Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist (2022)

Healing drama they said, Healing drama it was.

If the objective of the drama was to make every shot look like a painting from that time period, that was successfully satisfied. The soft cool color grading and the sweeping shots of the fields and single trees: a dream! The chemistry of the whole cast especially the clinic family was so tightknit and so much fun to watch. Many of the previews were describing it as a healing drama and due to the sincerity of the script and the casts’ skills in thoroughly portraying their character’s traumas and how they got them, I actually did feel like it was a healing drama because we went through that process with them. However, I wish they included more “psychiatrist counseling therapy” cause that’s in the title, leading to my main complaint that there was too much screen time for the antagonists planning their evil plans only to be basically re-explained later. It was nice to see the different patient cases that Poong and the Gye Soo clinic family would help, just like in other modern medical dramas. However, I think the build up to the climax at Hanyang would have accelerated (and not dragged a little like some reviews had said about the middle half) if all of the cases had either developed Poong and Eunwoo as medical practitioners (skill and counseling wise) or if each case had given us clues about the "final battle" at Hanyang discovering who killed the king and how they got away with it. Some of the patient cases felt a little rushed being resolved and were just there to grow the sweet relationship between Eun woo and Poong (those moments I won't complain about because they were all highly anticipated for me personally:). There should be a trigger warning in the first episode (at least) because the make up team did an incredible job of making all the “soft gore” stuff look really real. The OST (especially Solji’s and Sohyang’s) really illustrates the mood of the drama and the background instrumentals were sometimes really funny during appropriately comedic scenes esp with the off tune flutes whenever Manbok said/did anything (he is truly comedy central haha).

To me, it looks like the directors and the screenwriters had the overall goal of making a healing drama and went in that direction while successfully balancing mystery, romance, and family comedy on their plate. It wasn’t too much for each genre, contributing to an overall very soft healing drama…except for the last ep.
So here I am rewatching each episode AGAIN for the nth time while I wait for season 2 after almost losing IT to that cliffhanger.
Final note: the two main leads Hyang Gi and Min jae are obviously seasoned actors because all their emotional scenes tore my heart out. Deep sincerity in their eyes and body language every time.

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More of a smooth scenic drive than an emotional roller coaster ride

On the surface, a story about a royal physician framed for conspiracy against the royal family, and his quest to right the wrong done to him may not be a candidate for a feel-good show. However, Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist was surprisingly chill with beautiful cinematography, soothing color palates for the sets and outfits and a great selection of songs and background music.

Even-keeled, endearing and easy to watch - this drama was one of those shows that go down smooth and make one smile. There were conflicts, melodrama and palace politics but nothing heavy that dragged me down and stressed me out. That said, there was also nothing intense that left me waiting in anticipation for the next episodes. Overall, it was the kind of show where one can leave the world behind for a bit, get a temporary mood boost and not think too much about it until the next episodes aired.

The story followed the adventures of physician Yoo Se Yeop/Poong, who after exile, ended up with a makeshift family headed by Kye Ji Han, a village doctor running the Gyesu clinic. Having suffered PTSD and unable to use his acupuncture skills, Poong ended up healing people by focusing on their emotional issues. Hence his transition to becoming more of a psychiatrist.

The Gyesu clinic family was hilarious and I enjoyed watching how they did so much to uplift and support each other in their own ways. Their interactions were so organic that I could feel the love, warmth, and camaraderie among the different characters. It was an ensemble cast guaranteed to constantly entertain. The villains fell flat though, almost farcical in how stereotypical they were.

There was romance but a slow burn kind; a perfect cocktail of sweet and silly as our young couple navigated through their awakening feelings of love and attraction for each other. Watching the natural buildup of a relationship between Poong and Sun Woo was time well spent.

In general, the cast did a great job. I see the potential in Kim Min Jae and Kim Hyang Gi but as main leads, they are not quite there yet. Something is missing, and they just don’t have the lead aura yet and they do need to hone their emoting skills further. I am sure that they will get there after a few more dramas.

Music-wise, some songs were not what I would expect from a historical drama. Still, they were fitting for this drama and I really like the instrumental pieces that underscored the more poignant scenes.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this drama and I felt that it never got the views and higher ratings that it deserved. While I would have preferred a lovely happy ending to Season 1, I am happy that there will be a season 2 which is expected to air in January 2023.

Soundtrack:

By Your Side (사랑스런 너의 곁에) - Solji (솔지)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKTfioKlWa8
https://open.spotify.com/track/3beMVL4X8krvydjvUToFTm

I Guess I Like You (그댈 많이 좋아하는가 봐요) - Hello Gayoung (안녕하신가영)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF7YJY8rY08
https://open.spotify.com/track/7IP4kpJo2r5EGvKmQIpjtG

She (반짝이는 그대여) - Standing Egg (스탠딩 에그) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-3dkb6AkIM
https://open.spotify.com/track/0BnIEkvcwpCH0UhPUqtUTg?si=005aa1e2a1ff43dd

Luminous (눈이 부시게) - Sohyang (소향)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvufDr9GhwQ
https://open.spotify.com/track/3fQTr5geEQ2q8kgdqx44gl?si=f3c18dc76a32475e

Starlight (별빛처럼) - Xydo (시도)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR6SfjFa0ms
https://open.spotify.com/track/24dSyqfPW6WNzdegehvuBw?si=70fa3a46920442bf

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What happened to just one season!?

Spoilers. Ahead.

Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this was a “loved” up until the ending then it became a “liked”. I'm actually kind of surprised by its ratings here on MDL--I'll have to read other reviews to see why....

Things I liked:
Pretty much everything. I loved the moments of comedy, peace, and happiness mixed with the harsh realities of life in historical times. I liked the slow but steady pace of the leads’ romance. I love that our FL was brave and emotionally/mentally strong (after she was taken out of her in-law’s house). I loved the staff at the clinic and how they always fought for what was right—even the chief physician—even if sometimes it seemed like he wouldn’t. The evil characters made me cringe and our SML was a properly conflicted character (and his crush on FL was cute—I loved the scene with the flowers and him looking for her with FL right behind!). I loved the chief physician’s character—the scene of him unknowingly haranguing the king was so hilarious.

Things I did not like:
I really, truly loved the fact that Kdramas were short, sweet, and to the point. Twelve to sixteen episodes and then done (The Kingdom excepted). I’m sad that the trend of multiple seasons is starting up in Kdramaland because I rarely like a second season as much as the first (again, The Kingdom excepted). Minor point of dislike: If the FL’s father was progressive enough to allow her to solve criminal cases, why did he arrange such an unsuitable match for her? I get that it added to the drama, but it did not seem like a consistent decision from a logical point of view.

I would not have been mad with our leads riding off into the sunset together to go do some good works as a married physician couple (could FL even get remarried officially?). I hope I am not disappointed by the second season.

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Such a healing drama!

I fell in love with this drama and I wasn't expecting much when I first started it.
This is a perfect mini series that will get you feeling all types of emotions!

The plotline is pretty similar to other dramas but I love how they really gave it family and slice of life vibes because that was really the highlight of this series. Everything worked out perfectly and nothing was rushed!
I love how each character were able to save each other whether it be physically or mentally.

If your looking for a family drama, slice of life healing vibes with a hint of romance; this drama is for you!

p.s. the end got me fucked up too but there is a second season coming out next year!!

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The Royal Psychiatrist.

I was enjoying this series when it came to an abrupt stop. I was almost in tears at the last scene. Producers and author of this story, what happened? Is there a season 2? Please help as this was my first Korean drama in 2022 that I enjoyed. I guess I will have to look for another one, or follow the characters in other dramas. Hope they will satisfy my interest as I am ver particular of what I watch. Thank you.
Loved the actors and especially the little group that made up that rural hospital for sick people. I also love the country scenes too. Thank you so much for a short but sweet drama.

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Prepare yourselves. It gets heavy. (like, video essay heavy)

the GOOD:
1. beautiful cinematography: the way the camerawork causes the scenery and landscape to unfold before our eyes like a painting, the evergreen fields, that our characters walk through, the bamboo forest of lanterns, the firework-filled festival with its bustling, colorful market--all this reflected by the river that lights up the most romantic scene I've ever seen.
2. pair this^ up with beautiful costume design: every costume just paired so well with the set and the lighting! The pastels of turquoise, blue, pink, yellow, and beige; the olive green, the golds, and the white; down to the hair and the accessories was all A+! Also I know its because they shared occupations but poong and eunwoo wearing those dark blue outfits like a couple outfit was so cute. But the color also reminded me of detective conan's outfit, which really sold the whole "mystery solving duo" thing that they had going on
3. music: idc what you say, every track was a BANGER.
4. therapeutic storytelling and comfort characters: i was not expecting it to unfold this way but the show sort of became a heavily family-themed slice-of-life with garnishes of murder, mystery, and romance. The murder and mystery being of a psychological drama flavor, that is. However, what is the desolation and devastation of trauma and mental illness-- in the face of the brave, kind, and noble character of the members of our Gye Soo Clinic family? NOTHING. For a price lower than most actual therapists, GENUINE comfort, wisdom/advice, and a feeling of belonging is provided to the viewer via a gruff but jaded and wise doctor Gye Ji han and his gathering of loveable misfits, each a unique, rounded, character.
The drama is a nice thing to watch or have in the background while cooking after a long, hard day and release stress by hanging out with and going on adventures with the GyeSoo Clinic Gang.
5. the couple dynamics of the romantic subplot: i love the dynamics between eunwoo and sepoong. they've got the dynamics of detective&doctor, reserved&talkative, and sometimes they're both quiet & awkward around each other, or they're a power couple that's not only good at saving lives, but also doing parkour like ninjas. Also, being a short person myself, i love short x tall couples.
THE NOT SO GOOD:
For the most part, i agree with everyone in that the writing and the plot kind of started out well but then as the drama went on, it starts to show that the writers were rookies and cracks in the very charm of the show appear.
1. Plot/conflict issues: Despite all the psychological thriller elements and mystery and dark twists at every corner, i think the plot at times still felt oddly...s l o w. I think this can be attributed to the fact that despite there being valuable lessons and gems of wisdom and humor to be gained at the end of each arc, there might have been TOO MUCH cases or ARCS that our gang had to resolve to the point of the COHESIVENESS of the overarching plot being slightly lost. Sort of like when you're playing game that has too many side quests and when you get to a certain point far in the game and wonder, "OH wait, what was the whole objective of my player character(s) again?" Then a boss or npc further explains the conflict and who and why you are fighting against and you realize, "oh. that's what it was." That's where the slice-of-life feel kind of gets in the way, i think.
They could've connected all the cases more and have them build up to the main conflict somehow, idk. Notably, things kinda start to drag in the "two lovers separated by the law case" and the "bereaved mom learns how to curse out toxic husband and leave him case". Also "the domestically abused and neglected child" arc that ends with the boy just hugging and living with his abusers at the end and janggun giving his precious snacks to them made me SO mad. Like, it what world would that happen just like that.
2. Characters: and when we begin to complain about the flaws with how each case/arc is resolved, we must recognize that there were many issues with what I'm going to call CHARACTER INCONSISTENCY.
-Minor-
-Eunwoo's dad, HyunRyeong, kinda just FAiLs as a father at least 90% of the time during this drama. You gave your daughter for some unexplained reason to a family with a shady reputation and then left her there to be abused just because the LAW said so?? You are the law within your district!! And also he pulls strings later to keep her at the clinic and allow her to examine dead bodies WHERE WAS THIS ENERGY before?? Has he even apologized for what he allowed to happen to his daughter? And then he has the nerve at the end of the drama to make her move with him somewhere else for ANOTHER unexplained reason??
-the main antagonist, Jo TaeHak, had less screen time than the disgusting Im SooMan (whose tongue i wanted to cut off oooh he annoyed me so muchhhh). WhY DiD he let Im SooMan live for that long??? What purpose did that serve. He literally said, I don't need to keep you alive after SooMan had revealed all his cards. And then he changed his mind after Sooman, what, begged him to live?? And u know what, it didn't help him in the end at all, he should've knowN THAT.
-our man, our savior during the desperate hour, second lead and pretend antagonist, Shinwoo. This boi was done so dirty i just cant. He's smart too. WhY DiD hE LeT Im SooMan live so long too? He literally betrayed you several times and did things behind your back. Also you were childhood besties AND you're in love with Eunwoo. WhY do you keep trying to tie her down and keep her away? He should know her original personality is that she loves to investigate mysteries and crimes. But he kept getting mad at her and threatening to send her back to her family (who, as chief inspector, he should know cant be trusted) if she didn't "stAY oUT Of THiS."

-Major-
-i love hyang gi so I'll start with her character. EUNWOO is introduced as a bright, curious young woman, and naive as she may be of the constraints and duties that await her in marriage, she is still courageous in the face of danger (and the patriarchy that would rather she not stick her nose into the world of crime-solving). She is confident and will not shy away from examining the gruesome to solve an intriguing mystery. She goes after what she wants and isn't afraid to voice her thoughts and opinions. However, these traits are lost to the shadows of depression that resulted from the year with her abusive in-laws. After she escapes this situation, she still has to spend months of recovery with the gyesoo gang, relearning how to live confidently and unafraid to talk about her wishes and pursue the things she used to love before.
Once she recovers enough, she’s a boss. Like sherlock to the watson that is Poong, she shows off impeccable observation and deduction skills that are immensely helpful when Poong is focused on something else while investigating a death or suspicious injury/illness. She’s his translator for when he doesn't know how to speak to clients in common speech instead of complicated medical jargon they won't understand. She saves him from awkward social situations where he lacks delicacy and the ability to lie/manipulate due to him living a life focused mainly on studying and being oblivious to the treacherous mind games of corrupt/ambiguous court officials and other nobility around him. She as a noble woman is somewhat experienced in this regard.
This is such a cool set-up for her character until it sort of slowly fades away sometime after poong starts teaching her acupuncture. Which is cool, but she becomes this sort of tool that Poong can use only when he needs to use her to treat others, like a party member in a game, and then all the times that she could use the cool detective skills till the end- SHE DOESNT really USE THEM. Instead, POONG takes that role. And this is happening as the action is picking up and the big confrontation/conflict is closing in, so there's not much time to treat other patients. She slowly becomes this nurse love interest in a medical drama that loses professionalism and her cool way too often and is out of her original character because her focus becomes hyper "male lead"-centered and how she can help him. And yes, i know she loves him, but before, she knew her priorities and she was good at thinking on her feet but near the end of the drama she doesn't exhibit this trait as much and it upsets me. so much potentiaL~
-speaking of SEPOONG, drama's namesake, I will say, he was also a well-written character. He starts out with everything going good for him, but then he falls to the lowest of lows and he doesn't do an unrealistic, "if i just believe and be positive" power up and suddenly get back up on his feet quickly. he has a legitimate mental trauma that he continues to wrestle with and slowly, but surely finds ways to help people despite it as he recovers. While breaking old habits from when he was a privileged noble man. Great character development. but there are aspects of his character that aren't consistent to me. Like the way sometimes he's reliable in situations where characters clearly need defense or protection and sometimes he's not. Like the time Eunwoo almost got stabbed because he just stood there staring at that girl running towards him. His communication inconsistencies are directly related to my next big issue and that is....
3. The Romance: a lot of you blamed this on the lack of chemistry between the two actors but i would like to argue that much of the problem can be attributed to the writing.
-Poong has this quirky "mansplaining attitude" way too much: I know a lot of you Minjae/Sepoong fans are gonna jump on the defense and be all like, " nooo, he was just being considerate to her as a rookie to medicine, he's just being a gentlemannn" NO. You're wrong and here's why:
Sepoong should know that Eunwoo is very intelligent and quick to learn even without all the education that he has. Or at least have understood this when they had that study night where she literally memorized pulses and acupuncture enough to help a girl the next day. But he--forgets this sometimes during what are supposed to be ROMANTIC moments. Like when he's going through his books and he thinks of her and right there is a great moment to pop a flashback of eunwoo's beautiful face and him smiling at the thought of her BUT DO WE GET THAT?NO we get Sepoong assuming, OUT LOUD that eunwoo "couldn't pOssibly hAndLE the intricacies of medicine contained in these books. it would be too difficult for her!" Or the time they're supposed to be flirting in the bookstore(WE'LL REVISIT THIS LATER), and he's like, "the way you're looking at those medicine books its like they're romance books." Was that supposed be flirting? because Sepoong. We're in the medicine section of the library. Don't patronize her. I'd also like to mention how many times he just kept Eunwoo out of the loop or left her at the clinic to "protect her" even though he knows she's not afraid of death, is agile like a ninja, and is capable of helping him investigate things medical and crime-related but he's just like, " eunwoo, stay at the clinic or with the family," or "eunwoo its not safe, go somewhere else." Like when he could've taken her with him for those THREE MONTHS at the capital because he's DONE IT before and at that point she was basically an EXPERT in acupuncture. She could've been his assistant i dont UNDERSTAND whY he just left her like that and didn't even at least HUG her and apologize for leavinG. ugh.
-And then there's the times where, like i mentioned before, even though he's shown to jump to Eunwoo's defense quickly, or get jealous of others because he's an eunwoo simp, theres times like when Eunwoo got knocked out and slightly re-traumatized by that guy we thought was stealing herbs from the clinic, and although he's come to her defense before, he didn't even get as mad as expected. He even voluntarily helped the guy escape prison and reunite with his lover. Like hurt her twice. You don’t just let that GO.

-moving on, FLIRTING. We all watch kdramas here. you've seen some good flirting scenes. but here....well, lets just return to the bookstore scene. like in a typical romcom, they meet in a bookstore, and he wittily mentions that he has all of the medical knowledge in the store memorized and could teach her better than any of these books. She mischievously counters that sometimes he exaggerates too much. he repeatedly denies it as she walks away with a smirk. Except,
she's not really smirking, its more of a content smile. And he just left aegyo-style whining in the bookstore that he doesn't exaggerate. *sighs* this is awkward. Sepoong and Eunwoo can be really cute around each other. They're both adults but because they're sheltered nobles during medieval period, understandably they can act like awkward teens around each other. But even with the awkwardness of first love, i think what was missing the mischief and more witty banter. It would have added more tension to the romance instead of giving off the same energy of two kpop idols of opposite gender on stage singing a love song but not even looking at each other. Suggestions the director could've given to the actors was have Eunwoo, while Sepoong is denying that he exaggerates too much, answer back with "yea, yea, surrreee" emphasizing that she is being mischievous here, because otherwise her teasing him like this is odd and out of place. I myself, almost missed that that was the intention in the scene.
I saw others blaming this on hyang gi 's acting and expression, BUT LEMME JUST SAY. IN HER DEFENSE,
Hyanggi hasn't acted in too many romantic works. And the romantic roles she has been given would never just FLIRT like that, okAY?? many of her roles are quiet, meek, unassuming characters that think a lot before they speak (mainly because they get bullied or something worse i dont why she always gets these abused roles in general). Its not like she lacks expression. She smiles like an angel, cries like a goddess, the look she gives when she's lost it all and wants to die breaks your heart; and her glares of disgust and reproach hurt like an arrow to the face. But if she had to practice on something, its mischievous expressions. The flirtatious smirk, smiling with fury in your eyes(would help us understand that she was doing revenge acupuncture on that lady), the quick switch between smile-brief scowl-smile.... and its not like her smile with an eyebrow raise doesn't work, its just too innocent for some scenes where we need to know she's up to no good or she's being cheeky or teasing. I hope that she re-watches this season and learns from this because i don't want these ignorant people out here to think she's "bad at acting"
-Another thing I will add is the LACK of SECOND MALE LEAD exposure. I already discussed this earlier when talking about Shinwoo's character inconsistencies and how he doesn’t seem to treat Eunwoo childhood best friend/1st love. Which brings us to the question: HOW were we supposed to be more attached to him and root for him as a second ML in the romance if you weren't going to flesh out the history between Shinwoo and Eunwoo at least through a bit of flashbacks here and there?? Hello, we're watching a KDRAMA. Where are the flashbacks??
There was also missing romantic tension between Shinwoo and Eunwoo. After the scene where he's first introduced. and where he's going to give her flowers....where'd it go? Where did the POTENTIAL gO?? WHERE IS ITTT aND you might say, "oh, he was getting mad at her going around, doing what she wants, because he was really jealous of her spending time with poong" WHiLe partly true, THATS NOT IT. He was never going to have a chance with that kind of attitude. You could've given him more scenes with Eunwoo just, yk, being an upright gentleman, smiling goofily in her direction upon just happening to meet her in town instead of all the scowling. Weirdly enough, he had more bromantic scenes with Poong than he did with Eunwoo. He didn't even tell Eunwoo that he was going to Japan in the end he told POONG. i'm surprised THEY didn't get the hug that I so badly wanted for my OTP. It was almost like after Poong saved Shinwoo's life the first time(which BTW he does again. and again), Shinwoo becomes love rivals with Eunwoo, the one he was supposed to be in love with. Think the internal conflict he has before setting the quarantine village on fire is the last time he shows his attachment to Eunwoo. After he was saved by Poong he was a changed man, apparently.
This actually kinda hurts because I watched the actors group interview/promotions before the drama released, and Hyanggi and WonChang had the most chemistry when they were playing games with each other. Just their mannerisms are so in sync and similar. I wanted to see the smile he directed at hyanggi the whole interview used in the drama, but OH WELL.
CONCLUSION:
I gave this drama an 8.5 because despite the lack of smooth flow between plot points, conflict, character, and romance, i truly believe that this is one gem of a drama that everyone should give a chance. There's not many period dramas that can give you this kind of therapeutic vibe while also serving a romance that while awkward, is still relatable at times and true, and a family makes you laugh, cry, get angry, and just feel at home and your feelings and state of being validated, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, keeping you on your toes as you wait at the edge of your seat to see what happens next to our main characters as they navigate murder mysteries and court intrigue and sometimes biological warfare (that epidemic arc was insane).

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Hmmm, I thought it was a little all over the place

First, I'll say I'm not a big fan of historical dramas. Though the costuming is beautiful, I sometimes find it distracting. So many of the men look alike, between the hats and the facial man-pubes, just not attractive. Then there's always the typical palace intrigue -the same plot line dropped into every historical drama. It's superficial, I know, but there it is.

This is a difficult review for me to write, because my likes and dislikes seem to be so intertwined, but I'll do my best.

LIKES:
-Ahn Chang Hwan as Poong's servant/companion/champion/friend - This was a wonderful character. Used mostly for comedy relief, my interest was piqued each time he was on the screen.
-Some beautiful filming - especially the women's festival with the fireworks and the swing. It was used as a hook toward the very beginning, and I kept hoping for more. I had to be satisfied with the beautiful landscaping.
-Kim Min Jae as Poong and Kim Hyang Gi as Seo Eun Woo. They were marvelous together. There was mutual respect there.
-The people of the medical community/village - found family. The bonding between the characters, how they had each other's backs, how they talked through crimes together. A lot of comedy, but the love shone through.
-The music was used effectively.
-Solving multiple cases. I liked how it wasn't JUST palace intrigue, but they solved a new case every couple of episodes.
-I liked that the main characters called each other by name (she may not have, I can't remember), but he did. I realize it's a cultural thing, but it always bothers me when two characters get romantically involved and she still calls him Mr./Director, etc.

COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
-I am NOT liking this trend of having multiple seasons. It makes the show seem draggy in a lot of ways, because they need to milk it for all it's worth just to continue in a new season.
-Hated the ending. Again, I know there's another season, but it was so lackluster.
-The show felt uneven to me. There were so many lighthearted moments, but then in the last three or four episodes it turned to full-on melodrama. I don't like melodrama, but that's just me. I fast forwarded though a lot of the last few episodes.
-Romance is listed way down on the tags, as it should be, but scenes that you see advertising the show focus on the romance, like they are trying to sell it as a romance. So, as a romance lover, I was disappointed in the storyline. I couldn't even call this a slow burn romance. Not only did romance take a backseat to all the intrigues, it wasn't even in the car!
-So many evil characters, and the main bad guy was so over-the-top he seemed like a caricature of a bad guy. I kept expecting him to twirl his moustache like cartoon bad guys do.
-An awful lot of abuse by parents to children. This is hard for me to watch.
-The name of this drama really bothered me for some reason. This was more like a CSI-type show. They did mention underlying reasons for what was going on with people (anger, despair, etc.), but then moved back into the acupuncture jargon.
-Overacting by the granny. I realize she was supposed to have dementia, but her constant yelling and dancing was very distracting.
-So, basically by working with Poong for a week or so, Eun Woo was a doctor?!?! I know that the standards were different back then, but sheesh!

So, I'd say give it a try, especially if you are a historical drama fan. It did have a lot going for it, but it definitely didn't leave me feeling satisfied, especially knowing now I have to watch the new season, just to see what happens.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama "Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo Se Poong" is a historical medical drama.

The series has two things going for it, the comedy and the small family that the people of the 'medical center' create.

The drama has some comical moments that ease the tension of the medical cases that were, however, few and spar.

The romance was also a weak point for the drama, as the couple had too few moments and, thus, didn't create the right momentum to have an enjoyable love story.

The performances, on the other hand, were pretty great by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Need a few more special herbs in this guggling brew

I have high hopes for this drama (why do I feel like I just cursed the show? ;) ). It has a good cast and I like the ML when he stars in other shows. The FL is quite good at playing a sassy girl as well. It should be a sure fire hit, right?

The answer is a bit more complicated. The Show starts strongly. The opening scenes are impactful with some quite confronting. We have two leads who are hurt and damaged by the machinations of others. Both lives are derailed, and their future seems to be full of uncertainties and trials.

The Show is patently a healing drama with a strong dose of romance. The chemistry between the leads is unmistakeable from the start. The show largely delivers on its premise, but it is not without caveats.

Part of the problem is that the Show drifts from one motif to another without fully committing to any of them. There is palace intrigue which is full-on at the beginning but faded mid show. Comedic elements pop up from time to time but you can hardly call it a comedy. Medical dramas run right down the centre. Some cases are interesting but most are just fillers.

The whole Joseon psychiatrist thing is a bit of a deception. The ML still based his diagnosis on checking the parent's pulse and countenance. Treatments are centred on acupuncture and herbal tonics. He does think more about the circumstances of his patients, but I'd call him mindful, insightful rather than a neophyte psychiatrist.

The love line is oddly nebulous as well. Not that the leads are confused about their feelings. If anything, they knew exactly how they feel about each other, but the show just won’t let them take the leap.

I don't want to use the word draggy to describe this show and it is not, at least not in the classical sense. It feels more like a lack of resolve. It is as if the show is buying time, rather than wasting time. This might well be because the show is renewed for a second season before the first season is even over so the writer-nims might be under pressure to keep a few tricks up their collective sleeves for S2.

Characterisation is a mixed bag. The leads have clear identities, and their portrayals are largely on point. The support cast is more one dimensional with most of them employed as comedic relieves. The antagonists are a tropey mix of local pompous bully and power-hungry grand vizier type. They brought forth death and destruction, but the intrigue is more pedestrian than Byzantine.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the Show. All the ingredients are in the pot, but it just simmers and guggles. Never quite come to a boil. It is good but not great. To be fair, the Show concluded satisfactorily at the end of S1 with retribution and redemption dished out appropriately. It didn’t quite end in a cliff-hanger but more like a ridge-hanger.

Bring on season 2! Hwaiting!

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Poong, the Joseon Virgin

The earlier episodes of the first season were decent and promising but there was a clear and undeniable pattern slowly starting to emerge after a few episodes. The drama was heading in a downward spiral throughout its both seasons. There was no clear direction to its story, I wanted it to remain as a slice of life but even that was not attractive on its own. Each passing episode felt like a downgrade of the previous episode. By the end of 2nd season, my interest had plummeted and it lost any remaining appeal. The only plausible reason for this drama to get a season 3 is if the studio wanted to commit some kind of money laundering/tax fraud scheme. It's never a good sign to adapt something and have its serialization based on public perception. This will most likely result in incomplete stories and padded semi-soft endings unless its creators were to pull through and be the exception. In more than one way, the Anime sphere shifted mostly towards this scheme in the past 6-7 years and it turned into a survival of the fittest type of race. The Kdrama is slowly heading in the exact same direction.

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Not really about psychological cases

I must say that the title and the first episode deceived me as to the content of this series.
I thought that this would be a more light-hearted series with interesting cases, like the one in the first episode, cases that actually could be considered psychological.

Mostly, cases in following episodes were based in familial conflicts, poisoning etc. -- they also felt samey after a while.
I did not care for the court intrigue at all, and so I needed about two months to get through the second-to-last episode.

I also wished that we got to see more of Gye's family, I think the characters could have been really interesting but they remained rather one-dimensional. Overall, I enjoyed the interaction between the family members.

One last addition: The poisonous plant ("Dansacho") shown seemed to be Cyclamen, which is native to Europe and to the east up to Iran, NOT Korea. If it is, the symptoms are not what characters experience in the series. That fact makes me question the reliability of other medical practices in the show.

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