Healer (2014)

This was one of the first KDramas I watched back in 2014 and to this day, it is still my favorite. Healer is the perfect combination of action, romance, comedy, and story.

Ji Changwook really sold me. There were three different sides to his characters and sold me on every single side of them: the cool and collected nature of Healer, the nervousness and silly side of Bongsoo, and a mixture of both in Junghoo. Because of how well his performance, it made every reveal hit ten times harder. Park Minyoung also really shined in this performance. Yeongshin has definitely made it in my top three favorite female leads because she's so unapologetically herself. She cares for the people around her and even though she is naive at times, she holds her ground.

This was truly the first drama that I cared about almost every single character not just the mains. The storyline and conflict were enough to fill the drama with suspense right until the very end. Truly, such a great drama and I recommend every go watch.

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A favourite romantic action drama

It had an interesting storyline, a good-paced and well-written drama with the perfect amount of comedy. Loved ML and FL characters, their interactions (protective MLs are my weakness:D ). Support characters also get a 5/5 from me.
Action scenes were well produced!
And ladies I mean, Ji Chang Wook, great actor who also knows how to play real kissing scenes (!) <3
Also have to mention Park Min Young, love her acting (and knows how to kiss, no closed mouth and weirdeness)
I love how this drama had real kisses, sweet moments.
Badly chosen music can spoil any good drama for me, but not in Healer's case though: just Loved the music!
Re-watched many times:D

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A very enjoyable drama

I started watching because of the high praises from other reviewers and because of Ji Chang Wook (now one of my favorite actors). I really liked the way they executed the concept of the drama. The action scenes where very good, the plot was full of twists the tension was always there. I fully recommend this drama even though I found the cinematography slightly lacking. Considering the drama is from 2014 it is still good but I am quite the sucker for crispy clean shots. This was the first drama I watched of both Park Min Young and Ji Chang Wook and I am looking forward to more.

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Healing

I have to say - the oldies are the best. Really enjoyable thriller/romcom that falls into the classic Kdrama format that we all fell in love with. Great cast and quite possibly the most enjoyable Park Min Young drama I've watched - even more than Secretary Kim as she's just so real and adorable. Ji Chang Wook is great in his role as 'Healer'.
Took me a while to warm to Yoo Ji Ta's character (Kim Moon Ho) but you learn what he all about after a couple of episodes. Kim Mi Kyung is brilliant as always and plays a super hacker who supports Healer.

Some of the production is not as good as what we see in today's dramas - eg everyone is so evenly lit and the soundtrack is good to average - but don't let it put you off. This is a great drama and very satisfying to watch. Also did I mention how cute PMY is in this?..

Lire davantage

This was a really really good series. The plot is complex, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. The cast is spot on and does a phenomenal job in every single role. The intertwining family/friend groups is always fun to watch in any series and this one is no different in that aspect.

Here is where I differ from I think about every person who loved this show (and let me say again, I REALLY liked it)...I found the romance a bit lacking. That's not to say that there wasn't a romance. There was, and it was super sweet and you wanted to see more of it because the lead characters had such great chemistry, but they don't let you see much of it. They don't get together until 3/4 of the way through the show, and then once they are a couple they only let you see them as a couple for a very few minutes of each of the remaining episodes. It was super frustrating to me because as I said, they were amazing together. I think it would have been fun to watch them read each other the phone book. They just were great on screen together...but you don't get to see them together nearly enough, in my opinion. Granted the romance isn't the driving force of the story as it is in other shows, so that is probably why it's not so prominent. And what you do see is super sweet and cuddly, so it's not like it's not there. Maybe if I watch it again, I'll feel differently, but as of now, that was my thought.

Even so though...GREAT SHOW. I highly recommend it.

Lire davantage

I can guarantee right off the bat that Healer has all the traits that most viewers love and want to watch in a kdrama. Action sequence executed by a gorgeous looking male lead, beautiful romance, amazing chemistry between the leads, enchanting comedic reliefs and a very well written story. If this drama didn't appeal to some people, it's obvious they're looking for something different and a different drama may be able to deliver that for them. I read that some people also say that the many flashbacks to the past were the weakest points of this story execution, but I didn't find it that way because the transition between the past and the present story are done so well when you are patient enough with the material. The rushed ending could've devastated some people as well but as an overall experience, Healer was an exceptionally well-written piece of a small screen art because each episode ended with a suspense and the thrill of each episode is also very high.

Ji Chang Wook became my immediate actor crush after this drama because it's obvious how good of an actor he is. This was his third work that I watched after Fabricated City and Suspicious Partner, before I moved on to The K2. He is obviously in his best element under these types of action roles, and Park Min Young played really well for her character as well. Yoo Ji Tae was an absolute delight to look at, but I did find his facial expressions a bit stiff in a sense. The ahjumma hacker was the real MVP of the show I must admit, since she's so unapologetically sassy and badass, haha.

The producers could've been more creative with the BGM as the same song was used so many times, but I really loved the OST that Ji Chang Wook himself sang.

Rewatch value is very high because it's such an enjoyable ride to be able to revisit some action or romance scenes, and this drama has also now been uploaded in full series in KBS World TV Youtube channel. Go watch it if you haven't!

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Perfect Balance Between Romance and Thriller

When I started looking into popular Kdrama romances, Healer was one of the most popular and recommended shows. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy a show released almost ten years ago. I figured the production value, acting quality, and storyline would be outdated and problematic. I am so happy to report I was absolutely dead wrong! This show stands the test of time with an outstanding cast and story expertly balancing between an intense plot and epic romance.

Let’s first talk about the chemistry - all of the actors worked well together, but the romantic relationship between So Jung-hoo and Chae Young-shin sizzled on screen. Although secrets kept them apart for much of the first half of the show, the second half more than makes up for that distance with plenty of skinship between the two (hugs, cuddles, kisses, etc.). I appreciated the time spent developing their emotional connection to one another, particularly when unveiled secrets threatened their burgeoning romance. The secondary characters were also memorable, particularly Kim Mi-kyung as Jo Min-Ja. Her character had a surprising amount of depth despite being regulated to working at the computer most of the show’s run.

The action sequences were intense and well-done. I know Ji Chang-wook is know for his action work, and it is on showcase in Healer. I did find the storyline to be rather confusing, although I think it worked perfectly well for the mystery aspects of the show. Mystery is not my genre of choice so I tend to miss red hearings and clues other sleuths may pick up. The show tied up lose ends well, although I do wish some more closure was given regarding the role of the Healer in the future.

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A WORTHY ADDITION TO THE DRAMA WORLD

Is this a good drama? Yes.
Are its characters well developed, for the most part?Also yes.
But can it, at times, seem draggy and honestly, kind of boring?YES.

I can definitely see how and why people see this show as a certified classic, creme de la crème of the drama world, as it admittedly has one of the more interesting and gripping plots I`ve seen so far. Action, drama, revenge, not your typical run of the mill, ruined male protagonist... All of these are its good points, together with a great soundtrack. But I still have to hold it to a higher standard, being as popular as it is. This means that my praises are still valid, but criticism is harsher. However, despite it all, it somehow still leaves me wanting more and honestly, I don`t know why. This drama is one of those things which you can respect more than, really love. Like how Lars fon Trir is a great film director, but his films are mostly just not my cup of tea. This logic can be applied here as well. Some plot lines are rather regurgitated and brought back throughout this drama, that I also wasn`t a fan of. It`s a thrill ride up until episode 5, I would say, when it slows down for some actual character development but it also becomes strangely void. My favorite part of any drama is typically that down time, when we actually start to learn and care about our characters. Only, as a fan of quick and tight characterisation(present in "It`s Okay, That`s Love" for an example, where you immediately get the feel of the characters you`re presented with with their first lines), Moon Ho was effectively my favorite character, alongside Seo Jung-hu and Jo Min-ja, who is, to me, the most organically strong female character. Moon Ho has layers upon layers of personality and you only grow more interested in the next one as you peel the previous layer. He`s funny, jaded, charismatic and even though he didn`t get as much of screen time as I would`ve liked(this goes for Min-ja and Moon Sik as well), he owned every scene he was in. The older actors are a delight to watch and you actually feel the weight of guilt, corruption and fear they experience fully. The problem lies in the two main characters however. Or rather, the way they develop less and less as the show moves along. I just feel like for the amount of episodes they were given, Jung-hu and Chae Young-shin, deserved some more introspection. When Young-shin was talking and opening up about her abusive childhood in the second episode, I felt it rushed. It felt almost out of place, this early in the show, so I would`ve liked if they had taken the same approach to her backstory as the one they took to Jung-hu`s backstory, which was presented a lot more naturally. That one scene with his mother in the shaved ice shop is an AMAZING representation of good writing and I urge you, even if you won`t watch this, to see that scene, even all on its own, it`ll move you, for sure. His development however, is halted when the romance kicks into gear. And it`s like writers give up on his intellect as well, as he makes some really questionable decisions which, his character at the start of the show would never make, because of his intelligence. And this is the weakest part of the show. It might be unpopular, but due to the way it was presented, I actually wouldn`t have minded if Young-shin and Jung-hu didn`t end up together. I feel like that would be the final act of tying everything together so that each character can get his or her, fresh start.

The last five episodes are definitely draggy, so much so that I actually ended up watching them as background noise. It`s obvious that what they needed to develop, they haven`t really, while they spent A LOT of time on stories which are nonconsequential when compared to, say, Jung-hu`s and Ki Young-jae`s relationship, which I wanted developed SO MUCH as I loved his character too. But they kill him off so quickly, so he was basically a misplaced and mishandled plot device to further the story. At times, the mystery is handled well, like with throwbacks to the five friends and their time at the junkyard. Other times, it`s messy and chaotic, like Jung-hu trying to find out whether his dad is guilty or not. The action is top notch though. Sure, it`s outlandish and obviously a bit campy but it works, and I wish we got more of it.

Overall, this drama is good, but definitely overhyped for today`s standards. Though it revolutionized the drama game, it`s still far away from that title of timeless excellence, at least in my eyes. But as a good action, it`s definitely up to snuff.

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Doskonałość. Tylko tym słowem mogę opisać absolutny skarb, jakim był Healer.

Co zabawne, prawie przerzedłam obok tej dramy i gdybym nie została praktycznie zmuszona do naciśnięcia przycisku odtwarzania, przegapiłabym najlepszą dramę. Healer stał się moim ulubionym dramatem, detronizując mojego poprzedniego ulubieńca, który utrzymywał się na pierwszym miejscu przez ostatnie lata. Na tym polega moc Healer. Jeśli lubisz silne postacie, zarówno męskie, jak i żeńskie, obejrzyj to. Jeśli lubisz solidną linię miłosną bez głupich, bezsensownych trójkątów miłosnych i szlachetnych idiotycznych rozstań, obejrzyj to. Jeśli lubisz dobrą akcję, romans, polityczny i trzymający w napięciu dramat, to zdecydowanie jest to film dla Ciebie. Obejrzyj to. Gra aktorska CAŁEJ obsady jest bez zarzutu. OST jest niesamowity i doskonale pasuje do każdej sceny, w której jest odtwarzany. Healer sprawi, że przez 20 odcinków doświadczysz najszerszej gamy emocji, a mimo to nadal będziesz mieć wrażenie, że nie masz dość. Podnoszący na duchu, wzruszający, piękny, intrygujący, rozdzierający serce, pełen akcji, wręcz zabawny i po prostu doskonały! To jest Healer. Prawdę mówiąc, nie sądzę, że jest na świecie wystarczająca liczba słów, aby opisać Healera i wpływ, jaki na mnie wywiera, a to pochodzi od pisarza. Fabuła była solidna, tempo doskonale wyważone, ale nigdy powolne, a postacie bardzo naturalne i realistyczne. Jeśli kiedykolwiek zakochałeś się w kimś lub czymś do tego stopnia, że twoje serce boli i pulsuje bólem spowodowanym przytłaczającymi emocjami, wtedy zrozumiesz, co Healer mi zrobił. Ale szczerze mówiąc, bardziej bolałoby nigdy nie doświadczyć tego dramatu, niż zmagać się z wycofaniem dramatu doskonałego pod każdym względem.

Lire davantage

I write this review after just finishing Healer, this is my second Korean Drama, the first being City Hunter. I got to watching it as I said there are similarities between the two, and it sure is correct.

Healer is a decent drama, made better by the cast it offered. The story was intriguing enough to come back to watch, though at times the pace varied up and down. For some odd reason, the music wasn't too memorable, except for maybe the main theme itself., it didn't exactly strike the chords perfectly for me.

My only complaint would be the ending, I am not going to spoil it but I felt as if the ending was rushed completely. It tried to cram in so much in a period of one hour that I got confused here and there, it would have been better if it was maybe fleshed out to two or three episodes than just one, would have made the drama even more better. The ending is the reason I decided to lower my rating, but nonetheless, it was a fun ride while it lasted, and most of all, the characters are memorable.

Lire davantage

The Epic Show

Its one show that has got me hooked(actually major kdramas have) but this one is different..Its perfect blend of romance+mystery+thriller..
All the characters hav their own niche,their own story which blends perfectly with the main story.

Story:10/10..No comments on that...it has progressed beautifully till the end..no loose ends.

Acting/cast:10/10..The cast is incredible..playing their roles perfectly..

Music:10/10..Eternal Love has become my top song ..and it will remain my favourite till the end..and this was the first show where i heard english songs..

Rewatch value:10/10..i have watched it 3 times..

i recommend everyone to give it a try and u won't be disspointed..

Ps: i can't believe Ji chang wook had done many action scenes himself...and park min young is a beauty here

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