I have a feeling we are in for a ton of creative torture in the next 30 episodes.  I am not sure if I can exactly say “good job” in regards to this but, well, uhm… good job?  Come find out our thoughts on torture, sexy shadows, and emotionally tortured princes in this week’s Chatty Recap.

Creepy power couple

You know that whole, assassins can’t date their hot shadow rule?  It seems that evil vamp leader doesn’t practice what she preaches. Judging from the close hugs these two are exchanging more is going on behind the scenes then is acceptable.

Kmuse: Anyone wanting to be romantically involved with this lady makes me want to gag.  However, am I the only one that is seeing there is more to him than what’s obvious?  I am getting a vibe that he isn’t 100% on Team Vamp Queen.

Kdrama Jen:  I have SO MANY QUESTIONS!  How did he get his scar?  Also, I want to dislike her because she, you know, tortures people and stuff, but just look at her haunted eyes, hidden beneath the layers of eyeshadow.  She has been through some trauma.  If she wasn’t a maniacal sorceress assassin, my heart might ache.

Catch a bug save a life

Wan Mei and Chang An are saved from being killed right away thanks to the Blind Prince stepping in. But Vamp Queen holds a grudge. She threatens everyone with a horrible death if they choose to provide an antidote for Chang An (remember he was poisoned during the botched assassination). Desperate, Wan Mei goes to bed Blind Prince and begs for Chang An’s life. Blind Prince declares that if she can catch one blood bug then he will save Chang An. Of course, he gives her a ton of clues on how to do that by telling her about how they will munch a body who ends up in the water. And, you know, the whole blood eating bug moniker.

Kmuse: Visually these bugs are one of my favorite things about the drama. They give off such a magical vibe. Also, they make Blind Prince look really hot. I have been contemplating why he looks better sometimes more than others. I have come to the conclusion that anytime there is more of the color blue in the scene (and some guyliner) he is more striking. But I digress. The fact that Man Wei was willing to slice open her hand to attract the bugs was kind of extreme in my opinion. Wouldn’t pricking a finger work the same way? She only really needed one.

Kdrama Jen:  I am not sure I will ever enjoy an evening of twinkling fireflies without wondering if they are really just carnivorous glow bugs just waiting for me to expose a vein.  I do have to second the guyliner appreciation, though.  Blind Prince is definitely more striking with the aura of blue and some carefully applied eye makeup.

Blind Prince is no longer blind

The herb that Blind Prince had the possible Di Sha’s collect during the challenge is actually the one thing that might give the Prince back his sight.  After his bodyguard prepared the herb into a poultice, the Prince regains his vision slowly but continues to hide his recovery for political reasons.

Kmuse; Loved the flashback scene which showed how the Prince’s mother blinded him to save his life.  I love the artistic way they use paintings during these flashbacks.  It’s so much more powerful than seeing it via film.  I would happily frame any of these pictures and show them in my house.

Kdrama Jen: So… I don’t mean to criticize your artistic taste, but a lot of these paintings show horrific torture scenes. I can’t say I would want them hanging in my living room next to the picture of my kids playing tag in the waterfall or something. They are beautiful, but like the show, depict some horrific scenes. Perhaps if you have a red velvet boudoir with one of those reclining couches this could fit in nicely…

Kmuse: Pretend you don’t know the context… it is just a beautiful painting of a sad lady.  Could totally work.

Chang An gets a tiny bit sexier

A higher-up assassin lost her Shadow (well, he was killed because he was super ambitious and crossed Vamp Queen.) and needs a replacement. All shadows are required to compete for the honor. Chang An competes and kicks shadow butt. It’s amazing what not being poisoned and half dead can do to a guy’s fighting skill level.  Not to mention his hotness level.

Kmuse: Chang An was so much sexier when he wasn’t following around Wan Mei.  Still not feeling that pairing as of yet.

Kdrama Jen: I love watching him fight and how he stoically takes on whatever hell is thrown his way. I also kind of like the idea of a shadow bodyguard/chef/hairdresser. Sometimes I just don’t feel like combing my own hair and this is like the perfect solution. Sure, he is a deadly killing machine with haunted eyes and likely a hidden past, but he seems to have a knack for gently combing hair.

Assassination Challenge Take 2

Wan Mei is given a second chance to become Di Sha.  Which means it is time for her to really kill someone this time.  Her mark is a salt distributor and brother to the warrior who was protecting the Doctor last week.  Wan Mei and Chang An sneak into a tea house where Wan Mei fakes/drugs her mark into thinking she is the ghost of his long lost love.  When all is said and done Wan Mei can’t make the kill.  But the Salt Merchant kills himself out of guilt anyway.  So, Yay for succeeding in your mission?

Kmuse: To be completely honest, Wan Mei backing out all the time on her missions is a bit annoying.  I would have been much happier if she was out killing the wicked and being a badass.  As it is, she is the whiniest assassin ever.  The whole scene was beautifully filmed though. Very dramatic and pretty.

Kdrama Jen:  Seriously.  Where is her commitment?  I admire her morality and all, but it seems a teensy bit unfair that she gets to be a Di Sha and hasn’t really killed anyone.  What about all of those other hard-working assassins?  How can Wan Mei look at herself and twirl her bloody flower parasol and really feel a true sense of accomplishment?  Also, on a side note, I think they were relying a little too much on Salt Merchant’s guilty conscience.  Wasn’t this kind of an elaborate plot to kill him off?  I think poison in his soup might have been a better option, but then again, I am not a Di Sha, so what do I know?

The blind test

The king of the sect is a total psycho.  Not only does he enjoy killing people but he is paranoid and cruel as well.  We learn that the only reason Blind Prince is still around is that they consider him a minor threat because of his lack of vision.  In an attempt to test that he is indeed blind, the king and another lord of the land, boil his nanny in front of him and force him to eat the soup.  There are not enough ewwwws in the world to express how gross this is.  Blind Prince is forced to act as if he sees nothing, protecting his secret.  He vows revenge and death as he throws up the soup in his rooms.

Kmuse: I thought the caves of torture last week were pretty icky.  That is nothing compared to watching them boil the woman and forcing the Prince to eat the soup.  That is some next level mind torture going on there.

Kdrama Jen:  Sorry.  I was too distracted by the King’s cat-ear looking hairstyle for a moment.  Or maybe I was focusing on that because it truly turned my stomach to watch Formerly Blind Prince slurping up nanny soup.

Suicide via swing

In despair over killing (not really, but he is dead none the less) the Salt Merchant Wan Mei decides she is going to kill herself.  By swinging high on a swing and falling backward.  Hmmm, wouldn’t throwing yourself off a giant cliff or stabbing yourself with your blood parasol be more efficient?  She doesn’t succeed thanks to Chang An catching her before she lands.  Seeing how desperate Wan Mei is, Chang An agrees to escape with her.  They celebrate their new plan by having a cute swinging session as darkness falls.

Kmuse: She can’t even kill herself.  Wan Mei is horrible at this whole assassin thing.  Also, what happens if she just happens to break a leg or go into a coma?  That suicide plan was not thought out at all.  Good thing those late night swing cuddles were super cute or I would be in despair all around.

Kdrama Jen:  The swing cuddles were beyond adorable and helped me turn the corner on this couple.  I can get behind this shadow/assassin forbidden love as long as we get plenty more scenes of them gazing at one another while swinging through the air.  Now, as far as suicide by swing, I am now convinced Wan Mei may be the worst assassin ever. As Kmuse pointed out, this was very ill-advised.  Since she fell backward, it is likely that she would have broken some bones or suffered a concussion.  And THEN she would have been tortured to death for trying to “escape.”  Good thing her shadow was there to swoop her up in his swoon-worthy arms.

Chang An has hidden depths

Oooh.  First, the Shadow fight and now, Chang An is spying on evil Vamp Queen?  Chang An continues to get more mysterious as the show goes on.  He also chooses (for some unknown reason) to allow Wan Mei to escape without him.  Instead, he attempts to kill Vamp Queen and only narrowly fails.  Vamp Queen manages to injure him as he escapes and Chang An runs to the Blind Prince seeking refuge.

Kmuse: I am loving Chang An’s character more and more.  This is the kind of oomph I wished Wan Mei had.  Is it something that can be taught?

Kdrama Jen:  There is just something about his quiet strength that is keeping me watching.  I think this is probably hard-won for Chang An through lots of trials, so maybe Wan Mei just needs to face some more hardship before she can come into her own.

You shall not pass

Realizing that he might have an ally in his fight against Queen Vamp, Blind Prince agrees to hide Chang An.  The evil sect leader bursts into his house looking for the assassin but Blind Prince goes all badass and denies her entrance with his army of blood bugs.  Wan Mei returns just as Blind Prince’s energy fails and attempts to protect Chang An and her Prince.

Kmuse: I’m telling you, the best thing about this drama is Blind Prince and his tamed blood bugs.  This was the best scene by far this week.  I wish he was the main focus of the story and not just a side plot arc.

Kdrama Jen: I continue to be fascinated by the myriad ways one can use insects for torture, defense, and entertainment.  I almost want to create a spreadsheet to keep track.  Where is Karie the Maknae when we need her???  As far as Formerly Blind Prince, I find his hidden depths fascinating, but I am still nurturing this growing love for Chang An.

There you have it!  Our thoughts on the episodes 5-8 of Bloody Romance.  I’m excited to see if our OTP find a way to survive until next week.

Til the next parasol murder,

The Fangirls

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi