Resident Playbook (2025)

Lighthearted fun times ahead!!

I loved it, no notes. Except perhaps that i really NEED Season 2. And I need that to have HosPlay cameos too please <33

My main two reasons for watching this drama were- HosPlay sequel and Go Youn Jung and it delivered spectacularly on both accounts. Go Youn Jung is such a good actress, I love her facial expressions. But I was also really impressed by everyone else's acting, our other three first year residents had their own journeys to go through and they were fantastic.

The story was well-wrapped with just enough threads lose for a S2 renewal and I really need that to happen.

Read More

Resident Playbook is Like a Dazzling Sunset!

If Hospital Playlist is like a warm blanket on a cold night, then Resident Playbook is like a dazzling sunset on a warm summer night. This fantastic spin-off series beautifully captures many elements of the previous series that have captivated millions. Hospital Playlist is one of my all-time favorite series. I have most of the songs on my iPod, and while I still feel that Hospital Playlist is a better series, make no mistake - Resident Playbook is simply delightful. It’s also different in many respects.

Resident Playbook follows four first-year residents in the OBGYN department. You’ll note that Hospital Playlist’s protagonists were four men and one woman. Here, we have three women and one man. One difference is that the characters from Hospital Playlist knew each other for years, and it was apparent from the chemistry they all had. Here, four first-year residents are pooled together, with only two of them knowing each other as former classmates.

Oi Young is the reluctant young woman who started the resident program previously but quit. She’s also in serious debt and living with her sister, her sister’s husband, and the husband’s brother, Koo Do Won, whom Oi Young has a crush on. Koo Do Won is a charming and delightful upper resident of the OBGYN department. Oi Young doesn’t realize that she has great, natural ability, but she’s always a bit hesitant and unsure of herself. She’s easily the most unhappy of the four, always trying to find a way out of her predicament rather than finding the joy in her work. Of course, as time moves on, she slowly begins to realize her gift.

Pyo Nam Gyeong is the drama queen of the group. That isn’t a knock against her. She actually brings a lot of charm for someone who loves to shop and read the latest horoscopes. She has an even bigger heart than she realizes, and she forms a quick attachment to a patient who appears to be too demanding. Pyo Nam Gyeong wears her heart on her sleeve.

Um Jae Il is the “energizer bunny” of the group! This guy’s got a full tank and then some in reserve. He’s very eager to learn but even more eager to help the patients as much as possible. He’s a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to making sure he does things right, which drives the second-year residents crazy! He’s a bit too cautious sometimes and struggles to learn how to be confident in his decision-making. He’s not shy about losing sleep if it means being there for a patient.

Finally, we come to my personal favorite, Kim Sa Bi. Nicknamed “the android” due to her intellectual prowess and really not caught up in feelings, she tends to drive people crazy with how much she knows. However, even Kim Sa Bi has to learn the difference between book knowledge and experience. She can come across as a bit arrogant, and she doesn’t like it if someone appears to know more than she does, which got her into a brief spat with Oi Young. She even speaks in an almost robotic-clipped manner, which, frankly, I found endearing. She rarely smiles, but when she does, she lights up the room. However, even Kim Sa Bi can’t hide her admiration for the previous all-boy band member, Um Jae Il! Their dance sequence is easily one of the highlights of the series! Her struggles are about trying to be more empathetic and caring toward her patients.

Resident Playbook is a series that gets off to a somewhat slow start. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as there are many new characters to get to know within the span of the first few episodes. However, once it gets going, it keeps going until you can’t wait to see the next episode. After only 12 episodes, I was a bit sorry that the series didn’t extend to the usual 16. I wanted more.

Performances are fantastic, and seeing yet another collective group of performers do so well that you like all of them says a lot about the depth and quality of the characters. Of course, anyone who has seen Hospital Playlist will gasp and cry out with joy when you see all five of them make cameo appearances throughout this series. They also got together to contribute more songs!

Resident Playbook is a different type of series in which we see the struggles of four new residents trying to learn and stick it out in a very stressful department. One can only imagine the number of hours and amount of dedication it takes for someone to endure all of the trials and tribulations that go with it. One can’t help but be impressed.

Much like its parent show, Resident Playbook has a number of heartfelt moments as well as inspirational ones that will touch your heart and soul. There are also quite a few moments to tickle your funny bone too.

Resident Playbook is simply a terrific feel-good series that has the viewer wishing that there was still more to come!

Read More