Doctor Stranger (2014)

In my personal opinion, Doctor Stranger is nothing but an overrated drama. Yes, it does have a great main story but anything else other than that was a "filler". It had lots of potential. It had great actors. But I think they wasted the opportunity.

The drama was off to a good start. It was strong enough to make me watch the next episodes. But when the scenes in South Korea came, the story was starting to slowly depreciate. They started a"competition" to know who will operate on the Prime Minister (later on it was revealed to be the President) but they never performed the heart operation in the end.

I think they the character of Park Hae Jin deserved more. The way he found out who Park Hun really was and the way he revealed his true identity was anti climactic. I think the writers and the director could've gotten more out of his character.

For Lee Jongsuk's character, His acting here wasn't superb but it was okay. I don;t know why but I just got a little annoyed to how careless his character was, he was just purely blinded by love. Yes, it was sweet at first but then it got annoying somewhere. Especially, when he just started shouting at everyone who doesn't agree with him.

However, I think the biggest blackhole of this drama was the female lead. Yes, Jin Seyeon. Throughout the drama, her eyes were literally dead. It was like she was just reading her script all the way. They could've replaced her with a robot and people wouldn't notice the difference. Her character was suppose to be the strongest out of them all, heck she was the one who was conceptualizing the plan and manipulating the people to help execute her plans but all of those were wasted. I wished her acting was more dynamic. I think is also the first time I have wished that the male lead end up with the second female lead. They have better chemistry and they were just more fun to watch.

Lastly, one character in which they could've used better was the chief body guard. Except for Park Hun giving him a lollipop when he was young we don't know anything else on why he's helping Park Hun. It can't merely be a "soft spot", what he did was too big for a mere soft spot for Hun. Wished they could've given him a better backstory.

One thing, I did enjoy here is that even though the head of the hospital doesn't like Park Hun, he never tried to kill any patient for his advantage. He was letting his doctors do their job and just hope for his preferred outcome to happen. He never did outright try to kill anyone just like in other medical dramas.

All in all, I really think this was overrated. Will I watch it again? No. Will I recommend it to anyone? Not really.

PS: We never really did figure out what happened to Mr. Lim? He just vanished with Cha Sujin.

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Look, I understand that K dramas manipulate viewers’ emotions and I’m fine with that. The dramas usually try to make you root for the desirable but flawed hero and the plucky heroine. I can also accept time travel, body switching, and girls passing themselves off as poorly-disguised boys. I can even enjoy dramas with lawyers doing things that would get most lawyers disbarred; medical dramas with doctors who should lose their medical licenses; teachers who would normally be fired, if not criminally charged for abuse; and police dramas with police officers who need good psychiatrists. Although there are moments in every drama where logic takes a leap, I can get past most of them.

Doctor Stranger, however, violated the most important canon of Korean drama law: Thou shalt not brazenly insult the intelligence of your viewers. The drama starts out okay, if a little over the top, what with evil plots and Magic Hands Doctor but it quickly devolves into a mess whose primary purpose seemed to be to jerk the viewer around. One big problem was the romance that drove the story. The actress who plays the grand romantic interest is more wooden than my dining room table and the male lead regresses into a pathetic puppy whenever he's around her (for little reason, since the actors seem to have little chemistry together). I began to hope that the female lead would be shot and really die. On the ground, instead of falling into the water, which, in this drama, seems to have life-regenerating powers. I don’t even know where to begin on the farcical who-is-the-better-doctor-competition. It is better to draw a sheet over it and send it to a well-deserved end. Plus the malpractice/revenge subplot is just … my god … no.

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Great Acting, Interesting Aspects but overall underwhelming

7.5/10 is my rating. Park Cheol (Kim Sang-joong) was a well known cardiac surgeon in South Korea. Dr. Park was asked to go to North Korea to perform life saving surgery on the Nation's leader. As a single father, Cheol decided to take his young son Park Hoon (Lee Jong-suk) unaware that it would be a one way trip. While spending the remaining of his growing years in North Korea, Park Hoon trained first under his father and later at a prestigious North Korean medical school to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. It was at medical school that he met Song Jae-hee (Jin See-yon) and eventually asked her to marry him. Tragic struck the young couple when Jae-hee's father was accused of spying and the entire family was sent to a concentration camp. The elites in North Korea soon discovered Hoon's genius in his field and sent him to a medical center performing highly unethical surgeries to advance medical science. Having no choice but to do as asked Hoon remained there until one day Jae-Hee and her other were brought in and he was directed to do the unthinkable. Hoon's father sacrificed himself to help the young couple escape but they became separated - Hoon made it to South Korea but Jae-hee was either dead or back in North Korea. Hoon spent all of his time and money trying to locate his lost love. A series of circumstances lead Hoon to work at Myungwoo University Hospital as a surgeon and he happened across a doctor at another hospital that looked exactly like Jae-hee but claimed not to know Hoon. This doctor, Han Seung-hee (Jin See-yon) is an anesthesiologist and she winds up working at Myungwoo University Hospital as well. Hoon is confused as to whether or not this woman is his lost girlfriend and his colleague, Oh Soo-hyun (Kang So-ra) falls for the genius doctor while trying to help him sort out the mystery.

Spoilers* I loved the character played by Lee Jong-suk of the joking but far from carefree Doctor Park. His genius in the operating theater was highly entertaining. It was easy to understand why all the main female characters would have fallen for him as he was charismatic and challenged them to be their best while encouraging and believing in them. Learning about North Korea from the aspect of someone that was under the control of the the government was a different slice of life than what is seen from a more elite perspective like in "Crash Landing on You". The fact that he was forced to do so many horrendous things and the constant fear for life and safety was in line with what refugees and those that have escaped have indicated is very common for the people there. I loved the relationship between Hoon and his father. I never felt that strongly about the relationship between Jae-hee and Hoon in North Korea it felt like we got a flash of seeing them in love and planning to marry and then she was taken away and he has to make the horrible decision of what to do with her and her father when they are brought from the concentration camp to the medical facility where they have been forcing him to do experimental surgeries on living patients. Then there is the first scene where they attempt escape and are chased down by the North Koreans and are on the bridge, she gets shot, and he winds up letting go and she falls into the water and he is unsure if she died or not. Later he is in South Korea doing small odd jobs to get enough money to get intel on her and perhaps get her smuggled out. He has a "friend" that he is working with who is a beautiful girl that calls him Hyung and treats him like an older brother. But you never get the full story of how they came to be together you just know they are very close. At that point I thought they would fill that story in later but they never fully did. The only chemistry and believable relationship to me was that between Hoon and Doctor Oh. He calls her Quack but spends a lot of time encouraging and mentoring her as a surgeon. There are many scenes where the two are shown "flirting" and laughing with each other. Jae-Hae even looks on several times noticing the two enjoying each other's company. This led me to think there would be some kind of twist. Perhaps Jae-Hae was actually dead and the Doctor that works at Hoon's hospital is an imposter who was trained and given plastic surgery to look like Jae-Hae. That would have been an interesting twist and would have enabled Hoon to pursue Dr. Oh. They spent a lot of time making the viewer observe the developing relationship between Dr. Park and Dr. Oh so much that most would not care about that old relationship between Jae-Hae and Dr. Park or Dr. Oh and her fiancé. I also was not a fan of the competition for the right to do surgery on the "Prime Minister". I could not see legitimate doctors feeling okay about that sort of competition which treated patients as objects. It was a way to show Dr. Park's humanity and aptitude for being a doctor despite the horrible things he was forced to do in his training in North Korea. However, I did not find the competition as interesting as I would have found just really complex medical cases. In the end of the show I was really disappointed that each couple wound up with the person they had started with. To stray that far from a relationship just does not speak deep and enduring love to me. I did not feel as though I had anything invested in either relationship. I also did not like how the two very talented surgeons were no longer practicing in that specialized field. It seemed as though Dr. Park was working at some kind of farm country clinic and Dr. Han or Chief Han whom he had competed with - returned to the US and was working as a legal assistant. I could not see doctors who had trained for so many years and had such passion and talent for the surgical practice, giving it up that easily. Overall I liked aspects of this show and really the acting carried it. If it hadn't been for such a phenomenal cast I would not have finished watching it as there were so many problems with the plot I would have lost interest. If someone is really into medical dramas - probably still worth the watch. It is also a good one to watch for more insight on North Korean life. For romance I think it falls very short. There is some suspense as you wonder who will wind up with whom and what the real game afoot is but the twist winds up being that there is no twist. It was predictable that the operation was really on the President and not the Prime Minister and it was not a huge surprise that Jae-Hae was really herself.

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I definitely think this drama deserves higher ratings than it has received. Why it has just under a score of an 8, is beyond me.... maybe people really don't understand the plot / appreciate a good medical drama?? People harshly criticize it because Dr. Park don't end up with a certain female lead, but I actually like the ending. I think the producers did a good job. I do wish that Hoon's mother could have been with them in the end, but I'm imagining that once things settle down more that their living conditions will change.

Anyways, the medical side of the drama was really cool to watch, though it was nothing particularly unique. I really liked all the characters and the OST was really good and catchy. I found myself humming it when I wasn't even watching the drama.

I will say, the first 2 episodes nearly kill your heart and could be a tragic movie on it's own, so be prepared.
Because of Doctor Stranger, I have gained a sincere curiosity in North Korean life, politics in North Korea, and defector stories. Some of the things that happen in Doctor Stranger really upset me because they were just THAT messed up, but things turned out well, so it wasn't so bad.

Also, Lee Jung Suk is a phenomenal actor - portraying such seriousness AND happy, silly moments all in the same character without seeming unrealistic is a real talent!

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I have been holding on to this drama and waiting watch in leisure because this has my two fav Opas ! Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin it was feast for my eyes to watch two of my fav actors on the screen at the same time and no need to say they both were amazing in their acting and did great justice to the characters they were playing. Lee Jong Suk played a devoted BF and his emotions remained constant for Jae Hee. I liked the changed where is started becoming a real doctor and treating everyone as patient irrespective of their past. Where as character of Chief Han was motivated by his painful past, which remained consistent as well till he realized what one perceives is not always the truth. I also liked the character of Kang So Ra as Dr Oh Soo hyun, she liked chief Han but was always confused by her feelings towards him and she finally was able to discern her feelings and acknowledged it for Dr Park. She was bold and brave, able to speak her mind, she was considerate and forgiving at the same time hard working. No wonder so many reviews wanted Dr Park & DR Oh So to be a couple at the end because both the characters were true to themselves and in a way similar.
Dr Han her character was shady inconsistent i kept wondering how can someone like he,r she thinks she was manipulative in the name of protecting and she kept saying she is protecting and then she wants to be with her BF and then she wants to protect and be with her BF and then she does not want to be with him becoz of organ transplant, her character was confusing and all in all her character didn't bring out the true feeling which DR park was able to portray so this character left me confused. Her acting was not intense either its was below average. I think Kang So Ra, Lee Jung Sook and PArk Hae Jin were able to pull the entire drama as i still don't understand what was the mission from North Korea side that they wanted to collaborate with Prime Minister. Every now and then they will kidnap one character and making him/her face the gun point. Story line started great involving medical practice and politics but it kept going downward.
It was Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin screen time which kept me going , writers did terrible job in writing this plot which had so much potential due to cast and acting talent.

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When you miss someone in a heartbeat...

I watched this drama several years ago.. It’s worth watching! I watch it like 5x I guess.. and never get bored to it. Whenever I miss some dramatic yet true love story.. I always find this drama to satisfy my wish :)

First of all.. don’t read the points below if you don’t like medical drama at the beginning. Because this drama is focus on medical, with touch of romance and political influences.

Now here I give you some reasons why you will love this drama:
(1) Beautiful setting.
They did shooting in overseas and it’s totally mindblowing. They go all out with beautiful places selection. The visual effect may not be that perfect but still ok.

(2) Great acting.
I will become emotional everytime I see Park Hoon meet Jae Hee.. and everytime they are crying and yell to each other. I have no idea why so many people hate Jin Se Yeon acting skill. In fact.. she always being chosen as the main female lead in many historical, thriller and political melodrama. I hope the audience don’t judge her too fast. There must be a good reason why so many movie directors choose her from the casting as the main lead.
From my opinion.. she is pretty, she has a beautiful + sexy voice, and more over her acting may not be perfect.. but she can potray her character suit her best. Some people may think she has less expression / flat like a robot and whatsoever, but I disagree. I can tell she has a lot potential in her to be a successful actress.

(3) Heartbeat couple!
No matter how many people out there trying to ship Park Hoon with So Hyun.. I’m sorry but Hoon is a perfect match with Jae Hee. Why? because they love each other in time of sadness and happiness. It’s fate that they already together since childhood... they sacrifice so much to be together. It’s a true love that willing to die for each other or even sell their soul to the evil just to save each other.
Most important thing is no matter how good, funny and lovely the 2nd female lead here... the way Park Hoon keep choosing Jae Hee show us that First Love is actually can work, especially after the blood and tears that they have been through. I envy this couple.. they really try hard to make it to the very end and get their freedom to love and to live.

(4) Best song selections (drama ost)
We can’t deny the drama ost make the story more dramatic and so emotional. Great job in the music and song selections!

(5) Exciting Story Line & Plot Twist
Don’t judge too fast about the story. Slowly but sure.. you will understand what’s the reason behind every doctor competitions and some accidents that happened in the story.

(6) Meaningful
Why? because you will learn about the meaning of freedom, true love, and how to be selfless for the good shake of the others.
You will learn how evil can be good too as long as their loved ones can be happy.
But at the same time, you also realize that sometimes the good ones can be an evil too, and sacrifice everything for the safety and happiness of their loved ones.

The real doctor is the one who try their best to save people. But doctor is still human too.. so sometimes they have no better choice despite of doing what they hate for the goodness shake of others.

After all... I recommend you to try this drama if you love medical story with melodrama as the genre.

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Now its pained me to give this drama an 8.0 because the majority of the first 14 episodes were a 10 for me. The writing was pretty good, the direction really interesting and beautiful, the acting blew me away. When I finished episode 14 I went on to tumblr to write a long long post about how much I loved this drama and how I couldn't understand all the hate this drama gets... but then around came episode 15 and the show (for me) really lost its way, the drama had been building up for several big reveals and they just didn't make sense. I can deal with an underwhelming reveal, I can deal with unbelievable reveals but all the reveals in Doctor Strangers last 6 episodes made absolutely ZERO sense. And from episode 15 onwards those reveals are are what shape the remainder of the plot. And I found for the rest of the show I was yelling at my screen variations of:
"WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT!?" "I'M SO CONFUSED?" and "BUT I DON'T GET WHAT'S HAPPENING!"
The reasons for characters actions made no sense to me now and even tainted the actions characters chose in earlier brilliant episodes (like why was Jai Hee doing what she was for like 10 episodes?) It seemed like the writer had a bunch of brilliant ideas to start off the show but was then left with a bunch of questions they didn't know how to answer and ended up confusing themselves and therefore the viewers when writing the later episodes.

BUT and its a big but

those first 14 episodes were pretty much pure magic, at one point my nails had cut into my hand from the anxiety and excitement this show gave me.
Also it was my first Lee Jong Suk show (other than his tiny appearance in WLFKBJ which although it was only seconds made me really like him) and I have to say, I went into the show thinking he might’ve been a bit over hyped because he’s so pretty, but NO! He was honestly brilliant. He brought a lightness and charm to the character, which I think may have gotten a little lost in the darkness of the characters past for some other actors. He blew me away and my expectations were extremely high! I know I'll be excited when starting one of his dramas in the future.
And Park Hae Jin isn’t a actor I’ve heard much of before but his character became the stand out of the drama for me and the complexity and vulnerability he played Jae Joon with was so brilliant to watch. He was so subtle and real! I've been wanting to watch Cheese in the Trap for a while now and my love for him in this has given me a good reason to start it soon.
And on top of that all the female characters were all so bad ass and brilliant not just the main 2 (who I loved so so deeply) but all of them! They were all so strong and crazy inspirational and I find that to be so rare for ALL female characters in a drama. I'm going to take a special moment to praise Jai Hee (because everyone loves Quack and fairly so) but Jai Hee was equally as brilliant for me and the pain and inner struggle she carried was portrayed perfectly and I wouldn't have changed her performance in any way. I strongly disagree with all you haters!!!

The love story of this drama wasn't something I expected I would enjoy because we didn't see the falling in love part of it and I find for me to like a love story I've gotta see them fall in love or I'll usually feel nothing for them, but in this drama there were some genuine moments where I teared up and I "awwed" and whilst they wont ever be my favourite kdrama couple I did really enjoy watching them.

The surgical scenes: I'M SPEECHLESS, THEY WERE EVERYTHING, I LOVE LOVE LOVED THEM! (and this is coming from someone who isn't a big surgical show fan) - round of applause for the director especially for those.

This show is tense and dramatic and wonderful and FULL OF PLOT HOLES, but the reason the plot holes annoyed me so much is because 3/4's of this drama were on there way to this being one of my favourite dramas and that is why I cant bring myself to rate this show any higher OR LOWER than I have.
I would say give it a go, I don't regret starting this drama because of how good it gets, but if you get the urge to turn it off after 5 episodes or so, do that because that's the best it gets. It drives me crazy knowing how good this show could have been, but I guess still enjoyed it. Thank you Doctor Stranger for a pretty good time!

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Good

I watch this for Lee Jongsuk after being obsessed by his acting in I Hear Your Voice. Didn't disappoint at all, i think he got eyes for good project or maybe it's his acting that make every show bearable to watch but anyway this is my second korean drama that i can finished back in 2014. The acting, plot, and story was good. It has a good flow too which make it a binge worth drama.

I also fall for Park Haejin here but not to the point i follow all his other project like i did with Lee Jongsuk.

The music was again not memorable but didn't sound annoying during the show.

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