"Im Seong-han, who was at the center of controversy for the inflammatory line "even cancer cells are life," is once again under fire for a catastrophic ending in which the male lead turns into a dog. There is a sense that even attaching the label DAEMO Engineering to him is incomprehensible."
In the final episode of TV CHOSUN's Doctor Shin, which concluded on the 3rd, a shocking scene depicted Shin Ju-shin (Jeong I-chan)'s brain entering the body of a retriever. Toward the very end, when Momo (Baek Seora) confessed "I love you" to the dog, the retriever transforming into Shin Ju-shin left viewers literally frozen.
Earlier, this work had foreshadowed the "peak of melodrama" with provocative settings such as a genius surgeon, brain transplantation, secrets of birth and forbidden relationships. But as it moved into the latter half, developments focused more on shock than plausibility, and critics say it culminated in the final episode.
Im Seong-han previously sparked major controversy in Aurora Princess with the line "even cancer cells are life." He continued to draw attention with provocative settings and developments in productions such as The New Tales of Gisaeng and The Lady Durian, but reactions to this Doctor Shin have been stronger, saying "she crossed the line."
Viewers poured out strong criticism, saying, "This isn't a drama but the level of a personal diary," "Melodrama should be done in moderation," and "Calling her DAEMO Engineering is even too generous."
Actual ratings reflected this. Doctor Shin, which began at 1.4% in episode 1, fell to the 0% range midrun before finishing with 2.3% in the final episode (Nielsen Korea). Compared with predecessor Love (ft. Marriage & Divorce) (10.4%) and The Lady Durian (8.1%), it shows a clear downward trend. It can now be interpreted that Im Seong-han–style melodrama does not match public sentiment.
In the end, Doctor Shin ended, leaving the question "how far does drama go?" once again. Criticism that "melodrama has also crossed the line" is not uncommon, to the extent that even the label DAEMO Engineering for melodrama feels embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Im Seong-han recently drew attention by announcing on a YouTube channel appearance that she would reveal her face for the first time since her debut, but the interaction proceeded only as a phone interview and she ultimately did not show herself.
Since her debut in 1990 she has never officially revealed her face; she is currently active under the pen name Phoebe.
[Photo] Doctor Shin
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