What a refreshing, well written, excellently directed, fabulously paced and realistic programme this is.
It is not at all sentimental, but feels very real and believable ; from the interactions of the main friends and their colleagues and families, to the patients, their problems and the anxiousness of their guardians. There is no overacting, no perfect scenarios, no obvious clichés, but plenty of laughs, some tears and frustrations.
Real doctors, nurses and carers should watch this too, as it portrays the care patients should get, as when they don't, it isn't washed over, but shown honestly and discussed.
The cast has been perfectly chosen and their relationships are very believable and honest.
I cared about all of them, felt invested in every episode and became quickly addicted.
This one of those dramas that stands out, because it is underpinned by talent from every angle; not by special effects, emphasis on gore, over-the-top fight scenes, power crazy CEOs and mistreated characters.
The struggles, tough decisions, stress and bonds of friendship that are played out, are like a breath of fresh air.
I simply cannot wait for 2021 and series 2, and I cannot possibly recommend this drama enough. Simply FABULOUS! Watch it, or lose out ?
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This review may contain spoilers
I am really not that type of person who'll write a review. I have been using mdl for years and this is my first time to write one.First of all, the story is so good. The writer and PD never fails to amaze me. The cast is so perfect - they portray their roles very well to the point that you'll think that's really their personalities irl. Especially YYS, I am just in love with him now - I have been watching his dramas even before HP but danggg, this is the first time that I appreciate his visuals and his smile. He got me.
Second,
The FEELS. I cannot describe how I am obsessed with this drama. I cannot seem to get over it. The OST is amazing and do I really have to mention the rewatch value? I mean I have lost count in how many times I have watched it especially the last episode. The emotions are there. I CAN FEEL IT. I CRIED WITH THEM. My Winter Garden heart is happy and satisfied. Can't wait for season 2!
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If you want to feel good for yourself, this is the drama best for you. It can make you laugh, cry, angry, annoyed and also flutter your heart. It relays very positive messages unlike most of drama today that only focus on romance and skinship.
Casts' acting was also great that you would sometimes forget that they are just acting while you are watching.
They also put a lot of effort during band session. They had to learn instruments, Mido had to sing badly even when she's a great singer.
OST and covers were so iconic that I play every day and night their cover of Aloha by cool.
Overall, I think this drama added 5 years to my life expectancy. Lol. That's how much I love this drama.
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I shouldn't have worried though. Because this show gave the same feel good relationship I missed from the previous show, but in a different dynamic with the new group. Since the show focuses on adults, the problems they face are different from the Reply series; and I think this makes it great in a different way.
Each character is complex and interesting. And the actors playing them do a really good job. The way they interact is also very heartwarming. It's also good that we get a glimpse of the lives of the people around the 5 main doctors.
I like how the show is a slice-of-life type of drama yet the show isn't dragging. The show is quite fast paced and they don't drag out unnecessary parts. They explained the 'conclusion' of a situation through a simple conversation between characters.
I also enjoyed the band and the music. If gives such an interesting perspective to their relationship outside of work. And the songs were great too. I especially liked that the characters played the instruments for real.
The only problem I have is that there are so many characters so it takes time to familiarize them all. Aside from that, it's a great show.
It does have a hanging ending though. But we have season 2 to look forward to. :)
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STORY (9/10) :
Story is really good. It matches the concept of the series. The way they synchronized both the concepts of HOSPITAL and PLAYLIST is great and funny in the same way. I loved the dialogues. Most important thing is that, the story line is realistic and isn't dragged to much. To cut short, it is TO THE POINT!
ACTING/CASTING (10/10) :
TBH , I haven't seen some of the main lead in any other show. For me, personally, the cast is such an important part. I usually watch the dramas of my fav main lead cast only. But I loved the cast of this drama. Their freindship is just LIT. All of them acted really well and conveyed that feeling of being a true doctor, treating their patients, seeing them recovering and becoming happy, feeling their pain . The professors are not only good DOCTORS but good MENTORS as well. I loved not only the character of professors but every single character of the series ?.
Music(10/10) :
I'm a very picky person especially when it comes to music. But I liked the Music they played during the band practice. Although, they are just cover songs and some OSTs, still they were selected wisely according to the situation.
REWATCH VALUE(10/10)
For me, it has a high REWATCH value. I can learn a lot from them again and again. And tbh this series is inspiring me a lot during my journey of becoming a doctor.
I tried to be really unbiased while writting this review. This series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED even if you aren't someone belonging to medical profession. It will teach you many life lessons and it's fun to watch too!
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A K-DRAMA GEM
I have lots of reasons why Hospital Playlist could be considered one of the best K-dramas out there but I'll be presenting my top 5:5. It Features Diverse Medical Specializations
If you are a fan of medical dramas, then you will surely enjoy this. It features 5 medical specializations: Pediatrics, Cardiology, Obstetrics, General Surgery, and Neurosurgery. The main characters are all surgeons so you will surely get a glimpse of how these modern-day heroes are working.
4. Weekly Band Sessions
I love how they feature a new song in every episode. What's amazing about this is that the main characters are really the one playing the instruments and singing the featured song. Unlike in other dramas/movies, in HP, they really made an effort to cast someone who really knows how to play the instruments and can pull-off the band concept.
3. The Mukbang Scenes
I also did enjoy the scenes where the '99ers (the 5 main characters) and other supporting characters were dining out, eating in the hospital cafeteria and even inside their offices. Makes you crave samgyup and other korean foods while watching them. We all eat and want good food after a long day, right?
2. Love Story
A fan of the Reply series? Then this is another drama for you from the same writer and director. You will surely enjoy (and have a headache) making theories about who will end up with who. This series also shows how love can blossom even for those who are already in their 40s.
1. Slice of life
Friendship. Family. Work struggles. Life decisions. Name it, Hospital Playlist have it. As what the writer aimed how the drama should be, it is definitely relatable. You will surely cry and laugh with them.
Definitely a gem in the 2020 K-drama world. Worth watching! I can't wait to experience all of these again next year in their second season.
A 10/10 in all aspects!
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THERE WAS REALLY NO EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT THIS DRAMA, THE 5 MAIN CHARACTERS AREN'T PRODIGIES IN MEDICINE BUT THEIR PASSION MADE THEM BETTER DOCTORS. THE SINCERITY AND REALNESS IN EVERY EPISODE ARE THE REASONS WHY THE DRAMA EXCEEDED THE VIEWERS' EXPECTATIONS.
WHAT MADE IT BEARABLE TO WAIT EVERY WEEK WAS THE OST OF THE DRAMA. EVERY EPISODE, THE BAND WOULD PLAY A DIFFERENT SONG THAT COULD STIR DIFFERENT EMOTIONS. IT CERTAINLY LIVED UP TO ITS TITLE AS HOSPITAL PLAYLIST.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COMEDY, FRIENDSHIP, ROMANCE, SLICE OF LIFE, MEDICAL AND MUSICAL, ALL IN ONE DRAMA, DON'T WASTE ANOTHER SECOND AND WATCH IT ALREADY. BE ONE OF US AS WE AWAIT FOR THEIR REAPPEARANCE NEXT YEAR.
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I think Hospital Playlist portrays the world as it is and also as we wish it could be. Pretty much the entire cast are “good” people, though they can be good in different ways. Even the people we might expect to be antagonists (parents, the hospital director, etc.) genuinely care about other people and generally have good intentions. Is that entirely realistic? Probably not. But I also felt this show was rejecting cynicism; rather than leaning into our pessimistic expectations of who people are and how they act, the show consistently showed us that most people are kind hearted. So I really appreciate the world that the show portrayed. Instead of trying to be as “realistic” as possible, it decided to show humanity at its best.
The show’s relative simplicity is one of its biggest strengths. The setup is simple: 5 friends who met in medical school are now all doctors at the same hospital. The plot revolves around ordinary days in their lives. Simple, right? Yes and no. The “complexity” lies in the various relationships between the characters both as a group and individually. There is a sprawling cast of all the other hospital staff and family members, so there are a lot of characters to learn about initially. But I wouldn’t describe any of the relationships as complicated; it’s more that there are a variety of them. The relationships between the main 5 are the most fun and interesting, and they really are the heart and soul of the show. The times when they played together as a band (which happens every episode) were consistently one of the times when the warm fuzzies would sneak up on me and I’d feel so happy just watching them play music together. The show does a great job of making the relationships feel real. It shows you how much the characters care about each other, often in very small and subtle ways. It happens in moments when they’re just eating together or hanging out in each other’s offices. I love how the show portrays platonic relationships between so many male and female characters, it’s genuinely great to see a guy and girl care about each other and it not being framed as romantic. The entire cast is awesome and contribute their own little heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. No one really served as (the only) comic relief in this show; everyone had times where they made me laugh out loud. I love all of them so much, and there’s the magic of this show: it manages to make you care about every single one of them, while seemingly not trying.
I don’t know how else to describe how great this show is because it just is. Please do yourself a favor and watch this show as soon as possible.
I made a little silly powerpoint review on Tumblr if you'd like to read it: https://kdramakitty.tumblr.com/post/621054541113294849
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This review may contain spoilers
A feel good drama
In a sea of skin ship romance, gory thrillers and melodrama that annoys me to the bones, this drama came to me like an early spring rain. Refreshing, leaving me wanting for more. As expected from Reply 1988 writers, this is a perfect slice of life drama that was so enjoyable and funny. Uju is the highlight of the show, hands down!! I felt this drama in my heart, the various patients, going through life and death, alongwith their family members and the doctors, I felt it (I cried when kids died there). All in all, this is a good break from all those nerve racking dramas, and I definitely recommend it. I'm still yet to watch the 2nd season so this review is only for the 1st season.Was this review helpful to you?
"You can't do epic things with basic people"
I'm hoping most of those who watched and plans to watch this already finished Reply 1988. Can't help being reminded of it as I'm watching every episode. Although, no worries since it doesn't give off the copycat feels. Just that lightness and that goofy friendship the characters have. I'm really digging those long term friendship. How lucky they are to have met each other and were still able to stay at each other's lives through the years."Friendship is the comfort of knowing that even when you feel alone, you aren't. "
It shows just how much being with the right people makes hardships bearable.One of the beautiful qualities of friendship is to understand and be understood, and you can really see it in the characters. They have so much understanding for each other as they also know what kind of person each one is. You'll end up loving and wanting each of them as a friend after really knowing their hearts when it comes to the point when they are faced with obstacles - and that is also something real that was shown in the drama. At first you may not like every characters, it may show their not-so-good sides, and in reality it happens, you can never judge a person at your first encounter, you can only try to understand and think outside of the box, because when the time came that a person face something of significance for them, only then can they be vulnerable enough to show what is really is inside of them.
We live a different and unique lives, each of us does. We're facing different problems that may have different effect to other's lives. It is important to always put yourself on the shoes of the others and be sensitive enough of other's feelings. In this drama you can really understand the importance of this, just as they face different kind of patients, different families and in different situations. It didn't lack on anything, they'll show you the positive and negative scenes of life.
This is giving me the BIGGEST BONUS EVER - seeing the characters in a band. Oh yes it is just right for them to put this at the end part, it'll make you feel light after all the hassles of their working lives, just as we deserve as well. If you want to watch something that would make you feel alive again, this is one of it.
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Glad i gave this one a chance!
I'm going to keep it short but sweet.This has been on my watch list for a while, but it being a hospital storyline kept me away. I don't enjoy them all that much. But I do have to say this was a fantastic show. From the very first episode to the last. As the story progressed, I found myself getting more and more intrigued. After finding out who the writers were, I knew then why the show was so good.
I gave this a 1.0 for rewatch value because I never rewatch dramas. No matter how good the drama was.
I recommend this one!
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Another living proof why k-medical drama is a god tier
it's a fun coincidence that I finished watching this on it's first year anniversary. The reason I watched this is because its rank number one slot on mydramalist, which really deserves the slot. Korean medical drama is my cup of tea so I enjoyed watching this show.STORY & CAST
Heartwarming and inspirational drama. Hospital Playlist gives me too much positivity in life. Also, the show offers a well-packed medical field of professions. Giving us a thoracic surgeon, pediatrician, obstetrician, neurologist, and a general surgeon, all in one medical show.
I don't know if the absence of a villain character in the story is a good thing or a bad thing. Good because it's not typical compare from other shows and just mainly focus on being a light drama. Bad thing because I guess there is no stable or concrete problem to be solve and suspense the viewers.
The show made me admired doctors and health workers more. I gained too many lessons from both medical field and real life lessons.
Not too much fan of romance. I am neutral on the romance explicit in the story. But Jung Won and Gyeo Wool is an exception. I love how their love story revolved. Also, Chi Hong one sided love towards Song Hwa makes me sad but gives me butterflies at the same time. I do hope that Song Hwa will fall for him on season 2.
The main characters' friendship is strong and reliable. Even with their individual differences, they perfectly bond together.
ACTING
I don't have anything bad to say about their acting because every one of them nailed it and delivered the role in a natural way.
MUSIC
The band members are too talented. I love how they stick with their title Hospital Playlist, performing songs every episodes is too artistic.
OVERALL
I gave this a 9/10 rating because I was not really attached with it and I feel like something is missing. Many casting or characters has its own pros and cons.
I'm excited for the second season.
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