jeoneungd

I started Small Town Remedy thinking it would be another Dr. Romantic…a medical drama filled with emergencies and a doctor saving lives. But it turned out to be the opposite. The life being saved was his own. Along the way, he rediscovers his humanity and learns what matters most.

The best part for me was the many characters and their fractured relationships. So often in Chinese dramas, I find myself asking why certain characters are even there. Here, I don’t think the story would have worked without them. I didn’t cry in every episode, but a few stories touched me deeply…the child facing death, the teenager fighting cancer, the bully who later depended on him to save his life, and the love between brothers. Oh geez, I could keep going, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

Very few Chinese dramas make me want to watch them again, but this is one of them. Xiao Zhan…yes, my bias…took the helm and showed us a side of him I rarely see. His talent is immense. And yes, there’s a love story, but thankfully it’s not the irritating puppy love of Hidden Love. This one grows on you as our doctor’s heart slowly opens up.

The music is beautiful, and the actors are excellent in their roles. Their stories feel relatable and, at times, intense…so prepare your heart for a lot of beautiful emotions.

What stayed with me most is the reminder that happiness isn’t always found in the limelight or in roles that feed our ego. Sometimes it’s simply being close to the people who love us, without pretending to be someone else.

And as he told his brother at the cemetery, we can go wherever we want…even New York…but in the end, we may find ourselves wanting to return to where we began. Like a leaf returning to the place where the tree first took root.