Doctor Slump ~ If Life Doesn’t Go Your Way, That’s a Slump

“Doctor Slump” was released in 2024, has 16 episodes, is categorized as Romance, Comedy, Medical Drama, Crime, and Mystery, is based on the webtoon of the same name, and is streaming on Netflix.

♦ You Know What To Do When Life Hands You Lemons

“Doctor Slump” explains what it means to be in a slump. When things in life just don’t go your way and it’s as if someone intentionally set out to ruin your life. When you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom. That’s a slump.

This K-drama series is about two doctors who are in a slump.  Believe it or not “slump” is a medical term. You can even take a “slump test” to see how bad it is. Not only can it be diagnosed but it’s treatable. (Kingsley Voice | How to get out of a mental slump) In everyday vernacular, it’s when people tell you: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

Doctors Nam Ha-Neul and Yeo Jeong-Woo are both in a slump but for two (2) entirely different reasons. But first, let’s go back to when they first met each other.

Nam Ha-Neul is from Busan. She convinced her family to move to Seoul because she wanted to attend high school in Seoul. She thought the move would give her a better chance of being admitted into a prestigious medical university. At the high school in Seoul, there was another student, Yeo Jeong-Woo, and he was the top student.

However, Nam Ha-Neul was determined to be the top student. Throughout their high school, they constantly competed. In the end, it was Yeo Jeong-Woo who was admitted to the university. Nam Ha-Neul did attend a medical school but it was not the one she had hoped to attend.

Time passed and Yeo Jeong-Woo became a successful and popular plastic surgeon. Meanwhile, Nam Ha-Neul was an anesthesiologist at a hospital and her boss was an absolute jerk! He constantly took credit for all of her hard work and rather than reward her, he mistreated and insulted her regularly. Why did Nam Ha-Neul submit to that kind of abuse?

To use Nam Ha-Neul’s words: ‘She’s the type of person who would save her favorite food to eat last.’ That meant that she was always “saving up” to be happy. She told herself to endure the bad times now because one day, everything would be great! However, she started feeling poorly and went to see a doctor.

The doctor told her she was suffering from depression and the illness of her mind was manifesting in physical ways. For example, her chest felt tight and she was in pain. One day at work she decided she had taken enough abuse from her boss and QUIT!!

Before that happened, Yeo Jeong-Woo experienced a crisis. One of his patients died on the operating table and he was accused of medical negligence. He knew it was not true and believed he would prove his innocence. But in the interim, there were bills to pay. He sold his home, stock, and other possessions.

It turned out that Nam Ha-Neul’s family owned a building and wanted to rent out the rooftop apartment. Yeo Jeong-Woo signed the lease. He was standing on the rooftop when Nam Ha-Neul showed up and asked him why was he there. When they saw each other’s faces, they were both surprised. It had been 10 years but they still recognized each other.

At first, the memories of them constantly competing in high school came back and they started out comparing each other’s accomplishments again. However slowly but surely, their present realities came to the forefront.

Yeo Jeong-Woo realized that Nam Ha-Neul was suffering from depression. Nam Ha-Neul believed that Yeo Jeong-Woo had been falsely accused. She knew him well enough to know that he was not the type of person to intentionally do something bad and then blatantly lie about it.

They began supporting each other through their “slump” and gradually fell in love.

Main Characters:

• Yeo Jeong-Woo (played by Park Hyung-Sik, “Our Blooming Youth”, “Strong Girl Bong-Soon”)
• Nam Ha-Neul (played by Park Shin-Hye, “Sisyphus: The Myth”, “The Royal Tailor”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

IMDb: 8 out of 10 stars

My Drama List: 9 out of 10 stars

Dramabeans: 10 out of 10 stars

Kyahaha: 7.5 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as My Drama List: 9 out of 10 stars.

Both actors ~ Park Shin-hye and Park Hyung-Sik ~ starred in “The Heirs” (2013), ten years ago. This K-drama series shows up on almost every Top Listing of best K-dramas of all time and is available to watch FREE on most popular streaming platforms. It was good to see them together again, playing a couple, and they haven’t changed much.

• Park Hyung-Sik’s filmography dates back to 2012, he has won several awards and completed his 2-year mandatory military service in 2021. He has been staying busy and you can find him in various Korean dramas streaming on Disney Plus, Viki, and Netflix.
• Park Shin-hye has also won several awards and she has been acting since 2003, when she was in her early teens. Her role in “Doctor Slump” marks her return to acting after three years. Her character in this Korean drama series, Nam Ha-Neul, made a similar choice that Park Shin-hye made in real life. They both chose a “life priority” over their careers.

Nam Ha-Neul’s life priority was her health and she quit her job to stop her health from deteriorating. In real life, Park Shin-hye took time off to have a child. She indicated that she was happy to play the role of Nam Ha-Neul because she felt like her character was relatable.

My rating of “Doctor Slump” is based on the onscreen chemistry between the two main characters. Their personalities emanated positivity. They may have been competitive in high school but it wasn’t cutthroat. It was healthy competition, and there was never malicious envy or jealousy between them. So when events in their lives had put them both into a “slump”, they didn’t allow themselves to stay down.

Yeo Jeong-Woo and Nam Ha-Neul came back into each other’s lives at just the right time. When they reunited they were older, wiser, and more willing to support each other, instead of engaging in childish competition. That’s what made “Doctor Slump” so relatable.

I know Dr. Slump is a #Kdrama #romcom, but there is a lot of "not-so-funny" stuff going on. Gangsters, murder, fraudulent drug approvals, stock price manipulation, and CHEATERS taking credit for other people's hard work! Just like in the real world.

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) March 3, 2024

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• Doctor Slump early review: Binge or pass Park Hyung Sik’s new Netflix rom-com | Web Series | Hindustan Times
• ‘Doctor Slump’ K-drama 2024 with Park Shin-hye and Park Hyung-sik Overview | Oxfea
• High school rivalry and present-day healing in Doctor Slump | Dramabeans
• 11+ New K-Dramas To Add To Your Watch List In January 2024 | Soompi

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Netflix K-Content. “Doctor Slump | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB].” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 10, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGyWHLCf4NQ.‌