Take Charge of My Heart review: Kim Young-kwang, Chae Soo-bin make this madness work

A woman who can electrocute people with a touch falls for a man whose artificial heart needs recharging. If that sounds like the sort of premise that requires you to leave logic at the door, Take Charge of My Heart has already made its expectations clear. This Netflix Korean romcom isn’t particularly interested in making you believe in its science. It wants you to believe in the romance, enjoy the chaos and, preferably, laugh along with it. The surprising part is how often that works.Starring Kim Young-kwang as Baek Ho-rang and Chae Soo-bin as Na Bo-bae, the new K-drama builds its love story around an unusually literal case of sparks flying. After a childhood lightning strike leaves Bo-bae with an electric touch, she grows up keeping people at a distance. Ho-rang, meanwhile, is a wealthy corporate heir dependent on an artificial heart whose battery is running out. When they discover that her electricity can recharge him without harming him, the two strike a deal that promises to solve both their problems: he gets a way to keep his heart going, while she gets help with her romance-writing ambitions and a chance to experience love.It is gloriously absurd. And, to its credit, the show knows it. There is a certain freedom in watching a cast that isn’t afraid of looking ridiculous. The actors don’t seem embarrassed by the premise or determined to make every scene more serious than it needs to be. Kim Young-kwang leans into Ho-rang’s controlled, occasionally exasperated persona, while Chae Soo-bin gives Bo-bae an appealing mix of awkwardness, curiosity and vulnerability. Their characters’ predicament could easily have become an extended exercise in second-hand embarrassment. Instead, the leads generally commit to the joke, allowing the silliness to become part of the show’s charm. That willingness to surrender is what makes Take Charge of My Heart entertaining. It understands that a romantic comedy doesn’t need to be plausible to be enjoyable. Sometimes, two attractive people negotiating the logistics of an electrically charged relationship are enough. As Bo-bae, ironically a K-drama writer in the show as well, reiterates sometimes all people are looking for is escapism. The show is at its best when it stops trying to justify the mechanics of its fantasy and simply lets the characters make a mess of their circumstances.There is also something comforting about its uncomplicated approach to entertainment. It is a reminder of older strain of K-dramas, when outrageous premises, exaggerated reactions and improbable romantic arrangements were often part of the fun rather than obstacles to be overcome. It doesn’t appear embarrassed by the genre’s more outlandish instincts. For those who miss that kind of unapologetic romantic escapism, this throwback quality is on point. But the same self-awareness that gives the show its charm eventually becomes a limitation.Take Charge of My Heart knows that its story is ridiculous, and it repeatedly plays to that knowledge. The problem is that acknowledging a joke doesn’t automatically make it funnier. Some situations are pushed well beyond their natural comic life, and the repetition can test one’s patience. There are stretches when the plot seems to be running on the assumption that because the premise is unusual, every complication arising from it must also be entertaining. That isn’t always the case. A few scenes could easily lose a little time without taking away much from the story. The romance, too, has to work around the mechanics of the central gimmick. Bo-bae and Ho-rang’s arrangement gives them a reason to spend time together, but a contrived setup can only do so much. The emotional connection needs room to develop beyond the novelty of their physical circumstances. When the show leans too heavily on its central conceit, the relationship risks becoming secondary to the business of keeping the premise alive.Still, there is no denying the appeal of a series that knows precisely what kind of mood it wants to create. It isn’t attempting to be a romcom novel, or offer a particularly profound take on love or turn its fantastical setup into a grand metaphor. It wants to entertain, and its cast’s willingness to play along goes a long way towards achieving that.With the world outside offering more than enough reasons to feel exhausted, there is something to be said for a show that asks so little of its audience. You don’t have to overanalyse it, defend its logic or pretend every episode is essential viewing. You can simply switch it on and let it be silly.Take Charge of My Heart isn’t a must-watch, but it has enough charm to leave you smiling, even when the ridiculousness wears thin. If you’re looking for a lighthearted distraction, this one is worth a charge.The show has 10 episodes and is available on Netflix.- Ends