K-Drama Recommendation of the Week – ‘Heartbeat’: Where Love Gets Bloody And Promises Get Twisted

“The world may flip upside down but those who are meant to be will end up together.” – Ko Yang Nam (Heartbeat)

A vampire who has longed for the warmth of love and a human who has only ever faced the chill of survival cross paths in a never-before-seen concept. In a bid to become human, the vampire goes into a 100-year slumber in a mansion. Just one day before his 100 years are up, he is awakened from his long slumber by a descendant of his trusted butler. Left one day short of completing his transformation, he remains in a half-human, half-vampire state.

The following story is a culmination of the vampire’s assimilation into modern society as he tries to become human and find his ‘heart-beating’ love, all while repaying his debt to his cold, indifferent, and uncompassionate butler.

Series: Heartbeat

Where to watch: Wavve, Amazon Prime

Cast: Ok Taec Yeon, Won Ji An, Yoon So Hui, Park Kang Hyun

Written by: Kim Ha Na

Directed by: Lee Hyun Suk, Lee Min Su

The Plot

Seon Woo Hyeol (played by Ok Taec Yeon) is a vampire who has been alive for centuries. After losing his first love, he lives to find a way to fulfill his promise to her and become human for her. When he finally discovers a method, he resolves to enter a 100-year slumber in a hawthorn wood coffin—a wood said to be baneful to vampires. He entrusts the care of himself and his mansion to his trusted butler (his descendents). 

Joo In Hae (played by Won Ji An) is a modern-day young woman trying to survive one day at a time. After her father went missing for years and was eventually declared legally deceased, she inherits his mansion. Without any proper means to secure a roof over her head, she gladly seizes this opportunity. While exploring her newly inherited mansion, she discovers Woo Hyeol’s coffin in the basement and opens it.

Just one day short of 100 years, Seon Woo Hyeol wakes up to find himself suspended in a strange limbo state as a half-vampire, half-human. While trying to find a way to complete his transformation into a human, he gradually learns the ways of modern society. From taking up odd jobs and maxing out In Hae’s credit card (thus indebting himself to her) to indulging in human food, the vampire patiently waits to fulfill his promise to his lost love at the mansion.

Thus begins the collaborative relationship between the half-vampire and his butler. Joo In Hae’s cutthroat, practical, daring, and fearless personality renders the obviously more ‘fearsome’ vampire hesitant, making it clear who holds the upper hand.

However, just as love begins blooming between the two, the appearance of Na Hae Won, played by Yoon So Hui, a woman who resembles Woo Hyeol’s first love Yoon Hae Sun and a hunter seeking Woo Hyeol’s blood, puts their bond to the test. With time being of the essence and a cruel truth to face, Woo Hyeol is left with an impossible choice to make.

The Characters

Seon Woo Hyeol (played by Ok Taec Yeon)

A long-lived, kind vampire, dubbed the most humane vampire, he is trying to become human after losing his first love to an arrow meant for him, in order to keep his promise to her. He is seen as mostly optimistic, selfless, and helpful, willing to go to any lengths to experience the love that could make his cold, unfeeling heart beat and feel warmth.

Joo In Hae (played by Won Ji An)

A modern-day young woman working as a school nurse. She is the descendant of the original butler who was entrusted by Seon Woo-hyeol to care for his mansion and his coffin. Not having any support system, she lives frugally day to day. Devoid of warmth and love, she does not care for romance. Coming across Seon Woo Hyeol is a factor that causes upheaval in her life, changing it for the better as she starts living instead of just surviving.

Na Hae Won (played by Yoon So Hui)

A rich heiress with a striking resemblance to Seon Woo Hyeol’s first love, Yoon Hae Sun. She is seen as a young lady who ‘always gets what she wants.’ Her intrigue and curiosity about Seon Woo Hyeol and the mansion take an ugly turn when she perceives the developing feelings between Woo Hyeol and In Hae.

Shin Do Sik (played by Park Kang Hyun)

Joo In Hae’s senior from her university days, he is portrayed as a talented young man. His skills in construction and redevelopment projects earn him the nickname Midas. He is shown to be caring, interested, and affectionate toward In Hae. Affected by a generational curse, his way to be free from it comes at a costly price.

Reasons to watch ‘Heartbeat’

• Supernatural Romcom: The drama is the most textbook definition of a supernatural rom-com K-Drama. It plays well into all the usual plot clichés with a fairly light storyline. With humor and a fresh take on supernatural existence, it makes for an intriguing and casual watch.
• Love Lessons: While being mostly a romantic comedy, the characters’ motives strike a chord with the viewers, leaving them contemplating the meaning of what love actually is. It also emphasises the weight that circumstances, responsibilities, sacrifice, and jealousy put on the human mind.
• Healing: The drama, despite being a supernatural rom-com, focuses a lot on healing. Through the gradual progression of the story, it shows significant development for all the involved characters. It shows the impact of how having a support system, community, and a positive outlook on life changes one’s circumstances for the better.
• Cast: The cast does an impeccable job of portraying their characters. From micro-expressions to dialogue delivery, styling, and personality, everything works well, fitting together like puzzle pieces within the story.
• Ending: The story wraps up beautifully in an open ending, leaving viewers to decide on their own interpretation and perception. While gaining mixed reviews, it plays well with the running theme of uncertainty that followed the existence of Seon Woo Hyeol. It also serves as a reminder that love comes in many forms, and it is the willingness to accept it, with all its flaws and shortcomings, that makes humans humane.

With the month of October almost over and spooky vibes getting prominent, it’s a perfect K-Drama to get in the feels of the Halloween season, with an added dose of romance, comedy, and suspense.

One willing to become human for love, another who has never thought about love, two opposites bound by generations of duty and promise. This 16-episode K-Drama delivers exactly what it promises: a heart-beating story full of well-crafted characters and a light yet complete story. A story of how, in search of love, one finds solace, and how, while drowning in cold, one finds home.

If you liked ‘Guardian: The Lonely and Great God’ (aka Goblin) or ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed,’ then this will surely be to your taste, though with a lighter story, a lesser dose of angst, and a heavier dose of humor.

Written by:- N.V.S. Akanksha

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