Kim Nam Gil and Kim Ah Joong Attend Well Deserved Live Up to Your Name Drama Wrap Party

Good til the last drop, that’s my takeaway from the just finished airing weekend tvN drama Live Up to Your Name (Deserving of the Name), one that I appreciate even more for really bringing back all the right touches that are unique to K-dramas. It was a time-traveling drama that didn’t waste the conceit nor let that one element drive the entire narrative, instead properly building character depth and interactions so that time-travel was almost besides the point in the emotional connection. It avoided being shoehorned into a genre, with flourishes of rom-com bickering and cuteness in just right doses toggling smoothly with serious medical and historical story to tell.

For 8 weeks it kept me interested and engaged, and in the end gave me an acceptable happy ending which properly ended the Kim Nam Gil curse whereby I’ve watched four dramas in a row where he’s died (Be Strong Geum Soon, Queen Seon Deok, Bad Guy, and Shark). His chemistry with leading lady Kim Ah Joong was phenomenal and her performance was just as strong as his in making this an equal partnership in every way whether in or out of the drama. The ratings matched the reception with the drama getting between high 5% to low 6% ratings on cable, with the last episode nearly breaking 7%. Thanks for a top notch effort and product, loved every minute of Live Up to Your Name!


Comments

Kim Nam Gil and Kim Ah Joong Attend Well Deserved Live Up to Your Name Drama Wrap Party — 20 Comments

  1. Love love loved it. i feel sadness not being able to anticipate it for the next weekend upcoming. Definitely a new fan of Kim Nam Gil. Pryaing hard he comes back to dramaland sooner than later and does another romcom hopefully with the queen Gong Hyo Jin. This is one drama I will remember in a long time to come… so darn good.

  2. This drama brought back my forgotten ❤️ for KNG since his Bidam-days.
    This is by far the best drama I have watched in 2017, treating its viewers with so much respect and like proper adults. It’s the maturity of each characters and emotional resonance that really got me consumed right till the very end. Ofc, I would have liked if the ending was a bit more climactic but I ll still take a happy ending anyway.
    And KNG and KAJ really have way off the chart chemistry. This is by far, the most compatible leading lady he ever had. I love the OTP so much as well as the actors rapport off-screen that for once, I consider on shipping them. Just, pls, get married you two. ❤️❤️❤️

    • Awww…..did you watch the BTS?
      I already love their on-screen chemistry so much but then I watched the BTS, and I am all floored. Totally screaming shipping!!! I kept telling…”Be still my shipping heart.” Could see the progression of their off-cam interaction from the earlier episodes towards the end.

  3. This drama is a true underrated gem. With little promotions, the quality of the show did itself a favour to create the buzz and ended up as the highest rated drama of TvN this year (ofc, pls do not compare with Goblin because KES is on another level).

    Everything about this drama are so on point and the fact that KNG and KAJ has such strong on-screen romance totally sold the romance department. I have never felt this fully engaged with an OTP for such a looooongggg time until this show came rolling in. When it was first announced of their pairing, I did not feel they are compatible either visually or acting style but I am happy I was proven so very wrong.

    This is definitely my favorite drama of the year and KNG and KAJ rose top to become my all-time favorite OTP. Now, can we get a Kim-Kim couple, please?

  4. I am sure I am the only one who didn’t love the show. But I enjoyed it because of leads esp kim nam gil. The show didn’t hooked me right off the bat but it caught my interest after fourth episode.Initials episode were moving too slow for my liking.

    • Oh dear, you’re not alone. I havent watched the last two episodes but i will. I kinda enjoyed watching it but… Not so much into it. Of course, both actors did their job very well but the story was just not my cup of tea. Yeah, too slow for my liking too.

  5. I love this show so much! It’s not perfect, neither does it have the fastest or the most intricate plot; but it has maturity, great character development, introspective and intelligent conversations, and lots of heart. And of course, sizzling hot chemistry between the leads! Will definitely miss this gem and I’ll miss seeing Kim Ah Joong and Kim Nam Gil on my screen every weekend. I don’t want to sound shipper-y but it would make me the happiest fan girl if KAJ and KNG get together in real life! It’d be a waste not to, they’re just that good together.

  6. This drama worked because of Kim Nam Gil, without him it would have been like any other Kdrama this year – mediocre script. All credits go to him and the chemistry the OTP had.

  7. I wonder why my comment cannot go thru.

    Lazy to retype…anyway,this show is ???????????

    And seriously, I have never seen OTP acting out romance with such realism as these two for like forever. So despite how much I try not to ship, I really hope KNG + KAJ will get together IRL. It’s so on trend in K-dramaland these years of OTP romance translated out of set with high success rate.

  8. KNG’s acting is amazing, I agree that if you replaced him with another male actor it would’ve been like Manhole lol

  9. LOVE LOVE THIS COUPLE !! IS IT TOO MUCH IF I’M ASKING FOR KIMKIM COUPLE JUST LIKE SONGSONG COUPLE? HEHEHEHE
    KIM NAM GIL SURELY LIVED UP THIS DRAMA….HE IS AMAZING!!
    BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT HE’S NOT DIED THIS TIME *p

  10. This drama is GOLD.
    Not perfect but definitely tugged at my heartstrings and feel oh so good.
    KNG and KAJ totally rocked my boat the past weeks with their insane chemistry???. I guess anybody watching LUTYN will feel that it would be such a waste if these two not getting together IRL. At least, one can always hope ??????

  11. Kim Ah Joong! I love her in this drama! She makes me laugh, cried, fall in love! She really show the new side of her acting. Her last two dramas were thriller which good but nothing compared to this one! Best drama of 2017! Hope you both get lots of awards!

  12. In my book, this is the best ever kdrama in 2017. I am not ready to say good bye to this drama yet, and hope the producer nim can put together a 2 episode of highlights & behind the scenes and the amazing OSTs that made this drama top notch.
    Agreed with one of the reviewer that this drama doesn’t need heavy promotion. The strength of the story, strong performance from KNG, KAJ, grandpa and all the casts, speaks for itself.

  13. To me, hands down the best drama 2017.
    I watched quite a handful but dropped most of them mid-run. Nothing excites me for the most part of 2017 until this drama came along.
    First, the draw was Kim Nam Gil and I never expected Kim Ah Joong could hold up to him. I completely agree that it is an equal partnership that made this drama worked so well.
    I am completely in love with this OTP. Would be dancing ala “Yeon Kyung” style if this two happened to date in real life.
    Love every bits of it.

  14. I loved every minute of this drama and still not ready to let it go just yet ? The OTP is GOLD and for the first time ever in my 15 years of kdrama watching, I am totally hoping and praying that both KNG and KAJ get together in real life, it would be a waste not to ? I have never been a fan of both but after this drama, I have now become a fan. Looking forward for more great work from the writer, director and the OTP of this gem of a drama, kudos for a job well done ?

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