4 reasons why Hospital Playlist is the best slice of life drama
Hospital Playlist may have ended in 2021 after completing two seasons, but it remains one of the most rewatchable, feel-good, and enjoyable K-dramas to date.
Directed by Shin Won-ho, the director of well-appreciated shows such as the Reply series and Prison Playbook, the Korean drama series revolves around the lives of five doctors who work at the same hospital and play music together during their free time.
Starring Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung, and Jeon Mi-do in lead roles, the 2020-21 show turned three on March 12, 2023. Fans recalled their experiences watching the show on Twitter, with many saying that they missed watching it and were surprised that it had already been three years.
Musical moments, heartwarming friendships, and more reasons why Hospital Playlist deserves a spot on your K-drama watchlist
1) An unbeatable cast with great chemistry
Only on Hospital Playlist can a musical theater actress (Jeon Mi-do) play a character (Dr. Chae Song-hwa) who is shown to be a bad singer to the extent that her friends allow her to sing only on her birthday.
From canceling weekend plans to having frequent band meet-ups, the five friends created a lasting bond not only with each other, but with the audience as well, making them one of K-drama's most popular friend groups.
The cast seemed like close friends off-screen, and this is reflected in the chemistry that comes through on-screen. Even the supporting cast is brilliant, and will have audiences rooting for their success as residents, nurses, and so on.
2) The incredible covers by the cast being the perfect OST
The distinguishing factors of the show were the songs covered by the cast members as they navigated the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives. While most of the cast are amazing vocalists, with some even being trained singers, they managed to bring a certain rawness to the music, which neatly ties up the episodes.
Hospital Playlist manages to make song covers the focus of the show, with the tracks suited to the mood and overall tone of the episode. Retro songs like Aloha made it to the band practices of the five friends, as did classics like Bon Jovi's It's My Life, showcasing the true versatility of the topics as well as emotions covered in the show.
3) It is the perfect dose of reality mixed in with fiction
One of the best parts of Hospital Playlist was the fact that it did not try and gloss over the nitty-gritties of life as it took place in a hospital. When an organ opens up for a donation that is perfect for a patient who has been waiting a long while, it is an extremely happy occasion for the family of that patient.
However, the same situation becomes sad when one thinks of the pain that the family of the organ donor must be going through, having made the difficult decision to pull the plug on their loved one.
Such highs and lows of patients and doctors' lives are explored in the show parallelly, with both sides of the coin given equal importance in the plot. Despite there being some surprising storylines in the two seasons, Hospital Playlist manages to balance the hilarious and grievous without taking away from each other.
4) Endless mountains of tteokbokki, coffee, and other food
If there was a supporting actor on Hospital Playlist that deserved more attention, it was the delicious-looking food, which served as a love language for different groups of people within the series. From huge orders of tteokbokki savored during lunch times to sharing a noisy samgyeopsal dinner during a quiet evening, this is a show where food is front and center a lot of the time.
K-drama fans often talk about wanting to try different foods on shows, and Hospital Playlist definitely feeds into this desire as well. In fact, the director has mentioned how the food and meal scenes were essential to the series, and it is easy to see why.
From a father bonding with his son over fast-food to two old friends sharing meals with each other often, the connection between the characters and different types of food is palpable.
While Hospital Playlist is certainly not faultless, it is one of those shows that seems like comfort and relaxation after one has had a tiring day. It is easy to focus on the troubles of the characters on the show and let life pass one by, just for the run-time of one episode, making it a perfect slice-of-life K-drama to binge.
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Upasya Bhowal