Lovers of the Red Sky Episodes 7-8 Resumes with Similar Ratings of 9.3%, 8.9% as the Week Hiatus Slows the Momentum

I was super excited on Monday for the resumption of Lovers of the Red Sky, with episode 7 picking up from the end of the painting competition and the arrival of Chun Gi’s mentally damaged dad to cause a ruckus. I don’t know if it’s mostly due to the Chuseok week preemption but the episode felt so slow and took the wind of this drama’s sails a bit. Episode 8 picked up back but that butterfly in my stomach vibes are no longer there (for now), and I spent this week’s episodes enjoying the story progress but wishing I still had that visceral emotional tug to the characters. Chun Gi is just too perfect and plucky, and played by Kim Yoo Jung perfectly endearing and not an ounce of annoying, but she’s more of a plot device due to everyone around her. She’s touched by the Demon since birth, lost her eyes, regained her right through Ha Ram’s eyes, and is fated to restore the damaged Royal Portrait in order to contain the Demon once again. And everyone around her adores her, takes care of her, and two guys love her. Between the two guys, Ha Ram remains more interesting but he’s too restrained probably because Ahn Hyo Seob can only portray stoic/calculating/tormented with one expression, and Prince Yangmyung is a good dude and all but goodness comes across as a wet blanket half the time and I don’t know if it’s Gong Myung‘s acting or the personality. Thank goodness for Kwak Si Yang’s Prince Joohyang to continue evil up the proceedings and keep it interesting. With that said, the end of episode 8 was a wild moment as Demon has emerged once again from Ha Ram at the most inopportune time, and I’m guessing he’s not there to throw a rave rager at the Palace with Chun Gi and Yangmyung.