El Sanador

This is my all time favorite drama. I love everyting about it: the plot, the characters, the main paring - agh, just everything! I can't reccomend it enough to all kdrama folks out there.
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 just finished watching Healer after a 4-day binge (yup, goofed off from work lol). Can't believe it took me soooo long to discover this serial!! I had actually been staying away from kdramas for some months as I started a new job and couldn't afford the distractions as I tend to watch compulsively late into the night until I get headaches. I had just finished Reply 1998 last week and the withdrawal symptoms were so bad I needed another serial to distract myself after finding myself obsessing a little too much over Park Bo Geum's photos in my Instagram feed.

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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This drama is absolutely mind blowing. It made me laugh, cry, bite my nails in anticipation, fall in love, everything in a single drama. I love the way it progresses and the character development. The chemistry between the leads is perfect and the story line keeps you hooked throughout. I almost wouldn't have watched this drama if my friend hadn't urged me to watch it. When I first heard about there being 3 leads, I was wary of it being another love triangle drama, but thankfully it isn't that. If you love a good romance mixed with mystery and action, this is the perfect drama for you.

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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If you know the cast, you'll know it's a great watch

Just considering the fact that Healer was released in the year 2014 amazes me considering how far ahead of time it was and how much of a trend-setter this drama became for many future releases in the same sort of genre. Acting and casting was perfect - if you are familiar with the cast you'll know this is a great watch anyway - OST was surprisingly superb too! I wasn't too sure on the 20 episode length at first but Healer was never boring so the 20 episode length was a success!

I did get K2 and Vagabond vibes from this however since Healer was released first, I should say the opposite now! I am not surprised that Healer is in the top #10 most popular K-Dramas on MDL right now. Simply amazing!

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Just finished watching this amazing drama that is highly recommended by most viewers of Kdrama. It is really good, full of action and complicated back story that keeps things interesting to watch and at the edge of your seats until the very end. It's pretty much like City Hunter in my opinion, maybe because Park Min Young is here. The male lead, Ji Chang Wook is so handsome so that is a plus in this show. One thing that was just not good on this show is that, you have to endure the maybe 4-5 episodes at the start that I found boring and had to endure. It's because they are still establishing the back story on those episodes and as I've said, its quite deep and complicated. But good, because its just not some shallow plot. The sweet moments of the male and female lead were also just right, not too mushy or overdone. Just enough light moments to rest from the serious moments of the drama. Action scenes, fight scenes were awesome. I give this a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rate and its not just because everyone says so. Almost everything in this drama was done perfectly.

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Healer has a special place in my heart. It was the second drama I ever saw and it opened the door for me to explore the world of kdramas. It has everything and plenty of it - well developed story, amazing cast, great music and a unique charm that will keep you coming back for more to notice those little hints you did not register during the first viewing.

The only negative thing that I can say about Healer is that it takes the first two-three episodes for it to find the proper groove. At the beginning it feels quite off because the story is very comprehensive and you just need to pay attention to grasp it. On the other hand, the plot is well intertwined with flashbacks and emotionally rewarding.

The cast is just excellent. Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young are out of this world. What a great match of acting ability and chemistry. They both suit their roles so well. I loved Yoo Ji Tae as well, he was a joy to watch. The secondary characters are not lacking at all. Kim Mi Kyung was particularly amazing and her comedic ability took the drama up a notch.

I return to Healer regularly, and I think that I will for a long time. It really is that good.

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Never thought I would enjoy

I never thought I would enjoy this drama so much. I didn’t have any expectations from Healer—I only started watching it because of its huge fanbase and curiosity about the hype. But after finishing it, I completely understand why so many people are obsessed with this drama.

Spoilers
What makes Healer so engaging is that it doesn’t just stick to being an action thriller—it’s also a healing romance. Jung Hoo begins as a loner who distrusts everyone, but Young Shin’s warmth and resilience slowly break down his walls. Ji Chang Wook’s dual performance as Seo Jung Hoo and the awkward Park Bong Soo was a delight to watch, and his transitions between characters were really impressive.

The movie date scene was my favorite and most memorable moment—it was from that point that I couldn’t stop watching. The thriller aspect is equally strong, with the central mystery of the “illegal broadcasting team” from the 80s, their tragic fate, and how it ties into the present-day characters keeping the tension alive. The villains, especially the manipulative Elder and the creepy Secretary Oh (his OCD habits and unsettling smile were chilling), added to the suspense.

I also appreciated how the leads trusted and supported each other instead of dragging out unnecessary misunderstandings. There were many emotional scenes that were truly heart-touching. Healer’s teacher was another amazing character—his presence was short-lived, but impactful, and I wished we could have seen more of him.

That said, the drama isn’t without flaws. The final episode felt a little rushed, the Elder as the main villain was underdeveloped, and some side characters like Moon Ho and the hacker could have been explored more. A few mid-episodes dragged with repetitive chases, and at times I felt confused by some details, especially regarding the Elder’s side plot and the last water research subplot—it felt like something was missing.

Even with these shortcomings, Healer remains a must-watch if you enjoy thriller-romance dramas. And if you like a bit of nostalgic K-drama magic, you’ll definitely fall in love with this one.

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