[Drama 2020-2021] Hospital Playlist, 슬기로운 의사생활 - Season 1 & 2

[ponderings]

13 hours ago, cherriesblue said:

2) am learning about flowers and their meanings in Kdrama. Dahlia is to know your real heart or something like that, ranunculus is captivate, and tulips for forgiveness and reconciliation.  those who have seen the series know what i'm talking about.

 

Response to #2...you got me thinking and I'm trying to flashback to all the kdramas I watched. Are you referencing Move to Heaven? I forgot!

 

Also can we talk about the priest son who replanted the flower? He's funny.

[__jesse]

Once again, I was impressed by ShinLee after watching ep 5. Yeokshii, this duo is all about the details…. I have too much to write about, but first, let’s talk about the daisies.

 

About the daisies

 

The daisies which Dongil plucked were just like Songhwa. Their stems were broken, like her herniated disc.

 

Like them, she was also uprooted from Yulje and transplanted at Sokcho for a while.

 

After one year of TLC, both Songhwa and the daisies are nursed back to health. Daisy symbolizes a new beginning. It was the perfect gift for Songhwa, who just returned to Yulje.

 

I think it’s also meaningful that they were growned by Dongil, the eldest son and rightful heir to Yulje, and gifted to Songhwa by Jeongwon, the actual heir to Yulje and founder of DLL programme. It's like a welcome-back-to-work gift from the boss.  

 

Spoiler

The colour purple was a reference to Sung appa’s daughter Bora in r88. And if you followed the colour theory, you’d know that purple represents Songhwa.

 

Spoiler

I didn’t expect the production team to go this far for the colour theory, but they actually made the karaoke video using Iksong colours. Yellow for Ikjun, purple for Songhwa, while red and blue represent marriage.

 

And if you're curious, below are the videos used for TJ and KY karaoke systems:

Spoiler

 

KY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvqKkhMg9XA

 

[ChunSungIm]

 

[__jesse]

On seasons and skipping time

 

 

I loved the way ShinLee depicted the time skip. Instead of simply adding “One year later….” in the subtitles, they used music, food and clothes to show the changing seasons.

 

They used representative seasonal foods. Snow crab, as its name suggests, is in season during winter months, and they taste best from January to March. Cold soybean noodles (콩국수) are usually eaten during summer to beat the heat. Dotted gizzard shads (전어) taste best in autumn, when they’re plump and nutty, and their bones are soft enough to be eaten. Rice cake soup (떡국) is traditionally eaten during Seollal, hence it is representative of winter.

 

During the time skip, ShinLee also played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Summer for soybean noodles, Autumn for the grilled fish and Winter for rice cake soup. And naturally, the Four Seasons remind us of the four ladies who represent the four seasons.

 

If you noticed, we skipped Spring 2020 altogether. Spring is Iksun’s season. It’s as if ShinLee is saying, during this one year, Iksun’s life has been put on pause. Nothing has happened, nothing has changed. And as we enter spring season in ep 6, I think we can finally expect some progress for Iksun and Junwan.

 

Spoiler

Jeongwon: Hey, it’s so sweet. It’s like springtime.

Junwan: What do you mean? It’s January. It’s minus ten degrees Celsius out.

Ikjun: Maybe in his heart, it is.

 

In Korea, strawberries are in season from December to June, from winter to spring. When Jeongwon said the strawberries were so sweet, it was a reflection of how sweet his blooming relationship with Gyeoul is. Naturally, Junwan took offense at the mention of spring. Because spring is Iksun, and it felt like a harsh winter when they’re apart.

 

 

On snow crabs

 

Spoiler

Junwan didn’t have anyone else to share the leftover snow crab with, and it was extra heartbreaking because he bought snow crab for Iksun last season. As if ShinLee is worried that we might forget about it, Ikjun referred to Junwan as Uju’s snow crab uncle (대게 삼촌). 

 

Spoiler

When Songhwa told Ikjun to give some snow crab to Uju, she said “uri Uju”, which means our Uju. Just like how Seokhyung called Minha “uri resident”.

 

Some of the nuances and puns in LWJ’s writing is lost in translation on Netflix. Like when Jeongwon said he “put on gloves and shelled them”, he used the word “집도” (執刀), which means holding a surgical knife for surgery or dissection. It was a medical pun. That’s why he held his hands up, like he was getting ready for surgery.

[Raynaa]

Thanks @__jesse both your posts are super.

 

I also read that snow crabs are especially eaten on New Year’s Day. All local food is tied to climate and availability and what we consider detox and cleansing and other modern healthy diet buzz words is also built into our local diets. Snow crabs are eaten on New Year’s Day as they are available during that time but New Years is reset for the mind - a psychological trick to make us feel refreshed and believe in hope and new chances and opportunities. And snow crabs are known for their liver detox properties hence having snow crabs is a reset and cleanse for the body. 
 

having said that I have also read that our body when it faces extreme health dangers and we are unaware we automatically crave the food we need (please do not try to associate this to Ice cream and Rameyon craving during late nights while watching Kdramas ) Iksun craving snow crabs unseasonally last season might mean her liver condition was already beginning to deteriorate without her knowing.
 

also iksuns scar was a part of her introduction. I think the writers were going to show her health  issue making a comeback. Plus IkJuns helmet and Darth Vader aka sky walkers biggest fear is losing/sickness of a loved one. I still find IkJuns ‘I will fix you’ to Song Hwa and his sister the most adorable lines. The look in his eyes when he says that makes you believe it too like Song Hwa said. Though her rational mind ignored the heart flutter and associated it with why doctors shouldn’t make promises to their patients instead   

 

coincidentally I was watching oh my ghost and he says the same lines to the female lead in that too! In one episode he tries to take the female lead to a psychiatrist  (since she sees ghosts) and says no matter what I will fix you and she reverts saying are you a doctor? Is this Jo Jung Suks patent line? 
 

By the way the helmet from season 1 episode 1 made a comeback in the the scene when IkJun tells Ujju that his old friend is coming back. The daisy and helmet together mean a reset and restart?

[wintergardencrew]

Hi guys, sharing my take on the Gyeo-ul Is A Chaebol Theory. Particularly interesting for me is number 5 because the juxtaposition I mention there was confusing to understand when I first watched it.

 

https://wintergardencrew.wixsite.com/website/post/why-we-think-that-the-gyeo-ul-is-a-chaebol-theory-makes-sense-hospital-playlist-analysis

Why We Think That The "Gyeo-ul Is A Chaebol!" Theory Makes Sense

Spoiler

 

In Episode 5 of Hospital Playlist Season 2, we saw Gyeo-ul talk on the phone with her mother. It was a very concerning scene mainly because of the indications during the episode that there might be domestic violence going on in Gyeo-ul's household and that his father is possibly an abusive one. Interestingly, this episode has reminded us that yes, Gyeo-ul has a life and family outside of the hospital and it seems the series is hinting that they are preparing to allow us into this aspect of Gyeo-ul's life.

 

So let's dive into the reasons why we believe that the "Gyeo-ul Is A Chaebol!" Theory could be correct:

 

 

1. We've never heard Gyeo-ul talk about money woes. On top of that, she has a very big appetite that seems uncharacteristic of people who are concerned about saving money or supporting anyone financially. In fact, the recent phone call with mom supports this observation as well since, once again, money is not mentioned. Instead, Gyeo-ul's concern is solely on whether her parents have been fighting.

 

Spoiler

 

 

2. Hospital Playlist has been playing a lot with contrasts, and when it comes to Gyeo-ul's characterization, her biggest contrast has always been her Min-ha unnie, from their opposing fashion styles to their personalities. In Episode 5 of Season 1, we see the girls bond over sandwiches. This is a particularly important scene because it foreshadows the much-talked about WinterGarden kiss on Christmas Eve that happens in the Season 1 Finale. And while the kiss is Min-ha's wish, we see Gyeo-ul getting her first kiss instead.

 

However, we think that the foreshadowing and hints embedded in this scene aren't merely about the kiss. It should be noted that this scene, first and foremost, gives us a bit of information about Min-ha's family. It is here that we first find out that Min-Ha's family isn't rich. This is an important information for the GomGom loveline because of Seohkyeong's mom's fixation in wanting his son to marry an equally-rich woman. However, the reason this is brought up doesn't seem to end there. Given all the ways that the law of contrasts is deliberately shown to apply between Gyeo-ul and Min-ha, we believe that contrast between them also exists in terms of their financial status.

 

It's like the Princess and the Pauper at play. which brings us to our next point.

 

3. Gyeo-ul is the GS Princess. To understand the point we are trying to make here, you might want to check out this analysis about how the WinterGarden love story is hinted to have a fairytale ending (https://wintergardencrew.wixsite.com/website/post/how-hospital-playlist-season-1-has-always-hinted-on-a-fairytale-ending-for-wintergarden). The article mentions clues that allude to fairytales, but of particular importance are the ones that draw parallelism with Snow White. Knowing that Snow White is chosen as inspiration for this character and her love story might give us more clues to the possible backstory of Gyeo-ul. Unlike Cinderella who has a rags to riches story, Snow White is a real princess from the beginning, daughter of a King, and with an Evil Step Queen Mother. If even her family is parallel to that of Snow White, then we suspect that we may get introduced to a not-so-kind stepfather. It would make sense that her backstory will reveal daddy issues, given how Dads have always been emphasized in her character story since Season 1.

 

Spoiler

 

 

4. The contrast between the mothers of Jeong-won and Seokhyong is emphasized, particularly on how they view social status in terms of choosing a match for their sons. For Young-hye, family background and social status are important, while Rosa dismisses them and is just happy to know that his son has a girlfriend regardless of family background. We know that Young-hye is probably not getting what she wishes for since Min-ha does not come from a rich family. But how does this affect Rosa? By applying the law of contrasts, we may deduce that without having a particular desire for it, Rosa may in fact have a rich daughter-in-law (Gyeo-ul) while Young-hye doesn't. This is reminiscent of what happens to Min-ha's wish for a kiss on Christmas Eve.

 

Spoiler

 

And speaking of Young-hye, we go to our 5th reason...

 

5. In a confusing juxtaposition of scenes in Episode 3 of Season 2, we see Young-hye and Seokhyong's mother-son dinner date interrupt the romantic moments of Gyeo-ul and Jeong-won in this sequence. Honestly, at first, we found it to be very confusing and thought that it was random. But then, observing how detailed the production has been in composing the scenes and sequences, this editing decision must have been very carefully deliberated for a reason. Rewatching it with the "Gyeo-ul Is A Chaebol!" Theory in mind has allowed us to see this juxtaposition with a new perspective. Interpreting it now, this sequencing seems to slyly hint that Gyeo-ul might be the daughter of Young-hye's friend that she intended to setup with Seokhyong.

 

 

After having laid down all the above observations, we ask the question: why might Gyeo-ul's family background matter in the larger story? Our answer is that we think that this gives her character the capacity to join in Professor Ahn's efforts for the Daddy Long Legs Programme and in his dream of establishing a Children's Hospital, not just by being a pediatric surgeon, but by chipping in significant financial contribution through her family wealth and connections. This would tie in with our Fairytale Analysis wherein the Children's Hospital can be their metaphorical Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDIT: With regards to number 5, I realize that it portrays a contrast between the two scenarios of a couple's date and a bachelor just having dinner with mom. So I'm not really sure if what I say in that list about the scene would still be a sound interpretation or if it merely serves to show contrast. Nonetheless, the mention of a friend's daughter can be seen as a suggestive tease.

Edited July 18, 2021 by wintergardencrew

[triplesung]

20 hours ago, Raynaa said:

Jeong won is gonna lose it if she has any scars. Even imagining what she must have gone through will drive him crazy given the empath he is and he cannot see people in pain.

I really want to see Ahn Jeong Won getting angry and frustrated.  Like really really angry. I can already imagine him being extra protective and caring.

[chickfactor]

It's so weird that I can tell just this from her voice, but Gyeo-ul's mother is apparently played by actress Lee Il-Hwa who played the mother in all the Reply series. (It will be funny if she ever runs into Jeong-Won's eldest brother, Dong-Il.)

 

Wow, Seok-Hyeong's mother is a piece of work. I guess we knew that, but we didn't know how bad.

 

Seok-Hyeong really needs to learn to stand up to his mother if he wants a chance at a normal relationship with a woman. I do think Min-Ha is probably better equipped than the ex-wife to defend herself when she needs to, but... wow.

 

Song-Hwa's bad singing will never stop being adorable.

[ck1Oz]

 I say. Are the viewers that detailed in their imagination? Or is the writer's imagination or attention to details that good? Adding to that is the PD that details orientated?

 

I don't know whether to subscribe to all these theories because that will mean the writer is that obsessed.

 

I love the theories I really do but I don't think that much just watching a show. People at work already think I am OCD but all of the writer/PD viewers bring on a whole new level of details reasonings/explanations.

 

Since I've never been right since the Reply 1997 series; not even going to attempt this now. The 5th drama I've watched from this duo. Then again I've watched this writers variety shows too. She is really that good. I really admire her sensitive writing.

 

I think if SK ever ends up with Minha the writer might end up writing a scene of him defending her against his mother. After 2 seasons of him being written as a Mama's boy I am really curious how they will reconcile Minha and the mother meeting. I am so curious. More curious than the actual romance flowering- pun intended hahaha- since that will need more skilful writing. How or what would the writer write in order to show the mother approving of Minha? In fact I think the mother liking her has to appear before SK decides to confess. Or capitulate.

 

In fact more than the fact that they will become a couple, I am really looking forward to see how it will be crafted because of the build up is that long; the journey should be that good. 

 

I am so so perverse. How will the mother meet and treat Minha?

 

 

[consuella]

4 hours ago, ck1Oz said:

 I say. Are the viewers that detailed in their imagination? Or is the writer's imagination or attention to details that good? Adding to that is the PD that details orientated?

 

I don't know whether to subscribe to all these theories because that will mean the writer is that obsessed.

Honestly, I learned about the theories with ShinLee’s dramas since R88 (when I finally joined Soompi forum). It’s all fun and exciting and makes me think damn you are all so smart and know how to put things together lol. But that’s all, I don’t really think much and just reading it for fun.

...Until I came to know that ShinPD deliberately edited the love sign in front of the ER where Gyeoul - Jeongwon hugged in Episode 1 (and apparently it’s different with each couples).. ah I guess the production team indeed loves playing games with the viewers

[wintergardencrew]

 

10 hours ago, ck1Oz said:

 I say. Are the viewers that detailed in their imagination? Or is the writer's imagination or attention to details that good? Adding to that is the PD that details orientated?

 

I don't know whether to subscribe to all these theories because that will mean the writer is that obsessed.

 

I love the theories I really do but I don't think that much just watching a show. People at work already think I am OCD but all of the writer/PD viewers bring on a whole new level of details reasonings/explanations.

Instead of obssession, I actually view it as an effort by the writers and the production team to set the rules of the world that they create, which facilitates the writing process because there is a structure or template that narrows down their choices when deciding various aspects of storytelling. It also makes the whole franchise cohesive and allows them to deliberately stay on track with their original intentions.

 

Of course, there are a lot of interpretations to the scenes of the series because once the audience watches it, the subjecivity and biases of the viewer becomes a vital part in perceiving meanings from the scenes. Sometimes, we may catch on to the original intentions of the creators, and sometimes we may discover something of our own. 

 

Honestly, I have wondered about it myself. How much thought have they really put into incorporating allusions and metaphors into the scenes? I'm thinking some might have been deliberate and some maybe organic because from the very beginning, they have mastered how to weave meanings to each space they shoot in and to recurring activities to the point that each space and activity has started to embody a meaning of their own.

 

With that said, I say theories are fun but should always be taken with a grain of salt because for a show that is still in production, there is always the possibility of a reroute or even intentional misdirection. There may also be misinterpretations.

Edited July 18, 2021 by wintergardencrew

[larus]

I love the scenes with Rosa and Ju Jong-Su . I had a smile the whole time while watching them with the older son of Rosa. I don`t know about the other siblings but Rosa has such innocent/purehearted children. I laughed when Peter gave his mother the flowers from the garden and when he was so happy to see the rainbow.

[ryanallright]

 

Another actor who used to be in Shin PD drama cameo via voice acting

[__jesse]

17 hours ago, ck1Oz said:

 I say. Are the viewers that detailed in their imagination? Or is the writer's imagination or attention to details that good? Adding to that is the PD that details orientated?

 

I don't know whether to subscribe to all these theories because that will mean the writer is that obsessed.

 

ShinLee is well-known for their obsession with detail. Every drama follows a carefully drawn out timeline that's specific down to the month and date. In the reply series, props are meticulously sourced to fit the year and setting.

 

I can't imagine the amount of research that went into HP. The medical details are so realistic and relatable that it's acknowledged by real doctors. Think that's a first for medical dramas?

 

Another thing that I really love about Shin pd's dramas is the casting. The actors casted have similar demeanours with the characters, so their acting comes across as natural and convincing. Even the minor side characters show amazing acting too, so it's easy for us to get immersed in the dramas.

 

I started reading about ShinLee's Easter eggs in R88. At first I thought, "Eh, no way..." But as the drama went on, all the details matched up, to an extent where it couldn't have been a simple coincidence. Some of the Easter eggs follow the same rules since R97.. isn't that crazy?

 

I've watched other dramas where Easter eggs were sometimes hidden like in the form of paintings and books. But these are usually found in the first half of the dramas as the writers tend to lose steam midway. Only ShinLee's dramas have Easter eggs consistently from the start till the end, and now across two seasons of HP.

 

The only drama which didn't contain these many Easter eggs, was Prison Playlist. Maybe because it wasn't written by LWJ, which makes me wonder if she's the crazier one of the two.

 

But that said, these Easter eggs are really just for fun, and at times they help to deepen our understanding of the characters and the production team's intent. I don't believe in every single theory out there. We're all free to have our own interpretations and that's part of the fun too.

[Raynaa]

I think Easter eggs are a way of making the writing interactive and open for conversation.  It’s fun for the writer as it is a way of connecting the writing world they have made for themselves to the real world. Also it’s a tactic to keep the audience engrossed and invested in the series. Overall I think it’s fun!
 

I agree Some of it may be over analysing and misinterpretation by the audience but some of it does have a lot of effort going into it. I do think the effort pays off in the overall quality of the series. 

[gogoggoo]

On 7/18/2021 at 4:47 AM, triplesung said:

I really want to see Ahn Jeong Won getting angry and frustrated.  Like really really angry. I can already imagine him being extra protective and caring.

 

I got my fix of angry YYS in Mr Sunshine

 

[Ahjumemshie Lee]

 

5 hours ago, gogoggoo said:

 

I got my fix of angry YYS in Mr Sunshine

 

 

@gogoggooThe Yakuza style of anger 

 

Is he going to be Dra. Gyeoul's dad?? Yoo Jae Myung in HP Season 2 

[JungRok]

  

15 hours ago, Ahjumemshie Lee said:

 

 

@gogoggooThe Yakuza style of anger 

 

Is he going to be Dra. Gyeoul's dad?? Yoo Jae Myung in HP Season 2 

It could be.

Now we have seen IkSun-Junwan real struggle.

I am not sure about WGarden future challenges but maybe

1. Her mother is hospitalized when they went for a trip after her board exam (a trip far away). Her Dad indirectly caused the incident. She would blame herself and then ask AJW for time alone to rethink her mindset. This could be a precursor for their breakup 
Or 
2. Her Dad might want to hook her up with someone younger and wealthy; not to mention her status as a doctor. IT alleviates her status among her dad's peers' children.

 

I think one of these two will be one of the WG hurdles. 

 

Brother - Car Job (could be her dad dealt with Car Dealership - Owner of Car dealership company - Overseas Car) 

She is a food spender without care

She is a minimalist in style

Her bag/shoes are expensive (300-1000$$ in USD)

Could be a friend of Seokhyung Mom ( who told she have a friends' daughter to hook her up)

 

 

One of those things as Chaebol 

 

One thing I want to see is Jealous Gyeoul resurface like previous EP 7 in Season 1. We all saw the preview - all the interns were female Doctors. Who knows all them ask AJW to buy dinner and AJW is forced to agree. Gyeoul is supposed to have a date night; but then she saw AJW is being dragged by interns. They have a love quarrel. LOL

 

Or Vice Versa. I want to see Jealous AJW. I read those fanfic . Jealous Garden is all we need. 

 

 

IRL, its not all happy ending. 

my 2 cents is SHwa "benign" cancer turns out to be a real cancer and she is hospitalized. Ikjun; who loves her;  stay with her till the end. He took care of her She struggles as the cancer progressing. Imo, all her bandmates will come together and perform band song in her ward as a last performance. Uju will call her as mom in her final moments.

 

Ikjun- Iksun - Junwan. At the last ep 5, Junwan called someone. I think he called Ikjun and confessed everything. He might have asked his help and opinion about Iksun, and wants to reconcile. Then Ikjun dropped the bomb - she's sick and may need some time to recuperate. JWan who understands, gives her time. We see in EP 5 transition - he called Ikjun. I bet he asked Ikjun about Iksun condition while he is visiting Changwon. I also bet all the places he went eating with Iksun were places Junwan have been in ChangWon or knew for good tastes and health food for her liver. This is my gist - He knew about her condition but he didnt proceed to pursue her and let her recuperate to focus on her health. One of the other things; it can be her disease worsened. 

Chief Surgery Kwon who had his brother operated by Ikjun; I think this reflects his future situation - Iksun is being operated by someone in the hospital.

 

 

For Seokhyung, 

 

His situations reflects some of my friend real struggle. Messy divorce- mistress, alimony, betrayal

I bet his Minha Bear will have a very makjang style. But its a reality or situation that people could face

 

 

 

[ck1Oz]

@larus wow. Have you been watching some makjang?  I am fine with your theories. All plausible Kdrama plots I've seen before however this has not been the writer's style.

 

I've cried in all her dramas before. In fact have cried more for each of her dramas where else I don't even with 90% of the other dramas.

 

I only remembered 1 Reply drama where a mother had cancer. Even with Prison Playlist I don't remember any lingering cancer scenes. 

 

In fact don't remember any lingering crying sad cancer death in HP even amongst the patients.

 

Her creative talent is in crafting emotional scenes. I am sure Jeongwon-GE couple will quarrel at some point. However GE herself have experienced how he has managed to avoid scandals with his female colleagues/juniors all these years; she would trust him to avoid getting into a pickle. 

 

If there is one thing HP has built up on its Jeongwon's saintly behaviour. I am sure the writer will come up with something but since it took all of Season 1 to let them end in the last 30 min of the last episode its going to be in the last 30 min of the last episode here.

 

Dr Son  ( the Doctors Unni ) made me laugh yesterday when they reviewed episode 5. Minha who barged straight in or barreled straight ahead when SK only barely took tiny steps. SK has always displayed a calm demenour at work and that includes his calm laidback expressions. However his eyes widened with awareness 2 times in episode 5. Once at the nurses station when he suspected some personal behaviour from Minha with her coffee requests. Then the 2nd time when even he was surprised when she confessed so boldly- am sure he is not unaware she liked him. I really liked how he took on Songhwa's advice immediately/ coincidentally when Minha called.  He didn't have to think/ analyze how he felt about Minha being already in his personal space. He was someone who protected his personal space very fiercely in Season 1.

 

I feel as if theirs might be a more seamless or rather not obvious jarring ease into the relationship. And Minha might meet the mother even before they become a couple and have a relationship with her before SK even confesses. Either way nothing has been dramatic DRAMATIC in Season 1. 

 

So there is nothing that makes me suspicious that Season 2 will make the writer use such tropes. Lingering cancer death and all. Makjang and Noble Idiocy.

 

Has anyone significant died in 5 of her previous dramas? Only the male lead in Prison Playbook right experienced a trauma? Deaths-3 that I recall in 5 dramas- were used as a catalyst for plot developments. Not as a plot ending.

 

Sorry. I watched episode 5 on a laptop. I have learnt that HP needs to be watched on TV or a laptop. Not a phone otherwise I can't catch the nuances. Hospital playlist is one of the rare dramas- and its usually this writer's work- where I had to repeat episode watch to understand what the writer/PD duo wants to convey.  Like Eun Ji's mother with Jeongwon- I've already watched it 3 times previously- to understand her generous heart. I know some of us understand Korean on this forum. Every time they mentioned the boy- twice in the conversation- the way they used baby angel or baby who went to heaven just killed me listening to it.

 

Sorry. Been using HP to release stress from work. And episode 2 and 5 made me revisit situations at work which I never gave myself time to process through. Because we must all move on. To get on with the job.

 

Anyway... I've done my rewatch for the week. Listened to Doctor Unni- just to get the Korean perspective- so can now wait for episode 6.

[JungRok]

3 hours ago, ck1Oz said:

Season 2 will make the writer use such tropes. Lingering cancer death and all. Makjang and Noble Idiocy.

Its wee bit MakJang. Its Hospital Reality Drama. Everything can happen in a sudden. 

 

Seokhyung story line had some bits of Makjang with her mother's situation.

 

Mistress, messy divorce, betrayal, business takeover 

- it happens in real life.

 

Reply 1988 had that some bits of that too.

 

 

I haven't watched any extreme makjang like Penthouse or Love ft Marriage & Divorce. 

 

 

Plus, I've seen a lot of people commented on Twitter and here; the HosPlay doesnt have any sad/loss experienced by the main characters

 

Idk why

 

We saw a lot of losses; Dad died on Children's Day, people divorced; children allergy, Dad used her daughters as spare part organs, Mistress-Wife clashing, children died over heart surgery, liver cancer, Mother lost her children after days in pregnancy; premature death