The drama adaptation of the highly popular Orange Marmalade manhwa has recently concluded airing in Korean channel KBS.

*spoilers below!*

The 'kiss' on the train that started it all. :D

I really loved the manhwa (Korean comics). I discovered it via Webtoon app on Android and instantly got hooked. Yes it's a vampire-human romance kinda story, but the little twist here is that it's the girl who is the vampire. I've never heard of a story with this kind of setup actually so that's one thing that got me curious. The manhwa kept me busy for days as I followed the progress of their complicated relationship. Thus, I had really high expectations for the drama.

However, I was disappointed. 

The drama plot was so twisted. Of course I know the writers had their freedom to move away from the original manhwa storyline, but they did not just went beyond, they even added plots (*ehem* Joseon era *ehem*) that seemed not to fit anywhere in the whole story. I was actually surprised that the first four episodes already covered the whole story of the manhwa. So what will happen in the rest of the episodes then?

I still watched it 'til the end though. There are still positive points, to be fair, in the drama adaptation compared to the manhwa. First, I loved that the drama added more emphasis on the vampire-human conflict and how it brought home the point that vampires should not be discriminated. Second, the vampire girl has a stronger personality here, compared to the helpless version in the manhwa. I liked that she stood up for her beliefs (even cooperating in the coexistence project of their vampire government) and she really pursued what she wanted.

Another reason why I watched it was the cast. I already liked the manhwa, but I got more interested when I learned that CNBLUE's Jonghyun would be playing the badass vampire in the story!!

'Vampire To the Rescue' Scene 1: He assists a fainting Baek Mari to the school's hospital

'Vampire To The Rescue' Scene 2: He grabs Mari by the hand and leads her away from the whole school judgingly watching her drink blood.

These two scenes above are the best Jonghyun cuts for me. Actually these are very Edward-Cullen behavior. He was there when his lady mostly needed a knight in shining armor to save her.

This is the first time I saw Jonghyun act in a drama. I have mostly known him as just a member of the CNBLUE band. The vampire role really suited his looks. He was the 'bad boy' of the cast, but has a caring side for Mari (which is the killer combination for me, and he really nailed that character. I love him!!! ♥（ﾉ´∀`)). Also, I liked the fact that the cast was doing a school band in the story, and so we saw Jonghyun do some legit guitar playing and singing in the drama! Actually, Kim Jaejoong would have been a good choice for this role also, but he already entered the military by the time this drama began, and he's already too old for the role I think.

I also got to like the lead guy, which I have just known goes by the name Yeo Jin Goo, I initially know him as the young Yoochun in the drama Missing You. I didn't initially  like him playing this role in Orange Marmalade actually. But as I watched the episodes, I just grew fond of him also. He sure can act! Apparently he has also starred in a number of dramas previously, including Moon Embracing the Sun. His smiles are just so eye-catching. He's now included in my list of actors to watch out for in future Korean dramas!

That smile. ♥

All-in-all, Orange Marmalade was still a nice watch. It sure kept me and my sister entertained for a couple of nights. :)

~o~

Orange Marmalade is a Korean drama aired at KBS. 
No copyright infringement intended.