Watching Doctor Cha was similar to Marmite; people either loved or hated the drama's ending, and there was not much in between. However, looking at the series throughout, it was hard not to notice some of the drama's more apparent flaws.


Jung Yeo Rang wrote the series, while Kim Dae Jin and Kim Jung Wook directed it. The plot focuses on Cha Jung Sook (Uhm Jung Hwa), a housewife for more than two decades and the wife of surgeon Seo In Ho (Kim Byung Chul). After a health shock, Jung Sook questions whether she wants to complete her residency as a doctor. Jung Sook can fulfil her dream with the help of the kind-hearted surgeon Roy Kim (Min Woo Hyuk). However, as melodrama brewing elsewhere, Seo In Ho's involvement with an old flame from the past and work colleague Choi Sung Hee ( Myung Se Bin) threatens to create other melodrama.



The series was a mixture of genres. It leaned into medical, romance and melodrama for the most part. The balance between these three genres could sometimes be difficult to mediate, significantly as the series progressed. This often made the show feel like a different watching experience in these various genre shifts, mainly when early profound topics and themes addressed ( such as murder, medical malpractice and treating criminals) were rarely tackled in later episodes.




The drama's acting is admittedly very mixed. Uhm Jung Hwa starred as the main female lead, Cha Jung Sook. Jung Hwa will likely be unfamiliar to newer drama fans, though some drama watchers may recognise her from the movie Dancing Queen and the show Get Karl! Oh, Soo Jung, Witch's Romance and Our Blues. Jung Hwa arguably offers one of the best performances in the series as the main female lead.


As a character, Cha Jung Sook is undoubtedly a mixed bag. She is kind-hearted and sincerely desires to care for patients and those close to her. Nevertheless, Jung Sook's character arc, particularly her relationship with Seo In Ho, remained one of the most problematic areas of the show. The series attempted to delve further into this relationship's complications and difficulties. Still, for the most part, it was an incredibly controlling relationship With In- Ho. Rather than delving into these complications further and allowing Jung Sook an opportunity to get away from him early on in the series, the narrative dragged out this arc beyond its limit, particularly for comical relief and further dramatic tension. Jung Sook's potential relationship with Roy Kim remained one of the most grating elements of the series. The conclusion to this relationship remained a subject of significant criticism by watchers and fans alike, mainly due to Jung Sook's character arc on this front feeling rushed. One of the few strengths of Jung Sook's character development came from her concluding circumstance. Although anti-climactic, it was reasonably befitting for her as a character to follow that particular path.



The series attempted to make In-Ho’s character more ‘’empathic’’ in parts of the drama. This would have been an understandable move if it was not more to do with the fact that In-Ho had little guilt or redemption throughout the series. Even if it had been a case of In-Ho coming to acknowledge or reason with his actions, this would have allowed him to grow as a character. Instead, In-Ho spends most of his time whining about Jung Sook, unable to make his mind over her and Choi Sung Hee, sidling up to his mother, Kwak Ae-sim (Park Joon-geum ) and then letting his anger out by attempting to destroy his daughter's dreams (Lee Seo-yeon). There are a few moments where we see a softer side to In Ho, but considering his attitude throughout the drama, these moments lack impact when faced with his treatment of others.



Roy Kim is another central character in the series. His character's personality acts as a perfect foil to In-Ho. While In-Ho is arrogant, jealous and egocentric, Roy Kim is sincere, kindhearted and cares deeply for his patients. His relationship with Jung Sook, from patient to crush, remains one of the major driving forces of the series. Sadly, Roy's character arc was not given a lot of justice, with a rushed storyline and a potentially intriguing backstory wasted.





Choi Sung Hee enacts as an antagonistic force in the series but is arguably one of the most morally ambiguous. Myung Se Bin offered a surprisingly bittersweet performance as the second female lead. Sung Hee and In Ho's relationship, alongside her rivalry with Jung Sook, remained one of the major driving points of the series. It was surprisingly refreshing to see the connection between Sung Hee and her daughter Choi Eun-seo (So A-rin ) progressing in parts of the series and the unforeseen bond between Sung Hee and Jung Sook's mother, Oh Deok-rye ( Kim Mi-Kyung ). Nevertheless, Sung Hee and Jung Sook's rivalry seemed oddly contrived. It is not out of the question both women would be at odds, but Sung Hee's odd attraction to In Ho, despite throwing her under the bus and her odd resolution with Jung Sook, did not seem to justify her character arc truly.



Seo Jung-min (Song Ji-ho), In-Ho and Jung Sook's eldest child and a first-year medical student, had a minor role in the storyline with his relationship with Jeon So-ra. So-ra and Jung-Min were among the few couples in the series who were worth watching. However, melodrama and limited screentime offscreen time interactions are less significant in later episodes. Later in the series, Jung Min attempts to be given a more complex character arc through a particular circumstance, but a rushed conclusion rarely makes this feel well-developed. To make matters worse, viewers learn from Seo Yi-Rang that Jung-Min did not want to become a medical student and only did so to keep his father happy. This could have been a perfect ground for exploring Jung-min's character and relationship with his parents ( particularly his father) more, though sadly, the series did not take full advantage of this.



Seo Yi-rang had her character arc too. Many more events were shaping Seo Yi-Rang's initial development than some notable characters in the series. Her relationship with her mother had some reconciliation. Still, the series rarely builds on this parallelism between mother and daughter trying to chase their dreams, often leading their interactions to fall somewhat flat. ( Especially as Yi-Rang wants to break the family tradition of attending medical school by becoming an artist.) Another major arc revolves around Yi-Rang and her friendship turned rivalry with Sung Hee's daughter, Choi Eun-Seo. Without major spoilers, it is fair to say a significant revelation divides the characters. Each character acts out independently, but considering how Yi-Rang learns more about her father, it seemed odd that the show did not try to resolve this conflict earlier rather than simply trying to drag it out for filler time until the ending.




Oh, Deok-rye has a minor role in the series alongside Kwak Ae-sim. Both characters have surprisingly sweet moments and squabbles. Another surprising performance was by Jo Ah-ram as Jeon So-ra, Jung-Min's girlfriend and Jung Sook's superior. It could have been easy for the drama to have dragged out the tension between Jung Sook and So-ra, but their bond in later parts of the theatre was oddly sweet. Her performance was remarkably likeable, adding to her onscreen persona's charm. Baek Mi-hee (Baek Joo-hee ) was another minor character as Jung Sook's best friend, though aside from trying to play a matchmaker and listen to some advice, she did not play a significant role as she should have done so.


The execution of the series was mixed. The first half was a little slow to get off the ground, but the narrative could progress further after a few episodes. However, significant proportions of the series relied heavily on dragging out conflict and melodrama rather than exploring or resolving previous character arcs or plots. This was a shame because the series had much time to cover these elements.



The cinematography was decent enough. There was nothing particularly striking, though the scene with Jung Sook joining Roy Kim to go running remains pretty sleek. The OST was okay, with a few decent tracks such as "Shine Like a Star" by Sondia and "A Day For Me" (나를 위한 하루) by Shinae An remaining particularly memorable.



Overall, Doctor Cha was a drama with much potential to be lighthearted and well-developed, but it lacked the correct execution and development. Poor character arcs rushed plot events, and an anti-climatic ending made the drama feel pieced together than a concise watch and an engaging experience. The series certainly had its sweeter moments, though sadly, this was often ignored due to these issues. Overall, a disappointing watch.