Alias: Healer (2014)

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 is a MUST watch drama. I loved every single minute of it. Some dramas make me feel one hour per episode is too long but this one felt short. It was immersive and absorbing. To be honest, I can't think of a scene which I felt was draggy.

The script writing was very well done too. Usually dramas will leave us thinking to ourselves, how did this happen and why? But Healer covered everything well and there weren't any plot loopholes that made you think 'this could have happened too' or 'this doesn't make sense'.

The chemistry between the two main leads were mind blowing and believable. You could almost touch and feel the love they shared...it was that great! Trust me, you won't regret watching this 20 episodes drama.

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This drama has a fresh theme to it and is interesting every episode. It's like one of those dramas that you can watch nonstop. The main actors and actresses are amazing!!!!!! They look so awesome in action it's like you just want to see their sexy ass faces and body more and more. The fighting is like oh shet that's super hot! They have like super awesome high tech gadgets, i think that's what impresses me because other dramas dont have high tech gadgets. I think Kim Mi Kyung (Min Ja) made the drama funny because she would sing female kpop songs and i would just sing along with her. There were some tear jerking scenes that just comes out of nowhere and i just cry along. My favorite episode was when Park min young and chang wook dressed up, they looked sexy as fk and that scene where they acted rich was hilarious!!! Ji Chang Wook-ee and Park min young both made the greatest impression in this drama for me. Park min young got better in acting and so did ji chang wook, and his body so sexy! Chang wook is finally showing more of himself in this drama. Im not sure how this drama would have went without these amazing actors!

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OVERALL
If you thought it’s impossible to find a drama that maintains good balance between action, romance and character-driven plot without giving into incoherence or common story elements and clichés, then watch this. If you already thought it’s possible, still watch it.

THE STORY
When I started watching Healer, I wasn’t that into it. I wish I could remember what it was that wasn’t getting to me back then, because right now all I can think of is how awesome the drama is! Objectively speaking, even if I put that initial feeling aside, Healer is not a perfect show. There are things that, without seeming wholly incoherent, don’t make a lot of sense; there are some windows that never really get closed or ends that don’t precisely get tied by episode 20. But it’s a drama that is superior from others because it breaks clichés and it’s character-driven. Not only do the main leads and the villain have depth, but even flashback characters have their own individuality, which makes these scenes come to life. The women are all strong, smart and capable; the story managed to avoid falling in all clichéd abysses we see again and again in dramas, and the primary couple is not only adorable, coherent and real (skinship is real too, and plentiful!), it also puts to shame other Kdramaland OTPs in which doubt, distrust and misunderstandings always get the best of the pair.

THE ACTING
I love Ji Chang Wook, okay. I really do. I always follow all his projects. But he never gave me the feeling of being an amazing actor. I think that it’s because he always seems to be playing the same role, with only slight nuances. Anyway, he was dashing as usual in here, and chemistry was bursting out between him and Park Min Young. She was great, I think I liked her more than usual in here (possibly because her character was the best she’s had). But for me, the best acting in Healer definitely came from the older cast. Do Ji Won, Yoo Ji Tae and Park Sang Won were awesome, and my favorite ajumma actress, Kim Mi Kyung, as well.

THE MUSIC
It was great. Well, it must have been great. Frankly, I can’t remember most songs, not even Chang Wook’s. I was too infatuated by Ben’s You. Was on my mp3 since episode 1. Most catchy OST I’ve heard in a while!

REWATCH VALUE
Well, the show just ended yesterday, but guess what I’m thinking of watching tonight?

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Story: I loved how this drama is quite different from many dramas I have seen. I did have a misconception on the name Healer. I literally thought he had healing powers because that's what I thought I have been hearing from other people. I guess I was just reading wrong; however, his martial arts moves and the technology in this drama definitely made up for that. My fave part is that Jo Min Ja used to be on the Cyber Crime Squad. I have only seen Ghost that uses the Cyber Crime Squad in a drama. It makes it really interesting. Also, there was no love-triangle that there usually is in the drama and that sometimes drags out, but there didn't seem to be one. I really loved that, it was refreshing.

Cast: The main character's personalities aren't what you would usually find in 'typical' dramas. Although in 'typical' dramas, the personalities aren't bad, they are just used a lot. Therefore, it makes this drama really refreshing. I was a bit hesitant to watch this drama because I was still confused about what it was, but I got excited after watching the first few episodes. The chemistry between the two main characters felt natural. I loved how Yeong Shin trusted Jung Hoo, it really made them a powerful couple in this drama. The supporting roles in this drama all seemed important enough to remember throughout the drama as well. They all seemed to make some sort of impact throughout the drama.

For the music, I really loved "Eternal Love" by Michael Learns to Rock. The other songs were kind of just a blur, but yeah Eternal Love was really good and seemed to fit pretty well.

I am not a person that rewatches dramas, but I mean if I really had the time and wasn't sure what else to watch I would definitely want to rewatch this drama.

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I really enjoyed watching Healer, it's a unique action/suspense/romance drama that has a good balance of all three. Sometimes however i felt like the action scenes were a bit... convenient. For example the bad guys never even carry a gun? Why do they fist fight and charge at Healer in a straight line with no tactic whatsoever? Well regardless the point the producers are trying to establish is Healer is a bit more overpowered than a average human spy/thief and we have to love him all the more for it (i mean what girl don't fall for heroes right?)

I think the casts did a really good job in this drama. I'm not familiar with any of the actor/actresses but my favourite has to be Park Min Young. Her portrayal of Chae Yeong Shin was really cute and easy to fall in love with. I think Ji Chang Wook did a great portraying Healer both in a super natural way and as a human who is isolated from society. Park Min Young and Ji Chang Wook have good chemistry together, they pass off as a couple very naturally so it's easy to understand how Healer can fall in love so quick with Chae Yeong Shin. I think main characters having chemistry is great, however at the same time I felt like neither of them were very inspiring during emotional scenes in a way that went straight to my heart. When they cry or stare into each other's eyes, the intensity of the emotion is lacking and I never get the gut wrenching feeling i know i should feel. Something else that really bugged me was the romance was a little bit too puppy love. Call me perverted, but in the few lip touching (i can't call that a kiss com'on!) scenes and hug scenes where we get to see the couple enjoy time together with each other (and when they finally confess), why does everything feel so tepid? Is that really all they do together?! Considering we know how much Healer did in order to be by Chae Yeong Shin's side, yet their romance is sorely lacking.

Anyway favourite character in this drama is in fact hacker Ahjumma, she is someone who's past is still shrouded in history and will forever remain so but I like how she worries subtly about Healer and watches over him and their bickering is like mother and son.

My impression of the music in this drama is not good. The main reason is due to one single song that ruined every moment for me, every time it came on during tender moments the singer's high pitched voice felt like nails scratching down a chalk board and killed the moment. I remember hearing this song on three separate occasions and how it completely ruined the mood for me. As a result i have a extremely bad impression of Healer's OST as a whole. Subjectively speaking however the music might deserve a higher rating than i gave them, but again the reason i did so is because of one song which killed every single scene for me.

Rewatch value of this drama is quite low for me because once the story unfolded all the mystery of the past was solved, and there is really nothing that attaches me to this drama. The romance of the mains while convincing just isn't at the level that makes me miss them.

As this drama drew to a close, it became more and more obvious the pacing in the initial episodes was a bit slow so not enough time was given in the last episode to wrap everything up. Therefore viewers are forced to watch a rushed job as the script writer and director do their best to give us a happy ending. I am extremely dissatisfied with this ending, it could have been much better but due to bad planning and scripting it became poorly made.

Overall, this is a drama i might recommend to friends who like a good action/suspense story and prefer romance to be toned down.

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This is such a perfect, addicting drama with a very consistent plot... No dragging/boring moments.. Aside from the romantic scenes, it has a very sensible social issues that they tackle.... Then from there, a great moral lesson learned...

Lots of humor, Awesome script writing and very detailed... The Music score and OST??---just PERFECT!!... (& that's what I love the most with Kdramas)...

This is not exaggerated but this series really deserves a perfect feeling.... There might be a few flaws, but that's too minor to pay attention too.... All actors/actresses had a great dynamics and connive with their characters well... They just delivered it perfectly... even the flashback scenes are heart wrenching...

I've never seen a fight/action stunts that graceful and sexy..... I guess, they were using "parkour" on those action scenes... It has a classic, timeless appeal so even many years passed this will be a very remarkable drama for everyone, just how "Endless Love" series are..

Just watch it, and you wont regret it... I've seen a lot of Kdramas, but Healer is incomparable (in terms of feeling watching it and the plot as well)..... Great for international viewers as well..

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Hmmm... How to start this?



I had originally planned on starting before it ended airing so i could finish with "everyone else", but Park Min Young and all the spoilers flying around made me hesitate. But I finally got enough courage to watch it and I dramathoned it with all my might. Not because I was hooked and mesmerized but because my "real life" dongsaeng was.



Get your rotten gogumas ready because I think a lot won't like what I have to say. And that's ok.



The show, it was... Ok! I'll blame myself for not enjoying it as much as so many others seemed. I expected way too much from it because of all the praise it was receiving from my eonnis and other members and it didn't meet my expectations. I was even bored halfway through it and started to look for other things to do while "watching". So while my sister was excitedly yelling "DID YOU SEE THAT?" or cooing over the "real couple like acting", I was browsing through GR to see what else I could add to my already bloated reading list. Some might think I got bored because I basically just took breaks to sleep, but I once watched a 108 episode drama (it was only 35 minutes per episode, so it would equal like 54 episodes) in around 5 days and it never bored me.



The OST. It is pretty forgettable. I remember hating the music, but don't remember what it sounded like in the least. I, especially, hated the music choice they used for action scenes, it made those less exciting.



The acting. It was good, really good, for the most part. Park Min Young didn't even bother me... that much. And Ji Chang Wook keeps growing on me. Also, there were so many tearjerking moments in this drama, yet I didn't shed one single tear. It was upsetting to say the least. I'm a crybaby when it comes to dramas, yet... What happened? Good acting and touching moments, but I wasn't moved one bit. Well, that's not true. There was one moment that did shake me up a bit, but I still didn't cry.



The drama wasn't bad. If I hadn't fallen for the, I don't want to call it hype... The excitement most other viewers felt, I would have probably enjoyed it more, or maybe I wouldn't have. I'll never know.



I rated it an 8 because the acting wasn't bad, but I still feel I can go lower.

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I would've given it full 10's but I wished there was couple more songs than the "eternal love" and "you", anyway. whats astonishing about this drama is how solid it is. the characters especially were incredibly written, no cliche's or out of character attitude.
and that can be said about everything in Healer
No Cliche's .
I find it surprising that the writer doesn't have an experience in this type of drama, yet she produced a masterpiece. The lines, the conversations, the little remarks and nods, and the way characters talk and interact with each other let alone her ability in sustaining the level of excitement and tension with the presence of mellow and romantic moments as well.
The Casting is a top notch, every single one of them ( Park Min Young, Ji Chang Wook,Yoo Ji Tae, the incredible Ahjumma, the crazy secretary Oh, Double S leader, the someday office boys. Yeong Chin father and the coffee shop ahjushi, also the cyber detective, and every single other person), all of them interacted in a lovely, hilarious adorable and convincing way, the evil ones were excellent too.
the action scenes and the romance were something I will never ever forget, best romance acting in K Dramas till now - with all respect to Hyun Bin secret Garden Romance-.
and I am sure that the fans who watched this drama will never forget the songs, and it will send tear in their eyes and deep nostalgic feeling.
I am incredibly grateful for this show, thank you for everyone who helped making it happen, and I Can't wait for the writers next project, and Ji Chang Wook too!

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Wow! Just... wow! I mean... I never expected this when I started Healer. I had heard a lot of good stuff about it and I had great expectations but I never thought it would be this good. Healer is like in a league of it's own! Amazing, well-written story. It was so interesting throughout and kept me guessing. I loved the mystery and it was all so cool! Awesome acting! All of the cast was seriously so good! Ji Chang Wook is love! Not only is he super hot but he's also super talented and he did an awesome job! Now just please go play a creepy, hot serial killer because I would love to see you in that kind of a role! I also loved his character! He was so adorable and cool and hot and adorable!! I loved Park Min Young. I've always liked her as an actress and she didn't disappoint here as well. And Young Shin was so cute! All the characters were really well-written. I loved Yoo Ji Tae. This was my first time watching him and I gotta say I'm impressed! The rest of the cast was amazing too, especially Kim Mi Kyung as hacker Ahjumma (she is my new role-model) and Jeong Gyoo Soo as the creepy assistant. I also really liked the music! The soundtrack is so good! All of the songs, including the instrumentals, are great! This drama was seriously amazing! It made me laugh, it made me cry and it was a perfect blend of romance, action, mystery, suspense and comedy. Plus the OTP is beyond adorable so you can't help but ship it and the OTP scenes will make you melt!

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