Doctor Slump (2024)

Oh what a wonderful drama !!!

It's always amazing to dive into the world of kdramas and get involved in exciting plots and captivating characters. Actors Park Hyung Sik and Parque Shin Hye bring new stories and experiences, capable of transporting us to fascinating universes and making us reflect on the complexity of life. The kdrama, with all its intensity and emotion, invites us to feel empathy, explore different perspectives and connect with the depths of the human soul. What a privilege it is to be able to appreciate this title more. It humanizes doctors, removing them from the bubble portrayed in many dramas, where it seems like they don't face difficulties alongside them. It brings the fresh youth of two hard-working and intelligent students who were former rivals in high school. Nam Ha-neul and Yeo Jeong-woo meet again in adulthood, after pursuing careers as doctors, one achieving success and the other facing frustrations in their careers in medicine. A story full of ups and downs on the path of life. He revealed his options for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, with realistic goals, far from the unattainable glamor of fantastic medical celebrities. The cast's performance was so smooth and so intense that, in the emotional scenes, tears flow unconditionally.

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Dumped the slump

The best I can do for my mental health right now is to drop this kdrama. This comes from someone diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder since 17 years of age.

I shouldn't have picked it up. I don't enjoy this writer's dramas. I will stop trying, not matter how much I like the cast. It's not worth it.
The writer hasn't learnt anything since secretary Kim when she suggested wine to fight insomnia and/or didn't do her research.

I do understand Asian culture has intricacies that I might not totally appreciate or understand but they seem detrimental no matter what part of worldly society we're talking about.
Depression is, for sure, a real illness just like breaking a leg but its treatment isn't as straightforward. Depression is not something you work on like dieting to get a "summer body" (which is also problematic). It doesn't have a schedule and it's not a race to the top. It's more like a hurdles race in the middle of the forest with no signs or GPS, at night and alone and without a prize at the end.

Generically calling it depression when she seems to have a burn out from overwork and lack of rest and PTSD from the accident doesn't seem quite right but I'm not a doctor. Her psychiatrist also doesn't seem like one. I never saw a psychiatrist as smiley as that one. It was scary.

South Korea has a problem with work hours, making their workforce work the regular 40 hours plus 12 hours of overtime which amounts to 52 weekly work hours. And their government keeps wanting to increase them.
Dramas are, ultimately, a comment on society. If you're not accurately commenting or trying to breakdown society's problems, you're probably amounting to them.

If a drama doesn't intend to do social commentary, it should at least be entertaining. I wasn't entertained. Everyone turns out annoying. There's only so much bickering and immaturity one can handle.
There wasn't even romance. There's a limit to how many "I like you but I'm not ready, I'll only be ready for love once I'm not broken" one can handle. Most human beings are indeed "broken" and even "broken" people deserve love.
There was no romance, no chemistry, no humour. I won't be watching any more dramas by this writer. They're obviously not my thing.

p.s. don't drink alcohol to fight insomnia, alcohol is a stimulant and it will do you more harm than good, especially in the long-term. also, don't drink alcohol while taking medication, especially ones for a mental illness.

p.s.s. if you're struggling with depression, ask for help if you can. Also look around you to find out the root cause. It could be your brain chemistry fight against you or it could have another cause. Many times, it can also be a symptom of the capitalist society in which we're forced to participate. Taking meds when your brain is not ok is absolutely acceptable and fundamental but don't forget to get therapy as well.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Doctor Slump '' is a slice of life melodrama with some medical drama hints.

The drama has a healing story, with the romance being well paced and starting from academic rivals, to friends, to lovers, which shifted the story from the love story to the difficulties the characters had to face and overcome. Hence, the slow pace helped the mood of the drama a lot.

Unfortunately, the second half of the drama felt more like a filler. There were only a few things left to be resolved and a few new things to be added to the story. At this point, the side couple was the one who kept things interesting and offered a lot of adorable moments.

Finally, the performances were all enjoyable by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Feel good romcom with more fun elements than trauma - watch it

Executive Summary
Lots of fun. Watch it!

There are some pretty bad reviews out there and obviously this is not everyone’s cup of tea. But I don’t get how this could be rated so low even if you prefer something different.

There is trauma that is needed to set up the whole story, but unlike in some Asian dramas it is, IMHO, just a setup, and the bulk of the story is the growing relationship and romance between the leads.

The main couple was so much fun, and despite their past traumas were actually pretty darn positive in their interactions and lives. Even when they were not getting along (in the beginning) it was more funny than mean-spirited.

I also like the secondary characters who all did a great job. The second couple was just as adorable as the main couple. Loved them, too!

I was tempted to give it a 10 since there was basically nothing that I did not like about this series, but I’ll try to hold back 10s for series that truly blow me away :-).

The Good
@ Very cute lead couple that played the parts well and had great chemistry and expressions, IMHO
@ Great secondary characters that also nailed their roles
@ More than the usual 10 minutes of happiness that all comes at the end. We have lots of nice happy wrap-up in the last couple of episodes
@ The male lead was fun, not just an unsocial, sullen guy, unlike lots of Asian dramas. Yay!
@ Interesting story setup
@ Very positive message and encouragement to wrap things up. Some might think it is a tad over the top, but hey, we need more positivity in our lives!

The Sub-Optimal
@ Really not much
@ Yeah, in some ways the bad stuff that was important setup was a bit over the top, but it didn’t really detract from the show

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Doctor slump: Overcoming a Slump Together

The finale is finally here and the Kdrama has given us the ending that is most suitable for the Jeong-Ha couple that remains playful and therapeutic right until the end. The show has given us some beautiful and motivating scenes along with a couple that brought us this vibe in the best way possible.

Finally, we have all found our perfect landing after this rollercoaster and all we know now is the happiness experienced through this show.


Last episode

This episode showed some more sides of the couple along with an unexpected romance for Tae-seon, but it also brought in the growth that every character is still going through, reminding us that there is no end to one’s growth. With this, the neverending story of the Jeong-Ha couple and those around them continues while telling us that this is not the end but a new beginning.

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Almost

The series had moments of brilliance, largely due to its stellar cast that effortlessly captured the essence of playful banter, heartfelt connections, and the charm of found family dynamics. Initially, I found myself fully immersed, intrigued by the characters and invested in the well-balanced blend of suspense and drama.

However, as the story progressed, the lighthearted tone occasionally veered into awkward and exaggerated territory, reminiscent of scenes that missed the mark from other similar shows. Despite my attempts to overlook these moments, they gradually became more distracting, leaving me somewhat unsettled.

While I appreciate the attempt to tackle mental health issues within the narrative, I was disappointed by the conventional resolution presented. The reliance on medication as the primary solution felt cliché and overly simplistic. Mental health is a complex issue requiring a multifaceted approach encompassing therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and robust support networks, aspects that were touched upon but not fully explored. Furthermore, the swift resolution of the characters' traumas seemed unrealistic given their experiences.

By predominantly portraying medication as the answer, the series missed an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of mental health care and treatment. It's crucial for media representations to reflect the diverse and personalised approaches often necessary for genuine healing. While I applaud the effort to shed light on mental health, I would prefer a more nuanced and realistic portrayals in future storytelling.

Despite my initial high hopes for the series, the flaws became increasingly apparent, and I reluctantly accepted that it wouldn't reach the pinnacle I had envisioned. Ultimately, I had to surrender the notion of it being a standout for me.

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Fairly formulaic and good but why oh why the separating for your own good trope

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy medical drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Nam Ha neul (Park Shin hye) is an intern on the path to being a professor and practitioner at a major medical university. The problem is her supervisory professor steals her work which keeps her from advancing. When she complains about her professor’s unethical behavior he becomes physically and emotionally abusive. After a period of putting up with him, she finally reaches a breaking point and has a screaming argument and resigns. Not seeing what went on behind closed doors, everyone blames her for the incident sending her career into a downward spiral. The abuse and her dying career prospects put her into a state of depression and anxiety. At the same time, Yeo Jeong-woo (Park Hyung-sik) was a successful, near celebrity, plastic surgeon until a tragic medical accident causes his career and his life to fall apart. Needing to live more modestly, he moves into a roof top apartment not knowing his high school academic rival, Ha neul, lives with her family in the building which they own. Once frenemies can these two doctors, who have hit a slump, recover their careers? Can both overcome their mental issues that developed from their highly stressful careers? Will rivalry turn to friendship then something more??

Review

It was a feel good romantic comedy. In some of the reviews I read others felt there was no chemistry with the leads. I thought they had chemistry, it wasn’t over the top burning chemistry but, given the show is a friends turned lovers premise that level of chemistry makes sense.  The plot was well developed, the characters were interesting, and the premise had some unique twists to it.  It ended well and happy with all major plot points wrapped up.  I might watch it again if it was on and I would recommend it to others that are fans of the actors or that like this genre.

 

Spoilers

The pace for me was a bit off. I have to admit I am a bit Goldilocks in my determination of when the couple should get together.  If the main couple gets together too early the rest of the series can feel somewhat pointless.  On the other hand, if they get together too late it feels rushed.  So there is a happy medium and many are able to find that balance.  In this one it felt like they got together a little early and the only thing that saved it was there was enough story about the medical accident that it kept the plot moving.  They may have gotten them together to build another plot point where she breaks up with him because the guy he sees as a great friend almost brother is the same person that mentally tortured her.  It completely devastated her when she found out he did all that to her, kept her from becoming a professor, only so he could build his resume to do something else.  I get that would be devastating. I had research stolen from me and it basically made someone else’s career so I know, all too well, how that feels.  But, her being so devastated that she breaks it off with him made no sense and was unnecessary. I know it would have been hard at that point to tell him the person he thought so much of was not the person thought he was.  I get she might have been afraid if she told him he would be conflicted and she did not want to add to his burden.  But breaking it off?  She just broke his heart at a time when it was hard for his heart to take it. I was disappointed they developed that point as I do not view that as something someone would do to someone they really loved.

 

The South Korean view on depression is interesting. The way it was portrayed in this show you would think she had some horrible, terminal disease. Her brain was “broken” she said in so many words. Depression is horrible.  Anxiety is even more so. But it is not a fatal disease. With the right counseling, most people can recover from depression well. At times it is looking at what is going on with the person’s life and balancing nutrition. Some of the recent findings on medication indicate that may not be the end all.  But there are things that can be done. I think her slump was completely driven by very real events as was her depression. But I did like they showed her recovery.  It was just an interesting way to look at depression. His Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was well portrayed and completely valid for what he went through. The way she helped him was actually perfect. They both would be dealing with forms of PTSD for the rest of their lives.  Depression, anxiety and PTSD are all things that don’t go away but you can learn to manage them.  Part of the battle is how you view yourself and how you view those conditions and I thought the show talked about that very well at the end.  It ended on a message of hope for those suffering from those conditions.  I liked that.

 

The second couple was so cute!  I loved their story.  The way they started noticing each other just by helping out with single parenthood is such a solid foundation.  It also showed something I strongly believe, that kids benefit the most from having each gender influence.  The little boy needed and craved a father figure and the young girl needed that female influence. I loved how it showed us pictures of the four and how they had formed a family. The personalities of the two characters were such a perfect fit for each other.  He was such a nice guy.  And I liked that the female character specifically mentioned that about him. The fact that he and main guy patched up their broken friendship was a super bonus. I think love and friendship are such wonderful and unique human conditions that it is heartwarming to me to see those friendships and relationships restored.  And main guy needed that friend.

 

They seemed to like the “we need to separate” trope because first they did the unnecessary separation early in the series and then they were threatening another one later when she was going to take the overseas assignment. I guess they wanted us to be happy that her assignment was cancelled and they were able to stay together.  I would have preferred that she chose not to go.  Careers are important but I do not think anything like that is more important than the person you love. Life is too short and precious to waste a second doing something that is not essential.  Doing that tour was something nice to do and may have helped her career minimally but you can never get those six months back.  If something happened to the person you love or even at the end are you really going to look back and think man I am so glad I spent that six months away.  Nope.  Very few people would think that way.  I want to see the best romance and to me the best is where those in love realize how precious that is. They protect it and they do not do unnecessary things like separating just to build their career.  Especially when the relationship is new. That initial period when they are first in love and you are presenting the very best of yourself to the other person is fleeting. That period of newness and romance does not last, for many people, beyond the first year. 

 

I loved main girl’s family. They were just eccentric enough to keep it interesting. I loved the way they embraced him and treated him like a son. He needed a real families’ support and they provided it.  

So often they either show someone wronged either being completely vengeful or totally forgiving. In this one they struck a balance. And that was the advice mom gave him. You don’t owe anyone forgiveness and you don’t have to forgive now. If not forgiving helps to heal you, then be angry about it. If forgiving is what you need to heal then do that. Maybe you forgive some things someone did but not others, that is something that can be done as well. The show did a good way of depicting that forgiving or not forgiving is up to the individual and there is no right way or right mix of forgiveness and anger or resentment.

 

I was worried when it was approaching the ending, that it would be one of those endings where they were together but hadn’t actually did a solid commitment. In their case that would not have been a satisfying ending because she had a tendency to be on a solid path and then just break up or change course. So I was happy when it said they had the wedding shoot and the epilogue showed wedding shoot photos.  I wanted to know with them that their relationship was solid after all they went through.  That made it a happy ending for me. If they ended it with them just going out that would not have been very satisfying. 

#DrSlump
#ParkShinHye
I’m #ParkHyungSik

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A Reflective Dive into Mental Health with Humor and Heart

Doctor Slump is a drama that truly stands out for its thoughtful exploration of mental health and the various ways people cope with depression. It delves into the complexities of what happens when life takes unexpected turns, presenting these themes with sensitivity and depth. The inclusion of comedic moments throughout the series is masterfully done, offering a balance that lightens the heavier subject matter without diminishing its importance. Park Hyunsik delivers an outstanding performance, bringing his character to life with depth and realism that adds significantly to the drama's impact.

The pacing of Doctor Slump is on the slower side, which may not cater to everyone's tastes. However, this deliberate pacing allows for a more in-depth examination of the characters and their journeys, making the narrative more impactful for those who appreciate a show that takes its time to develop. Personally, I found this approach to be one of the drama's strengths, as it gave me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the story and connect with the characters on a deeper level. This drama is a beautifully crafted drama that resonates long after the final episode, especially for viewers who are looking for a meaningful and insightful look at mental health, buoyed by strong performances and well-placed humor.

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Highly anticipated drama starring Park Hyun-Sik and Park Shin Hye, rightly so ♡o｡.(✿ฺ｡ ✿ฺ)

PLOT: The FL anesthetist resigns following burnout. ML, a popular cosmetic surgeon, faces trial for a medical accident in his clinic. He loses everything and comes to live above the FL. They meet again when they were sworn enemies and rivals in high school. They will support each other to overcome scandal, depression and PTSD together.

PROS:
+ A magical duo of actors. OK, I'm a fan of the 2 leads, but they are talented, beautiful, subtle,...
+ Realistic, intelligent story, with a good description of depression: wanting nothing, staying in bed, loss of self-esteem, unstable mood, need for a therapist, medication, ... and no miraculous healing process.
+ Secondary characters (played by talented actors) are human, endearing, well developed. I really like the slow development of CL2's romance, too.
+ The production is dynamic, efficient, and also knows. maintain the right balance of seriousness / emotion / humor. Some commentators consider Jeong Woo's character in love childish, it's true, but this aspect also aims to lighten the drama's atmosphere.
+ Excellent OSTs (some performed by Hyun-Sik, I think, I'll check).

CONS:
- This series should not be labeled "medical" because the medical aspect is not the priority of this drama. Apart from the adorable romance, it deals more with psychological disorders and mental health than with medical cases.

=> A very comforting little gem ♡o｡(๑๏‿ฺ๏๑)｡o♡.
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Drama très attendu avec Park Hyun-Sik et Park Shin Hye, à juste titre ♡o｡.(✿ฺ｡ ✿ฺ)

PLOT : La FL anesthésiste, démissionne suite à un burn-out. Le ML, chirurgien esthétique en vogue, fait face à un procès pour un accident médical dans sa clinique. Il perd tout et vient habiter au-dessus d e la FL. Ils se retrouvent alors qu'ils étaient ennemis jurés et rivaux au lycée. Ils vont s'épauler pour surmonter ensemble scandale, dépression et PTSD.

PROS:
+ Un duo d'acteurs magique. OK, je suis fan des 2 leads, mais ils sont talentueux, beaux, subtiles,...
+ Story réaliste, intelligente,avec une bonne description de la dépression : envie de rien, de rester au lit, perte d'estime de soi, humeur instable, nécessité d'un thérapeute, médicaments, ... et pas de processus de guérison miraculeux.
+ Des personnage secondaires (interprétés par des acteurs tous talentueux) sont humains, attachants, bien développés. J'aime beaucoup le lent développement de la romance du CL2, également.
+ La réalisation est dynamique, efficace, et sait également. maintenir le juste équilibre sérieux / émotion / humour. Certains commentateurs estiment le personnage amoureux de Jeong Woo, puéril, c'est vrai, mais cet aspect vise aussi à alléger l'atmosphère du drama.
+ D'excellentes OST (dont certaines interprétées par Par Hyun-Sik, je pense, je vérifierai).

CONS:
- Cette série ne doit pas être étiquetée "medical" car l'aspect médical n'est pas la priorité de ce drama. Hormis la romance, adorable, il traite plus des troubles psychiques et de la santé mentale, que de cas médicaux.

=> Un petit bijou ♡o｡(๑๏‿ฺ๏๑)｡o♡ très réconfortant.

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Being a hard to please person- but this is solid 10

So I will start with the fact that I normally hate writing long reviews and usually do if the drama was extremely annoying or extremely good to waste my time writing reviews :D This was one of those rare gems that will resonate the best with you if you go through hardships or feel depressed. Definitely understand what some commentators mentioned that this is slow, nothing much happens and there is a lot of filler- I'm afraid I have to disagree. This was the perfect length and after all, it was not meant to be an action or a thriller. It is about healing and relationship all mixed with a bit of comedy. Gives you the perfect recipe to feel better even if you don't manage to see the sunrise and all your morning by the ocean are cloudy. I was glad to see a normal, warm family with flows and yet great family. I was sick and tired of the ambitious cold mums and family overall from the previous kdramas I have seen. This is a drama that you can watch over again, just to feel good and to make you optimistic. Loved the ending, loved the closure of the characters, loved the healing, and the messages that were scattered in every episode. Great work, great TV show.

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