A Comprehensive Look at Resident Playbook 2025
Dive Into the sleepless world of 'Resident Playbook'
Explore every aspect of ‘Resident Playbook’ in this comprehensive review. Dive into character insights, strengths, and weaknesses. If you haven’t seen the drama yet and are looking for a spoiler-free review, check out the link below.
Spoiler Alert
Please be advised that this review contains significant spoilers about the plot and characters of ‘Resident Playbook’. If you have not yet watched the drama, we recommend viewing it first to avoid any spoilers.
Series Details
General Information
Air Dates: April 12 – May 18, 2025
Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Medical Drama
Starring: Go Youn Jung and Jung Jun Won
The Story
Four first year residents in OBGYN learn the ins and outs of hospital life and the demands of their department. And as they grow and learn, they will develop relationships with their patients, mentors, and each other. Through endless hours of sleepless nights, stressful diagnoses, and difficult decisions, they will count on their fellolw residents in their day to day lives. And each of them will slowly transform into more competent and confident doctors.
'Resident Playbook' is a Look into the chaos and stress of medical training.
Meeting the stars: Go Youn Jung and Jung Jun Won
Go Youn Jung as O I Yeong
O I Yeong enters the residency program after her debt becomes so big that she doesn’t have a choice. She doesn’t really have a passion for the job and she plans to quit as soon as she makes enough money to pay off her bills. But despite her lukewarm feelings about the profession, she finds that she has a natural talent for medicine. And as her bedside manner improves, she finds herself enjoying the job a bit more each day.
She lives with her sister, brother-in-law, and her brother-in-law’s brother, Koo Do Won, who also happens to be the Chief Resident at her hospital. I Yeong has always had a crush on Do Won, so she isn’t disappointed at the idea of seeing him every day at work. But if they are going to avoid rumors, they will need to keep their relationship and living situation a secret. And that gets increasingly difficult as their relationship grows into something deeper.
O I Yeong is cold and distant. She tries to keep both patients and co-workers at arm’s length, and constantly denies that she would consider any of them friends. But her fellow residents overlook her bristly attitude and accept her anyway. And although I Yeong never becomes a warm, affectionate doctor and friend, we do see some growth in her emotional intelligence as the series progresses. Go Youn Jung has had some great roles, and I will admit I found this character a bit flat. But I still enjoyed her journey.
Jung Jun Won as Koo Do Won
Koo Do Won is a fourth year resident who serves as Chief Resident at Yulje Medical Center. He is known for his kindness toward residents and patients and his highly structured and predictable lifestyle. He tries to stay above the competitive games within the department, even when it impacts him personally.
Do Won lives with his brother and sister-in-law, who also happens to be I Yeong’s sister. Because of the sensitive nature of their relationship and living situation, Do Won has avoided becoming involved with I Yeong. Working together every day gives him a chance to explore his own feelings, and he eventually works up the courage to confess how he feels to I Yeong. But making their relationship public is another level.
Koo Do Won is dependable and generous. His calm personality makes him the perfect Chief for the bumbling new residents, who enter the department with plenty to learn. His warmth is the perfect contrast to I Yeong’s practiced indifference. This is my first time seeing Jung Jun Won but I really enjoyed him in this role. He played the level-headed and ever-patient mentor with a nice sincerity.
Supporting characters
Shin Shi Ah as Pyo Nam Gyeong
Pyo Nam Gyeong went to high school with I Yeong and saw them as rivals, although I Yeong claims she was unaware. Nam Gyeong is fashion conscious and spends her free time going on blind dates in the hopes of finding the perfect, wealthy husband.
Kang You Seok as Um Jae Il
Um Jae Il is a former pop idol who debuted with a group before disbanding suddenly, after just one big hit. He is sensitive and kind. He acts as the glue for the residents, constantly suggesting they eat or spend time together. In the beginning of his residency, Jae Il appears clumsy and unskilled, but over time, his attention to his patient’s details and feelings make him a valuable part of their team.
Han Ye Ji as Kim Sa Bi
Kim Sa Bi is incredibly smart and remembers every text book she has ever read. Her colleagues sometimes refer to her as an AI. But she has a difficult time bridging the distance between book knowledge and patient care. Sa Bi originally seeks out the strict but talented Dr. Seo as her mentor. But she soon transfers her adoration to the kind and underrated Dr. Ryu.
3 things i loved about ‘Resident Playbook’
1.
Um Jae Il:
Um Jae Il was such a wonderful character in this drama. I loved that as the only male resident, he was the most warm and empathetic. And it was so nice to see him grow from the first episodes where they didn’t even notice he was gone, to patient’s asking for him personally. Also, his crush on Sa Bi was adorable and I loved them together. (Karaoke dance scene – Need I say more?)
2.
Cameos:
The way they worked the ‘Hospital Playlist’ cameos into this drama was so well done. They were a chance to catch up with our beloved doctors, but their cameos were also part of the overall plot, rather than just a random encounter thrown in. And Jae Il’s meeting with Gyeo Ul was all the proof I needed that Sa Bi was definitely his type!
3.
O Ju Yeong:
Ju Yeong’s story of the IVF journey was well handled. And as much as I wanted a happily ever after for her and Seung Won, I like that they went for a more realistic approach. Not every IVF ends with a new baby. And I loved that Ju Yeong didn’t let that break her. There is life for those who can’t have children.
3 things i didn’t love about ‘Resident Playbook’
1.
Sexual Harassment Story:
I know that there were hints throughout this drama that something had happened to I Yeong in her former job. But I thought it was weird that they waited until the very end to tell us what it was and then just moved on. Other than explaining the new nurse’s loyalty, there wasn’t much point to this story. There didn’t seem to be any lingering trauma or impact on her new life and job at Yulje.
2.
Limited Case Types:
As opposed to ‘Hospital Playlist’ that follows six doctors in six departments, this drama takes place solely in the OBGYN department. And because of this, the cases had a tendency to feel a bit repetitive. There just isn’t as much variation in a single field of medicine.
3.
Too Much I Yeong:
As I’ve said, I didn’t dislike I Yeong’s character and I thought her romance with Do Won was cute. But I would have liked to have seen more about the other residents and their lives outside the hospital. I Yeong’s character just wasn’t interesting enough to carry the whole series, in my opinion.
The Conclusion of 'Resident Playbook'
The Ending
As is often the case with these kinds of slice-of-life dramas, ‘Resident Playbook’ doesn’t end with a grand happy ending. But all four of our tired but much improved residents have made it through their first year. And although I Yeong had dreams of quitting and collecting her lottery winnings, that doesn’t quite pan out. Also, good news for our soon-to-be R2’s; they did manage to recruit a single intern, Tak Gi, to their department for next year. They also gained the beautiful and talented Dr. Chu from the original series.
As for romance, Jae Il tells Sa Bi that he likes her, but she insists that they stay friends until they have known each other a year. Jae Il is undeterred by this information, but I suspect he will be trying to change her mind. And in a surprise attack, our newest R1 makes his move on Nam Gyeong. And I don’t think she hated it. I’m definitely seeing future sparks there. As for our leads, Do Won gives a clumsy but endearing confession to I Yeong, with flowers and couple rings. And Do Won has started a wedding fund at the hospital bank. The final scene shows all four new R2s showing up for a new year.
My Personal Thoughts and Ratings
‘Resident Playbook’ is the spin-off to the popular medical series ‘Hospital Playlist’. It is a slice of life drama that revolves around hospital life. Like the original, the drama is well written and focuses on character development. There are some great cameos to catch us up with our favorite doctors from ‘Hospital Playlist’.
If you aren’t familiar with these writers, you should know that they tend to write some very long episodes, with the longest running an hour and 40 minutes. Also, even for a medical drama, I felt like this one had a lot of blood as well as some sensitive stories about loss, grief, and infertility. But if you find medical shows intreresting, this one is solid. I give ‘Resident Playbook’ a 9 out of 10.
🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜
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