The article discusses TV Chosun’s weekend drama “Dr. Shin,” which premiered on March 14th. The drama, written by the creator Im Sung-han under the pen name “Phoebe,” is described as a medical thriller involving a genius doctor challenging the realm of the divine and a woman who loses her soul after her brain becomes impaired overnight. Despite the passage of time and a name change, Im Sung-han’s unique worldview remains difficult for many to comprehend.
Im Sung-han is known for her many hit dramas, including MBC’s “Once More with Feeling” and SBS’s “New Tales of Gisaeng.” However, she has faced controversy for her unconventional themes and dialogues, such as the infamous “cancer cells are alive too” line from MBC’s “Princess Aurora.”
The new drama “Dr. Shin” has sparked varied reactions, partly due to subpar subtitles containing misspellings like “ganjeolseureowoyo” instead of the correct “ganjeolhayeot-eoyo” (“I was desperate”) and “bogushipeoss-eoyo” instead of “bogo shipeoss-eoyo” (“I wanted to see”). These subtitles, and the overall strange production choices, have led some to label “Dr. Shin” as a “bamtie drama”—a slang term suggesting unattractiveness.
While the drama is currently the most talked-about project released at the same time, its viewership ratings remain low at 1%, partly due to backlash against its abnormal settings and production style. There’s skepticism about whether its ratings will improve.