K-Drama: From Teenage Rivalry to Healing of Hearts

Doctor Slump | 닥터슬럼프 (2024)

Netflix | Doctor Slump

Transferring from Busan to Seoul, high-school student Nam Ha-neul (Park Shin-hye) is tough, strong-headed and the only priority she has is keeping up with her good grades. So much so that she ensures whatever she does will mean saving time to fit in more studying. This goes as far as eating instant coffee granules to prevent her from drinking liquids and taking a bathroom break 🧠

Netflix | Doctor Slump

Ha-neul’s studiousness starts to spark fellow classmate’s Yeo Jeong-woo’s (Park Hyung-sik) competitiveness. He’s the class’s top-ranked student and unlike Ha-neul’s strict study regime, Jeong-woo is that student that doesn’t study much, yet will always score 100% in tests. This all changes when he faints over the fact that he just scored 2nd in the mock exam! The one and only person that could've beat him was Ha-neul. A rivalry starts and competition gets heated between Ha-neul and Jeong-woo as they battle it out to be the class’s number #1 student. 

Netflix | Doctor Slump

Fast forward past their high school and university days, where although both are doctors, they live very different lives. Ha-neul’s clearly struggling; on top of overworking, she’s got a narcissistic superior that constantly puts the blame on her. Contrastingly, Jeong-woo works at a famous plastic surgeon clinic and has made a name for himself nationally. But it isn’t too soon when their worlds come crashing down at the same time. 

Netflix | Doctor Slump

When Ha-neul’s entire life was all studying, her life now is simply not what she had dreamt of. She gets diagnosed with depression leading her to finally quit her job. Jeong-woo’s patient passes away on the table due to excessive bleeding and prosecution finds evidence pointing him towards medical negligence. This not only leaves Jeong-woo with a 10 billion dollar lawsuit, but is left with no friends, and a destroyed reputation. Unable to afford his current lifestyle anymore, he moves into a house up on the rooftop… and it just so happens to be Ha-neul’s family home! They suddenly bump into each other and very quickly look past their high school rivalry. I guess their shared hardship makes it really easy to become friends and heal from their ‘slump’ together.

Netflix | Doctor Slump

This K-drama’s romantic comedy genre is what makes it SO GOOD! Although there are talks about mental health, this K-drama keeps it pretty light-hearted, especially with Hyun-sik’s slapstick comedy 🤣 At this point, we’re only halfway through the entirety, so I’m excited to see how the ‘classmate rivals to friends, then lovers' storyline develops. Fall in love with Shin-hye and Hyung-sik’s chemistry with the trailer here or start watching the first episode here.