Plot
Resident Playbook is a spin-off from the well-loved Hospital Playlist 1 and 2. Instead of focusing on experts/professors, the show lets us look into the world of residents, specifically first year OB-GYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist) residents who are still finding their way into this medical field at Yulje Medical Center (same hospital as Hospital Playlist) Jongno branch.
We're introduced to four year one OB-GYN residents - Oh Yi Young (Go Youn Jung), Um Jae Il (Kang You Seok), Kim Sa Bi (Han Ye Ji), and Pyo Nam Kyung (Shin Si Ah). Despite initially not liking each other, our residents try their best to find a common ground so they can all help each other survive their first year. This drama takes us through the highs and lows of resident life, coupled with many exciting milestones and lessons along the way.
The Residents
Our residents are so easy to love. Yes, they all have their flaws but they also have their saving graces. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them get to know each other better from memorizing each other's food preferences to being immersed/invested in one another's love stories.
Go Youn Jung as Oh Yi Young
We've always known Go Youn Jung will make it big some day after watching her in Law School and Moving. And we are so right! We're happy to see that she's finally arrived.
Yi Young was booted out of a local hospital due to an undisclosed incident and she swore that she'll never work as a doctor again. As a bum, she became bankrupt after overspending on shopping. She's now forced to go back to the medical world so she can pay her debts.
I adored Yi Young's indifference, and her nonchalant and non-conformist attitude. While it can be quite frustrating to see her move around with utter lack of energy, we can't really blame her. After all, her financial crisis forced her into a situation that she didn't really want to be in. She couldn't quit even if she was dying to do so.
But the really adorable thing about Yi Young was how she was funny without even trying. Like when she was asleep during a meeting with Jun Wan (Jung Kyung Ho of Crash Course in Romance and Prison Playbook) and she absent-mindedly obeyed the instruction for her to clap aloud. Or when a patient who had a difficult delivery and was annoyed with her husband's suggestion to try for another baby in two months asked Yi Young to deliver a speech laced with a lot of swear words. I loved how she delivered it with so much passion.
Although she seemed disinterested and was always prone to committing mistakes, I totally get why Dr. Seo (Lee Byong Ryun of Samjin Company English Class, Exit, A Taxi Driver, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Love Next Door, Crash Course in Romance, Narco-Saints, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Run On, and Reply 1994) liked and trained her, with Dr. Seo even taking her under her wing. Yi Young is so teachable. She's very humble and not proud at all. She admits her mistakes, apologizes, and works hard to do better.
And her good character stands out too. She's so kind especially when she discovered Sa Bi's treachery. She understood why Sa Bi was acting that way and she went out of her way to adjust to make Sa Bi feel that she was important and needed.
And Yi Young has her soft spot too as shown in that tender moment she shared with the kid who was orphaned after her mom died. I liked how Yi Young opened up to the kid to explain that she was not alone and that she will survive. Or that scene where she wanted to open a savings account because she might be an aunt soon.
We can't wait to see more of Go Youn Jung and we're happy that she has another drama lined up for this year!
Kang You Seok as Um Jae Il
Kang You Seok was also a revelation for us. We saw him on Start Up and When Life Gives You Tangerines, where he was mostly annoying in the latter. But he's shown us that he can be lovable too.
Jae Il used to be a K pop star who has now transitioned to the medical field. He still has the tendency to think that he's popular and everything's about him.
Jae Il was hilarious. I loved how he was always prepared with his bag full of "essentials" - powerbank, sanitizer, and even a professional-looking camera to take a patient's funeral photo.
While he may not be as smart and skilled as his batchmates, Jae Il definitely made up for it by being overeager, passionate, curious, and always willing to learn. For instance, I loved how he seriously took the criticism about him when he kept on bugging his seniors to validate his ultrasound findings. He accepted extra work after his shift even if he was probably not getting paid for it. And it was so fitting that one patient thought of rewarding him with a tie for being so thorough during her ultrasound.
And being the only guy in their batch, I loved how he looked out for the girls especially after their karaoke night out.
I'm quite sure Kang You Seok will be ready for bigger things after having two hit shows.
Shin Si Ah as Pyo Nam Kyung
It's nice to see newbies (well, relative to the first two residents I talked about) like Shin Si Ah get well-deserved breaks. She was perfect as the fashionable and trendy Pyo Nam Kyung.
Initially, I found Nam Kyung annoying. I wanted her to fail because I thought she was out to get Yi Young, being "competitors" back in high school.
It was also difficult to love her because she seemed quite a shallow person who cared more about her social life (getting the latest branded items, going out on blind dates, etc.). But I guess there's something about conquering difficult patients (like Mi So (Hyung Jin of Crash Course in Romance, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and Squid Game) who kept on asking for Nam Kyung to change her wound dressings several times a day) that feels so rewarding leading into a change in perspective. I felt her relief when she found out that Mi So was still alive after she tried to run away from her and how that moment was life-changing for her.
And I liked how the drama showed us through Nam Kyung that one's values and character will always prevail despite attempts by others to sway you to the bad side. Like when Dr. Myeong (Kim Hye In of She Would Never Know) tried to influence Nam Kyung to pass on her work to the nurses so she'll have a lighter work load. Although confused and tempted to be a meanie in the beginning, I liked how Nam Kyung learned how to work with and appreciate the assistance the nurses gave her. I was quite suspicious of Nurse Jo (Kim Do Gyeong of Twenty-Five Twenty-One) though when she called Nam Kyung while the latter was sleeping despite being told that the task can wait until the morning. I'm not sure if the show decided mid-way not to pursue that storyline.
I also enjoyed watching Nam Kyung's relationship with her mother (Park Sung Yeon of Our Blues, Love Alarm 1 and 2, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol, and Record of Youth) and how mom's admission to the hospital paved the way for Nam Kyung to appreciate her batchmates even more because they took good care of mom.
Just like the other younger actors in this show, I'm confident that Shin Si Ah will be getting more breaks because of the amazing performance she had here.
Han Ye Ji as Kim Sa Bi
Among the four main actors, Han Ye Ji is the ultimate newbie. According to Asian Wiki, this is her entertainment debut.
Sa Bi is someone who's quite difficult to love. Yes, she's book-smart. But she totally lacks empathy. Jae Il had a perfect description for her - AI has more warmth than Sa Bi. Although I'm quite confused about this matter. Part of me thinks that medical training should include bedside manner instruction. But if someone's totally devoid of social graces, can empathy really be taught?
Part of the problem with Sa Bi is her superiority complex. We can't really blame her though because she must have been a competitive achiever her entire life having been born to medical professor parents. Trouble is, she sometimes forget where she stands in the hierarchy of things. She needs to learn to trust her superiors.
And I guess the good thing is we can at least see her trying, without much success though. And I find her lack of emotions extremely useful during tense, emergency, and hard situations. At least she's calm enough to decide and act quickly and to make those difficult decisions.
Yes, what Sa Bi did to jeopardize Yi Young's work was inexcusable - deleting files that were due for submission and hiding a note with a task for Yi Young. Fortunately, she found her way back. I guess it's true that repaying evil with kindness works wonders.
And in her own silly way, Sa Bi is actually funny too. Like how she made her grand reveal of being a fan of Jae Il's K pop group (complete with a song and dance number) and how she looked with a crazy facial expression when she realized that Jae Il like her.
The people behind this show have proven over the years that they have good eyes for undiscovered talents (especially with the Reply series). So I won't be surprised if Han Ye Ji will also be destined for bigger things.
Jung Joon Won as Koo Do Won
Of course, no story is complete without a love angle. And we get Koo Do Won (Jung Joon Won of Persona and Little Forest) to help us out.
Do Won is the brother of Yi Young's brother-in-law or to make things clearer, Yi Young's sister Oh Joo Young (Jung Woon Sun of Forecasting Love and Weather and Happiness) is married to Do Won's brother Koo Seung Won (Jung Soon Won of 1987: When the Day Comes, The Silent Sea, Vincenzo, and Fight for My Way). This makes their relationship and work (and romantic) dynamics all the more interesting.
Do Won is such a green flag - as a boyfriend, brother, in-law, colleague, subordinate, superior, etc. He takes command responsibility to heart like when he politely tells other departments to allow him to scold/correct/train his own juniors and that they can report to him directly if something needs to be done. And I also love that he's fair. Yi Young does not get any special treatment. She gets scolded when needed.
Oppa calls Jung Joon Won as a more masculine version of Jung Hae In. And while I was in denial at first, I gradually agreed with him as the show progressed. So I guess that means I'd want to see more of Jung Joon Won too. :)
Yi Young and Do Won
My list of favorite K drama couples welcomes another member. I totally loved Do Won and Yi Young. Their story seemed so simple but everything was so heartfelt. They make you feel the joys and thrill of finding a new love.
I was curious if Yi Young really liked Do Won or if she was just in awe of him because she saw first hand how protective he was of his juniors and how well-loved he was at work. But when she took the lead by holding his hand during that department photo shoot and asking him if she could like him, all the doubt in my mind was cleared.
I was thrilled to hear Do Won say that yes, Yi Young can like him. But my heart broke when he added, if she was okay with things being awkward between the two of them. Boo.
Even before they became official and we confirmed that the feelings were mutual, I already knew that feisty Yi Young was the perfect partner for kind and meek Do Won. Not a lot of juniors would have the balls to ask a senior to apologize, the way Yi Young did with Dr. Myeong when the latter refused to list Do Won as a co-author despite doing bulk of the work for a paper.
I'm not really a fan of third parties, but in this instance, I guess that was fine because that was probably the final push Do Won needed to finally admit that he liked Yi Young too. That bus stop scene had so much feels. And the awkward way he asked her to dinner and how excited she was. And how he had that cute little card saying, "I like you a lot too!"
I'm also not a fan of misfortunes heading into a confession scene but again, I'm making an exception here because Do Won's botched dinner plan actually paved the way for a sweeter and more sincere in-person confession. Yes, it was hilarious how Do Won was so shy and awkward afterwards. But he certainly made up for it with that kiss.
I loved all those sweet moments in hiding in their secret meeting places. And the instances when they were almost caught. Like that hilarious confrontation with their siblings who were insisting that Yi Young was dating a colleague. My only regret though is that the drama didn't really show us a scene where their siblings learned about their relationship.
It was also hilarious when Yi Young's batchmates learned of their relationship in varying degrees - dating for Jae Il, living together for Sa Bi, and in-laws for Nam Kyung. And how they called him their brother-in-law and how they teased him at the bank when they heard him open a short-term account because he might get married in a year.
I really, really wish this show will have a second season because I need more Yi Young and Do Won moments. Please, please, please!
The Seniors and Professors
No review would be complete if we don't talk about the residents' professors and seniors. I'll divide them into four categories.
The Saints. Number one on the list would be Dr. Ryu (Lee Chang Hoon of 1987: When the Day Comes, Money Heist Korea 1 and 2, Record of Youth, One Spring Night, SKY Castle, and Something in the Rain) who bravely stepped in to defend the residents when his fellow professors go overboard.
And of course we have the ever patient Dr. Ki (Lee Do Hye of Welcome to Sam Dal Ri, Crash Course in Romance, Big Mouth, Snowdrop, Itaewon Class, and Crash Landing on You) who never lost her cool around her juniors.
Then we have the "balanced" Dr. Seo who was strict and firm and who scolded them when needed but always remained professional and respectful.
I also have the "reformed." Those who started out really mean but somehow softened up towards the end. First on my list is Dr. Jo (Lee Hyun Kyun of 1987: When the Day Comes and Hotel Del Luna), who was so strict that Sa Bi worked to the point of passing out just so she can meet his demands. It was funny to see him nervous when he realized Sa Bi was sick.
We also have Dr. Kong (Son Ji Yoon of Ms. Hammurabi), who hated Sa Bi for lacking empathy and warmth towards their patients.
And finally, Dr. Cha (Hong Na Hyun) who started out as a yelling machine who couldn't stop scolding Jae Il but ended up cheering him on when Dr. Jo picked him to co-write a paper.
And finally, the hated. Fortunately, we only have Dr. Myeong on this list. She was a lazy, sneaky, attention-seeking credit grabber until the end.
Execution
Hospital Playlist fans might take some time to warm up to this show. After all, it starts out quite slow and it's not as snappy as its predecessor. But having all these Hospital Playlist cameos from what the show called their "eternals" really helped bridge the gap.
First on my list would have to be our power couple Ik Jun (Jo Jung Suk of Exit and You are the Best) who appeared as an ER patient who was being picked up by his "guardian" Song Hwa (Jeon Mi Do of Thirty-Nine).
Then we have the ever gentle Jeong Won (Yoo Yeon Seok of Narco Saints, Mr. Sunshine, Warm and Cozy, and Reply 1994) who dropped by as representative of his foundation to pick up the orphan daughter of Yi Young's patient who passed away.
Also present was Jeong Won's girlfriend, Gyeoul (Shin Hyun Bin of Confidential Assignment and Reborn Rich), who turned out to be Jae Il's former tutor and first love haha.
Of course, we have the ever dashing Jun Wan who came to assist Dr. Seo in one of her cases. Turns out Dr. Seo was our Hospital Playlist gang's classmate.
And our power couple number 2 who are now married! Seok Hyeong (Kim Dae Myung of The Last Princess and Misaeng) who rescued someone who was about to give birth and brought her to the Yulje ER and gave instructions to Nam Kyung on how to deliver the baby.
And our lovely Chu Min Ha (Ahn Eun Jin of More than Friends) who had two cameos - one as the receiving doctor for a patient referred by the Jongno branch who had encouraging words for Yi Young and who warned Do Won about Yi Young's plan to run away and next as the new OB professor in Jongno, beating Dr. Myeong to the post. Woot woot!!!
Hospital Playlist die hards might also feel bad that this didn't start out as funny as HP. After all, it didn't have the benefit of having resident comedian Ik Jun in its cast. And in reality, you can't really be that funny when you're a junior learning your way around. But not to worry because the show manages to be funny in its own way too.
And in any case, it's not lacking in heartwarming storylines. Like the college freshman who got pregnant and her dad didn't really know how to handle the situation. Or all those terminal cancer patients they had to take care of.
One thing I really appreciated about the show was how it tried its best to give equal exposure to everyone even if the drama appeared to be headlined by Yi Young as the main character. The show gives us a chance to get to know everyone.
And as trademark of this show's creators, it was still very good and creative in injecting bits of surprises here and there. Like that slow reveal of Yi Young and Do Won's familial ties. Or telling us about Yi Young's past issue only in the penultimate episode, which kept us guessing. It was a nice way to cap off that chapter by clearing Yi Young's name.
And as always, the show is very relatable. I'm sure that storyline of a young person who's very broke and deep in credit card debt is so familiar. And as a result, they have to take in jobs they're totally disinterested in. Or even if they find jobs they're good at and are interested in, young workers have this constant desire to quit and find greener pastures or easier paths.
And patients yearning for empathy from their doctors more than anything else.
And your bully superiors. How people think that just because they were maltreated in the past, they have to do the same to their juniors. How someone needs to take charge in changing the culture (thank you, Dr. Ryu and Do Won!). That there needs to be a balance between baby-ing newbies and being very harsh. How trainees need to be taught how to learn from their mistakes. And how it's so refreshing to see nice seniors who really take the time to mentor their juniors and who stand up for them when others go overboard.
On the flip side, superiors also need to strike a balance between being firm and being too nice that their kindness is exploited and abused and they're called pushovers, as in the case of Do Won and Jae Il.
I loved that the show chose to focus on OB-GYN. It was the perfect choice for me because what can be more beautiful than celebrating life when someone gives birth, especially when hospitals/doctors are often associated with death or illness. As Nam Kyung put it, this is the practice where you sign more birth certificates than death certificates and crying is actually a cause for celebration.
But I liked how the show did not sugarcoat things. It showed us the grim side too through their cancer patients.
Or the difficult topic of infertility. The physical, emotional, and financial struggles of couples trying so hard to conceive. Like Joo Young's real talk about how she missed drinking beer and coffee and how she felt jealous of others who had babies and how she sometimes resented them and herself. I was so proud of her for bravely knowing when to stop. I loved her speech about how self-love was equally important too.
And of course, how rewarding it is to finally succeed in conceiving but how that's just the beginning of more complicated issues - of the things moms need to give up to ensure a safe pregnancy, carrying the baby full term, giving birth to a healthy baby, making sure mom is healthy too, and how that is the start of life-long worrying of moms for their kids. It's true, moms never stop being moms.
I liked the interdepartmental aspect of the story too. How different departments need to have teamwork. A lesson they had to learn with the delivery of the baby of that foreigner who came to the ER where Yi Young had to take the lead along with residents from other departments because there were no seniors around. How even if they were bickering before that, everyone came through when needed.
I also appreciated how the show took a swipe at husbands who act as if giving birth is super easy that they already have the next baby in mind even before their wives are wheeled out of the delivery room. How insensitive and inconsiderate! They've probably not heard of the saying that childbirth puts moms one foot in the grave.
And how nerve wracking it must be to have your professor/senior as your patient such as Yi Young's case with her senior (Park Ye Young of Summer Strike and Hometown Cha Cha Cha). But it's also a nice gesture on the part of the senior who voluntarily gives her body for learning and it's a great learning experience for the juniors too.
And of course, the show had a very perfect ending. It was the New Year. An old professor was retiring. It was a fitting way to have closures and new beginnings for everyone and show how much they've all learned and grown in a year.
Hooray for Dr. Seo fully trusting Yi Young, allowing her to pull out her first baby and do another placenta removal despite botching her first attempt. And Dr. Seo giving Yi Young that wine she kept for a special occasion was a huge thing! And everything happening on New Year's Eve!
I loved how Yi Young is finally embracing and loving her crew as family, when she used to not care about them. I liked that added touch of the expired lottery ticket because that proved to be a blessing in disguise. OB-GYN seems to be her true calling anyway. And with a prospect of marriage on the side too!
And that full circle of life (and death) story line for Nam Kyung. While it was sad to see Mi So pass on, I take comfort in the fact that she was with Nam Kyung. I'm sure she felt the same way too. And she had that ER delivery to make up for that sad ending. And it's great to see her potentially back in the dating track with none other than their intern Tak Gi On (Cha Kang Yoon).
And what can be more exciting than the brewing love story between Jae Il and Sa Bi. I was so proud of Jae Il for winning over Dr. Jo and what a once in a lifetime opportunity he got to co-write a paper with him.
And Sa Bi finally having the guts to make jokes even if her delivery was an utter failure (with that patient who got out of surgery on January 1, thus, the joke that she became so healthy in a year). At least she tried and the way she said it was funny anyway.
And how Sa Bi confronted Jae Il, complete with evidence to ask if he liked her. And her cute denial confession where she said that she also thought of and missed him but that she had a strict rule of getting to know the other person for a year first before dating him.
Needless to say, we have another hit in Resident Playbook. And what sets it apart from other shows according to Oppa is that you'll never get tired of watching it over and over again because it's so easy on the eyes and heart!
Oppa says...5.
Noona says...5.