History Series / Healer

[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/83610a3c2d8e9ed00814c3dc3b37d97c.jpeg]]

* BigBad: Kim Mun-shik.
* BigBrotherBully: Mun-shik towards Mun-ho -- more and more as the series progresses.
* CuteBruiser: Tae-young, although she's not in Healer's league.
* CainAndAbel: Mun-shik and Mun-ho.

* IllGirl: Myung-hee, though she's middle-aged. [[spoiler:And maybe not actually that ill, since much of it seems to be a form of gaslighting on the part of her husband.]]

* InTheHood + CoatHatMask: Defines the Healer getup, with mask replaced by CoolShades. Impractical, but quite cool.

* BewareTheQuietOnes / TheSoCalledCoward: Bong-su tends to cower, squeal, and run away ... at which point, Healer generally arrives.

* BiggerBad: [[spoiler: The Elder aka Park Jung-dae.]]

* ProtagonistTitle

* KickChick: Healer's "minion" has a fighting style that relies on this.

* NeverTrustATitle: ''Healer'' isn't about someone working in the medical field. It's derived from the title of a magazine the five friends created in their college time ... which they named thus because it [[RuleOfCool sounded cool]].

** Mun-shik has carried a torch for Myoung-hee since 1980, but she never returned his feelings, even after being married for decades.
* BadassBiker: Young-jae / Teacher, who during the pirate radio days, protected the mobile station (aka, Mun-shik's truck) by blocking and diverting the police.
* BadassDriver: Young Mun-shik's job in the past, driving the mobile pirate radio station.

* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Jung-hu takes advantage of Secretary Oh's OCD to torment him by ... knocking books off the shelves of Mun-Shik's office and threatening to smash expensive vases.

** Young-shin was abused by her foster families and nearly DrivenToSuicide - at age seven.

* HeroicBSOD: After [[spoiler:Teacher's death]], Jung-hu doesn't know what to do with himself. He ends up holing up in his lair without eating or communicating for days on end - until Young-shin arrives with comfort and love.

* HoldingHands: Used thematically. Young-shin tends to grab Jung-hu's wrist in his [[ClarkKenting Bong-Su]] persona; he does the same to her as Healer. By the end of the series they are holding hands with IntertwinedFingers and she lampshades the change.

* MakeoverMontage: When Jung-hu and Young-shin have to go undercover to sneak into a screened press conference. Complete with Jung-hu fidgeting, fighting back, and trying to run away from the stylists.

* NiceGuy: Bong-su, the persona Jung-hu assumes when going undercover at Someday News; he's just so nice and normal that Young-shin quickly adopts him as her [[TheConfidant confidant]]; and after finding out about Jung-hu's real identity -- even though she loves Jung-hu -- she immediately starts to miss Bong-su.

* NotAMorningPerson

** When later, Young-shin first walks into Healer's lair, he's in bed, [[BeautifulDreamer sleeping prettily. She observes him a while]] before trying to wake him.

* AffectionateGestureToTheHead:

** Young-shin was abused by her foster families and nearly DrivenToSuicide--at age seven.

* HollywoodHacking: Healer's boss Min-ja is one of these.

* LegacyCharacter

* LonersAreFreaks: Near the beginning of the series, Jung-hu mentions that he only has three numbers saved to his phone: his boss's, his sidekick, and his favorite fried chicken takeout.

** [[spoiler: Min-ja, a former police detective, was one of these to her son--who died while she was working a case.]]

* NiceGuy: Bong-Su, the persona Jung-hu uses when going undercover at Someday News; he's just so nice and normal that Young-shin quickly adopts him as her [[TheConfidant confidant]] [[spoiler: and after finding out about Jung-hu's real identity, she immediately starts to miss Bong-Su]].

* OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: Played for chilling realism. The council ''isn't'' a group of supernaturally or technologically advanced supermen--it's merely a handful of wealthy and connected politicians and businessmen using their power to control the media and sway public opinion, buy politicians, intimidate the police and murder whoever gets in their way.
* OneDegreeOfSeparation
* OneWordTitle: Appears to be a JobTitle.
* {{Parkour}}: Healer, Tae-young.

* RelationshipUpgrade:

* ThemeMusicPowerup: Whenever the main theme is playing, something amazing tends to happen ... [[MundaneMadeAwesome or makes normal things seem amazing]].

* TwoPersonLoveTriangle:

A 2014 - 2015 action thriller KoreanDrama which focuses on a mysterious night courier, a tabloid reporter who aspires to be a 'real' reporter, and a renowned journalist, united by the mystery of a decades-old incident involving a group of friends who ran an illegal broadcasting station.

* AffablyEvil: Moon-shik is so damned affable that even his own brother (an eye-witness to some of his deeds) can barely believe he does the things he does.
* AttemptedSuicide: The plot kicks off when Young Shin talks a woman down from killing herself, in part by admitting she was nearly driven to suicide, too...when she was seven years old.

** Lampshaded. Young Shin has crushes on both Moon Ho and Healer... and then meets them both (and gets together with Healer, even).
** Mun-sik has carried a torch for Myoung-hui since 1980, but she has never returned his feelings, even after being married for decades.
* BadassBiker: Young-jae / Teacher, who during the pirate radio days, protected the mobile station (aka, Moon-shik's truck) by blocking and diverting the police.
* BadassDriver: Young Moon-shik's job in the past, driving the mobile pirate radio station.
* BewareTheQuietOnes / TheSoCalledCoward: Bong Soo tends to cower, squeal, and run away...at which point, Healer generally arrives.
* BigBad: Kim Moon-sik.

* CuteBruiser: Tae Young, although she's not in Healer's league.
* CainAndAbel: Moon Shik and Moon Ho.

* CoolOldLady: Jo Min Ja, aka "Ahjumma", Healer's boss/handler.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Jung Hoo takes advantage of Secretary Oh's OCD to torment him by....knocking books off the shelves of Moon-Shik's office and threatening to smash expensive vases.
* Cuddlebug: Jung-hoo spends the morning after their RelationshipUpgrade being this towards Young-shin.

** Jung Hoo was abandoned by his mother, stigmatized by his father's "suicide," sent to reform school, and finally, abandoned by the last adult he placed his trust in (Teacher).
** Young Shin was abused by her foster families and nearly DrivenToSuicide--at age seven.

** Sang-soo is offered a lucrative contract by Secretary Oh, and warned that the price is selling his soul.
** Moon-shik made one in the past [[spoiler: to protect Myung-hee.]]
* DirtyOldMan: played for laughs with Teacher, who, after scoping out Young Shin, decides to put Jung Hoo on a plane to Australia:

--> '''Min Ja''': (gagging noise over radio.)
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Moon Shik freely admits his brother and wife are his Achilles' Heel. [[spoiler: He is emotionally destroyed when they ''both'' turn against him.]]

* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: realising that he's been poisoned, Young-jae uses his interrogation as his final message to Jung-hoo, while confessing to being Healer to try and pull police attention off Jung-hoo, and dropping as many leads as he can before he dies.]]
* FakingTheDead: Done for Jung Hoo in the finale.
* GenreBlind: Jung Hoo walks right into a TwoPersonLoveTriangle.
* GloryHound: Moon-ho is accused of being this, milking his reputation as "the honest reporter" for fame and adulation. Tellingly, he doesn't deny it.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: Young Jae takes Jung Hoo's place when the latter is cornered by Double-S goons.]]

** Go Sung Chul is killed and Healer framed in episode 1 because of this.
** Hwang Jae Guk is killed for knowing about the Elder. (And for being a pain in the ass.)
* HollywoodHacking: Healer's boss Min Ja is one of these.
* HoldingHands: used thematically. Young Shin tends to grab Jung Hoo's wrist in his [[ClarkKenting Bong Soo]] persona; he does the same to her as Healer. By the end of the series they are holding hands with IntertwinedFingers and she lampshades the change.
** Moon-Shik and Myung Hee initially hold hands warmly; later, as Myung Hee finds out more of his illegial activities, she allows him to hold her hands but does not reciprocate. [[spoiler: when she finally leaves him, she actively pushes his hands away.]]
* GenerationXerox: Ji Hoo looks exactly like his father, to the point that Myung Hee recognizes him on sight.
* HoneyTrap: Yeon Hee is accused of this.
* IntrepidReporter: Young-shin yearns to be one. Moon-ho plays the trope straight.
* InTheHood + CoatHatMask: defines the Healer getup, with mask replaced by CoolShades. Impractical, but quite cool.

* KnightInSourArmor: Young-jae and Min-ja. The former admits that he forbore to dig into the true cause of his friends' deaths because he doesn't want to lose what interest he has in humanity; Min Ja [[spoiler: resigned her position in the police when forced to destroy evidence against the Elder.]]

* LapPillow: After being drugged by [[spoiler:the Elder]] Jung Hoo lays his head in Young Shin's lap while trying to recover.
* LethalChef: Jung Hoo cannot cook.
* LonersAreFreaks: Near the beginning of the series, Jung Hoo mentions that he only has three numbers saved to his phone: his boss's, his sidekick, and his favorite fried chicken takeout.
* TheManBehindTheMan: Moon Shik begins as one of these; [[spoiler: the Elder is behind him]];
* MakeoverMontage: When Jung Hoo and Young Shin have to go undercover to sneak into a screened press conference. Complete with Jung Hoo fidgiting, fighting back, and trying to run away from the stylists.

** Jung Hoo's mother, although he later contacts her and is on friendly terms with her now.
** Young Shin's adopted mother is dead; and she begins the series believing her biological mother dumped her.
** [[spoiler: Min Ja, a former police detective, was one of these to her son--who died while she was working a case.]]
* MoralityChain / LoveMakesYouEvil: Myung Hee manages to be both of these for Moon-Shik, who accepted a DealWithTheDevil to save her life from the Elder.
* NonchalantDodge: A beautiful one in the final ep. Sang Soo attempts to slap Jung Hoo, [[spoiler: who is supposedly working with them and will theoretically have to take it.]] who dodges, causing SS to slap his own sidekick.
--> '''Jung Hoo''': [[DeadpanSnarker "...that's some teamwork."]]

* OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: played for chilling realism. The council ''isn't'' a group of supernaturally or technologically advanced supermen--it's merely a handful of wealthy and connected politicians and businessmen using their power to control the media and sway public opinion, buy politicians, intimidate the police and murder whoever gets in their way.

* {{Parkour}}: Healer, Tae Young.

* PostDramaticStressDisorder: Myung Hee has an epilepsy-like condition that could possibly kill her if she is exposed to too much emotional stress. Young Shin has panic attacks when exposed to violence, as a result of past trauma.
* Paparazzi: Young-shin works for internet tabloid Someday News as this, chasing celebrity gossip, but dreams of becoming a serious reporter like her idol Mun-ho. Someday News itself shifts from celebrity gossip to hard-hitting investigative journalism after Mun-ho buys them out.
* ParentalAbandonment: Young Shin believes she was subjected to this.
** Jung Hoo's mother remarried after his father's death and left him with his grandmother.
** Jung Hoo's Teacher (Young Jae) left the country after training him and hasn't contacted him in eight years.
* PetTheDog: Subverted example. Although Moon Shik sincerely congratulates Young Shin on making an impression (crashing his press conference), Moon Ho is quick to point out that this doesn't absolve him for [[spoiler: abandoning her as a child and telling her mother she was dead.]]

* PunctuatedPounding: In the final ep, Jung Hoo beats up a couple of thugs [[spoiler: who tried to kidnap Young Shin's father and uncle]], while formally introducing himself to the latter, apologizing for having decieved them earlier, and warning Young Shin to keep her eyes closed.

* RapeAsDrama: Chae Young Shin exposes a prostitution ring involving high political figures as clients.
* RoofHopping: How Healer gets around CCTVs.

** Ahjumma usually loafs her computer lair around in pyjama pants and unkempt hair. When she dresses up to go out in public, however...
** In order to get into Kim Ui-chan's press conference, Mun-ho arranges for Young-shin and Jung-hoo to get glammed up so they can gatecrash the engagement party next door and use that to slip in.
* SheFu: male version. One fight literally takes place with Healer bouncing off a construction scaffold as if it's uneven bars.

* ThemeMusicPowerup: Whenever the main theme is playing, something amazing tends to happen... [[MundaneMadeAwesome or makes normal things seem amazing]].

** One of the driving questions of the series is how the friendship was broken, by whom and in what way.
** By the end of the series, Jung-hoo, Young-shin, Mun-ho and Min-ja have grown into this.
* WigDressAccent: Jung-hoo's disguises are pretty much this, especially in his Bong-su persona.

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: lampshaded. Young Shin has crushes on both Moon Ho and Healer... and then meets them both.

* BadassDriver: Young Moon-shik.

* CoolShades: The Healer's sport glasses, which include cameras, hands-free phones and face-recognition. Slightly less cool are the glasses he wears in disguise, which have the same capabilities but also look dorky.

* DarkAndTroubledPast

* DealWithTheDevil: Sang-soo is offered a lucrative contract by Secretary Oh, and warned that the price is selling his soul.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: realising that he's been poisoned, Young-jae uses his interrogation as his final message to Jung-hoo, while confessing to being Healer to try and pull police attention off Jung-hoo, and dropping as many leads as he can before he dies.]

* TrueCompanions: One of the driving questions of the series is how the friendship was broken, by whom and in what way.

* FakingTheDead

* HeKnowsTooMuch

* PluckyGirl

* SheCleansUpNicely: Ahjumma usually loafs her computer lair around in pyjama pants and unkempt hair. When she dresses up to go out in public, however...

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: lampshaded. Young Shin has crushes on both Moon Ho and Healer...and then meets them both.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Healer is the best night courier in the business. Considering that Sang-Soo is his No.1 rival, that's not a very high bar to clear.
** The Elder's Double-S goons are waiting at the airport for [[spoiler: the whistleblower]]--but have no pictures of her and seemingly no plan beyond, "watch whoever Moon-Ho approaches." Naturally, this allows Young Shin to walk off with her.
** Jung Hoo and Young Shin's fathers are supposedly ace reporters, but their one scene in the field makes it difficult to understand how they manage to survive walking across the street. (arguing loudly in plain sight, knocking over paint cans and alerting their targets, and then running out to distract the gangsters in the belief that "they won't kill me, I'm a reporter."

* XMeetsY: {{Series/The City Hunter}} meets Pinnochio (another Korean series about reporters which aired around the same time as Healer).

* {{Badass}}: Healer. Nuff said.
** Teacher is kidnapped by a small army of Double-S goons and dragged off. When Moon-Shik comes to see him, a battered Sang Soo admits they tried to put him in the basement, but he didn't like that idea. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny So he's in the VIP lounge.]]

* IntrepidReporter: Young-shin yearns to be one. Moon-ho plays the trope straight.
* KickChick: Healer's "minion" has a fighting style that relies on this.
* KnightInSourArmor: Young-jae and Min-ja. The former admits that he forbore to dig into the true cause of his friends' deaths because he doesn't want to lose what interest he has in humanity; Min Ja [[spoiler: resigned her position in the police when forced to destroy evidence against the Elder.]]
* ProtagonistTitle
* TrueCompanions: One of the driving questions of the series is how the friendship was broken, by whom and in what way.
* GenerationXerox: Ji Hoo looks exactly like his father, to the point that Myung Hee recognizes him on sight.
* SmugSnake: Secretary Oh.
* NonchalantDodge / FriendlyFire

Healer is a 2015 action/thriller KoreanDrama, staring Park Min Young CityHunter, Sunkyungkwan Scandal), and Chan Ji Wook.

!! Tropes Used in this Series:
* {{Badass}}
** BadassBiker: Young Jae / Teacher, who during the pirate radio days, protected the mobile station (aka, Moon Shik's truck) by blocking and diverting the police.
** BadassDriver: young Moon-Shik.

* KnightInSourArmor: Young Jae and Min Ja. The former admits that he forbore to dig into the true cause of his friends' deaths because he doesn't want to lose what interest he has in humanity; Min Ja [[spoiler: resigned her position in the police when forced to destroy evidence against the Elder.]]
* TrueCompanions: One of the DrivingQuestions of the series is how the friendship was broken, by whom and in what way.

* CoolOldLady: Jo Min Ja, aka "Ahjumma", Healer's boss/handler.

* VoiceWithAnInternetConnection: Literally in the case of Min Ja, who functions as Healer's eyes and ears.

Healer is a 2015 action/thriller KoreanDrama, staring Park Min Yougn (CityHunter, Sunkyungkwan Scandal), and Chan Ji Wook.

* Badass
** BadassBiker
* KickChick
* TrueCompanions

* CoolOldLady: Jo Min Ja.

* SelfInflictedHell
* PoisonousFriend: ? Secretary Oh.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Moon Shik freely admits his brother and wife are his Achilles' Heel. [[spoiler: He is emotionally destroyed when they ''both'' turn against him.]]