Ghost Doctor

Doctors possessed by ghosts in order to save lives

This "guru" of a doctor has an accident and goes into a coma. Having to stay close to his body, he will wander around the hospital and with his invisibility he will be able to discover various secrets and will continue to operate by borrowing the body of a young resident.
At a certain point you wonder when he will wake up because other patients wake up or die while he continues to sleep.
At the fourteenth episode, still nothing. A little impatient, I had to wait until the last episode.
These two doctors... What a team! I liked the cast and the happy ending. A lot of open heart surgery... not recommended for sensible people.

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best bromance/friendship drama, with a lot of fun

I loved this drama so much ,, the Main leads are amazing ,, they have chemistry together more than the female lead with Rain
Rain and Kim Beom did an amazing job playing their roles ,, every time they show up I smile instantly
not just because of their charm but their characters were like real brothers
I'm not saying it's BL ,, Not at all but there was Brotherly love ,,, pure friendship love for one another and it showed a lot
It's Brotherhood of the best kind ,,they depended on each other in everything literally
And it's not just them ,,, the other ghosts were amazing ,,each one had his own story and his own struggle ,, I wished the writer spent more time exploring the other ghosts lives than wasting time on draggy romance
The start of the drama was really powerful but in the middle the romance became so slow and annoying
they waited for too long to reach the point of mentoring KST ,,, he was used as a vessel most of the time
It got ridiculous when it became all about romance and they forgot the Villain ,, he did nothing but few threats here and there
the plot was too week but had so much potential
it was ruined by romance
but the comedy was good ,, I laughed a lot
it was light not dark
had amazing emotions between the ghosts and their stories
the medical stuff was fun not boring
I recommend it so much because it's enjoyable watch

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Slow paced bromance with predictable story done well!

The comedy and acting was great! Chemistry between the 2 leads was phenomenal and I loved their friendship lol; we really spend enough time with them that by the end it feels like they've been friends for years. The story is a pretty predictable what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of drama, but the writing is done well and i feel myself care about even the side characters' plights as much as the main storyline.

definitely watch it for the bromance and messages about life, not for any kind of amazing villain plot. i did 1.5x my way through most of the first half due to the slow pace of the story, but it really ramps up near the end with everything concluding in a lovely happy bow that leaves you feeling warm n fuzzy<3 no real loose ends. kind of love when a drama knows when to end nicely these days, rather than cliffhang the audience in hopes of a second season to be drawn out further.

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Ghost in Eunsang Hospital

Bravo for Kim Beom's cool acting. Plays the role of Go Seung-Tak, a childish rich young man, always smiling and mischievous. Kim Beom also had to play the fierce and perfectionist Cha Young-Min.

His face and body gestures alternated smoothly.

While Rain only acts as the tough and cynical Cha Young-Min.
As a viewer, I was disappointed to see Rain losing his charm. Her cheeks looked too thin. Is Rain on a strict diet?

When side by side with Kim Beom, he looks untidy. Maybe because Rain (1982) is acting as a professor, while Kim Beom (1989) is only an intern, right? They are only 7 years apart in age, but Rain looks like his father Kim Beom.😭😭

Overall, the Korean drama Ghost Doctor is pretty good.

Tells about a coma ghost with all its problems. Including humanist stories that have a happy ending, thanks to the rescue by Cha Young-Min who entered Go Seung-Tak's body.

Similar to the Korean drama Hospital Playlist and the Korean drama Hospital Ship, only with a different angle. The Korean drama Hospital Playlist tells the story of doctor friendship, the Korean drama Hospital Ship tells of doctors in the countryside.

Meanwhile, the Korean drama Ghost Doctor combines stories of the occult, the world of ghosts and power struggles. There is a love story in all three dramas.

So for those who like the medical and supernatural genres, the Korean drama Ghost Doctor is highly recommended.

Moreover, according to AGB Nielson, this drama won a rating of 4,432% at the beginning of the episode nationwide, and closed at 7,953% at the end of the episode. Meanwhile, the Korean drama community on mydramalist gave a rating of 8.6, or it could be interpreted that many like the Korean drama Ghost Doctor. 😊😊

I will write my next review here:
https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2023/01/ghost-doctor-ada-hantu-di-igd-rs-eunsang.html

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I started watching purely based on curiosity as most Kdramas about doctors are really good and I was definitely not disappointed. I started watching when a few episodes had already aired but caught up immediately and was eagerly waiting for the next episode each weak. The plot was interesting and not as predictable as I first thought. Moreover they had the right amount of seriousness and comedy in each scene which made the show very pleasant to watch.

As for the characters, I loved them. The dynamic between the two main leads Ko Sung Tak (Kim Bum) and Cha Young Min (Rain) was great. I loved how their relationship develloped over the course of the series. Also both characters had great personal development and learned how to deal with their short commings and they helped each other grow. I also loved the playfull yet sweet relationship between Sung Tak and Oh Soo Jung (Son Na Eun), though I wished she would have had a more present role in the show.

However, the antagonist where a bit lacking they were portayed as big bad evil people but reminded me more of bullies. Also I found the chemistry between Jang Se Jin(Uee) and Young Min a bit awkward, plus the relationship she devoloped with Sung Tak was a odd and leaning towards becomming a bit creepy.

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Fun premise that kind of loses its way

TLDR: Super fun concept that carries some of the subpar moments in the show

Overall: In terms of medical dramas this is definitely one that doesn't lean too much into the hard medicine which suits it well. The character relationships and schemes are the main driver of the show and for the most part they do a pretty decent job at staying interesting. I think noteworthy performances are Rain as Cha Young Min, Uee as Jang Se Jin and Sung Dong Il as Tess. The rest of the cast fill their roles but aren't asked to do much. The exception being Kim Bum's character who I thought lacked the screen presence and emotional weight to carry his half of the show.

Story: This is the reason to watch the show full stop. It's makes for fun dynamics and comedic situations while also allowing for exploration of deeper themes. I do think the novelty of it wears off after a bit after the first few episodes but there are enough ups and downs to carry it over the finish line. Not going to spoil too much but has a very solid start that hooks you with a slow taper off til the end when you realize that it peaked in the first few episodes.

Characters: The main cast is overall great with one exception. Rain carries a lot of the show with his performance and charisma. He starts off as the aloof and domineering attending but thankfully the script doesn't force him off the deep end in terms of likeability like some dramas do. His transformation is believable and a treat to watch. I am always rooting for him despite the ups and downs he has. He is easily the stronger half of the main duo and is thankfully enough to carry most of this dynamic. He hits all the emotional beats the show needs from him and I think he gives a great portrayal of both the desperation and joy his character experiences.

Onto Kim Bum as Dr. Seung Tak. I'm not sure what happened with his character but either the actor was horribly miscast or the script just did him dirty. I don't think he displayed much emotional range outside of class clown that doesn't care. His character jumps around quite a bit as well. Spoilers, but there was one scene where his character says something along the lines of "I can't stand watching anyone die" and I was like ???? Are we watching the same show? This is the same guy that blew off work, avoided picking up patients, and sat sipping a coffee while people were actively dying during the first 5-6 episodes. I think this was intended to show how much he grew by the end but the negligence+class clown vibe of the character just made him quite difficult to empathize with in any capacity. Even after the 'big reveal' of his back story I'm still left wondering how any of that is an excuse for his earlier behavior. The characters actions and attitudes also seem to change on a whim as the story needs which does no favors to the already poor characterization.

Uee is great as the supporting FL. She isn't given a whole lot of screen time but when she is she consistently knocks it out of the park. Sung Dong's character is fun as the mentor figure and it feels like he's been wandering around with too much time on his hands. The rest of the side characters are just kind of there. All other doctors outside of the main 3 are made one dimensional and incompetent by the script which is kind of a let down since there was quite a bit of potential to make them complex. The only real glimpse of 2D any of them get is when Dr. Ban gets like 5 seconds of showing he cares about his patients then after that nothing else.

The romance in this show ranges from fine to bad. Dr. Cha and Dr. Jang's relationship is fine, but outside of the flashbacks they aren't given a whole lot to work with since one of them is unconscious for 90% of the show. Seung Tak and Soo Jung's relationship made no sense to me. I didn't really get any sense of chemistry other than maybe a one sided crush. I think the actress does a reasonable job but her screen time is so limited already that she has like 5 min total in the show to make us believe in a relationship that is already weak to begin with. It's also not a great sign when I was far more invested in the ghost relationship and kind of speaks to the weakness of the second lead dynamic. That one scene at the door packed more emotional weight than every scene between the second leads put together.

The brother is suitably goofy and does lean into the heavy handed Kdrama cliches a bit but overall nothing too egregious. Dr. Han is a fine obstacle for the leads to overcome and the actor does a good job but wasn't asked to flex his acting muscles much so can't really knock him for anything. Dr. Ahn's character I thought was probably the most interesting villain. He gets at least a reasonable motivation and despite how scummy his character is I thought the actor put in a good performance from overworked fellow to desperate criminal who's in too deep.

Music: fine, nothing great and nothing bad.

Rewatch: I'd say pretty low. The novelty of the premise wore off during my first watch of the show so any repeat viewing is likely going to make that worse.

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Neither disappointed nor impressed

I have enjoyed many medical dramas, and am thus looking forward to watch this drama. I won’t say I’m disappointed, nor would I say I’m impressed with this drama.

Most medical dramas touched me at some point or another, but this drama did not. Perhaps due to lack of stronger backstories for the coma patients (where was the walnut man’s son?), and backstories of the other docs and staff at the hospital (e.g. the cleaner Ms Kim (any particular reason why Tess possessed her time and again?), and the doctor who defended the 2ML (Seung Tak) when the rest mocked at him?)).

Different from most sentiments, I thought the first 5-6 episodes are slower and repetitive (possessing humans and saving lives), compared to the last 5-6 episodes, with the unveiling of some backstories of coma patients, the MLs and their budding mentorship-friendship (reminds me of similar mentorship-friendship between the MLs in HK medical drama The Last Breakthrough - btw this is an underrated gem not-to-be-missed), the 1ML (Young Min) reflecting on when to really stop saving patients and the 2ML (Seung Tak) learning to be a real surgeon.

It would have been better if there are stronger backstories of the coma patients, and a "reunion” of the MLs with the patients who awoke from their coma.

Random musings:

1. Certain side profile of Rain in the drama resembles Lee Joon Gi. How about a drama with both of them as brothers?
2. Why did both 2ML and 2FL not have fathers, and were doted by their respective grandfathers?
3. Wasn’t the motorcyclist who banged into Rain shown to be a menacing dark ghost emanating black smokes, peering at the Leads from behind doors in one episode and Tess remarking him to spell troubles, but he turned out to be a harmless coma ghost who just need help from the Leads to recover from his coma?
4. Why was the backstory of the guy coma patient featured only 4-5 episodes after the backstory of the lady was featured and the lady recovered and discharged from the hospital – common sense would have the leads find out the backstory of each coma patients at about the same time, to help them out of their coma. It almost seemed like the guy coma patient has been totally forgotten, and added in as an afterthought.
5. Is skin slitting with a surgical knife a common shot to mark the start of surgery? Similar to Kids Lives Matter with the mechanical skin-slitting start of surgery scene, there are numerous bloody and heart thumping surgical scenes through this drama.

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Good for a Medical Drama!

I loved it! It wasn't something that I had on my watch list initially...but I wanted to try something different and I was also interested in seeing how Kim Bum acts. I've only seen him in Boys Over Flowers. Needlessly to say, I loved him in this.

I am also a fan of medical dramas, I binged Greys Anatomy as well as House so I was curious to see how this would measure up. I'm glad to say that it did not disappoint. I also like a bit of fantasy so it was great for that as well.

At first I was wondering why this drama was so long...I am sure it could've wrapped up everything in 12 episodes, but now that I've finished it, I love how they tied everything off so nicely. I also love the character's growth and progression. I also LOVE that the ending didn't feel rushed (like so many dramas do).

It's a must-watch for sure! Makes you think about the value of life and how you never know when it's your time to go. So therefore you should do what makes you happy.

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Bromantic dramady. Boring surgery scenes. Unsatisfying romances

Rain & Kim Bum give stellar performances in this mostly bromantic dramady. I gave it fewer stars though because I found the surgeries overly long , (SO much squirting blood), & what looked like the same fake skin being sliced open every surgery. Also, I was disappointed that Kim Bum's storyline wasn't given more romantic development. Rain's romance was a bit unsatisfactory ,though it did end happily. It just felt a bit rough & awkward instead of warm fuzzy romantic. Don't expect any kissing in this series. It's all about the hugs. overall the cast did a great job & there was a good balance between the drama (difficulties & obstacles & scary stuff) & the development of the character's relationships. I'm not a fan of hospital dramas, but as with Hospital playlist , this won me over. It's good to see Rain in his acting element ; the bromance & defender of justice genres suite him well.

Happy endings for most "good" characters.

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This one took a lot to get me interested

Let me start by saying that I have to have at least ONE character that I really like to enjoy a show. The two male leads were extremely unlikeable for quite a few episodes. A friend kept telling me to stick it out, it gets better, and it did, somewhat. However, I never felt fully invested in the show.

LIKES: Loved Rain and Kim Bum's acting. Rain, especially, was able to wring emotions from me with his looks, his mannerisms, and, let's be honest, his crying. For me, it was worth watching just for their acting, and their bromance. This was a relationship that started out with hate/antagonism and it was a very enjoyable journey watching them come to terms with their connection with one another, and develop a deep friendship. There was a lot of humor when these two played off each other.

I also liked the other coma ghosts, especially the head guy (he was awfully funny, too).

THINGS THAT WERE DISAPPOINTING: The romance. My favorite genre is romance, so I never thought I'd say this, but they should have stuck with the bromance. The romance was just boring.

The bad guys. These bad guys seemed like caricatures to me, like they should be twirling their imaginary villain moustaches. They got away with so much for so long, and the justice served just seemed like an afterthought.

Changing rules for coma ghosts - 1) you can't go past the desk at the front lobby, yet suddenly you're out in the community. 2) WAY too much leeway to a slacker intern who has made no bones about the fact that he isn't committed to being a doctor - by all means, let him do surgeries!!!

BOTTOM LINE: Just my opinion, this is a good one to watch for excellent acting, but other than that it was ho-hum for me.

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