Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3/5
When it comes to adapting webtoons, Korean dramas have a pretty decent track record. Whether it be the excellent What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim or the quirky Business Proposal, there’s a lot to choose from in this field and more often than not, the productions mirror their paper counterparts really well.
The latest adaptation comes from a Netflix Original by the name of The Trauma Code. Based on the web novel Trauma Center: Golden Hour, this drama brings together all the hallmarks of the medical genre and mixes that in with thriller and comedic elements. The ensuing result is a decent, although very familiar, offering.
The story centers on Baek Kang-hyuk, who joins a university hospital known for its struggling trauma team. With a recent investment of 10 billion won, Kang-hyuk’s arrival immediately shakes things up. He’s a whizz when it comes to surgical skills, honed through working on the front lines in various warzones around the world.
He’s pretty unorthodox, rubs management up the wrong way and certainly doesn’t respect authority – especially when patient lives are hanging in the balance. You see, being part of the Trauma team here is a bit of a double-edged sword. Despite being so engrossed with saving patients, every life saved is costing the hospital more – and the Directors are not happy.
Along the way, there’s a constant motif around the cost of human lives and weighing this up alongside running a hospital as a business. There are some pretty shocking moments here, like when all the directors sit in a board meeting and cheer that the Funeral Hall continues to be their big money-maker. Naturally, the Trauma Unit is their biggest deficit and we see the deadly impact of messing around with budgets first-hand in this show.
While the themes around capitalism are prevalent throughout, the show also has a human touch in the budding bromance between Kang-hyuk and doe-eyed colorectal surgeon, Jae-won. We first meet him scrambling up the hallways, desperate to save lives, and Kang-hyuk takes a liking to this guy’s enthusiasm and determination to help patients.
However, it’s not all smooth sailing because the man is a rookie in this field, so Kang-hyuk takes him under his wing and trains him up. Rounding out this group is feisty nurse Jang-mi and stoic anesthesiologist, Gyeong-won. Together, the four set out to save lives.
The trouble with depicting a character that’s already amazing at everything from the start is it doesn’t really give you much wiggle room in development. In fact, Kang-hyuk’s amazing Gary Stu character effortlessly brushes off most of the challenges he faces across the season. However, where there’s more allure is in his relationship with Jae-won.
Jae-won has a lot of growth across the season and seeing how he develops and learns from Kang-hyuk is partly what makes this so watchable. The cases are absolutely brutal as well and the show does not shy away from showing the nitty-gritty side of surgery. Along with diagrams and little text pop-ups to show what’s happening in the surgery unit, we also see a lot of internal organs, surgical procedures and plenty of blood. If you’re even the slightest bit squeamish, this is probably going to be a tough watch!
The aesthetic in the show is great across the board and it remains grounded and gritty from start to finished. There’s no cheesy montages or wistful K-pop numbers to break up the episodes. Instead, the series relies heavily on a minimalist soundtrack but keeps these moments of levity reserved specifically for the comedy, which is pretty good throughout.
There are some genuinely funny moments too, ranging from an early misunderstanding where Jang-mi thinks Kang-hyuk is a gangster and is “taking care” of a patient by killing them. There’s also the little nicknames that Kang-hyuk gives Jae-won and Jang-mi, which happen to be Anal and Gangster, which has its own mini subplot which is resolved by the end of the show.
Alongside all of this, the series also has a couple of other supporting characters, although the Directors and authority figures are quite one-note across the board. That’s a bit disappointing because a lot of talented actors are wasted in this.
Kim Sun-young has a small starring role as the Minister of Health and Welfare but doesn’t have a whole lot to do beyond smiling or a small outburst here and here. Meanwhile, Kim Won-hae doesn’t have a whole lot of growth as Director Hong. He remains unlikable and jealous from start to finish. By contrast though, the main ensemble really step into their roles and Ju Ji-hoon is incredibly likable in this role.
When the show hits its stride, The Trauma Code has some really strong episodes too. One chapter depicts a massive bridge accident, forcing Kang-hyuk and Jae-won to think fast and move to the scene to try and save lives. Another time, the pair find themselves in an ambulance, racing to get back to the hospital to save a patient’s life.
The drama comes thick and fast here, with a breathless number of cases dotted across the season. In a way, The Trauma Code feels quite reminiscent of HBO’s current ongoing medical drama The Pitt. The sheer relentlessness of it all can sometimes overshadow the issues this drama has and it’s undoubtedly an easy binge-watch.
For anybody that has followed Korean or medical dramas for any length of time, all the familiar tropes are here. We get a perfect, amazing Doctor arrive from overseas, sporting a mysterious and tragic backstory, forced to try and overcome overwhelming odds to make a department or, by extension the hospital itself, better.
The anti-authority stance only adds to the appeal, while we have the new interns following and trying to learn from their superior, becoming better along the way. We’ve seen this with shows like Dr Romantic and Doctor Stranger, and in the West, this feels like a familiar set-up to House as well, minus the mystery and British accent.
Despite its familiar tropes and quirks, The Trauma Code is a solid watch. The characterisation for Jae-won in particular is solid, Kang-hyuk is an easy protagonist to root for, despite his perfect demeanour, while the comedy and drama work well together too. It’s not perfect, but if you’re after a highly enjoyable medical drama this weekend, The Trauma Code is definitely worth a watch.
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Verdict - 7.5/10
7.5/10