The Heart (2023)

Realistic & touching

I hardly write reviews but I feel this drama is too underrated and doesn't do it justice. The stories that happened in the hospital and the characters are realistic and often touching and the acting of the 3 leads are fantastic. It reminds me of ER somewhat but it focuses on cardiology and 3 people, their growth, their change, their bond in the hospital. Story moves along much better than a lot of costume or profession cdramas or and it is perfectly cast. I dropped a lot before about firefighters, pilots, lawyers, businessmen because they are just not up to par or at all interesting but this one I think it's very well made and written.

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A Deep & Real Look Into the Heart of Cardiology Doctors

First things first, I have to say that I had my doubts when I first heard about this medical drama but that all went away the moment I watched the first episode. I thought it would be another rom-com disguised as a medical drama but it truly is a real medical drama focused on the doctors' and patients' stories and personal growth, while also focusing on the journey of healing. The romance is not a large part of the drama and doesn't overshadow the important story about all the medical staff and patients. It really is what the drama promotes itself as and I really love that. It is no wonder why this drama has such a high rating on China's Douban drama rating site but it is a shame that not more international audiences are watching. It is really a hidden gem!

More detail on why this drama is such a great watch:

First, the story! The script was thoroughly written and you can tell that the writers put effort into making sure all the medical procedures and terminology are correctly portrayed. I also saw online and in interviews that the writers spent 2 years working on this script and the main cast spent a month learning relevant cardiology information at a real hospital. The writers also regularly consulted real cardiologists to write the different scenarios with the patients so that they are medically correct and not some plot device. The patient's stories are dramatic but feels like it could happen in real life. As you watch all the surgery and hospital scenes (which is almost 90% of the drama), you can immediately tell that a lot of time was spent on getting everything accurate, whether it is the actors or the set. It is very obvious in every scene in the hospital that there was a good effort put into everything, and that is why the story is even more engaging and real. Even without knowing all that, the patients' stories themselves were heartwarming and touching as well. They manage to make you connect with each patient and get you emotionally attached to them so you can't help but feel anxious, worried, and engaged in each episode. That is how I ended up binging almost 10 episodes in a day because I just couldn't help myself. Not only that, but be prepared to shed tears (lots of tears) as medical dramas always involve talking about life and death :(( I cried multiple times throughout the drama and it still hurts to think about it. Get tissues ready and be prepared to love these patients! However, also be ready to enjoy a good dose of humor at just the right moments! The writers did not forget to add some sunshine in the middle of the heavier topics. Moreover, the story also includes the hospital politics between doctors and also makes you ask questions about a doctor's motivations. The drama really covers all topics related to the doctors and patients in a very fluid and

Next, the actors! I haven't watched Mark Chao since Ten Miles or Mao Xiao Tong since Princess WeiYoung but I know their acting skills so I knew that they would be pretty good. But Jin Shi Jia was a pleasant surprise to see. All three had amazing chemistry together and I really enjoyed all the scenes they had together. I really love the Xiao Feng x Xiao Ran x Lin Yi combo. I could not get enough of their scenes. Whether it is bromance or romance, they pulled it off incredibly! Xiao Feng and Xiao Ran are very cute siblings while Xiao Ran and Lin Yi are adorable bickering. All three actors were convincing in their roles and performed above and beyond in conveying the complex emotions of being a doctor and their character's struggles and backgrounds. I really felt for each of their personal stories, particularly Xiao Feng and Lin Yi. The writers did amazing and fleshing out each character so that you can relate to their decisions and dilemmas. You will find yourself loving each character. The love lines were also nicely done! The coupling between Xiao Ran and Lin Yi felt natural and they are just too shippable. I wish they could have had more sweet scenes. However, I didn't enjoy Xiao Feng and Chen Yue love line as much but it wasn't too bad. I just loved seeing the personal growth of Xiao Feng, Xiao Ran, and Lin Yi in the episodes and I miss them already. The supporting roles all did great as well. They are not well-known actors but they really brought their characters to life, whether they had a lot of screen time or not.

Another thing is the OST, filmography, and sets. The bgm and OST were written beautifully and with deep and relatable lyrics. My heart hurts each time I listen to it yet I can't stop playing it on repeat. The bgm was also nicely composed and played at all the right moments to pull on your heartstrings and make you bawl. It hurts.. :( The director also did great in building the sets and filming the surgeries and hospital. I saw a behind the scene and some of the drama was filmed at a real hospital to make it look more real. I really appreciate the crew's hard work in making every little detail as real as possible. It really made everything feel more real and pull you into the story.

Overall, this drama is a great way to learn more about the cardiology department and about doctors' struggles. For example, I had no idea there were two different departments within cardiology- cardiac and cardiology. So, it was an eye-opening experience to learn about how those two departments work together. The drama does an excellent job at talking about the relationship between doctors and patients, and doctors with doctors themselves. It touches on doctors' career prospects on top of all this as well. Basically, this drama covers so many different aspects in a very real and grounded way. It really makes you ask your heart, or wen xin like the Chinese title says. Please give it a try if you like medical dramas!

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Murmurs of the Heart

By almost every objective metric, The Heart should have been one of the year’s best dramas. In truth it is the best medical drama I’ve seen so far coming out of the mainland. (Although I haven’t seen that many good ones truth be told) The script is meticulous, well-researched and the character arcs are brilliantly woven into the story. But tackling all 38 episodes is likely to be a marathon for many especially in the home stretch. It could have been China’s answer to Hospital Playlist but sadly lacks the latter’s impulse for economy as it inevitably gets bogged down by romances that it arguably doesn’t need. It’s a shame really because the series has a plenty of heart and the relationship among the three leads is one of the show’s bright spots. Moreover the patient stories and their unveiling within the show’s larger tapestry are among some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Mark Chao, Jin Shijia, Rachel Mao Xiaotong are the aforementioned leads in this slice-of-life drama a cardiology specialist centre as its backdrop. Mark Chao is Zhou Xiaofeng, a mild-mannered cardiology internist, Jin Shijia (from Under the Skin) is a cardiac surgeon Lin Yi and Rachel Mao plays Fang Xiaoran, an ICU doctor with surgical training. Xiaofeng and Lin Yi are polar opposites in temperament. Lin Yi though a talented surgeon is something of a loose canon and tends to run his mouth. Xiaofeng is a capable administrator but defers a little too much to his ethically challenged mentor. Xiaoran, on the other hand has the best bedside manner of the trio. Unknown to most of their colleagues, Xiaofeng and Xiaoran are half siblings. Their mother is a famous cardiologist Fang Zhuqing who divorced Xiaofeng’s dad when he was a boy. Mother and son are estranged from one another and part of Xiaofeng’s journey is to gradually reconcile with her.

As with all good camaraderie that is forged through fire, opposites clash at first but it doesn’t take long for them to appreciate the other’s skill set and even become a dynamic duo for more complex, multi-stage procedures. Lin Yi’s life is further complicated by the fact that he’s also the primary caregiver of an older brother who is living out the final stages of a genetic heart disease that could also afflict him at any time. It’s the sword that hangs over his head. There’s no cure for the condition but it is that which animates his embrace of medicine and his attitude towards patient needs.

A major chunk of the show is about the inner workings of the cardiology unit from the administrative side of things to inpatient consultations. It peels away the perceived glamour of the profession by featuring plausible predicaments related to short-term and long-term patients who wander around the hallowed corridors of the hospital. Right from the word “go”, it’s clear that the demand for medical services outstrip the supply. Medical staff with all their own personal baggage are overworked to the bone. Yet they are still expected to perform 110% once they put on the uniform. In that light, the drama highlights not only the limitations of medical science as it currently stands but also the enormous responsibility of clinical practice at every level. From inpatient visits to pre-surgery consults and post-operative recovery in the ICU.

In addition cardiac medicine also serves as a recurring metaphor and vehicle for a larger conversation about the importance of community not just among the medical professionals but the patients who temporarily find their place in that place. Medicine is more than a science. Everyone has a story. Strangers who occupy the same space for a period of time form a bond that have important consequences for the future. Some are pulled from the cusp of death while others never leave. But all leave indelible traces behind providing crucial life lessons.

There’s a part of me that is keen to recommend this. The production values are high. The cinematography is excellent and the casting is generally right on the money. However 38 episodes might be a slog for some and more importantly, there aren’t any good subs that I’m aware of. Still if you’re keen on a good heartwarming thoughtful drama, this could be the thing to hit the spot.

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Nirvana in Life and Dongli Hospital

生 birth, 老 old age, 病 illness, 死 death.
It’s the passage of life we cannot avoid.
It’s the passage that’s explored in The Heart through our Medical Team at Dongli Hospital and the patients we come across... The passage where everyone battle with illness and death so we can continue living.

Medical dramas aren’t anything foreign. In fact, it’s precisely the familiarity of the profession and the amount of shows featuring them that makes this genre a tough nut to crack. On one hand, this genre deals directly with emergencies and deaths - perfect ingredients to string our emotions. On the other, it can be overtly cheesy at best, and a turnoff at worst if they overdo with the dramatic stories.

That’s what stood out about The Heart - it draws this balance perfectly, almost.

While we go through this show through our 3 main leads - Doctor Zhou, our physician, Doctor Lin, our surgeon and Doctor Fang, our ICU and post care doctor - the patients’ stories in The Heart makes them more alive than ever. None of the patients were fillers, even if they only take up 1 episode or less. None of the patients’ arcs were predictable, even if they appear to be the familiar troupes we come across in other stories or our day to day lives. This says a lot about the heart and sincerity that goes towards the cast and story plot.

The depth of patients’ stories made me afraid to watch this show in public transport as I go back and forth to work. This is because they draw tears at every juncture. Tears that I don’t feel cheated of.

Besides the patients’ stories, they also explored the politics of the doctors in The Heart delicately, pragmatically, and realistically. One can argue that politics shouldn’t be present in the face of life and death. But Doctor is another profession that requires management, systems, budget, and communication structure to continue its operations, even if they are in the line of saving patients.

Instead of taking time away from the patients or medical team, the political affairs of Dongli Hospital add color and life to The Heart. Even if we do not enjoy or agree with the political moments or the decisions that the characters take, I feel that those plots cement the fact that these doctors are people too.

~~~~
“Everyday you have to worry about this, consider about that, aren’t you tired?” Dr. Lin asked.

“Tired. Very tired.” Dr. Zhou remarked.
~~~~

At The Heart center, the dynamics of our 3 main leads are the core of the stories. Doctor Lin is the medical genius that learns to work in a team. Doctor Zhou is the workaholic that learns to rely on his team. Doctor Fang is the cherry one that reassures everyone. From these 3 lines, it’d sound like Doctor Fang has a shorter end of the stick with her character arc compared to the former two. And this is somewhat true.

That said, these trio won’t be complete without her. In a story that has so many things going on, Doctor Fang is a steady and warm presence that plays a more important role than people would give her credit for.

I love how they become comrades together with the medical team in Dongli Hospital. It made me wish that I too, will be in the hands of such a team.

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“每个病人都像一本书 Every patient is like a book。
医生能做的是尽量弥补他们的破碎 What doctors can do is try their best to mend their broken things -
不管是心脏 be it the heart，
还是心灵 or the soul.”

quote Dr. Fang.
~~~~

Besides the story, the OSTs of main theme are apt. Especially the ending song, 活着 Living. Deep and impactful lyrics.

Here is the official MV: https://youtu.be/5bOhd4oT6yg

Lyrics extract

生life, 死 death, 离别 separation，
若不由人选择 if it’s not up to people’s choice,
那就向前走 then let’s move forward.
~~~~~

To sum it up, there’s only ever 1 medical drama you have the quota for, give it to The Heart. It’ll pull your heart’s strings like no other.

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The best medical drama that I have seen in 2023. Excellent acting from the entire cast.

The Heart is a melodrama about the lives of doctors at a hospital that specializes in cardiology.

I would say that this is the best medical drama I have seen in 2023; actually, the best of all time since I started watching Cdrama 3 years ago.

The plot was excellent, and it focused on the professional and personal lives of doctors at Dongli Hospital, especially the cardiology department. I love Mark Chao; his acting is superb. Mao Xiao Tong played a bubbly sister who adored her brother, but they are half-brothers and sisters. It also showed the complex relationships that Zhou Xiao Feng (played by Mark Chao) has with his superiors, co-workers, girlfriend, sister, and mother who abandoned him when he was young.

The acting of the entire cast, particularly some supporting roles, was excellent. Like Yang Gui Lan, played by Fang Qing Zhuo; Jiang Yi Ning, played by Zhou Yu Tong; Fang Zhu Qing, played by Joan Chen; and Qiang Wei, played by Ma Yin Yin. They were fantastic.

I really enjoyed and loved this drama. I give it an 8.5 and highly recommend everyone to watch it.

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Grey’s Anatomy vibes focusing on Heart Specialists

I seldom watch contemporary Chinese dramas but was tempted to try this due to AvenueX’s glowing reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of Grey’s Anatomy and how it goes back and forth between the patients and medical staff’s lives.

The storyline was engaging and I enjoyed the different patients they encountered and tried to help. A good variety of scenarios made for interesting viewing as you also get more curious about the personal lives of the leads. The ML’s acting was spot on as the model doctor who was estranged from his mother as she left him when he was 5. How their relationship gradually improves over time was very realistic and touching.

His love interest was just so-so for me and I pitied him in the end. His girlfriend stalked him and chased him then needed attention from him like a normal boyfriend and when she couldn’t get it, she walked away. Glad to see he wasn’t overly distraught by it and quite realistic as an example of a relationship that doesn’t work out. As for the other couple, it was sweeter in the beginning when they were friends and enjoying each others company.

Great acting all around especially the patients - kudos to the actor who played the unidentified man nicknamed “flower”.

Bad bad bad subs on WeTV - even someone with poor Mandarin skills like myself could spot the mistakes of some easy translations. The most annoying was not even getting the gender right - Ms Zhou kept popping up when referring to the ML! Then for the rest I didn’t understand, the subtitles just didn’t make sense 30% of the time. If I had a better understanding of the story, perhaps my rating would be higher.

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The Heart of Medicine takes a System, not a solo Saviour

This was an unexpected sleeper hit for me and I really enjoyed watching this medical drama. The Heart does not feature doctor as a perfectly heroic McDreamy clad in white-coat armour. Instead, we see a portrayal of different personalities in the specialist field of Cardiology, from Doctors to Nurses and Administrative staff, each with their own unique struggles and hidden backstories, working alongside each other in the setting of a distinguished hospital in the city.

The White-coat Saviour
Within the Heart Centre, the central protagonist is Dr Zhou XiaoFeng (played convincingly by Mark Chao) , an introverted "block-of-ice" who is driven by a sense of perfectionism in everything he does. Under his superior Dr Bai Ji, XiaoFeng works a deputy director at Dongli hospital and is recognised by his colleagues and Head of Department for his reliability, intelligence and sensibility.
Things shake up for him when his bubbly step-sister, Fang XiaoRan (played by Mao Xiaotong), also a Doctor, gets transferred to the same hospital to work in the Intensive Care Unit. Despite their biological ties, XiaoFeng tried his best to avoid XiaoRan as much as he can, while Xiaoran makes no efforts to hide her bursting admiration and affection for her stepbrother in spite of her stepbrother's persistent coldness towards her. Viewers find out later why XiaoFeng seems to treats everyone in the department kindly except for XiaoRan. In her, he sees a shadow of his mother, Dr Fang ZhuQing (played by veteran Joan Chen), a renowned doctor and twice married divorcee, who abandoned him and his father to pursue her specialist training in Pediatric Cardiology when he was a teenager.
To make his life spicier, XiaoFeng also crosses paths with a new hot-headed colleague who gets transferred from another hospital to join the Dongli Hospital Heart Centre. Lin Yi is an impulsive but talented Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Laughably, the real reason behind Lin Yi's transfer is not due to the lack of capable surgeon at the Heart Centre but rather, upon the insistent recommendation of his mentor, Dr Cao, who feels that while Lin Yi's surgical skills are promisingly undeniable, his lack of social graces and emotional intelligence is hindering his career progression. In this new environment, Lin Yi soon finds himself interacting with more non-surgical colleagues outside his usual comfort zone. His arrogance and poor bedside manners soon grate on the nerves of patients and colleagues around him, including XiaoFeng and XiaoRan and this inevitably (repeatedly) lands him into hot soup and sticky situations.

The "Brains" of the Drama
The highlight of the drama lies in the extensive variety of critical cardiac conditions and common heart diseases (From Aortic Dissection, Cardiac Tamponade, Valve prolapse, Infective Endocarditis, Fetal Cardiac Defects etc) presented through the lens of each patient and their backstory. This script-writers do not dumb things down for the viewers by omitting the technical terminology or bypassing the chronological sequence of events surrounding the presentation of each cardiac disorder. Instead, we get to watch the events preceding the presentation of each condition before they land up in the Heart Centre and watch how each patient survives post-intervention during their ICU admission and long term outpatient care. So for pre-medical students who aspire to become healthcare professionals, this drama is invaluable! I would also argue that for lay people who are not interested in becoming Medical doctors, this drama is equally educational and insightful, because each case shines the spotlight on the various problems and challenges in the healthcare system. How a misdiagnosis can arise from an incomplete disclosure of a patient's past medical history, a doctor's negligence can be influenced by their underlying biases and beliefs, or how an ambitious doctor can push for unnecessary intervention for the sake of gaining more academic credit etc. The Heart shows how the public health service system can be abused and exploited by the plebeian, politician and prosecutor where there are loopholes and opportunities to tempt the weak-hearted. A sophisticated set-up is never spared from the honest mistakes made by well-meaning caregivers and medical professionals either. The greatest insight of this drama for its viewers is the realisation that healthcare is really a byproduct of a vast and complex multi-layered system, limited by inherent human weaknesses and subject to the unseen mysteries and uncontrollable forces of nature. Medicine need not always come in the form of an invasive operation, expensive drug or a walking knight with a stethoscope in shining armour.

The "Heart" of the Drama
In case you think The Heart is all cerebral and devoid of any human emotion, it was the humbling maturation of the key characters that formed the real "pulse" for me. Pardon my use of the medical puns.Through the experiences of dealing with his own patients who fight on to live for their lives, XiaoFeng learns to let go of his past grievances and reconciles with his mother and forges a deeper bond with his stepsister. Lin Yi learns to live beyond his father and brother's deaths and not let the fear of inheriting a genetic and debilitating heart condition dictate his obsessive nature to be in control of every aspect of his life, including the care of his patients. The bright-spirited XiaoRan encounters her fair share of tribulation when she gets accidentally exposed to a HIV patient. The internal cardiologists learn to work alongside the cardiothoracic surgeons as allies instead of viewing them as opposing enemies. The story ends beautifully with the characters choosing to fully live in the present while embracing the unknowns in the future. Lin Yi and XiaoRan decide to give their relationship a chance at romance and Xiaofeng turns down a pay-rise at another prestigious hospital to pursue the next phase of his career to in a rural hospital that is short of experienced cardiologists. You could say, the 3 key doctors decided to go with their hearts in the end.

Summary
Being a healthcare professional myself, I like how this drama strived to show a pretty realistic and layered portrayal of Doctors and allied healthcare workers as flawed humans with noble ideals and aspirations. Not a bingeable-till-2am kind of drama but definitely an unforgettable one.

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