Starring
- Ji Sung as Cha Do-hyun, Shin Se-Gi, Perry Park, Ahn Yo-Seob, Ahn Yo-Na, Nana, Mr X
- Hwang Jung-eum as Oh Ri-jin
- Park Seo-joon as Oh Ri-on
- Oh Min-seok as Cha Ki-joon
- Kim Yoo-ri as Han Chae-yeon
Acting: 9
Storyline: 8.5
OST: 8
Overall: 8.5
Grade: A
Took me only 2 days to finish this 20-Epi drama, so it goes to say how much I Love It! I can almost be sure, Ji Sung will be nominated for many awards this year and it won’t come as a surprise for him to bag 1 or 2 home. I guess I will re-watch it again in a couple of months.
I love the collaboration of Ji Sung & Hwang Jung-Eum in “Secret” and their 2nd collaboration proves that their onscreen chemistry is still going strong, if not better. What I like most is that this drama has more comedic elements as compared to the 90% melodramatic “Secret”. Finally, Hwang Jung-Eum dont have to be the most 苦命女主角 anymore & they both can be happier!
Albeit it has its melodramatic portions, the romantic comedy parts are enough to send you chuckling or even roaring into laughter at times. Yes, they enact this in a funny and exaggerated manner, so that audience can tell that everytime there is this buzzing sound and he goes into a frantic headache, when the eyes change colours, it means he transformed into another personality.
I must say, they are one of the on-screen couples who can really really CRY! But it comes so naturally to that u don’t feel it is part of acting but really very 掏心掏肺 Kinda.. Usually men who tear will give u a 懦弱 feel, BUT BUT when Ji Sung tears (depending on the intensity), it really grips your heart and u can empathize with all the characters involved. They both handled this portion very well though.
Even by watching the drama as an audience, I can imagine how tired mentally and physically Ji Sung was when filming. 要饰演7个不同角色，其实是很伤体力,也很伤神的。He has to act as 7 personalities all in 1 body, and to cry so much, run about, fight n all…… be romantic, be funny etc etc… Not easy at all and not anybody can take on such roles cos it is easier to fail than to succeed.
But there are a few alter-egos who appeared more and I love Shin Se Gi and Anh Yo Na Best! Hoho.. Shin Se Gi is a very violent but charming character while Anh Yo Na is a 17yr old irritating gal! Haha. Well, i shall talk more about the characters later.
Kill Me, Heal Me is not about a psychopathic cold-blooded killer, in case u may be wondering. But it is about a guy who has Dissociative Identity Disorder/ Multiple Personalities Discorder / Split Personality. He has been trying to “kill” his multiple personalities but to no avail even after 11 years. That’s why he needed someone to treat him. But of cos 心结没那么容易打开。
Cha Do Hyun has memory lapses and when faced with different emotional experiences, he will “transform” to become another identity.
Dissociative identity disorder, 就是人格分裂症。。和 It’s Okay, It’s Love 里的 Schizophrenia (精神分裂症) 不同的是，Ji Sung can still differentiate what is real & know the existences of his alter-egos, while Jo In Sung was unable to tell what is real and illusion and has an imaginary friend. If u ask me which is more serious, both are, cos they may hurt themselves and their loved ones without knowing.
Due to some dramatic childhood experience of being abused, he lost his memory during the 1 year period when he was 7 to 8. Ri Jin acts as his secret psychiatrist n they both gradually fall in love, whilst overcoming all the obstacles and challenges they face as Do Hyun switches between different personalities so often and slowly regains his childhood memories. This in turn makes Ri Jin realise that she also was part of his childhood memories and reactivated her own 封锁 memories as well.
这部戏有很多笑点，但也有许多催泪点。It always seem so 揪心 to watch how the leads in dramas 爱到死去活来， but in real life, i wouldn’t think many people can face up to this challenge. How can u care for someone who has 7 personalities? U don’t even know when he will transform into another person and lost all that memory when he is sober again.
Though this show is more “exaggerated” than It’s Okay, It’s Love in a sense cos of the very dramatic changes in transformation, it does tell us that, such an illness does exist and only family and loved ones’ care and concern r the best medicine for such patients.
It also brings to your awareness of child abuse and how such traumas can affect their mental health and how it affects them still even when they become adults.
All these characters surface when Do Hyun meets with different emotional experiences. Bcos he doesnt have the courage to face all these traumas and life obstacles, these characters will appear and take over him for the time being till they settle the issues.
Here are the 7 personalities as portrayed by Ji Sung, quoted from Wikipedia.
Cha Do-hyun – A wealthy businessman with a warmhearted personality who loves to help others. However, 11 years ago, after he realized that he suffers from dissociative identity disorder, he has been desperately trying to hide it from his families and friends. He has six other identities:
Shin Se-gi: a vehement guy with a devil-may-care demeanor who appears when Do-hyun experiences violence. He may be violent, but he never hurts children and women. Se-gi endures all of Do-hyun’s pain as he is the only one who remember his memories.
Perry Park: a 40 year-old man with an aficionado for fishing and building bombs. He speaks with Jeolla dialect.
Ahn Yo-seob (“Yo-seob” is the Korean version of “Joseph”): a suicidal, intelligent 17 year old boy and artist. Yo-na’s twin brother.
Ahn Yo-na (“Yo-na” is the Korean version of “Jonah”): an extrovert and mischievous 17 year old girl who loves idols. She appears when Cha Do-Hyun undergoes a great deal of pain or mental stress, and needs to endure it clandestinely. She has a crush on Oh Ri-on.
Cha Do-hyun (Oh Ri-jin): a 7 year-old girl who has a teddy bear named Nana.
Mr. X: a mysterious guy whom later revealed as the father of Cha Do-hyun (Oh Ri-jin).
Now, why do I say I like Shin Se Gi Best?
It is not about 男人不坏，女人不爱。 It is becos he is the “toughest” personality out of the 7, one that surfaces when Do Hyun experiences violence and is out to protect himself. Bcos Do Hyun is a goody-two shoes, so he often gets bullied and despised cos he is the 二奶’s son, or rather 私生子.
Oh yes, I love his biker, rocker, punk outfits and the sexy eyeliner. Oh yes, that 眼神。He seems abit “mental” at times and very destructive but the way he changes for Ri Jin is so funny and touching. It takes a lot of effort and acting skills to not just act cool but also show the “softness” of such a strong-headed character and Ji Sung just did it so well.
However, Se Gi is actually very pure at heart if u see from his actions and the funny funny things that he did for Ri Jin to make her like him haha. It’s probably the most 阴暗 of his personalities, but one that leaves a most powerful impact on you.
Can see that Ji Sung puts in a lot of effort to differentiate his personalities, giving them a life of their own, such as the voice tone, actions, little habits, dressing etc.
I really applaud him for that, especially for a 38-year old guy, dad-to-be soon, has to act like a 17 year old gal, dressed in Skirt and PINK jacket, put on lipstick, hairband and running down so many streets, acting like a 人妖。。 haha. N goes around 发花痴， shouting “oppa” and stamping his feet n all.. OMG. Goosebumps! 真的是豁出去的说！
His wife, Lee Bo Young, was around for that scene and she thought it would be fun to watch but ended up tearing after she realised how hard her husband is working as the head of the household. She started to make him lunch box everyday after that. Yeah, she is currently resting since she is pregnant and Ji Sung feels so bad about having to film nonstop day and night and she has to adjust her sleeping schedule for him. When he is back in the wee hours, she will wake up and when he is back to work again, she goes back to sleep.
These 2 are really a very loving couple even after 8 yrs of being together. Though only married for 2 yrs, you can tell Ji Sung really dotes on her and it seems like Ji Sung is the more accommodating one..
I think this show is really worth a watch though towards the 2nd half, it gets abit more soapy but it is necessary to see all the internal turmoil and struggles that the main character is facing.
Hwang Jung Eum on the other hand, is a very cheery character and so 大剌剌 but genuine and kind-hearted. N i guess her family acts as a very strong 后盾, thus she can grow up so happily. BUT she is really so good at crying.
So when the 2 are put together, there are sparks as she falls in love with one character and slowly for the main person that he is and learns to take care and make friends with the other personalities.
True enough, in such dramas, seems like the female leads are all doctors or psychiatrists, else i think it will be too hard for an ordinary female to handle, before she breaks down.
Though they r 8 yrs apart, they make quite a nice pair and i would say that, this would be one of Ji Sung’s 代表作。People noticed him in “Save the Last Dance for me”… but all these years, there isn’t really one drama that left people with a super strong memory. I guess, this would be the one. His breakthrough finally.
He is a good and charismatic actor, just that his characters alot r being rich man with sad past, not many comedic roles.. Protect the Boss was one and this is the 2nd.. but its a mix of both melo and comedy which is good cos it shows Ji Sung has many sides as an actor and is able to face up to challenges.
Of cos, I think the other few characters abit exaggerated but his main 2 characters are very attractive.
Well, thats the reason why i love watching oppas act. People with more acting experiences can just easily dig out all those emotions in u and u dont even feelike they are acting.
The other few alter-egos, one is a 40 yr old man with weird dialect accent and loves to make bombs haha.. so its kinda funny and the other 17 yr old teenager, Yo Seob, twin brother of Yo Na, who is suicidal. Not so much on Nana and Mr X..
So mostly it is a fight between Shin Se Gi and Cha Do Hyun, the one character that wants to take over the main personality and live permanently in that body. Its abit like kenna possessed like that.
I guess, it is true that we all have many faces of us living inside our bodies. When u are angry, happy, sad or meet with different circumstances, u can become a “different” person. We all have a child living in us as well too.
So it is more of how u keep ur own emotions in check before such adverse effects surface. N also how to learn to be less critical of ourselves.
Ji Sung can just click well with his co-stars i guess.
As for the OST, there is a rap song and some sad sentimental songs. U would be thrilled to know that Ji Sung sings one song called “Manchurian Violet” in the OST too. Yap, his voice is not bad actually.
Go watch this drama, if you are thinking of what to start next.
It may not be the BEST of the BEST, but it is a good one in recent few months.
