Hospital Playlist

Grey's Anatomy, Take Your Scalpel & Go Home, Now. K-Band-Aid is In The HOWSE-pital

I put off watching this highly rated show for a while because I found the name unappealing. Well, what's in a name?

This series follows 5 friends from college that eventually end up working at the same hospital in Seoul. Now that they are all back in Seoul, they resurrect their college band by working on 1 song a month, to ensure they take time to be together. Whether the above pre-screening sounds like a solid basis for a hospital drama or not, it's merely the setting. What matters is the relationships, particularly as embodied in the writer/director/actors. In any case, HP has stitched together an outstanding fellowship of talent. Stick with the regimen for 3 episodes, at least, before determining its effectiveness. Ep1 gets off to a slow start and there are several scenes that won't be understandable until later. Once things get rolling they never slow down again.

HP is about friendship first, but also caring+respect for others, love, parents & children, music, and lots and lots of #food. The hospital scenes, including staff dynamics and operating room procedures, feel realistic. The characters are a delight.

Here's a shout-out to Jo Jung-Suk. I fell in love with him when watching the divine Oh My Ghost-10. He delivers another slam dunk with his performance as Dr. Lee Ik-jun. Everyone does a great job.

This just pertains to season 1. I haven't started season 2 yet.

((((🕕))))

With season 2 now watched, the diagnosis is that their practice in season 1 rendered season 2 even #more effective. It continues with the uplifting treatment of the subjects, and it's a resounding hit. Picking up right where it left off, there's a seamless connection to season 1.

Early in season 2 there's a 🏓 tourney. Cardio-Thoracic Sx was looking good - until they had to concede in order to respond to an emergency. At least half of the matches seemed to be decided that way. Instead of mic drops, we see paddle drops. We get to hear other docs gossip about the great Lee Ik-jun: 'I heard Dr Lee was in the 🏓 Club in college. In fact, I heard he was in EVERY club in college. He was even in the magic🔮 club.' Comfortably confident, Ik-jun tells Song-hwa: "I'll return victorious before this tea gets cold." (Nope. Nuclear Medicine runs the tables). His defeat is commemorated with these words: "Tasting Defeat and savoring victory: These are the things that allow us to grow."

Let's take a moment to review the primary protagonists.

In season 2, Lee Ik-jun continues to play Dr Cupid. While Ju-wan (the cardiologist) is worried about Ik-jun discovering whom he's dating. We must wonder: Why worry? How could Ik-jun deny anybody love? Watch to see. He has time to play cupid, and also cover for the lunch lady because he's so brilliant that everything is easy for him. Besides, he's friends with the lunch lady on social media, and her son had a parole hearing. The only thing that takes Ik-jun more time than other docs is walking through the hospital. That's because the highly loquacious Ik-jun is friends with everybody - security guards, aides, custodians, scattered guardians... Just everybody.

Ah, the unparalleled and misnamed SONG-hwa. She can do everything: neurosurgery, research, office visits, lectures,,, one of her biggest timetakers is her mentoring of any and all residents in their educational, professional, and even personal lives. She can do everything but sing. She sings anyway, with masses of verve. She gets pleasure out of little things, like rain. She dances at church and eats like a Sumo wrestler. Utterly delightful, she's the heartbeat of the gang, excepting the band.

Seok-hyung lost a little weight and he looks great in season 2. He declined to take over his father's business and continues to rise to near celebrity popularity as an Ob/Gyn, despite his modest and somewhat shy persona. Patients respond to his gentle and caring manner. One office visit depicts amazing ultrasound footage of a 10 week old fetus wiggling its arms and legs. The couple's reaction is precious. Still focused on Seok-hyung, his mother remains unable to resist attempts to try to control him. She wants grandchildren. Now. She tells him: 'I don't care who it is. Just get married.'

Dr. Chu continues to try and insert herself into Seok-hyung's life. In season 2 he's neither encouraging nor rejecting her efforts. Dr. Chu is not easily daunted. In fact, she's downright inspirational. Openly pursuing Seok-hyung, she often makes him laugh. Dr. Chu runs into Seok-hyung's mother - literally. Mom was so offended that she even told Rosa she doesn't care whom Seok-hyung marries, as long as it isn't #HER!, speaking of Dr. Chu.

Ju-wan is unchanged in season 2, and his relationship with Dr. Do, whom he is training, continues to improve. We get to meet Dr. Do's wife in season 2.

The pediatrician, Dr. Ahn (Andrea/Jeong-won) treads the course set in season 1. There's not a lot to say w/o spoiling some surprises. He complains that his siblings are worried about mom, but as they can't help "right now", they bombard him with calls. In rich irony he laments: "Why did they enter the church, really?"

We see the return of almost all the side characters: Parents, siblings, other doctors, residents, as well as new first years. They all continue to round out the show well.

Uju wants to go camping, so Ik-jun finally leaves his beloved city life for a weekend, because his son is his world. Hmmm. Who else loves 🏕?

Gy-eol is looking relaxed and even pretty, especially with her hair down. We learn more about her in season 2.

As a side note, there's a realistic basis for the show. The positive connection between surgeons and music has actually been studied. The participants currently playing a musical instrument, at the time of the study, performed the laparoscopic tasks significantly faster than those who did not. They determined that visuo-spatial abilities used in laparoscopic performance clearly may be enhanced for individuals playing a musical instrument. It seems obvious that finger strength and dexterity should also be positively affected.

Even though HP is a top-ten show in all of Korea's history, there are currently no plans for a season 3. The writer has completed the originally scripted storyline. That is the current status, but there's actually numerous ways to continue the drama. For now, it's a wrap. If you are one that dreads waiting for another season as it it's a multistage invasive treatment plan, it's safe to go forward with the HP procedure now, and hope for a recurrence in the future.

IMHO〰🖍

🎬9 🤔6 🎭9 ⚡4 💓8 🦋5 🎵 9 🎨6 🔚9

Suggested Age 12& up, with a caveat: One unmarried couple is shown in bed together with enough skin showing to infer what's unmistakably been going on. Any parents who object to that, be advised. The counter-balance is the realistic medical setting, along with reinforcement of good character.

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

A Witch's Love 7.8, Live Up To Your Name-7.6; Love to Hate You 8.9, Her Private Life 8, Touch your heart 8.2, Crash Landing On You 9.1, Oh My Ghost 10, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha-8.4, When the Camellia Blooms-8, It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9, Romance is a bonus book-7.9, Love Struck in the City 7.3, Be Melodramatic-8.7, Misaeng-9.1, My Liberation Diary-8.9, Move To Heaven-8.4, My Mister 9.5, I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9 Something in the Rain-8.6,

Great series, great cast and storyline, this just gets you hooked up right from the beginning. Don't miss out on this wonderful series.

When we see Yoo Yeon-Seok in this series, one would think of Dr. Romantic. But the similarity stops there. Anyone who's expecting an exaggerated, overly-dramatic plot like Dr. Romantic will be disappointed watching this. Yet, I love this drama - simply for its ability to weave simple narratives into beautiful episodes every week.

It goes against any stereotype of love, hospital melodrama, and friendships - and gives you a strong vision of what a healthy relationship is supposed to look like in any aspect. As there are 5 main characters instead of 1, it really is trying to tell us 'we are not the center of attention' - everyone is their own main character. The dramatic events may happen in another room, but the characters themselves are enriching enough that they can hold their own story.

It also reflects very healthy and strong friendships. Not every gal and guy that come together must have a romance - platonic friendships can develop and last. Not everything must have an underlying meaning.

Finally, I like that there is no 'THE' bad guy. That's the thing about this drama - there are no stereotypes, no bad vs good. It's about living out our lives to the fullest, and enjoying the community around us.

Sounds lame? Well, that might say more of ourselves than about the show - how we thrive for excitement in dramatic things but miss out on the beauty and humour in everyday life.

I love how this series doesn't exactly have like a 'main conflict'. the storyline revolves around the everyday life of the main cast and i love how it just flows. it is also heartwarming and funny. the chemistry between the main cast is also amazing. i think this series is for those who are looking for light and fun dramas, without too many cliches or conflicts.

Hospital Playlist has been written by the same writer who wrote "Reply 1988", Lee Woo-jung. The producer is also the same, Shin Won-ho. The work that this combination creates is absolutely fantastic. Hospital Playlist shares a lot of the same vibe of "Reply 1988".

Hospital Playlist does not have a central storyline. Instead, we see the storylines of the 5 main characters, who are all medical doctors in the same hospital, friends, and also musical band mates. There are plenty of smaller subplots that stretch out over multiple episodes, be sure not to miss those. And do not miss the easter eggs or cameos that the creators added that refer to "Reply 1988". This TV drama requires some attention span in the beginning, but once you are suck in their worlds, you will share their heartwarming joy and heartbreaking tears.

Like Reply 1988, we have a group of 5 friends: 4 guys, 1 girl. We get a look in their lives. It is very realistic and funny. All the cast is sublime and excellent. They bring their characters to life in such a wonderful way. Each episode you get a very welcome musical intermezzo near the end when the 5 friends come together to play a song live as a band. The songs they play are older Korean power ballads with strong lyrics that capture perfectly the main feeling of each episode. And there is a running gag of the female neurosurgeon Chae Song-hwa, played wonderfully by Jeon Mi-do, who is tone deaf and does not have a feeling of rhythm, but still wants to be a vocalist. It makes you smile from ear to ear.

I absolutely enjoyed Hospital Playlist, season 1. It is such a wonderful TV drama that is heartwarming and heartbreaking. You get to laugh and to cry. Definitely recommended, get started and watch it!