Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

A VALIANT EFFORT- but it`s still a drama

If you were to ask an average drama addict to recommend you a good drama tackling mental health and societal issues within that context, they would most probably answer with three contenders:"It`s Okay to Not be Okay", "It`s Okay, That`s Love"(my personal favorite) and this drama. And while all of these depict a wide array of mental illnesses(from antisocial personality disorder to schizophrenia), "Kill Me, Heal Me" would still be an endearing pick, but nowhere near as serious and pondering as the competition.

"Kill Me, Heal Me" should be watched for Ji Sung`s and Park Seo Joon`s great performances(people always dunk on his abilities, but I personally find PSJ very capable when given the right script and this is the proof of that. Besides, he`s extremely likeable), lovely OST, at times amazing cinematography and SOME of the storylines it presents. Now, first of all, this is my first experience with Ji Sung`s acting and the man gave his ALL. He was believable, driven, mostly accurate when portraying different personalities and he really cemented his acting abilities for me. It was delightful to see such convincing acting in this kind of drama. All the props and I heard he won an award for this role, which he totally deserved. While other positives don`t need explaining, I do however, need to expand upon these storylines and, more importantly, the whole writing aspect of this drama.

One thought couldn`t escape me as I watched this show - there must`ve been several writing switch ups during the writing of the script itself, because it was all over the place. First seven episodes were definitely the most grueling, as they were filled with slapstick humor and questionable handling of the whole DID topic. If I had to compare these episodes to another show, imagine if "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon"`s writer decided to write a script around a chaebol with DID-those seven would be the result of that. From episode eight onwards, up until episode fifteen, it felt like a drama well worth exploring. The conflicts and presentation both excelled in this regard throughout those eight episodes. And then, once again, we hit a standstill until the end where it felt like the assistant of the past writer decided to give his own interpretation a try. With mixed results, honestly. Where both past dramas evaded cliches and/or swerved expectations, this one kept them in. For some, I think they were necessary(like them being childhood friends)but others just felt like an overkill(the whole love triangle, flashbacks, breaking up for drama`s sake and main female lead`s acting all in all). Now, I cannot go any further without discussing the character of Chae Do Hyun`s father. He is probably the biggest glaring mishap in this script. Throughout the show we get snippets of just how menacing he is and this was done well enough, but when the actual reveal happens, his inconsistencies come to light as well. He is remembered as a gentle, good father, who only wanted to escape the claws of his family(which can also be interpreted as irresponsible), only to come back with his son and become a whole different person. Now, where the inconsistencies come is in both his treatment of Oh Ri Jin and the conclusion Chae Do Hyun`s mother comes to - that he apparently loved Oh Ri Jin`s mother. It is glaring because other than the horrible abuse, we never get any other negative motives for his behavior, creating a disconnect. Even worse is I half expected him to get a redemption arc because they were hellbent on showing him as a good person. Which he...isn`t. No matter that he wanted to save Oh Ri Jin, it is a fact that he`s a perpetrator and a horrible human being, period. To be fair, the rest of adults who had a hand in Oh Ri Jin`s and Chae Do Hyun`s tragedy weren`t any better, including her mother. And another thing. I won`t discuss DID representation, as I`ve got next to no experience and some say that it`s good, others say it`s hamfisted. But I was almost shocked to find out some peoplee wanted Shin Se Gi to become a host and I was like:Why exactly? I get it, he gets things done and next to Chae Do Hyun, he gets the most screen time, but he embodies another part of Chae Do Hyun, as in, you`re rooting for a basically incomplete being to win over a really fleshed out one. I liked him too, don`t get me wrong, but not to that extent.

All in all, "Kill Me, Heal Me" is a endearingly good drama tugging on your heartstrings if you`ll let it. But at the end of the day it still has plot holes, an annoyingly average drama female lead and very simplistic view of DID. Still, it`s worth watching to heal your cynical heart.

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