The overall story line was about the struggles of North Korea,which was amazing but it was too stretched out.Also the love story get very boring after awhile unless you enjoy romance a lot.
I rewatched this drama with my older sister and she also had a similar opinion but she said it was very boring at some points especially with the love story.
Acting was fantastic and the music matched the tension in the drama the majority of the time.I understand that they tried to use a commonly popular pop song to express how the information and freedom of creativity is limited but I found their choice of sound very random ,that's just a personal opinion though.
Personally If i had to rate this separately as medical drama i would give a 8-9 as for the love story i'd give a 4-5 to be honest i'm very bias.The only reason personally why i loved this drama was because the medical portion of it but if it wasn't a medical drama and just a love story, then i would have given a lower score.
If i do decide to rewatch it by myself I can honestly say i would just skip to the surgery scenes directly.
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That "death" was almost predestined by Doctor Stranger's plot. At first, the show was thrilling; it's focus on Park Hoon and the things a doctor has to do gripped me. Yet, a show that has one weak character from the beginning will often find that weak character to be the cause of its entire downfall. That's what happened here. A weak character was then joined by mediocre characters, and the whole show had to rely on one really strong character (Park Hoon) to bolster the story. That weak character, though, thread through Park Hoon's performance, made a wrong stitch, and unraveled it altogether. (Don't even get me started on the ending.)
Acting-wise, it was either a beating heart or a flat line. Lee Jong Suk, Kang Sora, and Park Hae Jin gave a lot to their roles. In Jong Suk's case, his acting showed more depth than his previous roles and made me feel for Park Hoon in a real way. Unfortunately, the flat-lined actress Jin Se Yeon, brought as much character as character development for her character, that is to say, none. She tripped and stumbled over every scene that required any emotion other than a blank face that clearly said, "I don't know what the hell I'm doing."
Music-wise, I have no complaints.
Instead of asking, "Will you re-watch this?," I would say the question should be, "Do I have to re-watch this?"
Overall, I can't waste any more words than the characters did over dying patients on this drama.
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Now, lets dissect. Shall we?
1) General:
In my opinion, this is one of the best dramas to date.
It is Unique.
It is Structured.
It is Fresh.
Doctor Stranger was able to infuse different genres and intricately flow them together as to not seem forced or rushed.
2) The Plot:
The originality. That is what it is. The plot was so perfectly structured that I used it as a premise for my English final (English teacher loved it-to say the least). With the time allotted for this drama, Doctor Stranger's plot was understandable, intriguing, and sufficient. Now, if we nitpick every little detail, and fuss over every thing it is inevitable to find faults; however, generally the plot was tres bein.
3) The characters/actors:
Park Hoon: Possibly one of the strongest characters I have seen. Lee Jong Suk was able to portray the troubled, dedicated, loyal, loving, light and strong character that Park Hoon is. His character was not a One-side kind of character, but one that embodies a well rounded person. He is not too lax, too romantic, too silly, or too cold. He is a young man who is happy and funny, but at the same time he is scarred and at times cold.
Park Hae Jin: A great character, with a great messed up, sad back story. The way he treats Park hoon and Soo Hyun probably makes people dislike him, but towards the end we see how that contributes to his personality.
Oh Soo Hyun: ....Ok...In all honesty I don't see what the huge hype about her is-in terms of character at least. kang So Ra was perfectly able to play her characters role- the quirky,and hardworking chick that Oh Soo Hyun is. Yet, I don't find Oh Soo Hyun to be that "phenomenal" character people are making her seem to be. Maybe its because shes cute and all, and she acted all school-girl crushy when it came to Hoon. Nevertheless, I recognize her importance in the show and her distinct personality.
Song Jae Hee: *DRUMROLL* SURPRISE! She was my favorite character (besides Hoon and Hae Jin). She is a greatly structured character. She is not the average main girl character in a normal k-drama. She's not loved automatically (by the audience), and she does not possess the average cute/sassy/spunky/cold attitude that a lot of female main leads do. She's complex.COMPLEX.
She also represents an actual, real girl who exists in our real world with that kind of personality and mentality [Yay. Finally some people in the real world can relate!]. Shes strong, assertive, smart, cunning, loving, and brave. Holy Crap. People (the viewers) underestimate her, or write her off simply because she rubbed them off the wrong way in the beginning, or she pissed them off at some point. Don't get me wrong, she pissed me off at times as well, but at the end. *All the Awards to Jae Hee. Seriously Bro.**
Quick Note: I BEG TO DIFFER JIN SE YEON WAS GREAT IN THIS. You might not have liked her acting simply because you don't think she acted the way you think Jae Hee should have. Yet, in terms of JAE HEE and her personality and who she is, I feel like JSY nailed it.
***If you want more details on my feelings on this, message me***
IM SORRY. I have rambled.
3) The Music:
It was great. Five Star. Gold Star. The music suited the situations it was used for. Pretty catchy too.
4) The Romance:
GOSHDAMNIT.
Park Hoon x Jae Hee: A love that has withstood and persevered through every obstacle to reach the happiness they seriously and honestly both deserved.
Soo Hyun x Hae JIn: A love based on forgiveness and understanding or the other.
*If you want clarifications for this as well, I love and welcome anyone's message*
Wrap Up: I basically loved it and found it a source of not just drama perfection but a practical masterpiece [if it had ever been a book].
MUAH <3 To whoever read till the end. Come visit me sometime, you're worth it.
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For me Doctor Stranger was a drama which began strong but, then suddenly got messed as episodes went by. I don't blame the director. I don't blame the actors. I blame the writer.
There is only one way to explain why I'm thinking the way I do today.
My episode guide on how I felt through each episode:
EP1: Excited! I was even reminded a little bit of City Hunter. 10/10
EP2: This is fast-past! So much happening all at once. Loving this so far!! 10/10
EP3: So much fun! Every character...especially Park Hoon is so enjoyable to watch! 10/10
EP4: This keeps engrossing me the entire time...every second. 10/10
EP5: "I don't get it! What does she/insert character name here want?" 9.5/10
EP6: I still don't understand. 0_0 9/10
EP7: This episode was very mellow....no climax. 8.5/10
Pause for a second reader. Do you notice something? Ok well let's continue on.
EP8: "What are you doing Park Hoon!?" "What are you doing!" 8.5/10
EP9: First half of episode: Intense. Second half of episode: Boring. These characters are confusing me but I don't want to drop it because of the first four episodes. 7/10
EP10: "Is this even the same show anymore?" "I'm really disappointed..." 5/10
This was the part were I put the show on-hold and waited.
Yep. It took a long time and a lot of convincing to make me come back but I did.
By this point I was two weeks behind in watching Doctor Stranger. So I skip-watched and I am not afraid to say it.
EP11: Ok. It was ok but that's it. 6/10
EP12: "Yea!!! Jae Joon!" I had found one character that I actually respected and liked. 7/10
EP13: The show is trying to get back on it's feet. Good. 7/10
EP14: Thank god for the medical excitement...or I would never have been able to make it through this episode. 6/10
EP15: This love triangle is annoying. I want more action. 6/10
I'm going to skip some of the episodes because really they aren't worth explaining.
EP19: 5/10
EP20: Honestly by episode 20 it didn't matter what the ending would be. I wasn't going to like it. Why you may ask? It's because I knew the story was already ruined and the only way the writer could fix the mess he made was having a ending which wouldn't make sense. I know it's a he because I looked up who wrote this rubbish. Just for everyone to know. His name is: PARK JIN-WOO. Remember the name because he is the one to blame. 1/10.
Just a heads up. You may want a coffee break or something because this is a long review. You may also want to watch other dramas or maybe get some lunch. ^^
So here is the big question of the day. Do you want to watch it? Do you? I mean your probably thinking LJS was so great in "I Hear your Voice" so this should definitely be worth it or Kang So Ra was the best in "Ugly Alert" and she probably will be awesome here too. DO NOT LOOK AT THE CAST. IT'S A GREAT CAST BUT THE WRITER CAN NOT BE TRUSTED. This drama will ruin how you feel about the cast.
The lower your expectations are the more you will enjoy it and that's a fact.
That might be a good reason why the reviews are so different.
Ok enough about that. On to what everyone wants to know. How is the music?! Doesn't everyone like a good OST? Well your in luck! Here is one of my favorite OST's from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QusjP1V7qo
This was basically all I listened to for about two weeks. "Saraghae. Saranghae.....I'm just a stranger without you, my love....Ohhhhhhmmmmm."
Ok. Finally.
Should you watch it?
If you want to. I'm not going to say don't watch it because that's pointless. I mean you really want my opinion? No. Don't.
To those who may disagree with me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QA3m58DQw
Sorry!
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- This drama had a great potential(for a first 4-6 episodes) but because of a bad writing it went downhill!
- Lee Jong Suk really improved in his acting, Kang So Ra was really good and Park Hae Jin was great! Their acting was that kept me from dropping it! I wanted to see their improvement!
- Oh, gosh u guys know how much I hate that annoying JSY and once again she didn't convince me to change my mind about her! She really SUCKS! >_<
- One more thing that I liked in this drama were those amazing Kang So Ra and Lee Jong Suk moments which have kept me from dropping it lol. I really liked their chemistry, it felt so real and it gave me those feels! :D
This drama SUCKED big times! As I said, I liked where the storyline in a first 4 episodes was taking, but then everything went messy and so damn confusing. I was pissed and mad at everyone >_< l was like: "What the heck are they doing?" O.o U didn't even know who to like and who to hate! The writing was really, really bad and I don't think I'll watch anything from this writer again!
Music: Woah, it was really good! My fav one was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QusjP1V7qo
I like Bobby Kim's voice! :D I even listen it for 2 weeks and I still am! :D
So actually as you see only three things in this drama are worth watching it, but for your own good I really don't recommend you!
Don't watch it! Oh, you mean "It has a Lee Jong Suk in it so I'll give it a try", but don't seriously! Even if it's for him!
I don't think I'll rewatch this drama even if I don't have anything to watch LOL!^^
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama was off with a very good start, too good for a start that you'd start expecting the story to get better and better, but unfortunately went downhill as the show progressed.Some things that happened in the show were not convincing AT ALL!
Because he studied medicine in North Korea, he developed the power to magically diagnose a patient just by touching the heart (sometimes, just touching the chest would do)
I was so confused as to who was on whose side and even after finishing the show, there are still blanks and unanswered questions. A long part of the drama revolved around a competition that lead to no where, I know they wanted to show how some hospitals are just so corrupted but that was still too much.
BUT!
for some reason I did not get bored from watching this, although there we no heart-fluttering scenes (I'm a sucker for butterflies) and I was not convinced most of the time, still, it made me cry and kept me wanting to watch more.
I don't wanna give out any spoilers but really, most of the time the show did not make any sense, and some impossible things would happen and you keep waiting for an explanation, so here's a heads up: you will not get any! Overall, I'm in a love-hate relationship with this drama, and I am confused myself for giving it such a high score...
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A mix of so many things it became confusing - I could describe this drama like this. Corruption, spies, medicine, personal relationships, revenge, love and what not thrown in a big pot, which, here was a hospital and then stirred up with pain, lost, heartbreak and ambition. Did the soup from all this came out good? It was ok. Would I watch it again? Probably not. Would I recommend to watch it at least once? Yes.
The plot was so full of everything with so many ups and downs, that it became bad - too many cooks spoil the broth and too many 'problems' spoil the plot. It was, to my mind, saved by the cast of Lee JongSuk, Park HaeJin and Kang SoRa, they were like that universal flavor spice you use when you mess up something and want it to still be eatable. Lee JongSuk was the aspect that 'fed' the drama to me and I must say I really loved his acting here and I really hope he will get as many dramas where he is not a school boy from now on.
Back to drama itself. The bipolarity of some characters might be of putting, the focus on raw emotions built up by years of struggle might not be what people seek for, but the incredibly funny moments or small, cute romances can back it up pretty well, as well as the true medical suspense can. I must say I really enjoyed the suspense of operations and all what was connected with medicine in the drama rather than the political and romantic issues, and maybe it would have been better if not the focus of those but more the medical side. I am a not-so-very loyal fan of such iconic TV series as "Grey's Anatomy" and "E.R" so I approve of the medical aspect shown in the drama, even the supper doctor that was Park Hoon.
Yes, the drama had some faults, but it also had plenty of good things from acting to OST, which, especially the instrumental one, is simply superb.
Don't be afraid to be disappointed at times, don't be afraid to maybe get annoyed or hate a character for a moment or two and gives this drama a go. I assure, you won't regret it in the end.
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Overall I would give it an 8 despite popular hatred towards this drama because even though I didn't like it towards the end, I absolutely loved the first ten episodes and if the writers hadn't messed up afterwards, this one would've probably been the best drama of 2014.
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The plotline of the show was strong, it had the potential to be great, if executed properly. The thing that didn't work for me at all was the writing of the show. It was clearly evident from the trajectory of the episodes that the writers were making things up as they go. That is not a great trait for any drama, it basically ruins everything. If this had been an older drama that I was watching now, I would have definitely dropped it by the 10th or 11th episode (They were the weakest episodes from the whole list of weak episodes) for sure. But since I felt a sense of loyalty towards the show and the actors, I watched it regardless of that, just to see how the writers would screw up next week.
There were some really great medical elements though, I loved every hospital scene. What irked me was that a mystery and suspense that had started out so brilliant was warped and made into an annoying recurring subplot that ruined the rest of the drama. The writers tried to revive the show towards the later episodes but sadly they couldn't get it back up on the level it was before, far from it.
All in all the execution of a possibly good plot was delivered disappointingly on the writers' part.
The acting in the show was, moderately good. Lee Jong Suk did a phenomenal performance as Park Hoon. He was bright, he was sharp, he had skills, he WAS Park Hoon. The next person who totally stole every scene he was in was Park Hae Jin. That actor deserves more than he's getting! He did an absolutely amazing job as Han Jae Joon, the broody brilliant doctor with a shady past and a purpose of revenge. Watching these two guys was a prize I got in return for sticking with the show. The female leads were okay, I wouldn't say they were that good. The rest of the cast was pretty experienced and did well in their respective roles. I don't have much complains in the acting department.
The OST of this drama was superb. I loved every track, I've got every one of them on my phone and I listen to them quite often. The background score is pretty great as well, intense and hits the right nerve. If I had to choose one thing that worked out well for this drama, I'd say it was the Music.
This drama is not something I'd like to go through again, it made me rethink about watching shows that are airing currently. But I guess I shouldn't generalize. The overall score of 7 was mainly because the show had a really strong and impressive beginning, nevermind the steep slide it went through after the half-run.
In all honesty I cannot recommend this drama to anyone anymore. I did when the show had just begun and had started galloping awesomely but now I'm embarrassed to even suggest the show. A show that began so wonderfully made me ask myself what the hell is happening and why am I watching this anyway is not something I'd recommend. It had it's moments, it's got one hell of a medical drama aspect but the script of the show becomes downright meh after the 10th episode and you just have to go along with whatever twist or boomerang they throw at you. Watch at your own risk.
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Second Lead Syndrome
Story:The first episode is very promising. Some of my favorite scenes were between Park Hoon and his father when they were in North Korea. But, things will quickly go downhill after the first few episodes. What annoyed me the most is how the writers didn't even bother to give the female lead a backstory. We just know that she's from North Korea and that she had a father. Because of that, she was overshadowed by the second female lead, who had a better story and character development. Another thing is I didn't buy at all that Hoon really loved the FL; it came off as an obsession to me. Lastly, the hospital politics as well as the competition were dragging. I struggled to watch the latter part of the drama because of it.
Cast and Characters:
I don't have much to say about Lee Jong-suk, Kang So-ra, and Park Hae Jin. They are all good, reliable actors. They all did their part well. And I loved the chemistry between LJS and KSR. They gave me second-lead syndrome. Jin Se-yeon, on the other hand, is an awful actress. All throughout the drama, she only had one expression. She needed an acting workshop. Her and LJS had no chemistry at all.
Music:
The OSTs are great.
Overall:
This is only worth a watch if you like amazing second female leads and if you are a fan of medical dramas.
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I am sure that I am being very merciful and hope that next time Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin choose a drama with a good writer!
This drama had an awesome start, everything was brilliant, but this awesomeness didn´t last long. The story is basically good, but the writers messed up after the first few eps and ruined it all. There were so many things that they wanted to resolve but they ended up with nothing because everything went in a circle, everything kept repeating and repeating that soon the originally unpredictable and thrilling plot became predictable and boring. I won´t even start talking about the ending, not wanting to spoil. Because of the good start and the good basic this gets a 5.0 or else it would have been a 1.5.
The cast is awesome, if there wouldn´t be this one actress, that immediately didn´t know what to do when she had to put on a facial expression other than a blank face. This is my first drama with Jin Se Yeon but I already have her on my blacklist and hope that she´s in none of the dramas that I want to watch. The chemistry between the main couple was not convincing and I really felt bad for Lee Jong Suk (who did a great job btw) since he had to work with her. Although Lee Jong Suk showed great acting (the always repeating actions of his character Park Hoon are the writers fault), the bad writing made it disappear. Of course I liked to fangirl over him (what pretty much was the only reason I watched it for after this got worse and worse) but I don´t think I would have finished this if I wouldn´t have been impressed by the acting (excluding Jin Se Yeon´s) and the med theme. Because of Jin Se Yeon I give the acting a 8.0 because she HAD to be the female lead and because she really is one of the worst actresses I´ve ever seen.
The music was brilliant, I loved every OST and have all of them on my phone right now and really enjoy listening to them so this is a clear 10 for me!!
I don´t think I´ll ever rewatch this because there are so many other good dramas with Lee Jong Suk and probably with a med theme (this is my 2nd med drama, and I hated the med theme in Emergency Couple, which was my first).
I wouldn´t recommend this to anyone, as long as you want to watch something you won´t be thinking you wasted time on after watching it, also not for die-hard Lee Jong Suk fans. I am really sad that this drama which had so much potential turned into this and hope that this will be the last disappointment of 2014 dramas for a while... :/
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This review may contain spoilers
As I finished the last episode, I rolled my eyes. Are they kidding me? The main plot is about politics and a law suit. OK. I can buy into that premise. I have seen worse story lines. The beginning seemed so promising. I was drawn into the story and characters. Somewhere in the middle the writer lost me. I have seen a number of unbelievable dramas that still kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Doctor Stranger became obviously predictable and unbelievable. <<<SPOILERISH How many people can get shot (some multiple times) and not die? SPOILERISH>>> There is also very little character development. I HATED THE ENDING.Jin Se Yeon has got to be one of the worst actresses ever. I could have cared less about what happened to her character, Song Jae Hee. She was a detriment to the entire drama.
Lee Jong Suk did a good job as Park Hoon. He was the only one with character development. I'm not sure if that is due to the writing or if he is just that good of an actor. Park Hae Jin as Han Jae Joon and Kang So Ra as Oh Soo Hyun also did a good job with what little they were given to work with. The other actors were fine.
The music was ok.
I won't ever rewatch this.
I don't recommend this unless you just watch it for the actors and not the story.
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