Secret Healer

This drama was like a rollercoaster ride without the thrills or the rails. That first episode was unbelievably bad and a huge turn off to kick start the drama but I kept going regardless. The whole mystical shaman vibe in a historical setting turned out to be quite an unsuccessful combo in this case, it felt like they slapped on those elements without any real thought. The entire story felt so limited and restricted, even the cast, when taking into consideration its length. All of that was accompanied by poor pacing, you can imagine how they were trying to push it to reach the 20 episodes mark.

A cursed princess Seo Ri Yun Hee played by Kim Sae Ron has been abandoned in the mountains surrounded by talismans. Any man she falls in love with will perish and in trying to lift this curse she creates many potions and magic that help to cure sick villagers. Into her life comes an unhappy man Heo Jun who inadvertently burns the book of magic so decides to stay to help treat the locals and lift the curse. It is an ok supernatural historical drama and the acting is all good but the pacing is slow and times and I think would have benefitted from fewer episodes. A lot of people complain about the ending but personally I did not mind it as life isn't always rosy.

A Joseon-era costume drama with modern lingo and mannerisms. A ghost/good witch/bad witch plot moves along slowly. Who is the target audience here? Women I suspect, men characters are pretty boys or crying spoiled brats.

Okay disclaimer: I did not finish this. I liked the premise and felt like this could have been great but it just wasn't. Even my love for Yoon Shi-Yoon and his wonderful acting could not make me finish this. I was just too bored. The plot and pacing had major issues, and with a host of annoying and unnecessary side characters, it was just not worth my time to keep watching. I felt like this could have been great with a trimmed down plot and less plot-lines/characters.

This historical drama is full of mysticism, with curses, spells and dark forces. It is a story of love and of good against evil, refelecting a lot about how Koreans appreciate mysterious forces and even chang form. I have travelled a lot in Korea and Japan and it taught me a lot about their approaches to viewing things. I have often wondered how Korean dramas have been so popular in Japan and China, and I can see the reason for such strong appeal. Having said that, I think westerners will have to open their minds to an eastern approach to really grasp this amazing drama series. I loved it.