Heartbeat (2023)

I liked it but the ending was trash...

***Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, please don't take anything I say personally. We don't have to agree and I'm not here to argue with anyone.***

Tropes: Reincarnation, Vampire / Human, Grumpy / Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Roommates / Business Partners to Lovers.

I really enjoyed this drama. Watching it weekly was refreshing and I felt like every episode kept me wanting to know more.

I thought this drama was hilarious and light hearted in the beginning. I love Woo Hyeol and In Hae. They are soulmates and deserved to have a happy ending. It’s sad because it seems like they had more hard times because of the second leads interfering in their relationship / love. So in a way I feel like they were robbed of quality time. I’m saddened that it ended that way but then again I’m an angst lover and just eat up longing / yearning.

It’s funny because some people were initially criticizing the female lead for not matching her character description but I think she portrayed In Hae perfectly. She has a cold / standoffish demeanor. And when she smiles even when she’s happy there’s this sadness to her face a bit bc even though she wants to be happy she can’t fully be knowing that Woo Hyeol is giving up his life to save / protect her. I think Ji An captures that perfectly. It’s ironic how Woo Hyeol was dead (a vampire) and taught In Hae (a living / breathing human) how to live. They truly understood each other and supported / stood by each other through many difficult times. Their love story is both touching and heartbreaking.

The very last episode was so sentimental I almost cried. I think that the supporting actors (the butlers — Dong Seop and Sang Hae) were soooo good, I could literally feel all their emotions especially the heartbreak, betrayal and confusion when they realized Woo Hyeol was going to die. I really liked Rose since she was the actual rose of the bunch. She was hilarious, but don't underestimate her because roses have thorns. I especially admired their dedication and how they all came through for one another when they were in need or danger. I'm sure they'll miss Woo Hyeol for the rest of their lives, and things won't be the same without him. I'm delighted Dong Seop finally got a haircut (he no longer looks like Dora haha).

I'm glad Man Hwi died, but I'm curious why Woo Hyeol didn't also combust into dust when he stabbed himself with the Hawthorne Wood and silver knife. Perhaps because Woo Hyeol had a pure heart and mind?? Or that he was willing to die and sacrifice himself to save someone else? Or maybe because he was half vampire / half human. I wish the show had explained and expounded on that part more thoroughly. I'm disappointed that insufferable man lived because Woo Hyeol willingly gave Do Sik his blood. Everything about that is icky, especially when you consider In Hae was crying over his bleeding body and Sik most likely drank the blood... I'm not sure what the details are, but I'm slightly grossed out either way. Worse, his guilt drives him to donate money to all these charities and foundations for children with heart problems, but would he have done so if Woo Hyeol hadn't saved his life? No, I don't think so. I know I'm being harsh, but I never liked him and still don't! I wish he had died. In my humble opinion, Woo Hyeol deserved so much better than to die sacrificing himself for that cunning man.

I don't want to get too emotional, but this drama is sad... you go in thinking that it will be just a humorous little drama and that they're going to get a happy ending, but they don't. But I suppose it's also true to life, because not everyone has a happy ending – sometimes things don't go as planned, and you have to live with the consequences of your actions. But I go forward with the knowledge that they loved each other to the end, that everything happened for a reason, and that they will meet again in another life. This drama has touched my heart, and both Taecyeon and Ji An have impressed me. Job well done!

Also just wanted to remind persons considering watching this that each episode got ratings of 8 to 9 out of 10 excepting the last episode. So it truly was good up until the finale.

I gave this drama a solid 7.5/10 because I enjoyed watching this despite the ending leaving me somewhat empty and dissatisfied. I wish there was a way for Woo Hyeol to live longer, like a few drops of In Hae's blood every day, or that the fact that he sacrificed his life for a human finally made him complete his transition and become human, or something. He was far too selfless and kind for a vampire... far more compassionate and caring than other humans, in fact. But, I guess he knew, and everyone knew, that his time on Earth as a vampire was coming to an end. I liked how it happened because if In Hae hadn't opened his coffin one day early, they would never have met and had this amazing and painful love story.

It's literally just a silly supernatural drama so nobody should go into this with very high expectations or judge it too harshly. It served it's purpose and kept me entertained me for weeks. It truly felt like a hidden gem, especially considering how less persons watched it in comparison to more mainstream dramas like KTL, SYIM19L and Revenant.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a whimsical drama with comedy, romance, fantasy and a touch of mystery.


Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Read More

It will make your Heart BREAK and not BEAT!

Warning: For those thinking to watch Heartbeat now - Do it At Your Own Risk.

This is me as the drama was announced: ❤️_❤️
This is me as the drama progressed and now ended: (T_T)

For the first time in my K-Drama watching history, I have not been so disappointed as today. Cause I honestly had high hopes for this drama, given the cast and premise. Even recommended to few friends and MDL-ers as I completed the initial 2-3 episodes (please forgive me). But the magnitude of disappointment is making me rant here so please bear with me ?

I chose to watch an airing drama (big feat in itself) that continued to dip low as the series progressed. But I still thought - No, I have dropped too many dramas and I judge dramas too early - so let's keep watching and hope that it will get better. But it doesn't, week on week it got worse and I was watching this on 2x speed and then just fast-forwarding all together.

But man, that ending - worse than Bella Swan's character and acting in Twilight (and that's saying something).

> Story: 0 (wish I could mark the same in MDL)
> Acting: 7 - cannot blame the actors, they all did a good job - just that the script was terrible, hence the result was terrible.
But no fault of the skills of actor, I would still look forward to their other projects so that I can erase this terrible memory.
> Music/OST: didn't make any difference, cause with such bad writing even when it was good, it all lost meaning.
> Overall: 4/10 - and this 4 is just for the sake of actors.
> Verdict for Heartbeat: Skip it or you'll be filled with regrets like me.

The premise was so good which made me have great expectations as they could have done so much with the romance, comedy, fantasy and mystery elements. They had a decent cast and music as well - but nothing could save it because the writing/script is one of the worst ones I have come across. Like what were the writers eating/drinking that made them act like this??

I feel bad for Taec Yeon as I like him as an idol from 2PM days, and this was my first proper drama of his that I wanted to see. Also, Kim In Kwon - cause he is an exemplary actor! He is one of my favorite support actors, I means see that guy in Mr Queen (what a fine senior actor).

Personally, this drama is making me rethink that I need to continue staying away from airing dramas, and watch them only when it finishes. Binge-watching is better for my sanity and drama viewing. I am just so angry/sad/disappointed. Dramas are after all supposed to bring joy and not make me pull-my hair. Hence, anyone reading this - hope you have a fair idea what could be expected, please tread carefully in case you are planning to watch this drama. Better, don't and watch something else.

Life is too short and our schedules too busy otherwise - to waste time on bad dramas! Read More