Hospital Playlist (2020)

Somewhat disappointing

There is no doubt the drama is well acted and the friendships explored and maintained in the backdrop of a stressful, busy hospital and personal life is rewarding. Nevertheless, I felt as though some of the episodes dragged. I kept waiting to fall in love with this just like so many others did, but try as I might I endured through most of the episodes but wasn't wowed like I expected to be.

I will say I love Ik-Joon. This actor is largely why I watched and he didn't disappoint. All the other actors were excellent too, I just wasn't as invested as I expected to be. I particularly enjoyed Rosa's steadfast friendship with the Director and how they relied on one another always.

Given this was written by the Reply 1988 writer, I'm fully expecting Ik-Joon to not be with Song-Hwa. I feel we've been made to feel empathy and excitement about their coming together just as we did in 1988 only to be messed with again. I'm fairly certain we were taken on a ride wherein we saw the Ik-Joon and Song Hwa relationship most only to have it snatched from us so that we question their every past interaction or our expectations. (Clearly, I'm still not over how poor Jung Hwan was wronged and deserved better... LOL!)

Leia Mais

(SO FAR) MOST HEARTWARMING DRAMA OF THE YEAR!

Let me start reviewing Hospital Playlist with 2 words: 1. VISUAL and 2. TALENT

The visual is not a joke! Isn't it crazy seeing a drama in which the casts are all visual? Jo Jun-suk, Jung Kyung-ho, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Dae-myung and last but not least, the prettiest rookie, Jeon Mi-do! I was seriously in shock just looking at the drama's poster at that time. I was thinking, "How come all the casts are this handsome and pretty?" Leaving the main casts alone, the support actors and actresses are so good looking and suit the roles pretty well too.

The five main casts are so talented! While waiting for the new episode to come, I spend my time watching their behind the scenes, either on Youtube or somewhere on Instagram. I got some videos showing the Mido and Falasol band practicing! I didn't expect them to REALLY play the instruments by themselves, but they did! As a church musician myself, I believe it won't be easy for any actor or actress learning to play an instrument for a shooting purposes, but they made it! Hats off!

Last, you don't need to question the quality of this drama since Hospital Playlist is from the same team, director and writer who worked on the Reply series and Prison Playbook. From their history of making films or dramas, we know that we're going to have some meaningful, heartwarming and insightful view of the professions in the medical field and also the relationship built of the hospital family.

To resume my review here: Hospital Playlist makes me cry. Hospital Playlist makes me laugh.

Please give it a try! Cheers!

Leia Mais

The beginning was a little bland because they had to set up the drama and introduce the huge cast. But keep watching with an open mind - it gets interesting after a couple of episodes.

It isn't the typical medical drama with dramatic surgery miracles. It's somewhat realistic with ups and downs. The drama is a collection of stories of the daily lives of doctors and patients. This type of show is always a hit or miss for me, but I loved Hospital Playlist's storytelling. I was always either laughing or crying. Each character is unique so I quickly got invested in the entire cast. Time flew while I watched each episode because everything felt so natural, like I was in the hospital with them.

There's a bit of a retro vibe for fans of the Reply series, but it isn't a major part of the show. As with every Shin Won Ho drama, every scene is crucial and hints to what will happen later in the show.

Looking forward to watching Season 2 next year!

Leia Mais

FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, MUSIC, FAMILY, COMFORTING.
Ikjun , Joon-wan, Song hwa, Jung won, Seok hyung.
5 words 5 friends is what this drama is all about.

Just when you think what great could they possibly show about group of people in their forties comes in the artwork of director SHINWON. You surely are gonna envy their friendship.

The only thing that came in my mind after watching it was to try to become like them ; to become a better person and a better Physiotherapist.
I can write a 500 word essay on this drama , but I’ll try to cut it down short.

A)The most appealing point of a series is when - You can enjoy each and every episode.
For sure it will never bore you.....didn’t skip even a second.,infact REWATCHed those cute scenes again and again.

B) Characters- IKJUN ❤️ Fell in love with this character from being smart to funny to caring to having the purest heart of all. I hope to meet a person like him in real. You know no one can pull off ikjun like jo jung suk . I adored him as Lee hwa shin in jealousy incarnate but I’m head over heels for Lee ikjun . The handsomest social butterfly , father, GS, Brother and singer. Ikjun will set friendship goals for you.
2) UJU- after ikjun it had to be our uju❤️ The only dates that matter are uju and ikjun dates. Find me cuter and wiser kid than uju in kdrama ; I’ll wait. I want ikjun and uju father son relationship in my life Please God.....
3) Song hwa- teaches us to cherish every part of our life work, friends, hobbies ,food?, etc. Our korean Hermione - would get bored without work on a Vacation
4) Joon wan- funny in his own unique ways especially when with ikjun?. The phone call scene cracked me up. He shows how one has to be patient and understanding in a relationship
5) Jung won - just two words PRIEST and WINTERGARDEN
6) Seok hyung - My soul spirit❤️ I guess 90%of the people here get his love for TV and dramas and enjoying food in his own company. “ I’ve decided to do things that i like” simple yet impactfull.

7) BEST FRIENDS- jung won’s mother and the director have that innocent funny moments.... the kind of lifelong friendship everyone wants.
8)Honorable mentions- all our residents, nurses , interns ,iksun and jung won’s family.

C)STORY - No Spoiler. It’s set interestingly since the 1st episode and portrays messages through simple stories in every ep .
Their past life scenes were very organised and revealed at proper events. Never felt They dragged it
There is so much character development in all the 5 main leads .

D) OSTs - once you hear it here the next day it’s on your spotify list - the fact they play the instruments and sing themselves makes the osts even more intimate.

Summary- JUST GO AND WATCH IT YOU FOOL....
If you alread have -rewatch it again soon❤️And become ujuholic ?
Hospital playlist is definitely in my top 3.

Leia Mais

Value of a Sad and Pseudo-Life

Screenwriter Lee Woo Jung brought us a near-perfect script compounded by the Director’s vision revolving around the daily occurrences within a hospital setting of the value of a sad and pseudo-life. Shin PD and Lee Woo Jung are inseparable since 2012 as I like to call it the Shin PD/Lee Woo Magical Express-Down Memory Lane ride. The writers of Reply 1988 and Prison Playbook bashed it out of the park with a visual treat to be sui generis.

First, if you do not like this screenwriter, then I will save you the time, do not see this show. Every episode is about an hour fifteen to forty minutes long. It is the one drawback and only drawback to a drama with steady character development from the main leads. Read on if you are willing to maybe think about viewing Hospital Playlist, aka Sage of Life.

What is the reason why so many people were enthusiastic, ‘sad and happy? It was not your typical backstabbing hospital politics drama. It was a medical drama that broke the traditional framework and made us more aware of humanism; we called it empathy rather than a doctor's story. It was different from Life (2018), Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim (2016), or Chocolate (2019). The Director’s passion for editing without an editor was to complete a drama full of detail, and the nostalgic playbook of the Yoo Jung artist formed a sympathetic band beyond generations. I give kudos to the cinematography. Of course, it would be a drama for nothing without clichés sprinkled into the story.

First-rate acting at its finest. Actor Jo Jung Seok demonstrates his irreplaceable presence through his character Lee Ik Jun. Without spoiling when it occurs, I am naming the comical scenes his role creates with his company alone. He made some humorous scenes, “Das Vader, Pick Me dance, Frog King eyes, and subway guide,” which had become a central topic of discussion throughout the drama. One word his character generates DE-STRESS situations.

Jo Jung Seok’s whole character’s essence is the ability to mingle with several surrounding characters, focus on their work, and relieve them of their presence. Jo Jung Seok has developed a unique sense of life-tight acting, giving him persuasion and empathy for the situation and engaging in Anbang Theater style with a friendly fascination that we see with the ambassador in the show. It may be offputting, but his role intended to engage in comical antics.

If that is not enough, Kim Joon plays the winning and always hungry son Lee Woo Joo of Jo Jung Seok. His eyes are beguiling that can manipulate you to no end in sight. He is an impressive child actor who I am looking forward to in the coming years.

The heroine of the show actress Jeon Mi Do was phenomenal her first time on screen portraying a Professor of Neurosurgery. She has a unique screen presence and acting style from her critical success attributed to Anbang Theatre and Musical Theatre. The real eye-opener in the drama, not that she cannot act far from it; it is she cannot sing. Granted, we do hear her angel voice on the OST, but there is a stark difference, which the writers hit on this early. The chemistry with her co-leads is natural that a month or two months of acting cannot teach, but her years of stage/music theater taught her well. She did not appear stiff, which I consider that a plus.

Yoo Yeon Sook, Jung Kyung Ho, and Kim Dae Myung were equally impressive in their roles. You know the Director and Screenwriter did a marvelous job when the viewer can connect with working individuals in a demanding profession that do not get the respect they deserve every day. You will fall in love with Kim Da Myung’s stoic facial expressions/antisocial nature, Yoo Yeon Sook's kindhearted nature, and Jung Kyung Ho’s grave but tenderhearted answers to the patient's family. They are all talented gifted with musical talents, not just acting from the soul.

There were so many new and old faces; they all did a great job on screen. I am no medical expert, but in my eyes, the surgeries performed looked realistic to a certain extent, but like all medical shows bound to be slipups. You may find a slipup here and there, but do not let it discourage you from watching this extraordinary show. The only negatives are there is no real story. The story revolves around the lives of five friends working at a Medical Hospital, but do not let it influence your decision.

The OST was a hit in South Korea, and I, for one, liked the music choices. Every episode, the band the five friends meet once a week or when their schedule is not chaotic to perform a particular song. I viewed every episode at least two times, and the get-togethers are an intricate part of the story. What I got out of this drama, which I hope Season 2 continues this extraordinary story, friendship should not stop at College but extend into our workplace or virtual workplace long after we form attachments. Bonds damaged and amended along the way. One thing I am looking forward to how Season 2 OST will top Season 1 OST.

It is maybe not Bing-Worthy material, but savoring every minute may be an episode every other day. Watch the first fifteen minutes of the first episode if you like, watch the next fifteen minutes. It is all around a tremendous enjoyable show that will have you laughing, maybe tearing up, or cursing. I recommend this show even if it is a one time watch for you. Hop on the "Shin PD/Lee Woo Magical Express-Down Memory Lane ride."


Final Rating: 9.20/10
Story: 8.90/10
Acting: 9.76/10

Rewatch Value: I would rewatch it again in a heartbeat.

Leia Mais

Excellent Slice of Life - Will be Enough for Some Viewers but Not All

I will be completely avoiding spoilers in the FIRST half of this post and will discuss spoilers in the SECOND half of this post. I'll put a separator to try to help you avoid accidentally reading them.

If you like the Slice of Life genre, this will easily be an 8-10 out of 10. However, this show is not perfect, and I believe some of these elements weigh the quality down so that if you are not a hardcore Slice of Life lover, you might find your enjoyment decreased, which was how I felt after completing this show.

First, let's discuss the story: there is no story. Traditional, overarching plots that span throughout the series are thrown out the window so that the drama can focus on the five main characters and their relationships with their friends, family, and coworkers, while splashing in medical cases. This works extremely well if you enjoy purely character driven stories with a splash of medical jargon. This won't work so well if you are expecting longitudinal narratives -- I have to admit that I am not that into Slice of Life, but picked up this show due to all the hype, and did end up literally falling asleep at some points, having to go back and rewatch the parts I missed. However, what the show does well, it does really well: there are many, many, really heartwarming scenes which I will describe in the spoiler section. Still, for me, the show bogged itself down with too many contrivances, especially with some specific romances. I felt some elements were too cliche and appealed too much to the "kdrama fantasy" rather than being a solid look into "real life", which I would expect from Slice of Life.

Next, the acting: there is not much for me to say about this because it is wonderful. Jo Jung Suk nails it as the universally loved Lee Ik Jun. Jeon Mi Do, relatively unknown to film and TV in 2020, kills it as the bleeding heart Chae Song Hwa. The rest of the cast, including the supporting and guest cast, is very effective and believable at serving their parts.

The soundtrack was exemplary as well, drawing from older songs like the 2001 song Aloha by Trio or the 1996 Introduce Me a Good Person by Basis.

Overall, I think this show lives and dies by its Slice of Life classification -- comparing this to the breadth of romances, actions, thrillers, mysteries, horrors, etc, I think Hospital Playlist is just "good".
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SPOILERS START HERE
SERIOUSLY AFTER THIS IS THE SPOILER SECTION
FOR REALZ, SPOILERS AFTER THIS BREAK
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It's difficult to talk about my criticisms without diving into specific details about things that happen in this series, so the following is a discussion of faults I found with it.

First, the romance, which to me is the greatest fault: this show suffers "Grey's Anatomy syndrome": that is most of the doctors are actively engaging in relationships with each other, are actively considering relationships with each other, and are somehow devoid of outside-of-work love interests. Yes, there are some non-doctor pairings like Kim Jun Wan and his girlfriend, but I would argue even his relationship is too close to home, since he dates a main character's sister, Lee Ik Sun, conveniently within the circle of the main cast. Outside of this, somehow, everyone loves someone in close proximity to the show or are crushing on them: Ahn Jeong Won's resident loves him. Yang Seok Hyeong's resident also loves him. Chae Song Hwa's resident ALSO loves her. There is even a minor romance of two residents who love each other. Do you see the pattern here? For a show where romance takes a back seat to the "daily happenings of life", I thought this was way too convenient and made the relationships feel too forced. As this is a TV show, obviously some creative license is allowed, but I think the ubiquitous nature of this intra-show love just felt like lazy writing to me -- a device to fill in the extra time because the writers couldn't figure out what else to put in and just needed to jam some romance in there.

The relationship I took the most issue with was Ahn Jeong Won and his resident Jang Gyeo Wool -- over a 12 episode run, Gyeo Wool is essentially crushing over Jeong Won for 11 episodes, even trying to get over him by going on a blind date, but ultimately still remaining committed to her crush as basically nothing happens with the "getting over him" subplot. Moreover, she is characterized as being cold and misunderstood -- she is a very diligent person who is "kind in her own way" but is not someone that expresses any kind of obvious affection towards anyone, whether it is her patients or her love interest. Meanwhile, Jeong Won is characterized as being very religious to the point of taking active steps to quit being a doctor to become a priest, like the rest of his siblings, who are all priests and nuns. He doesn't date because he's committed to God. Initially, he's pretty much just ice cold to Gyeo Wool, but expresses increasing empathy to her. Finally, in episode 12, she begs him not to become a priest and he just...kisses her. I'm sorry, but especially a male watcher, this love line felt way too much an appeasement of the female fantasy rather than a realistic, or even semi-realistic romance: we're talking about a woman whose love was so great that she literally changed the life course of man. My issue isn't that their kiss wasn't heartwarming, but my problem is that Jeong Won essentially pulled a 180 over an "outwardly cold" woman who basically just wanted him to love her because...reasons. I would argue that Jeong Won's reversal of his decision in becoming a priest would have been more realistic and compelling if he had done it solely on the realization of the value of his strength in being a good doctor, without the added issue of the romance.

Second, and more minor, is the characterization of hospital life -- just like other medical shows, the series combines several jobs in one doctor, so that a general surgeon like Ik Jun diagnosing cancer, which in reality would be done by an oncologist, or doctors only needing to worry about 1-2 cases per day instead of the endless patients they seem to need to see. However, I think this is fine -- the real life paperwork of medicine is probably way too boring to turn into a real show.

Lastly, and also a little minor, the last episode in particular seemed to lean really heavily on flashbacks. I understand that context is important, but I felt it was pretty excessive, especially if you've been following the characters in a purely character-driven story for 11 out of 12 episodes and are just watching the last one.

At the end of the day, despite the issues I took with this show, I felt it was still on the positive side. Some of the heartwarming moments will stay with you for a really long time: the Aloha karaoke scene is a masterpiece and spawned the "I BELIEVE" meme that you see in some places.
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I think this show is really easy to recommend or not recommend: if you love Slice of Life, it's an autowatch. If you are tolerable of Slice of Life, it is worth your time. If you do not like it, it is a hard pass.

Leia Mais

Friends are forever

Likes:
1. The enduring friendship between the 5 doctors. I love how they always find time to eat together, play music, and support each other in good and bad.
2. Of the 5, Ikjun is my favorite doctor/character. He is so warm and nice. #JoJungSuk is so funny! I also love his interactions with Uju.
3. I love the romamce between Junwan and Iksun, who is as funny as her brother. But that ending!
4. Songhwa is almost too good to be true. The last part of the drama focused more on her love triangle between Ikjun and Chihong. Of course I am team Iksong!!. .
5. Im happy that Jeongwon isnt going to become a priest. He is very good with the kids and he is one of the few pedia.
6. I also love Mama Rosa and the best friend. I wish they actually end up together!
7. The obgyn doctor has a sad story. Actually cute to see him with Minha though seems like the ex wife will come back in S2.
8. I love the ost and all the times they play band.

Dislikes:
An unpopular opinion but i never got onboard the winter garden ship. Gyeoul looks so boring and lifeless. And she never smiles. I dont understand how, why and when the sweet and smiling Jeongwan liked her.

I almost gave up after watching ep 2 but im glad i continued to watch this little gem. Cant wait for season 2!

Rating: 9/10

Leia Mais

This show could have been a 10/10 in all rating aspects. The reason for me personally it hasn't reached this criteria is the awkward episode lengths. Don't get me wrong it's a personal pet peeve, but I don't really enjoy a drama to have each episode nearly 90 minutes long. I believe that movies work perfectly at the 90 minute mark but television shows work better when each episode is between 45 minutes to 70 minutes long - a 90 minute end of series episode is fine.
The first episode did also catch me off guard but by the third episode I believe the show really starts to pick up it's pace and you'll want to find out what happens next which is always great. The cast have an amazing chemistry together and the acting scenes were great, production also was top notch.
I believe that everyone will find this show great, I just believe that the episodes could have been spread to more, and instead of the 90 minute length it would work better with a 60 minute length per episode, but hey, that's just my opinion!

Leia Mais

Slow but poignant. There are moments that truly shine while others hamper the pacing.

I am rewatching the finale. It started off really well in the first two episodes. It's relatable, the gang's friendship. Who hasn't gone out to dinner with your friends only to have your friend's mom phone in and ask how you've been?

After that, I found myself fast-forwarding scenes involving one of the resident's parents and Ik-jun's sister's romance and the endless makbang scenes. The romance I wasn't interested. It's really the friendship, the comedic timing between them all and that epic karaoke scene with Jun Wan belting out "I Believe!" Those moments really shined.

I didn't see season 2. This was very slowly paced. This is one of those dramas that leaves an impression on you once you take your time with it. The finale was probably the best episodes of this season. Yes it was predictable, but it was poignant. It tackled life, or rather lives that end in the hospital. The guilt and the weight of responsibility our gang faces when lives can't be saved.

Song Hwa talks about a patient she had. She remembers her name, her face, everything. She stayed with her. But she still passed. "I felt it was my fault she died. I beat myself up for months." It's that scene I rewatch over and over. I never see guilt being addressed when there is a passing.

The best part of the series was maybe the first two episodes and the last episode. There isn't really a plot. It's rather episodic until the finale and the last couple of episodes which tied everything together. It’s a medical drama that focuses on the medical side of working in a hospital.

The romance to me was forgettable. The friendship shined and the how the residents had to tackle some heartbreaking cases where their patients didn't make it.

I love romance and enjoy rom-coms but Ik-Jun and Song Hwa to me felt cringe and forced. Song Hwa is an epic female lead and for her to suddenly rekindle her crush from eons ago? Ik-Jun was married this whole time and for him to suddenly pursue Song Hwa? Talk about forced. I liked it better when their relationship was ambiguous. Instead of going on that date, Ik-Jun waits with her at the hospital. Because this was a rare drama where friendship matters. This is rare, especially with people in their 30s-40s.

Leia Mais

Hospital Playlist won't be everyone's cup of tea. It is a drama about a group of friends' daily lives; there is no complex plot, no dramatic climax, and to a certain extent there is no real conclusion to the story. It is a character-driven drama, and as is always the case with these dramas, it needs a solid cast.

Hospital Playlist's cast wasn't just solid—they were amazing. The screenwriter did a great job creating and writing the characters, but it was the skill of the cast that brought such charm and humanity to each and every character. They made me laugh and they made me cry, and most of all they made me want to root for them. I especially want to highlight Jo Jung Suk's acting -- this was surprisingly the first time I've seen his work, and I fell head over heels for his portrayal of Lee Ik Jun.

Another thing that I adored from this drama was how well it managed to portray happy moments with friends—small pleasures like eating together or hanging out together between breaks, moments that are hard to organize and that are so easily disrupted by hectic lives. This was something I related to a lot and I really enjoyed those scenes.

All in all, I adored this drama and it was almost a perfect drama for me, but if I had to nitpick, I'd say that I wished the character of Chae Song Hwa was further explored, because while I adored her I also felt like she had less character development than the rest of the main characters.

There are only 12 episodes but they are quite lengthy (the final episode is almost 2 hours long!), so that might (understandably) turn off some viewers.

Leia Mais