Overview of Heartbeat
‘Heartbeat’ is a romance drama that revolves around the life of Seon Woo-hyul, portrayed by Ok Taec-yeon. Woo-hyul is a unique character who is half-human and half-vampire. Woo-hyul finds himself unexpectedly living together with Joo In-hae, played by Won Ji-an, a woman known for her coldhearted attitude. As they spend more time together, their relationship develops into a deep and passionate love, filling their lives with happiness and warmth.
The series premiered on KBS2 on June 26, 2023, and stars the talented actors Ok Taec-yeon, Won Ji-an, Park Kang-hyun, and Yoon So-hee. Airing every Monday and Tuesday at 21:45 (KST). The drama is also available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video in selected regions.
Profile
- Drama: Heartbeat
- Directors: Lee Hyun-seok, Lee Min-soo
- Writers: Kim Ha-na, Jung Seung-joo
- Network: KBS2
- Episodes: 16
- Release Date: June 26 – August 15, 2023
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
Cast
- Ok Taec-yeon as Seon Woo-hyul: a half-human and half-vampire who had failed to become human due to a one-day difference in 100 years.
- Won Ji-an as Joo In-hae: a part-time high school nurse and owner of a guesthouse.
- Park Kang-hyun as Shin Do-sik: a real estate development specialist.
- Yoon So-hee as Yoon Hae-seon / Na Hae-won
Supporting
- Yoon Byung-hee as Lee Sang-hae: a vampire and a tarot master.
- Ko Kyu-pil as Park Dong-seop: a self-employed vampire who runs a snack bar in front of a high school.
- Seung-you as Rose: a vampire and a dancer who has a bright and positive personality.
- Baek Seo-hoo as Ri Man-hwi: a worldly vampire.
- Baek Hyun-joo as Go Ki-suk: a local butcher who runs a butcher shop near Woo-hyul’s mansion.
- Jung Young-ki as Kim Gwang-ok: owner of a tailor shop.
- Kim Do-geon as Kim Min-jae: Gwang-ok’s son
- Kim In-kwon as Go Yang-nam: the person who has taught Woo-hyul how to become a human.
- Ham Tae-in as Chief Goo: Do-sik’s secretary.
- Seo Hyun-cheol as Joo Dong-il: In-hae’s father.
- Park Chul-min as Butler Joo: the first generation of a butler family.
- Kim Ba-da as General Shin: a vampire hunter who knows the true identity of Woo-hyul.
- Kim Hyun-joon as a fraudster
- Seo Jun as Hyang-geun
- Jang Seo-yeon as Hwang So-yi: the first guest at In-hae’s guesthouse.
Synopsis
Seon Woo-hyul (Ok Taec-yeon) is a centuries-old vampire who aims to become human. He intends to become a human so that he too can experience a love that makes one’s heart beat. Woo-hyul’s lover died tragically in his arms. She did the worst thing ever; she said that she would come back instead of telling him to forget her and move on. That is why Woo-hyul wants to become human so that he too can feel the same emotions and experience proper love when she does return.
Upon the advice of a demicat, Go Yang-nam (Kim In-kwon), Woo-hyul goes into a hawthorn coffin for 100 years. Upon the completion of the century, he would turn human. But as fate would have it, Joo In-hae (Won Ji-an) opens the coffin a day early. In-hae is a part-time high school nurse and owner of a guesthouse.
Joo In-hae is the descendant of Butler Joo (Park Chul-min), the first generation of a butler family. Butler Joo was Woo-hyul’s faithful butler and promised that his coming generations would take care of the mansion and his possessions.
In-hae’s father has been missing, and when he is declared legally dead, she inherits the mansion Woo-hyul is in. After In-hae opens Woo-hyul’s coffin, the two are forced to share the mansion. He tries to integrate himself into the world while waiting for a way to be human, or at least for his first love to return.
In the meantime, the shapeshifting cat tells him to focus on In-hae because the woman is special as she was able to open the coffin, which no human can do. Woo-hyul now had his lover by his side and had also found a solution to becoming human again. In-hae’s blood can turn him human, but she wouldn’t agree to do it.
While Woo-hyul is waiting for her approval, Shin Do-sik (Park Kang-hyun), who needs a half-vampire’s blood to stay alive, finds out about Woo-hyul’s real identity. Woo-hyul had seen how much Na Hae-won did not resemble his lover Yoon Hae-seon (Yoon So-hee) in personality. Yoon Hae-seon is a member of an aristocratic family during the Joseon dynasty, and Na Hae-won is a real estate investor.
By that time, Woo-hyul starts developing feelings for In-hae, and she starts feeling the same and eventually agrees to share her blood with him. However, luck was not in their favour, and Woo-hyul understood that In-hae had to die if he had to live. After this, he tries to distance himself from In-hae; however, it doesn’t work out, and In-hae finds out the truth.
Who Kills a Worldly Vampire Ri Man-hwi?
Shin Do-sik (Park Kang-hyun) is a real estate tycoon redevelopment specialist who falls for In-hae. Do-sik had seen Woo-hyul and vampire Man-whi fighting like monsters. He gets worried about In-hae as he thinks the longer Woo-hyul is close to her, the more she is at risk of getting killed.
Man-hwi knows that Woo-hyul needs all of In-hae’s blood to survive. He tries to attack Woo-hyul with his silver dagger, but In-hae interrupts them. In-hae tries to convince Do-sik that Woo-hyul is not a bad person, but Do-sik won’t agree.
Man-hwi holds a grudge against Woo-hyul and will do anything to get on his nerves. He reveals to Hae-won that Woo-hyul is going to die soon because of In-hae. Hae-won is worried and rushes to Woo-hyul’s mansion to confirm the news with him. Hae-won faces In-hae instead, as Woo-hyul is not at the mansion, and she confirms from In-hae that what she heard is true and proceeds to blame her for everything that Woo-hyul is going through.
Hae-won realises that In-hae is not helping him in any way and is only creating problems to take his mansion away from him. Hae-won feels guilty and runs into Woo-hyul and tells him to survive, but he remains silent, giving her the answer that she doesn’t want to hear.
Shin Do-sik meets Hae-won when he finds out that she has spread rumours about Woo-hyul, and during their conversation, Man-hwi enters the office, demanding money from Hae-won. That’s when Do-sik understands that Man-hwi is Hae-won’s informant. Man-hwi tries to kill her out of anger, but Do-sik brings out the silver dagger and stabs him in the heart. He dies on the spot, leaving Hae-won traumatized.
After almost losing her life at Man-hwi’s hands, Hae-won realises that it is time for her to stop. She meets Woo-hyul and informs him about Do-sik’s intentions, which is a bit surprising to Woo-hyul. Though Hae-won asks him to beware of Do-sik, Woo-hyul goes to meet him at his office right away to confirm if what Hae-won told him is true.
Woo-hyul is Going to Die
Woo-hyul has not informed In-hae yet that he is going to die on the day of the lunar eclipse, which is only a few days away. Instead, he asks In-hae to go on a trip with him and his friends. In-hae is excited, but his friends are not, because they know that Woo-hyul is not going to return from that trip.
They want to give him a happy farewell. Woo-hyul takes In-hae on a trip to the beach, knowing that it is going to be their last. At that time, he expresses his true feelings and how grateful he is for the time he spent with her.
The Hidden Plan of Seon Woo-hyul
Meanwhile, Woo-hyul feels much weaker than before, and he thinks that it is time to do as planned. Woo-hyul is going to die anyway, so he wants Do-sik to drink his blood and live long enough with In-hae. Do-sik has to kill Woo-hyul before the lunar eclipse to get what he wants, and Do-sik seems doubtful.
Woo-hyul requests Do-sik to take care of In-hae before asking him to stab him, and at that time, Do-sik believes that Woo-hyul is the good person that In-hae has always painted him to be. However, he cannot change his decision now, as both Do-sik and Woo-hyul need it to happen.
Right when Do-sik pulls out the dagger and points it towards Woo-hyul, In-hae screams Woo-hyul’s name. Do-sik stops, but Woo-hyul grabs Do-sik’s hand to stab himself. While breathing his last, Woo-hyul promises to meet her again, the same way she had promised to come back.
Ending Explained
Woo-hyul had been waiting for his lover, Yoon Hae-seon, and he found her in In-hae. After Woo-hyul’s death, Do-sik and In-hae grew apart. Do-sik gets to break the curse on his family; he continually makes generous donations in remembrance of Woo-hyul. In-hae continues to live a normal life, and the guesthouse runs better than ever.
Woo-hyul’s friends are still living with the hope that they will meet Woo-hyul again, even after a century. In-hae has a belief that she will meet Woo-hyul in another life as a human.
Theme
Woo-hyul’s quest for love and his heart’s need for someone special are the focus of this new Korean romantic comedy series, ‘Heartbeat’. The theme of the drama is love, which makes your heart beat. With a classic storyline, ‘Heartbeat’ has some drama with a pinch of romance and friendships; it is enjoyable in the first half but loses the fun factor later.
The K-drama explores themes of parental boundaries, societal hypocrisies, everyday sexism, and heartbreak with detail, honesty, and sensitivity. ‘Heartbeat’ is the narrative of love and humanity.
Awards
- Korea Drama Awards – 2023
Hot Star Award, Ko Kyu-pil
Interesting Facts about Heartbeat
- The light and the entertaining story inspired Ok Taec-yeon and Won Ji-an to join the drama.
- Actress Yoon So-hee portrays two different characters at once for the first time in ‘Heartbeat’.
- Ok Taec-yeon admires the way Won Ji-an expresses her character and says, “She is an actress who can make you fall in love with the character Joo In-hae.”
- Park Kang-hyun is making his K-drama debut in ‘Heartbeat’.
- After a cold-blooded villain character Jang Jun-woo from the popular Netflix K-drama, ‘Vincenzo‘ Ok Taec-yeon is seen in a different avatar in ‘Heartbeat’.
FAQs
- Who are the writers and directors of ‘Heartbeat’?
The drama is written by Kim Ha-na, and Jung Seung-joo and directed by Lee Hyun-seok, and Lee Min-soo.
- What is the genre of ‘Heartbeat’?
The drama falls into the fantasy and romantic comedy-drama genres.
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How many episodes are in ‘Heartbeat’?
The drama has concluded a successful 16-episode run. - Is the K-drama ‘Heartbeat’ worth watching?
‘Heartbeat’ is one of the best, most entertaining dramas on air with a bickering chemistry between Ok Taec-yeon and Won Ji-an that makes it all worthwhile. - What is the Instagram ID of Ok Taec-yeon?
taecyeonokay is the Instagram ID of Ok Taec-yeon. - What is the Instagram ID of Won Ji-an?
o__jian is the Instagram ID of Won Ji-an.
