It’s so weird to see something that could have been, especially since what ended up being is airing right now. Faith is currently doing steady early teen ratings for SBS on Mon-Tues, but the drama was originally envisioned as something much different than the Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun incarnation. The Korean title for the drama was always Shineui, but that pronunciation could be read as either Faith (信義) or The Great Doctor (神醫). When the drama was first announced in late 2009, the leading man was Lee Jun Ki. Jun Ki ended up getting shipped off to the army before the drama went into production, and in stepped in Kang Ji Hwan. During this time this drama was always known as The Great Doctor, and the leading lady was Kim Hee Sun from the start. The cast and crew actually gathered in Jeju for a few days in late 2010 to film scenes for the trailer that was going to be shown at a drama film festival, likely for distribution around Asia as a Hallyu product.
I’ve seen bits and pieces from this rather under-the-radar filming, but recently the official trailer that was shot has been released. Probably someone dug it out of storage for entertainment value and to see how much things have changed from the days of The Great Doctor to what is now Faith. The original incarnation was both more fantastical and darker. Like, way darker. I actually love Kim Hee Sun’s look and character for this version (probably as much as I dislike her look and character in Faith), and Kang Ji Hwan is pretty much the perfect leading man for this gig IMO. Playing the antagonist in The Great Doctor was supposed to be Kim Seung Soo, who also left the drama along with the majority of the original cast when filming stalled due to Kang Ji Hwan’s dispute with his management company. In the end, only Kim Hee Sun and Philip Lee remained attached to the project once it underwent its transformation both story and execution. The original concept looks so amazing I’m sad it wasn’t meant to be.
Trailer for The Great Doctor:
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Its not that I don't like the current Faith.... but thisss the Great Doctor that was meant to be has soooo much epic everything.... it is what we all thought the current one was going to be....
First of all what a find about Faith! I didn't know about this, me being a KJH fan(Lee minho's too). But what was the original plot? How did KJH end up from a warrior to a doctor? If this was covered before I greatly apologize. Maybe you can provide me with a link
Actually, I'm watching Faith right now and I can say that is not suuuuuuuuuper amazing, but for me is not suuuper bad either.
My problem with Faith are not the character. I love them and, contrary to Miss Koala, I love Kim Hee Sun character. I prefer a quirky woman that won't let people drag her around, involve herself in whats going on around her and have a backbone over another that sit still and play the harp looking like a damsel in distress... She is one of my favorite characters in this drama... the King being the other one.
That being said, I do have problems with the writing and directing. The directing in that trailer was what I was expecting in Faith and I sometimes want to cry when I see a fighting scene or weird shots. So, in the end, I don't really blame the actors, I blame the director and writer of the drama. Is like the had SO much time with the story that the though over and over how to and what to change... sometimes, when you over think, it can lead to no good!
THAT'S why I'm so disappointed in Faith...>.>
They should just make a 3D movie with the original cast and story because this looks too awesome not to be shown. Title it The Great Doctor.
This version has that the more "Epic" feeling that I had hoped for and KJH looks so freaking hot. Oh well... but I like the current version well enough. I wonder why it changed so much though.
I think I was expecting epic from the current version too. I actually like that it's not, but I think in the last couple episodes they're trying to go for epic and they really shouldn't. Stick to the character interactions and make those small-scale epic, writers!
not THIS i would have watched
what was the original character description for this "should have been" faith? it looks so much more fantastical which is fantastic plus it should have Kang Ji Hwan there :(
omg! This is soooo awsome! Dark fantastical! Too bad it didn't come to be!
It would be a crime for THIS not to be finished. It looks totally different from the Faith that we are now watching. More epic, more drama, more awesome! The producers should still go ahead and make this into a totally separate / different drama. Cast Kang Ji Hwan but change the female lead to Yoon Eun Hye and you will have my eternal gratitude!!!
Amen to that!
This is why I was disappointed in what I saw of the current drama.
LMH is not enough draw for me.
That GD trailer is splendiferous.
agree agree agree! LMH somehow just didnt click with the character in "Faith" now showing. no chemistry too with the female main lead... no, I cant get myself to follow it.
wait the director is the same? Then how come the effect is totally different? They cut his budget or something is that it?
The production was probably trying to bank on Lee Min Ho's popularity but needless to say, it failed miserably. This is a high budget drama and from what I have read they spent millions, hoping that it would be a huge hit.
As each episode is progressing the story is not getting any better but getting worse, same as the ratings which also keeps on dropping.
The production lost so much money on this, but maybe this is a good lesson for them, that just because they have popular actors in their high budget drama, doesn't mean it's going to be a big hit. Nowadays, viewers are smarter and will only stick through the whole thing if the story is good. Gone were the days, where viewers would only watch it for popular actors.
I agree wholeheartedly with this comment. I'd like to know what the producers were smoking when they decided to cast LMH for the role of the general and mangle the storyline.
It didn't help that Kim Hee Sun is also an awful actress and there is absolutely zero chemistry.