Makjang and melodramas are a staple of k-dramas. Most of the time they are well sign-posted. Once in awhile you'll stumble across a show that looks harmless on the surface but a makjang in disguise. May I present to you, Dr Cha.

At its core, this show is about the struggles of a middle-aged woman stuck in a loveless marriage, her identity and the fallout of an affair. Our FL has an epiphany after recovering from a very serious illness and wants to break free from a closeted existence. Everything is on track for several episodes. The antagonists might be circling but the expectation is that our FL will overcome.

Not so fast, my eager friends. She was soon relegated to the peripheral while the antagonist takes centre stage. I'm not saying that the FL didn't try to push back but it is as if the Show is determined to beat her down with every cliche gender stereotype and societal/familial coercion. This is not helped by the tyrannical behaviour of her husband.

While Korean audiences might tsk-tsk at the horrid husband, they are more likely to accept it as typical patriarchal behaviour. Essentially, this show is a graveyard where all the makjang tropes come to die. Caveat emptor if you stumbled across it on Netflix and thought that it is a heartfelt romance.

The fact that the bulk of the show's pacing and flow are dictated by the antagonists made it hard to watch for me. The FL's growth is stymied by one person's illogical behaviours and interference. She is trapped in a no-win situation with the weight of the world on her shoulders. It is draining and unrewarding to watch. There is no hope, just despair.

Even with all the trials and tribulations, we still get a HEA ending. The last episode is total fan service, on steroids. Everyone gets redemption. There must be a 2 for 1 offer at the wholesaler. Honestly, if you jumped in at this point, you'd never guess what happened in the first 15 episodes. Even the herd of unicorns are falling over from sugar over dose. The sentiments are rooted in traditional values, quite inoffensive and banal. The reason why Dr Cha rejected her suitor is so old fashioned that it should be delivered in a calligraphy scroll.

Having said all that, the acting of the various leads is very good. Especially Dr Seo. You end up with a love-hate relationship with his character. He steals most scenes but at the same time, his character is so unlikeable that you just want him to go away. Well done, sir! The FL is good, but she only has moments of highlight rather than a dominating presence. Sadly, Dr Roy is relegated to cameos most of the time. He should be given more screen time. What a waste.

In the end, Dr Cha is a show that will resonate strongly with some but polarising for others. It is not bad, per se. Acting and production is up there but it doesn’t work for me because I'm not the target audience and I don't agree with their world view.

This brings us to a growing concern of mine. While the Hallyu wave have netted us some amazing dramas, the pressure on the various streaming platforms to find more k-dramas is ever growing. This in turn creates a buy-first-ask-later mentality. We might end up with a constant stream of patchy but hyped dramas with little quality control. Peace out.