Bate Coração

I view this series quite differently that a lot of the other reviewers. While OK, I felt the first half of the series was rather slow and plodding. The acting, story and comedy were fine....just not very engaging. It was good enough that I kept watching but I didn't feel the urge to binge onto the next episode like I do with Kdramas that I fall in love with.

That changed as the series progressed into the second half. The romance thread finally started and while the FL isn't as expressive as some FL's of other series, I felt Won Ji-an nailed the character perfectly considering the circumstances and her character's backstory. I also really enjoyed the suspense/thriller plot-line as it picked up. The main villain was excellent. Seo Hoo Baek's acting made it so easy to hate the character and to cheer his ultimate downfall.

I also loved the three friend characters. Park Dong-seop, Yoon Byung-hee and Seung You played them brilliantly. Those roles could easily have been overplayed into caricatures but these 3 played them with finesse that greatly added to my enjoyment of the series.

I really liked how the series broke away from the standard tropes of reincarnation and happily-ever-after. I can understand why so many people hated the ending. I made the mistake of reading those reviews while still in the middle of the series and almost stopped watching as I was expecting the worst. BUT DON'T let that deter you. While very bittersweet, I felt the ending was perfect for this series. It showed a version of true love that is often ignored in romantic dramas.

I'm glad I endured the first 2 episodes, because the series becomes better and better-"endure" is not an exaggeration.

Taecyeon's acting is more muted than usual, and all the other actors played their parts so well that the story just flowed. Taecyeon's best friends are delightful in both time periods, the female lead was excellent using a more deadpan demeanor to visually account for her sad life, and the two supporting (2nd love interest leads) actors maintain their way of becoming part of the complicated love story without drawing attention to themselves.

It's a typical K-drama romance with trauma, tropes, and disappointed second leads. The modern day vampire twist is sometimes amusing, sometimes pathetic.

Looking for love or finding it when not looking are the real themes here. If looking for a sweet romance with occasional action, regular humor, and without annoying characters, this series might be for you.

I am enjoying this absolutely fresh take on Vampires led by Ok Taecyeon. He is such a treat to watch as he plays the role of a hapless vampire out if his time and comfort zone.

I must say it keeps me entertained each episode with none of the cringy scenes I see in some other dramas. I also see many theories popping up by viewers which means it's making us think and imagine what's gonna happen next. The chemistry between the 2 leads is very natural and improves with each episode. Won Jian is new to me but I am enjoying her acting a lot too.

Recommend anyone who wants a light hearted fun ride to check this out on Amazon Prime or HiTV.

This is a good fantasy story with likeable characters, comedy and refreshing writing.

It's somewhat slow, but I think well paced. The highlights are the male friendships, the back and forth between the love interests when they first meet, that both leads have a decent character arc, and the representation of honest communication/relationships. The writers didn't rely on miscommunications for drama, and seemed like they were inverting a couple of tropes in a cool way.

Unfortunately this series does not wrap up in a satisfying way. There are several plot points that are resolved in kind of a rushed manner, and the endings for the main characters were just weird and didn't make sense really. Not sure what happened in the writer's room towards the end. It's tough to recommend a series when it ends poorly, because you do get really invested in characters. Still a fun watch I would say but not one I'd necessarily recommend sadly.

Korean Drama " Heartbeat " is a fantasy romantic comedy about a vampire and a human girl who have to live together.

The first part of the drama was smooth, with plenty of comical acts, enjoyable pace, interesting story, an intriguing mystery, and engaging mythology concerning the vampires. The action scenes were nicely handled as well.

However, things started deteriorating after that first half. The romance was cheesy and boring, and, thus, not enough to save the drama, that started leaking from its many plot holes. All of which led to the shipwreck that was the ending, which more or less did not make any sense and ruined every plot development that was made in the previous episodes. And sure, I don't believe that what makes a good drama is a happy ending, but an ending that makes sense and doesn't erase everything that one has watched for the previous 15 episodes is a major factor for success.

Still, the performances were enjoyable and the actors did a good job with their characters.

So, overall, four and a half out of ten.