K-drama midseason recap: Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist – amusing and comforting period medical drama finds its feet
- After a plot-heavy beginning with a grisly death and some suicide attempts, the period medical drama series has settled down and found its own rhythm
- The staff at the Gyesu Clinic skirt around romance and concentrate on working together to fix various medical problems in the village
This article contains spoilers.
As with many K-drama series, the show started with a plot-heavy debut episode that set in motion the fall from grace of brilliant imperial palace acupuncturist Yoo Se-poong (Kim Min-jae), but the momentum quickly dissipated once he wandered his way into Gyesu Village, the main location of the show.
There he becomes an unlikely member of the Gyesu Clinic, under the gruff tutelage of miserly doctor Gye Ji-han (Kim Sang-kyung). Soon joining them there, after breaking out from under the control of her domineering mother-in-law, is the young widow Seo Eun-woo (Kim Hyang-gi).
In its first few episodes, Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist featured a grisly death scene and several suicide attempts by Eun-woo, but the overall tone of the show turned out to be much lighter than those elements suggested.