Uhm Jung-hwa Or Han Suk-kyu? "Doctor Cha" vs "Dr. Romantic 3"

In April, veteran actors flock to the small screen. Among them, actors Um Jung-hwa and Han Suk-kyu are drawing attention as they face off in doctor's gowns. Uhm Jung-hwa is meeting viewers first with the JTBC weekend drama "Doctor Cha" which first aired on the 15th, and Han Suk-kyu is ready to appear in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Dr. Romantic 3", which will air from the 28th. Viewers' expectations are rising on the news that the two, called veterans, will face off with works based on 'medicine'.

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"Doctor Cha Jung-sook VS "Dr. Romantic 3"

"Doctor Cha" is a drama about Cha Jung-sook, who lived as a housewife for twenty years but found her life as a first-year resident. Uhm Jung-hwa plays the title role of Cha Jung-sook. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of "Doctor Cha" got off to a good start with 4.9% and the second episode with 7.8% (based on paid households nationwide).

Dr. Cha Jung-sook's smooth start is largely attributed to Uhm Jung-hwa. Uhm Jung-hwa's acting skills shone in every scene. Uhm Jung-hwa's delicate acting skills stood out from her busy making breakfast for her family, thanking her husband Seo In-ho (Kim Byung-chul), who decided to transplant her liver, and studying to challenge her dream again. In particular, the scene where she felt disappointed by her mother-in-law who opposed her husband's liver transplant and shed tears in front of her mother Oh Deok-rye (Kim Mi-kyung) was enough to stimulate viewers' tear glands.

Han Suk-gyu is expected to give a heavy impression again with "Dr. Romantic 3". "Dr. Romantic" will return to season 3 following "Dr. Romantic" (2016) and "Dr. Romantic 2" (2020). The main characters, including Ahn Hyo-seop, Lee Sung-kyung, and Kim Min-jae-I, who were with Han Suk-kyu at the center, join forces once again.

Han Suk-kyu is a character who led the success of seasons 1 and 2 as the character of Doctor Kim. Han Suk-kyu recently said through the production team, "I missed the Doldam family and it was nice to meet you again after three years. The production of "Dr. Romantic 3" is all thanks to the great love and support given by viewers", he said adding, "I hope our story, which continues after three years, can convey comfort and courage to someone".

The production team said, "There would be no "Dr. Romantic 3" without Han Suk-kyu. He is the biggest driving force and center that has been able to make it to season 3".

Different from existing works

It is Uhm Jung-hwa's first return to drama in a year since tvN's "Our Blues", which aired in 2022. In "Our Blues", Uhm Jung-hwa performed enthusiastically as Go Mi-ran, the first love of everyone who returned to Jeju tired of city life. She not only delicately portrayed conflicts that could arise between friends, but also showed off her unrivaled presence and revealed her acting skills. Uhm Jung-hwa is a mother who challenges the life of a doctor again, which is different from her previous work.

Han Suk-kyu met with viewers last year on Watcha's "Recipe for Farewell". Han Suk-kyu calmly portrayed the family story as Chang-wook, who cooks for his wife. The completeness of the work was improved by cooking all the foods that appeared in the work, and the narration reading in a calm voice made viewers fall into the work. This work was loved by enthusiasts, receiving reviews that it contained both love and human stories. Han Suk-kyu is expected to approach viewers as a strange genius doctor who leads a hospital from being the husband of a family.

Friday-Saturday drama VS weekend drama

"Doctor Cha" and "Dr. Romantic 3" coincidentally overlap with the airing period. As "Dr. Romantic 3" has been steadily loved since season 1, attention has been focused on the confrontation with "Doctor Cha".

At the production presentation of "Doctor Cha", director Kim said, "I didn't know that it would be aired at the same time as "Dr. Romantic 3", but it happened", adding, "As a result, one day overlaps on Saturday. I hope both of them work out well", he said. "Doctor Cha" did not pay much attention to medicine. "Doctor Cha" is a drama that you can watch comfortably even if you don't understand medical terms".

"Doctor Cha" and "Dr. Romantic 3" have the same subject matter as medical dramas, but it is expected that they will be works with their individuality. The fun is guaranteed, so what's left is up to the viewers. Attention is focusing on which work will be able to capture viewers' tastes more.