So, I have a tendency to "save" dramas - to hold off watching them in fear that once I watch them, my expectations will be set way too high and it will ruin all other dramas for me. And Healer was the #1 drama I was saving - this drama was so hyped up I was so convinced that once I watched it, I would never be able to move on from it (as so many posts all over this site show). And now I finally watched it. How do I feel? Really, yes, it is a really good drama and I completely understand the hype (especially considering the time) but because the expectations for this drama are set up impossibly high, they are well, a little impossible to meet.
It is a good story. One thing this drama does well is it's mixing of genres - spy, action, comedy, romance. The story, for the most part, was pretty well laid out with no glaring plot holes. I mean, there is some suspension of disbelief given it's premise but things generally flow well.
The actors all did a good job in their roles and their was good cast chemistry. There was a wide range of enjoyable characters aside from the main case - the hacker ajumma, the FL's dad, the Someday News gang, the detective and even the SS guard guy - that kept the story entertaining. The main trio, of course, did an excellent job and had a fresh set-up. The romance was really very sweet and I can totally see why this drama is the standard used when asking for good romance or couple chemistry recommendations on the forums. I have a thing for super-devoted male leads with a puppyish side to them so I loved the male lead. While the female lead wasn't as dynamic as the male lead, I though they did a pretty good job with her. While I do appreciate the shift these days to write strong female characters, a lot of dramas are so focused on giving the FL ultra kung-fu skills or whatnot, they fail to write an actual character or make that character have an influence on the plot. CYS is a well-rounded character with likes, dislikes, goals, quirky traits, strength, flaws and is it her actions that help move the plot forward.
The music helped, a LOT. The OSTs on their own were hits but they complimented and enhanced the drama really well - I probably would not like it as much if not for the music (which typically does not affect my drama watching experience that much).
Overall, this is a very good drama that I highly recommend, especially if you want a cute romance. Just take all that astronomically, unrealistically high hype with a little bit of salt.