Doctor Cha (2023)

Lost Potential

When I saw the genres Romance and Medical together, I was all-in. The drama started out fairly strong. The idea of a married woman (FL) being treated like a slave by her husband (ML), children and mother-in-law was a little hard to swallow, but I knew eventually she would fight back. When I found out her husband had a second family and cheated on her for 17 years, I felt certain he would pay the price. So, we waited, and we waited. Eventually she did fight back, and I tried to feel better, but the creepy husband was still around trying to keep his wife a slave.

Finally, the handsome doctor that treated her liver arrives on the scene and you would think. Here comes the romance. So, we waited, and we waited. But alas, no romance. I probably could have overlooked the awkward attempt at romance if there was any. Two women, two men all interacting with each other, you would expect something to happen. But the story takes a couple bizarre turns and fizzles out into the middle of nowhere. It took 15 and a half episodes for the FL lead to say she never really saw herself with the liver doctor. You could have fooled me. After 15 episodes of the ML being a monster (even if it was an attempt at comedy), the story, as predicted, tried to redeem him. It didn’t work.

Have you ever watched a drama and the last two or three episodes just don’t make any sense? Well sadly Doctor Cha is one of those dramas. The only sliver of romance was between Doctor Cha’s son and his female boss. There was no romance between the leads, and the terrible ending ruined the entire potential of the story.

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Started off well, but didn't end well.

First off, I was so excited about starting the show since the plot was so appealing. A woman that was stuck in a dungeon being treated like garbage by her own family for decades ends up wanting to fulfill her teenage dream of becoming a doctor. The plot was fresh and was starting off so well. It was good... until it wasn't.

The issue with trying such plots is that a good screenwriter has to do it. Everything depends on how the screenwriter will think. It's up to the screenwriter to either make this plot an amazing life lesson, or screw this plot up and turn it into a soap opera. If I wanted to watch a makjang, I would have just found one on KBS and watched it.

The issue with "Doctor Cha" is that its initial aim wasn't to be a makjang, but a medical romcom. I don't see the romance, I don't see the comedy.

I really feel like they forced the comedy into this drama. Some scenes that clearly weren't supposed to be funny in the drama had a comical bgm, as if those matters weren't serious and were to be taken lightly. We're talking about real life issues, I believe that the life Jeongsuk used to live is something a lot of Korean women and women in general live.
Not being considered as a human being, having to abandon your own career to look after domestic chores, being trampled on, being cheated on, your husband having a love child, this is too much for me to consider this drama a comedy.

Now let's talk about the "romance", where is it???? Oh tell me where is it??? WHERE IS THE LOVE??? (this is from a song called "where is the love", please don't think i've gone crazy ^^')
Now more seriously, except Jungmin and Sora, where is the romance? And please don't tell me that Seunghi and Inho was romance. To be frank, I didn't expect Jeongsuk and Roy Kimberley to be endgame. Even tho it clearly shows that they like each others, they just can't be together. Anyways, with how the drama turned into a makjang, I didn't expect any romance so for me this drama is everything but a romcom!

Now, another thing I'm pissed off about. WHY DID ROY GIVE HIS BONE MARROW TO THAT OLD MAN??? I just can't buy the "I didn't do it as a son, but I did it as doctor line". Maybe that's just the way I am, but if someone that abandoned me when I was a baby shows up 40 years after just to ask me for my bone marrow WHILE SLANDERING A DECEASED PERSON, I would have thrown a huge fit.

Anyways I'm just utterly disappointed with how the drama was written. Many unecessary scenes were added like Roy giving his bone marrow, Jeongsuk being sick for the second time, the "which liver am I going to choose?" part, and... THE DIVORCE THAT WAS DRAGGED FOR TOO LONG!!! I think what would have been a better option is to focus on her life as a resident in the hospital, not in her love-life. I really wanted to see more scenes with patients. I loved her human and kind way to deal with patients, like that chairman or that pregnant woman for instance. It would have been amazing to see her growth, her worries, her happy moments with colleagues, but that love triangle and divorce took the spotlight and it's such a pity.

To finish this (long) review off, I'm just glad that Jeongsuk is at peace now at least. She doesn't seem to hold a grudge against the people that hurt her, to the point that she's cool with her ex-mother in law and ex-husband and meets them often. She just wants to stay far away from drama and conflict, so she's in good terms with everyone. We might all have a different approach in life, some might resent people forever, some might take revenge, some might stay in that toxic place, and some might just be free from all of it and be at peace with everyone including the ones that made them suffer. Jeongsuk belongs to the last category, that's just the way she is.

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Medical dramedy done right

I don't watch dramas when they're airing. The wait for the next episode is too much. But Dr. Cha makes it easier to bear, worth the wait infact. With her kind words and smiles and overall adorableness.
Contrasting her is her husband Seo In Ho who clearly does not deserve her. Competing with him (nearly) is Roy Kim who is literally The Standard (TM). There is the other woman in Sung Hee. The kids, Jung Min, I Rang, Eun Seo and the grandmothers form the main cast around whom the story revolves.
Dr. Cha has everything going for it- good music, cast, performances, plot and emotions. The themes around which it revolves are extremely well done- starting over, self discovery, midlife crisis, a tiny bit of medicine, affair and its problems that are not just jealousy, etc. The characterisation is wonderful as well. However, the screenplay is bizzare in a few segments and some directional faults are obvious.
Right from around 4th or 5th ep, there was a feeling that the show wouldn't end like I want it to; one which is solidifying as more episodes unfold. But Dr. Cha can also dole out good surprises so for now, I'll keep my hopes on that.

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Devastated by cheating

"My husband? Oh he's dead,” replied doctor Cha, when his superiors asked about the whereabouts of her husband. A spontaneous answer that made doctor Seo, doctor Cha's husband, spit out the contents of his mouth.

It's an epic scene. The way of revenge that might be greeted by cheers from the audience with the words "feel you!" Because he was carried away by what doctor Cha experienced, after 20 years of "serving" his family, eh was even considered a "wingking sidekick".

Derived from the Javanese language, "Konco wingking" can be interpreted as a wife whose job is only to be behind. It is needed, because it is always ready to make sacrifices, otherwise the husband is reluctant to sacrifice for him.

And it's so tiring! No wonder, in his anger, doctor Cha Jeong-Suk (Uhm Jung-Hwa) said to her husband:

Yes, I deliberately did not think about your position

I want to put myself first from now on

I just enjoyed another life outside the house

I can't stop now

This is my last chance

Anger that really relates to the condition of the majority of women who decide to leave their careers in order to be able to fully care for their families.

Sacrifice annoyingly answered by Seo In-Ho , Cha Jeong-Suk's husband played by Kim Byung-Chul:

"You don't play a role in owning family assets, do you?"

(( Huh I want to punch Seo In-Ho ?? ))

Smart dialogue, a continuous storyline and qualified acting from senior actresses/actors as the main characters, are the reasons audiences love the Korean drama "Doctor Cha", so they managed to get a rating in the final episode of 18.546% (nationwide) and 19.383% (Seoul)

It's strange that the mydramalist reviewers only gave a rating of 8.1 (average number) because some gave a rating of 1.5 and even 1.0 for this drama. The majority of reviewers regretted that Doctor Cha finally chose to live alone. He refused the love of doctor Roy Kim who was dashing and too handsome.

The protest of the audience who were disappointed with the happy ending of the Korean drama "Doctor Cha", was answered by director Kim Dae-Jin that the ending was in accordance with the wishes of writernim Jung Yeo-Rang.

Honestly, I agree with the ending. Happy ending doesn't always mean that the main female character has to be with the main male character. Marriage is not as easy as turning the hand.

Especially the case of marriage like doctor Cha. After 20 years of sacrifice, they are considered "nothing" and cheated on.

Everyone has the right to be happy, and everyone has a different path to happiness.

That is what must be understood, so as not to go with the flow: "When are you getting married?" "When are you having children?" etc.

Further reviews can be read here:
https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2023/06/doctor-cha-mashed-because-selingkuh.html

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I think these reviews are kind of unfair...

With just a quick glance at the reviews, I feel like this drama is getting unfairly trashed because people were unhappy about the ending. But honestly, I loved this drama and thought it was different from your typical Korean drama. It was so entertaining and funny. I thought Seo In Ho was perfectly cast. I absolutely hated him and he was so detestable but I also felt bad for him as well. And he perfectly played the dramatic comedic part well too. It was also obviously great to see Dr. Cha's journey through two near death experiences and just finally being able to live the life that she wants, doing the thing she loves the most, being a doctor.

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING (SPOILERS AHEAD):
Unpopular opinion but I actually didn't really have a problem with the ending. Maybe because I saw the spoiler on Tiktok beforehand so I was prepared, but I didn't mind that Dr. Cha didn't end up with Roy in the end. It wouldn't make sense and I honestly think it would've been MORE insulting for Dr. Cha to end up with Roy. It wouldn't make sense that our FL went through this entire journey just to be thrown into another relationship in the end. At the beginning, we knew Cha Jeong Suk was so self-sacrificing and only lived to help her family. So, it makes sense that after she finally got divorced, she would spend her time on her own, doing what she loves and not having to live for anyone else but herself. And yeah I guess they did "tease" the relationship, but in my eyes, we only saw Roy's feelings for Dr. Cha but not so much the other way around.

Another possible unpopular opinion, but I actually felt bad for Seo In ho in the end, the scene where he finally became hospital director but had none of his family there to support him really hit for me. He could've had the best and most supportive family if he had just stayed faithful and wasn't such an asshole. But alas, he did do all those things. It was nice to see that he accepted the consequences of his actions and continued to just have an amicable relationship with Dr. Cha as just Jung-Min and I-rang's parents.

But yeah, that's just my humble opinion of this drama. And now it's time for me to sleep because as always, I stay up too long to finish the drama (haha). Bye for now!

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Engineering fate.

It’s a bittersweet ending. If only, the husband had understood that the wife was his inyeon, and not a mistake.

On the surface, this show is about a woman (Cha Jung Sook) having a second chance at life after surviving liver failure and a cheating husband.

It is, also, more subtly a social commentary about one's level of maturity and philosophies of life.

(1) A person can be childish regardless of their high educational level and social economic status. Both Seo In Ho (the cheating husband) and Choi Sung Hee (the mistress) are respected professors of medicine and from a family line of doctors. They also own properties and hospitals. Yet, both of them (and Seo’s mother) are often seen behaving childishly and in a frivolous manner. Seo is literally a joke throughout the show – all comic relief comes from him. Cha and her mother, on the other hand, are from a lower economic status, and have had a tough life. Their reactions to adverse situations are often calm, collected and almost dignified.

(2) The clash between Western and Eastern philosophies of life: masters of one’s own destiny versus inyeon in Korean or yuanfen and mingyun in Mandarin which can be loosely translated as fate or providence. Seo, Choi and Roy Kimberley (Cha’s liver surgeon) are all Christians and educated in US. They embody a Western view of life – that one can and should seize the day and create one’s own destiny. Cha, on the other hand, isn’t religious but practices Confucius teachings. Here, the philosophy is that there are no good or bad situations, because these situations do not occur in isolation, instead they are part of a series of situations in past, present and future lives. For example, a good situation now may be followed by a bad situation now and then by another good situation in a future life. Therefore, instead of good and bad, its ebbs and flows in the universe that fulfils various needs and gives valuable lessons. The encounters between two people are part of this ebb and flow and are fated. For example, Cha and Kimberly are fated to meet because Cha needed expertise, and Kimberley needed a stoic friend. That is not to say one cannot go against fate. For example, a relationship may be fated to end, but the people involved can hold on, e.g., Seo and Choi. However, this engineered fate disrupts the natural ebbs and flows and create new pathways that are harder to bear – kinda like a dam that can no longer hold. Being masters of one’s own destiny can result in engineered fate.

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Decent Show with Good Acting

No Spoilers, just some pros and cons.

Pros
===
The acting was very good. I would call out Kim Kyung-Chul for his portrayal of Sea In-Ho, the jerk husband. Of course we don’t like his character, but he did a truly superb job of navigating jerkiness and having regret. I would also call out Jo Adam for her role as Jeon So-Ra. It looks like she does not have a lot of acting experience, but the way she portrayed a cranky, domineering personality was quite subtle and skillful.

I liked the storyline and the message they were trying to communicate.

Everything that happened in the story was believable, even if unlikely.

Cons
===
Somehow the series did not draw my wife and I in as much as our favorite KDramas. Despite some touching scenes, we were not too emotionally invested in the characters.

The ending was O.K., and I think sent a nice message, but again we were sort of just, “Oh, it’s over. What will we watch next?” Rather than feeling like we would miss the story and characters. The story just sputtered to a halt. There a number of things they could have done to tie everything up to a greater extent.

So overall, not bad, but not great. So a 7 ranking.

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Doctor Cha is free!

Doctor Cha (2023)

Likes
1. Loved Doctor Cha! She seemed like an amazing mom, daughter in law, daughter, and doctor. I love the ending where she finally had the freedom to be herself and do what she wants.
2. Seo Inho was a deplorable character and i'm amazed how Kim Byung Chul and the writer was able to somehow redeem his character in the end. That scene where he sat on his new desk after being promoted and fully realizing that he lost his perfect family was a beautiful scene. And i love all of his funny scenes!
3. I didnt like Sunghee at all, i think if she had a great friend like Mihee or the support of her family she wouldn't have all these things. I also feel bad for Eunseo but her mom's bitterness affected her life too.
4. I love Roy Kim!! A part of me wants Jeongsuk to like him back but she never seemed to think of him as more than a friend and doctor. JS was right to reject him as he can find someone better but i wish she could have just rejected him directly and not the way she did.

Dislikes
1. The story would prolly have been tighter at 12 eps. It took Doctor Cha too long to find out the truth and she kept going back and forth if she will divorce or not.
2. I also didnt like Jungmin and Sora realtionship.
3. I was hoping for a better ending for Irang and Eunseo.

Rating: 8.5/10

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If you like a tidy but boring ending--this show might be for you.

That being said, the actor who plays In-ho did a fantastic job at keeping his character entertaining and tolerable. He was highly amusing--and I would have loved to see more of that.

I would have preferred a humourous take on a knock down, drag out divorce rather than the unrealistic dullness of this moralizing show. It a bit predictable (we all knew they wouldn't show a divorcee leaving her kids to live happily with a younger man).

At the same time, while they shoehorned a lot of "life lessons" about family and being a good person in there--there were some bizarre missed opportunities for obvious conversations that should have been had. She should have sat down with her kids/her son's gf and talked about birth control and family planning and how it derailed her career. Like, have *that* uncomfortable heart to heart.

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It's never too late!

This drama is really good, the actors did an outstanding job on portraying their characters. Overall, the message of the drama was really inspiring: not letting your age determine the timeline. Although, it was really upsetting to see Jeong-suk waste 20 years of her life to a mediocre man and his stupid, immature, and pathetic mother. So obviously, I’ve been annoyed with those two. I feel a little bit for Seung-hi but she’s honestly an idiot for being so hung over a mediocre man.

I get that she was upset about In-ho ending up with Jeong-suk but I just don’t understand the blame on Jeong-suk. In-ho was the one who got her pregnant. I know that times were different back then, but anyone would’ve gotten an abortion (I know that’s easy said than done).

I just have so many issues with In-ho and his mom. I don’t feel bad that his mom got scammed and called a homewrecker. Also, it took THIS long for In-ho to realize that he basically fucked up. I can’t believe the amount of confidence he had when he insisted to not get a divorce— why would anyone stay with him? It just baffled me. I guess at least he gave his liver to Jeong-suk and proceeded with the divorce, but these are things he should’ve done a long time ago.

The siblings eventually started to appreciate their mother and become more independent which was great. But, the whole half-sister fiasco felt unnecessary. Yeah, it was cool that Eun-seo pretty much exposed the truth but it was strange to fight I-rang about who deserves a father and who doesn’t. Good thing that they made up.

It would be nice if Jeong-suk got together with Roy, but I agree with the sentiment as to why they didn’t end up together. Honestly, Roy just has mommy issues hence why he seeks validation for an older woman. The episode about him meeting his biological family made me really sad. Really good drama at the end, even though I think Jeong-suk's suffering is excessive.

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Amazing until you get to the end...

I have been let down so severely by what was a fantastic drama. Let's highlight the reasons why this drama is a 9 first.

The story is about a dedicated wife-mother-daughter-daughter-in-law who is encouraged to find more meaning to her existence beyond living for her family by once again working as a doctor. When she discovers that she needs a liver transplant, her husband of 20 years, further discouraged by his mother, is unwilling to save her life by giving her a part of his liver. Luckily she finds a donor just in time and becomes determined to live her life for herself for once.

Through the plot is quite serious, especially considering the fact that the wife is unaware that her husband is in fact cheating on her, the show managed to evoke a lot of laughter. The comedy is fantastic and I am never getting over the line, "My husband is dead".

The cast are incredible. You completely empathise with Doctor Cha and are made to root for her through each of her troubles. She has a good head on her shoulders. Her husband Doctor Seo is as pathetic as a cheating man could possibly be and the actor has not only managed to get you mad at him but is also much of the butt of the jokes in the show. His expressions add to the hilarity. Doctor Roy Kim is Doctor Cha's friend in need. He supports her exactly when she needs it. He cares for her and was the ray of light she needed during her dark times. Without him, her husband would never have realised what he was discarding. Doctor Roy is also the complete opposite of what the husband is. An upright man and a gentleman. The mistress and her daughter added the much needed drama for a proper cheating scandal and the entanglement that required Doctor Cha to wake up from what she thought was a perfect life. Doctor Cha's children had their own stories going and even though the daughter was annoying at first, both her kids were sympathetic to their mother's situation which also added to her courage.

Now coming to the let down.
Throughout the show, they teased a possibility of Doctor Cha leaving her cheating husband and moving on with Doctor Roy. If the writers wanted to show her happy on her own, this angle for this character was not at all needed. He could have just been a friend from the beginning. Yes, it's true that she never showed interest in Doctor Roy because she was still in love with her husband and reeling from the shock of his affair. Yet the writers continued to tease this love triangle that never would be. It feels like the writers are telling the audience that it is not appropriate for a woman in her 40s who is divorced with two kids and health issues to have a chance at real love. She should continue her life in service of others but this time as a doctor. At least that is what much of the audience has taken away from this decision where people are writing - "yes, she had too much BAGGAGE". Only men are allowed "baggage" even today and be considered worthy of a second, third, xth chance at love. Not women. And despite being a cheater and an incompetent partner in general, the husband gets to stay friends with his wife and his ex. It was unclear if he got back with his ex. Furthermore, they practically removed traces of Doctor Roy from her life. Thus my disappointment is in what the writers inadvertently ended up pushing.

For the finale alone, I wanted to give this show an 8.5 (it was also quite dull compared to the rest of the episodes) which otherwise was a 10 but I have decided to leave it at a 9 because at least the writers didn't force her to forgive her husband and allowed her to get divorced and live for herself for a change. Coz that would have been the absolute worst.

I wanted to remember this show fondly. It's sad this finale won't let me do that.

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