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! Continue reading →