Competing Neuro-medical Dramas: Beautiful Mind with Jang Hyuk and Lee Hee Joon Up Against Doctors with Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won

Casting matters a big deal not just in assembling certain audience favorites onscreen, but it also makes a big difference in setting the mood for the drama or movie. For example, the exact same storyboard may suddenly look different if idols are cast as leads versus critically lauded acting talent. KBS is still trying to get medical drama Beautiful Mind off the ground, and if the title sounds unfamiliar then the original title of Dr. Frankenstein might better job the memory.

It’s the drama that has been in the works for a year and a half, and way back when it was courting Kim Soo Hyun as the titular male lead. In the year since Kim Soo Hyun did Producer and Lee Jong Seok and Yoo Ah In were further chatted up for the drama with nothing coming of it. Picking young Hallyu stars like Kim Soo Hyun or Lee Jong Seok for this drama means a trendier vibe for me, which has now gotten tossed out the window as Beautiful Mind is trying to lock down the two male leads of Jang Hyuk and Lee Hee Joon.

I love Jang Hyuk and his involvement in any drama or movie is never a bad thing. He’s such a prolific actor that he’s already played a doctor before in the excellent Lee Kyung Hee penned drama Thank You. In that drama he suffered from crippling guilt and heart break but in Beautiful Mind he’ll be a genius brain doctor who is actually a text book psychopath in that he can’t feel any emotion due to a traumatic frontal brain injury. He then has to regain his emotional core to clear his name when a series of patient deaths start to happen which implicates him.

SBS is already doing neurosurgeons drama in Doctors and that’s also airing on Mon-Tues this June making for a double dose of competing brain docs on the small screen. Doctors sounds more like hospital setting character driven dramas like Golden Time or Surgeon Dong Dal Hae, wheres BM has a thriller investigative element to it. I was looking forward to Doctors since it’s been awhile that a medical drama lured me in, but having two medical dramas on deck may be one too many. I might end up going for the one with the more gripping story and in this case Beautiful Mind will be penned by the screenwriter of Sungkyunkwan Scandal while Doctors is written by the writer of One Warm Word, High Society, and Can We Get Married.


Comments

Competing Neuro-medical Dramas: Beautiful Mind with Jang Hyuk and Lee Hee Joon Up Against Doctors with Park Shin Hye and Kim Rae Won — 34 Comments

  1. Okay. From writer of Sungkyunkwan Scandal. I’ll definitely watch Beautiful Mind. Can’t say that about Doctors’ writer.

  2. This will be a tough competition with Monster will be half way ahead
    Janghyuk has good rating record too.
    Good luck Shinhye and Kim Raewon

  3. Aw Jang Hyuk. I love this actor and miss him. He’s good in all of his projects. I’m glad Koala mentioned Thank You. That’s one of the most memorable K dramas I’ve watched and it turned me into a fan of him and Gong Hyo Jin. Even in the underwhelming K adaptation of Fated to Love You, I was more impressed by him than the Taiwanese male lead.

    Although Kim Rae Won would be a formidable rival of Jang Hyuk, I’m not so positive about Park Shin Hyeu though. Will root for Beautiful Mind given SS writer and Jang Hyuk.

    • brhahahaha – you are so obvious! don’t know if you are female or male but it seems you are female……bit jealous huh? maybe I should use one of your favorite comments from your Drama2015 and Drama2016 posts – are you butthurt over her popularity? her personality? feeling a bit lacking compared to her?
      brhahahaha……. now comes the meaningless rebuttal…..lay it on me Miss Drama……
      My take on comparing actors/actresses is why do it? Every last one of them no matter how A list or below they can only work with the script given and the crew employed to bring it to life. Of course PSH is lacking in much because she is still very young if compared to the more established actors but those same older more established actors were once in her shoes. Platitudes of saying how she has one expression or kisses this or that way or is stiff….childish comments to say the least. My friends and I have taken each of those comments and re-watched each of her dramas or movies and you are so wrong. You tout honesty as your platform yet you are so dishonest in your criticism that it is funny. Just admit you can’t stand her and be done with it. It is neither good nor bad because there are some actors and actresses on the A list I can’t stand to watch but I don’t stalk any and all posts about them to write childish pundits worded to sound what you feel is clever……so funny and so obvious…..
      What you will never understand is her fans love her for more than her acting and I feel she is as good as any of those you love to say is better but that is my emotional tie to her personality outside her acting…..
      I am a high school sophomore and I look at PSH as my role model. I sincerely hope the best for you but harboring a deep seated jealousy against a famous person simply because she once was and still is linked to the male of your bias couple does not bode well for your mental or physical well-being. You should know by now that all that stuff is so fake it is funny. Of course fans want their favorites together but it is all the fans wishes and hopes – not the actors or singers or band members……
      Peace and good will is always better and as my Grandfather says “if you can’t say something good about someone don’t say anything”.

      • Well written advice. Drama2016 just keeps saying the same things again and again. I swear this hatred for Shin Hye isn’t healthy but hey-ho. Let him/her be. Shin Hye’s life doesn’t evolve around one commentator.

      • Hey kid, I think you generalize too much with unrealistic imagination about me from a merely simple comment. LOL…I don’t like PSH’s acting. That’s it. There’re many other K actresses I like a lot who also co-stared with my favorite K actors. Me jealous of PSH? Hahahahahahahaha…This must be #1 joke I’ve heard about in 2016. LOL…K drama is just my entertainment that happens to be a very small part of my life. There’s nothing in any celebrities I admire. I watch drama to relax my over-worked brain. That’s it. LOL…I’ve got a good life with top 1 job ranked by Wall Street Journal for many years. There’re no reasons to get jelly of an Asian entertainer. You’re so comical.

      • Kid? Really? Top ranked Wall Street job? Brhahahaha…..you live in a fantasy world. No one with such an excellent job and life would follow PSH with such enthusiasm unless they were a stalker or jealous. Just because I am a “kid” doesn’t mean I can’t read between the lines.
        Actually I feel sorry for you because you fit all the psychological markers for a person over indulging in a celebrity’s life. Bullies and stalkers often comment about celebrities in such an anonymous forum as this because they feel safe and untraceable.
        Your statement “generalize too much with unrealistic imagination” – are you kidding me? That says absolutely nothing and means nothing as if you copied it from some report or from online comments.
        You may not realize it but last year and this year you made a lot of unflattering comments about PSH – on this board alone. I can imagine if all the other boards you visit and comment on her where included – you certainly have some sort of fascination with her. Jealousy? not out of the realm of possibility but I think the jealousy is because of a bias infatuation with another female/male couple where the male is a singer/actor and the female is not PSH. It is a fantasy couple either way.
        Viewers here are not fooled by denials or hollow words that have no real meaning.
        As many others here have commented on your ramblings about PSH – yes you are annoying but you want to be, so annoy away…. it’s like the annoying fly that keeps buzzing around and one keeps batting it away.
        This kid will read your comments with the knowledge that you once really admired PSH but just can’t bring yourself to admit it so you have allowed jealousy to turn to dislike and you feel better every time you bash her. If it makes you feel better about your wonderful high level life then go ahead. But really?

      • Such a long sh*t essay! LOL..I guess you’re graduating somewhere in 2018? You’re indeed a kiddo. I have no interest in PSH or whoever’s whatever. It’s you rabid fangirls tagging me all along. LMAO. I equally made critical comments about other actors/actresses but have never seen a huge cohort of followers of these celebrities getting back on me. You keep ass foul mouthing me. I wont’ change my opinions about your love’s bland acting and your f*cking long ass speech won’t have any impact on my life either. Study hard and get a good job. LOL

      • Yeah I am graduating from high school and I have enough class not to talk or post crude or rude.
        If you aren’t interested then why don’t you give it a rest? The amount of interest and denial shows just the opposite. Yep I am young and for someone who is supposedly mature enough and smart enough to hold such a high level job as #1 Wall Street job as you claim for yourself, you sure don’t show it in your rabid anti-fan writings nor in your rude and crude writing to a young teenager.
        Tsk Tsk Tsk…….for shame. Hope your boss never realizes how shallow his high paid employee can be……

    • LOL @ all the lunatic fangirls/boys of PSH. Yup! My life doesn’t evolve around on overrated K actress. But it’s entertaining to see all the rabid followers get worked up just b/c one irrelevant commenter mentioned the name of their fave. LOL.

      • If we are rabid fans then you are a rabid anti-fan. And based on the amount of time and words you spend commenting about her it seems as if your life does revolve around her. And one irrelevant comment? Brhahahaha…..Glad your entertained because I feel the same after reading your many numerous comments… your moniker on here should be PSH#1anti-fan…
        As my physics teacher says way too many times – “whatever floats your boat”…

      • Kid, I got entertained not b/c of your fave PSH but b/c you and other lunatic fans’ comical reaction. LOL…Study hard and get good grades on your physics! I think you know pretty well GPA will get you a better life than being a maniac fangirl.

      • Wow! You are actually feeling defensive because a 15 year old ‘kid’ keeps telling you how you sound and how it comes across to all those reading your manic rabid anti-fanning. I have straight A’s and have for the past 3 years. I plan on going into the research medical field. I may not have a high power Wall Street job like you claim to have but I bet I do well.
        I doubt if you can ever distinguish between a manic, rabid fan or a fan that enjoys different actors or actresses because they are so much more than the persona they show on screen or stage.
        I find it so haha funny that you the anti-fan who shadows all PSH posts would say good grades would get one a better life. Did it not work for you? Because despite all your rantings and trying to use both foul or snide remarks to put down a 15 year old it seems you still are stuck not on your job but trying to rant against an actress that you obviously have some sort of fascination for – so strange.
        Oh my Physics grade is straight A’s since you mentioned it. And part of being a sane fan who enjoys both aspects of a good role model actress or actor is to write good things about them in articles devoted to that fan. That does not a rabid fan make……and defending them against weird anti-fans who don’t really understand why or how they ended up being so mean, rude and crude is a no-brainer.
        Perhaps you should take a break from following her and devote yourself to those you say are so wonderful and good. It might make you a nicer person.
        My Dad says I should just ignore you because people who are not nice usually don’t change their actions and get even more intense trying to prove they are right and everyone else is wrong. So I will end my discussion with you here. Try to be a nicer person because the benefits are so much better than being bitter and hateful.

    • I loved Fated to Love You but found his weird laugh awkward. I felt embarrassed for him. He is a good actor but I wouldn’t hold his latest works up to KRW works. I will try to watch both to see which holds my interest more.

  4. Hahahaha….were you talking about his laugh in Fated to Love You. LOL…Those hilarious and exaggerating blasts.

  5. Between KRW and JH, I find the Kim Rae Won’s acting more compelling. There are instances of awkardness to Jang Hyuk sometimes. Especially as Doctors has Park shin Hye who is my all-time favorite. and I trust her decision take on this drama. So Doctors for me all the way.

    • hi! 🙂
      Yes. Between the two KRW has more range of expressions. Like both and seen many of their dramas. But, with Shinhye being in Doctors…..it’s decided for me. Anything of hers is a must for me. June come soon 🙂

  6. Literally tired of this doctor related stories why korean making most of dramas around doctor stories the plot with this topic really sound old why korean not explore other story lines. lets hope these drama show something different but i and few of my friends are not much interested in both or any doctor related dramas. korean writers bring something different.

  7. WOW this sound interesting and JH is one of best actor. He not only have looks also act so well. I hope some good actress get lead role.

  8. Between Jang Hyuk and Kim Rae-Woon, I will watch Kim Rae-Won for sure. There is a depth to his acting I do not find in Jang Hyuk’s acting. I do wish they were not competing with each other on the same day, though… Actually, the more I hear about Doctors, the more I look forward to it.

  9. JH is an outstanding actor and handsome as well he is becoming marvelous with time. His acting skills made me watch korean dramas with love and story of this drama sound good. sure will watch it

    • Yes he is. He’s such a charismatic actor of his generation. I won’t miss any of his dramas unless his leading lady is extremely unbearable to watch.

  10. Jang Hyuk is such a great actor… he is the character he portrays.. If Jang Hyuk is in it, I am definitely watching it!

  11. if i have to choose between Jang Hyuk and Kim Rae-Woon, I will defiantly for JH. No doubt both actors are very good in acting but JH who make his character alive for me and make me fall in love with it and he is way to handsome heheh and i trust writer of JH drama more than KRW and story really sound interesting its not just medical drama its also have mystery touch. SO hell yeah to JH drama

  12. Between KRW and JH i have more faith in JH as his previous dramas speaks themself and JH drama writer are more trust worthy than KRW drama.

  13. Am I the only one that wants Jang Nara to sign on Beautiful Mind now? Like, even if the drama turns out to be a hot mess, I’d watch it just to see Jang-Jang couple in action again.

    Man can dream, right?

  14. Do people posting here not realize they can change the name they are using but their avatar stays the same? And everyone knows it?

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