Hospital Ship (2017)

Let me start off by saying, that there is so many cliches and absurd plot devices  in this drama that you would think it was a makjang drama.

This was by no means a perfect work of art and I get the distinct impression that the writer kind of lost her way when it got to the end of it. However, I liked this drama and I'm not sure if it's because I've gotten soft when it comes to dramas or if I'm being blinded by my new love of Min-Hyuk. As someone who always scrutinizes stories and will drop a drama in a millisecond if I'm displeased, I never once felt the urge to drop this drama even though there were quite a few "are you fxkjncvkkj serious?" and "fx!!k this crap" moments. I even fell behind and usually when I fall behind on episodes is when I realize I don't miss them and drop, but I still managed to get caught up with this one.

I think Ha Ji-won did an excellent job at portraying her role of Dr. Song Eun-Jae.. She was especially good when it was the emotional scenes because I thought that was when we got to see the strength of her acting. Kang Min-hyuk surprised me a lot. I have never seen anything with him in it before (i never made it long enough with The Heirs to even notice he was in that.) I think Min-hyuk did a pretty good job at portraying the Dr. Kwak Hyun.. I enjoyed how .. for lack of a better word.. "sweet" Hyun was. He always was genuine in whatever he did and I felt the sincerity every time. A lot of people have complained that he is the weakest part of the drama and I wholeheartedly disagree. Min-hyuk may not have been playing some revolutionary character, but he definitely got the job done. This brings me to the people who said there was a lack of chemistry.. I truly believe chemistry is subjective because I can tell you that I did not feel an ounce of chemistry between a certain kdrama couple that everyone and their mama loves which have a similar age gap that I thought was painfully noticeable. I guess when its top stars yall have different standards. Truthfully, I wasn't even aware that there was a 13 year age gap until I tried to find out who Min-hyuk was.

Another thing I liked about the drama was the moments where we got to see the Hospital Ship really shine as a family. I felt as though those scenes were far and few in between and would've been more impactful if they were more frequent. Nonetheless, the cast worked well together and the few things that I found to be amiss were generally the points where everything felt overly saturated with nonsense. Like the dentist was listed as a main (on wiki), but I literally cannot tell you a darn thing about him. I also felt some of the plot lines existed for no reason and feel kind of half done? The last two episodes felt like a bit of a "we forgot to really sell the romance, lets do bullcrap." /I/ would've done this a different way but I am not Yoon Sun-Ho so I mean whatever.

Is it the best medical drama out there? No. Is it the best storyline ever? No. However, I think Hospital ship was a quite pleasant drama.

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I have very mixed feelings about this drama.  I really liked the premise (similar to a J-Drama from a while back) and the set up was handled well if a tad bit melodramatic.  The writer did an okay job of introducing all the people on the ship and getting the story underway.  It became hit or miss based on the medical stories told in the episodes.

The major flaws are a reliance on tired tropes, an odd but thankfully short lived love triangle, an unnecessary addition of a messed up ex,  over the top medical scenario (the teacher...you'll know it when you see it) that makes me dislike the female lead for a bit. Also, and no small thing, the drama is definitely too long.    In addition, the writer didn't seem able to set a tone.  A little medical, a little romance, a little comedy, a little melo, a little slice of life and so on.  I'm not saying that can't work but this writer does not have the skills to pull it off.  (Watch Doc Martin for that.)  There seemed to be an effort to make it a little bit like every other successful medical drama that had come before instead of just making it his/her own.  That's unfortunate.  

Also, if there is one thing I could tell drama writers who are doing a medical show, it is this:  hospital politics are always boring.  The writer stayed away until toward the end and it was just blah and I skipped as much as I could.  I finally figured out that I liked the story more when they were on the ship, and it slowed down when they were in the local hospital.  The ship is what makes this scenario unique.

I stuck with the drama because I did like a lot of the first half of the drama even with some of the tropes.  Unlike many who couldn't buy into the relationship between the two leads, I actually appreciated that it was low-key and sweet.  I like that she was the surgeon and he the internal medicine doc and was a good guy.  Normally in k-drama, he would be a jerk or tsundere or a genius surgeon.  The age difference didn't bother me, because it didn't bother the characters as relayed by the actors.   I also was fine with all the actors.  I am middle of the road about HJW, but I liked her here and Kang Min Hyuk matched her low key character.  Again, I do understand that many couldn't buy into their relationship, but this is what kept me in the drama until the end.

Well, kind of until the end.  I am doing the review but - full disclosure - I did fast forward through a lot of the last 5 hours of drama (though I did watch the last episode).   So I would say that if you figure out early on that you can't buy into this relationship, drop because there is not enough other stuff to keep you going because the romance is somewhat secondary for a chunk of the drama.  

Overall, I think this was a missed opportunity by the writer.  I kept thinking that I wanted to know more about what it was like on the Hospital Ship.  What about storms?  What happens if you date and break up and are stuck together?  What happens when you get sick to death of one another?  I get that it is a medical drama, but I would have liked to learned more about life on the ship and had some character development that way versus everyone and their dog associated with these people having some family/medical issue.   Nonetheless, I did stick it out and I would give the first half a 7 and the second half a 6 so around 6.5.

Problems others had:  Medical scenarios aren't realistic.  I love not being in the profession and not having to care but, yeah, I get it.

 

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Drama, Suspense and a Sweet Romance

I love medical shows and this one didn’t disappoint me. A strong female lead and a group of young male military doctors to constantly stir things up. Add in a hospital ship and a group of nurses and you have a unique experience. The series went fast for me because each episode was a story in itself and they were all interesting. For some reason 40 thirty minute episodes seems to go a lot faster then 20 one hour episodes. Unlike some of the reviews I’ve read, I thought the writer did an excellent job of developing the characters. I put my trust in the writer and people that produce and direct a drama when I watch. That way I accept that each scene has meaning. It doesn’t always work out that way, but in this case it did. I throughly enjoyed this drama.

In reality more of the drama took place off ship than on, but I enjoyed both locations.There was drama, suspense, some comedy and a sweet romance. No one part of the show was dominate over another part. For example, if you don’t like hospital politics you were in luck. It was scattered throughout but it didn’t dominate the storyline. I would have liked more romance because that’s why I watch these shows, but the romance in this series was perfect. Sweet, touching and always present in so many ways.

I thought this was one of Ha Ji Won’s best performances. She has a way of projecting strength in her performances. Her portrayal of Dr. Song Eun Jae was perfect. She gave in gradually to the romance and that made it even more special. Kang Min Hyuk was also fantastic in his role of Dr. Kwak Hyun. He played a strong character who never got jealous or overbearing in his love for Dr. Song. The two of them together were priceless.

I liked the music, especially the music that ended each episode. I woke up thinking about this drama this morning with five episodes left to watch. I got a cup of coffee and immediately watched the rest. I would recommend this drama to anybody that wants a few days of good entertainment.

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Yes, I am a Ha Ji Won stan due to the fact that she constantly reinvents herself. She accepted dramas that have had low ratings but the fact that she plays characters which are different every drama brings me joy. When I first heard of HJW and Kang Min Hyuk teaming up together, I was honestly worried. Not really worried about KMH since he was my bias in CNBLUE but because they had an age gap. I'm worried how will they pull of these two outstanding doctor characters perfectly without me realizing that Minhyukkie was way younger than eonnie. But when I started watching this drama I was wrong. Boy, I was wrong. I've actually seen this drama 4 times, the first 2 because I couldn't get over and the succeeding was because it became one of my comfort dramas. So here I am trying to review this. I know people were disappointed but I really loved the story and the characters of this drama.

Song Eun Jae is one tough talented top surgeon at a popular hospital in Seoul who got cast out of work in the big city on to the Hospital Ship because she questioned her superior's mishap. Kwak Hyun is an internal doctor who chose to work in the ship while battling his inner demons and family burden. The Hospital Ship's objective is to provide healthcare for elderly people living in the islands that could not afford the right medical care. Each character in the crew of the hospital ship brought weight to the show. I loved the fact that it also centered around the stories of ordinary people they were helping and not just on the lives of the crew. What I hated are two things: Yeong Eun's arrival (Kwak Hyun's former gf) to add spice into the story and Eun Jae's illness. I think the illness part was out of place but I appreciate the fact we see how Kwak Hyun cares for her.

Let me just say this again: Min Hyuk as Kwak Hyun was a surprise. He did pull off the character and I don't know if it is a thing with Ha Ji Won and her male leads but damn, they had chemistry here. (I also found out that they share the same birthday in real life).

The OST: so good. One of those dramas where I loved every song of the OST that I even bought the physical copy.

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What would you do when you want to watch a medical drama but you also don't want to go through the same old hospital beds and kind vs evil doctors. That is where Hospital Ship swoops in for a whole new ride. While the premise of doctors struggling through situations is well discussed, we cannot ignore the excitement that comes with the whole "ship", something only adventure enthusists would agree with.

Genre : rom-com, medical, melodrama

Story : As the name suggests, it is a hospital on a ship for the rural islands not connected by the roads. I have to say this drama was planned out on a creative and unique note with a promise of delivering something different and they start it with the same energy. The characters have been dropped in for their duties who start their story with a lot of grumbling. A reckless surgeon, a warm-hearted Internal medicine doctor, a Korean herbal doctor and a dentist. The staff is well selected with a mature and experienced head nurse and an enthusiastic nurse who is excited about becoming a scrub nurse but only a few characters are well developed and the rest are just toppings on a sundae. The cliche factor isn't avoided with famous star-kids and the table is set. You start hating Ha Ji Won's character as Song Eun Jae but very soon it isn't necessary because Doctor Kwak is the cute but warm hearted caring doctor that is physically impossible but that's why dramas have the ideally perfect people i guess.
There are accidents, incidents, and a bunch of strange cases that can only happen in rural areas but the cliched endings are what get you bored after a while. This is an endearing watch but that's all. The excitement dies out after a while and you're left with sure-i'll-watch-it-meh. There are unnecessary love triangles and passionless pursuing and all that overlaps with the good characters you actually want to follow. Towards the end, the hospital politics decide it's time for the preface and you still know how it's going to end so you're watching it in the background while doing your work. The screenplay is ruined with tactless comedy and even Ha Ji Won loses out. The dialogues, cinematography and plot everything could have been better only if they had properly concentrated on the main story without poking the main couple for more.

Actors : This drama was waited more because of Ha Ji Won and she tries really hard to deliver it well. Her character as a reckless yet talented surgeon is not something you see regularly but her character shows how strong women can be, something she has done in most of her dramas. I am not going to blame her for her stunted dialogues that tried to make her look uptight but the beauty of a strong woman who cannot be perfect but i am going to comment on how the writer tried to bring about her imagination about the 'perfect' man/doctor out there and that's how Kwak Hyun was developed. What's shocking is that Kang Min Hyuk delivers it with his soft features and that slight smile with utmost perfection. There is a strange dignified maturity in their relationship that you normally don't see in  k-dramas which is why i have no right to comment on the chemistry.
I would have talked about the characters more if they had been well written but somehow, they aren't exactly commendable.


Will i watch it again? It was a sleepy ride so no. (This is not good enough for the binge watch night so if you want one i would advice you to watch Emergency Couple.)
Will i recommend it to anyone? I don't think i would. There are better medical dramas out there like the good doctor.  

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This drama is such an intense roller coaster and has an unique plot. (well everyone else says otherwise but I thought the plot was interesting). I am currently a huge fan of medical dramas cause I find them really interesting so I guess you can say I'm a bit biased when reviewing medical dramas. This drama is somewhat realistic as it explores the life of doctors and what they have to put up through on a daily basis. The life staking choices they have to make knowing that someones life in their hands. My favourite character in this drama is the lead Song Eun Jae. She is such a strong, brave , intelligent and independent women who has gone through so much. I think that writers need to create more interesting female characters like her. The chemistry between the let's was spot on but I admit their romance was a bit cliché. At first I ignored this drama and was not going to watch it but I gave in and I don't regret it. Full review in more detail is on my blog.

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only here for kang minhyuk

if i were to be honest, i didn't really have high expectations for this show — the drama started out slow and i wasn't head over heels (at least not YET) for the leading man, but i ended up falling for kang minhyuk SO hard after watching this series.

i agree with the criticisms about how the show could've been written better, but i was able to ignore all the plot holes and the boring hospital politics because of kang minhyuk's smile. lol i'm sorry i feel like i'm just gushing over him instead of writing a review of the drama, but that's only because i was able to stick through 20 episodes of the drama (and even re-watch!) because kang minhyuk is just a delight of a being. ha ji won and the rest of the cast were also able to deliver their roles AMAZINGLY, but minhyuk was just the perfect cast for his role. his gentle personality matched that of dr. kwak and it felt like he didn't even need to act. perhaps my only complain would be the stoic scenes of dr. kwak — it definitely didn't suit his character. other than that though, i loved how kang minhyuk portrayed dr. kwak and i don't think any other actor would have been able to bring out such gentleness and comfort from dr. kwak as minhyuk did.

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All You Need To Know Before Watching This Show.......

This was the first K-drama I ever watched, and it was a unique and memorable experience for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the main leads and their performances. Having initially watched it four years ago, I recently revisited the series, and while I still appreciated its emotional depth, I noticed certain flaws in the writing.

The narrative occasionally feels unsettled, with events beginning and concluding abruptly. The last two episodes, in particular, appeared rushed, with too much happening in a short span. Additionally, the romantic arc lacked development, with limited focus on it in the middle portion of the series. Some side characters seemed unnecessary, and the inclusion of a love triangle felt out of place and did not contribute meaningfully to the story.

However, the emotional scenes remain a standout feature, resonating even more deeply during my second viewing. The acting, especially from the main cast, is exceptional and elevates the drama significantly. That said, character development across the series could have been stronger.

Overall, this is a solid K-drama, particularly well-suited for beginners. Despite its shortcomings, its emotional moments and stellar performances make it an enjoyable watch.

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Solid enough, but could have been better

The pacing was a bit wobbly and the medical side felt extremely under-researched. Medical dramas are one of my passions in life and I've watched pretty much all of them this side of the Greenwich meridian. And I'd like to believe I've gained at least a little bit of knowledge through the years, so them doing open surgeries during this show without using any blood or fluids other than saline, people getting up and walking around after undergoing major surgery, and the fake ass organs they used were quite glaring and difficult for me to overlook. I wished they'd done more research and allocated a bigger budget for the practical effects.

But the cast did a great job. Honestly, Eun Jae was a bit exhausting in her "I don't need anyone and can do it all by my self" attitude, but I really liked the rest of the characters, and in any case Ha Ji Won still did a fantastic job. I feel like Eun Jae was what her character in King 2 Hearts should have been. And Kang Min Hyuk! OMG was a precious little mochi ball. The kindest, sweetest most adorable fictional doctor to ever grace my screen. He deserves more roles as the main character in more romance dramas.

In conclusion, it was good, but it could have been better. But, if you like medical dramas with a side of romance, I think you'll enjoy this show.

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Story: The Story sounded very interesting when I first heart about it. I thought that a drama about doctors and nurses who are working on a hospital ship would be great. I didn‘t know they would add a romance. I love romance in dramas but not in a drama like this. At the beginning the drama had so much potential to become one of my favourite dramas because it was very different from other shows. But why did they add a love triangle (and a love story). At the beginning the story was good, but it got down after a few episodes.

 Cast: Honestly, the Cast was the reason why I watched it til the end. Ha Jiwon is one of my favourite Actresses and I have watched many dramas with her, even though the story wasn‘t very good. Ha Jiwon is an amazing Actress, maybe one of the best in Korea. But I didn‘t liked her role in the drama. I don‘t know why, but she was very cold to other people even though the other person was nice to her. To keep it short she acted very good, but her role wasn‘t very good for me. The character got on my nerves.
 Kang Minhyuk (CNBLUE) played Doktor Kwak Hyun who has a past with a famous father who isn‘t to recognize. Kang Minhyuk is a good Actor. He was impressive in The Heirs and Entertainer but the Role of Kwak Hyun didn‘t suit him. There wasn‘t any emotion for me. After I watched this drama I think Choi Jinhyuk woukd have been better that Minhyuk. The Chemistry between Jiwon and Minhyuk was like zero. I couldn‘t see any romantic feelings between them. The shouldn‘t have add a romance story…
 My favourite Actor war Lee Seowon and he was the one Actor I felt the most sorry for. Seowon has so much potential to become a very good and famous Actor but he chooses projects who aren‘t very good. Although I liked all of his roles until now. Seowon acted as the son of a hospital director and seems to be very arrogant on the outside. On the inside he is very lonely and sensitive, because of his family and past. I don‘t understand why he doesn‘t get a first lead role. I hope he gets one in the near future because his performance in this drama was one of the best.
 The supporting Actors acted well but not amazing.

 Music: The OST was good and it played at the right moments.

 I would recommend it if you don‘t care much about chemistry or if you can ignore a romance which isn‘t very useful.
 In the end I kept watching the drama only because of Lee Seowon, because he has so much potential but his dramas are not very good...

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Lots of medical drama, slow beautiful romance and brilliant character development

Medical dramas are my kryptonite so much that I think most of my favourite shows are medical shows. Similarly, I did not find much to fault in this show as well. Having watched this over ten times, I like various aspects of this show and find quite little to crib about.

Some of my favourite aspects are:
1. The brilliant acting by almost the entire crew. There were very few characters that irritated me, tbh. Ha Ji Won has always impressed me with her works and I was so happy to see her, but oh my god, I was so surprised with Min Hyuk. As a BOICE, I was so happy to see him deliver so well. I have heard of him so much but this was the first show where I saw him and he has done complete justice to his character.
2. I like how the romance was subtle but there. The emotional support provided and companionship portrayed here is brilliant while giving personal space to each other. Found many green flags in their relationship and that is what makes me happy.
3. The amount of medical drama I get to watch, I love it.
4. Character development of most characters, but especially Jae Gul and Eun Jae. You see them grow so much into better and more understanding human beings who can overcome the darkness and look to a brighter future, I love it.
5. The bond that you see between all the colleagues of the hospital ship. Working in corporate, it is not easy to relate but when you work in such a small space with limited supplies and the same people all the time, it is bound to feel like family. And that was portrayed very well here.

Now what I don't like
1. While I really like Jae Gul's character and the acting, I'm so annoyed with the unnecessary love triangle. That storyline was not needed at all. Well, at least we get some redemption in the form of his easy acceptance of his fate and his immense help to the lead characters and couple. But nonetheless, even the two episodes of his baseless love (I mean there is quite literally no basis to it, however cute it might be) annoyed me a bit.
2. The ending of Yeong Eun - she deserved to be outed as a liar who has been unnecessarily gaining sympathy and acting as a lame and horrible human being.
3. Quite a lot of tropes are introduced. The show could've done with a little less drama.

If you like slow romance, then this is a great watch for you. But if you don't like watching medical things, then it would be better to avoid it as there's lots of it and barely anything else here. All the beautiful individual stories are also built around medicine so I would say that is quite intrinsic to the show.

One of my favs, forever a gem for me!

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