1Baiting a neck bite should be illegal…
Truth to be told, the whole story was only baiting a vampire plot line - it barely existed in any meaningful way. You could change the set up to rich and poor lead, mafia, soldier and civilian, undercover agents and almost nothing would change. Almost all scenes with the “we can’t be together/we can’t get closer” were not vampire specific and that’s a bummer.I think I would enjoy the drama far more if it was not set up initially as this “forbidden romance”. Rather than staying away because it’s wrong to be together, it’s dangerous, it was just “it’s too much unnecessary drama, so I’m giving you a cold shoulder”. But it felt like the mix of too so it was neither this lighthearted supernatural romance, nor this angsty thrilling love story.
All that said, I did have fun watching. I found all the characters extremely charming with unique personalities that did not feel like AI generated prompts based on stock material. Dong Ha was adorable, but he was not a pushover. Ju Won was stoic, but not emotionless. Seon Jae was cheeky, but not cheap. Gyu Min and Eun Ho, while being this comedic duo, also brought some nice more serious moments between them. All the characters also had great chemistry - be it romance, friendship or rivalry driven.
The production value clearly keeps increasing in the Korean BL industry. I liked the set designs, I thought the styling of all the characters matched their personalities and behaviors. There were a number of pretty shots worth screenshotting too.
Overall, it was fun, but it could have been so much more…
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This review may contain spoilers
FLUFFY VAMPIRES
I never thought id say this but this is probably the fluffiest vampire romance ever . If you want an easy to watch, easy to finish romance then this is for you.This is an 8 - 16minutes episodes (which is really about 14 if you cut out the cheesy opening and closing credits) series with nothing but cute guys and fluffiness. Seriously. before watching the finale i had to rewatch the first episodes because i forgot about the events in them. Its a story about a vampire "family" living together with a normal human.
I love fluffy and light shows and i really iiked the series, however, to be quite honest, there is so much to be desired storywise. The vampire lore was so thin i wondered why they have to be vampires. I almost always ask why, for the love of god, does Koresn BL industry insist on being this short - the limited screentime allowed very little story and character development. It may have been better if it was released as a binge or compiled as a movie but i still think the plot is too thin to really make an impact.
Its pretty obvious the entire series has limited budget and that its possible the entire series may have been shot on a day or two.
The saving grace of the series are the main actors - Yu SIn and Park Dong Ju are real cuties and they did really well as Ju Won and Dong Ha considering the fact that they are almost brand new to acting and what limited material they have. I already loved Lee Tae Hyung from Match Play and its really good to see him in another BL i just hoped the series used him more. I specially loved the acting in the end of episode 7 between Ju Won and Seon Jay, with that alone id say Yu SIn has a pretty bright acting future ahead.
The other couple is mostly used for comedic relief and their kiss at the last episode was so fake i wonder why the series felt the need to add it to the story.
So would i recommend? Definitely. Would i rewatch? Im not entirely sure. Its a good and light series but its also quite forgetable i dont think id remember it after a month. Overall im giving it a strong 8 mostly for the cast and the entertainment value.
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Gorgeous Cast, Little Bite
My Secret Vampire is light, fun, and easy to watch, but the title may set expectations the show doesn’t fully deliver on. For a story that promises supernatural allure, there is surprisingly little actual vampire action. The lack of bite (pun intended) and suspense left me wishing for more tension and depth.That said, the real charm of the series lies in its cast. All five leads are undeniably gorgeous, and their chemistry shines throughout. The cozy housemate dynamics feel warm and inviting, leaning more toward a cute roommate BL than a supernatural romance. While that shift in tone isn’t necessarily bad, it does make the story feel a bit shallow compared to the potential of its premise.
Visually, the series is stunning, well-shot, and aesthetically pleasing, but the narrative plays it safe. If you go in expecting something dark or intense, you might be disappointed. But if you're just looking for something sweet, easy, and visually charming, My Secret Vampire definitely delivers that.
A charming, low-stakes watch that doesn’t quite live up to its title but still earns a solid 7.5 out of 10.
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a queer vampire community
Overall: enjoyed their relationships with one another. Based on a webtoon "No Way, Vampires Don’t Exist!" written by Ki Moong, which I haven't read and I based my review on its own merits. 8 episodes about 15 minutes each, 2 per week. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/my-secret-vampire-episode-1-1lqb2pt4ty4?lang=en_us and GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5793/my-secret-vampire-2025Content Warning: non con touching, (something else was shown but then turned out to be a dream), blood
What I Liked
- their different personalities and their relationships with each other
- visuals
- the ending
Room For Improvement
- noble idiot trope (though thankfully it didn't last long)
- showing flashbacks to recent events
- the cut to black for a kiss
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2
1
1Pretty, predictable and biteless!
This had the potential to be a proper vampire BL, but it clearly suffered from a small budget and limited runtime.Starting with the positives, the cast totally carried the show. The story follows four vampire roommates who take in a human Dong Ha, as their new housemate. The four vampires had that chaotic sibling energy, constantly roasting each other and Dong Ha just slid right in like he had always been part of the group.
Their banter felt natural, funny and a little flirty when needed. The chemistry between the leads was genuinely adorable, making their interactions feel easy and I am happy we didn't get dead fish kisses.
I liked the second couple too though we barely saw the romantic aspect of their relationship, but they were cute. I like how comfortable they looked around each other and their interactions were very natural!
Now coming to the flaws, on the fantasy front, I was a bit disappointed. Somehow the setup turned into a cozy roommate sitcom instead of the broody vampire saga I was expecting. Honestly, we get maybe five seconds of actual vampirism before it’s all domestic chaos. If one chooses to not read the synopsis and ignore the sprinkles of supernatural hints towards the end, the story would play out almost exactly the same...like just another cohabitation romcom.
Again, wasn't expecting much so didn't get too disappointed!
It’s not necessarily bad at all. It’s fluffy, watchable and even kind of charming in that "odd found family" way. But if you went in expecting bloodlust, moral dilemmas or brooding immortals with existential crisis like me… prepare to be met with playful bickering, lighthearted chaos and a suspicious lack of anyone actually drinking blood.
Acting wise, I feel all the actors did a good job. Production was low budget but the country side scenery and the beach scenes were beautifully short.
Overall, this was bite sized, light and easy to binge, though it doesn’t dig deep or deliver much tension. Fun while it lasts, but that's about it. This could have been so much more if they focused a little on the vampire lore and the world building around it.
Will I recommend? Yes, if you are looking for something cute and don't mind surface level storytelling.
7.75/10 (Rounded it higher because the entertainment factor was high, though I clearly understand, see and acknowledge the flaws)
Thank you for reading my review! <3
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just cute without any bite ?
This is a short series best binge-watched, but at least we got two episodes per week. This should be called "My Secret Vampire-Family" imho, because there is just one who is not.There are three full-blood vampires and a half-blood who agree to let a human stay with them. And this human has the attention of all of them, because they are out for his blood. While this could have been a drama, it is a romcom for most of the time. It's easy to understand, the story is not that deep but it's always quite funny and cute. But because it has a happy end, they all come to the conclusion that a human should not be eaten, because he cooks so well. 🤣 Of course there is some tension because one of the Vampires has his eye on the half-blood, but of course the half-blood was capitvated by the human before he even know him.
The most negative about the show is the side-couple, which is not developed and which takes away something from the story overall. It's just in the finale we see one of them going the step further. On the positive side, the script is not dumb, the cast is the show which elevates it from all the other average/medicore shows around. Production quality is quite high for such low budget effort, but there are some sound glitches sometimes. Overall this is a fluffy show, which makes you smile most of the time. So I can say, you should watch it, epsecially when you have a bad day.
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I do think that the drama did well regarding sets, casting and directing. The actors were good for rookies, and the way they were styled and dressed and the set design gave the drama a distinct flavour.
Another aspect that I liked were the characters themselves, who were charming -- everyone had his own personality too.
But the one thing that I find most important was lacking: the story.
Yes, I know. It's a cute and fluffy love story -- don't expect much depth, right? And if this was all the drama would be, then it would have been fine. I could live with "vampires" being just the framework for the story. I could live with a simple tropey love story.
The problem here is that they tease with hints of world building but never deliver. There is no singular vampire lore that every vampire story uses; it's rather that there are many, at times conflicting, takes on how vampires "are" -- can they be exposed to sunlight? Are they born or made? Are they shape shifters? How do families work -- is it more coven-like or more like a human family? Can they eat human food? And many more.
And "My Secret Vampire" seems to think that viewers know these answers already (when they don't), so they never explain them. Or maybe even worse, it seems that the vampire lore here contradicts itself, the vampires can't eat human food, but then they are looking forward to Dongha's eggy toast? At times, I can't decide if the script is bad at keeping to its own world rules or if the character development is just not written well: Seonjae claims that "relations between vampires and humans never end well" but then he supports their relationship?
I could give more, and better, examples, but I want to avoid spoilers.
Overall, the drama had potential in its premise, in the actors, and in the design quality, but it's let down by confused writing that fails to explore its world to the point where I understand the world's rules.
Was it good?
It's so-so. It's entertaining, sure, but leaves more questions than it answered.
Did I like it?
I would have liked it more if the script were better.
Who would I recommend it to?
I would not recommend it at all.
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A Vampire Story With No Blood, Just Love
My Secret Vampire is honestly one of the cutest vampire BLs I’ve ever watched. The last one I saw was 1000 Years Old—the vampire there was also adorable and innocent, but that series dragged a bit, and his love interest was kind of a red flag 😅.What I love about KBLs (or K-dramas in general) is that mostly they manage to keep things light and fluffy without ever being boring. The acting isn’t over the top, and the plot feels refreshing even if it’s a limited budget series. Korea may still be conservative when it comes to BL, but they’re definitely not being left behind—unlike the Philippines, lol!
Anyway, the romance between Jowon and Dong Ha doesn’t feel rushed at all despite the short runtime. There’s something so beautiful about how their relationship builds gradually—it just hits the spot perfectly.
The squad’s chemistry is amazing too. The second couple’s friends-to-lovers dynamic is super cute too and I love watching them bickers. My Secret Vampire isn’t a hardcore vampire story, but that’s exactly why I love it. It’s soft, sweet, and comforting—sometimes we just need something lighthearted after watching darker shows and this series what exactly I needed.
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Aren't they the cutest vamp-gang ever....the best lighthearted KBL in a long time!!
I must say that I have become a tad weary of white-washed, no-plot, only cuteness, only diffused-light, perfect-skin KBLs, off late now...but this one, even though it does tick many of these boxes, appealed to me...I would say go watch, if you want a mood-lifterBL-needle Score: 8.5 Very High BL-ness
All of the caste, and particularly the blood-sucking aspirant side characters, are way too adorable...also Jo Won's attraction to Dong Ha in the garb of a touch act is also adorable, even if cliched...also Kang Seon so reminds me of Jun from ThamePo..he's sharp, go getter, good looking and charming...but def seems headed to give up on the man he fancies....the two other vamps, Gyu Min and Yun Ho are just too cute with their 'please let us suck his blood', and 'we've never ever sucked any human blood ever in our lives'- imploring acts
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Good, but the story needed a bit more to sink your teeth into!
If you start watching this thinking this is going to be a deep story with twists & turns, you'll be extremely disappointed. This was a simple BL with a vampire theme thrown in to make it more interesting. The story does work and there's really no major surprises along the way.I wasn't familiar with any of the actors in this series, but they all blended well together. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of them as their careers get going.
I guess the one complaint I have, would be wanting more of an in depth history on how everyone came to be. How, where & when they were turned into vampires, what happened before and after being turned ... just the basic stuff. Nothing was ever really shared about that. I think it would have added as a big positive to the series overall.
In the end, things all work out for a nice happy ending, just as you would have expected. No stake through the heart, no dirt filled coffins. That would be for a different type of series!
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Cute but nothing special
That was a nice short series with a lot of wholesome and funny moments.Due to it being so short, everything felt really rushed, but it was still an enjoyable watch.
The whole vampire thing was extremely underwhelming, not gonna lie. I wasn't a fan of how their eyes looked when they smelled blood. And as far as I'm concerned, it was supposed to be a romance series about vampires, but to be honest, it felt like just a classic “forbidden love” series. Even if we took away them being the vampires, not much would've changed about the plot.
I really liked the side couple, even though they barely had any screen time. I still loved them.
Overall it was an enjoyable watch, cute and funny at times, but as I said, nothing special, just a classic short BL series.
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it's not bad but it's not good
Probably my expectations are high because I usually only watch Thai BL. However, I was tempted by the vampire theme, because since I like this subject, I should like everything about it. Not quite true.I swear that the only thing I require from Korean BL is a happy ending, nothing more, because I can't expect anything else. Holding hands and touching lips is the maximum intimacy. Here we got a kiss, but it was so bad that they could have skipped it. It's just a pleasant series for the evening just before bedtime, because you won't think about it.
I also understand Korea's conservatism and the fact that BL series are being made there at all is already a lot, but I think that for someone who watches Thai series, this is not a series worth watching.
If you like sweet interactions, handsome actors, a lack of intimacy, and a vampire atmosphere, then this is for you.
If you're a fan of Thai BL and want hot scenes, give it a pass because you'll be bored.
If you're looking for a more emotional Korean BL about vampires, I highly recommend “Kissable Lips.” It was hard for me to forget this series, and it's still one of my Korean favorites despite the lack of passion in the relationship.
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