It’s so relaxing watching Lee Jun Ki goof off and act all serious on the set of currently filming MBC drama Scholar Who Walks the Night. The casting problems with this drama are widely known, casting a spectre of concern over the entire proceedings, as if the casting roulette is a sign of the drama’s lack of quality. It may or may not, and there is also the worry about the suitability and chemistry of the eventual actors and actresses chosen for their roles, but for now I choose to remain happily optimistic.

It’s a nice reversal of roles for Lee Jun Ki compared to when he played the straight and human character in Arang and the Magistrate. This time he’s the supernatural character, a 150 year old vampire scholar, while Lee Yoo Bi is the cheerful cross-dressing yanban daughter eking out a living as a bookseller before catching the vampire scholar’s eyes. Lee Jun Ki is rocking the pale complexion and copious guyliner as perfectly as one imagined when he was cast, but a drama does not one good actor make so hopefully the rest of the cast will be unveiled soon and bring a measure of relief that the casting hullabaloo was all for naught.