This is my first review in 2 years, but I just couldn't help myself but feel like writing one. I've been in kind of a slump lately and Doctor Stranger helped me out of it. Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't the best drama I've ever watched, not even in my favorites, but somehow I ended up watching all 20 episodes in two days. It just made me curious on how things will develop. Now going on with the review...
Story: As you must have read in the previous reviews Doctor Stranger started of really good and promising. I still remember the first 3 episodes, which in my opinion, were the best in the drama. The idea wasn't something original, but the setting was. I loved how they focused on his life in the North and the hardships he had to go through. Now, many people said that those were the only good episodes in the drama, but for me everything was fine till episode 10. After watching that episode it seemed that everything I knew till then wasn't true, the story was rushed, feelings reviled out of nowhere, it seemed as an entire different show for me. Anyway, I still kept watching because I was eager to find out how it will end. By the last episodes it seemed that they tried to save what could be saved only to blow everything off with the final episode.
Acting/Cast: If there is someone to thank for saving the show it should be the cast, except for one. Their story arcs were interesting to watch and they did a good job with their characters even with the huge burden of such a chaotic storyline.
Park Hoon(Lee Jong Suk) - I really think that Lee Jong Suk gets better and better with every role he plays.He really didn't disappoint me on how he he played Park Hoon. But that doesn't mean that I was totally satisfied on his character. I think that the writers made him too of a "love fool" than it was necessary. As the drama progressed I began to notice that he was more obsessed with Jae Hee(or the idea of her) than actually being in love with her. They made him be someone that doesn't care for anything in the world than her, and that is pretty bad in my opinion. Apart from that I actually love "Doctor Park Hoon" more that "Lover Hoon".
Jae Hee(Jin Se Yeon) - I don't know if it was the actress or the character but I just couldn't make myself like her. As many people said, Jin Se Yeon is still young and has time to learn and develop as an actress, but I really disliked her in every character she played. The pity is that Jae Hee could have been a really interesting and challenging character if played by the right person, but instead she made me frustrated in every episode...this girl has only 2 faces: a forced smile and a blank "what are you talking about, I don't understand" face. I'm really sorry about her fans but she ruined it for me.
Jae Joon(Park Hae Jin) - I've just found myself a new crush with this show and that is actor Park Hae Jin. He is the character I loved the most in the entire drama because he seemed to me the most human and realistic one. A man with desires, ego but at the same time rational thinking that knew when to give up because something more important came in his life. Also I love the bro-romance he shared with Park Hoon.
Soo Hyun(Kang So Ra) - I wasn't a big fan of Kang Sora till this drama, but after watching her here I really came to like her, she came a long way since her Dream High days. Soo Hyun was a really interesting character to watch who changed during the drama. Starting as an insecure doctor that wasn't confident in her skills she ended up being someone trustworthy that gave hope to other people.
Music: The main song "Stranger" by Bobby Kim was really good to hear, but the other weren't mindblowing, at least in my case. But this is really a subjective matter that depends on the listener preferences.
Rewatch Value: I can say for sure that I won't rewatch this, because I wouldn't be able to go through with the story again, it was enough one time.
This to be said I can't say that his is a must-watch but I still encourage you to give it a try if you are curious, it wasn't so bad as many people say if you can "play blind" for a couple of moments, at least in my opinion.
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