So yeah. I was excited. Not to mention the other cast members.
Doctors has some of the best flashback story I have ever scene. The first 3 episodes are setting up Hye Jung's past and her connections to the other cast. It was so exciting! Fresh! I had no idea how they'd jump back to the future and make that story better then those first 3 episodes. Because that story was engaging and I would have been happy with the story progressing from there. Yes, I had issues with Hye Jung and Ji Hong having a teacher/student romance. However, I could not deny the chemistry these two characters had together.
The jump happened, it's a 13 year gap between the present story and the past. The writer created an interesting cast and the new characters as well as the ones from Hye Jung's past were all unique and fun. It seemed like Doctors was doing it! The jump to present day was exciting! There was WOMANCE between Hye Jung and her long time friend Soon Hee. Soon Hee was so great and I was excited for a female lead to have a great FEMALE FRIEND. A rarely embraced thing in dramaland. Ji Hong and Hye Jung's picked up their romance! It felt beautiful and the rain dancing scene will be an iconic thing for me, but I feel like it will be for dramaland period.
There were so many possibilities with this show! Fabulous side characters and . . . it only lasted until about episode 8, where this show peaked for me. Then after that it slowly declined as stupid drama tropes swept in to kill this drama. Such as hospital takeover politics, and Hye Jung obsessing about getting an apology for her grandmother's wrongful death. Which leads to a very dragged out boring plot in which we all know the villain will have to have surgery from the people he has wronged.
Sure the drama tried to hold on up to episode 14, but then it's like the writer gave up. The side characters were completely forsaken. The WOMANCE was only seen in brief glimpses and Soon Hee was given the ax. Other characters that were brought in and developed where either totally forgotten or given a few scenes towards the end. Basically the networks and writers don't realize that what makes the shows are their characters. The tropes that they feel the need to shove in and kill the dramas are the things that fans hate! There never had to be a hospital politics to make this drama interesting!! Hye Jung's story of becoming a Doctor and overcoming realistic every day odds would have been better. Focusing on the stellar cast, their chemistry together, and their lives would have been interesting. I know the writer wanted to go there as most of the episodes started and ended with a monologue from a character. Which was clearly inspired by Grey's Anatomy format.
Truth is I felt like all the effort and amazing aspects of this show were put into the first 8 episodes. Then someone said, hey we have our audience let's phone it in. I think the writer kept trying from episodes 9 to 14, but the show just got away. Plot lines were started and then never explored. The writer clearly knew how to start the show, but didn't quite have enough skills to take it to the end. Opting out to do hospital politics and lame revenge stories that only hindered Doctors in the long run.
It even hindered the romance! Hye Jung and Ji Hong actually grew stale and I felt like they're relationship never grew. Back hugs and cute little scenes of smiling does not a romantic development make. By the end of the drama I didn't care about them getting together. The issues they discussed where never explored and Hye Jung changed, but Ji Hong just stayed the same. Hye Jung striking him out when he did things they discussed they wouldn't do was a joke. When I thought the story was taking them somewhere it was all taken back.
As to date this is my favorite role for Hye Jung. She really put the effort in to learn how to fight and those scenes were flawless. Sadly her character cried a lot, she had reason. But I've just seen so much of Park Shin Hye's roles as water work fests that I have a very low tolerence to how much I can stand seeing her cry. There's other ways to show sadness.
The side characters and cast did an amazing job! Though I feel like all the interesting characters were wasted! Not to mention Yoon Do. It wasn't so bad with him, but I feel like they could have taken him to even better places. I do enjoy that Seo Woo was redeemed and decided to live better. Actress Lee Sung Kyung did a great job and I hope to see her in roles outside of her mean girl ones. There were a lot of great characters and their actors did well with what little time they were given.
It baffled me that Kang Soo, played by Kim Min Suk, was given so much plot time. But they chose to do a very long and boring plot device that they then used on another character. Why?
Moon Ji In was one of my favorite actress discoveries and I loved her character! She was such a force on screen and as I mentioned had a WOMANCE with Hye Jung. It's another crime that she was abandoned in favor of the dull plot lines. Not to mention the way we're supposed to believe Soon Hee will have someone. It was cold.
The music went like the whole drama. They did some 90s stuff to flavor the flashback and then to connect Ji Hong and Hye Jung together. It was amazing!!! Then of course that too was abandoned, as I assume it was to much effort and not important with the boring plot line. (Yeah, I'm bitter guys.) The OST is really fun and the songs were pretty great! They matched the drama well, but towards the end I thought some of the song/music placements were odd.
Rewatch? Hmmmmm, I'd probably rewatch the first 8 episodes and then make up the story from there. The next few episodes weren't bad and I could live with them up to 10. However, the majority of the drama is boring and the unique and amazing parts saved the first half of it. In my bitterness I don't think I'd rewatch. Simply because while watching the good episodes I'd feel rage about how this series became yet another great idea that was a waste in the end.
If someone was looking to watch this I'd say watch the first 8, or the very least watch the first 3 episodes to see how amazing Park Shin Hye did for the role. Then I would caution that the drama declines and doesn't pan out. Also, I'd probably keep an eye out for writer Ha Myung Hee's work. Besides Doctors she's done High Society, which is another drama that started out strong but went boring. For me this has always been a curse of K-dramas. They have unique ideas but no follow through and become very boring. This year has been a revolution in dramas with Signal and quite a few others. Sadly there are still step backs like Doctors.
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I really hoped I could of seen more of those scenes because the fact that she could've fight was the reason why I started in the first place and I don't know about anything else but I was hoping for more in the last episode .My last fact is that it's really an interesting drama to watch and the cast are so cute .
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I'm just hoping this has a good ending tbh.
thank you :) >.<
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it a good kdrama to watch
I didn't expect to be this good I thought it is a normal kdrama until I started the first episode I finished the series in one day only 😅 but it worth it there is no dull moment or episode and I think it has a lot of information for medical lovers like me so I think it deserves 10/10 I forgot the most important thing 😅 The main characters have the chemistry I didn't expect that too actually I don't know how can I find another kdrama like this one after I watched the series I felt that the doctors are heroes ofc I know that before but now I respect them more.Was this review helpful to you?
Hye Jung has a high IQ, street smarts, confidence, and she knows how to fight. Hello, dream Kdrama heroine. I love how it was impossible to rattle her. She’s just aces at avoiding uncomfortable situations. I love how she handles these annoying people in her life. She’s not overly moralistic. She’s practical.
Even though they make a big deal about Hye Jung not having a life, she is really passionate and happy about being a doctor. Even though she doesn’t like being close to people she grows to trust and reach out to others without any fanfare or big life learning curves, which I appreciated.
I read reviews that complain about hospital politics. It’s true. They’re useless, but they’re easy to skip over. And I was still riveted by the story telling right through to the end.
Romance
Communication is so sexy. You’re not going to find a couple like this that is so efficient and effective in their ability to get the message across to each other.
“I like that you’re not afraid to admit what you don’t know.”
They make efforts towards each other to be nice and take care of each other. There’s no awkwardness or tension between them. They’re both polite and mature but there’s still chemistry – could it get anymore perfect? Even when they might have romantic things happen between them they’re still so comfortable with each other. That’s not something you see in Kdramas.
And here’s another thing. They are already so equal but if Hye Jung sees the tiniest ahjussi symptoms in Ji Hong she calls him out. I was impressed at her philosophical musings about their potential romance.
“He must feel like a parent who favours their weakest child.”
The pair together is dynamic. I like how the show lets us see them becoming closer in a platonic way. And how they respect each other as individuals and human beings. I like how level their footing is. Ji Hong is impacted by her just as strongly, if not more strongly. Hye Jung is very mature in her handling of their acquaintanceship. Ji Hong can’t help but respect that. Hye Jung is a girl who knows how to cut ties. I was really impressed by her ability to be so selfless even at her young age.
You can see that Ji Hong admires Hye Jung and wants to share things with her. I like that Hye Jung didn’t just crush on him first, but they fell in love simultaneously at the same time.
It was funny how Ji Hong invited Hye Jung to assume the masculine roles of the relationship.
“You like these things. Protecting and looking after people.”
The show just kicks stereotypes in the teeth. I love that despite Hye Jung being tough and everyone viewing her that way, even Ji Hong assumes she wouldn’t enjoy romance.
“There was nothing romantic about it.”
“I thought you hated those things.”
“Why would I hate it?”
“That’s right. Why would I think you hated it?”
“I don’t.”
I love the feeling that I understand why Ji Hong is so enamored with Hye Jung. I can also share his affection her when you see her in action and you’re just like, “She’s fantastic.”
The drama also touches on the dynamic of working together with your significant other. Their relationship is one that I didn’t get tired of. I liked seeing them grow together.
Ji Hong
Ji Hong is easy going and happy but he’s not a push over. He’s not dark and mysterious but he is a cool dude. He’s not an arrogant ahjussi, he’s caring and his gentle side is so sweet and vulnerable. Sometimes he does silly things but it’s fun because he’s older and he’s a very steady character. He is so magnanimous and tender-hearted. I loved the way he loved Hye Jung. So supportive, vulnerable and yet strong.
I love the characters in this show. So well rounded.
Do Yoon
Do Yoon has such funny facial expressions. I loved him in Pinocchio. He gets more screen time here and he’s awesome. His relationship with Ji Hong is gold.
Ji Hong of Do Yoon - “He’s cute. That dork.”
Do Yoon to Hye Jung, “How’s the revenge going?”
Love this guy.
This show is funny! I didn’t expect to laugh so much.
Side note: That quick joke about the scalpel and the watermelon was SO HILARIOUS.
Side note 2: Isn’t hella awkward to have a relationship with someone who STILL calls you “Teacher” in casual conversations?
Side note 3: I like that Hye Jung’s friendship with Soon Hee helps Soon Hee be strong.
Secondary Female Lead
Sung Kyung’s character is pretty annoying but she had some great lines at the end.
“How have you been living your life? Have you only seen those kind of people? What about nice people? Do you think weird people like that make up the entire population? Is that how you decide to treat people?”
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I DID not enjoy reply 1997...tried up to 10 ep and mostly ffw it. I kept thinking when is it going to get sooo GOOD like all the raving reviews....? It never did it for me. I also never trash the series either expect that I tried it and it didn't hook me.
I was hesitate to what this series and was Whatever about it. I'm not a fan of any of the actors. I seen 2? Of PSH series.
This is by far her best character and to me 1 of the best series out there.
It was heartwarming w/the grandmother. I cried and cried. The cases w/the patients were interesting and heartwarming base on the case. My fav is the father and his 2 boys. I cried sooo hard and I felt for them.
I base my review on my pure enjoyment and how it made me feel. I enjoyed this series and it gave me a feel good feeling. It tugged at my heart. Like all series we have to have q suspension of belief.
storyline is decent
characters are awesome
-mature characters expect for the 2nd FL character and 2 others
-no/ barely crazy understanding
-no/barely annoying parents involvements
-funny
What I love is the honesty. Beside the girl antagonist. No one was pushing themself on others.
The 2nd ML is freaking adorabkable & -funny
ML friends were too...
No guys were "fighting " over a girl and 2nd ML didn't just like the other girl in the last min. I really appreciate that.
It was cute how he declare to the ML that he is Interested in her and will battle him for it. The ML with his best smile/amusement wish him luck and challenged him lol. They mutually respected one another. Lol when the 2ML got kicked out of his own apt. And seek refuge at the ML place. Good bromance.
Was there a few slow part...sure...I always feel all drama always dragged things out.
Overall a great series i'll rewatch again.
Clear your mind and just try. It either click or it doesn't. If a drama gives you the feels then that's all that matters.
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