Doctor Slump (2024)

Success Doesn't Always Bring Happiness

The final episode, the final edit--What a healthy Kdrama, and what a nice ending. "What is better? Does it mean they'll become happy?" "They'll accept their misfortunes. I can become miserable again, but that's okay. Should misfortunes come I have the strength to endure them." All in all this was a drama about accepting that life isn't perfect, people are not perfect, we can do everything right and still our lives can fall apart, and also that work environments can sometimes be the detriment of even the most accomplished people. Life isn't about putting forth the most perfect image. It's about finding your happiness, your center, your balance, and then finding the strength to endure what comes your way. I like in the end that Jeong Woo chose substance over flashiness in starting his own practice again. I like that Ha Neul could confidently handle the denial of job responsibilities, and that she found the strength to speak what she was feeling in a professional way. Both the ML and FL took us on a journey of debunking erroneous beliefs about success and happiness, and in the end showed us what was truly important....our relationships with family, friends, and each other.
Well done to Baek Sun Woo, the screenwriter for this engaging and important drama!! Equally well done to the cast and production crew!! This is a keeper, and a drama I will revisit again.

After 10 episodes--I came back to update the review as I am over halfway through this series. Amongst the usual stereotypical rom com Kdrama plot lines, there lies the reality of healing from trauma. This Kdrama shows how very hard it is to come back to normal when your life has been turned upside down, and also how hard it is to overcome panic, anxiety, sadness, and depression. In one episode Ha Neul begins to panic with the happiness she feels in this new relationship. She doesn't trust that these happy feelings will not just end up with tragedy and heartbreak as that has been her experience. She also faces how little she trusts people around her, including Jeong Woo. This is a very relatable series. I've been part of a cut-throat profession and been stabbed in the back by colleagues whom I trusted, and been faced with the decision to keep opening my life to people, or just wall myself off. Failed relationships also leave their mark. This drama shows how two people who at first are overcome with their traumatic experiences, work through the realization that because of these experiences are different people now, and have to find a new way to keeping engaging with life, their professions, their family, and each other. I like that this drama is showing that recovery from mental illness is not instant, you don't just get over it. Instead, it's a process, a day-by-day way of learning how to live again. Some of drama is typical, some of it is boring, but with the bigger message, I'm finding this is really a good story.

After 2 episodes--This is taking a look at the very real impact ambition has on mental health. The two main characters are the star pupils of their high school. What comes with being the top student is not only the pressure of one's own expectations and ambition, but having to live up to the expectations of everyone around you. Being the top at anything also seems to carry with it the idea that that top person is perfect in all things. Not only is this not true, but the reality is that carrying the pressure to constantly be perfect, and at the top in all things, often leads to burn out and depression. If by chance one does make it to the top, it takes next to nothing for you to fall and fail, even if it isn't your fault. The story begins with the two leads established in their careers and are both experiencing a low point. We get to see in both the mental toll competition, ambition, and drive does to them, and also how very fickle the world around them is when faced with these low points in their professional lives . Luckily they have each other. The race to the top is brutal, but so is the fall from the top where you find out who your true friends really are. That's where our two main leads are in the first two episodes.

It has the makings of a really good story. So far it's been excellent. I hope it continues. The soundtrack also seems to be really good.

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A good drama gone terribly wrong

This drama is something i had pretty good expectations for but unfortunately it failed to deliver. I don't know how i can possibly rate the show when the second lead couple was much more interesting than the main couple.

When i started this show i thought it was so cute, Academic rivals are definitely something you are likely to experience in school and the idea of meeting your academic rival after many years , as well as the fact that they were both facing struggles of different kinds were also quite amusing to me. I personally really resonated with the fl because a lot of parents tell you to work hard and "everything will work out" but that is not always the case. The ml (although not as relatable) also received very less attention and the only time his parents paid any attention to him was when he got into trouble. Now ill go in depth about the pros and the cons.

Cons:
1) the drama started out strong but i don't know exactly when but i started getting bored of the romance between the leads, I feel like it would have made much more sense if they both just remained friends because the romance was so unnecessary
2) the mystery behind the issue with the ml's medical mishap was way too complicated, i would have preferred if they just kept one suspect from the beginning and limited the mystery to max 8 episodes
3) the comedy was at most times - just cringe, I dont know if it was the acting, the writing or the directing but the comedy was extremely cringe at certain moments
4) I like park hung sik's acting but for this show it was a bit much, I feel like if the actor looks fake while doing a scene it prevents viewers from immersing themself into the show
5) The misunderstandings were drawn out, i feel like the characters did not age a day (mentally) after high school, i feel like they honestly retain the same level of maturity which shows no character development over time

Pros:
1) First and foremost my high rating for the acting goes mostly for the second leads, their acting was so much more realistic and their situations were also much more relatable, The idea of being single parents to kids of the opposite gender (single mom with son and single dad with daughter) while having hectic jobs as medical professionals and having to navigate life with teenagers was also executed well. After a certain point i was watching the show for them.
2) I feel like the mental health aspect was demonstrated pretty well, the idea of parents always pushing you to be successful and how success does not equal happiness was a strong message.
3) Park shin hye definitely improved her kissing skills, she looked like she was being assaulted in majority of the dramas but she definitely fixed it this time round

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Another unnecessary mystery

Out of all the dramas recently that randomly inserted a mystery/thriller subplot (Cheer Up, Crash Course in Romance), I think this one disappointed me the most. I loved the premise of reunited rivals, and the theme of mental health is one that always tugs at the heartstrings without fail.

Instead, I feel like this drama used the mystery as a plot device instead of learning how to develop its characters by themselves, and the mystery itself turned out to be underwhelming anyways. Instead of both our main characters having to deal with life just going wrong sometimes, there was a villain to blame. Everything became a very cliche drama plot, particularly that one already-very-memed trope that I can’t believe they did in 2024.

In terms of the slice-of-life and humor aspect…it worked until it didn’t. I’m actually not a huge fan of this type of “goofy” humor anyways, but at the start it actually worked in the drama’s favor by not treating depression like a life-ending, horrible thing. Over time however, it started feeling like the drama gave up on serious moments in order to have humor.

As the drama progressed, however, it became pretty clear that they didn’t know how to move the plot forwards in organic ways. It became super repetitive with the characters drinking every episode (and yes social media has already called out the fact that they’re not supposed to be drinking while on medication!), and side characters constantly leaking information by accident. Both just feel like really lazy ways to get the characters to talk.

Now — the romance. This is what I was looking forward to the most, but it wasn’t really written in an interesting way. There’s a sort of tension that rivals-to-lovers promises, but with Haneul and Jeongwoo it all felt too easy. Aside from a few reminiscing scenes, the fact that they were rivals ended up having little impact on the plot or their romance.

Even with so much focus on the mystery, it still felt pretty underwhelming. The motivations are weak, there’s no tension in it, it ends really early, leaving you wondering what the rest of the drama is even going to be about.

In terms of the mental health theme, I also just think it ended up not being very deep. There were some well-written moments where it talked about burnout, the stigma of antidepressants, parental expectations, or toxic workplace culture, but the drama never took it one step further and gave it the seriousness it deserved. There were moments where toxic positivity was treated as a funny moment instead of describing its dangers, for example, or how the FL’s brother was a bum and it was mostly played for laughs when it really just felt frustrating since the family theme could have been fleshed out more.

Overall, I know our leads our top-notch actors, though this drama doesn’t really show it. The comfort vibes are like, three-quarters of the way there — it could’ve been helped out by much, much better writing.

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Dr Cringe

It could have been a 9 or a 10 from me with a great cast that combines playfulness with bickering and lots of found family and love. The characters are over all interesting and there is just enough suspense and drama to keep it interesting.

But then came the never ending cringe, to be honest it was there from the start with this story telling voice that I could ignore but got on my nerves more and more as the episodes flew by.... The playfulness, rivalry and fun slowly started to turn in to some kind of Bong Soons sweet moments done wrong, over the top and childish that I again tried to ignore but as the episodes piled up I just felt annoyed . Still I could deal with all this until the over done annoying healing tropes showed up + a bunch of my pet peeves leaving me with the over all feeling of meeh. . There was just no saving the 9 or 10 I had hoped it would be and while I tryed to hold on to the memory of the good I had to let go and accept that this show would end up a 7 or 7,5...

Tragic- Yes ! But I have come to accept this outcome and am now ready to start over with another drama

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It had its moments

This dramas started out great with two seasoned kdrama actors, acting was never going to be a problem. Premise was good, medicine is one of the most stressful careers, doctors suffer a lot there was a lot of potential in the story to explore real issues. But the drama fell on its own sword when the driver of the mental imbalance came from half baked external sources. FL story was more compelling, but the ML story involving the criminal case was so unfortunately bad that it derailed the plot. No matter what the genre is when you have professional elements involving law, business, medicine or others care should be taken in maintaining some level of authenticity otherwise it ruins the viewing experience when we start poking holes at the plausibility of certain events, in doctor slump neither medicine or law was well researched. The bigger problem was there was never enough story to sustain 16 episodes, at best it could have been a decent 12 episodes drama. Mental health was more of a plot device than a subject of honest examination. Bottom line idea was interesting but the execution did not deliver, in the end it was all foregettable.

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Somewhere between decent and lukewarm

The Good:
⌲ Park Shin Hye's smiles (especially compared to her younger self)
⌲ There is some decent comedy here and there.
⌲ There are no triangles.
⌲ The drama mostly delivers in the complication-free fluff genre. (and I'm all for these)
⌲ Yoon Park in a kind role (I've only seen him in really annoying villainous, or grey roles before)

The Average:
⌲ The breakup (As far as noble reason breakups go this one is not bad. )
⌲ The chemistry between the leads was whelming.
⌲ The villain (messy pointless plots, but at least a relatively tame villain character)
⌲ The medical stuff is very poorly researched. (luckily there is not that much focus on this)
⌲ Hong Ran

The Bad:
⌲ Park Hyung Sik has matured too much to pull off the aegyo and a childish adult character in general. (not that we need aegyo in our lives lol)
⌲ The team should have used child actors in the high school flashbacks, every scene looked jarring like this..
⌲ The final episode was very boring, filled with some ridiculous product placements & very few swoony scenes (car, hug the couch, buy the bag)
⌲ What was the point of ML's parents being in the drama???
⌲ The drama is somewhat poorly written without much planning involved.
⌲ Adding to the previous point Nam Ha Neul is basically a completely different person later on, where did her spunk go?

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Love, rest, and heal : A path to overcoming Depression

This drama blends comedy, romance, and mental health issues to give a masterpiece; It also shows the importance of taking care of yourself and your mental health, which is a much-needed message that everyone needs to hear.

The beginning was slow, however, the drama quickly began to quick up in the following episodes; the story is interesting, and you see yourself watching in anticipation of what's going to happen in the following episodes.

- Plot: So far, the plot is set up nicely and as the episodes progress, you can see the character's growth as well as the slow healing process. The past and the presence flashbacks scenes are well down and do not become annoying, instead are a delightful watch.

Also, I liked that both characters were going through something that they helped one another heal and grow; instead of one lead following around the other "to help them" both of the leads were actively trying to help one another and saw each other at their lowest as they healed together.

The genre of comedy and romance are well balanced along with addressing important mental health issues like healing through depression. I know I will be going back and rewatching this drama in the future.

- Acting: This drama is Park Shin-Hye's return to the screen and she's doing an amazing job acting alongside Hyung Sik. They pulled off those high school outfits and did not look as if they aged since they saw each other 11 years ago!

Also, the kissing scene has not come back yet, but they have done such a good job at acting, I wouldn't mind if the kissing scenes were awful.

- Music: The music gives very nostalgic feelings and adds warmth to the drama, instead of taking away from it. Sometimes, we see the music taking over the drama and distracting us from watching, but in this drama, the music did not do that, instead added to it.

Overall, this drama is a light-hearted watch with important themes regarding mental health. Watching them grow and heal, truly does heal something within you as well. So, make sure to watch it because you end up loving it! (so obsessed!!)

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A different kind of medical drama

After being a lover of medical dramas I was eager to give Dr. Slump a try. I am not going to lie. It was not my style the first episode. How extreme Haneul was in her teens triggered me so much that I was thinking of dropping the drama. But I gave it another try. It is different then Dr. Romantic and Hospital Playlist which are favourites of mine. Because it is not fully medical, as dumb as it might sound. It is more about overcoming hard times during life - no matter what you work as or what you do. It is about getting back on your feet after one of the many storms of life.
I feel like the drama is definitely more slow-paced than others and there is not as much action, giving it the potential to become a comfort drama to many.
I love the bond between the leads. It is beautiful to watch and you can really see how much they care about each other. It is beautiful.
You should give it a try.

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Fascinating to watch for all the wrong reasons

This drama is so surprisingly bad that it is fascinating to watch for all the wrong reasons. How did this happen? The producers obviously spent a lot of money, because the production value is really quite good. Is it the writing, the directing, the acting, or all of the above? The two leads are A list actors, but their cringey, over the top aegyo is embarrassing. The romantic elements (such as they are) are juxtaposed with occasional slapstick punching and tussling, dark interactions with a sinister colleague, and uncomfortable mental health discussions. I'm 12 episodes in and I have no idea if I'm watching a teen romance between two arrested adolescents, a romantic comedy with infantile aegyo, a medical drama, or a mystery. If the producers had any mercy on the viewers, they would end this one early.

Update: After finishing the remaining episodes I can say the drama pulled up before it hit the ground. And it turns out that I was watching a long PSA on mental health that got distractedly more preachy as the drama drew to a close. The aegyo was a bit less pronounced, but it did not go away unfortunately. The last 4 episodes didn't do much to mitigate my opinion that it is a bad drama, but it did do enough to change my rating from a 4 to a 5. If you haven't watched it yet, pass--unless you are obssessed fan of the two leads.

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Why do you turn intelligent and adult people into immature adolescents?

I think it's time for Korean screenwriters to grow up. They know how to write great action scenes, plots, and moments of surprise, but I don't understand why adult romantic scenes often end up with adolescent behavior. The actors are +-30 years old, and the characters are as well, so it should be age-appropriate, not throwing themselves around on the ground and kicking their feet. I'd like to see a couple confess their love, kiss, sparks fly, fireworks explode, and then look at each other like a holy picture during the next episodes. I wouldn't be afraid to go into bolder scenes. The actors can do it not only here but also in other series. We are in the 21st century. If they can make people go after each other's throats out of hatred, why not something normal, natural? Find a balance somehow. Otherwise, the plot of the series is good. I like the actors, the secondary characters are also great. Just don't turn intelligent and wise adults into immature teenagers.

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