TYPE OF REVIEW 
: GOOD OL’ REVIEW
No spoilers.
Kissable Lips (깨물고 싶은) is yet another Korean web series held back by the limitations of its format and platform. A solid premise and excellent chemistry by its lead stars Kim Ji Woong and Yoon Seobin do their best to try and make up for the shortcomings of the rest of the series. But it ultimately ends as a quick, but unsatisfying watch.
Kissable Lips tells the story of 500-year-old vampire Kim Jun Ho (Kim Ji Woong) who is about to die unless he drinks the blood of pure-blooded human Choi Min Hyun (Yoon Seobin). Things get complicated, however, when Jun Ho begins to fall for Min Hyun who could die if he sucks up all his blood. Meanwhile, the arrival of Jun Ho’s friend Hae Soo (also a vampire) further complicates his dilemma between life and love.
This quick eight episode series, as with many a Korean web series, tries to pack too much into its short format. Basic world building and minimal character development aren’t enough to craft a fully realized story. It’s difficult to grasp any kind of angst or moral dilemma from the choice Jun Ho has to make. Not to mention trauma from a tragic past that he must deal with as well as issues with his friends, separate from Min Hyun. Meanwhile, Min Hyun himself is quite thin as a character. Sometimes serving almost like merely a plot device to what seems to be the main focus of the series. And that is Jun Ho’s life or death decision.
The series introduces many different themes that are primed for further exploration. But none ever get touched again until you reach the end of the series and find yourself saying “That’s it?” The lack of depth, even for lighter and fluffy Korean web series, is very noticeable here. Especially when you can see many times the potential for it to be something much more.
But as a BL series, Jun Ho and Min Hyun’s romance of course gets top billing. And it is the performances of Kim Ji Woong and Yoon Seobin that do the most heavy lifting here. Their undeniable chemistry carries most of the story’s shortcomings. The lack of development in their relationship, their own characters and insufficient exploration of the stakes and emotions from Jun Ho’s past and present are all almost redeemed by Kim Ji Woong and Yoon Seobin’s chemistry alone. Almost.
You care about these characters because Kim Ji Woong and Yoon Seobin themselves make you want to root for them. Otherwise, the writing does little to establish any reason to become invested in either their relationship or the other main plot threads of the series.
The premise is fine. But this is just another case of a team not knowing how to properly utilize the time and resources they have for the production. A tighter and more focused story could easily be told in eight short episodes. But Kissable Lips definitely leaves plenty on the table. As with most Korean web series, Kissable Lips might end up being unsatisfying and unfulfilling by the end. But its length still makes it a quick and relatively easy watch.