A different perspective

Overall, the premise was interesting, cast and acting was outstanding. The unique musical taste added a memorable flair to the entire drama. I truly enjoyed the entire ride, though there were some major flaws which did not sit well with me. I'll focus on mainly the negative points as most of the other reviews here are positive.

- I don't watch too many action movies as I'm not a big fan of fight scenes, and this drama really reinforced that in me. The main character, Doki, just seemed invincible to the point where there was no conflict during any fights. You were not rooting for him anymore because you just knew he would survive. Too many times he would go 1 vs 15... and win... Even at one point getting whacked by a baseball bat over 20 times, then escaping and going 1 vs 15... TWICE, and winning. Another time getting stabbed in the shoulder and taking down an entire legion of men with baseball bats, solo. Not humanly possible, no matter what level of military experience.

- Judging from the title, you'd expect more involvement of the taxi or the taxi driver. I loved the style of the first two revenge cases - the factory and school violence cases - picking up the client in the taxi and hearing their stories. From the data centre case onwards, it just became so convoluted. The agency picked up cases where they had no stakes in, and it felt like the drama shifted more to focusing on the content of the cases rather than the agency's role in protecting the victims.

- Potential spoiler ahead! The last episode left a sour taste in my mouth. I interpreted the last scene as the gang getting back together, DESPITE already agreeing to part ways just 20 minutes before (1 year in the timeline). So what was the purpose, then, of building up the whole 'Revenge begets revenge' narrative? I felt like it was a clear money grab at securing a second season, and, speaking of money grabs, the product placement was a little over the top that that was all that stuck in my mind after watching the finale.

With all that being said, it was definitely an enjoyable ride as, after all, it's just entertainment. In terms of Kdrama quality, this was undoubtedly an extremely well-produced drama, with a memorable plot as well. I wouldn't call this my favourite crime/thriller, but I'd give it bonus points for going beyond just the mundane cat and mouse plots typically found in police dramas.

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Powerful first half, unsatisfying second half.

I hopped on the hype train when I saw all those 10/10 reviews, but this certainly did not live up to the expectations for me. Here are my thoughts after watching the drama, as a dissenting opinion to all the 10s in the reviews. I would recommend watching Flower of Evil, but don't expect too much like I did.

The first few episodes set the stage for the story, leaving you wondering what each characters' motivations are. However, as the drama progressed, new characters were introduced and they start to become plot devices just to push the story forward. Without spoiling too much of the plot, I felt like the damsel in distress sister and the comatose guy had highly convenient relationships with the main cast that would just be ridiculous in reality. Also, the whole human trafficking side plot was unnecessary...

There is some suspense of belief required here, as this is absolutely NOT a realistic drama. Of the several crime/police dramas I have watched before, this does not rank high. If you're watching this merely for Lee Joon ki, Lawless Lawyer has a much better and believable drama structure. I understand the need in Dramaland for some coincidences, but this drama has one too many. After a few near-death experiences, trapping Lee Joon ki in a burning building doesn't make my heart race anymore because you know that he is effectively immortal in Dramaland anyway. Skip 20 seconds of burning building footage and his wife will magically appear and save him. Towards the end, I also found myself skipping the romantic scenes to get to the end of the story. I just wanted to know how the good guys and bad guys stories end, and everything else was filler to me. Blame the writer for writing it this way, but there has to be a better way to cause conflict.

Overall, I agree with the consensus that the cinematography and directing was superb. However, the writing was a bit questionable, as it got pretty repetitive later on. If you're new to police dramas, there are much better ones than this. If you're looking for a melo disguised as a thriller, there are also better ones out there. Once you've watched those, come back for this one - it's not bad, but definitely not worth a 10.

*SPOILER*
Throughout the entire drama, I felt like the idea that Do Hyun su is not a bad guy is forced down our throats. Everyone's actions are very one-dimensional - all the police were always against the homicidal monster, while Hyun su's side was continuously trying to drive the narrative that serial killing does not run in the family. While the premise was interesting pre-watch, I think it got tiring towards the end when it was the exact same Good vs. Evil trope.

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Watch it, but don't take it too seriously.

I really wanted to give this show a good review. I honestly had enjoyed it up to about Episode 12, and did not understand why it got so many bad reviews here. Past that point, nothing made sense anymore and I was left very unsatisfied with the ending.

Would I recommend it? Sure, it starts off great, but be prepared for a terrible ending.

I think there was so much potential in the story. I was hooked on each episode in the beginning as the plot slowly began to unfold, but towards the middle characters started to act irrationally and couldn't understand what was right in front of their noses. I held onto the conviction that the plot would be fleshed out to a somewhat satisfactory ending, but it reached a climax somewhere halfway through and began going around in circles and circles for a few episodes.

Still, I think the production value is amazing. It's not easy to film and direct a time travel show, and I really appreciate the production team's and actors' efforts in seamlessly connecting each setting.

This is a drama that you'd want to binge in a weekend, but don't anticipate too much what is going to happen. Don't take it too seriously and don't get hooked on the supporting cast, because, unfortunately, they don't have very satisfying endings (particularly Doyeon... feel so sad for that girl). Anyway, just enjoy it for the thriller it is and don't think too much into it.

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Don't waste your time.

When I saw the synopsis of this drama come out, it seemed like a fantastic watch and I was excited for it to air. I kept up with it as it was airing, and I ended up dropping it halfway because of how boring and draggy it got. The premise, background, and aesthetics were great hooks, but I dare say everything else was lackluster. Let's discuss the good and the bad.

Good: I loved the acting. Lee Do Hyun is a great fresh face and I wasn't surprised at all at his ability to shine in his role. It was also my first time watching most of the other actors and they surely played their characters well. In terms of production, the colours and period-details (props, set, etc.) were excellent, which really allowed me to hold on to the drama as long as I did.

Bad: The story... It was just so terribly boring and repetitive. Feels like this type of love story is way overdone. I think the biggest problem I had with the plot was the serious lack of communication and immaturity between the characters that led to many, many misunderstandings which just simply do not happen in normal, adult relationships. If your style of romance drama is to ogle at pretty people doing pretty people things, then this is for you. But if you are looking for something fresh and different, this is so not it.

With all that said, I did not finish the drama. I dropped at episode 6 so I cannot say anything about the ending, but at the pace that the show was going, I was halfway through and felt like nothing happened at all. I was sorely disappointed with this one, but maybe my expectations were just too high.

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I'm absolutely hooked on this drama. I'm only on episode 6 right now, and not all the episodes are aired yet, but this has been such a strong drama from the start. There are no villains, and the story mainly focuses on the characters and their journey through life together.

One of the strongest points that I absolutely am in love with is that our group is all in a band, and the songs that they practice with are all OSTs. The show brings us, the viewer, through the characters' medical school lives in the 2000s, thus bringing up all the memories associated with that era. Although I was barely alive during that time, the way the director portrayed their friendship and the oldie songs just made me nostalgic for memories I never had!! This drama might resonate better with the older crowd and those who have childhood memories of life in Asia.

The only gripe I have with Hospital Playlist is the large amount of character introductions and world-building in the first one or two episodes, but that simply can't be helped with a story of this scale. Otherwise, this is on the top of my list of favourite dramas for now. The OST, the characters, everything brings a silly smile to my face.

I strongly recommend this as a light-hearted piece, though it may be a little hard to follow with the large amount of characters. However, once you're invested in them, you'd want to watch it again to catch the little details you missed the first time around. I never rewatch dramas, but I will definitely be rewatching this one, especially if season 2 comes out.

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