K-Drama Review: Diving into the World of “Dr. Romantic”

Nikhat Parveen, New Delhi

Dr. Romantic also known as ‘Romantic Doctor'( 낭만닥터 김사부 ), starring Han Suk-kyu (한석규), Yoo Yeon-seok (유연석) and Seo Hyun-jin (서현진) aired from November 7, 2016, to January 16, 2016, on SBS every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 pm ( KST). It consists of 20 (+1 Special) episodes.

Plot

The story centers around a once-famous surgeon at the top of his field who suddenly retired to a secluded, countryside hospital. Those who cross his path learn about the values of life and the comforts of love. He begins working at a small hospital called Doldam, located in Gangwon Province. He guides Kang Dong-joo (Yoo Yeon-seok) and Yoon Seo-jeong (Seo Hyun-jin) to become great doctors by teaching them to fight against power and money for the sake of patients.

As an emotionally charged and uplifting medical drama, Dr. Romantic probes into seemingly cliched values regarding what makes a meaningful life. It turns out that Teacher Kim’s romantic quality is not just about love, but about his idealised view of reality. It is one of the top medical genre K- dramas that have ever been produced. The first episode of this drama is probably the most eventful as it has everything from the passionate K-drama kisses to tragic car-crashes. It has an authentic trunk of doom as well, like the tense surgery. The whole educational moment when Teacher Kim gets introduced is really amazing. The drama shows that humans can get corrupted by society depending on their situation and how their mental state can get altered very easily.

Sneak peek of the characters

Kim Sa-bu played by Han Suk-kyu embodied it all. He plays the perfect guardian, teacher, and mentor for everyone around him. Everyone regardless of their age, their position, and relationship to him, learned and relied a lot on him.

The main couple is played by Yoo Yeon-seok as Kang Dong-joo and Seo Hyun-jin as Yeon Seo-jeong. Kang Dong-joo became a doctor to win somebody over while Yoon Seo-jung became a doctor to be recognised by somebody. However, after they meet Teacher Kim, they learn about life values and comfort from love. Seo Hyun-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok eventually become a delightful pairing.

The entire cast of Doldam Hospital Squad/Staff is commendable as each character is appears natural on screen. The characters are so intricate in their little mannerisms, and their little chemistry is very refreshing to see in a hospital set-up.

Awards

This drama bagged some noteworthy awards, which are notable to mention.

2016 SBS Drama Awards

•Grand Prize (Han Suk-kyu)
•Excellent Actor (Genre) (Yoo Yeon-seok)
•Excellent Actress (Genre) (Seo Hyun-jin)
•Ten Star Award (Han Suk-kyu/Seo Hyun-jin)
•New Star Award (Kim Min-jae)
•Best Couple Award (Yoo Yeon-seok/Seo Hyun-jin)

2017 (53rd) Baeksang Arts Awards

•Best Director (Yu In-sik)

Overall Impression

The series remains a commercial hit and even got broadcasted internationally in Los Angeles, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Bulgaria, and Malaysia. The main aspect that this drama sheds light upon is how being a doctor who chooses their patients first before anything else is important.

This drama does not fail to consider the challenges a doctor or any other healthcare worker faces in the medical realm, it also does not sugar coat how health care workers feel during challenging times too, and the most challenging part above all is about the higher authorities who fail or even choose to neglect the unvarnished situation of the healthcare system and tend to cover up unethical and professional issues. Noticing how well these issues were portrayed in this drama, I suggest you check it out and watch it for yourselves.

You can watch Dr. Romantic here:

What was your favorite episode/moment of ‘Dr. Romantic’? Tell us about it in the comments below!