El Sanador (2014)

Take a Hike Batman - Healer has it Covered

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2014/2015 South Korean Drama with 20 episodes (~60 minutes/episode).Seo Jung-hoo/Park Bong-soo/Healer (Ji Chang-wook) does illegal jobs as a "night courier." Jung-hoo is an exceptional martial artist who utilizes cutting edge technology and a partner who specializing in computer technology and hacking. The night courier work is a way Jung-hoo plans to purchase an island off the coast of Panama to live on solo. One of his clients, Kim Moon-ho (Yoo Ji-tae) is a famous reporter who asks Healer to locate and protect a girl named Chae Young-shin/Oh Ji-an (Park Min-Young) from people that want to harm her. The three come together to discover the truth of a tragedy that occurred in 1992 which resulted in the crippling of one friend in a group of five best friends and the death of two. There are those who are determined to insure that past is not uncovered and who will harm anyone who gets in their way.

This show had everything I love in it. There was amazing action scenes, suspense, a sweet romance, love of family, good winning over evil - just all the elements were there. The characters were so compelling that I was sad when my time in "Healer" world was over. This one shoots right to the top of my favorites list.

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6 years have passed i still haven't moved on from this masterpiece

every time a friend or online acquaintance asks me for a kdrama recommendation... this is the go-to kdrama i would recommend - that is how good this drama is. i have watched it over 25 times and still am not bored of it. occasionally, i go onto youtube and watch the little cuts of the drama too and still squeal in amazement. 6 years have passed since i first saw the drama for the first time, and how i wish i could rewind time to watch it for the very first time again and again.

story: 9/10
the plot was GREAT. the story was so refreshing... a night courier? falling in love and protecting the girl he was supposed to investigate? it already sounded AMAZING right off the bat. subplots were super interesting as well, i cried at quite a few parts, it was really touching. i loved how they incorporated hacking and like those action scenes too... but this is the only category that didn't get a 10/10 for me because of certain parts i guess. the airport scene was pretty abrupt for me... but then again, i still enjoyed every moment of it.

acting/cast: 10/10
ji changwook's best work, imo. i've watched him in k2 and suspicious partner and backstreet rookie as well... but none of it quite matches up to his performance in this show. perhaps it's his role, or maybe his chemistry with park minyoung but it WORKED. it didn't just work, but it was truly an astounding execution on his part. i don't think anyone else in the industry could have executed his role quite as perfectly.
as for park minyoung, this was the first time i saw her act... and I LOVED IT. i think it's her role too, because i've watched her in other dramas as well like what's wrong with secretary kim and sungkyunkwan scandal but... her healer role just hits different. again, i think it could be the role or chemistry. the casting was truly perfect for this drama.

music: 10/10
i still have the songs in my spotify playlist. you by ben... omg. her voice is crazy, it sounds like chae youngshin is singing it because it's like from her pov you know what i mean?? plus the BGM they play when healer jumps from building to building... OUTSTANDING, truly. i get goosebumps EVERYTIME even when listening to it rn. eternal love too... urgh i have neverending praises for the bgm of this drama.

rewatch value: 10/10
i mean i watched it 25 times so... i don't think anyone is quite as obsessed about this drama as i am. ah, but if only i knew from the start exactly how good it was gonna be... i would have savoured every moment of my first watch. but then again, the rewatch value is still wayyyy up there. i still feel the same emotions or even more intensely with every watch.

overall: 9.5/10
not a single drama gets a 10/10 in my list, but if i ever had to give a 10/10, this drama would be it. YOU GUYS HAVE TO WATCH IT I SWEAR, PLEASE TRUST ME ON THIS I LITERALLY CREATED AN ACCOUNT JUST TO WRITE THIS REVIEW FINALLY AFTER 6 YEARS.

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Given all the hype surrounding this drama, I came in with high expectations. This didn't blow me away but it was interesting enough for me to keep watching. This was a good drama but I didn't feel anything special walking away from it. Idk maybe my expectations were too high. I've seen a lot of people comment about how the romance in this is one of the most uncomplicated relationships in a drama and I can say that is very true. The first few episodes are slow but the story starts to pick up eventually.


THE PLOT was pretty interesting. If I had to complain about anything it would be the flashbacks with the parents. I know they were put in to reveal more about the past but I just didn’t find them that compelling. It was the dynamics of Kim Moon Hoo and his brother and Healer and their possible connection that kept me tuned in. 


THE MAIN CAST was very good. Ji Chang Wook did something to me after K2, so naturally, I went from Suspicious Partner to this. I still think his best role was K2, but he was still pretty good here. He is a very talented actor and his good looks just add to his greatness. It was funny seeing him go undercover as a shy person to get closer to Yeong Shin. Chae Yeong Shin was strong-minded and independent, which is something you don’t see often with female leads in kdramas. She wasn’t cheesy and she seemed believable, so that’s good. Ahjumma was a nice balance to JCW and played off of him nicely. The chemistry from the two leads was very nice. Their romance is slow but sure. JCW can easily convince you that he’s in love with anyone with his acting skills. The most interesting character to me was Kim Moon Ho. He was the cool and charismatic celebrity reporter, however there was just enough mystery around him that made me want to find out more about him and his sinister brother.  I also felt the action scenes, although good, could’ve been better.



THE MUSIC was good. I really like Ben's "You." It has the perfect amount of emotion. "Eternal Love" gives a feeling of nostalgia and I like that.


OVERALL I give this an 8/10. Although this was good I felt like this how didn’t give me the emotional climax I needed. I felt like something was missing but I can’t exactly say what it is. Even though this drama didn't make it on my favorites list I still enjoyed watching. Rewatch value is low, but I'd be open to watching this sometime maybe in a few years.

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I have been looking at ths time and time again on Netflix but couldn't bring myself to watch it for some reason. I am so glad I finally got to watch it all and I loved it and will watch it again. I got wrapped up in the characters and where they led the story to. I loved the concept of the story and the changing of the characters and how the "hero" was flaws because he hadn't experienced real life. The main actors showed why they still have careers and went on to bigger and better things. I am amazed at the amount of talent in nearly all the Korean dramas I've seen. I am surprised by this one as I watched the female lead in a role she plays later and I could see how she honed her skills as did the main actor. Watch this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Watching again.

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This drama is so-so

I liked this drama because of its storyline, production. It's mostly based on action and romance with a hint of comedy. I felt this drama was pretty slow sometimes but nothing too bothersome. Characters played by Ji Tae, Min Kyung, and some supporting casts were awesome!
Now I should talk about why I dislike it. Honestly, I never felt solid chemistry between Ji Chang and Min-young. She received a corny female lead character who would love the protagonist no matter what he does. Some parts of the story also don't make any sense. I guess they were not going for a realistic one and that's okay.
Overall, it's good.

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A little bit overhyped, maybe?

I wrote some notes while watching this (I usually don't write them but with this show, I feel like doing it so I did).

- Ji Chang-wook is one of my favorite male actors, no doubt. I've only watched two of his dramas so far and I feel like I've not had enough. I know I have a lot of his dramas to watch still but I'm already afraid of running out of JCW shows to watch (and I don't usually rewatch shows). I wanna binge all of this dramas right now but at the same time, I wanna save them. But at the beginning of this show, JCW was somehow not that great. I mean, he's so gorgeous and so talented. But I feel like his full potential came into action later in the show. He just has it all: the good looks, the talent to act and convey many type of emotions (and he is so good in acting only with his eyes and facial expressions), beautiful voice to listen to, those intense stares... He can do romance, he can do action, he can drive a car lol (I have a personal thing with korean actors driving fine cars, since I'm not that great of a driver myself).
- The name of the drama, Healer, got many meanings as the plot progressed. At first I didn't really understand the title but now I think I do. The main couple also seem to heal each other in some way, they both have had some terrible experiences in their past. But the events in the past felt a little separete. They got explained but I'm still a little confused.
- On the other hand, it was nice that the romance wasn't really the main focus of this drama. But still, I wished that there would have been a little bit more romance and it would have started a little bit earlier. But, then again, the romance betweem the main leads felt so natural. There really wasn't that much of those cliche stupid misunderstandigs and breakups/makeups and that on/off-stupidivity that I'm used to seeing in many kdramas (those misunderstandings are just annoying and childish). Both of them respected each other and Healer himself didn't act like a douchebag but was so protective and nice and, well, clingy (but in a good way), towards her. That's the real romance! The chemistry between the main leads was also good, I believed their romance.
- The fighting scenes were okay but still not that great. I mean, some of them were really good (for example, the one were Healer was speaking on the phone and hitting the villains at the same time) but, on the other hand, some of them felt a little fake and you can clearly see it. There was many cuts in those scenes and it made it feel like trying tobluff the watcher to believe them and to make an illusion of a fast-pacing and dangerous fight scene.
- At first, the beautiful piano music (the Healer theme, I think?) felt a little separate when it was playing almost all the time. But as the show progressed further, the effect of that beautiful ost got stronger. I really liked that song, it was the most memorable in the show. Very beautiful and good to make the emotional impact stronger.
- The last episode was a little bit of a let-down. Everything happened and there was even more plot twists and it seems that it wrapped up a little too fast. Instead, the better option would have been to make this kdrama a little bit shorter and then to start wrapping things up earlier. So the pacing of the events wasn't always working that well. And so many things happened that it was a little confusing to keep up at times. So much politics and all that.
- This was a good series. I just felt like it got really good and addictive around the middle part when I've seen about half of the episodes. So it was quite slow and maybe a little bit too long. But there is pretty much everything in this drama: humor, action, romance, drama... And superhero vibes!

Overall, I really enjoyed this show and watched it quite fast. Very watchable and, well, if Ji Chang-wook is in a drama, it's automatically at least a mediocre show - and this kdrama was a way above mediocre, definitely. Just a little bit overhyped, in my opinion. But I will keep watching JCW's shows, of course I will. And now I feel quite empty having finished this show.

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"Healer" was the first Korean drama I've ever watched. I stubbled across its trailer online and so I decided to give it a try. Next, I found myself obsessing over both main characters Seo Jung Hoo and Chae Yeong Chin. I was first surprised and chocked by the storyline since its unique and quite perfect. Then, what attracted me the most was the chemistry between Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young. I've watched several Korean dramas after "Healer" but Ji Chang Wook remained forever my favorite Korean actor with his shining smile and perfect looks.

Overall, I recommend anyone who is looking for a wonderful action romantic drama to watch "Healer". You'll find yourself hooked and eager to rewatch over and over again.

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A ‘Healing’ watch

While no show can be truly perfect, Healer certainly comes very close. The chemistry between the Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young was fantastic. Very believable, sweet, lots of skinship, trust, and communication. An excellent romance. Falling in love with a man of mystery is a dream many people may fantasize about, and here we get to see it personified in a tasteful manner.

The plot was fairly solid. While the villains were rather 2D and the plot got a little lost at the end, it was not overwhelming. While there were many action/fight scenes, they were well choreographed and there was little gore. Some of the earlier fight scenes were cut with a relaxing OST which I personally enjoyed, as it softened the tension a little and set the mood for the show.

I think it would have been nice to have more backstory/screen time for some of the supporting characters. They do have enough to make them feel “real” which is nice, but the writer chose to focus on the main couple the most—which I’m happy about. So it’s not really a complaint, but rather an observation.

Though I liked the OST, it would have been nice to have ~2 more songs, as it felt like I was always hearing the same 3 songs. I probably have the lyrics to them memorized by now lol. That being said, I do also find it comforting to hear the same song frequently. Anyway I didn’t really mind, it’s more just something I noticed.

Overall it was a very easy and enjoyable watch. Though there is action, it is not too intense, and though a romance, it is not unbearably cheesy. I’ve rewatched it once (1m after first watch) and enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than the first time. The plot was a little easier to follow and I picked up on little details I hadn’t noticed before.

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A perfect blend of story, characters and relationships

I absolutely adored this drama.
One great feat of this show is that it managed to perfectly blend story, characters and relationship. Oftentimes shows will have too much plot and not enough characters and relationships development making it heavy to watch or they’ll have too much focus on the characters and relationship and just barely any plot. Healer in my opinion blended all of these aspects perfectly.
For me to fall in love with a show I need one of two things: at least a character that I absolutely love or a great plot that leaves me breathless. If the plot is meh but I love at least one character I can keep watching and if the characters are just fine but the plot is mind blowing I can keep watching.
In this case the story wasn’t mind blowing, however it also wasn’t mediocre, it was extremely interesting and I always wanted to see where we were going and what was going to happen next, not once did I find myself feeling bored of it and wanting to just skip ahead. (a bit of a lie, I did skip through during the last 2 episodes, but I don’t think that’s the show’s fault, I’m honestly just impatient and have a short attention span).
What I really fell in love with, however, was our main character “Healer”. I really liked him from the beginning but by the middle of it I was completely in love with him and I kept begging the people in the show to please just give him lots and lots of love (and a reliable father figure). He’s the perfect blend of badass and reserved, but not in a macho bad boy way: he will kick the bad people’s asses but he’s not a rude asshole, he’s reserved for sure, but in a “I don't know how to act in social situations” way. Listen, I don't know how to explain this. I just know that I love him and I’ll be founding a campaign to find him a new father figure.
Does it deserve a 10/10? I don't know, but I also don’t know how to rate things so I’ll just give it because I feel like it.
(gave the music a 6 because nothing really wowed me but also there was nothing bad with it,. I honestly can't remeber one single piece of music that I heard)

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After 7 months (I started watching this in September), I finally completed this drama. Yes, you heard (read lol) well: 7 months! I don't know why it took me so long to finish this show, because the quality of the cast, the production, the action scenes etc is undeniable. I did end up giving it 9 stars. But it wasn't a drama that grabbed me to the point I was obsessed. I would watch it every now and then, two episodes at a time, and then not watch it for a while. For that reason, I can't give a 10. Also, I must admit that the last 2 episodes disappointed me quite a lot. It was way too fast-paced and the ending didn't satisfy me because it was underwhelming and we didn't get to see how the relationships between some characters developed after the revelations. Nonetheless, I really loved the story and the characters. The side-characters were amazing! The ajumma and the young girl were great, the lawyer father and the ex-inmates were hilarious, the bad guys were interesting and everyone was profissional and acted superbly well. It's for that reason that I disliked the ending: we didn't get a conclusion for most side-characters which I fell that, in this situation, was very much needed.

I really liked this drama and I hope you'll like it too!

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