Doctor Slump

Healing portrayal of mental health

I didn’t expect this drama to be so healing. The portrayal of mental health was incredibly realistic. I especially liked that the female lead had high functioning depression, as it gives a different view of what depression can look like. I liked how they helped each other heal as well. Thw script was great and incredibly touching. As someone who has experienced depression, I really appreciated and related to this drama. Thank you.

Some criticisms I have are:

It was too long, should have been 12 episodes, you could tell at one point the story had ended and they just kept adding more and more unnecessary stuff which watered down the amazing content they had.
Some people say the acting was over the top at times - it was but I think that’s more the style the director was going for rather than the decision of the actors. It’s a stylised piece almost comic book like, not 100% realism, so whilst I think if they had kept it more realistic it would have been better, I respect the stylistic choice of the director.

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The writing isn't like a "slump" for sure!

I've seen many people saying, this show boring, the writing isn't that good or the main characters are childish. Also, the depression part wasn't handled well, not to mention the mystery plot.

The ONLY thing that's actually true, is the mystery plot. It wasn't that bad, it was just basic. Other than that, my only problem with the drama is that they didn't do anything with Jeong Woo's parents. I'm actually surprised that there weren't any story about them being hating his relationship with Haneul. Thank God, it wasn't included, but honestly, I think they should've focused more on the bad parents plot.

Also, his PTSD was resolved pretty fast. I don't think anyone can recover from a PTSD that fast, not to mention, a doctor with PTSD wouldn't even be allowed to work. The same goes for Haneul with her depression. But I do think her story was well-written. Depression is not something that happens to everyone in the same way. Every patient have different symptoms.

Of course, this show isn't as good as the "Daily Dose of Sunshine" for example, but overall, this part of the plot was good.

About their romance: Yes, sometimes it was childish and cringe, like 90% of Kdrama romance, so this argument is completely ridiculous, especially, because we have two character who didn't really have a real childhood or a relationship. So, even tho it was cringe at times, it was funny, cute and both of them are lovable characters.

One thing I would say is that Hyung Sik's portrayal is basically the same as in "Strong Woman Bong-soon".

The family story was good, but nothing special. The side characters, especially Dae Young and Hong Ran were funny and entertaining. They felt more realistic, to be honest, but it was cringe at times as well.

The whole show was cringe sometimes, but I never felt I should skip a scene, so that's a positive.

The mystery plot was decent, nothing ordinary, maybe it was a bit much at times, but it wasn't irritating at all.


Overall, this is a really good show, with a meaningful message about life, so it's definitely worth watching it. I know many people love "Queen of Tears" more, but I have to say, the writing on this drama was much better.

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Could Have Been If It Was Short & Sweet

After “Welcome to Samdalri”, I had high hopes from “Doctor Slump”; not that the show didn’t meet my expectations. I just feel it frizzled out in the finale week. Focusing on mental health, we had two characters who are facing mid life crisis due to different scenarios. While Nam Ha Neul (Park Shin Hye) suffered depression because of the abuse suffered at her mentor’s hands; Yeo Jeong Woo (Park Hyung Sik) suffers from PTSD because he was falsely accused of medical malpractice. Their individual traumas bring them together; as they struggle with everyday life, being jobless and lonely. The first half of the show was fantastic as the show conceded to the main protagonist’s struggles. There was also the mystery of who caused the medical accident at Jeong Woo’s clinic. Their budding romance was another highlight; but the second half turned out to be entirely boring. This was one of those shows which should have followed the Netflix’s typical pattern of having eight or so episodes. Because beyond that, there wasn’t much substance in the storyline. Let’s review the better parts of this romcom!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/doctor-slump-series-review/

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A textbook example for future K-dramas on what NOT to do with popular cast members

This one was rough. I absolutely love the male lead, and I'm fully aware of how popular the female lead actress is, too. I haven't watched The Heirs yet, but it's on my list. So, to put it short, I do understand why some people had such high hopes for this drama. Good-looking cast members with impressive resumes, what could go wrong? Here? Absolutely everything went wrong.

I'll keep it short, everything about the drama was dull. The story made very little sense in reality. Two characters with boring lives. They had very few human interactions. Few friends. Few dating, if any. They then reconnect at 33 or around there, and yet they still act like adolescents. For a show about two doctors, I never once felt they were full-fledged doctors. It uses hack writing to gloss over the real-world aspects of the medical field. In fact, there's less than 35 minutes in total where they use medical terminology or extensive hospital etiquette we're used to in television. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. The problem is how they're portrayed in their personal lives. They don't act like mature adults. The horrible flashbacks put an already large strain on the list of problems the show has. They don't even bother to change their hairstyles, the leads, or even the secondary characters. It's kinda insulting, and even the lowest budget dramas do a better job of flashbacks. But the biggest blunder about the show is the half-hearted effort everyone seems to bring. There is zero chemistry among the characters. The closest thing I can think of is the second leads; they have a somewhat more mature relationship, but even they barely show up. It's so hard to describe. It doesn't feel like they showed up just for a paycheck, it's not THAT bad. But it feels like everyone is just half-assing it. You'll understand what I mean by the first few episodes.

The next biggest thing is how absolutely useless and annoying the female leads family are. The overbearing mother who puts her daughter in a blind date without telling her. She doesn't act like a mom, more like a sister. She's not as bad as the mother from "Something in the Rain," but holy hell is she close. Then there's the brother, who openly admits to stealing from every family member. Jobless, but still somehow dating here and there. All while stealing 50k won often from his uncle or his sister. The show and the characters just gloss over this like it's normal or something. The entire drama would have benefited from removing all of them, but sadly, they are in almost all of the most important scenes. It's infuriating.

The cherry on top? No kiss scenes until 10 episodes later. Maybe more, I couldn't care to remember anymore, honestly. And for leads that have such big fan bases, this is not how you want your viewers to feel. I forced myself to finish this because of the male lead. None of the charm he possesses and uses in Strong Girl Bong-soon is used here. The leads weren't saving this mess. So why did I give it a higher score than a 2? For what it's worth, the show is very predictable, and if you want a show that you KNOW where it's going to go, this is probably meant for you. A comfort show, with almost zero effort, is perhaps better than an even worse show. Unless you like the leads, avoid like the plague.

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Flashes of warmth, floods of cringe—welcome to a drama with mixed prescriptions

I was bracing myself to watch this drama. On one hand, after hearing this would be a romance drama with Park Shin Hye, I immediately thought, “Oh my gosh, she’s going to screw this up isn’t she, with her notoriously horrible on-screen kissing?” Then there’s Park Hyung Sik who was brilliant in SWDBS and soundtrack#1. So I was mildly surprised to see Shin Hye’s vastly improved lip-locking skills, but her crying skills were so bad that even my nine-year-old could outperform her.

Speaking of cringe, I wasn’t sure whether Hyung Sik was supposed to be a plastic surgeon in this drama, or a dentist, because the abundant times of him flashing his pearly whites were as if he’s trying to drum up sponsorship from Colgate. So it’s no wonder that, with his high visibility, that he’s an easy target. He went from high-profile to lying low in a nano-second, and somehow ends up staying at his ex-rival, previous crush’s house, because Korea is THAT small.  

And while both Ha Neul and Jeong Woo’s careers are in the dumps, they cling to each other like Jack and Rose aboard the small wooden door from the Titanic. Their acting could not save them both from this drama, but you know who does? Surprisingly, it’s the rest of the cast, who were more natural in their roles. Seong Ha and Yoon Park have this cute chemistry going on as the second couple, and they were adorable as Hong Ran and Dae Young. Both single parents leading busy lives and were awkward with their own children, but somehow could lend each other support and give sound advice for the other.

I also particularly loved Jang Hye Jin as Ha Neul’s mother; I’ve seen her in many dramas and she’s just that lovely ahjumma who embodies the nurturing figure, while trying her best to understand her daughter despite initial misconceptions. By no means perfect, she tries to impress her nosy, one-upping relatives, and in the end, learns to accept that her children’s health and happiness are more important than having illustrious careers.  

Another weak point in this drama is the surrounding mystery of how Jeong Woo’s patient died, or what made him the scapegoat for that death. Although I sensed who the culprit was from the beginning, I didn’t know that there were other layers in how this came to be. I wasn’t sure whether it was necessary to the plot, but I guess the writers deemed them important enough to include them in the drama.  

There were other half-assed attempts at introducing characters into the drama who bear very little relevance, aside from showing the juxtaposition between real friends who stick with you or pretend friends who are only with you, when things are going great.  

Ultimately, this series aims to tell you that misfortunes happen, but when they happen, it is how you cope with them that matters, and having supportive friends and family who help you along the way is a crucial part of that journey.  

IMHO, this show delivered the right message with partly the wrong execution.

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Oh what a wonderful drama !!!

It's always amazing to dive into the world of kdramas and get involved in exciting plots and captivating characters. Actors Park Hyung Sik and Parque Shin Hye bring new stories and experiences, capable of transporting us to fascinating universes and making us reflect on the complexity of life. The kdrama, with all its intensity and emotion, invites us to feel empathy, explore different perspectives and connect with the depths of the human soul. What a privilege it is to be able to appreciate this title more. It humanizes doctors, removing them from the bubble portrayed in many dramas, where it seems like they don't face difficulties alongside them. It brings the fresh youth of two hard-working and intelligent students who were former rivals in high school. Nam Ha-neul and Yeo Jeong-woo meet again in adulthood, after pursuing careers as doctors, one achieving success and the other facing frustrations in their careers in medicine. A story full of ups and downs on the path of life. He revealed his options for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, with realistic goals, far from the unattainable glamor of fantastic medical celebrities. The cast's performance was so smooth and so intense that, in the emotional scenes, tears flow unconditionally.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Doctor Slump '' is a slice of life melodrama with some medical drama hints.

The drama has a healing story, with the romance being well paced and starting from academic rivals, to friends, to lovers, which shifted the story from the love story to the difficulties the characters had to face and overcome. Hence, the slow pace helped the mood of the drama a lot.

Unfortunately, the second half of the drama felt more like a filler. There were only a few things left to be resolved and a few new things to be added to the story. At this point, the side couple was the one who kept things interesting and offered a lot of adorable moments.

Finally, the performances were all enjoyable by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Almost

The series had moments of brilliance, largely due to its stellar cast that effortlessly captured the essence of playful banter, heartfelt connections, and the charm of found family dynamics. Initially, I found myself fully immersed, intrigued by the characters and invested in the well-balanced blend of suspense and drama.

However, as the story progressed, the lighthearted tone occasionally veered into awkward and exaggerated territory, reminiscent of scenes that missed the mark from other similar shows. Despite my attempts to overlook these moments, they gradually became more distracting, leaving me somewhat unsettled.

While I appreciate the attempt to tackle mental health issues within the narrative, I was disappointed by the conventional resolution presented. The reliance on medication as the primary solution felt cliché and overly simplistic. Mental health is a complex issue requiring a multifaceted approach encompassing therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and robust support networks, aspects that were touched upon but not fully explored. Furthermore, the swift resolution of the characters' traumas seemed unrealistic given their experiences.

By predominantly portraying medication as the answer, the series missed an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of mental health care and treatment. It's crucial for media representations to reflect the diverse and personalised approaches often necessary for genuine healing. While I applaud the effort to shed light on mental health, I would prefer a more nuanced and realistic portrayals in future storytelling.

Despite my initial high hopes for the series, the flaws became increasingly apparent, and I reluctantly accepted that it wouldn't reach the pinnacle I had envisioned. Ultimately, I had to surrender the notion of it being a standout for me.

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