At first, I wasn’t even interested in medical dramas, and plus I never even watched one. I was then met by tweets and posts about how good the second one is, and how could I watch the second one first then the first one? So I decided to try and watch the first season.
The first episodes was immediately tense, but I don’t feel really bothered by it surprisingly. As I move on to a further episode, I felt this feeling I rarely felt when I watch dramas. I couldn’t go to sleep without knowing what happens next because I was so addicted and drawn to the drama. I fell in love with Kang Dong Ju and was so interested with Yoon Seo Jung’s character. I was drawn to the friendships and I felt nothing can replace this drama. Kim Sabu, Oh Myung Sim, Park Eun Tak, Manager Jang, Doctor Nam, President Yeo, Do In Beom, Woo Yeon Hwa, you have my heart!
This drama is really different from the rest! There weren’t those cliche love triangles, there weren’t that much of a kissing scene but it still warms your heart after watching them. You will immediately ship Doctor Kang and Doctor Yoon even without seeing them doing lovey dovey scenes in the drama. That’s how powerful the cast’s acting is . The music was incredible and it really fits to all the scenes. The acting was incredible as well and the story is excellently written.
This drama makes you cry, feel inspired, feel annoyed and also laugh. I hope the producers and the writers bring back the S1 casts and reunite them all together in the S3. This drama is GOLD. 1000000000/10 ⭐️
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If you’re looking for a hearfelt series with medical drama this one might suit your taste. Don’t expect too much chemistry. For the most part it is enjoyable and really makes you think about what’s important and what we’re willing to do to obtain our goal we have for ourselves. I think that if you go into the series with the aspect of witnessing growth and medical things you’ll like it but I must warn anyone who is starting the series thinking that this is about a romantic doctor to stop here because this is not it. Not a romance series. There’s some liking going on but not that much. Just saying.
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What Romantic really means
This story is rather well paced. They didn't take too long to establish the characters and their relationship with each other. For the younger doctors, they provide the hook for more common understanding of romance to audience. As we watch the show further though, we get to understand who Dr. Romantic really is, the meaning Kim Sabu provides to "Romantic" through the patients and incidents in the show, and how his own idealised view of reality influenced others, in particular the two aforementioned younger doctors, Dr. Kang and Dr. Yoon. In fact, everyone in Doldam Hospital holds their idealised view of how the medic field shall be. While I am not in the medic field and do not watch a lot of medical drama (the other ones I've watched which I think are good are Hospital Playlist and The Hippocratic Crush), I think this show balance the jargons well enough to not lose my attention.Overall, I feel that this show has different flavors served on a platter to different kind of audience. Whether you are looking for a medical drama where the plots move along, a romance, a coming-to-age story with completed past, a persistence to live out one's values - this show provides it all.
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Disappointing….
To clarify some things I first watched s2 which I really enjoyed and that is why I went back for s1. I expected even with the different cast I would at least get the same quality of a show and I was interested in finding out the ways s1 was connected to s2. Maybe that made my expectations too high for what it was which is why I was left somewhat disappointed. This review tbh is mostly my rant (as a s2 fan) about things I didn’t like so bear with me…Now if I were to list my problems with the show the biggest one would be the characters.
The protagonist dong Joo was especially the most grating to me. I don’t mind flawed characters buuuut that does not mean it was enjoyable watching him being swayed by the bad guys, being convinced by others to do right thing and own up to his mistakes and basically just be a good person for half the show… and the entitlement he had… you did the same thing as what got your father killed yet it took you so long to even admit it?? And when you found out about master Kim you became angry and demanded answers as if you didn’t do the same and even worse than him??? I’m afraid he was annoying to me most of the time.
I also didn’t know how to feel about Seo jung…. Sometimes I found her attitude unlikable, other times she was ok and one of the more likeable characters in the cast. I never truly warmed up to her though.
Do in bum was ok. I didn’t mind his cold and harsh personality, nor the wrong things he did. I knew he would learn and be better by the end … The problem I have with him is I do not feel we saw that development happen on screen enough , not really, he just kind of changed by the end... Still I liked him the most out of the s1 cast.
Even the characters that remained in s2 were worse in s1, especially master Kim. One of the things I was most looking forward to this season was his relationship with the younger doctors but I didn’t feel like that was developed properly. The only time he ever felt like a mentor was with seo jung. His harsh attitude and bad personality was too much to watch at times. I understand when dealing with characters like dong joo why… but it was still annoying. It was a shame cause I do like him as a character. At least his relationship with the chairman was nice…
The other side characters (with few exceptions) were just kind of there…. and didn’t do anything for me, for example nurse park which I liked in the second season.
Writing was also worse than I expected… didn’t feel on par with the second season. The medical drama scenes sometimes felt either too much or I did not care about like the hostage situation and the drunken driver realising what he did. The character drama I also did not like how they went about for example the daughter of the ml’s dead patient suddenly showing up in the hospital, the ml finding out about the doctor of his father being Kim etc.
And lastly the romance. I’ve seen some other people loving this couple and praising their chemistry. If I’m being honest I do not see it… Yes they did have good kissing scenes, I did like those. But other than that I don’t think there’s anything there. The times we show them actually connecting and getting closer were too thin and far between…they just liked each other from day 1 and that was it. Not liking the ml did not help either like I don’t get why Seo Jung even liked him??
Overall it was fine…I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much nor be that invested if I hadn’t seen s2 beforehand and knew how much better it got
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It story about doctors .
I liked the starting but i expected more with the drama . let me start with starting episode when he realised that it had done wrong . He should not to do so much chaos in the hospital and he decided to take revenge with the skill so he walked towards the exit door of the hospital and the exit door became entry door become of the hospital because the one who got out of the door was child but when he got into the entry door was a man . So I thought that he had become a famous doctor but he came out to be intern he got irritate with the small small things and on the other hand some doctors just make fun of him . But slowly slowly he started learning things and he got inspired by the female lead's character and had fallen in love with her and he proposed her with a kiss and she also had lost for while and move with the flow and soon she had realized that she had done wrong because she had a boyfriend and she told this to her boyfriend that someone proposed her and for a while she had lost and at that time they were in the car when she told him that and they met a car accident which made them seriously injured and she was unconscious but he was not . He took her to the hospital as he also a doctor so he guided other doctor what to do and the other doctor who was the male lead took her to the emergency room but she came into sense ask the male lead to look first her boyfriend because he got hurt more and when the male lead did so he found that her boyfriend had an affair and went to the female lead with anger and her boyfriend had seen him and realized that he knew everything and tried to stop but he fainted and died . when female lead came to know about this . she thought all this happened because of her if she not moved by his confession and if she didn't tell her boyfriend about this so everything would be normal and if this thought she left the hospital and went so far from everybody and story took five years leap and thr first episode get over.I wanted to see male lead to be a powerful person . But he came out as intern who bullied by other but positive way . This disappointed me but I thought after five years leap something like this would happen but nothing happened. At last few episodes he achieved what he wanted. further also she rejected his confession because of the accident she not able to forgive her but slowly slowly she overcome with this and accepted his confession. But till end she didn't knew that her ex boyfriend deceit her.
This full drama had been shown the hardship faced by the doctor . The helplessness ,the disappointment,the misery , the difficulties all such thing the doctors faced had shown.
Too good acting.
I liked the stroy but some parts disappointed me.
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This is actually the second time I watch this drama, first was when it was airing. I always wanted to get into medical school all my childhood and teenager life but for different reasons I couldn't and I wasn't in my best state of mind when I watched this drama for the first time, so seeing how passionate and smart each character was gave me a strong breakdown, made me wonder why I didn't get into medical school, why I didn't try harder, and ended up blaming myself for it.
What I mean with this is that Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim is powerful enough to even make you want the life that the characters have, or at least the passion and commitment to their job, the understanding of the meaning of being a doctor: saving lives. This is the most important thought of this drama, that each character had one goal only and it was to help as many people as possible, no matter how much they could hurt themselves by doing it, as long as the patients were fine. To me, that's such a beautiful way of living.
I like how this drama doesn't revolve around money, even though it's a strong plot point and one of the main characters is the son of an important hospital's director. He does have some privilege, but the drama is not centered around anything like that. Each character development is something beyond my mind. I found myself multiple times thinking about how good development we get with each of the mains, especially Kang Dong Joo. He owned my heart since the very beginning and I loved the man he came to be by the end. He's truly the definition of character development in each and every way possible. Also, the hottest doctor ever. Yes, I said it.
I wouldn't like to make this any longer by getting into small details, so I'll just end this review by encouraging anyone who hasn't watched this drama to stop hesitating and just click on that play button. You will really not regret it.
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Must Watch Excellent Medical Drama tackling serious Moral Dilemmas
This drama was a complete blast, it was so entertaining from start to finish that I basically binged all 20 episodes in a matter of days, and am still in shock at how good it was. This Drama revolves around 3 main characters and their lives as Doctors at Doldam Hospital. Master Kim (excellently portrayed by Han Seok Kyu) is a super surgeon hiding out at a very run down rural hospital. Dr. Kang Dong Joo (Yoo Yeon Seok) is still traumatized by how his father died at a hospital and decided to become a doctor. Dr. Yoon Seo Jung (Seo Hyun Jin) is a promising doctor who had an accident and disappeared off the radar.PLOT
This series does not shy from discussing serious medical and moral issues. Triage and the prioritization of who gets treated first and why (money, time, urgency). There's an episode featuring MERS and how selfish people will try to break quarantine and infect others (all to relevant as Coronavirus rages out of control). The risks of new / novel surgeries. How experience matters and the hours it takes to get enough experience to be board certified. Long surgeries. Mistakes ending careers. Office Politics. This has it all. The best part is how PACKED this drama is. Something is always happening and there's basically zero filler. This drama won't leave you waiting or let you get bored as the stories play out at what seems like breakneck speed. Approved!
CHARACTERS
The characters are who we fall in love with. Teacher Kim is honest, realistic and blunt in his approach to life and teaching the "junior" doctors. No surprise he's a fan favorite, Han Seok Kyu is a great actor and the viewer really ends up rooting for this underdog. The "Romantic" in the title refers more to idealism which is something to admire. All the supporting cast is great, Nurse Oh and Nurse Park both also become fan favorites. Manager Jang and Dr. Song shoulder a lot of the comedy and do it well. Approved!
ROMANCE
As for "Love", we aren't disappointed. Yoo Yeon Seok as Dr. Kang and Seo Hyun Jin as Dr. Yoon give us some of the steamiest kisses ever seen on any K-Drama. The first one occurs on Episode 1 and by the end of that I had to fan my face to cool down. That man is a fine kisser. There is another series of kisses in the Christmas necklace episode which put the F in Foreplay. Wow. Their romance actually plays out more like a slow burn, so it seems natural. Approved!
FOOD
There soup, there's dumplings, there's lots of noodles. All the scenes at the restaurant made me hungry. We must also concede that Papa John's Pizza must have sponsored the show considering how many times we saw them eat Pizza.
SOUNDTRACK
There are English songs used, some from the 80s, and used to very great effect. The first time I noticed the tape was when Master Kim muses "Madonna sounds better on Cassette" as "Material Girl" plays. It fit perfectly with that scene. The songs on the tape are an eclectic mix, there's also Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle". I guessed early who the Tape was from, and when it was finally revealed the emotional payoff was still there. The ending theme is Billy Joel's "The Stranger" which has lyrics that somehow fit the show. The music in this series is great.
FLAW
The only drawback I can think of that prevents me from giving this excellent series a 10 is some of the doctor's reactions. In real life, there's no way they could or should get away with some of those things because of lawsuits so some parts were borderline unbelievable. I understand the screenwriter wanted more D for Drama but it would be great if it was more realistic. I'm probably nitpicking for flaws.
CONCLUSION
I should have watched this much sooner, and I can't wait for the second season.
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One of the better Korean medical dramas
When I watched the first episode, I thought "Oh, this is another Gray's Anatomy, with a romantic relationship between intern and superior". Then, with the second episode, it got really interesting.I absolutely love this show ... from the storyline to the soundtrack to the superb acting. I had never seen any of the actors before, with the exception of the actress who played the Head Nurse, but found all their performances exceptional.
I enjoyed the soundtrack, including songs by Billy Joel, Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Jim Croce.
This is one of the better Korean medical dramas, and I anxiously await the release of Season 3.
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Great Drama - But did not need 20+ eps
I only watched this drama so I can watch season 2 but I found myself falling in love with the characters. I loved how real the medical aspects of this drama were. They were very detailed and kept me interested, even made me wish to be a doctor haha. I got attached to all the characters and love the messages of this drama. But I feel like this drama could’ve easily been 16 eps. Some parts were dragged on and others were unnecessary or repetitive. The majority of this drama was watching them operate/help patients which is expected from a medical drama of course and a lot of those scenes were still interesting, but i feel like there was so many of them they almost acted as fillers and added nothing to the overall storyline? making the drama 16 eps wouldve been perfect because i couldnt enjoy the drama fully and had to do a lot of skipping. If i wasn’t watching it for season 2 i probably wouldn’t have finished it. nevertheless i still really enjoyed this show and loved master kim’s acting.Was this review helpful to you?
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I loved the way every episode name is also described through sketch. It was unique.
Every character in this drama is special. Specially Kim sabu. He is the coolest person in this drama. The way he handles every situation is really amazing.
The main leads are so cute. Loved their interactions. Yoo Yeon Seok, oh my my... He just took my heart. That's all I can say.
The way they treat the patient is really exciting. I am not from medical sector. But each the medical cases they handle make me interested in them.
This was the first medical drama that I finished and has become one of my favorite drama.
I watched this drama recently and fell in love to the extend that I immediately started the second season right after I finished the first one.
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