High school rivalry and present-day healing in Doctor Slump

by solstices

JTBC’s upcoming rom-com Doctor Slump has released its first teaser, full of heart-fluttering cuteness and tinged with the fond nostalgia of youth. Despite only being twenty seconds long, it’s plenty amusing already, giving me hope that the drama will deliver a thoughtful tale of healing with a dash of humor on the side.

The teaser begins with a flashback to our leads’ high school days, amidst cherry blossom petals drifting in the spring breeze. Park Hyung-shik (Our Blooming Youth) crouches down to extend a hand to Park Shin-hye (Sisyphus), kindly offering to help her up from a fall. She takes his hand, gazing into his eyes as romantic music swells — and then she yanks him forward so she can use him as a springboard to jump over and take off running. HAHAHA.

He’s Yeo Jung-woo, she’s Nam Ha-neul, and they’re about to become each other’s worst rivals. Stuck in the same class, both of them are petty and prideful, and they’re determined to one-up each other in just about everything. If Ha-neul eats a supplement stick, then Jung-woo’s pouring two into his mouth in a wide-eyed frenzy, earning himself an appalled side-eye from her. Hee, this is totally the start to an enemies-to-lovers scenario, isn’t it?

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Jung-woo has always been the top of his class and the star of his field, and now that he’s all grown up, he’s achieved excellence as a famed plastic surgeon. Faced with a million-dollar lawsuit following a doubtful medical accident, however, Jung-woo soon finds himself crashing down to rock bottom. Unable to cope with his unforgiving fall from grace, Jung-woo spirals into a slump.

Ha-neul isn’t faring any better, given that she’s run herself into the ground trying to build up her career. Now a disillusioned anesthesiologist, Ha-neul’s realized that she doesn’t have much going for her outside of work. Without any hobbies or interests, her days have grown dreary and dull.

Having lost their way, our leads are stumbling aimlessly through life when they coincidentally run into each other again. All their embarrassing memories from a decade ago come flooding back, leading them both to wail in horror. Contrary to their expectations, though, their reunion signals the start of a journey towards healing and comfort.

Rounding out our supporting cast is Yoon Park (Delightfully Deceitful) as Bin Dae-young, who nurses both jealousy and empathy towards his fellow surgeon Jung-woo. On Ha-neul’s side, we have Gong Sung-ha (Daily Dose of Sunshine) as her best friend and fellow anesthesiologist Lee Hong-ran. Though we don’t see them in the teaser, it seems like Dae-young and Hong-ran will be developing their own loveline, so perhaps we’ll be treated to a double dose of sweetness.

Directed by PD Oh Hyun-jong (The One and Only) and written by Baek Sun-woo (My Roommate Is a Gumiho), Doctor Slump will premiere on January 27.