Completed
WandereR
16 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

Medical Justice

Doctor Lawyer is a suspenseful medical and legal thriller that merges the medical world of cardiothoracic surgery and courtroom atmospherics, against the backdrop of South Korean governmental and chaebol (conglomerate) politics. The screenplay leverages heavily on a revenge-justice narrative that features alternate approaches towards avenging perceived grievances and wrongdoings committed by multiple parties. Despite not being mentioned in the tags, there are certain elements of melodrama that lean towards the spectacular and somewhat amusing rather than the outright overdramatic and toxic angst. Expect an infusion of some romance and love triangle (primarily with supporting characters), a little bit of physical action but a whole lot of thrilling sequences particularly revolving around the surgical theatres and the courtroom proceedings.

Directed by Lee Yong Seok (Haechi, The Village: Achiara's Secret) and Lee Dong Hyun, based on the original screenplay by Jang Hong Chul (Class of Lies), this MBC production is streamed internationally via Disney+. It tells the story of a brilliant thoracic surgeon who loses everything and everyone overnight as a result of powerful forces at play which leads to his reinvention as a defence attorney some 5 years later, hence the title of the drama, to seek vengeance.

This is So Ji Sub’s first drama project since his wedding in 2020, with My Secret Terrius being his last TV drama that aired 4 years prior. The soundtrack features 4 songs, with Chen’s evocative ballad and outro theme An Unfamiliar Day being my personal favourite. Full listing as follows:

Freedom by Lee Chang Seop (BTOB)
An Unfamiliar Day by Chen (EXO)
Fight On by Yoo Hoe-seung (N.Flying)
My Shadow by Leeraon

What I Liked

Fresh from completing Lee Joon Gi’s Again My Life, which ended right before Doctor Lawyer began, there are similarities to be drawn between the two productions. Both are revenge-justice driven legal dramas where the primary antagonist is played by the same actor, Lee Kyung Young, in a near-identical capacity with a pervading aura of invincibility and villainy. Where the two differ is that the latter is a much more compelling, suspenseful and multifaceted drama, in my humble opinion.

This drama is made much more compelling and serious without the presence of mis-placed humour or rigorous attempts at comic relief. The antagonists (inclusive of the primary, supporting and “hidden” ones) maintain several layers of grey throughout which augment the complexities of the characterisation and add depth to the overall schemes and machinations of the various plotlines that make up the overarching story. The main characters, particularly the ML himself, exude an immense likeability factor that’s based on a fleshed out backstory while the absence of any distracting or forced “romantic complications” all contribute to the brisk and eventful storytelling.

Speaking of the storytelling approach, there are hardly any slow or boring moments in the show which consistently delivers exciting cliffhangers in many episodes and surprising twists and reveals towards the business end. These aspects certainly keep things interesting and engaging for the viewers indeed. Although certain plot devices and developments are neither completely unforeseeable nor exceptionally innovative, there is certainly no denying the entertainment value therein. I would also add that at least the cliffhangers are not faked or sensationalised to induce contrived red herrings merely to spike interest (and annoy) viewers.

Aside from my enjoyment of revenge-themed stories, medical and legal dramas are amongst my favourite genres, especially the all-action fast paced variety. This drama has all of the above in equal measure and presented in a low-key edge-of-the-seat style that evokes a certain measure of excitement. The frantic dramatisation of the surgical procedures are particular highlights for me, which are aided by the quality production values that infuse no small amount of realism into these scenes. As a medical genre, this drama is right up there in terms of top notch delivery.

So Ji Sub is a huge pulling factor that attracts me to this drama, coupled with the fact that I had never seen one where the lead actor plays 2 distinctly contrasting professions i.e. a surgeon and a lawyer. As the ML Han Yi Han, So Ji Sub does a fantastic job of blending all the emotions of an aggrieved victim of circumstances and drawing strength from them to exact his plan for revenge, as well as the juxtaposition between a mild mannered, naive pushover and an assertive, confident man on a mission. His portrayal may not be the absolute best and, at times, does feel somewhat subdued but his experience and charisma ultimately provide an aura of respectability and touch of class to the role.

Shin Sung Rok is literally the wild card of the cast, playing the effervescent and slightly manic American-Korean investor with a murky past, Jayden Lee. Think of his character as a more toned down version of the Riddler or even Joker himself (from DC’s Batman). I suspect he had as much fun assuming this role as I had witnessing his controlled histrionics. His interpretation of the character gives the drama a raw edge that allows it to expand beyond the usual scope of revenge themes and injects a bit of fun into the proceedings as well.

My third time seeing Lee Kyung Young this year, after his appearances in Again My Life and Why Her. His portrayal here is reminiscent of his performance as Cho Tae Seob in AML but I do feel that his character of Goo Jin Ki is better written without being as overly superpowered and linear as the former. The antagonistic Goo Hyun Sung is depicted by Lee Dong Ha, another actor who was previously seen in a similarly villainous capacity this year in From Now On, Showtime! Some actors just fit the villain profile perfectly, as is the case with him, but again I do feel the characterisation here is less one-dimensional and has a more evolutionary trajectory to his character arc.

Of the ladies in the cast, Im Soo Hyang who plays the FL Geum Seok Young feels more a supporting role than a main character. That said, even with the diminished spotlight and initial annoyance of her character’s narrow minded stubbornness, she conveyed her emotions very well and shared a convincing professional working relationship with the ML without being hindered by romantic tensions being shoehorned into their dynamic, despite their past history together.

What Could’ve Been Better

As much as I appreciate a positive outcome with complete closure of all threads, I do wish for a slightly different trajectory particularly pertaining to the overarching arc. That said, it's more of a personal preference rather than a fatal flaw of the screenplay. The ending is still good but could've been given a bit more depth and satisfaction, in my opinion.

Lee Joo Bin who plays Im Yoo Na has an interesting side story that focuses on the “love triangle” between her and Jayden Lee as well as Goo Hyun Sung. I’m generally glad that the drama stays focused on the revenge-justice theme instead of being sidetracked but the interactions between this subset of characters are actually rather fun to watch. It could potentially have a spin-off of its own because each character possesses enough backstory to be fleshed out given the burden that they carry resulting from their turbulent past.

The few individual legal cases that are showcased, all of which tie in to the main plotline, actually come across as quite intriguing in their own right. More of those would have been very welcome especially to highlight the details of lesser known medical conditions and the associated malpractice that had exacerbated those circumstances. As a consequence, the legal battles perhaps are not afforded more attention that they truly deserve.

Final Thoughts

Doctor Lawyer is an engaging revenge-driven drama that provides sufficient entertainment value through multiple twists and turns to sustain the 16-episode length of the production. It isn’t groundbreaking content but the smartly-written screenplay that seamlessly blends medical intricacies with legal proficiencies as well as having So Ji Sub as the main lead is certainly worth checking out.

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Completed
Moni
9 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 6.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 2.0

Cold delivery and predictable ending

I will start by saying this: Shin Sung Rok as Jayden Lee carried the whole drama from the beginning to the end. So Ji Sub did a decent job. However, his delivery felt too cold and emotionless most of the time. While his expressions showed a little of his character, the tone and delivery of his line were the same throughout the whole series and in the end, it started to be annoying. I couldn't connect at all with a character that was adamant about taking down a medical center and its chairman but didn't show much character.

The FL was annoying. For a prosecutor, she felt too emotional and overly dramatic with constantly spilling the ML's plans to the enemy and then was surprised when the enemy was a step ahead. The romance between her and So Ji Sub (the ML) was so little that it wouldn't make a difference if there was no romance at all. It also seemed absolutely unnecessary for the plot to continue their romance (or non-existent romance) after the five-year-jump.

Overall, the show felt overly dramatic, especially the entrances to the courtroom. The finale was kind of predictable. The ML's and FL's acting (So Ji Sub and Im Soo Hyang) was average compared to other actors like Shin Sung Rok, Lee Kyung Young, Kim Tae Gyum and Woo Hyun Joo.

The drama is decent. Not too great and mind-blowing but not boring either.

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Completed
the_sapio_nerd
14 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 2.0

Nice blend though!?

Wasn’t really excited for the drama bcs of the title which clearly indicated a blended profession and I’m honestly bored of it due to the recent developments even though Ji Sub is one of my faves. I started it regardless, expecting something decent out of it, which it is to to some extent but with no eye-catching development and with typical element, I found myself struggling post the interval yet somehow managed to finish, with no overall feeling.

Developed by Kim Ho-jun and produced by Celltrion Entertainment & Mongjakso, Doctor Lawyer (닥터 로이어) is a medico-legal thriller drama, marking So Ji Sub’s comeback to the screen. Written by Jang Hong-cheo and directed by Lee Yong-seok, the drama was originally broadcasted on MBC TV and internationally distributed by Disney+.

The drama keeps at centre, Han Yi Han (So Ji Sub), a lawyer who was a doctor 5 years back and lost his license following a major malpractice, which he think was a conspiracy to oust him from the hospital. With the intention to bring those matter to surface, he starts working from the root by legally assisting other medical malpractice cases in the courtroom. Joins him Prosecutor Geum Seok Young (Im Soo Hyang) who lost her brother in the same case and is eager to do anything in order to reveal the truth.

Jyaden Lee (Shin Sung Rok) is a master lobbyist and investor at an American company Honor Hands and Im Yoo Na (Lee Joo Bin) is the youngest director in Banseok Foundation. Lee Kyung Young (Goo Jin Ki) is the Director of Banseokwon Hospital and his son Lee Dong Ha (Goo Hyung Sung) is a cardio-thoracic surgeon. Other familiar faces in major roles are: Choi Jae Young, Choi Deok Moon, Kang Kyung Hoon, Nam Myung Ryul, Park Joon Hyuk, Jo Hyun Shik and Kim Ho Jung.

Plot development is moderately fine, not good or not bad, simply mediocre. The pilot episode and its furtherance in the next were not appealing to me; the premise and the background didn’t excite, ngl. But I was still expecting it to get better, and admittedly, it did to some extent, however, it continued to feel bland. Okay but I was also intrigued by Jayden Lee’s appearance in the show and whenever he came to the screen, I was excited; he’s a fabulous actor anyways.
The first short-term and the following elaborate legal battle were both executed well but after that it felt dragged and they were only blabbering inside the courtroom. There are multiple cardio OT scenes and the cases didn’t feel any exaggerated though the surgeries were not jaw-dropping or something. The mystery part was good for me, despite being more than a lil suspenseful it did keep up the questions for a quite a time (my rough assumption proved right though). The show became boring for the last 6 episodes and there was nothing left for to look forward to but I managed to finish with 1.5x. Honestly, I got no hard feelings about the ending or the overall quality of the show.

I don’t know much about Jang Hong Chul jakka-nim except for the fact that his previous and first work was an underrated gem though its 3 years old now. I think the writer took a fair span of time to to create this calculative and thoughtful piece with a new kinda blend but the theme and core concept of the story could have been better utilized, in terms of both screenwriting and representation. I would have loved to see the motivating muse of Yi Han that made him a lawyer or the process itself, even so as a flashback narration, if not an episode long showcase.

I have watched only one drama by Lee Young Seok PDnim which happens to be his previous work and it was good but despite of the genre difference, if I compare them, this one was lacking in many aspects. The direction is not particularly to blame but the team could have attempted a positive compromise with the writer. The editing and set up were all fine, nothing eye-catching, except for few revelations and on-the-edge moments.

So Ji Sub’s acting was as amazing as always but this drama couldn’t make it upto his skills. Han Yi Yan was definitely an idealistic man with miraculous capabilities though he also seeked help from others but to tell that Jisub justified the role would be like underestimating his skills. Regardless, I hope he gets back to the track soon.
Im Soo Hyang why? Why doesn’t she get good offers these days? Despite her features in not so extraordinary dramas in old times, in my eyes she had been acing her powerful characters. And now, she picks up these lousy and poorly written female characters who only act like the side kick for the ML or a script that itself is a disaster.
Shin Sung Rok’S entry had me in awe bcs I had almost forgotten about his presence in the drama. Him as Jayden won hearts which was clear from the response he got but I personally think the character and his skills could have been better utilized and had some more exposure.
Lee Joo bin also went beyond what was expected of her; firstly I didn’t think she’ll be of any importance but then I was wrong and she also put good efforts in carrying out what she was offered. I am honestly impressed.
Goo Jin ki is definitely one of the best antagonist of recent times which he was able to present again through the drama but for someone who has been closely following him, the character didn’t feel any new to me, it’s the same as few of his recent dramas and so I wasn’t paying any particular attention towards him.

There are a total of 4 OSTs
# “Freedom” by Lee Chang Sub (BtoB)
# “An Unfamiliar Day” by Chen (EXO)
# “Fight On” by Yoo Hwe Seung (N. Flying)
# “My Shadow” by Yi Ra On

Final Remarks… Well, that was a barely decent watch and as it reflects in my review throughout, again, I have no hard feelings about this one and would not really think of ot when someone asks me for recommendations. You can watch If you are a Jisub oppa admirer or are looking for something light.

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Completed
Blkittykat
6 people found this review helpful
Jul 16, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 5.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

I'll say it - Jayden should have been the lead

What constitutes a good revenge drama: suspense, an intriguing lead, and of course, great revenge.

Doctor Lawyer lacks in all these categories and only makes up for it with the acting of Shin Sung Rok aka Jayden Lee.

The story of a good revenge drama depends on a fast paced and totally lead controlled narrative, but Han Yi Han, the lead here seems to depend upon the actions of others rather than his own to exact revenge. Even when the revenge is served, it feels like a let down when compared to other such dramas.

The acting doesn't help much either, with the other two leads delivering some of their scenes in the stoniest way possible.

The ending was no better, and I don't think the final arc of any character was satisfying enough. Just fell extremely flat.

Admittedly, this is not totally terrible, and has some absolutely brilliant moments too, but in retrospect, the drama could've been a tad better based off of the premise.

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Completed
ColourMePurple
3 people found this review helpful
Jul 26, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

Watch for the character Jayden Lee

I can honestly say I enjoyed the start and the end of the series the most. The show slows down a bit towards the middle albeit I won't say that it's bad but at didn't excite me during those times and I was not eagerly awaiting the next episode.

Basic plot summary:
Han Yihan is a cardiothoracic surgeon and an exceptional one at that. Unfortunately for him, the head of the hospital uses him for his son's ghost doctor secretly when he is in trouble in the operating room. One day a patient that Han Yihan operated on tragically dies the next morning due to questionable circumstances. The hospital decides to place the entire blame on Yihan under the accusation of medical negligence. With no one on his side and no proof, he is forced to accept blame and his medical license is revoked. 4 years later he emerges as a lawyer who specialises in medical malpractice. This is where our story truly begins.

Review:
The plot has a very strong start but the story might seem a little cliche as revenge dramas go. But, the true hero of the story is this mysterious character by the name of Jayden Lee who adds unpredictability and spice into the show. Where Han Yihan's seriousness and lack of charisma can lead to detachment from the character and the female lead (prosecutor) leaves much to be desired, Jayden brings drama and suspense. No one really knows or understands his motives. Is he a good guy? Is he pretending? And it is also because of him and the dilemma that he adds that you feel more supportive towards Han Yihan.

There is no real romance in this drama from the main leads but Jayden and the second female lead, Im Yoona, have a fun chemistry. Add some jealousy to the mix.

I won't give away the finale but the last two episodes, in my opinion, were edge of the seat entertaining. And that is part of the reason why I am willing to give this show a 9. Shows like these deserve an ending on a high note.

I don't usually comment on the OST, but Freedom is a nice exciting track. I enjoyed it. Didn't listen to the others.

Regarding rewatch value, I would probably speed watch the show or select some of the major episodes to watch. It's not that high on my priority list. Then again there has only been one revenge drama I've seen twice and that is Taxi Driver which I love and there aren't many shows I would actually watch as of now. I would still recommend Doctor Lawyer at least once for Jayden Lee.

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Completed
Park Min
2 people found this review helpful
Mar 10, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.5
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 1.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

Teacher Mechanic Accountant Pilot

You know they began to run out of ideas when they start to merge professions. It makes me wonder what might come next, but the entire law genre had plateaued, and coming up with new unexplored ideas got only more difficult. The entire hearts swapping operation at the beginning of the drama was flawed and didn't make any sense. Instead of giving us a cohesive storyline, we were left with this mishmash of abandoned subplots and forced plot turns that were hard to sell. You may expect a lot of highly implausible scenarios and you gonna nod your head and just accept it. Neither of the main leads brought any appealing character or performance making it difficult to empathize with their struggles or connect with their motivations.

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Completed
Architectofnonsence
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 23, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 6.5

Boring , flat drama ruined by main leads rescued by the second lead Shing Song Rok

If it wasn't for Shin Song Rok's presence in this drama (Jayden) I would have dropped it from fourth episode
he was the only character that got me interested to know his story ,, this drama is most draggy boring cold Law drama I've ever watched ,, it didn't met the Law /court requirements nor the medical drama requirements
for Ji Sop's long history of good dramas this one is his biggest failure ,, why he acted his role that way ?? why was he that cold and flat in the most important and emotional scenes ? He didn't even cried for his dead mother's corpse
and the female lead don't get me started on how freezing cold her performance was ,, she was like a talking doll even when she cried I felt it so cringy
Again if it wasn't for Jayden or the second lead Shin song rok this drama would have been dead from fourth episode ,, he was the one who carried this drama on his shoulder ,, his way of expressing all the character's emotions towards the leads forced me to continue watching ,, I wanted to know what was his story ,, was he bad ? was he good ? why he's taking revenge path more than the male lead himself ? ,, How smart and cunning is he ??
Why Jayden is playing all these tricks ?? what was his ultimate goal ?
all that was the reason for me to stay and I didn't care one second about male lead's revenge because he was playing by the rules every thing was legal and he was saving the bad guys and working with them most of the time as they didn't do anything wrong to him ,, How could he ?? I wondered a lot how could someone gunning for revenge work with the people who killed his own mother and nearly killed also did them favors sometimes because he was the good guy and a doctor what the hell ??
It got political at one point and there were so many villains and bad people more than good ones so it got so draggy but it picked up the pace at last four episodes again and Jayden's motives became so obvious and his secret was going to be revealed so it got much more interesting at the last four episodes and just skip through the leads nonsense they don't matter at this point
.. the ending was Meh and I'm not happy about What happened to Jayden at the ending but it's okey didn't expect much from this drama anyway

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Completed
jnniexx
2 people found this review helpful
Aug 1, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

SO GOOD YOU WOULDN’T REALIZE YOU’RE ON THE LAST EP

Still didn’t give a 10 as I felt like the team of ML and FL were always winning. Like I wanted some outsmarting between the two parties but their team + Sungrok was just SO much smarter than the head of the hospital. The one who had the heart were also kind of predictable once you’re on the last 3-4 episodes. Wanted Sungrok to have a different ending as well because he’s smart but I guess killing the head of the hospital was his only revenge for having her mother killed. Nevertheless, it was good I didn’t realize I’m on the last episode. I hope there will be a season 2 but since the plot was finished, I guess there’s no need for it.

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Ongoing 16/16
Wareed Barech
2 people found this review helpful
Jun 5, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

Another Doctors/Lawyers Drama

**STORY**
Well yes, we know how Korean Doctors/Lawyers dramas are mostly the same.

The start two episodes will define the idea of the drama about how the story will start and what will be the end. It's pretty boring if you can already guess the story of the drama from the start. Fighting for justice or getting the revenge for the close ones as most dramas provide. But since the drama have So Ji Sub, you'd think it should be a better one.

The story progress and we see some interesting twists in the story and they are not as predictable as the first two episodes were suggesting. The character of Jayden Lee is an addition to those interesting twists. His mysterious and unique character boosts the fun afterward. You will love him in the drama and his acting, he is the real MVP.

The revenge scheme goes on slowly and is kinda boring, to be honest. We also get to see some other characters and their stories related to the hospital again. Seems like it will be same thing on and on unless there is anything different before the end.

After the 10th episode, the story starts to go fast forward and we get to see some interesting plots in the story. Its slowly connecting to the first few episodes of drama and going pretty well. Right after the 12th episode comes the real exciting moments of the drama. Most dramas starts are the boosted parts and ends are pretty boring and normal. But for this one it is opposite. You will love the ending of this one more than the start.

**ACTING**
Yes So Ji Sub and Im Soo Hyang played their roles good but the best acting was done by Shin Sung Rok (Jayden Lee) and Lee Dong Ha (Goo Hyun Sung) overall.

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Completed
skznewbie
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 24, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 3.5

rewatch value did not do justice for the review ✌?

It’s the truth always comes to light kind of drama.

The beginning was slightly boring with some kind of political and personal interest involvement, but things got better as the story flow. Kinda curious on how many bad people they actually had, how they will be punished and how many people were sacrificed during the process.

So Ji Sub did a decent job portraying a doctor lawyer trying to search for the justice, yet it’s not his best act in my opinion, more or less flat for the character itself. I find Im Soo Hyang didn’t quite fit the role as a prosecutor. The ones who got me interested in the drama was Shin Sung Rok with his amazing acting as a lobbyist and you will never know whose side he’s on, and Lee Joo Bin did beyond expectations as I thought she didn’t have something important for the storyline.

Overall it’s a quite good drama if you’re looking for a legal crime mix with medical drama or if you’re a fan of So Ji Sub.

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Completed
kira
1 people found this review helpful
Sep 18, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

Starts slow but gets pretty good

Before I get into the cons of this drama, I'll lead with the pros.

One - both lead and supporting actors did brilliant jobs. In that department at least there was nothing lacking, especially the three leads.

I went in blind without reading any reviews, so I don't know if this is a popular or unpopular opinion, but in mine, at least, SSR stole the show. Might be a bit biased - I've always had a thing for slightly unhinged, jaded anti-hero types who go just far enough that they're still toeing the moral line without outright crossing it, and he played the Jayden role to a T, making him my favourite character in the show. All the more so because of SSR's amazing acting. So forgive me for going into a bit of a character study here.

I'm not a very ends-justify-means person, but he was just righteous enough, although underhanded and manipulative, that it made him all the more appealing as a character, with the hidden truths and character development that made me love him all the more, right up to the very last scene with him in it. I was a bit dissatisfied by his (rightly deserved) ending simply because I found myself rooting for him despite my best instincts. But again, that bit of righteousness in his choices brought him his deserved ending so who am I to complain?

I also really loved Yoona as a character (though the acting felt a bit lacking). A competent, independent woman who refused to be defined by and lean on the powerful men in her life, who didn't allow her ambition to take shortcuts with her job or interfere with the ethics of her decisions as a medical researcher - I wish she'd gotten more screen time, and a happy ending with the person she loved.

Two - the remarkable attention to detail. While I personally have neither medical knowledge nor knowledge regarding Korean law, it seemed to me that the research was well done with respect to both. Especially since they went so much in depth with all the on screen surgeries. If anyone here has medical knowledge to correct me, then feel free, I'm quite curious how accurate it actually was. But that isn't the extent of attention to detail - when you pay attention, you end up noticing a lot of small details regarding behaviours and situations that add a certain realistic depth to the plot that is easy to overlook, and easier not bother usually because people don't pay that much attention. I wouldn't be able to give examples without spoilerizing so I won't.

Three - revenge. I've not come across a satisfyingly done revenge plot that I didn't end up loving, though I have come across those that left me completely dissatisfied with their open (admittedly more realistic) endings where things aren't quite resolved and the revenge didn't quite manage to come through after "The End". In that aspect this one was as satisfying as could be, cathartic in a way only a truly good revenge plot can be, with all the moments of truth spectacularly dealt.

Now cons - holy shit, was this show was a slow starter. And by that I mean slow enough that it took me about five months - seriously - to get through the first two episodes. Considering the one-third-episode-long surgical scenes that wouldn't make much sense to me anyway since I have no medical knowledge to appreciate his (projected) genius, all of that should have been completely skippable, but I couldn't even skip them because of how important they were plot-wise. That and that time spent (probably another third of the episode) on character development for a character who, you know from the premise, is going to die within the next twenty minutes. Especially considering that one-third-episode-long surgery was on the very same character, who, minor spoiler, will be dead about five short minutes later real-time (and a day later inside the show?). Knowing that from the premise, it took me a lot of patience to get through the tragedy, so I kept getting distracted by other things whenever I tried to start watching this show - about five months, maybe a bit more.

The second issue (sort of a continuation of the first, really) - the number of on-screen surgeries going on throughout the entirety of the show, and the amount of time spent witnessing them. As I said earlier, without medical knowledge to understand the importance of what was happening, all it did was bore me and make me lose patience.

Third was the makjang-level of dramatics from some of the plot - so ridiculous that I found it a little hard to believe it could possibly happen in real life, starting from the premise itself. While it was interesting to watch regardless, and was good if I could shelve the logical side of my brain, I found it rather hard to believe that anyone would be able to get away with digging out a live person's heart and killing people left, right, and centre. Also, I understand that Koreans are obsessed with appearances, but is it so bad that a mother would make her five-year-old daughter undergo painful plastic surgery? I'm not Korean, so I don't know what the extent of possibility is for that, but as an outsider at least, it seems horribly outlandish to me.

All in all, I loved it despite all the things I found annoying, and I definitely do think it was worth watching.

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Completed
Califa99
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 24, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

siamo onesti, l’abbiamo tutti finita per Jayden, no?

come dice il titolo, nonostante le abbia dato 9, ma ci arriveremo sul perché, devo essere sincera con la mia votazione e dire che non avrebbe avuto lo stesso punteggio se non ci fosse stato Jayden. parto col dire come mai ho dato nove: la ragione del mio nove è che mi è piaciuta proprio tanto la parte “medical”, avendo fatto poi da poco l’esame di cardiologia mi sono emozionata quando a qualcuno hanno fatto un miectomia (cosa che ho visto citare solo nei libri e che viene considerata una manovra difficile, rischiosa e veramente rara da proporre) e overall la parte medica, anche se con alcune imperfezione (ma chi non è del campo non le coglie), è stata molto apprezzata (anche la parte sull’Alzheimer e tutto). passiamo al perché, anche se al netto i miei voti sono alti (a parte il RWV, ma per questo se andate a leggere la recensione di Big Mouth e di Manner of Death è scritto perchè ad alcune serie io do voti al RWV bassi), comunque la serie non mi ha convinto fino in fondo. non voglio fare spoiler, quindi cercherò di essere il più spoiler free possibile: allora prima cosa la trama, è un pelo scontata e dopo aver visto BM (altro prodotto sempre di Dplus) mi ha un po’ delusa come cosa (alla fine siamo sinceri i colpi di scena di BM sono signori colpi di scena), in quanto molto prevedibile. e voi mi verrete a dire “eh, ma fattela tu la trama” e ci può stare come critica, però diciamocelo, dopo i primi quattro episodi si può intuire chi ha cosa nel torace e dove andrà a parare la situazione. mi sarebbe piaciuto avere qualche sorpresa nel finale, ecco solo questo (per intenderci, non chiedo come in BM che anche quello che sembrava avere la plotline più noiosa di tutta la serie invece aveva dei segreti, ma almeno lasciare qualcosa di non prevedibile per il finale…). passiamo ai personaggi: allora come ho detto già due volte il centro di tutta la serie è il personaggio di Jayden (attore che ho scoperto fare il cattivo in My Love From the Star, serie che ho rimosso alla velocità della luce da quanto non mi è piaciuta): accattivante, misterioso ed interessante nel momento in cui lui era in scena effettivamente lui la possedeva, mi spiace per gli altri protagonisti, però non ho sentito la stessa potenza di personaggi in loro due. l’attore protagonista era monoespressivo (voi come al solito potete criticarmi dicendo che dovrei fare io l’attrice, e come sempre avreste ragione solo che siamo sinceri, non sono l’unica che ha notato questa cosa, quindi forse o diventiamo tutti attori o c’è un fondo di verità) e troppo retto. e voi mi direte “grazie al c*** Lucrezia è l’impostazione del suo personaggio” e ci sta, solo che rende la situa noiosa. onestamente ero più interessata alle mosse che avrebbe fatto Jayden piuttosto che a quelle del protagonista perché erano abbastanza scontate e non gli si tirava fuori un’emozione a morire, nemmeno se qualcosa non andava secondo i suoi piani. per la protagonista, ho trovato un po’ piatta anche lei, ma almeno lei qualche emozione (soprattutto rabbia e dolore) me la mostrava (poi non voglio fare spoiler, però quel fatto che le compare negli ultimi quattro episodi assomiglia molto a quella cosa che succede alla moglie dell’avvocato in BM per quanto sia repentina questa comparsa). poi i tre devo dire hanno chimica come gruppo quando sono in scene assieme, anche se, e lo ripeterò fino alla morte, la scena viene sempre rubata da Jayden. devo essere onesta i protagonisti non hanno molta chimica come coppia (ne prima ne dopo il TS) mentre la hanno moltissimo Jayden e Im Yoo Na, infatti mi sono trovata a dire che vedrei subito una serie dove i due attori recitano di nuovo in coppia (un po’ come quelli di Devil’s Plan andate a leggere quella recensione per capire cosa intendo) e ho sempre fatto il tifo per loro come coppia. tornando a noi, la consiglio comunque, per varie ragioni, e alla fine torniamo sempre li, la prima fra tutte l’interpretazione del personaggi di Jayden, poi perché comunque la storia è interessante e perché comunque intrattiene, anche se devo fare una critica, che forse nella recensione di BM non avevo messo: le serie di 16 episodi di Dplus hanno questo vizio, che sono lente per i primi 6 - 8 episodi per poi entrare nel vero vivo della storia e accecare in maniera repentina nel finale, ecco, è un po’ meh come cosa. però è un bel medical ed è un bel legal drama (yes pun intended)

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