[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Blade Man" Episode 11

"Blade Man" is inconsistent. It can't decide which direction it wants to take with its plot and its tone and its character development. Perhaps it is due to the long periods of ineffective on-camera brooding. Or perhaps it is the constant time skips that gloss over all of the juicy writing points, leaving them to be explained after the fact in a way that feels more like reading a teleprompter than watching drama. However, where "Blade Man" excels is in the little moments of connection between characters, like the beautiful ones between Chang and Hong-bin.

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After many episodes of Chang longing for his father's attention, he finally asks - and he is obliged. All the happenings of the drama thus far have enabled Hong-bin to relate to his son, to remember how he was neglected as a child, and remember how he only wanted his father's embrace. This causes him to open up and for Chang to finally grow attached to his father and call him "dad". Those were the most rewarding moments of the episode.

The rest of the episode was filled with awkward attempts to advance the plot. Madame Yoon was shed in a humanizing light that did not become the character at all. She has been developed as an unsympathetic villain so the sudden change in her is jarring. If the writer wanted this aspect of the character it should've been introduce much sooner. Daddy Joo was handled better because his inner turmoil was apparent from the beginning. The effect that his relationship with earnest, hard-working young Chang has on him mirrors the effect Chang has on Se-dong. His presence is healing.

What was hard to swallow this episode was the manipulation of Go's character. No longer is he the comic relief. Now he is a major tool for delivery of exposition. That change is partially masked by the humor that Han Jung-soo is so good at, but it merely brushes the issue under the rug. In fact, the moments of cheesy humor that were so entertaining in the earlier episodes now seem like heavy-handed attempts at levity. The writer uses Se-dong's friend, Seung-hwan, much in the same manner. He is only there to provide backstory on Se-dong that could've been better conveyed through more sporadic reveals that fit better into the plot.

The grossest misstep this episode, however, was the fact that it glossed over Se-dong's reaction to Hong-bin's supernatural strength. It was built up to be a huge reveal that resulted in confusion. I have no idea if Se-dong actually realizes he has powers, or if she is so naive that she is making excuses for him. It should've been a climactic moment, and it was anything but. Perhaps when he reveals his blades there will be a more satisfying reaction.

Written by: Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

Follow @ raine0211

"Blade Man" is directed by Kim Yong-soo-I, Kim Jong-yeon, written by Kim Gyoo-wan and features Lee Dong-wook, Shin Se-kyung, Kim Kap-soo, and Jung Yoo-geun.