Heartbeat (2023)

A joy to watch - Mondays will never be the same

This little drama is an absolute joy to watch both with the cast acting and the way the story about the half human vampire and the human female is being developed. Of course there's gaps but overall its doing a great job at keeping me hooked with its different take on vampires as well as rom-coms. I love Taecyeon's comedic side...he is an actor who can deliver in any genre. But lets talk abt the FL...she is new and refreshingly different from the usual K-drama actresses. Her acting as the loud, usually grumpy human with a soft heart is so on point. I am looking forward to seeing her in more projects in the future. Heartbeat drama was a good find to keep me happy.

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I can't say I hated it!!!

Okay so I'm gonna be spitting some real facts here.
Overall the show was everything I expected it to be. Was it perfect... hell no but on a OVERALL look is was pretty damn good. I feel the actors were pretty well picked for what the drama was, chemistry could have been better and a little more organized but they did well for what was selected. The music wasn't to much my favorite but it was unique so it was nice to listen to. The story wasn't actually to bad, patchy and some things I feel were rushed or repeated but that's not to say it was all bad. Maybe stretched through a couple more episodes with better details would have been better but for what it was... I laughed, I cried, and I did here and there get the wow factors. The ending hurt my soul cause it left a lot of room for improvement but also left me with a lot of questions like... "Will he come back in the time she is alive?" "Will she die in the current lifetime and than both their times reset be able to meet in the next life?" "Will there be more to tell from this point if another season comes?" .. like he's standing on the balacony but it's like NO ONE looked to see him, there was no interaction so was she just SEEING HIM or had he come back already. There was no time skips to confirm any of the questions I asked myself above, there was nothing to move off of. You just see him there and her looking then that is it... it was a little cliff hangerish and boring... there was no progression... so idk it was just kinda really sad than Bleh. But my overall opinion does stand that for what the show was it wasn't bad, I would without a doubt watch it again and still rate it a 10 cause it does still have that rewatch value for sure.

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A Joke Into Vampire Lore

Story

“Heartbeat” is a drama about a Vampire who wants to become a human and in order to do so he has to sleep for 100 years in a coffin but before completing 100 years he gets involved with a human girl 

And since it involves Vampires and is supposed to be a “romcom”, I was expecting so much, cause I’m so invested in such genre and I watched many. Every Drama or Movie I watched created its own world and mystery. From good to evil to grey areas, every kind of vampire is there, and this Drama was no exception. The director and writer tried hard to create their own world and to come up with a new concept and idea, unfortunately, they started it very well then they ruined it completely. When it comes to plot and writing, creativity and mysteries are not everything, if you can create mysteries, that’s good, very good indeed but if you cannot solve them with ease and wrap them up nicely, it's quite a problem because all such work will go down the drain. And this is what this Drama has done exactly.

As well as, Vampires who are one of the most menacing and terrifying creatures in Fiction, became a total joke; they’re vampires who are not vampires! So neither does it give us the typical vampire lore nor succeed in creating its own. Some will say “This is a rom-com, being absurd is an ordinary thing in such genre” but actually this was only in the first half of the Drama, the other half took a nosedive into another genre.

This Drama had so much potential and could be something and was very good in its first part but was butchered due to the bad storytelling and poor screenwriting.

Acting/Actors

Despite that, the cast was somehow balanced. Taec Yeon’s acting was superb, many of his scenes with In Hae will make you burst into laughter and they had a good chemistry to a certain degree. Most of the supporting actors’ acting was so good, you could tell that they are talented, except for Seo Hoo his acting was terrible, his facial expressions were bizarre and poorly executed, and he was not convincing at all, having him as a villain will not give you that eerie feeling nor will make you think that the situation is serious.

Music

Music was so good and fitting, I really enjoyed it, especially the opening ost “I revive – Han Seung Yoon".

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With tighter writing and better focus, the drama could have truly shone

"Heartbeats" promised an intriguing twist on the vampire-human narrative, but sadly fell short of its potential due to questionable writing choices. The central premise of Seon Woo Hyul's struggle to become human after 100 years of slumber held great promise. However, the execution stumbled as the drama progressed.

The cast, led by Seon Woo Hyul and Joo In Hae, initially showcased engaging dynamics. Seon Woo Hyul's transformation into a half-human added depth to his character, while In Hae's pragmatic survival instincts added a refreshing touch. Unfortunately, the promising start was marred by an overload of supporting characters and unnecessary plotlines that diluted the focus.

Despite being positioned as a comedy, the series lost its humorous touch as it advanced. The trio of vampires, a potential source of comic relief, was woefully underutilized, leaving viewers yearning for more screen time for this quirky ensemble.

The drama's message about change and growth was present, yet the pacing and character development faltered midway. The middle episodes suffered from uneven writing, leading to characters feeling inconsistent and the narrative losing its grip. It was during this phase that the potential of the drama started to wane.

The climax and ultimate demise of Seon Woo Hyul, while poignant, felt somewhat anti-climactic and rushed. His evolution from vampire to half-human was well-portrayed, but the middle section's character inconsistencies diminished the impact of his final transformation.

In conclusion, "Heartbeats" had a fascinating premise that unfortunately crumbled under the weight of unnecessary subplots and uneven character development. Despite its potential, the comedy aspect was overshadowed by lackluster execution. The impactful ending couldn't entirely redeem the drama from its mid-series slump. While the core message was commendable, it was muddled by shaky storytelling. With tighter writing and better focus, the drama could have truly shone.

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Reality with a touch of fantasy

It's been a while since I visited this site to review. So, I came across with this kdrama while having a prime account and it was lit!

To be honest, I watch it for past time at first. Stayed for comedy it brought but men! It's getting good as the eps goes by. Yes, it's a vampire thing but honestly, their theme was much more like a reality. And the plot! Gosh. It's not highly, twisted, chaotic stuff I've ever seen because this was a soft sailing vibe but this has the first bittersweet ending that I've said "that was good". I normally hate stuff like a bittersweet ending but this one didn't bother me at all.

Maybe because I like how FL become consistent even tho it's obv that there's a development in her character, or because they didn't entirely ruin the second character (which is always rooting for every drama) or the wholesome friendship of the Ml to his buddies. Either or other way, this is freakin good. I like how they incorporate the literally reality on this superstitious theme and maybe that's why I like this one.

What I really like about this one was how they sewn the Fl and Ml relationship. There's no such brickering thing and seems natural to me. No sacrifice bullshit too and not really have misunderstanding because they accept the crap and make things out of it. How they handle the rs on each side character and such was good too. You can see the greed, the bad side, the good side and everything that will remind you that no one's perfect. The best thing about this series was they didn't need to emphasize this message. It makes you realize things!

No actual villain too. The annoyance was folded "neatly" and I like how they make things out.

Ghad, maybe it didn't made to my top 3 but I guess, this one deserve to be spotted on my top 10 (which frankly I'll forget about). Love this series, really!

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a melhor farofinha de 2023!

é uma comédia romântica que no fim passa a ser história depressiva. Os personagens tem um desenvolvimento bom, a história dele vai se desenrolando sem pressa, não é aqueles romances corridos, é fofo, aconchegante, divertido e ótimo pra passar o tempo ou sair daquelas ressacas de dorama.

Ao longo do dorama já dá pra ter noção do fim, mas você se prende tanto que acaba não aceitando o último episódio ou não acreditando, mas depois que toda a emoção passa pode-se perceber o quão lindo foi. O amor deles foi sincero, foi apaixonante, eles se acolheram nos piores momentos, se entenderam com suas diferenças e aprenderam juntos a amar verdadeiramente.

Não dava nada por esse dorama e no fim se tornou um dos meus favoritos do ano, recomendo muitoo!

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Except the Ending....

I watched the drama as it was released. The episodes kept me hooked. I really enjoyed the drama.

I am not a fan of slow dramas but even though this was a slow burn I really enjoyed the drama. Even though its a ROMCOM it takes its own sweet time to develop the romance. I feel this is a more realistic and natural way (SHouldnt be talking of realistic in a fantasy drama but you get my point)
The initial episodes were more inclined toward comedy while the later ones were more toward romance.
The main leads looked adorable together. The cast did a decent job.
I don't understand the unnecessary hatred towards the SML and SFL. I know they did some questionable things and are a bit irritating but on their part, they are not unreasonable. The SML had liked the FL for a long and just wanted to protect her. And I feel the ML made the SFL interested in him and then just left her. So their actions are not justified but the point is to also understand their intentions and why they did what they did instead of just blindly hating them.

I liked the gold side story. It was hilarious and keeps you guessing. It was subtly present throughout the plot.

I really hate sad/open-ended dramas.(If you see my profile the topmost tag is happy ending-its very important for me) Even though I had hoped for a clear happy ending, deep down I knew, for that they would have to have some big plothole (Not that there were not many already)
I was really annoyed by the ending but then when I thought about it I came to accept it (what else can you do anyways - Have your own theories :D )

I would have loved it if they had explained the small things that were highlighted so much throughout the drama. (Too much spoilers already so maybe I can leave the details of this)

I also didn't like why ____ had to be Hae Sun at the end. It would have been ok otherwise. Anyway, they didn't end up together. So why? It's just unrealistic. (How I have written its very easy to guess who she might have been, but I'm trying to not spoil everything for someone who is reading my review)

Well, I think you can give it a try. I really liked the drama and would recommend you to watch it. But then everyone has a different taste. Let me know if you liked the drama ! (I always love to have some good discussions on kdramas)

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Great Series!

Throughout the series it didn't really lag. the story moved forward through the phases and covered the story arc pretty well. I didn't care much for the Do-Sik storyline it felt out of place and irrelevant to the overall big picture his place would of beeen good without his "family history".

As the series wraps up it's great how they give each character a fitting end to their part.

With the finale having a satisfying ending.

HeartBeat was shown via the VideoBrother Drama Club a group of us get together online and watch one series usually 2-3 days a week and chat during the stream Join us by finding us we are not hard to find.

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Rarely has so much been promised, so little delivered.

I don't like Vampire stories, but Ok Taec Yeon is such a superior actor that he's always worth watching. PLus he had the backup of two of the funniest supporting actors, Go Gyu Pil and Yoon Byung Hee. There had to be some redeeming moments, vampires or not.
And there were, at the beginning. I've never considered Oh Taec Yeon to be eye candy (just awesome talent), but as he ages and loses some of his teenage sort of gangliness, he's getting quite handsome. He certainly was a gorgeous vampire. FRom the start, though, I didn't care much for the female lead, Won Ji An. Her character was remote, cold, and vapid. I see this in a lot of K-kramas with strong male leads; the female lead is passive, retiring and uninteresting, and I always wonder what on earth the ML sees in her. I wonder if this is cultural: are submissive, fade-into-the-woodwork females necessary to show off the ML? Sure, there are exceptions, but it's the case more often than not. It really made the story unconvincing, especially since Yoon So Hee had a lot more spirit.
The story lost its way somewhere along, and the plot became convoluted while being badly explained and poorly written. The ending was dreadful, it dragged on far too long and was missing any resolution that could have been satisfying. Rather than ending, it became a lame set-up for a second season.
I do have to give a shout out to Baek Seo Hoo, who embodied the evilness and general gorgeousness that I like in a vampire.
Overall, a waste of a brilliant (mostly) cast. My rating is mostly for the cast, with one exception. As for the rest, give it a miss.

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A onetime fun watch alone but could potentially be a 2nd or 3rd depending on your reason ?

Heartbeat is like any common Korean romance drama with the fantasy genre included, if your looking for an entirely captivating vampire drama like vampires diaries then this isn’t it but a drama that has the same theme but with a lighter plot and less intended then you are at the right place.
The plot totally sums up the entire storyline of what you should expect but some people voiced their opinions about some minor loopholes in the drama which I thought I should make a quick review on, here goes nothing 😆
Some of the story were briefly explained like the evil vampire, cat man. The SML blood linage thingy was more like them being vampire slayers kinda but I guess they didn’t want to call it that then as for the reincarnation, nobody in real life knows if it’s real or not just like vampires fantasy story were there are basic characteristics but additional characteristics can be added (eg the object controlling whatnot, colorful eyes etc.) so I guess they added to the basic reincarnation being a complete generic copy of the person without the memories but they added a new attribute like same generic copy but with a new soul, if you noticed at the beginning that’s why the bite thingy happened. If you are wondering, Male lead is dead but only his memories live on.
I am not saying it wasn’t disappointing but it did answer almost all questions, the episodes were even too much because the whole story could have been enough for 10/12 episodes tbh.

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