I just want to say this right off the bat: watching The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call felt like watching the first season of House. Dr. Han felt like Dr. Wilson. Dr. Baek was like Dr. House – verbally abusive but super smart and creative. He has a capable team but mocks them for his own pleasure. I’ll go more into it later but just had to say that. I hope somebody can relate!
Since I’ve somehow made a habit of comparing Kdramas to food, I’m keeping the streak alive. This drama was like an eight-course tasting menu. Every dish could stand on its own, but each course built on the last. That’s how each episode worked. Each case lasted only an episode, but they stacked into a layered and satisfying story.
Here’s my Trauma Code: Heroes on Call Review
For those who haven’t watched it
Should you watch this?
If you like medical shows, you should definitely watch this drama.
If you want something fast, you should watch this show. It has a simple plot and is only 8 episodes!
If you want romance, skip this show.
What is Trauma Code: Heroes on Call about?
For Those Who Have Watched It
The Good
Fast-paced, succinct, and entertaining storytelling
There’s no filler. No unnecessary side plots. The drama focuses on the medical cases. Each episode is dedicated to one medical case, which is awesome. It matches the theme of trauma patients that get rushed to the ER. Things go fast. You have to act quickly. Plus they do some wild doctor stuff that I am 100% sure would never happen in real life, which makes the storytelling entertaining.
Good amount of technical medical terminology
I’m glad that they include a good amount of medical terminology for each case. They dive into technical details, which shows how much work went into the writing for the drama.
My favorite example is when Dr. Baek operates on Dr. Han’s daughter – he uses a surgical glove to cover the hole temporarily during surgery and then removes it later. According to my short research, this has been done before in real life!
Ju Ji-Hoon’s character as the hero
I love it when we have characters who go against the norm.
Dr. Baek feels like a character playing God. He’s got the skills to do every type of surgery and can save everybody, but he does it in ways that would be nuts and illegal in real life. Creating a hole in a skull using a hammer and nail while on a moving helicopter? Awesome but 100% sure not allowed in real life.
He shows us what it’s like to break all the rules while never compromising his own moral code about saving patients.
Ju Ji-Hoon as Baek Kang-Hyuk
Ju Ji-Hoon brought this sinister gangster energy to the role. The way he dressed all black and just didn’t care about hospital politics…he put on a great show.
His acting reminded me of Hugh Laurie’s Dr. House – the same type of character who’s blunt and cocky but shines brightest when things get tough. He doesn’t care about what people think of him and gains the respect of his peers when they see his work and abilities.
The Bad
Considering the drama being only 8 episodes with each episode under an hour, I honestly didn’t find anything significantly bad. The focus was on the medical cases and getting funding for the trauma center, and the show executed that effectively.
What I thought could’ve been better
I wish this could’ve been longer. That’s it. I do wonder why this show was only 8 episodes when there was clearly more story to tell.
I just hope they have a season 2!
Life themes in The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
A strong enough why can bear any how
When you’re working in a tough field like medicine, you’ll face brutal days with no sleep and constant stress. You have to have a strong enough reason to want to do this kind of work or else you’ll give up or burn out. As Dr. Baek said, “To walk this tough and gritty path for no reason at all…is simply too hard.”
Don’t try to make the right choice. Try to make the choice right.
In trauma surgery, you probably won’t have all the information or time to make the best choice. The same thing can be said for big decisions in life. You make the best decision you can with what you have, then commit fully to making it work.
Severe trauma can happen to anyone.
You never know what life will throw at you. The randomness of the cases in this show really drives home how unpredictable life is.
Music
The music was alright. Aside from some of the instrumentals they played during the surgery scenes, nothing else stood out to me.
Trauma Code: Heroes on Call Quotes
Episode 2
“The best kind of hard work is the kind everyone acknowledges.” – Dr. Baek to Dr. Yang (Anus)
Episode 6
“There is no reason not to try” – Nurse Cheon (Gangster) to Dr. Yang
“You should find your own reason. Something that will keep you in a place even when you’re worked like a dog and treated like shit. To walk this tough and gritty path for no reason at all…is simply too hard.” – Dr. Baek to Dr. Yang (Anus)
Episode 7
“I can tolerate being treated like a sinner. But what I cannot tolerate is that patients are the ones who end up bearing the cost of all this.” – Dr. Baek to reporters
Rewatchability
It’s short, fast-paced, and each episode can stand on its own. I can select an episode at random and enjoy it without being super confused on backstory. There are plenty of intense moments worth revisiting.
What did I watch before this?
Overall Rating
Super fun to watch. My only complaint is wanting more episodes! This drama proves you don’t need 16 episodes to tell a compelling story.
I hope you enjoyed my Trauma Code: Heroes on Call Review.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Did you resonate with anything here?
