyun, Hite, the sun.  Make time to do and see it.  Go outside.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

For our characters:

• Jin-woo: lesson 2 - the art of compromise.
• Seon-woo:  live your life without boundaries.  Be like Jo Seung Woo, limelight is overrated.
• Seung-Hyo: walk Nighty. How's your neck acting with tall Greek god?
• No-Eul:  don't lose the sunshine but please roll up your sleeves more
• Sun-woo: if tuition was expensive, think of life insurance without a job
• Dr. Joo:  put the PhD in your resume to work in real life, you are so good at it
• Dr. Oh:  please learn Tae Kwon Do for your own safety in parking lot
• Dr. Kim: I smile when you said to patient surgery is not needed
• Dr. Lee:  your shoulder was heavy, thank you!
• Manager Kang:  may life bless you with happiness always.  And a promotion.
• Driver what's his name: hope you'll get a good boss
• Dr Lee of ER:  please speak up when is in front of Director Oh, you have a good heart
• Chairman Oh:  less is best, light makeup is good too
• Trouble has never looked finer. 
  Spoiler

  

   

 

See you all later in another thread and another time.  Was fun.  Made me think a lot this one. 

 

Spoiler

x

 

Credit: Netflix and JTBC

 

@ktcjdrama yeah, they both were in the OR for changing of the guard. Sunwoo Chang and Dr. Kim, I love their characters.

[l0ul0u]

On 9/11/2018 at 11:40 PM, pompyavi said:

Netflix

 

Thank you 

[Michelle Gonzalez]

It on Netflix it said Netflix original

[wanda77]

    Thanks to all posting good thoughts about this drama. I loved it, actually I like dramas that makes you think and reflect after watching, and a plus with good acting. 

     Just an opinion: is difficult to change your place of work when you are in that position; you need to start as a newcomer wherever you go, in Hwajeong conglomerate Gu knows every little thing about people and subsidiaries, as said in the beginning he was the only president outside from family, so, why not fight for what he deserves. In another conglomerate his life will be better? 

     In how many jobs, if you are not the main boss, people are humiliated, more or less, and unfortunately those will do the same with those under them. What to say, this is "Life" , our life...

[bedifferent]

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Life" Episode 16 Final

By Vasia Orion on 2018/09/13 at 16:36 PST

 

 

To quote someone we all know and love, "Life" finds a way, and this is the best possible outcome we can hope for in regards to the future of Sangkook University Hospital, as well as our own world. The drama has been through a rough patch lately, but it bows out as gracefully as it can manage, leaving no magical solutions behind, but leaving us and its own characters some valuable food for thought.

 

I am glad that the end of this story is not an unrealistically happy one. The series would be pretentious and dishonest were it to provide a solution to the largest, most systemic problem of our society. Major corporations and the systems they wield will not stop, and governments will not stop supporting them for the benefits they provide, often to select few. "Life" was about a battle, but behind it lies a war.

 

The series clearly changed direction after episode eleven, but a benefit of using pre-production well is that one can explain a lot of plot points, even if they were not part of one plan. We do not know the identity of the four people at Se-hwa's (Moon So-ri) place, sure, but the custodian building, the mysterious doctor and the Hwajeong Apparel appointment were explained. Seung-hyo (Cho Seung-woo) clearly knew he was being replaced long ago.

 

As far as open endings go, "Life" has made the best of the concept, even if the final act resorted to easily digestible devices. "Life" leaves our world unchanged, but our characters different. The rebels have found each other, and they have given each other a voice. Some have not learned, others have regrets, some have learned to give up when their heart is no longer in it. Most have contemplated, which is the point of it all.

 

 

The drama does not ignore its subject matter either. One of my favorite moments is when Chief Jang (Choi Kwang-il) realizes how long it has been since they talked about patients. It is the perfect closing statement on how forcing doctors to struggle for corporate leverage is directly detrimental to their calling. With no independent management, doctors cannot work for fear of the company, and the company risks major dysfunction.

"Life" could have started developing some of its characters sooner, made more of some than it did, and its subplots have had their ups and downs, but their personal, moral and workplace journeys have been, for the most part, solid. It has handled most of its topics with good self-awareness, and as much as the fumbling last act disappoints me, the drama as a whole is a solid piece. Perhaps the writer's next one will smooth all issues out.

 

"Life" is directed by Hong Jong-chan and Lim Hyeon-wook , written by Lee Soo-yeon-I, and features Lee Dong-wook, Cho Seung-woo, Won Jin-ah and Yoo Jae-myung.

 

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

 

HanCinema

 

===============

 

See you all when SF2 starts in 2019 

[pompyavi]

This one is dedicated to my favorite Koo Seung Hyo.

 

IMHO he was the most interesting character of the series. Following him was Dr Oh. Whatever decisions he took had two aspects to it - business and social. 

1. He wanted to relocate the three departments to Naksan. This popped into his head when he was having a meal with the Minister. "General hospital is a public good. And public good should be equally shared." By removing those three departments the losses would have minimised, also the people of Naksan would have benefitted.

2. He brought in the restructure team when everyone was ready for a strike. According to him it was the right time. From the start itself his main intention was to find something concrete against any department that he can use to suppress the strike. But he never imagined the doctors would kill someone and cover it. He was at crossroads whether to reveal that or not. Listening to Ms Kang, he realized that the family had the right to know the truth. And he also used this opportunity to tackle the doctors.

3. His took back his decision of relocation not only because of the reserve funds. The sight of the babies got him.

4. Initially he didn't show any interest towards Hwajeong chemical. But he went into the alliance so that he can achieve both profit and quality. By making them as SKU as exclusive supplier, he made them sponsor the RFID system.

5. His decision to visit the dog shelter was to divert the attention of public against the cancer center scandal. Also he wanted to do it because he loves dogs

6. When the informant died, he didn't know whether the reporter really killed her or not. He gave in for the autopsy to save the 4 doctors and also to fulfill the chairman's wish. As the chairman himself said he could have taken care of the family in his own way and nobody would have known.

7. He fired all 4 of them to prevent further disaster and also if they stay away, the other staffs wouldn't dare to do anything.

8. From the time the chairman told him that they will take care of it, he knew that he was going to get fired. He was genuinely concerned for Dr Oh and Dr LNE. He knew beforehand that the announcement was a trap and he was being made a scapegoat. Still he went ahead with it. He tried to talk some sense in that chairman's head and it wasn't of any use. He knew that that the doctors would use the songtan land deal as their last resort. He hinted Ms Kang to make a mistake. He desperately tried to save the hospital.

10. He himself wanted to leave SKU. He wasn't cut out to lead a hospital. That's why he sent the mail after his dismissal.

 

What I really didn't get was why he didn't fire Dr Joo and Dr Ye? He knew that Jin woo was the one who posted that statement and Dr Joo covered for him. What did he mean by he would fight as well. For what? For his survival or he had some bigger plans.

 

As for the chairman why did he assign him as the president of the hospital to begin with? He didn't have any know how of medical industry. Having a doctor in family and assigning a logistics person doesn't make sense?

 

4 hours ago, bedifferent said:

See you all when SF2 starts in 2019

Definitely...

[wanda77]

6 hours ago, pompyavi said:

As for the chairman why did he assign him as the president of the hospital to begin with? He didn't have any know how of medical industry. Having a doctor in family and assigning a logistics person doesn't make sense?

GSH was a brilliant and tough businessman, he needed someone to do the "dirty works" like buying the field in Songtan as a bribe, implementing the insurance sistem in the hospital, collecting data from patients and those frequenting the health/ fitness center... preparing everything for his brother.

  GSH knew from the beginning and made it all like "swallowing a bitter pill with honey" by giving something useful in medical sistem .

  

[bedifferent]

@pompyavi ahhaaa, GSH is quite a character, finally a post about him. Yay.

 

Chairman Cho assigned GSH the Sangkook project because he wanted to find a way to secure the  Songtang land deal in exchange for dismissing the Hwayeong Steel penalty with the Minister.  Sangkook was to stand as the medical entity to buy the land, thus covering up the direct link of the bribe to Hwayeong, while bringing in profits for Hwayoeng with the new medical clinics.  Cho dislikes GSH ever since the young GSH blossomed after switching department from under him to his late father.  GSH became the dispensable knife to do his dirty deeds.  GSH is awared of Cho's plan to eliminate him so just like the physicians, fought his own battle to survive at Sangkook.  He knew all along his stay at Sangkook was temporary and it was a chess game that he has to win.  Becoming sympathetic to the physicians' plight made his situations more complicated and decisions harder for he now has to find a way to save both.  This was not a case of professional awakening to leave Hwayeong but more a survival game to beat the Chairman.  GSH continuously monitors Boston Uni's website for Cho's move and as we see, begins to put his plan into play once Dr. Cho's name is no longer there.  What is brilliant about GSH is his calculated moves are planned to inflict the least damaged for Sangkook when he leaves.  It was not an overnight impulsive attack like Jin-woo.  I think the writer purposefully wants to highlight this difference so I am not frustrated with Jin-woo's character arc.  I am not even sure if Jin-woo has fully realized the extent of GSH's actions.^^

 

Regarding what GSH did at Sangkook. It was definitely all business moves to minimize damages to the hospital but his intentions were not fully honorable at the start.  Relocating the medical clinics to Naksan was not based on the interest in helping the people there.  When first started, he needed to slash the department in red to improve the numbers.  Doing it from an administrator point of view would put him in a negative light and face doctors/public opposition since it was purely a financial decision.  At the meeting, he realized that he needed to use public sentiment and play on the physician's code of ethics to make the move more into his favor.  Thus, he approached the podium with the speech, calling the physicians out and appealing to them to heal the wounds of society.   He puts the ball in their court.  Thus, the ensuing infighting among the departments.  The move was called off due to the result of his diligence at book keeping, discovering the reserved capital budget filing.  I think a different man without a logistics eye to detail background like GSH may not have discovered it.  Here we see a plus in his skill sets.  I agree, maybe the babies in NICU played a part  The medication error was a blessing with extremely good timing.  GSH has been trying to find a way to complete the trifecta so Hwayeong can keep its profits in house.  We are looking at drug distribution, providers and insurance.  There maybe a fourth component but I can't remember (someone please help us with this?).  He also knows the majority (very high >80% in RL) of reimbursements by the national health insurance is for pharmaceuticals/drugs.  Hwayeong could open a pharmaceutical company to sell drugs but it would have to pay taxes.  However, if it is a subsidiary of a non-profit hospital, the drug company would be tax-exempt.   Medication errors must be entered into a reporting system and the hospital is required to provide corrections to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future. Perhaps he was sympathetic to Manager Kang's story; more likely, as a savvy businessman, he sees an opportunity not to be missed. GSH levied the medication error to introduce his own correction, the RFID.  The device prevents errors by using barcodes but it has a set drug list that limits what the physicians can order.  It affects their practices and the patient can suffer for lack of options.  Drug profits and reimbursements are channeled back to Hwayeong tax free.  Because of this monopoly, I don't think his decision was saintly.  His last step is to divert the patients from enrolling in the national health insurance into private Hwayeong insurance.  His original go to guy was actually Dr. Kim.  Jin-woo and Seon-woo spoilt his plan so he has to settle.  I am not too clear on SW's decision on  picking Dr. Oh besides the fact that he didn't want the other person Dr. Joo who clearly will oust him if is given the chance.  So the decision was based on the less of the two evils?  Does anyone have a better reason for the handshake with Dr. Joo? @bebebisous33 ). With Oh, he negotiated the deal for the 3D biosensor.  Purely a businessman through and through.

 

The event that made GSH question his decision of turning a blind eye to Hwayeong's doings was indeed the second death. The first death pushed Jin-woo into action.   However, he was not ready to take on the hospital cause yet.  Dr. Oh also wrestled with her conscience here as well.  To counter public outcry and news media request, Seon woo decided to bring in an outside medical examiner instead of Sangkook, claiming the need for independent reporting.  We of course knows that the medical examiner is backed by Hwayeong.  Dr. Oh intercepted the presscon before he could give the false report.  I don't think his decision was to save the physicians but more the situation.   It is when Dr. Oh retracted her original findings that forced Seung-Hyo to take on the physicians' welfare along with his own.  He realized they have chewed more than they can swallow.  

 

GSH is a fascinating character. Like what @40somethingahjumma mentioned before, people do the right thing when is forced into a corner.  For GSH, his dilemma is multiple fold for his survival cannot be linked to this fight of good against evil.  That's Jin-woo's job   After all is said and done, the one guy who was forced into the position because his boss wants to eliminate him, gave Sangkook more than it realizes.  He was just passing through yet so much changed because of him.  He too was affected and changed for the better.

 

[pompyavi]

@bedifferentits always nice to read your opinions. Quite an insightful analysis. Thanks and definitely we would meet in SF 2 forum.

 

 

 

8 hours ago, bedifferent said:

I don't think his decision was to save the physicians but more the situation

I agree it was more of to save the Hwajeong group and the deal with QL. But I do feel somewhere he desired to save them as well. The look that he gave when the chairman was blabbering how he could hurt their families said it all. 

[bedifferent]

@pompyavi Ohh, this is just my opinions of GSH whom I love dearly as a character.  Others may disagree.  I'm just glad someone post something about him   I agree, he understands the depth of Chairman Cho's evil sorcery.  The autopsy was shady no matter how you look at it.  The physicians would not and they did not agree with his decision.  The nature and consequences of the decision is not right.

 

I hope we will have news of SF2 in 2019.  Writer LSY has agreed to pen the script; whether or not is greenlighted could be hinged on the success of this drama.  The public has been very vocal about Life's missteps (which I think are obvious but not enough to overlook the things it did right).  For me, it was hard to switch gear to see Life as a drama separately from SF or its success.  The curse of the mega hit.  Once I stopped trying to make Life into what I want to see and sit back to let it take me, I appreciate the things that LSY wanted to say.  I hope she continues to write and we get our wish.

 

I would love to see JSW back if SF2 is a go but do understand his need as an actor to find new, challenging, and more importantly, projects that interest him.  SF was a meaningful collaboration for him.

 

See you around in another thread.  @Ha Tinh Nhi @triplem you have to say something about Mr Goo. 

 

 

 

JTBC

[pompyavi]

2 hours ago, bedifferent said:

Ohh, this is just my opinions of GSH whom I love dearly as a character.  Others may disagree

Yeah. Everybody has different opinions. That's why we are here. To share each other's opinion. And yes I too love him dearly 

[40somethingahjumma]

I'd agree with CSW that the primary strength of this drama is that it wasn't riddled with storytelling cliches. For a moment there I thought... "oh dear... don't tell me the show is going to go makjang on us" but apparently it held back and never went there. I also appreciated the more realistic and complex ending. It wasn't a simplistic sort of good triumphing over evil which marks a lot of K dramas about corruption in high places. Life is complicated because people are complicated. It isn't an essentially K problem but a human one. 

 

With regards to health care provision there is no perfect answer. I think the show demonstrates that reasonably well. Anything that is put together by humans is bound to be flawed on some level. But at the end of the day one must ask the hard questions... of cost and benefit. Altruism is well and good. We want to speak behalf of those who can't and it's important to keep having those conversations in public eye without pretending that it's an issue that can be resolved by any side of the political spectrum. I don't doubt that governments use the issue as political football but that doesn't mean we should take a purely cynical view of the whole thing. Realistically though, the money has to come from somewhere and not just from taxation alone.

 

I'm trying to get my head around the negativity surrounding LDW's YJW character. But for me he is just an ordinary worker trying to survive an extraordinarily taxing workplace. He's trying to be a good doctor to his patients, a good mentor to his juniors and a member of staff in a hierarchical organization. I suppose that once he thought being a good doctor doing his best was enough. Under the previous director, perhaps that was possible as the elder was a father-figure. He's had to learn that instead of just relying on father-figures, he's had to be public about his concerns. Maybe for some viewers it's a no brainer. Of course we should stand up for ourselves but the reality is that most people are afraid of taking their concerns to management lest they be construed as being troublemakers (at best) or be asked to pack their things and leave. Some people have a lot more to lose than others. They might be the sole breadwinner or the main breadwinner.

 

I started writing this last week but I had to get away for the weekend and didn't take the laptop with me, not knowing if I was even going to have internet access. But I just wanted to add my 2 cents to some of the comments that have emerged after the wrap up of the series. I loved the LJH cameo and really I want to see more of him as the chairman's younger brother because I enjoyed his Dr Ye in A Poem a Day and would relish seeing him as a power doctor.

 

I suppose I'm going to insult a whole lot of people by saying that this was a show written for adults and it should be appreciated accordingly.  It's nice from time to time when a K drama treats its audience with respect. Still, it would have benefitted from having a few more episodes to accommodate the cast of thousands. I hope the organ transplant manager finds something he wants to do with his life once his recovers from his burnout. 

 

Anyway, many thanks to  @bedifferent for giving us the benefit of your medical knowledge and keeping the conversation going. Thanks to all the regulars on this thread posting news and images as they were rolled out.

 

I'll soon be taking a break from K dramas and may not make too many appearances on Soompi until 2019. Take care!

[bedifferent]

@triplem @40somethingahjumma  @staygold ahaha, we enjoy this drama.  Ohno, does that mean we are old ...  cuz we can relate to the characters and their struggles.  LOL  

 

This is a drama to remember for the Ye brothers and Mr Goo.  Maybe we can answer JSW's question now.  Seung-Hyo was indeed a good person at heart.  I'm glad he met the right people at Sangkook who reminded him of who he is.  Sometimes it is hard for corporate presidents to not lose the human part of themselves to business.  After a while, you look up, the years have passed and you end up being the bad guy in the room without realizing it.  The ending is as realistically as you can get.  I don't doubt some viewers can be disappointed that we don't have a heroic ending where good guys prevail.  In LIFE, good guys win because they survived to fight another day.

 

I like that we don't have any true hero or solution in LIFE.  It makes us appreciate the difference in all of us and how we need each other to keep marching onward in life - whether it is through family, romantic love, friendship, etc.

 

It takes money, lots of it, to take care all of us.  The population is getting older, we are living longer, it takes money to keep us healthy.  Yes, it's true our life expectancy increased with help of technology and medicine.  This comes with a price tag which someone has to control and pay for.  We have to work together, not only patiently but creatively to solve this healthcare crisis and a whole bunch of other world concerns.

 

@40somethingahjumma  I will miss you and all your wisdom here while you are gone.  Will tag you if I come across any drama that is worthwhile. I kinda get what your taste in drama is... LOL.  Hope everything is ok.  Take care.  Please PM if you ever need anything.

 

Last photos for the memories 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

JTBC

 

 

 

[zurubaab]

For real. I enjoyed watching this drama. and I hope that someone can subtitle these BTS. Please hope someone can subtitle it  Please

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXFE_qTsr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgV_T1LCVjs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umOcN-aGHus&t=1s

[40somethingahjumma]

@bedifferent

Thanks for the concern. There's nothing in particular but life's busy (a couple of big overseas trips in the offing) and I don't multi-task well.

But if there's any drama that will me draw me out of hibernation it will be Bad Papa. For Jang Hyuk the action hero, I would be very tempted. Not right away though.

[zky2007]

Finally I've been able to see the last episodes.

 

Well, just as it was already noted, Life is .... about life.

 

I appreciated the 'end' of ex- vice director, where he still tries to tell that maybe surgery is not needed, but if the patient *needs* it then..... 

By watching the varoious flashbacks and the 'source' of the money, it would seem that vice-director Kim told the truth... and sincerely ? I truly hope so

 

In the end the whole argument about money/dir. Lee was not fully explained, even the strategy to fight back was fading away. And even .... miss Kang... where is she now? Her whereabouts are unknown? Or I'm missing something ? We know that she must have had a chit-chat with No-Eul, but after that.... 

 

Poor Glutton... I kinda hated the nurse when she was so angry at him just because he 'knew' the president. It was just plainly unfair. The true glutton was her. 

 

One note on Ye brothers and the reporter: I loved the boat scene, but I understood that the reporter would have been happy to take a vacation... it was too soon to take her along? Did she forfait maybe? 

All along I had the impression that YJW and the reporter used each other in some way and that was it. Attraction? Yes, maybe, but..... and then YJW seemed happy when he see YSW and the reported chit-chat happily.... I love that the brothers had some precious time together (one week, because the soon-I-want-to-be-president-of-the-world had to come back to work) and yet there was a lot missing.

Sorry, I'm too old maybe, but I cannot stand YJW attitude... to cocky, too "I'm the right one, you are only a monster that needs to be slayed". Even YSW told him "Director Lee was not our father, and president Goo is not a monster". And yet YSW did everything. Even when it was his own director that asked him to do nothing. Where I work, someone like him would have already been 'beaten hard' (not phisically of course ) a lot of times even by coworkers, not only by bosses, and would have been fired or he would be still in the company still licking his wounds. Come on, telling a reporter all of the dirty stuff? Posting illegal documents? Fomentating coworkers about getting my boss to quit his job? And when nothing succeeded tell incomplete informations to write a scoop ? Masked 'ninjas' would have fitted with him much more than for dir. Oh (GREAT woman )

 

I hope that in the next work the writer (will it be SF2 ?) will have the time to untie all of the knots  

[wanda77]

 APAN STAR AWARDS 2018

Best Supporting Actor:  Yoo Jae Myung (“Life”)

 

Best Writer: Lee Soo Yeon (“Life”)

 

[bedifferent]

Congratulations to Yoo Jae Myung!  He is truly a versatile actor, have not disappointed me in his roles.  In Life, he brings a weary humanity to the drama.  I hope marriage life finds him well @titania1000 hahaha

 

Whoa, unexpected win for Lee Soo Yeon given this was the year of Mr Sunshine. One which is historical driven and this drama Life which deals with social medical matters.  I watched both so I appreciate the quality and complexity of both as well.  Congrats to LSY, hope she continues to pen relevant issues for us to ponder about.

[bedifferent]

@titania1000 Mr Sunshine's mid segment felt long but the last 1/3 gave it a strong ending and wrapped up everything nicely.  I am not a fan of KES, have avoided her dramas for a long time.  Mr Sunshine is arguably her best work, given the scope and its importance.  Both that one and Life are not perfect, have obvious flaws, though should be celebrated for what they bring to Kdrama -  turning them into a platform for more important messages than just mere entertainment.  I think both writers did a great job and like both endings.  LSY is one of a few writers that are interested in speaking about the injustice and mistreatments in SK's society and for that, she deserves the recognition no doubt.

[larus]

Congratulations to Yoo Jae Myung and writer Lee Soo Yeon.

 

I am looking forward to the writer`s new project. I like her writing style and her dramas. I hope next year she will have another script ready for us.