Kill Me Heal Me: A Review

Kill Me Heal Me

‘Kill Me Heal Me’ has a great storyline, a plot that doesn’t adhere to any of your active imagination, presumption, preconceived notion or stereotypes.

About the series- a bit of the plot:

"A romantic comedy between a third-generation billionaire with Dissociative Identity Disorder and a first-year Psychiatrist resident who treats him secretly.
After a traumatic experience in his childhood, Cha Do Hyun suffers memory lapses and his personality then fractured into seven different identities. He tries to regain control over his life with the help of Oh Ri Jin, a first-year psychiatric resident who treats him secretly. But Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri Ohn, is a famous mystery novelist who investigates about Do Hyun and his family."

Acting Skills of the Lead Actor

You wouldn’t want to miss the great acting skill of the lead actor- the one having multiple personality disorder. Every personality has different fashion sense, gait, body language, accent- the very aura around each personality is so different. The actor must have worked so much in perfecting every bit of the character of each personality, and believe me, the effort shows in the series.

Love Shin Se Gi's explosive fashion statements.

He seems to transform effortlessly from a teenage girl (Yo Na)bitching and running after cine idols, blushing in front of entertainment stars, to an angry young man (Shin Se Gi)with very short temper and very high fashion sense obsessing over his lady love, and again to a middle aged person (Perry Park) with a great sense of humor who has a weak spot for all kinds of booze, and then again to a suicidal depressed teenager (Yo Sub)who has nothing to look up to in life.  

Yo Na offers the comic relief in the series.

You’d find yourself surprised at the enormous change in each of the personalities, and the way the actor is able to carry them out. You would find yourself looking closely at the screen just to ensure if it is the same actor. A pucker face here, an eyebrow raised there, a smile here, a smirk there- lo and behold, the personality changes. Amazing!

Yo Seob- the suicidal one.

The peep into the life of the personality’s characters

The secret is not known by his family. The loneliness that accompanies a mental disorder is shown here- the hard reality.

When the personalities take over, they tend to wreak havoc in his world. When Cha Do Hyun wakes up, gaining back his space and time, he makes amends to whatever went amiss in his absence, alone shouldering the burden, with no one in his family of influential individuals to share this. A view at the loneliness and sad life makes us root for this otherwise flawless character.

Each personality is a broken piece that fell out of the main person, Cha Do Hyun. His mind divided age and time of his life, to save him from multiple traumas. Cha Do Hyun doesn’t remember certain years of his childhood, which some other personalities living inside him do remember- another game the brain plays with him. Fragmented memories, fragile emotions, tough life, and no one to share the pain with- life seems tragic, until the entry of the female lead.

“The reactions of the people who know my secret vary. They get terrified, or they feel good because I disclosed it to them, or feel relief because they are normal, or use me, or sympathize with me, or treat me as a monster. How would you act? Will you still want me even after you know my secret?” – Cha Do Hyun

“Remember. January 7th, 2015 at 10 o’clock on the dot. The time I fell for you. ”-Shin Se Gi’s smoldering eyes and the background score make the simple scene a bang on.

Oh Ri Jin

The actress- a breath of fresh air

Not the usual ‘damsel in distress’, in fact, she is the savior, the real hero. She is an unconventional amalgamation of funny, feel good, emotional and adorable. A psychiatrist by profession, she becomes the secret physician of the super rich conglomerate Cha Do Hyun, trying to befriend every personality of his, working out ways in which they don’t bring shame to Cha Do Hyun’s reputation in his company, family, and society.  

She is so cute at times, a cry baby when sharing her troubles with her brother, and a tough ass kicking hair pulling wrench when it need be. I adored her throughout- her unladylike screams, unfathomable shouts, drunken speeches, and emotional delirium- all of it. Loved her!

Oh Ri On- society thinks he's an idiot, but... 

The super-awesome almost-brother and anonymous writer Omega

One of the best characters in the series, Oh Ri On is Oh Ri Jin’s brother. Well, they grew up as twins for the society, when his family adopted her at the age of seven. She had lost her memories then, and remembered nothing of her childhood before that, nothing of her real parents. I loved the family as a whole so much- the perfect happily crazy family, where each one looks out for the other.

While growing he struggled with his feelings for her, protecting her from all hurt and being her savior throughout. It’s a very complicated character, yet very naturally portrayed. Even his lingering feelings for her and his disappointment at fate for not allowing him a chance was very endearing. I loved him to bits. Well, we always love the one who is brave enough to let go of love that was not meant for him.

Adorable!!!

And he’s a genius novelist- an anonymous writer- well anonymity is sexy. Basking in the fame but not being bullied or interfered by the fame; enjoying being behind the scene, unseen when the world goes ‘ga-ga’ over you. Wow! I loved his character. The way he researched for his stories the family background of the super rich Korean conglomerates. I really liked that. He’s the secret keeper- the one who knows it all and hides it all too to protect Oh Ri Jin.


The script writers of this drama series- the dialogues, never imagined plot

They write deep, touching your heart with such memorable dialogues, that you keep re-watching those scenes just to imprint it into your mind. I loved the dialogues.

“What does first love mean to a man?”-Oh Ri Jin (the actress)

“It’s a ‘thank you’ if it folds up at once. If it opens up again, then it’s a lingering attachment. If it opens up twice, it’s sadness. Thrice, it’s pain. And after opening up over and over again until it becomes ragged, that’s how his heart is ripped apart and they endure that ripping until it doesn’t hurt anymore.” –Oh Ri On (the super-awesome almost-brother)

The background score

Last, but not the least, the background tune played a great role in emphasizing the scene in play, the scenes where Perry Park makes bombs, or looks lovingly at a bottle of beer calling it ‘god’s water balloon’, or where Shin Se Gi aims to destroy everything that hurts Oh Ri Jin. The tunes when mysteries are revealed, layer after layer- family secrets, or lost childhood memories, or flashbacks of times gone by.

What was the most amazing aspect of the drama series of 20 episodes- breadth and depth of range of acting chops that male lead brought to the table to actually deliver the never seen before wow factor.


PS: I had been long since I reviewed a Korean Series! Finally, I did. Feeling great!! (Smiles… Do watch it..)


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Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju

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