A few stills of the new medical human drama Hospital Ship have been released, and we get our first look at Ha Ji-won (The Time I’ve Loved You) as a surgeon, as well as some of the rest of the cast and crew as they performed the traditional prayer ceremony to wish for the show’s success.
I was vaguely surprised to hear that this will be Ha Ji-won’s first role as a doctor, since the occupation is such a common one in dramaland and she’s been in the industry for a while now. It was reported that she’s been shadowing actual surgeons and studying documentaries and videos of surgeries to prepare for her role. It’s nice to hear that she’s directing her energy to learn more about being a doctor, just as she would prepare for all of her own stunts in the films and dramas that made her an action star. It’s not like actors need to know how to actually be a surgeon to play one but that extra effort is always good to see.
Medical dramas aren’t my favorite genre, but the premise is unusual enough for me to look forward to it, and the focus seems to be more on the human stories rather than actual doctoring. Ha Ji-won, accompanied by doctors Kang Min-hyuk (Entertainer) and Lee Seo-won (The Liar and His Lover), will travel from island to island by boat to treat patients who otherwise have no access to medical assistance. I’ve found hospital dramas in general to be quite a cold genre, so it’ll be interesting to watch one that’s set up to be full of warmth and heart as these doctors get to learn more about the islands’ small-town inhabitants.
Hospital Ship will follow currently airing Man Who Dies to Live on MBC’s Wednesday-Thursday slot.
