Set in an alternate Joseon dynasty in ancient Korea, the plot tells the story of a young nobleman and scholar (Lee Joon Gi) who is a close companion to the former Crown Prince. The same scholar, Kim Sung Yeol, discovers the truth of an evil vampire who controls the royal palace. It is revealed that Gwi sits above the King and decides the next heir in the royal line. In their fight against Gwi, however, the secret plan gets thwarted and Sung Yeol is turned into a guardian vampire. His predecessor warns him that he must protect the enchanted black cloak, which enables him to walk in the daylight and live among humanity. Due to the failed attempt to overthrow Gwi, the former Crown Prince and the nobleman's family are executed for treason.
A hundred years later, scholar Kim Sung Yeol now works at the Hongmungwan (Joseon dynasty's administrative offices). Although he is a vampire, Sung Yeol continues to be haunted by the death of his first love, Lee Myung Hee. Nonetheless, he vows to keep his promise to his deceased best friend. He works as a scholar during the daytime, and hunts evil and rogue vampires at night. He is still searching for a way to take down Gwi. The problem is his best friend's journal has been lost, along with the original secret plan to defeating Gwi. Sung Yeol has two loyal human followers to help him in this quest.
Meanwhile, Yang Sun (Lee Yu Bi) is the daughter of a nobleman whose family loses everything when her father is wrongfully framed. To make ends meet, Yang Sun begins cross-dressing and masquerading as a male bookseller. She is an expert in finding the impossible and most rare books in the kingdom. Her delivery services lead her to the mysterious scholar Sung Yeol. But he learns that the bookseller is not a boy but a young woman. While she learns that he is a vampire, Yang Sun is nonetheless determined to find the former Crown Prince's lost journal. Feeling optimistic, Sung Yeol agrees to help her on the search. For the first time in more than a hundred years, Sung Yeol begins to give into his human feelings of love. However, he is both speechless and astonished when he meets his first love's doppelganger, Choi Hye Ryung (Kim So Eon), in the city streets. But the maiden is not what she appears, having no recollection of Sung Yeol or her former past life.
This is my second review of a Korean drama on my blog. I enjoyed this series so much that it was worthy of a review. The pacing was reasonable, and the acting from the main cast was brilliant, especially from Lee Joon Gi (who made his American debut in the film, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter) and Lee Soo Hyuk (who played the handsome yet seductive Gwi). I emphasize Loo Hyuk because he got the evil villain persona on point! I could sense a creepy feeling whenever his character appeared on screen; his performance was so stunning because the audience could understand how Gwi is conflicted by his vampire nature and his longing to understand humanity. In contrast, Sung Yeol held onto his humanity in spite of becoming a guardian vampire to uphold his best friend's wish. Overall, The Scholar Who Walks the Night has got to be one of the most romantic vampire dramas of all time, which is not something you often see in Asian cinema. The plot got more epic as the series progressed. I won't spoil the ending, but it will please fans who watched this series faithfully. I highly recommend this vampire drama.
I would be remiss to not mention that the drama's original soundtrack included several great song selections! I provided a few samples with English lyrics from Korean artists below:
Opening Theme Song: "Endless Run" by Oh Joon Sung
"Secret Paradise" by Jang Jane In
"Love You Again" by Yook Sung Jae (BTOB)
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