HOWEVER
Other than that plot hole, this show is superb. The writer has great attention to minor details and I found myself impressed how those little minor details make up the bigger picture. Park Min Young and Yoo Ji Tae were great here but Ji Chang Wook was phenomenal on this show. The way in which Ji Chang Wook was able to convey so much emotion in his eyes for each of the different persona he takes on is far beyond me. There are also no typical Korean drama cliches such as noble idiocy or too many deaths. I understand the comparison between this show and City Hunter is inevitable but both are solid shows on their own. This show exceeded all expectations of a Korean drama and raised the bar even higher. I've been watching korean dramas since 2004 and this is the one to beat.
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If I could give this drama more than a 10 I would.Where does one begin on how awesome this drama is?
First the music. Awesome I have the sound track.
Now to the story and characters.
The story line is awesome from the beginning to the end. The twist of fate that you see come to life is freaking amazing. The chemistry between the cast members is awesome. You could not have ask for a better cast to play each character role.
This was my first drama of seeing Ji Chang Wook, (Seo Jung Hoo / Park Bong Soo ("Healer") all I can say is freaking awesome. Loved him from the beginning.
Park Min Young (Chae Yeong Shin / Oh Ji An) loved her. The chemistry between her and Ji Chang Wook was awesome.
The supporting cast unbelievable awesome job. Their not much you can say without putting spoilers in the review.
It is a must see if you haven't already...
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Not a worthy of 8.9 rating
Frankly speaking I am big fan of Rachel Park.I am not telling this is a bad drama but it is not worthy of 9 pointer. I have seen so many silly blunders, immature direction and unrealistic decisions.
1. There are so many characters but no characters has proper ending(except ML and FL).
2. I got confused and annoyed whether the FL is really had feelings ( love ) with ML or just a gratitude for saving her number of times, because it is portrayed before ML she is in deep love with ML but she didn’t trust him in some situations, instead she keeps on avoiding him keep him away from her.
3. There were so many bad characters but it is not clear whether or what punishment they got.
4. I think the director didn’t do planned or homework well, because simply wasted time on unnecessary things or so many characters and stories but no story is properly finished or ended but simply rushed to the ending.
5. I can’t say their chemistry is ultimate because as a couple they spent very less time compared to as working partners.
6. The main positive thing in this drama is the cast, everyone’s acting skills are unbelievable, especially the FL acting was beyond my expectations, because before watching this I have watched some of her dramas I thought this is very old drama her acting skills may not be as good as the new ones but I got surprised, I can say her acting in this drama is the best one compared to city hunter and others.
I am stopping here, I can point out few more mistakes but I don’t want because I have seen much worse dramas but this is not that much bad. I can assure you that if you watch this drama you won’t get bored or disappointed but if you watch this drama seriously you will feel the same as I mentioned in the above.
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My short summary :
- This drama is packed with all that good stuff: comedy, tragedy, action, romance, kickass fighting - everything that is best in drama field!
- Ji Chang Wook character makes all the ladies sway
- Young Shin is perfect hero: cute, brave, smart and unique but with flaws like every human being
- the main leads chemistry makes simple hand-touching like porn
- the plot is magnificent, the conection with every character well convey, without unnecessary chaos and overflow of information about every aspect of drama. Everything here is important and everything connect so well with each other!
- touching the subject of coruption and manipulation in media and politics
- and least but not last lets give a round of applouse for the most badass ahjumma with fire-hacker skills! (without her, they all would die)
I cannot reccoment it enough, I'm sure every drama lover will find in this series something for themselves. Just give it a try!
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I will start off with the OST. I rarely pay attention to the OST because they dont seem to catch my attention ;). This time though I realy felt like listening it over and over.
The acting was realy great (imo). From the lead actors to the supporting ones all played their role pretty well so it was a joy to watch.
And the story. Nice twist and turns, some unexpected things. Aaaaaaahh the joy not being able predict everything is great!
I realy recommend watching this one.
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Eternal Love
While the plot involving long-lost secrets and corrupt media moguls is gripping, the true heart of the show lies in the performance of Park Min-young and her legendary chemistry with Ji Chang-wook.
Young-shin isn't a damsel in distress. She is a brave, slightly quirky, and incredibly resilient tabloid reporter. Park Min-young brings an infectious energy to the role—her "happy dances" and singing when she’s nervous are iconic. Beyond the bubbly exterior, Young-shin carries deep trauma from her childhood. Park Min-young portrays this vulnerability with incredible subtlety. She doesn’t need loud sobbing scenes to show pain; you see it in the way her hands shake or the look of pure terror in her eyes during her panic attacks
Chemistry 100%
Unlike many dramas where the leads are shy about touching, Jung-hoo and Young-shin have a relationship built on physical and emotional solace. Whether it’s the famous "blindfold" scenes or the quiet moments of them just holding hands, their physical proximity feels natural and necessary. They are each other’s safe haven.
What makes their bond so strong is the lack of "noble idiocy." When things get tough, they don't push each other away to "save" the other. They lean on each other. Their chemistry is rooted in a deep, unwavering trust that makes the romance feel mature and earned.
Healer is a 10/10 classic. It manages to be thrilling without being dark, and romantic without being cheesy. Park Min-young’s radiant performance combined with the electric spark she shares with Ji Chang-wook makes this a "must-watch" that you will likely find yourself re-watching every few years.
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Healer really lived up to the hype and I agree with many of the viewers here that it felt fresh and had a nice mix of comedy, action, intrigue and drama. The chemistry between Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young was amazing and natural (did they not kiss more than usual compared to other serials??). The pacing of the story was tight with enough little twists to keep it interesting. I did like the fact that the love "triangle" was between Healer and the Park Bong Soo alter ego. It was both funny and bittersweet to see them try to make sense of their emotions. After all love is frequently less about logic but relying on your heart and your senses to tell you what your brain cannot.
I'm now a new fan of Ji Chang Wook (sorry PBG, still love you, but his Healer character is way cooler) and am now eager to suss out his other dramas. Suggestions on which ones to watch first are welcomed!
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1. Cast and Acting:
We have Ji Chang Wook playing the male lead, Healer (Park Bong Soo /Seo Jung Hoo) and Park Min Young playing the female lead, Chae Young Shin. The chemistry between the two is sure to make you soft. I have always loved Ji Chang Wook's works and this one didn't let me down either. Park Min Young's acting has improved by folds in this drama. The way both of them portray their characters have you falling in love with them and their relationship every second of the drama. I love the cute, clingy moments they share and especially how Bong Soo gets jealous of Moon Ho. The innocent romance between the main leads develops over time into something more intense and passionate, bound to make you feel a rollercoaster of emotions. Yoo Ji Tae has a central role in the drama as well, acting as Young Shin's role model and long lost 'uncle' (more like an elder brother) Kim Moon Ho. The three leads have a very good harmony amongst them. The casting for the other roles are also very fitting. My favourite characters are 'Ahjumma' and Young Shin's dad.
2. Plot:
Every episode has a new turn of events and always keeps you on your toes. Every episode has a cliffhanger and honestly, I love how the present story is connected to the past. The intricate web of interconnections between the characters' stories is very well depicted. There is a perfect balance of romance and action and mystery. I loved the action scenes and how JCW never fails to deliver them perfectly.
The best thing about this drama, apart from the amazing smoking chemistry of the leads, is that the writer has written it thoroughly, leaving no loose ends. There are many clues throughout the plot and everything has been thought out from the beginning. The end is a tad bit rushed, but overall, hats off to Song Ji Na.
3. Music:
The OSTs for this drama are so beautiful! They are in perfect sync with the mood of the drama. My personal favourites are 'Eternal Love' and 'You'. Eternal Love is the main OST for this drama and honestly, it will make you feel such deep emotions with its lyrics and beautiful singing, you'll be left in tears. I have it downloaded and its one of my go to songs, its so good.
4. Rewatch value:
VERY HIGH. I have watched this drama twice and I'm definitely going to watch it in the future!
All in all, I highly recommend you to watch this drama. Trust me, you won't regret it. ;)
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Something isn’t instinctually right about this drama.
I will admit : I’m the oddball because I do not like this drama at all .To put context - I must also make it clear that I was really excited to watch this show. I thought the genre was rejuvenating and that Healer was going to make for a stimulating watch. I had also previously watched Park Min Young and found her to be a pleasant actress plus this show enjoys nearly perfect ratings on MDL . A stunning overall of 9.2 out of 10 to be specific. Suffice to say - I was quite rapt to watch this drama.
But dear lawd.
For its type - it’s required to be more gripping which it isn’t. What are the intentions of this drama ? They are not clear at all. Is it romantic ? Political ? Fate ?Thriller ? Socially charged?Action ? And if it’s all these : why is it flat ?
The past informing the present wasn’t so satisfactorily done .. It affected the dramatic unfolding of characters in the present and the things they would say as well.The emotional core of the story was also set up to be socially relevant which was quite undermined by the childish direction of the main protagonists.The cartoonish action scenes with that twangy instrumental didn’t make much sense to me . There was so much to work with on a emotive angle which missed the plot. I did however like how warm and vulnerable the protagonists were but in retrospect that was just an accidental good consequence of puerile directing.
The character portraits of the supporting cast could have been more thought provoking and more intentional with the social relevance their were gunning for . That media side of the story line was so powerful and socially provoking and timeless as it’s relavance is quite apt in the 21st century but like I said before - puerile. The whole puppet master that you don’t really see but controls the politicians and corporations was quite intriguing but this show still managed to watch like a Coca Cola that’s been open and all the carbon is gone.
With such powerful themes - powerful character portraits battling ethics and morality is absolutely called for but all the characters proved severely wearisome.
For a while - I knew something wasn’t instinctually right about a certain component of the cast . I thought maybe it was that tenebrous , god forsaken picture they kept prancing around with no resolve. I seriously couldn’t quite put my finger on it until ep 7 and I realised that the main actor is not the most consistent. The way he handled his three personas could have been far better handled with another actor in my view. Especially when you are with the illustrious Lee Moon Shik who is superbly showing all his different personas of greedy business man, brother , husband , killer and loyal servant of the boss.
Ep 7 was a monumental episode for a number of reasons: it proved to me that this show has a really good plot but poor screenplay . It also showed that dramatic tension amongst the whole cast is very weak. I couldn’t carry on . Watching a thriller that’s not thrilling ? No thank you.
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I really loved the characters, especially the leading girl, she's a strong, brave and noble girl, not very common in most dramas.
The love story is very sweet with a great chemistry, without love triangles or typical cliches.
Good perfomances, OST and production.
It's worth watching
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