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The story line had everything sadness, happiness, comedy (a lot of it), frustration, anger and confusion. But the last two parts lets it down i think it was due to rushed ending. They wanted to wrap up al of the answered questions. Also, there were some repeated scenes but in different ep which made the story to drag out and lose development. However, the acting was just AMAZING i have no problem with the actors and the emotions they portrayed. Would i watch this? probably not.
Give it a go, you will enjoy the first 14 or so episodes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Second Lead Syndrome Caught Me in 'Doctor Stranger'
There are many things I want to say about this drama. First off the whole cencept is very ambitious since it's doing a story including North Korea and how there were many times the main 2 leads couldv'e died. Also this is the first Drama and will probably be for a while in which I actually fell into the whole sencond lead syndrome, I generally supported Quack and Park Hoon for the forst half of the show and I really enjoyed thier interactions together.This story has many coincedences between Park Hoon and Jae Hee in which they call fate but to be honest, in terms of this story I have to believe they were fated to be together, the amount of shit they had to go through to get to the happy ending was alot. Some people are saying it wouldv'e been better if Park Hoon and Jae Hee died and everyone accepted it, but since I'm such a sucker to good endings I was actually hoping thier was a good ending in which they both lived and they happily live thier lives together and that is what we got.
With Park Hoon, he really had a tough life and like Joon Jae said at the end of the show. Behind Park Hoon's happy exterior, he is going through a lot of pain and stress. During his time in North Korea after spliting up with Jae Hee, he had to work as a doctor in which sacrifices lives in order to increase his medical experience and knowledge, so he was unwillingly killing heathy people to grow. Throughout his time in South Korea I really enjoyed his character and when I thought he was going to give up and lay down, he comes back up and makes his comeback. This show had a severe case of second lead syndrome to the point I wanted it to happen, but this came with the fact that Jae Hee wasn't fully likable when she first came to South Korea. Park Hoon's relationship with Soo Hyeon (Quack) was a breath of fresh air from the tense and stressful relationship between Jae Hee and Park Hoon. Quack was very light hearted and her backstory just made me support her even more to teh point even Jae Hee tried to set them up at the end and would leave after everything is done. Soo Hyeon was what this drama and Park Hoon needed and even though they didn't work out, I was fine.
Jae Hee's character is very complex because she is originally from North Korea and falls in love with a South Korean, and also her family had very different political beliefs than what a North Korean should have so that got her put in a detention center. Near the end of the show when she was trying to push Hoon away, she said that she regrets holding onto Cha Jin Soo's hand to meet Hoon because she didn't know how much dnager it would put him in but her 'greed' which was longing to see Hoon was large. Her relationship with Hoon was actually nice to watch because it felt rewarding after seeing how much they went through for the whole show so when they first reconnected as Hoon and Jae Hee I was really happy that happened but felt a bit sorry for Soo Hyeon. Overall I liked her character but there were times where I found her infuriating when she tried to push Hoon away saying she was take all the pain basically just so Hoon and his mother would be fine, but now that I think of it, it's actually very mature of her and mustv'e took alot out of her.
I actually like the OST in this show, especially the one called 'Stranger' by Bobby Kim, that OST just shouts at me for being a good OST and everythime it came on I loved the song becausee the lyrics fit the theme of the show very well saying 'If your not here, I'm just a Stranger' Meaning that if Jae Hee isn't with Hoon, then he will feel like he doesn't belong anywhere and it's quite sad honestly.
If your loking for a drama in which is Star Crossed love typed romance with a heavy mix of medical and also a Second Lead Syndrome you can actually support then watch Doctor Stranger.
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One of the first medical dramas which changed my mind on medical genre (I'm not a fan)
LIKEThe whole encounter between Park Hoon and Jae Hee before they were re-united again
Park Hoon's mad surgery skills - though this is drama but still engaging
DISLIKE
Jae Hee's difficult situation - felt her pain
MUSIC - personal fav
Stranger - Bobby Kim
REWATCH VALUE
Adding to my list to re-watch someday
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Doctor Stranger had a very intriguing beginning that captured the viewers attention just by the mere mention of North Korea. With such a strong beginning it is almost impossible to think that this drama could even go downhill; however, this a completely wrong assumption to make. At the start, the focus on Park Hoon and the moral dilemma of being a doctor made for a completely emotional story line. Unfortunately, the show was not able to keep up this interest as it feel into a decline. The romance was dragged out between the main character and his love interest with too much push and pull that made it quite difficult to end up rooting for them (especially since their romance as childhood sweethearts was too adorable to handle). If you are looking for the romantic doctor content, then you most likely won't find it here. The biggest issue with the story line is that it just wasn't planned out as well as it could have been.
Acting wise? Not many complaints. Lee Jong Suk provides amazing depth to the lead character and acts with the same charm that we all know and love. Park Hae Jin's double sided character is portrayed as well as it can be within this drama, no complaints. As for the two female leads, it is hard to say whether they were good as their characters were just terribly written. Many scenes with the female actresses were just missing the character development that they both deserved which in turn just made them bland and uninteresting to watch. I think it is safe to say that Yoon Bora's Chang Yi saved the day in terms of female characters with her lovable and charming personality.
Can't say much about the music as it did not seem to have as much of an impact as it should have.
Would I rewatch it? Probably not. Would I recommend it to someone? Possibly yes, depending on if they are a fan of any of the actors/actresses.
Overall opinion: I am not going to say that it is the worst (even if it was, I can't leave a drama unfinished). But there are definitely places for improvement, which is disappointing because the show had so much potential if it had been executed properly. My positive opinions about the show come from a bit of a biased opinion based on the pure fact that I am a fan of Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin. If you want a romantic drama, this isn't the one to look for. If you want a medical drama, there are a few better ones out there. If you want good looking male leads who provide depth to a character, then knock yourself out with this.
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Medical thriller with a historical political twist
A cautionary moral tale, about ethics, politics, promises, and duty of care. Surprisingly deep despite the sometimes shallow characters (like the playboy resident), this heart-pumping, oft gory drama about one of the top cardiology departments in Korea shows how far politicians, soldiers and doctors and prepared to go in order to ensure they reach the very top and remain there as long as they can. Pretty solid acting by all, especially northern side and the seemingly cold dad. A surprise sleeper hit which kept our pulses raised till the very end.Was this review helpful to you?
Dieses Drama ist ein Krampf...
Es ist wirklich anstrengend gewesen, die vollen 20 Episoden durch zu halten. Die Geschichte ist so holprig und teilweise unsinnig. Die Geschichtsstränge fügen sich absolut nicht zusammen. Nichts harmoniert hier miteinander. Es gibt zwei Arten von Geschichten, die in ein Drama gepackt wurden. Einmal die Storyline mit Nordkorea, Flüchtling und Politisch brisant und dann der Krankenhaus quark mit Rache am Direktor. Aber rein gar nichts davon, ist stimmig oder fügt sich gut zusammen. Die Musik ist so anstrengend und schlecht, sowie unpassend. Die Schauspieler die eigentlich Paare bilden, haben null...wirklich absolut null Chemie. Ist auch egal auf welches man hier schaut. Die FL (Dr.Han) ist unsagbar unsympathisch. Viele Handlungen sind völlig irrational und unsinnig. Die vorletzte und letzte Folge, sind spannend...bis das Ende naht. Dann ist es einfach nur noch Stumpfsinnig und Platt. Völlig sinnfrei geraten sie in eine Situation die einem Dejavu gleicht. Es macht aber wirklich gar keinen Sinn, wie es dazu kam. Alles in allem, ist die Serie eine krasse Zeitverschwendung. Unglaublich viele Filler Folgen, ziehen das Übel unnötig in die Länge. So unrund war ein Drama schon lange nicht mehr. Schade.Was this review helpful to you?
Great Drama
I watch all 20 ep on two days and for every day i finish 10 ep, For the story its goes byond audience expections and thats make it so attractive and you will watch more and more till you want to know the whole truth about how North Korean & South Korea make alliance agiant Dr.Han and his lovely spy girlfriendFor the music its great but For action Clips acting & Video graphic still so poor and look like cheap i hope in futuer they learn from their mistakes and introduce something more realistic.
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Lee Jong Suk and Kang So Ra!
Doctor Stranger had so much potential, but it felt like the writers couldn’t tighten the story up in a way that fully delivered on its premise. The setup is strong and the medical thriller angle with North Korea had a lot of room to be gripping, but the execution often felt uneven and scattered, which made it hard to stay fully invested throughout.Lee Jong Suk as Park Hun was one of the highlights of the drama. He did a great job and his delivery as a doctor felt convincing and natural, especially in high pressure surgical scenes. One of my favorite moments was when he was saving a baby, it really showed his intensity and skill as a dctor and stood out as one of the most emotional and engaging parts of the drama.
The chemistry between Lee Jong Suk and Jin Se Yeon was completely lacking. I couldn’t even root for them as a couple, and their scenes together felt flat and forced.
Lee Jong Suk and Kang So Ra had great chemistry and their dynamic felt more natural and believable on screen. You can see the admiration she has for him as a doctor which I felt turned into a crush, but I liked the way it was played out.
Jin Se Yeon’s portrayal of a North Korean spy didn’t work for me either. I couldn’t take her seriously in the role, especially in scenes where she was supposed to appear threatening, tough, or mysterious. It just didn’t land emotionally or convincingly, which made her storyline less engaging.
Overall, the drama had a strong concept and a solid cast, but the writing and character chemistry issues kept it from reaching its full potential.
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Story: 9/10 - I really enjoyed this drama's story. I must admit that I did prefer the first half of the story and I do think the concept of Jong Suk and Se Yeon did tire me towards the end. The North Korea element really boosted the story for me and definitely kept me up at night! I am sure I will never forget the first 4 episodes of this drama. They have sticked with me until now, and I think it drove this story to the 9 it is now.
Acting: 9.5/10 - I LOVED this cast. When I say the cast, I am being a little biased considering 2 of my favourite actors are the main characters of this drama (Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin). However Kang So Ra was also a great protagonist, and our dear Chun Ho Jin was ever the great villain!
Music: 8.5/10 - Okay, this soundtrack was indeed great and I remember actively singing along with it while I watched this drama, but the sole reason for this 8.5 is the fact that for the life of me I could not remember any of the songs as I started writing this review. After a quick look at my k-drama soundtracks playlist I indeed found some of the songs among my favourites.
Rewatch Value: 8/10 - This criteria is a bit hard to judge for me, seeing as I am a person that doesn't enjoy rewatching things that much, so I have decided to judge this based on how much I predict I would enjoy it in case I did rewatch this drama. I have based this 8 on the sole reason that I think if I had to watch Se Yeon's character for 20 more hours I might get slightly put off this drama for real.
Overall: 9/10 - I think this drama is another Korean Drama classic. Besides the action packed story and great actors, it explores much more than the mere relationships between doctors or patients. It pushes the boundaries of what we think medicine is and makes us question corruption inside the government. It will forever be a drama that I remember dearly, even if some aspects of it lacked a little (Lee Jong Suk and Jin Se Yeon's relationship). I do apologise for the excessive talk on the Jin Se Yeon character, but it is honestly the only flaw I can point out in this drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
The beginning is one of the best!!!
I rewatch it a month ago...I enjoyed it more because i knew what was coming.
The story is interesting, the separated lovers and the endlessly effort to reunite. I didn't like the plolitics, wish it has more "hospital" time, more interesting ways of showing the awesome skills of Park Hoon.
A little long to me, could be cut to 10 or 12 episodes.
I think the end is ok, a little rushed for me.
I don't understand Park Hoon decision of living in a remote place and a remote hospital Is he going to waste his ans Hang Seung Hee skills?
I was completely addicted in the first 8 to 10 episodes! But after that, they did dragged a little: don't understand the 16 episodes formula. Few dramas deserve so many episodes and most of them tend to drag the story.
Overall, this could be a master piece but it fail to deliver...
But, if you like beautiful and true love, a plot with lots of twists and mistery, great moments of suspense, excitement, specially in the O.R., them please watch it!
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