Dramas 2016

Beautiful Mind ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2016 | Episode: 14 | Channel: KBS2, Viki

Cast: Jang Hyuk & Park So Dam
Plot: Lee Young Oh is a neurosurgeon, who doesn’t have any emotions. His father is also a surgeon, but they have no connection whatsoever. One day, Young Oh is involved in strange patient deaths. During the investigation, he meets Gye Jin Sang, an uptight police officer, who wants to resolve these mysterious deaths.

Review: I loved this drama! I was actually surprised to see that it didn’t get very high ratings (the drama was actually shortened to 14), but the story and the characters really moved me. All the ingredients were actually reunited to make a good drama: the cast with Jang Hyuk (Voice, My Country: The New Age, Tell Me What You Saw) and Park So Dam (the superstar of Parasite); the director Mo Wan Il (Misty, The World of the Married, Dream High 2) and the screenwriter Kim Tae Hee (Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Monstar). Even though, it didn’t have the expected success, Beautiful Mind really got me by its suspense, fluttering romance and serious and grave themes.

Romantic Doctor Kim Seasons 1, 2 & 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Country: Korea | Year: 2016-17(S1)+2020(S2)+2023(S3) | Episode: 21 (S1)+16 (S2&3) | Channel: SBS

Cast: Han Suk Kyu, Yoo Yeon Seok, Seo Hyun Jin, Yang Se Jong, Ahn Hyo Seop & Lee Sung Kyung
Plot: The drama follows the lives of doctors who work in a remote countryside hospital under a brilliant, but temperamental surgeon everyone names Kim Sabu.

Review: It’s difficult, if not impossible to appreciate that drama. Not matter the season, characters (new and recurrent) are extremely well-written and incorporated to the narrative. The plot follows a clear red thread throughout the seasons, that is Doctor Kim’s idealism and dreams, and how they shape his students. The cases these surgeons work on are super interesting, tackling with intensity the reality of trauma, emergencies and accidents. It’s even better than medical US series! Times of crisis, catastrophes, as well as feuds among doctors are the perfect ingredients that together make the drama so good. No matter the season you decide to watch, I highly recommend it. My personal favorite is the third one, as it reunites characters from previous seasons in one frame.