Hospital Playlist Season 2 (2021)

And just like that, you stole my heart away.

This is the first ongoing Kdrama in 7 years that I watched in real time. I think words will fall short if I try writing a review for this drama, regardless of it's seasons. I didn't watch the season1 ongoing bcs I never do that for any drama as I'm very impatient aand anxious to wait and think about what's the next. But sure, I was intrigued by the response it was getting during the s1 and even so I took 3 months to start it.

Anyways, I decided to watch the season 2 ongoing without a 2nd thought before a month and the reasons are obvious. Morever, slice of life Kdramas without solid plots can be watched ongoing easily. I am very glad for my decison and grateful for each and every moment.

Again, this ain't a review because this dramaa is excellent in all the aspects and don't need evaluations to be judged. The writer Lee Woo Jung jakka-nim and director Shin Won Ho PDnim are my most favourites, both individually and as a PD-Jakka pair, I can blindly trust on whatever they do.

Script, story progression, twists, character development, revelations, realizations, and all other realistic elements of life are very well placed and utilized in the drama and directon work is like adding feather to a cap.

I will be pointing out the highlights of this season and I think I might spill spoilers for those who have not watched it but let me mention them anyways because you know it's a slice of life story plus apparently the concluding season. So here I go:

# The season 2 started exactly where it had ended in the season 1.

# The story continues to be aas simple as the 1st season with no solid plot development rather showing the day to day life of YULJE.

# The most important thing of Hospital Playlist is the ordinary days of the extraordinary group of 5 friends who continued to inspire, motivate and teach us various different things even in this season.

# The definite character development of Suk Hyung, becoming open and clear from being shy and introverted person.

# Ik Jun is still that lame person who loves throwing PJs despite the seriousness of the situation and I think I can relate haha.

# After few months, SongHwa returns to Yulje but also gets busier with the management of VIP ward meant for "Daddy Long Legs Funds", surgeries, lectures and helping her fellows with their thesis.

#Jun Wan is still that serious yet silly guy who gets annoyed at anything. He had to go through misery but he managed to pull off his life better.

# Jung Won, still a kid by heart, continues to learn every other day from experience and despite his indecisiveness, can stay calm.

# Jun Wan and Song Hwa are still those maad foodie pairs who eat more than half of the food and even fight w/ each other for it.

# Ik Jun and Jun Wan still get into fight out of nowhere at their 40s over silly things, pulling hairs and punching each other.

#Jung Won continues to intrigue the kids for his love for them and somehow makes them to fall for him.

# The surgery scenes are not detailed for a fact but the OT scenes with variety of shades given the situations and severity were wonderful.

# Uri best boy Uju has visibly grown up by looks and by brain. He is in fact more quick-witted now and interacts like an adult with others.

# The kumo-chukha bonding between Uju Iksun and Uju is another adorable thing to witness.

# Just like previous season, Hospital and Playlist also focuses on the life of interns, residents, staff nurses and other staffs of the institutions.

# Uri twin interns Hong Do and Yun Bok continue to win our hearts by their cuteness. Yun Bok is loved by everone.

# Hong Do is still troubled by Jun Wan who asks him critical questions every other day and bothers him even after he changes dept.

# The Winter Garden Couple tries their very best to keep their relationship a secret from the hospital except for their dearest ones.

# Just like last time, we get to see different shades of gynecology dept, few of birth givings, life of their nurses, interns and residents.

# The Band continues to come up with very good songs and acing those with their skills. Song Hwa had a contract to sing once in 2 years. I always looked forward to discover a new track evey week.

# The bonding between 2 mothers whose babies were both on VAD waiting for a heart donation was very well shown. They were the marathoners who at some point were able to reach the goal.

# Min Ah was finally able to change Suk Hyung's heart through her determination and that was the best thing about this season.

# The life of caregiver nurses of the pediatrics was beautifully portrayed and that indeed was heart-touching.

# Undoubtedly, this season also showed us the bittersweet relationship between doctors and their patients. The way the doctors and handle the patients plus their curiosity and anxiety is very realistic along with the patient's way of respecting the doctors.

# Winter Garden Couple: The foregoing romance between Jungwon and Gyeo-ul that matures with time and they learn how to open up to each other. It felt good seeeing how their bonding was becoming closer.

# Kom-Kom Couple: The development and progress in the relationship status between Min Ah and Suk Hyung that journeys from Professor-Resident to couples and this is the best thing about the this season and in fact it took the entire season to happen.

# Ik-Song: Our most favourite, IkSong who are best known for their slow-burn romance finally ended up together which was sudden bit definitely happened at the most appropriate pace. Both of them needed their time and that's completely understandable.

# Bidulgi (Dove): Jun Wan and Ik Sun had the most difficult time. The couple went through a very rough patch and had to put an end to the LDR but after years crossed paths and realized their undying feelings for for each other.

# Silver Dragon: Suk Min and Sun Bin, uri lovey-dovey residents were away for a while and had some problems in the relationship but thankfully sorted them out and continued to make us feel cute

# The friendship between Rosa and Jong Su continued to bloom even in this season and in fact they became closer buddies who hung out and had meals almost everyday.

#The bromance between Jun Wan and Do Jae Hak, Cardio- thoracic chief resident, is another best thing. The way Jae Hak adored and respected Jun Wan even when Jun Wan was his professor and also the reason behind it was so very mesmerizing.

( Idk what else but I know for a reason that I got many more things left to talk about so I shall edit this review whenever I recall something important to add)

THE OSTs.
A majority of 90% tracks, like the last season, are the covers of old songs from 1970-2000 or after that and in fact 80% were also sung by Mido and Falasol, our fav band in their band practice.

My most favourite track of this season was is "SUPERSTAR" sung by Mido & Falasol. This is very inspiring and such a mood booster I swear. I both cry and then jump outta joy listening to it.

"Rain & You" sung by Lee Mu Jin, "In front of the post office in Autumn" sung by uri Suk Hyung (Kim Dae Myung), "Is it Still Beautiful" by Seventeen, "To You" by uri Ahn Jung Won (Yoo Yeon Suk) were some slow heart touching tracks.

Similarly, "Reminisce" by uri Kim Jun Wan (Jung Kyung Ho) and "Let's Forget it" by the band sad and heartbreaking tracks. "I Like You" by Jo Yong Pil and "I Like You" by Jo Jung Suk are both jolly ones. "Already One Year" is also a favourite.

I am glad they released 5 drama version band songs for this season

I really didn't knew whether to be happy about the 2h40m finale or be sad about the end of this season but to my unfortunate, they announced the end of the entire series that made me upset. I have always trusted ShinLee pair, their work and their decisions but this came as a shocking news and I don't think I am gonna accept it any soon.

All I can do is cry my heart out. I am grateful to the entire team, the cast, the crew aand each and every single person involved with Hospital Playlist for this amazing seasons and the fabulous season that brought out all kinda emotions out of me; made me smile, laugh crazy , cry mad, be heartbroken, etc etc.

I think it's unfair that we don't get to have another season when it's them who said it themselves but I am thankful for the almost 2hours episodes that we were gifted with in this season. Hospital Playlist is definitely my most favourite after REPLY 1988 and Imma flex about it for the rest of my life.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE FOR HOSPITAL PLAYLIST

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Sweet But A Little Too Slow

The first season of Hospital Playlist was so impeccable that it really set my expectations high for the second season. Hospital Playlist 2 was great but not up to par for a few reasons.

One is that the episodes this season felt very slow. I know romance is not the main focus of this drama but I also know that it's one of the reasons why the second season was highly anticipated. Everyone, including me, was eager to see how the stories of the couples will unfold. This part of the drama just seemed to drag on for too long. The romantic relationships of the other couples don't really blossom until the last few episodes. Moreover, some of the couples (*coughs* Chu Min Ha and Yang Seok Hyung) were given way too little screentime. Instead, we get an overabundance of Jang Gyeo Wool and Ahn Jung Won. I found some of their romantic moments cringeworthy even though I shipped them so much in the first season. Maybe it's just me but I felt like they lost their spark once they got together.

Another bummer for me is that the side characters that I enjoyed watching a lot in the first season got pushed aside - the twins, Yong Seok Min and Heo Sun Bin, and even Woo Ju. Yes, they're supporting characters but it felt like their roles became even more minor. Even Min Ha as a doctor and not as Seok Hyung's love interest could have gotten more screentime.

Lastly, the final episode was anticlimactic and unnecessarily long. Perhaps it’s to make up for the episodes that they missed in the earlier weeks but it was just not quite compelling despite that 2-hour running time. Also, a lot of the things that could have happened in the earlier episodes were packed into the finale as if to clearly imply that it’s over and that there will be no third season. And again, characters that I wanted to see didn’t appear that much. On the bright side, I loved hearing all the OST’s play in the drama one last time.

All that is to say, it shouldn't have taken that long for the other couples to get together. In exchange for the slow pacing, I at least wish the other couples and supporting characters appeared more in each episode.

Nevertheless, Hospital Playlist still remains to be a top-tier drama, and even though the second season was not as enjoyable for me, each episode never failed to make me smile, laugh, cry, and sing out loud.

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i love hospital playlist but this aint it

The acting and the cast is great but I'm confident to say that there is zero character development. It starts just as it ends which makes it feel very lackluster and pointless. A lot of things that were build up during season 1 either gets backpedaled or put on hold until the very last episode. Even storylines set up in the beginning of season 2 gets backpedaled or not used to its full potential. and I'm saying this as someone who truly loves hospital playlist season one and what the writer has done previously.

I dont mind product placement but it was very often that there was multiple scenes written purely for the sake of showing off the product. This coupled with the fact that there wasnt much to the story just makes me sad.

Plenty off loose ends and questions remain unanswered, but not in a way that id like a season 3 id rather want the cast and the writer to work on other things. I still love the writer and the cast and i cant wait to see what they do next, i wonder if its netflix/leadership who is to blame for the (plenty of) shortcomings.

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“Less Than Impressive Season 2”

Because I was utterly impressed with the screenplay of Lee Woo Jung, directing of Shin Won Ho, as well as the strong chemistry and camaraderie of the main cast in Season 1, I had high expectations for them to maintain the momentum, if not surpass it. But I was let down. Most of the scenes and lines that comprise Season 2 were repetitions and redundancies from the previous season such as the cute exchange of winks between father (Ik Jun) and son (Woo Ju), Ik Jun and Jun Wan wrestling like kids over some snacks, and Ik Jun hilariously reciting a subway recorded message to the annoyance of Seok Hyung, just to name a few. It’s like hearing the same old jokes which were funny the first time but had lost its comedic aspect when heard again for the second time. Another disappointment was the minimal exposure given to the endearing Woo Ju who captured many hearts in the first season. Why did the director and writer make us fall for the charming antics of this adorable wonder boy and then limit his scenes afterwards? And then there’s the dismal finale or episode 12. No impact, least efforts, anticlimactic. It was as if the writer had ran out of creative ideas, the director was no longer driven and the rest of the crew, fatigued. I don’t think the loose ends were purposely made to justify a Season 3. There was evidently no concerted effort in ending the popular series with a BANG.

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What makes a TV show great? Is it good plot, believable characters, or that ideal landscape setting with an OST that makes everything fit together like magic? I think it’s maybe a hint of all of these. Coming up on their second season, Hospital Playlist has managed to keep the “magic” of storytelling alive. Calling this show simply ‘great’ would be ludicrously underrated.

The art of storytelling lies in the beautiful, yet subtle small details. A look here, a gesture there. Though these may be easy to miss, the volume each detail carries is in no way small. Hospital Playlist has wonderfully crafted these subtle gestures into each episode, carrying unspoken emotions slowly forward since their first episode. It boldly proclaims a show, primarily taking place in a hospital, which isn’t about the medicine at all but about the people. Here we have everything we need to delve into a fantasy where humanity isn’t what we read in the news, but the environment perhaps we all deeply crave. Where coffee is laced with the sweetness of friendship, where relationships are raw and tender, and each character is uniquely themselves.

Maybe I’m a little biased toward the slice-of-life genre, but there’s so much about this show that reminds me of my childhood, reminds me of what I wish a home would feel like. Where people laughed loudly, and hearts were vulnerable. Friendships are pure and hopeful, and people are kind to each other. Where would we be without the precious bonds that have kept us hopeful and motivated? So please, I would implore you to watch this show, at least once if you haven’t already. For those of you who are a fan of the fast-paced, Hospital Playlist is a slow running show. If you’re not a fan of the subtler and slower things in life, maybe hold off on watching this until a later time in your life.

Till then, happy watching!

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Pacing. Dead space. These two things seem insignificant compared to plot, character development and acting but, as Hospital Playlist 2 found out, they can be the difference between a good series and a great one. There were plentiful episodes that desperately needed someone in the editing room to recognise the dead space that was causing spouts of tedium and crawl speed pacing. Episode 9 is full of all the great things that the Hospital Playlist has done so well over the two seasons - engaging patient cases stories, funny scenes between the five core characters, interesting side plots - but I couldn't help but feel the length of the episode. Honestly I was wishing for it to be over and done with. For some reason, we have so many B-roll footage of the doctors setting up surgery rooms or patients walking through hallways. Far too much. In mostly every episode. It's such a poor use of space and it's annoyed me so much that instead of talking about the rest of the show, I'm fixated on this. Quite unfortunate. And while I'm on the subject, I'm so done with the band practice sessions. They were cute at first but they got indugent quickly.

Now onto the positives (and maybe some more negatives). This progresses Season One's plots rather well, further developing the relationships between Yang Suk Hyung and Dr Chu, Ik Jun and Song Hwa and the strong friendship of Jun Wan and Do Je Hak. In some cases, I think the relationship building through the season was lacking in some cases. For example, the bright sparks of S1, Jung Won and Gyeo Wool, were simmered for this season. Their scenes were sweet and we eventually got a pay off but the direction seemed a tad underwhelming and listless. The conclusion of having Ik Jun’s sister actually accept Jun Wan’s proposal after the misunderstanding was fine but it went in a very generic, noble idiocy route, with the writers bottling the plot by having Ik Soon be ill with a disease rather than what we first thought. It's not all praises with some directions being disappointing rather than anything similar to S1. Some plotlines were safe and predictable, in my opinion.

A solid follow up to its predecessor but I wouldn't recommend it to people. I'd strictly tell people that season one is a bit must and season two is if you have nothing else to watch.

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TOP TIER Hospital Kdrama!!!

Just finished watching Hospital Playlist S2 and damn I'm gonna miss it. It's definitely top-tier hospital kdrama for me. Romance, comedy, friendship, heartbreak, feel-good, life, family, music, emotional, satisfying, happy ending, death, character development, bromance, Uni friends, and relationships - it has it all. It is a gem to watch and 100% recommend to you all. It can be a little slow sometimes tho. 9.5/10 from me!

If anyone is wondering about S3 then here's the TEA - at the moment nothing is confirmed and the cast was told to take on other projects since they have been fully committed to Hospital Playlist S1 S2 for 2 years and when they have time in the future then they will likely get together for S3. So no S3 for some time. Or they might not do it at all. But never know there may be news of it happening as well since it's such a hit drama between all generations.

Personally, I think there may not be an S3, and that S2 is the end because everyone reached their happy ending or whatever relationship/money/happiness they had been wishing for since S1/2 has made its way through. So I don't think there will be S3. However, if there were to be S3 then I think there r 2 possibilities. Either they will have a completely new cast cause things might get boring with the same cast as we already saw 2 seasons of it and as said before everyone reached a happy ending. Or the 2nd possibility is that S3 will be about how their lives are after about 2-4 years and how they're coping with being doctors and their personal relationship. Since they are all in their 40ties then it could be about how they have to move up to a different tier of being a doctor because with time new people come for the job and they are also older? So I think the 2-4 years after will start when the couple that went abroad for the boyfriend wanting to research comes back. So what do you think will happen?

Anyways if you haven't yet go and start watching as all eps are out and it ended.

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Loose ends, loose ends.. *sigh*

The second season is still relatively close to kdrama perfection, while maintaining the Reply writer's unique style. Also there is nothing that aired since It's Okay to Not Be Okay that comes anywhere near HP2 in terms of raw production value, it's nice to see that Korean television can still do it :-)

The recurring cast members were still brilliant, however compared to the first season there were a few sub par supporting actors cast as patients and their relatives. Then again it's not realistic to expect that a show could get 5+ new AWESOME supporting actors for minor 2-5 minute roles every single episode, so I'm okay with that.

I'm happy how everyone that should've gotten together has gotten together and that nothing particularly annoying has happened in the 12 episodes. The second season is full of funny and extremely touching scenes, I may hate shows that want to drag things out for as many seasons as possible, but I could keep watching HP for 10 years in a more episodic format, no problem. Hospital Playlist is still a strong medical drama, even without all the romance, but I do realize that some people that don't like this genre felt bored during surgery scenes etc.

So why is it not a 10/10?
Something is off with the story pacing. It took way too long to for the 3 new couples to get together & the final episode is extremely rushed & lacking for a series finale. I have the impression that the production team is expecting a season3, or they were at the time of producing most of the episodes. So yes, while I'm happy see Jae Hak's storyline has gotten a closure, but I would have rather had the Chuchu couple resolve the evil mother in law issue, or SongHwa to become a family to Ikjun's son. IkSun deserved a lot more camera time as well. There were so many things I've been looking forward to & almost none of them ended up happening. Admittedly I'm not a fan of open endings, or loose ends, especially loose ends that had a tremendous amount of buildup as is the case with HP2.

So yes, the production team may have done most of the filming with a third season in mind, but the final episode is full of red flags for that. So I no longer hold much hope for s3. With that said I've read in the comment section how people think that the last subtitle line "Thank you for watching Hospital Playlist" means exactly that, but that's probably a minor inaccuracy, because the Korean text may have had "Thank you for watching Hospital Playlist++", so "+++" could still in in the cards, but only time will well.

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Great friendship, draggy unnecessary emotional porn....

This drama has allot of good parts but also ALLOT of draggy emotional lectures that seem to be there to show us how doctors should talk to their patients surrounded by all things that seem to be there so the audience will feel emotional... but instead of emotional it just made me tierd sick and brought out my less pacifistic side... It is ofcourse nice to see doctors actually doing their job in a medical drama, putting the patients and their needs first but it just gets to be to much. The way it is edited and added violins and pianos here and there is supposed to bring out the tears but just felt artificill and had the opposite affect on me. The amount of times people in the drama say thank you or apologize would make a lethal drinking game, that not a single person could survive.

What the drama does well is showing allot of types of bonds and friendships between both the patients, their families and the main cast making way for both extremely slow paced romance, bromance, romance , finding comfort in a person in the same situation at the hospital, etc... The 5 friends are playful, fun to watch and just make you wish you where part of their band.

I love that they make way for the female lead to sing even though her singing is just awful, I love the way they use rain to make beautiful emotional scenes (yes some emotional scenes where done well) , i love the food and I love the camping scenery. All things that almost made up for the annoying never ending lectures.. to be honest friendship 10 stars, lectures 5 stars, romance 9 stars.... becomes 8 stars all together. But in a way I find myself wanting to say I am not mad at the creators I am just disappointed...

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You Are My Superstar

The announcement of season 2 was what got everyone off of their feet with how things have been left off in season 1. This season was highly anticipated. If I were to compare this to season 1, I find that, personally, I prefer this season due to how I could resonate with the characters more intensely compared to the previous season.

In the latter of the series, there are a new set of challenges that arise amongst the hospital for patients and doctors. It never fails to amaze me how the writers created such remarkable stories that have endearing and inspiring lessons that we can take from for our lives. The five friends wound up in their own personal challenges as well, but how they mitigate and overcome these challenges was what made me resonate with them even further. One example of a memorable moment is as they move through this bustling and hectic life at the hospital, they also happen to become sentimental and look back in their early days as interns that bring imperative life/professional lessons that include mistake making and masked emotions. This season will bring you additional comfort, reflection, and self-growth.

Slow-burning romance is what you would define as the romance portion of the show. The conclusion that you can make from the romance is that every couple was portrayed to have a hardship/barrier that hindered their relationship development, whether that is miscommunication, bad timings, countless rejections, personal issues, and the giving of time and space to sort things out. The harsh reality is that there are always going to be external factors that can prohibit one's ability to carry the relationship well/or being able to initiate that first move, but through the power of reflecting, timing, honesty, and understanding, they overcome these factors and seek a new light and grow in their relationship.
The slow-burning romance was well-written, giving enough reasoning behind the characters' thoughts and feelings that led up to their endings and I loved how there is a switch in gender roles in who admits their feelings first across all of the couples - something that you do not see often.

Hospital Playlist displays the highs and the lows in life that derive from patient stories and the medical team’s personal insights. There were some instances where there were a number of filler stories at the hospital that felt like the drama was being dragged a bit, but that can be recuperated for the band performances and light-hearted moments between the professors and the residents/fellows.


CHARACTERS
One of the highlights of 'Hospital Playlist' in general is that every character gets their own mini-story and screentime. Hospital Playlist is not just about the five friends, but also the people around them in their community. Each character had their own personal stories and hardships which were heartwarming and inspiring to see, paired with their astounding relationship with the professors. Je Hak was one of my favourite side characters who had a very remarkable and cute work relationship with Jung Wan, sprinkled with his overall cute and bright personality. I loved how the drama gave us more insight into his family life, which in turn, made me realise the level of his caring and loving personality towards his loved ones are.

Song Hwa - In the previous season, she was displayed as the character that 'had it all together and was competent in most aspects of her life. Whilst this statement remains consistent halfway through the second season with her juggling projects from the hospital to her social life, I enjoyed her development. Sometimes the competent ones need a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on; this was exactly the case for Seong Hwa. She was the type to shy away from her own feelings, but seeing her reflecting upon them and slowly admit them was like taking a breath of fresh air. There will be things that happen in our lives that will put us at breaking point, but showing your vulnerable side is okay and stepping away from life for a bit is necessary to heal. Seong Hwa is a true epitome of all of that and I feel proud to watch her grow to someone that is far beyond her trademark.

Seok-Hyung - He has a work-orientated persona and lives a simplistic life. It is evident in the previous season that he immensely enjoys his alone time and eating dinner with his mother and the four friends. But in this season, we see him unravel into a person that is able to talk and enjoy activities that are outside of work and family life. It was refreshing to see him step outside of his comfort zone and open up about his feelings after deep thought.

Jung-Wan - His cold, but inner loving nature was prominent throughout the drama, but the true realisation of how caring he is towards his patients and soft of a personality he has surfaced throughout season 2.


MUSIC
One song I would highlight is 'Superstar'. This song brings an incredible amount of warmth and reassurance that encompasses the theme of the song - you are a superstar and that you will be okay.
I loved all of their band performances with some special stages where they dressed up. The songs that they performed were catchy and very fitting to the drama.

Hospital Playlist is not your conventional medical drama. Besides the medical aspects of the show, you will also witness some lighthearted fun that is shared amongst the cohort of medical professionals and the five friends, paired with entertaining band performances. This drama would get you to empathise with the patients and encourages you to think deeply beyond what the drama shows you. If you are looking for closure from season 1, this is definitely worth the watch.
Even if you are not a fan of medical dramas, but love romance and slice-of-life, then the hue is a drama worth investing your time into.

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Review by a doctor: love the medicine, hate the romance

I have a love hate relationship with this drama. On the one hand I absolutely love the medical aspect. I'm a doctor and this drama was so well researched and very accurate. I enjoyed the cases and also the medical lifestyle and the hardship of doctors and their relationship with the patients, all was very relatable.
BUT I did not like the romance at all. Mostly it made me uncomfortable and cringe. I know that's more of a me problem though. The characters too I had a hard time liking though they did grow on me by the second season. Honestly all 7 of the stars I gave go to how well they did the medical aspect of the show. It's hard to find something so well researched. Props to the people who worked on the drama.

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