Healer is the pseudo of a mysterious individual (Ji Chang Wook) who provide his services for everything from espionage, surveillance to cyber hacking to the highest bidder. The only exception being contract killings. Healer lived his life in solitary in the dark. Having been abandoned by his mother and mentor, he led a lonely meaningless existence motivated solely by financial gains, until he took on a surveillance assignment to get close to a reporter. (Park Min Young) Healer assumed a different identity as a bumbling co-worker to get close to Park. Against himself, Healer started to develop feelings for Park and things get complicated when he realized Park's childhood past is intricately linked to his own. Healer then seeks answers to his own past while deliberating if he should be open about his feelings and true identity to Park.
Do I like Healer?
Yes, absolutely.
Not in a way I rate the solidly scripted thriller, Signal though. I love Healer because of its vibes. Not many dramas can put a smile on my face and give me butterflies in my stomach whenever the 2 leads interact. The chemistry between Park Min Young and Ji Chang Wook are amazing.
The action/fight sequences are welll done by JCW and I really appreciate how the script writers reward their viewers rooting for the romance between the leads to be adequately compensated. Nothing is more frustrating than romantic dramas that do not wholly quench the thirst of their viewers after waiting for the leads to overcome their barriers. None of that in Healer. I guarantee viewers won't feel shortchanged after the long wait in anticipation when those 2 leads would acknowledge their love for one another.
I truly enjoy Healer and I am now a fan of Ji Chang Wook.
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Story (10.0): An amazing storyline! Didn't have me hooked from the get go, but it did soon enough. I have a problem where I can love a drama and still lose interest in continuing, or I see some negative comment on the next episode and I'm like meh I'll watch this later, let's go find a new drama. Or I even have to read recaps to get through a drama... Healer was nothing like that. Seriously. There was one point when secrets are being revealed that I saw a comment on the next episode saying how distrusting Ji Ahn was of her friends... Let me tell you, that almost had me wait for a whole minute to watch the next episode! But in the end I completely disagreed with the negative comment anyway. What I love about Ji Ahn was that she trusted her friends even when things didn't look good and evidence pointed the wrong way. She had her weaknesses but she was also a strong female character. And Jung Hoo can DEFINITELY hold his own. Plenty of squeal worthy fighting and pseudo-parkour to please anyone. Sometimes when I watch dramas even if I enjoy some melodrama, there is a point where miscommunication and the like can get extremely annoying and cause me to drop the drama. There were one or two points where I felt something coming in this storyline along those lines, but I was surprised both times by the resolutions that just made me love the characters more. If anyone has any qualms about the 20 episodes vs. 16, there was not even a single sign of dragging to make this drama the full 20 episodes. In fact, at the end I was hoping for a little more time to cool off and see the characters in their finally peaceful lives!
Acting/Cast (10.0): I loved all the characters in this drama and they were all played by very good actors/actresses! If I have any complaint here, it's that I couldn't stop seeing the nervous Emperor Huizong whenever Ji Chang Wook was playing Park Bong Soo... I even half expected the dramatic deathly hand drop at one scene where Oh Ji Ahn is holding his head in her lap... :D Of course this doesn't detract at all because Ji Chang Wook is such a good actor anyway. Even the children actors were amazing and small boy Jung Hoo had me crying when he was eating that potato... Ahh, the feels. The best part was that Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young are really good together as a couple; definitely not the best, I have at least two other couples that surpassed this one, but it is probably a top 5, maybe 3, of my favorite drama couples. (Even if my mind keeps throwing Empress Ki in the mix).
Music (8.5): Pretty good music, but it took me a few episodes to really feel it... Don't get me wrong, the music fits with the drama, but it didn't quite resonate with me from the start. However, the lyrics to that one ending song are really good even if I didn't originally appreciate the style of the song. Rewatch Value (10.0): I don't rewatch many things unless I really really really enjoy them, and this is definitely a drama I could see myself rewatching very soon! In fact I may just force some family members to sit down and watch it with me....
Overall (10.0): My first 10.0. Yes, no drama is completely perfect, but I was logically able to reason away any flaws I saw and I really wanted to give my first real 10 to a drama, so yeah I rounded this up. And if you think I'm being hesitant, Healer definitely earned every single one of these stars. There are some dramas I've rated slightly lower which I might be more inclined to rewatch because they personally resonated more with me even though I was able to find more flaws, but this is currently in my top 3 dramas, if not inhabiting first place.
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Everything you would expect, and more.
The genres say, Action, Thriller, Mystery and Romance and that’s exactly what you get in this great drama. The acting was fantastic. Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young were unbelievable. Min Young is so good at portraying different characters I sometimes have a hard time believing it’s really her. She was perfect in the role of Chae Yeong Chin, the effervescent news reporter. Chang Wook was his usual amazing self. He brought the Healer character to life in every episode of this drama. I also need to mention the fantastic Kim Mi Kyung, one of the best supporting actresses in all Kdrama. This was one of her best roles. She played the hacker Min Ja so well you would think she’d been doing it her whole life.Every episode was action packed and interesting. Yes, the Healer was super human and rarely lost in any of his encounters. That’s what made this drama so much fun to watch. There were so many twists and turns that I felt I was watching Mission Impossible. There were emotional moments and times when you wanted to scream at the screen. It immersed you into the story and kept you there til the end.
The music was nice and mixed well with the drama. When I feel the music pull me deeper into the story I know it’s well done.
The romance was just perfect and normal. They found each other and became boyfriend and girlfriend in the middle of the drama. Sharing each other like normal people in love do. It was done sweet and romantic. No love triangle, just two people who find each other under the most unusual of circumstances. They overcame outside influences and stayed by each other’s side. Who could ask for more.
I loved this drama and would recommend it to everybody. It is now one of my all time favorites.
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- The Story was a crescendo, it continues to getting better and better. I love all... this scripter was amazing. No stupid misunderstandings in the couple! She accepted all of him, and he loved her so much... They're my absolute OTP of all time.
- Acting/Cast: I loved all the cast.... the good and the bad ones. She was amazing, and He was so damn cute.
- Music... really sweet and cute, I really love Ji Chang Wook's OST.
I'll rewatch this so much times!!
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Story:
From the beginning to the end, it held me in its grip. There was never a boring moment. You get thrown right into the action and it keeps on building. Mysteries accumulate and just when you think there's a solution, a new problem appears. The genres in this story were well-balanced too. I didn't feel like there was too much or too little of anything. To me, it feels all were given equal attention.
Acting/Cast:
All the actors, from main to guest appearance were strong in their acting. They were convincing. They were real. No over-acting where it wasn't needed. I was even surprised to see how real they reacted in certain situation. They made me feel for them, even the bad guys I could love (in a way) because of how real they felt.
The lead male, Healer... I'm really happy with his acting. When he was a cool guy, he was just that. When he needed to be a more normal guy, he was just that. And can I just mention how adorable that character is?
The lead female I really loved as well. I don't usually love the female main in a romance, at most like. She was strong, but with her flaws. She was real and that made her very likeable. Whatever came across her path, she dealt with it with human emotions. When she was courageous, she was so with fear.
Music:
On point. The OST fits the story and moods perfectly. The main instrumental which you hear through the first 10sec of episode 1 already convinced me I was in for a great ride. It sure made true of it! Eternal Love, another song you hear often, is now permanently stuck in my mind. Through-out the story, the music added to the emotions displayed on the screen. And having had the lyrics translated on screen as well - the meaning behind the songs played were clearly kept in mind as they played. It really gave a second layer to the scenes because of it.
Rewatch Value:
High. Definitely. I'm not someone who can easily rewatch things I've seen, because I remember too well and will end up growing bored. However! I don't feel the same about this drama. I really enjoy the acting and interaction between the characters/actors on screen. I could watch it for many hours more. The music as well, I just cannot stop listening to it.
Negatives?
I don't have any. But if you would really force me to name one? It's the hacking. Sometimes it was maybe a bit exaggerated the way Ahjumma was typing away on her keyboard, but hey - it's a drama. It wasn't anywhere near bad enough to make me annoyed by it. like I've seen in many movies before and what not. It was not annoying, just something I noticed once or twice at most. That being my only negative.. I guess that shows how great a drama it truly is.
This nit picker couldn't find anything else to nit pick about. I'm sure the drama's that are to follow this one will have a hard time reaching the bar that's been raised by this beauty. <3
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After this i left it again for some unknown reasons...
But You shouldn't do the same. If you are thinking to see this gr8 show then you must at once go for it!!!!!
Story- for this i have one word "Perfect". Even thou the story was no new. It was made up of many old stories but the way it was executed and made into action was totally applaudable and worthy of your time. Romance was so satisfying. Chemistry between the leads was so gr8 that even slightest touches between them would make me squeak and kisses would make me jump.
Acting/Cast - Park Min Young was my already favorite since City Hunter but after this drama one more actor got into my fav list - Ji Chang Wook. It was like i couldn't find any flaws. Yoo Ji Tae also did a gr8 job. he did a gr8 job in showing a difficult and blend of emotions that it would give you "feels".
Music- was again perfect. best fit with the scenes and I've already downloaded all the OST(s).
Rewatching it is a must for me. I would Re watch it again and again and i think i will never be able to get bored.
Before this City Hunter was my Favorite action - thriller but now this one is sure on the top.
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I don't get why so many people love this drama so much
Before saying anything else, let me get this off my chest. I need Ji Chang Wook and Taehyung (V) of BTS to do a drama together as brothers! Some of Chang Wook's mannerisms, especially when he was acting as Bong Soo, were so insanely V-like. Also, from a few angles Chang Wook looked SO much like V it was crazy! I really hope it happens someday. I feel like they'd be amazing together.Now, for the show itself, honestly I was gonna give it a 7/10 rating, but the last episode was so weird and unsatisfying that it left me with a bad taste. This is one of the longest k-dramas I've ever watched, but the last episode felt rushed and unplanned. Like they simply threw something together because they realized it was the finale, but failed to deliver on a proper ending. Threads were left hanging loose all over the place. I was very disappointed and underwhelmed.
The overall plotlines I enjoyed. The thing with the parents, the kids, all of the interpersonal relationships between characters (especially those, the show really shined in that respect). The fight scenes were also very good and entertaining to watch and the acting from the two main characters was top notch. Chang Wook particularly blew me away. It was insane how different he was as Bong Soo and Jung Hoo. Also Park Min Young is always a delight (I almost didn't recognize her at first because of the short hair). As a couple they were adorable, and anytime there's a more than average amount of skinship, I'm happy. But the rest of the cast, I wasn't so impressed with.
Now, for the bad, who chose the OST for this? Like, maybe it's a chronological thing and back when this aired the music choices would have been considered good? I don't know, but I thought they were largely the bad kind of cheesy. Especially that "It's a beautiful feeling" one. That one made me cringe each time it started playing. But beyond that, I think they made very questionable choices on how to musicalize plenty of scenes. Like, they'd play happy-ish, up beat music during fight scenes or tense moments, which completely wrecked the mood for me. This happened a few times during the endings of the episodes, but then, on the replay of that same scene on the beginning of the next episode, they'd use a more mood-appropriate song, and it was insane how much the vibe shifted.
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This drama had everything suspense, action, romance and it was continuously funny. Every time things got too intense there would always be a scene to make you laugh.
And finally, JCW isn't too bad to look at either and he puts off being both sexy and adorable at the same time.
I don't understand how this didn't have bigger ratings in Korea. They must be crazy!
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My friends strongly recommended this to me, but I was hesitant because I had too many expectation with everybody saying that it was awesome.
Well. It WAS!
I watched City Hunter some time ago and this drama resembles that: love story, action, good character, same girl (lucky girl!!!).
The OST is beautiful, I downloaded it and every time I listen to that I start to remember the drama!
The plot is good, Ji Chang Wook is pretty much perfection in this drama (and you can watch it just for the shirtless scene!).
I strongly recommend it, one of the best I've seen so far!
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Healer has it all: romance, family drama, dark past, but above all action and suspense. It is able to build tension and release it through sweet and touching moments. Nowadays I am seeing less and less dramas able to do it, so I think you should watch Healer if you want a taste of a quality drama.
If we look at the story, it is well-built. Every episode new clues were revealed and made you wonder. There was an intricate map behind the story, and the writer was good at creating it. The characters were deep, and full of layers. They were stereotypical, but not fully stereotyped.
Each actor gave their best and especially the main leads Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young, made me love their couple really much. They have a lot of chemistry and could pass as lovers, haha! I ship this. Their romance built up at a medium pace with the girl falling for the guy first. Then he also fell for her because his pain had become unbearable and he needed support. He had denied himself a lot of things since he became the Healer, and this time he really found someone and something worth fighting for… Love.
The music was really good. There was a song in english as the main OST, and it stuck in my head because of that. Sometimes it is hard to let a Korean song get in your head because of the language barrier, so I was glad they decided to come closer to foreigners by using a song that everyone would understand and like.
What are you doing, still reading this review? Go and watch Healer! ;D
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The enjoyment for me was mostly in the characters. I really liked Ji Chang Wook's character(in fact I liked him so much that I watched another one of his dramas after I finished Healer) Both Jung Hoo and Bong Soo were precious in every way (even if Bong Soo was just a facade). Park Min Young was great too. Young Shin was a great and dynamic female lead, and I enjoyed every moment she was on screen. Young Shin's dad was the best though. Him and his small gang of ex-convicts. The cast was quite good. What made me keep watching despite my lack of deep investment was Young Shin and Jung Hoo, they were both great individually and together.
The music was very nice. The OSTs were stuck in my head for quite a while. Plus they were in English, so I could sing along. Somehow, they managed to pull off English OSTs without making them sound as cringy as they often do in some kdramas, so kudos for that. The background music was fitting, too.
I don't think I'll watch this again. I rarely rewatch things and this has not given me any reason to consider watching it. (Edit 04/2020: Haha i did end up rewatching it (though i skipped a lot) because I wanted to see Ji Chang Wook again)
Overall I think this was a pretty ok drama, but not really anything special. I'm still a bit disappointed. I thought I was in for something mind-blowing because of all the great reviews on here. Plus it's just my type of drama, action-packed, suspenseful, dramatic... I'm not sure where it went wrong.
Watch it if you feel like it. The romance is wonderful, and the characters are well developed. It's not bad at all, I did enjoy it, but I just see it as another decent drama, not the masterpiece that everyone else seems to see.
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