'Healer' Ends Well But In Third Place

The KBS drama "Healer" was romantic with plenty of skinship between its leading actors Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young. There were also interesting action scenes, some mysteries to solve and some cool all-seeing technology.

But the worthy parts of the drama did not keep it from bouncing around a lot in the ratings. At various times it held first, second and third place.

The drama, which ended on February 10 did rise in the ratings. It rose from 7.9 to 9.0 percent for its final episode but still landed in third place.

Despite the interesting script and the appealing chemistry between "Healer's" lead actors, it could not compete with the popular melodrama "Punch" or the historical drama "Shine Or Go Crazy."

Ratings aside, the last episode did wrap things up nicely.

The drama began by explaining that the mysterious courier Healer took his assignments because he wanted to buy an uninhabited island where he could live far away from prying eyes. But by the last episode his dream had changed. It was meeting Young Shin, the character played by Park Min Young, that changed everything for Jung Hoo aka The Healer. By the last episode he just wanted to live like other people. He wanted to live with her and have kids, to live just like everyone else. However, before he could do that he had to finish up a few messy missions and see that justice was done, which it was.

This week, the melodrama "Punch," starring Kim Rae Won, Cho Jae Hyun and Kim Ah Joong, held first place, even though its ratings dropped from 12.7 to 11.9 percent. As the drama only has a week to go until it completes all 19 episodes, it will likely stay in first place.

In "Punch" Kim Rae Won plays an anti-corruption investigator who has often turned a blind eye to corruption. When he learns that he is dying, he makes a last bid to see justice done. Kim Rae Won earned praise for his role as a man looking to make things right.

But first place is never a given.

 "Shine or Go Crazy," starring Jang Hyuk, Oh Yeon Seo and Lee Honey, is a historical drama about a deposed prince and a princess without a country. The drama rose in the ratings this week, going from 9.3 percent to 11.0 percent. That's only a percentage point behind "Punch.

The vampire medical drama "Blood" will follow "Healer." "Blood" stars Ahn Jae Hyun, Gu Hye Sun, and Ji Jin Hee.