Netflix’s Resident Playbook Becomes Global Sensation With Just 2 Episodes

Resident Playbook, a heartfelt K-drama spinoff of Hospital Playlist, makes a global splash on Netflix with a strong debut.

- April 19, 2025 | 1:20 PM IST

Netflix’s Resident Playbook Hits Global Sensation — Netflix’s New K-Drama Resident Playbook(Photo Credit –Netflix)

From the pulse-pounding corridors of a Seoul hospital to living rooms around the globe, Resident Playbook has made a striking entrance on Netflix’s global charts. This fresh spinoff, born from the beloved Hospital Playlist universe, isn’t just a nostalgic callback, and it’s proving to be a phenomenon in its own right. With only two episodes, it has already broken into the top 10 most-watched non-English Netflix series, hitting No. 10 with over a million viewers and over 3 million hours, as per Screen Rant.

Netflix’s Korean Wave Keeps Building

Netflix, the streaming giant that brought Stranger Things, Wednesday, and The Night Agent into pop culture royalty, has long since expanded its empire beyond English-speaking borders. South Korea, in particular, has become a powerhouse for binge-worthy originals. With Squid Game rewriting the rulebook on global success and series like All of Us Are Dead and Money Heist: Korea keeping that momentum burning, K-dramas have found a steady, devoted fanbase.

Resident Playbook finds its heart in Oh Yi-young, a first-year OBGYN resident trying to find her footing in the chaotic, high-stakes world of the Yulje Medical Center’s Jongno branch. Her story unfolds three and a half years after the curtain fell on Hospital Playlist, filling the void left by a third season that never materialized. Now, with new episodes landing every weekend on both tvN and Netflix in select territories, the show has timed its release perfectly to seize the attention of a global audience hungry for heartfelt drama.

Strong Debut on the Global Stage

The show cracked into Netflix’s global spotlight in the week of April 7 through 13, sharing space on the chart with fellow Korean titles like Karma, When Life Gives You Tangerines, and Weak Hero: Class 1. Its debut across Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam hints at a wider storm brewing that could sweep across continents as viewers discover it episode by episode.

With four more weekends of storytelling left until its May 18 finale, Resident Playbook seems poised to climb higher in the ranks and help fortify Netflix’s ever-growing global footprint of Korean dramas.