Brickbats: viewers may notice at least two distractions. Repeated and overuse of artificial golden lights to depict sunset scenes inside Doldam Hospital. Once too many. And characters, whether protagonists or antagonists, often eavesdrop onto one another’s conversation with ease as the story unfolds.
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To be honest the only think that made watch it tillthe end was because I wanted to know how they were gonna save the Hospital...I liked to see how Kim-sabu won the battle with that peace of sh*t and also the character development of Park Min Guy was great
Music was nice but not to the point of making me dance 'just kidding' it was okay not the best
I'm not gonna give more than 7 on 10 for this series
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This review may contain spoilers
Sadly, not as strong as the first season for quite a few reasons. The leads were probably one of the weakest parts, not to mention villain, cast, romance and pacing. Yes, I did have quite a lot of problems with it. Overall, mess. I was thinking about rating it 7, but the "it's okay" that goes with 6.5 fits my feelings towards the drama more.VILLAIN
I truly dislike when dramas use the same villain in two seasons, especially if the first season had a nice conclusion. There was nothing exciting about Do Yoon Wan since we already knew him and his motivations. I didn’t have to ask myself "why he does what he does". Not to mention, he was barely in the drama in the first place. You can have a strong villain and not show him much, but the viewers need to have this feeling of him being the puppet master behind the scenes. We did not get that here. They brought him back every time they had to somehow push forward the politics, and I couldn't care less.
Park Min Guk could have saved the drama, since his morally grey way of thinking was like a bridge between Teacher Kim and Yoon Wan. For the longest time he was my favorite character. Him struggling so much kept me interested, and wondered on whose side he will stand on at the end. But even his character was losing his charm the closer to the ending we’ve got. From a complex person, to a shallow, stereotypical greed and pride driven villain to a random quick redemption? How amazingly boring. How amazingly pointless.
CAST/CHARACTERS
I was not feeling Lee Sung Kyung’s acting, especially during the romantic scenes. Her emotional scenes did not evoke any type of emotions in me. She was there, there were a few tears, she screamed a lot, and I was bored. That said, I did see quite a lot of improvement as the drama progressed, so maybe my lack of warm feelings for her at the beginning clouded my judgement.
I cannot be sure if it was her performance or the writing that made me skeptical, since I strongly disliked how her character was written too. Truth to be told, Cha Eun Jae at the beginning episodes was an EXTREMELY bad doctor, and if it depended on me, I’d give her an ultimatum: therapy or I’ll revoke her license. The writer stripped her from the character development she quite deserved. The quick and easy way of solving her problem with placebo killed any chance of Eun Jae overcoming it herself and becoming stronger in the process.
To the second lead. I was extremely excited to see Ahn Hyo Seop in a new project, after what a train wreck Abyss was. I do believe he has a talent for acting and we could see some of it in this project. Sadly, his character did not interest me either. I believe both main characters were either boring or frustrating, but I would blame the writing not the actors themselves for it. Both Eun Jae and Woo Jin had their moments, but it was not enough for me to love or even care for them.
That said, the whole supporting cast was amazing. I liked all the characters and the actors aced the roles. The only supporting cast that left me frustrated by the end was Shim Hye Jin. Her character was extremely inconsistent. The whole show she was portrayed as a person who avoids “drama” and conflicts and unnecessary risk taking. She treated being a doctor as a job she was doing, not an amazing career nor a mission. Last three episodes the writers decided to give her a sad story, a heart and a brain of her own. It was so out of nowhere I questioned if I’m watching the same character. I loved who she became by the end, but the change in her image should be more gradual.
ROMANCE
The main romance did nothing for me. I would much rather see Eun Jae with Bae Moon Jung, or no one... Luckily, the side couple saved the romance part of the drama, stealing the whole spotlight even with the limited screen time they had. There isn’t much to say on this aspect, since not much happened throughout the whole show. It would be better without any romance in the first place. Even my angels Ah Reum and Eun Tak had some unnecessary drama brought in the last two episodes. What was the point of it, will forever be a mystery to me.
PACING
The editing ruined the pacing. We kept jumping from scenes and timelines and it made me confused. Let’s start with the fact that episode 12 and 13 ended up at the almost exact same time on the timeline, and it was confusing af. Remembering how episode 12 ended, I started the next one and had to check if I did not miss anything, because there was no continuation of the plot.
The ending was quite messy, I don’t know what was the goal of non-linear storytelling, but I did not buy it. The few flashback scenes did close to nothing to explain Eun Jae’s condition, nor to present her relationship with Woo Jin and how it all began. We kept getting new hints about the background of certain characters but nothing followed.
Overall, after the amazing show we’ve got with season one, this was simply disappointing and unnecessary. They tried to fit too many storylines, characters, backgrounds so at the end, nothing felt well developed.
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both seasons female leads were unreasonably forced to be weak and unable to perform surgery until the middle part of the drama, and they were given a sudden "you are healed now" and everything was ok again..
the overall plot was kinda weak and I didn't care for the repetitive politics here, I honestly hope there's no s3, and
I usually hate medical dramas so the fact that I got through this means it's the best of the worst? xD
this is the best performance out of Ahn Hyo Seop, he was the highlight of the drama~
the ost for this is gold, it has great singers like baekhyun, chanyeol, punch, gummy, changha, heize, mamamoo among others~
my rewatch values are either a 1 or a 10, so~
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Do I think this season is better than season 1?? No, but this is till a season worth watching.
One of the things I loved about the first season was that the romance was quite minimal and didn't overtake what the show is about, which I feel that alot of romance in dramas do. Which is why I tend to stay away from shows that has romance in its genre. This season has the romance even more put to the side, which for me is a huge plus but might be a minus for others. But that's probably the only point in which I like this season more than the first.
The new leads is basically the old leads with the same problems and views in the hospital scene. The female has issues that causes her to get banned in the OR and the male lead is all about the money for personal reasons. Also their issues is better handled/spread out in the first season. Here it gets resovled quite fast and it almost seemed unneccessary to have them there in the first place.
The villains are also, in a way, a repeat from season 1. The main villain in season 1 is in this season as well, but you could take him away and much wouldn't change. I did really like Dr. Shim. Even though she was against the Doldam staff in a lot of thing, there was something there that told me that she was a good person from the start. Dr. Park was more of a pain, but I did end up liking him as well. Dr. Yang was just a pain in my ass though.
Master Kim was great as always. He was his old stubborn self and it was a ride to see him make the new leads great doctors. I did miss his relationship (non romantic) with Dr. Yoon from season 1 though.
Otherwise this season is solid. The cases are many and very different. Some cases hurt more than others but this was truly a joy to watch. Here's hoping for a season 3 with maybe the cast from seaon 1 and 2 ^^
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Story: 8.5/10
For starters, I'm glad its standalone! Kind of! XD
As someone who isn't related to medical field, I don't watch medical dramas for they revolve around different medical cases. They use medical terms I've no idea about so its hard for me to watch them. Considering these two points, I liked the drama a lot. Many people, I noticed in comments, didn't like the political aspect of it but let me tell you, I enjoyed it though I wish it had been a bit more organized and powerful if they were going to make it a part of it anyway.
The winner was the bond between the characters. I loved how they had each other's back and how they strived for their hospital because for them, it was their home and they were a family. The downside was the character development. I'll write it again; I haven't seen season 1 so I'm just interpreting what I saw in season 2. I saw a little character development in most of the characters. In this regard, Park Min Guk and his team were the BEST.
Plus, bad guy was more of a child dreaming for a big, big amusement park and I failed to understand why was he so darn crazy? If he was in season 1 then that's another story but if he isn't, then writers failed to explain his character altogether.
Acting: 9.5/10
It isn't my first time with 90% of the actors in the main cast. Where Ahn Hyo Seop has improved a lot, Lee Sung Kyung was more or less the same as her character in Doctors. She's gotten a tiny bit better but then maybe her story line demanded what she delivered. Of course, Han Seok Kyu outshone everyone. In short, the cast didn't disappoint.
Music: 10/10
Its one of those dramas for which I searched for WHOLE album and by whole album I mean the background music tracks as well =3
Re-watch Value: 7/10
I don't re-watch anything but in this case, I've kept a few episodes downloaded in my laptop to watch again sometime ^^
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I don't really like watching surgeons doing things inside bodies and blood flowing and that kind of things but despite all that, I really enjoyed the drama. I can't compare it to the first season (because I haven't watched it) but the atmosphere that was created in the drama between all the workers at Doldam hospital is what makes it so enjoyable. Every characters interact with one another and it makes the drama more realistic, as you expect the same thing to happen in a real workplace.
There are many second characters and each one of them is developed and has a certain depth: Dr Shim Hye Jin, who first appears aloof, has a reason for it and finally fits in with everyone; Dr Bae Moon Jung has an interesting family background; even nurse Hyung Mi is not a simple extra.
What I liked the most was how the drama tackled issues that are relevant today in Korea: the place of women in the medical field, domestic violence, having to be in debt to pay for your education, etc. But it was done very subtly and well and did not take away from the main focus of the drama.
The romance was cute and not overwhelming, both couples had great chemistry.
Finally, I appreciated the consistency throughout the script: the patients did not miraculously disappear after they were treated (though I would have liked some mention of their departure for the most important ones) and we even got to know the reason behind Dr Bae Moon Jung's divorce that was briefly mentionned in the second episode.
If you are searching for a realistic medical drama (realistic in terms of working in a hospital, not in the procedures, I couldn't tell as I am no expert) with great relationships developed between all the characters, I recommend this one.
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1st reason season 2 is better than season 1: Dr. Kim's character seems so much more fleshed out and balanced. His character is more consistent and makes more logical sense. While he's always teaching others, his methods are agreeable, even if they are still blunt. Also, unlike in season 1, Dr. Kim is now obviously compassionate and a selfless individual with extremely high morals, even if we do not know exactly what he is thinking. I really liked him this season. The writers and actor executed Dr. Kim in a much better, well-rounded fashion that really emphasized the morals of the drama so much better.
2nd reason season 2 is better than season 1: The 2 new doctor's transferred to Doldam hospital, Seo Woo Jin and Cha Eun Jae were soooo much better characters than the 2 doctor's from season 1. There was nothing really wrong with the doctors from season 1, but I could much better associate and sympathize with the doctors from season 2 in regards to their backgrounds and stories. I also enjoyed Seo Woo Jin and Cha Eun Jae's dynamics as a romantic couple much better than the 2 doctors from season 1.
Now, I would like to mention that there is a difference in how season 1 and season 2 were handled, that made the flow and feel a bit different. In season 1, each episode was essentially 1 day where the doctors were experiencing a specific patient and their respective struggles for that day, with each patient wrapping up by the end of the episode. In season 2, 1 patient and/or incident might span 3 or 4 episodes, which results in less focus on the patients and more shared focus on the hospital politics and doctor dynamics/experience. Due to this difference in execution, I didn't feel as much intense emotion with season 2 that I had with season 1. With season 1, the intensity in each episode had me crying almost every single episode with how each patient's story turned out (1 particular one ingrained in my memory was the father who wanted to murder the male patient because he raped his wife and young daughter causing numerous horrific health complications on top of the mental trauma). In contrast, season 2, due to the patient's stories spanning more episodes, I didn't find myself as emotional toward the character's and their stories, which definitely dropped the intensity for me. With that said though, this made room for politics and character dynamics to be explored more.
The ending was seriously satisfying! In the last 30 minutes of the drama, I was seriously wondering how they were going to end the story and omg it was definitely satisfying! I was like, "YESSSS! He [the ex-director from season 1] finally can't bother them anymore!" Totally worth taking the chance on season 2!
The OST was also really good as a whole. I liked all of it - the instrumental and vocal. And again, I also liked it more than the season 1 OST.
I think the directors did a really good job learning from their shortcomings from season 1 and making a really strong, satisfying, and enjoyable season 2. After watching and enjoying season 2 so much, I think I might eventually watch both seasons again, together back-to-back to experience them in one go and see if my perspective of them (especially season 1) changes.
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At great addition to the Doldam saga.
As I’ve said many times I love medical dramas especially if they have a little romance mixed in with them. This drama was easy to watch because each episode kept you involved. At first I was a little disappointed to discover that the same villain with different helpers was back for a second appearance. It felt a little like rinse and repeat, but I was wrong.Han Seok Kyu was great again as Master Kim. His presence brings reality to the Doldam Hospital. I could easily watch a third version of this story with him in it. The two new additions to Doldam were also fantastic. Lee Sung Kyung as Dr. Cha Eun Jae and Ahn Hyo Seop as Dr. Seo Woo Jin were both great and made this story of Doldam Hospital worth watching. Both characters were interesting and well developed. It was exciting to watch as they gradually blended into the Doldam experience and fell in love.
At first I felt like I wanted a different approach to the storyline. It was get rid of Master Kim and takeover Doldam Hospital just like the original story. However, as I watched I realized it was an extension of the original story. Since I like the original drama so much I was happy to see it continue. After a couple of episodes I was fully immersed into a continuation of a story that I truly enjoyed. The villain was irritating and his crew of cronies were just as bad. There was an instant feeling of protection towards Master Kim and his doctors.
The side stories during each episode were all interesting. Sometimes they were sad or heartbreaking but others were happy and emotionally rewarding. Medical dramas are not easy to develop. I’m never critical of the medical procedures because I’m not versed in medical knowledge. However, they were realistic enough to emphasize the drama going on over the operation table which is what the story was really all about.
The romance was there but it was not enough that you could call this story a romance. The two leads slowly developed a romance that seemed realistic enough but once it was there the story let it fade. They brought the two back together in the end. At least I think they did. I would have liked to have seen them meet when she came back to Doldam but they only gave about 15 seconds of her returning as the drama ended.
It left me wanting more. How about a third story with the title Doldam?
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This review may contain spoilers
Not as good as Season 1
Still a very engaging and interesting drama, with great performances all round. But the storylines and characters are no where near as engaging as season 1. It feels like each episode just fizzles out instead of a heart warming/breaking resolution like in season 1. Its also really disapointing that they had to use the loan shark trope for Woo Jin, and Eun Jae's initial issues with surgery/self prescribing drugs are just so far fetched. I feel like people are a star struck by a more attractive and high profile couple this season. The soundtrack is really lacking as well, season 1 had amazing BGM that could matched every situation so well. I didn't find alot of depth or sentiment overall with this drama. Again, It feels like they just wanted to use LSK and AHS' star power to carry this drama. Its still pretty good, but a far cry from season 1.Was this review helpful to you?
