1. Hospital Playlist: Life

"Hospital Playlist" is a drama series that aired in 2020 for season 1 and 2021 for season 2. Five doctors who are college classmates are the main characters, and while they are all in different specialties, they maintain their friendship through their band activities. As the main characters are in a band, the drama has many scenes of them practicing and singing. The cast members even released their own OST music, which topped the charts. Many people reacted that the drama’s cover of songs from the late 1990s to early 2000s brought back memories.

Although there are five main characters, each story was unfolded balancedly. The drama covered the stories of various doctors through obstetrics and gynecology, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatrics, hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery, and neurosurgery, and did not leave out the stories of patients. It realistically captured the stories of patients and their families, which resonated with many viewers.

The "Hospital Playlist" series can be defined by the word "life." It delves into the lives of doctors and patients, resonating with many viewers watching the drama. Although it is a medical drama, the stories about life take up a larger proportion than the medical content, making it a work that even people who are not interested in medical dramas can enjoy. However, those who want to focus on medical content or dislike romance elements may not be compatible with this work.

As the drama gained popularity, a spin-off of the "Hospital Playlist" series, "Resident Playbook," was produced and is scheduled to be released in 2024.

You can watch the "Hospital Playlist" series on TVING and Netflix.

2. Dr. Romantic: Belief and Growth

The "Dr. Romantic" series is a medical drama that aired over three seasons from 2016 to 2023. It tells the story of doctors at a rural hospital called "Dol-dam Hospital" who learn about belief and true values from a doctor who calls himself "Kim Sabu." It portrays various inner conflicts that doctors have, such as the process of overcoming trauma for doctors who have experienced it, or the conflict between mission and power as a doctor. The drama also addresses various ethical issues that doctors may face in the field, such as treating an injured criminal, responding to disaster scenes, and discontinuing life support, leading viewers to think about "what values are most important for doctors."

There is a love line between doctors, but it is not that prominent, achieving a good balance with the medical scenes. Although it covers heavy topics, it is not unfolded heavily. The final epilogue of season 3 hinted at a next season, leading fans of the "Dr. Romantic" series to react with anticipation.

You can watch the "Dr. Romantic" series on Wavve, Disney+, and hulu.

3. Live Up to Your Name: Fusion

"Live Up to Your Name" is a medical drama that incorporates fantasy elements. It tells the story of Heo Im, a Joseon-era traditional Korean doctor, and Choi Yeon-gyeong, a modern-day surgeon, who meet in the present day. Heo Im has excellent medical skills, but he is unable to get a high-ranking position due to the class system and is asked by Heo Jun, the best doctor in Joseon, to treat the king. Driven by the desire to get a high-ranking position by getting in the king’s good graces, he fails to show his real skills and is in danger of dying, so he runs away but is shot with an arrow and ends up time-slipping.

The fantasy setting of time-slipping when the protagonist is seriously injured delivers a fun experience that cannot be felt in traditional medical dramas. Scenes that reveal the differences between modern medicine and traditional Korean medicine also act as a differentiating factor of this drama.

You can watch the Korean drama "Live Up to Your Name" on TVING and Netflix.