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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Blood" Episode 14

Ji-sang learns a valuable lesson this episode- talking to people is actually a very good way to move the plot forward. The video by his mom stops being an exercise in showing off how Ahn Jae-hyun isn't that good at emoting and instead is used for its substantial information regarding the infection. For Ji-sang to just be willing to share such private information with other people at all marks a long-needed improvement in his character arc.

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But it's not just with friendly characters. Ji-sang actually gets a good word in on Jae-wook just by using verbal warfare instead of the usual vampire violence. Jae-wook, for the first time, actually looks somewhat concerned by the fact that there's clearly ommunication going on here that he doesn't know about. Granted, the man still has the upper hand, and he knows it, but Ji-sang actually comes off here as kind of competent rather than just full of bravado.

Of course, as the cliffhanger demonstrates, many goofy parts of the premise can't really be avoided quite so easily. Jae-wook seems to have very little concern over the well-being of his henchmen. Well, except for the one, but I'm honestly surprised he's able to recruit anybody new considering what happens to most of his nameless horde. Then again I sort of doubt there's any kind of trade guild representing people who work for vampires.

Even amidst all this there's some genuine emotion here. A deathbed scene is actually portrayed quite sweetly from multiple angles- even Jae-wook's. It's times like this that I wish "Blood" would have more nuanced ethical discussion regarding surgery. Yes that's probably a strange discussion point that only I care about but still. It's potentially interesting writing. And for the most part the writing here is actually pretty good- not a compliment I ever thought to make about this drama. Maybe it just seems good compared to the usual.

In any event "Blood" is actually managing to be decently engaging right now. The cast is generally nice to look at now that they don't have to worry about mangling repetitive nonsensical dialogue. Jokes are jokes, forward plot progress is forward plot progress, and the drama as a whole is fun and enjoyable enough that there's not really all that much to nitpick. If "Blood" is able to continue along this vein to the end...well, it still probably won't be good, but it will at least be a semi-enjoyable guilty pleasure supernatural medical romance.

Review by William Schwartz

"Blood" is directed by Ki Min-soo, written by Park Jae-beom-I and features Ahn Jae-hyun, Koo Hye-sun, Ji Jin-hee, Jung Hae-in, Kim Kap-soo, Son Sook and more.

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