Doctor John (2019)

So much squandered potential

I wish this had just been a straight up House style diagnostic procedural where the doctors solve a case per episode and that's it. The patient stories and the debates about euthanasia and end of life care were good, the rest of the show was lacking. I hated the relationship between the two leads. Even apart from their DOA romance, I found the leads to be shallow and underwritten characters. This was especially true for the FL. So much staring into space as crappy ballads drone on in the background. The antagonists are potentially interesting but the show doesn't know how to utilize them effectively and they were ultimately just frustratingly inconsistent and two dimensional. The last few episodes are particularly frustrating, sloppily plotted and emotionally unsatisfying.

Read More

Overall i rate this drama above average, at least I finished it despite skipping huge chunks of it. I stopped watching k drama since full house in 2004 (I didn't even finish that) and only just picked up again since COVID. Must admit I couldn't finish most of them so anything I can finish watching even with skipping is worth noting.

What I like:
The music
The romance
ML acting
What I don't like:
The plot and subplots and all
The characters

Story:
Summary in a few words: forced, illogical and over-dramatic. I generally cant tolerate medical drama (with the exception of Hospital playlist) because of gross inaccuracy in the portrait of healthcare professionals and in medical knowledge. I picked up doctor John because of the high ratings and the topic of euthanasia, which if done right in highlighting both sides, the proponents and opponents of euthanasia, could be explosive. However, this show fails to deliver. I skipped most if not all of the hospital scenes unless involving the main couple romance.
What the ML did is involuntary euthanasia, which is considered murder and illegal in all countries. He deserves jail time and having his license revoked permanently. He does not have the right to end a patient's life without consent under the disguise of relieving pain. Also he has absolutely no respect for patients' wishes. I absolutely hate that kind of doctors who think they know better and willingly violate patients autonomy. The show confuses euthanasia, assisted suicide, assisted dying and DNR etc, hence the whole euthanasia plot is just a mess. The prosecutor and the nurse are obsessed with Cha for no valid reasons, or in other words, the reason the show presents is very forced. They should be charged with harassment. Cha did not kill their kids and the killer dies a painful death, so the grudge is very contrived, particularly for the prosecutor who is supposed to be smart and competent. I'm not even sure if it's legal for him to be involved in Cha's case to begin with. His involvement seems like a blatant conflict of interest to me. They are just batshit crazy for no reason. And I hate that trope in Kdrama, bad guys are bad just because they are bad. The lawyer and the former minister are even more ludicrous. There are plenty of drugs already available for assisted suicide. There's no good reason to develop a new drug to kill yourself with no financial gain. I initially thought it was to get rich but turned out they just want to die themselves. How stupid.
The CIPA/hospital plot is even less convincing. On what ground can't a doctor treat patients because he has an illness especially when it's not contagious and does not hamper his ability to work?????? If so, there wouldn't be any doctors left in this world. Doctors are also human and they can get sick, too. Dismissal based on this is discriminatory and illegal. Plus I can't understand why the hospital executives are so hellbent in getting rid of Cha while he is not even a threat to their positions. It also appears that doctors in this fictional hospital do nothing but running around aimlessly. One patient is tended by several dozens of doctors.
Let's not even get into the medical stuffs because I accept the fact it's a fictional work, there's no need to nitpick the inaccuracy.

The only reason that I kept watching was the romance. I'm a bit lost in the first two episodes why the FL decides to return to work after the encounter with ML other than her love-at-first-sight crush for him. It seems very forced when she has been dwelling on it for 2 years and one encounter somehow was enough to resolve her emotional turmoil and restore her confidence. If she was a as competent doctor as supposed to be, she shouldn't have trusted a stranger whose credibility is questionable. In fact she doesn't even know if he is qualified to give medical advice. I wouldn't if I was her. If her confidence is that low to even take on quack medical advice on the street, she shouldn't have returned to be a doctor. But Ill let it slide because I can see why the two of them are a match and she also redeems herself by taking the lead in the relationship. She is a lost puppy looking for a mentor and he fits the bill. He is aloof and closed off to the world because of his illness so if it wasn't for her forwardness, he would have never taken a move. I can see why her clinginess and ott expression touch a lonely man like him and why he falls for it. Thanks to Jisung' s suberb acting, the ML shows subtle hint of romantic interest in FL from the very beginning and never pretends to not like her, like earlier trope in Kdrama of the 00's (jerk ml has a crush on FL but acts otherwise, the main reason I quit watching years ago). I'm also very glad that there is no love triangle and all of it's banality. Their romance appears to be very accepting, understanding and supportive even without the lovey-dovey, which I absolutely love. The confession scene in the penultimate episode is heart melting, thanks to Jisung's electrifying gaze. However, the finale was disappointing, I still have no idea why they break up, like the writers has nothing better than time lapse to fill the slot. The more convincing logic wouldn't be to be with your loved one and go through difficult time together, would it? Anyway, romance is still the only plot that scores point for this show.

Acting/casts:
As I said earlier, Jisung's top-notch acting skill saves the show. I have never heard of him or watched any of his show before, probably because he debut after I quit kdrama. Although I don't like how the character Dr. Cha is written, the acting is still outstanding. Jisung delivers excellent performance in portraying the character's personality, the struggle and loneliness with his illness. His eyes speak volume. He gives me butterflies just with a tiny lift in the corner of his mouth, not to mention his heart-melting gaze, the perfect blend of care, concerns, gratefulness and sincerity.
As for the FL, I can't comment when her character does nothing but crying. I give her credit for her crying skill ?
Other characters have so little story to tell for the acting to shine.

Music
I absolutely love the OST, very fitting for the romance.

Rewatch value:
I can watch the confession scene hundreds time. But that's about it .

Read More

Monotonous

Having watched numerous dramas of similar genre, my anticipation for this one was fueled, perhaps in part by the esteemed lead actors. Initially, the drama's start and the introduction of the lead characters showed promise. However, around the 3rd or 4th episodes, it began to lose its charm, particularly as I struggled to reconcile the protagonist's swift release from jail and seamless return to his former practices. While he garnered respect, one would expect a more cautious approach after such an ordeal. Additionally, his battle with a debilitating illness added depth, though the eventual healing allowed both lead characters to continue their work with unwavering dignity. The subtle romance between them served as a welcomed balance amidst the drama's complexities.

Read More

Great medical drama with a really disappointing plot element at the end

8/10 is my rating. This is a South Korean medical romantic drama with 32, 22 minute, episodes.

When they first meet, Kang Si-young (Lee Se-young) is working as a doctor to inmates but has no confidence as she quit medical school after a tragic accident left her guilt ridden and convinced she is flawed as a doctor. Cha Yo-han (Ji Sung) was a famous pain doctor but a career altering decision landed him in prison for three years. In prison he is known as the man with all the medical answers since the doctors that work in the prison tend to shy away from diagnosis and perform medical triage. Si-young is not sure about this mysterious doctor at first but quickly decides he knows what he is talking about. With just a little mentoring from him, Si-young regains some confidence and decides to return to residency only to discover Dr. Cha was released and reinstated at the same hospital she returned to. As they work closely together he as her professor and mentor and she as the mentee and resident, they find many similarities in the circumstances of the past as well as in their approach to medicine.

spoilers* This had such a great start and was intriguing the whole way through. The ending really ruined it a bit for me. I love both the Male Lead and Female Lead characters. Both are doctors who suffer emotional wounds from patients who were terminal and where they had to make a determination between life and death. Their experience in that regard is what draws them together. They are both brilliant, dedicated doctors who do not play politics but do whatever is best for their patients. Because they are so much alike, it is easy to understand how they would like each other as deeply as they do. The series deeply explored the ethics around euthanasia. Where it fell apart for me was toward the end when they have confessed their love for each other and he disappears from her life for three years. He comes back with some lame excuse about needing to take care of his health but, to me, that is exactly the time when you should be drawing the person you love closer not pushing them away. He watches her from afar for nearly a year when she doesn't even know he is back in South Korea. She is so heart broken during that whole time that it is hard to imagine her ever forgiving him for trampling on her heart. But she does forgive him, and actually quite easily, which made me disappointed in both the male and female lead characters. This is worth the watch but just expect that the ending will sour it a bit as he acts in total disregard to her feelings and she forgives far too easily

Read More

guys! If you are into angst stuff. This is for you

after watching this, I can't explain how should I say the words to describe it since it has its bad and good side. so let's start.
character: the cast was great. the acting was great , the way jisung eyes always looked shiney and beautiful,the way his eyes showed emotions made me fall for him again and again. now female lead was kind of annoying and clingy I know some people won't likey opinion but ok i understand that she is worried for him but like stalking him ( i know it's not stalking but ok she looked like but no hate for actress though) like they made her look really bad.


plot: ok no spoilers so the story is good but why does nurse is annoying and actually every ep has different story and procedure so actually the story is good but ending didn't do justice and their chemistry was fine how did she fall for when did they time for this, anyway the plot is good the sidestory of ml is kind of sad also the fl sister was kind annoying but after sometime she is ok and also the main couple were kind of off and specially fl like ( i can't explain it just watch it) but it's a good drama. and I kinda learned some disease and procedure and it was interesting anyway I will end this review and the total rating of this drama is 7.6

Read More

“People die when they are forgotten by their loved ones” and euthanasia topic broached

Watched this last Sep and penned some thoughts then. Wasn’t able to do a proper review then due to personal matters. Doing this review now incorporating my own personal experience.

Watched this for Ji Sung after watching his stunning performance in The Devil Judge, and was glad I did not miss this drama. So this time as Dr Cha Yo Han instead of Judge Kang Yo Han (Is Yo Han a common name?), Ji Sung charms as both the Head of a hospital’s pain management and treatment center and a CIPA patient (a person diagnosed with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis – a rare inherited disease where the patient cannot feel pain and temperature, nor sweat). He was first seen diagnosing and treating inmates while serving time in prison for administering euthanasia on a terminal patient without consent, and then heading a team of doctors at a hospital’s pain management and treatment center. Being a CIPA patient himself where there is no known treatment, he seeks to find treatment for himself and CIPA patients like him.

Besides discussions on medical ethics and professionalism as with most medical dramas, this medical drama also spotlights a variety of rare diseases e.g. CIPA, that are often hard to diagnose, and euthanasia. It broaches the sensitive topic of euthanasia, from the perspectives of the patients (to want to be able to continue living and staying with loved ones vs not being able to have quality life and to end one’s sufferings and not be a burden to loved ones), their loved ones (conflict between hoping earnestly for miracles, and torture of seeing loved ones suffer), and doctors (conflict between saving lives and allowing patients to have quality lives). It is hard pulling off a loved one’s life support system even when the chance of recovery is practically nil..

Some quotable quotes I penned down then, that are especially poignant now, having gone through similar experience:

* People die when they are forgotten by their loved ones.
* The ultimate goals of medicine is to make people happy. And simply reducing pain or prolonging life through medicine does not guarantee people’s happiness.

Read More

Doctor John is a Korean medical drama based on the Japanese novel "On Hand of God" by Yo Kusakabe. This drama discusses the controversial topic of euthanasia; displaying arguements from all sides. This drama is about a talented anesthesiologist who spent three years in prison for performing euthanasia on a dying patient whose pain he couldn't reduce. a second year resident of anesthesiology who took a break after she was unable to save her father in an accident, and the lives of the doctors in the hospital anesthesiology department. The cast played their characters very well and the soundtrack fit the drama well. I would recommend this drama to a more mature audience.

Read More

The romance burned slowly but hot definitely

I just rewatched this amazing drama and couldn't help to write this review right away because it leaves such a strong impact on me. Beyond the medical conditions that become the main story of this drama, it also teaches us how to face our fears, to love our jobs and family, and how to love someone and accept the love that other people gave, about unconditional love.

What I like from this drama is that they didn't rush the love to rise between the couples, but they lay a strong foundation for Dr. Cha & Dr. Kang Shi Young and also Dr. Lee & Dr. Kang Mirae, that it naturally adding up by each episodes. I love how the FL is very straightforward about her feelings. She bravely confessed her feeling first, she talks about her worries, and just how she cares about the ML. You can see that Dr. Cha is quite hesitant to accept her (and his) feelings because of his condition. But he actually shows how much he care through his actions towards KSY. It's a truly definition of 'she fell first but he fell harder'! Kang Shi Young's charm is too strong for you to resist, right, Dr. Cha? :D

Despite the amazing chemistry, I find it quite uncomfortable about the age gap of Dr. Cha and Dr. Min (KSY's mother). I don't have any problems with the cast, but I just wished they can cast someone who's older than Dr. Min. I won't write a comment about the acting, because i think they just nailed it perfectly.

Conclusion:
So.. If you're into slow burn-mature romance, then this drama is definitely a must watch for you! This drama won't provide you with steamy romantic scenes, but it shows through action, words, and EYES. Just by seeing them holding hands and staring to each other is enough to make crawl hahaa. Ah, and the OSTs? It's superrr adicting that i keep replay them. That's it, hope it helpful!

Read More

Drama about pain management, death and euthanasia

Good drama about a very hard subject : euthanasia (there are some others points but lets face it it is the real subject of the drama).
I like the medical drama genre because of all the morality questions they open.. Nothing is never white or black and it is not always to determine what is the good thing to do.
In this particular drama we follow an expert in medical diagnostics so we don't have lots of surgery images as we can have in some other drama (it is more 'easy' to watch.

For the characters, I miss a little bit of something... Relationships could have been more developped and this is the weak point here. The end of story for the main couple is disappointing : I would have agreed for a shorter time but so long.. nahhh

Special mention for the music : I came to this drama because of it.

Read More

It's an overall good watch

Well to be honest its alright but it couldve been much more better. The lead actor was amazing but it felt like there were too many questions left unanswered besides they left a half baked romance by the end of the show, which leaves us confused as to whether we should be shippong them or no...honestly ji sung was great but their plot lacked in a few areas...this show is good but it doesnt sweep you off your feet...neither does it explain as to why exactly cha yo han chose to administer euthanesia to only that person and what were his convictions for doing so.. the show Doesnt exactly give you the satisfaction


--------


Okay guys i ended up rewatching this after nearly a year and i must say it made me change my mind. Sure this review contradicts itself but then the drama is definitely worth it.

Read More

This is a great medical drama! Although the drama covers the controversial issue of euthanasia, the show goes beyond that to bring empathy and understanding for those that are suffering extreme pain related to misdiagnosis, rare diseases, traumatic events, and terminal stages of various conditions, especially from the medical personnel toward the patients and their guardians. The cast is excellent and they truly brought their characters to a believable level. This drama also have a romantic storyline with the main leads who exhibited great chemistry and rapport, but the absurd separation of three years without communication and the fast resolution without connection made no sense for two people that transcended misunderstanding and illness to beautifully fall in love. Although the last episode feels rushed and really disappointing, the medical part of the drama excels on its own. Enjoy it!

Read More