Review: Kdrama Doctors aka Doctor Crush

SBS Drama Doctors (aka Doctor Crush) kicked some butt this season with soaring viewership ratings while featuring a very promising storyline and an all-star cast. This hot summer drama is not to be missed.

To start off, here is a little recap on what occurred (spoilers revealed):

What’s a delinquent girl to do when she’s tossed out by her father and stepmother after a recent mistake is the last straw for her father? He throws money in her face and drives off. With a past list of bad mistakes and run-ins with the police, her future does not seem bright or headed in a positive direction. 

After her father abandons her with an envelope of minimal cash and leaves her to her grandmother, who is played by the talented Kim Young Ae, Park Shin Hye's character Yoo Hye Jung is plunked into a new beginning of sorts and a new environment. New town, new school, new people in her life.

This kdrama granny is really cool, full of wisdom, love, and overlooks the previous mistakes her granddaughter made; she raises her with the love, direction and thoughtfulness this young girl so desperately needs in her life.

This doting granny helped set the pacing early on and later for the motivation of Hye Jung's career path. 

When she is caught trying to steal a CD in the new town she has just moved to, handsome guy Hong Ji Hong, played by Kim Rae Won, helps cover for her until after they exit the store. He’s onto her and knows very well she is still a high school student, but she has one up on him through a quick scuffle and she makes her escape.

Entering her new school, she makes enemies almost instantly with the school bullies while inadvertently rescuing a cute social outcast who now openly adores and follows her around like a lost puppy.

Next up, mystery guy Ji Hong turns out to be her homeroom teacher as well as a renter at her grandmother's home. Ahh, fate and coincidence, how charming. There is an age gap but things start out innocently enough, and if he has a growing attraction or admiration for her he does not act on it, giving him that admirable quality of a guy who knows his place, as a dating scandal with a teacher and student could initially cause havoc for both.

After she witnesses him save a pregnant mother on the street, she is so inspired that she makes the decision to study hard and start turning her life around, thanks to him and her grandmother.

This pair is like kindred spirits, but their pure friendship does not go unnoticed by fellow students.

The school's queen Jin Seo Woo, played by Lee Sung Kyun, is personally vying for their homeroom teacher’s affection. Due to her growing jealousy of how close Hye Jung and Ji Hong seem, she spreads a false rumour resulting in him turning in his resignation as a teacher.

This is the beginning of the spiraling downfall of everything in Hye Jung’s life, as her homeroom teacher has been nothing but kind toward her. (As the viewer, by now you may have picked up on that perhaps he’s carrying an unspoken attraction for the girl he senses potential and goodness in.) 

To add to the downward spiral, poor Hye Jung is faced with yet more heartbreak as the cool granny she now connects with and loves dearly suddenly passes while in surgery, leaving her completely alone. Her father and stepmother show up to accept a payment from the hospital, causing her to lash out at them. And with no real reason given as to why her grandmother's mysterious table death occurred, Hye Jung leaves the hospital at her ultimate lowest.

This brings us to the time jump in the story where we flash forward to current day. Our bunch is all thrown back into the loop at the exact same hospital that treated Hye Jung's grandma. Hye Jung's ulterior motives are to uncover the truth regarding her grandmother’s passing as well as possibly bring to justice the doctor from that surgery she suspects.

It's also great to see that in addition to being an extremely talented doctor, she still puts to use her dynamic action-fighting skills, kicking butt all around the emergency ward. This alpha female role seems to be made perfectly for her and she really hits the mark literally with every punch.

Following her first day on shift, guess who is also at this hospital?! Low and behold, the lying rival is here. Not to mention a cute but jerk boss who can’t seem to keep his cool and views Hye Jung as an amiable threat at first. But as he gets to know her, he is one of many captivated by her grounded, smart, and charming personality.

The timing is well played and as we would have it, Mr. Wonderful arrives on the rooftop, via helicopter no less, and this second chance at love begins, as Hye Jung is no longer an underage student but a young woman and Ji Hong is just as handsome; personable, charming, with some flirty lines for our leading lady.

And some important questions he needs to get out of the way first:

To which she responds no, so up comes the second important question:

To which she also responds no. This pleases him greatly and he smoothly walks past her.

This is where the new beginnings for all our characters start off essentially. Rivalry and admirers at every corner helps make the title Doctor Crush live up to it's name and plays a huge hand in drawing in viewers to see who Hye Jung would ultimately pick. Though we kind of knew all along.

This drama is well rounded, in part due to the strong cast, and delivers a satisfying story that ranges from subtle justice to be served, to connecting and understanding all corners of love even if there are setbacks, to overcoming obstacles in a hospital where life and death occur every day and at times even the most talented doctor can't stop the inevitable for some patients in their care. This will make a great addition to your re-watch list if you've already enjoyed and been following from day one. Or if you have yet to watch, you'll be able to enjoy this drama now marathon style.  

One other little tidbit for all you Ji Soo fangirls; he does have a small role and is up to his bad boy antics again early on! He even has a thing for Hye Jung, but these two buddies are the definition of great friends and their storyline is short but brief.

In closing, how many of you wished that thug-life-gangster 'Boss' had stuck around as a potential love interest rather than a thankful admirer. After saving him a couple times, Hye Jung and Boss could have been quite the couple.

There are so many suitor options here which was part of the high appeal of this drama!! But ultimately it comes down to Hye Jung and Ji Hong.

Enjoy!! And let us know what you think.