Grey's Anatomy, Take Your Scalpel & Go Home, Now. K-Band-Aid is In The HOWSE-pital

I put off watching this highly rated show for a while because I found the name unappealing. Well, what's in a name?

This series follows 5 friends from college that eventually end up working at the same hospital in Seoul. Now that they are all back in Seoul, they resurrect their college band by working on 1 song a month, to ensure they take time to be together. Whether the above pre-screening sounds like a solid basis for a hospital drama or not, it's merely the setting. What matters is the relationships, particularly as embodied in the writer/director/actors. In any case, HP has stitched together an outstanding fellowship of talent. Stick with the regimen for 3 episodes, at least, before determining its effectiveness. Ep1 gets off to a slow start and there are several scenes that won't be understandable until later. Once things get rolling they never slow down again.

HP is about friendship first, but also caring+respect for others, love, parents & children, music, and lots and lots of #food. The hospital scenes, including staff dynamics and operating room procedures, feel realistic. The characters are a delight.

Here's a shout-out to Jo Jung-Suk. I fell in love with him when watching the divine Oh My Ghost-10. He delivers another slam dunk with his performance as Dr. Lee Ik-jun. Everyone does a great job.

This just pertains to season 1. I haven't started season 2 yet.

IMHO...

RATINGS
Directing 9
Acting 9
Romance 8
Flutters 5
Art 6
Sound & music 9
Ending 9

LEVELS
Action/ Excitement 4
Thought provocation 6


Suggested Age 12& up, with a caveat: One unmarried couple is shown in bed together with enough skin showing to infer what's unmistakably been going on. Any parents who object to that, be advised. The counter-balance is the realistic medical setting, along with reinforcement of good character.

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

A Witch's Love 7.8,
Live Up To Your Name-7.6;
Love to Hate You 8.9,
Her Private Life 8,
Touch your heart 8.2,
Crash Landing On You 9.1,
Oh My Ghost 10,
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha-8.4,
When the Camellia Blooms-8,
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9,
Romance is a bonus book-7.9,
Love Struck in the City 7.3,
Be Melodramatic-8.7,
Misaeng-9.1,
My Liberation Diary-8.9,
Move To Heaven-8.4,
My Mister 9.5,
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9
Something in the Rain-8.6,