Jang Bin's Entire Life in Full Glory

by farstrep

sia3 requested me to provide some quotes for Jang Bin's eulogy but I thought a quote or two was not enough to describe Jang Bin's entire life in full glory, hence I made up my mind to embark on a commentary instead, which will be posted in parts because it's simply too long.

I planned to post this on recap day itself. However, I don’t want to slow down the pace of the recap and divert everyone’s attention from the beautiful gifs, delicious HD screen caps and wonderfully detailed recaps that the various Faithlings have painstakingly put together for your enjoyment, so I am posting this ahead of time.
This post is the product of 21 crazy hours of “Faith” marathon, a burning forehead, several rounds of sinful soju and the Kenshin OST blasting in the background. Thus, the commentator is not going to take responsibility for any unhappiness or indignation that the readers might have from reading it. Boo!



The first thing that strikes me about Jang Bin is his candid character.  He is not afraid to express his disapproval and call anyone out on serious issues that he does not see eye to eye with. Heavenly Beings are no exception either. In their first encounter in Episode 2, he censures Eun Soo when he witnesses her nonchalance at the Queen’s critical condition. He has immense respect and regard for his profession and holds his fellow doctors to the same high standards he subjects himself to. He cannot believe that the doctor standing before him is more concerned about herself than the bleeding patient on the bed. And in that split second, you can almost feel his mild disgust to be associated with her through their profession.



Much as Jang Bin is impressed by Eun Soo’s unorthodox but superb surgical skills, he is not in the least pleased with her cavalier attitude towards the patients and immediately calls her out on it again.

“Are all healers of the heavens like this? Is a person’s life or death really so trivial to you? Our healers of the earth cannot be like that. ‘There’s no medicine, so there’s nothing we can do.’ We do not give up so easily. If this medicine does not work, then we try another. If that does not work, we try acupuncture. We must do everything in our power.”

This speech encapsulates Jang Bin’s ideals of a doctor. Even if the patient is at Death’s gates, he will still continue to attempt different methods to save him. Only because he is a doctor and a doctor never gives up on another’s life. Through his conversations with Eun Soo, he detects a fatal flaw in her and by association, the healers of the Heavens. The superiority of their medical technology, which is supposed to be a boon, acts as a bane as well. They place far too much faith in and become too dependent on it that they are rendered helpless the moment this technology is not within their reach. And this is when their dedication and medical expertise are put to the test. How badly do they want to save their patients? Are they able to improvise their medical supplies based on the things that are available to them at that point in time and still cure/save their patients?

Jang Bin’s speech raises some interesting questions.

What constitutes a true doctor? Are those two qualities the only criteria to achieving that coveted title?



“They say a low-level physician heals the ailment, and a mid-level physician heals the person.”

I can't be certain this is what his teacher has taught him, what he has read or a reflection of his experience from treating patients. Whatever it is, it’s obvious from this statement that he has given a lot of thought to the notion of a true doctor. While his fellow doctors get derailed by other pursuits in life or disenchanted by the profession itself and thus, lose their sense of direction, Jang Bin is very clear about and completely focused on the kind of doctor he wants to be - a high-level physician who cures the patient’s ailment and takes care of his mental well-being.

If you think that’s the end of it, he brings up another essential issue that doctors have to learn to deal with in the course of their career - the patients’ deaths. Doctors have to take care of their own psyche so that they don’t doubt their ability and get disillusioned in the process. Doctors have to understand they are not God; they can’t expect themselves to save every single life that comes knocking on their door. There are bound to be a few who will slip through the crack due to certain factors. Doctors have to take these deaths in stride and not get too emotionally affected by them or they won’t be able to perform effectively in their job.



Jang Bin does not merely stop at his contemplation of the meaning and significance of a true doctor. He embodies it. His devotion to his calling as a doctor is best exemplified by his sacrifice in Episode 21. To his last breath, his mind is still on the antidote and how best he can prevent it from becoming destroyed so that Eun Soo can be saved. Some say it is partly due to Jang Bin’s close relationship with her. However, I firmly believe had the patient been a stranger, he would have done the same thing. Simply because that is who he is – always a doctor first, then a human being.

With his vast knowledge and steadfast belief and ideals in life, he is the best mentor anyone can have. His selfless dedication to his profession also makes him a role model to emulate and motivates Eun Soo to become a better doctor. Quietly but firmly, he pushes her to fulfill her potential and even helps her move beyond it. We see the first sign of this in Episode 7 where she picks some herbs and wonders how she can distil their essence to make the medicine she needs. The past Eun Soo would never have thought of that. She would have simply stopped short in her rescue operation due to the lack of modern tools and medication. She is fortunate to be under Jang Bin’s tutelage before his untimely demise.

Will I ever have the privilege of meeting such a mentor in the future? More importantly, can I ever become a person like him, a mentor who inspires confidence and faith in others?

There is more but this essay is getting a tad lengthy, so I’ll stop here for now and continue tomorrow. I'm turning in early today. 

Part. 2

It has always been my opinion that Philip Lee had the shorter end of the stick when it came to “Faith”. After reviewing his scenes again, my opinion did not change. The writer and PD have not managed to unleash the full potential of Jang Bin, the character and Philip Lee, the actor in the episodes prior to his RL misfortune. Nevertheless, he did an amazing job, fleshing out the multifaceted character so effectively with the little amount of screen time he had. Can you imagine what would have happened had he had more screen time? I look forward to his future projects and hope he will recover soon from his surgery.

Without further ado, here’s Part 2 of my tribute to Jang Bin.

 

Jang Bin can be described as the most perfect character in this drama. Yes, you have read me right. He is even more perfect than Daejung. He’s observant, mature, confident… I doubt the adjectives I have learnt in this lifetime are more than adequate to depict the richness of his character. His title as the Royal Physician translates to both status and money and his awesome martial skills is another added bonus. 

It is odd that no females in the palace are falling over their feet, trying to create opportunities to hook up this handsome eligible bachelor. (I think there have been several unsuccessful attempts in the past but there isn’t any time in the drama to show them.) Anyway, his unsmiling face and serious attitude towards everything in general probably intimidate and deter anyone from approaching him. Although Deo Gi has displayed some romantic interest in him, he does not appear to have noticed it one bit, treating her like he does other colleagues in the infirmary. It does not help that he is more concerned about his patients and medicine than ladies (in the romantic sense) or marriage. However, I don’t think he’s deliberately avoiding any romantic entanglements. It’s just that he’s not actively looking for any, no one has caught his attention or the thought has never crossed his mind.

Sometimes, I find myself wondering if any woman has made his heart skip a beat in the past and what kind of woman that would be. Would he be as reserved with the lady of his affection as well? 

From the outset, Jang Bin is open-minded. He accepts Eun Soo for the person she is; quirks and all and does not bat an eyelid when she appears before him in her underlayer clothes. He might have attributed that to a common behavior practiced among the healers in the Heavens. Being a Royal Physician, he should have seen enough patients in various states of undress in the infirmary, so in effect; he’s immune to any “temptation”? On another note, his unruffled behavior also suggests that he’s too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a lady in any way, even if that lady is as beautiful as Eun Soo. An awful thought just occurred to me. What if he is a gay, which would then render this entire paragraph obsolete? No, I am not going there and you guys better don’t either.

Due to the constant exposure to different people and cultures while traveling with his merchant father, Jang Bin is more receptive to anything or anybody different or novel as compared to most of the people in Goryeo. Having had the experience of a stranger in foreign lands also allows him to understand Eun Soo’s psyche and turmoil of emotions of being thrown in a world vastly different from her own and having to deal with it on her own. Therefore, while Deo Gi takes an immediate dislike to Eun Soo, he is quite accommodating towards her and accepts her for the person she is; her irritating quirks and all. I say “quite” because he will still call her out on issues he is unable to overlook (see part 1).

A case in point: Jang Bin does not bat an eyelid when she appears before him in her underlayer clothes. In fact, he is not bothered or disturbed by it. He might have attributed that to a common behavior practiced among the healers in the Heavens. Being a Royal Physician, he has seen enough patients in various states of undress in the infirmary, so in effect; he’s immune to any “temptation”? On another note, his unruffled behavior also suggests that he’s too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a lady in any way, even if that lady is as beautiful and alluring as Eun Soo. An awful thought just occurred to me. What if he is a gay, which would then render this entire paragraph obsolete? No!!!! I am not going there and you guys better don’t either.

Nevertheless, you can catch a whiff of the value he places on propriety. He shakes his head after he spies Eun Soo coming towards him while buttoning up her attire. Heh. Like Choi Young, he is protective of the ladies around him. He is always looking out for them and standing in front of them wherever possible to shield them from the villains or any possible danger.

Like Choi Young, it is in Jang Bin's inherent nature to protect the ladies around him and hence, resulting in the unnecessary shipping of the Queen and Choi Young/Eun Soo and Jang Bin by TV viewers. Suave gentlemen can be quite the headache sometimes. On another note, how can two men who are so alike be so different? Anyway, back to what we’re saying. Jang Bin is always looking out for the ladies in the drama and standing in front of them wherever possible to shield them from the villains or any possible danger. 


“Her name is Deo Gi. She is as knowledgeable about medicinal herbs as one can be. She is also the owner of the Royal Medical Office’s herbal garden.”

Jang Bin does not discriminate against women. In fact, he treats them as he would men and gives them credit when credit is due. When he introduces Deo Gi to Eun Soo, he does not stop at her name. He also gives an insight into and accords her the respect she deserves for what she does and has done in the infirmary. On the one hand, this is done for the benefit of the TV viewers (a new character always warrants an introduction) but on the other, it speaks volumes of his person.

That said, that doesn’t mean Jang Bin is dull and no fun. He has a playful side, which he is not afraid to exhibit when the opportunity arises. We catch a hint of that in Episode 1 where he teases Daeman’s odd manner of sleeping by tapping his fan lightly on his exposed stomach. Unfortunately, Choong Suk chooses to interrupt that rare moment by asking Jang Bin where he is going. Choong Suk!! How I wish I can skin you alive! Aigoo!

Nevertheless, to be fair to Choong Suk, I think Jang Bin's playfulness will be more muted in this scene, only because he's Daeman's senior.

Another opportunity to showcase his “mischievousness” arrives in Episode 4 - his interaction with Eun Soo. It is not necessary for Jang Bin to inform her in layman terms of the ingredient she tastes. Yet, the faint trace of a smile that appeared on his face suggests he wants to do it, if only to see her reaction. One doesn’t just make fun of any random person in good faith. He must achieve a certain level of familiarity and ease with another before he can do so. Jang Bin must have felt comfortable enough with her to be able to tease her so naturally and effortlessly. And the way he breaks into an amused smile at her disgust is very endearing. I must admit this was the scene which had me shipping these two initially.

If memory serves me right, this scene in Episode 1 is the only time when the normally reserved Jang Bin displays a slight cockiness in his attitude. The look on his face as he walks away from Choong Suk hints at the immense confidence he has in his ability to protect himself and that the Woodalchi might even require his assistance instead.



Even then, it’s strange that he is walking around the inn in such a carefree manner despite the danger they’re facing. I suspect he is trying to help the Woodalchi by staying awake and checking out the inn for any suspicious presence. After all, there aren’t many Woodalchi members present to protect the entire entourage and they cannot be absolutely certain of the ability and number of enemies they are dealing with.

Part 3. to be continued...