Welcome to Kdrama and Ramen

Cha Young Min is a  talented but arrogant surgeon who is involved in a serious car accident that leaves him a “coma ghost”.  Now, he is stuck inside the hospital walls where the only ones who can actually see him are other ghosts and Ko Seung Tak, a book-smart resident with questionable surgical skills, who also happens to be the hospital chairman’s grandson.  But Young Min’s  ability to “possess” and use Seung Tak’s body may give him a chance to complete some of the unfinished business he left behind before it’s too late, while helping Seung Tak gain the respect of his grandfather and colleagues.  With Young Min’s skills and Seung Tak’s body, the pair will try to become a medical dream team.

Kim Bum as Ko Seung Tak 

Ko Seung Tak is a new resident, who is better known at the hospital as the grandson of the chairman.  While he is great at textbook medicine, he lacks the ability to carry out even the most basic medical practices.  He is the only person who can see Young Min after he becomes a ghost.  He agrees to let Young Min use his body to perform some important surgeries.  But when it comes to the surgery that could save Young Min’s life, he will have to improve his skills and overcome his fears.  

Ko Seung Tak almost drown in the accident that killed his father when he was just a young boy.  Since that time, he has been able to see ghosts.  His fear of operating on patients stems from the fact that he can see their ghosts begging him to save them.  His bright, easy-going personality is his way of hiding his fears.  It was so fun to see Kim Bum as the clumsy, ackward resident.  He was charming and sweet and I loved his interactions with Young Min.

Son Na Eun as Oh Soo Jung

Oh Soo Jung is a classmate of Seung Tak.  Her grandfather was a famous surgeon who worked at their hospital before his death.  But his life motivated her to pursue medicine, and little does she know her grandfather is still there watching over her as a ghost.  Oh Soo Jung and Seung Tak both have feelings for each other, but they are both too shy to confess them.  

♥ Death Scene

Chairman Jang’s death scene was so well-done in this drama.  I loved the blending of him playing games with Tess and laughing with the drama and emotion of Se Jin as she watched him slip away.  It was a beautiful tribute to his humanness and the inevitability of death.  His character was interesting throughout the drama, even if I couldn’t understand his need to protect his jerk of a son, and his ending was touching and bittersweet.  

 ♥ Bromance

It’s impossible to talk about this drama without mentioning the amazing chemistry between Young Min and Seung Tak.  This duo had such a great bromance.  Having both lived through the reality of ghosts, they had an ability to understand each other that no one else could ever know.  And that made their friendship all the more special.  And while Seung Tak had plenty to learn from Young Min about treating patients and surgery, Seung Tak had people skills and a bed-side manner that gave Young Min a renewed perspective on being a doctor. 

Tess

I didn’t really understand how Tess was able to stay in the hospital if he had already died.  While coma ghosts are tethered to the hospital, they disappear once their bodies either die or wake up.  But Tess had died years ago, so how was he still hanging around?  And what gave him the power to decide it was time to finally move on in the end?  I loved his character and adore Sung Dong Il as an actor but his character didn’t seem to fit into the parameters the show set up for this ghostly world.   

Young Min/Seung Tak Connection

Another point that confused me was why Seung Tak could see Young Min and why Young Min was the only ghost who could enter Seung Tak’s body.  It’s true that Young Min was used by a ghost back in his resident days.  And it’s also true that Seung Tak was saved by Tess, while he was a ghost.  But how do those two things connect the two of them?  Neither of them was directly involved in the other’s experience.  By that logic, Young Min could have used Dr. Ban Tae Sik, or any other surgeon Tess has been in.  Or, like Tess, are we just supposed to turn a blind eye to logic because these two are meant to defy all rules?

“Ghost Doctor” has a happy, satisfying ending that wraps things up nicely.  First let’s talk about our ghost trio.  Both Bo Mi and Hoon Kil got the surguries they needed and woke up.  While neither actually remembers the other, they both feel an unexplanable connection that tells us their fate is still tied together.  Unfortunately, Kook Chan can’t be cured.  Rather than be left alone without his companions, he asks Young Min to transfer him to a hospital closer to his home.  Young Min manages to complete most of his own surgery before being bounced out.  Luckily, all of Seung Tak’s hard work pays off and he is able to finish it up with no problem.  It takes Young Min a few days to wake up, and at first he pretends not to remember anything.  He gets a bit of revenge on Se Jin but it backfires when she puts a couple ring on his finger and then takes off to the the U.S.   Tess has decides that now that Young Min and Seung Tak are there to take care of the hospital, it’s finally time for him to pass the torch.  He gets a chance to say goodbye to his daughter and Soo Jung before a teary-eyed Seung Tak sees him off with a deep bow.  Later, as Young Min rants to Mandu about his frustrations with Se Jin, she breezes in with a suitcase and casually starts making plans to refurnish the place.  The final scene shows Young Min and Seung Tak working together at the hospital and it’s obvious that their teamwork will continue for many years.  What’s important is that Young Min has taken his experience as a ghost to heart and has a renewed passion for the people and patients around him.