Vampire Detective Korean Drama - Lee Joon

In episode 4 of Vampire Detective, we have another case to solve, but this one does connect directly to the overarching mystery.  Our detectives spend the episode trying to help a blind woman, but they are fooled by her since it turns out she is Yo Na (Lee Chung Ah), the vampire head of our mysterious organization.

She set up the elaborate plan to lure San (Lee Joon) in.  Yo Na taunts Gyeo Wool (Lee Se Young) about knowing her brother very well.  She also leads San to CCTV footage that shows what appears to be Yoo Jin alive taking pictures in a car garage.

So we did at least address the main story a little bit in the last 15 minutes of the episode.  Now if only we could concentrate on that a bit more.  I’m still really bothered by the lack of San addressing his new vampire condition.  We get another brief hint that he has powers, but that’s it.  There’s also these mysterious glances between him and Gu Hyung (Oh Jung Se) implying that they are aware that something’s up with him as well as San needing the “inhaler” that he was given by the doctor, but the show has neglected to clue the audience in on just what they know.

I just feel like the execution of this is a mess.  Seriously, you just don’t leave the viewer trying to piece together things like this.  There’s a certain amount of back story and information that you need to give viewers to keep us in the loop, but this drama just gives the absolute bare minimum and frequently does it in a way that leaves you just wondering what exactly does everyone know?

But at least now that we have our main antagonist firmly in place, maybe the gears will shift a little in the episodes to come so that we finally get some answers…and San being a vampire!

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9 responses to “Korean Drama Impressions: Vampire Detective Episode 4 Review”

  1. joybran2015 Avatar

    I have such mixed feelings about this show. I watched episode 4 after thinking I wouldn’t because I read a blog that said it was finally getting to the main story. Well, it sort of did and it sort of didn’t. It sounds like you are feeling the same frustration. Another case of the week with only a tiny step forward in the main story, again leaving us with more questions than answers.

    And yet, there was one scene that got to me enough that I will probably keep watching. For some reason, the scene where San and Yo Na were so close and she pretended not to see him really intrigued me. Even though her identity hadn’t been revealed yet, I kept wondering whether she did or didn’t know he was there, so it was cool when the reveal came. It makes me want to see more of Lee Joon and Lee Chung Ah together. That antagonistic relationship may turn out to be more entertaining than the relationships we were expecting to like.

    1. Kay Avatar

      Frustration definitely sums up my feelings. I’m seriously very laid back when it comes to dramas and am very forgiving when it comes to a lot of things. But the way they’ve handled San’s transformation is ridiculous. And of course the number one thing I look for in a drama is to not be bored, and it hasn’t succeeded very well in that.

      But Lee Chung Ah is completely a breath of fresh air. I liked that scene too since it was a moment of genuine intensity. And while I knew she was in the drama, I hadn’t paid enough attention to know she was the villain. I suspected her during that scene, and then the big reveal came. The last 15 minutes were the most interesting in the last few episodes. She makes a surprisingly good villain, and I too hope they play up the antagonistic relationship between her and San. That coupled with more answers could improve things dramatically.

  2. Timescout Avatar

    I concur, they should have addressed San’s new ‘status’ already. These snippets they dole us every once in a while aren’t doing the show any favors. The overarching storyline really is moving at the speed of molasses as well. At least the Big Bad has now shown herself, so maybe we’ll finally start getting somewhere.

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yeah, I think it’s a major failure in the writing/editing department. It would probably have been better to just leave the snippets out completely since they have mostly ignored things anyway and they just make things more confusing.

      I’m also hoping now that our villain has arrived things will start moving along. I really want to see more of her antagonistic relationship with San. At least if that gets some screen time things would be a lot more interesting for me 🙂

      1. Timescout Avatar

        Well, I just finished ep 5 and it’s another stand alone epi with nothing to do with YoNa or vampires.

        I don’t know why the writer decided to have the vampy element in the story at all as so far it’s been just a handy prop to be taken out when needed. Oh well, I’m going to treat this as any regular detective show from now on. Luckily I like those, even the less exciting ones. 🙂

        1. joybran2015 Avatar

          Thanks. That tells me not to waste time on ep 5.

        2. Kay Avatar

          Well, boo to that. One step forward, two steps back. I don’t know why they bothered including the vampire stuff either. This is a case where I actually feel very misled by all of the promotional materials.

          They really should have just made it a regular detective drama without much of an overarching mystery. Good plan to treat it as such. I don’t think I’ll be getting my hopes up anymore. I’ll just assume there will be a sort of info dump in the last few episodes. Hope you keep enjoying it though 🙂

  3. drawde2000 Avatar
    drawde2000

    I’ve only watched up to Episode 3. It didn’t work for me as well because the cases were lackluster. The cases they tackle didn’t surpass the overall Vampire mystery. I may have enjoyed it a little bit more of I was heavily invested with each case. Also, each case does not connect to the overall theme as well. This is the reason I stopped watching the drama, despite my love for Lee Joon. He can bite me anytime. 🙂

    Three dramas with some of the engrossing cases I have seen are: Signal, Missing Noir M, and I Remember You (Hello, Monster).

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yes, there are so many disappointments. Ideally, each case should connect to the overall mystery for the most impact. But if the cases are separate, it is a must that they each really draw the viewer in to connect with them. So not only is Vampire Detective severely lacking in portraying the overall mystery (not to mention vampire related stuff), they also aren’t making the cases interesting enough. I’m through episode 5 and nothing has improved.

      Signal was absolutely amazing! Best drama of the year so far for me. Each case was impactful and completely connected to the overall story. Perfection. I have I Remember You on my list and plan to check it out. I haven’t looked much into Missing Noir M, but it sounds like I should add it to my list 🙂

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