To start off, this drama initially began as your basic gender bender. Typical. However, as you find yourself deeper into this drama you find underlying in that plot is so much more. There is a balance between your heart fluttering moments of pure fluff, moments that will make you laugh and the absolutely heart-wrenching moments-- this balance continuously plays with the viewers' heart, and it's exactly what keeps them wanting more. Since it was a romance historical drama, there was plenty of political elements to follow along with as well. I myself am a huge sucker for historical dramas, so naturally I found that this particular plot wasn't that hard to follow along with. But for someone who doesn't find much interest for them, they play a huuuuge role in the plot development - so I probably wouldn't recommend it.
The only portion I had dissatisfactions with was with how the story carried out towards the end of the drama. It dragged on for a little bit and then at the very last episodes everything felt very rushed to tie all the loose ends. There were a couple story arcs that they could have expanded on a little more which was disappointing. If they had cut the filler episodes a little short and was a little more detailed in the ending, it would've been absolutely flawless as a drama. But overall, the story was nothing short of amazing.
The general performance of the whole cast was exemplary, having both a reputation for their acting and endless eye candy! I even found myself becoming a Park Bo Gum fan in the process.
For starters, Kim Yoo Jung never fails expectation, upholding her crown as one of the best upcoming actresses with yet another hit drama to her lengthy list of filmography. Her character Ra On is a charming, optimistic and extremely outgoing. As having one of the more complex back stories in the drama, there were a few plot holes dealing with her family but nonetheless, it was carried out very well.
Park Bo Gum's presentation of the crown prince Lee Young was all in all praise worthy. I didn't feel much awkwardness from him even though he isn't nearly as experienced with historical dramas in contrast to his cast members. His tone, stance and relaying of emotions (his eyes I swoon every time), were executed in a manner that truly brought his character Lee Young to life. Not to mention, he suited the hanbok extremely well (and was very good looking in it). Although he was one of the more dull character archetypes, it was still entertaining to watch him grow from a childish troublemaker to a mature and refined crown prince.
The romance between the two was also lovely to the eyes, and although there is a bit of an age gap I didn't feel it as the chemistry between Bo Gum and Yoo Jung strongly made up for it. Although the romance did over shine the development of the friendship plot.
I definitely wish they would have shone a bit more light on the other characters Byung Yun and Yoon Sung. There was a lot of potential that the writer could of utilized to enhance the plot. These two character archetypes were definitely more on the complex side and it would've been really interesting to see more of their development and more of their story all in all.
The music in this drama was definitely really lovely to the ears, nothing really too special but they did include an OST by Park Bo Gum himself which was definitely a treat.
Another thing that I would like to make note on is the cinematography. I absolutely adooooore when producers pay respect to these aspects and I was taken by surprise at how stunning some scenes were. From the first episode until the very last, it was extremely extremely beautiful.
On the whole, this drama was definitely an exceptional coming of age drama deserving of all the hype and you should definitely give it a chance.
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In a nutshell, a saeguk for kids. Take a Disney film, split it into several episodes, dress the characters in hanboks and you have this drama. It mimics The Moon embracing the Sun - without ever nearing its intriguing plot or romance - in almost every aspect except for the detail of a girl dressed as a man despite the fact that she could never in a trillion years be mistaken for a man. To keep the parallel, we could say this is a fluffy rom-com dressed up as a Saeguk.
The romance is so cheesy I welcomed the politics with a sigh of relief. Everything happens too soon and... too much, depriving my otherwise romantic heart of the needed suspense and, yes, what I consider a must for romance: trepidation. I can't say I am an expert in historical dramas, but the little I know is that almost everything the two main characters do and say here is totally implausible: stroll hand in hand in the palace courts without anyone seeing them? Right. This is just one example out of dozens unlikely - no, impossible - situations. Unlike other reviewers here, I believe the second half of this drama to be a lot better than the first, with at least some plot developments, albeit rushed, at times.
The real saving grace of the show is Park Bo Goum. He clearly is talented and a pleasure to watch. His character is too good to be true, but well played out and multifaceted. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed in Kim Yoo Jung's performance. I know she's very young and has a lot of potential, but she didn't manage to make me feel a thing. By some camera angles, it was clear she wasn't looking at her partner when supposed to do so, and the result was kind of ridiculous. Her character is neither particularly brave, nor very strong or intelligent, so what's left in the end is a super nice crown prince who falls madly in love with a sweet pretty thing because she's a sweet pretty thing. I even came to prefer the appointed crown princess, she was refreshingly spunky.
The music is a collection of pop songs fit for everything and nothing. See above for the age target.
In conclusion, this drama had some real potential, even when the plot twists are predictable, but the final package is fluffy at best. Can be marathoned through for an overdose of lovey-dovey chirping.
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I think the entire cast was excellent. Park Bo Gum is perfect. He is completely charming as the young Crown Prince. I totally fell for his smirk, and truly empathized with his struggle to become a true leader within a corrupt system. He is matched with Kim Yoo Jung, who I was very impressed with. Usually underage romantic lead actresses seem so obviously out of place to me, but she was a formidable leading lady, and the age gap wasn't so big. Beyond pulling off the gender-bender trope pretty well, she was also very believable expressing the range of emotions Ra On had to go through. They had an extremely cute chemistry, and seemed to be generally falling for each other. They are definitely the MVPs of this drama.
Aside from the main couple, there are two young actors who also deserve praise, Kwak Dong Yeon and Jung Jin Young. Byung Yeon was so bad@ss, and although a man of few words, his was the only character that made me actually cry. Jung Jin Young as Yoon Sung is the perfect second lead. I didn't exactly have second lead syndrome, but I came close a few times. The friendship dynamic between all four is complicated, which makes it even more interesting. Nothing is what it appears to be at face value, and that's the kind of storytelling I think this drama did well.
There are too many great minor characters to mention them all. I honestly can't think of a single weak link. The villains are extra villainous, and some of the more comedic characters are completely silly, but they all felt real, and not just included to fill up space and time.
This story is more complicated than it initially appears to be, so it's not as if I was ever really bored, but I still wish that the second half of the drama didn't lose all of the fun the initial episodes had. At the same time, it makes total sense to the story that it was told exactly the way it was, so maybe I was just in the mood to watch something lighter. I'm really trying hard to find something solid to complain about, but the music... the direction... the amount of episodes... it all worked well. Some aspects may have been a bit repetitive, which was frustrating at times, but that frustration served to motivate the Crown Prince, so I think it was necessary. It isn't exactly filled with epic twists either, which makes it not extremely exciting at times, but also not unnecessarily complicated.
Would I watch this again? Sure. I also wonder if being in the right mood to watch this kind of story would make me like it more. I also liked that it all ended with no loose ends, which made watching the whole thing more satisfying. Even the title is explained, which was a nice touch.
Overall, this is a great addition to the pantheon of guy-falls-for-girl-pretending-to-be-a-guy dramas. Lovers of historical romantic dramas should definitely watch. Romance fans should make sure they are ready to watch something that isn't lighthearted. I also think it's a great vehicle for some impressive young talent. I look forward to seeing what's next for them.
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The plot. It is interesting, in fact, very interesting enough how they unfold each mysteries at a time. Not reading any spoilers about this show helps peak up my interest in this drama.
Actors. This is the first time that I have watched a Park Bo Gum drama. I am more of a Lee Min Ho person so I haven’t placed any interest in him up until now. And I ask myself, why now? I have added Park Bo Gum to my list of handsome Korean male leads and I am going to watch another of his dramas after this. The chemistry with his female lead Hong Ra On ( Kim Yoo Jung) here is very evident and I really find her acting very profound and her image is so easy in the eyes that I have began loving her and her acting in this drama. Good casting indeed!
The only downside I see here is I wish that our female lead would be a bit powerful considering what family background she came from. Instead, I see someone who needs a lot of saving. She should have equipped herself with some fighting skills so as not to appear helpless all the time. I was looking for more girl power in the sense. Nevertheless, she has other strengths like her writing prowess and with a good memory, she can be a good strategist in the sense. Good enough to help our King as she stands beside him. After all, behind every king stands people that he trusts and will back him up no matter what.
Sword fight and action scenes. I must say I love the sword fights. Our actors namely Your Highness Crown Prince Hyo, Chief of Rites Kim Yoon Sung and Kim Byung Yeon greatly placed a lot of training and efforts into the fight scenes particularly on how they handle their swords. Simply takes my breath away sometimes.
Although there were scenes that were dull, still this show managed to take us to heightened moments. I like the idealism of the king and what he hoped his ruling of the kingdom might be.
Anyway, I have decided that every time I do a review, I will have to go through my checklist. A have come up with a checklist that every Korean drama has and I must say, Love in the Moonlight almost have it all
- [x] Based on a fairy tale or there is a fairy tale reference ( Little Mermaid)
- [ ] Kissing scenes
- [x] peck on cheeks
- [x] smack or peck on lips
- [ ] forehead
- [ ] 10-15 seconds kisses
- [ ] Hugs or Holding hands
- [x] back hugs
- [ ] usual hugs
- [x] Shopping involved
- [x] Jewelry or giving of jewelry to either male or female and vice versa
- [ ] Marriage at the end
- [ ] Cooking ( apart of course if it is a drama on food or cooking show)
- [ ] Noodles or ramyeon
- [x] Drinking and lots of Soju
- [x] piggy back
- [x] Action scenes. Sword fight or gun fight
- [ ] Product endorsements and presence
- [x] Cheesy lines and dialogues
- [x] Bromance
- [x] Alcohol and jealousy
- [x] Library scene or books involved
“Destiny can never be made nor it can be avoided.” Over-all, this tv series have enough drama, romance and definitely action with its twists and turns. A feel-good series.
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P.S: I actually dropped this show several times in the first couple of episodes because it was perhaps a bit too goofy for me, though I really started to feel invested around episode 3 when the leads start to connect more.
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When Love in the Moonlight first hit my drama radar, everything about it put me off. The promo posters just radiated cheesiness, so much so that I’m pretty sure I internally gagged. Not to mention, everything about its premise was overdone and oftentimes badly so. The crossdressing girl, the handsome prince, the political intrigue mixed somewhere in there...Was it worth the risk of watching and likely being disappointed?
The thing about Love in the Moonlight is that it is definitely a good show. Well, partially. It suffers from what I like to call “K-drama syndrome,” where it starts off at its peak and then plunges down into its inevitable doom, where the plot and characters deteriorate in a cesspool of their previously glorious existences. It's exactly as revolting to us viewers as it sounds.
The storyline of Love in the Moonlight is incredibly unoriginal. Its desire to take on the tropes of a crossdressing female who falls in love with a higher-class man was quite impressive, and for a good half of the drama, the execution was phenomenal. I found myself practically twitching while I waited to watch the next episode upon release.
There’s something about cliches done well that’s just as appealing as a never-before-seen storyline, and that’s what Love in the Moonlight accomplished. Its cheesy romance was bolstered by a talented leading couple, and its political aspect was intelligent, yet not overly difficult to follow. Not to mention, the characters were all lovable, each with their defining characteristics that made you love to see them. I admired the drama's ability to make the usually predictable storyline both unpredictable and addicting, and making me take back all my doubts from the beginning. Touche, writers; but that victory only lasts for a little while.
The problem with Love in the Moonlight is that as time goes on, you begin to see the infection of K-drama syndrome more and more. I'll admit, the writers keep you on your toes enough so that you barely even notice the problems unless you take a glance backward. But holy cheese, did this show throw away its potential at being perfect.
The romance is great, that much I will stand by. However, I attribute that much more to the capabilities of the leading actors than the characters themselves. I adored the Crown Prince at the beginning, and I likewise appreciated Ra On’s quirkiness. But over time, the writers lost sight of what made these characters unique and reduced them down to “male lead” and “female lead.” I don't even want to talk about the atrocities of the side characters, particularly Ha Yeon, who faded further and further into the background. It got to the point where she would come on screen and my reaction would be, "who is dis," because she had become that irrelevant. I’ve seen static characters, but I was puzzled with how the ones in Love in the Moonlight somehow managed to all move backward in development - their quirks disappeared. To me, there was nothing sadder than the moment I admitted to myself that the only reason I still liked the Crown Prince was because of Park Bo Gum.
Additionally, I have to say that the writers really lost themselves nearing the end of this show. It was cliche in the beginning, but at least they carried it out well. By the end, they were throwing so many tropes in your face that it almost bruised me. Most of which, I didn’t appreciate at all. There’s a difference between using previously-seen plot elements to better a show, and using them just because there is a need to. By resorting to the latter, the writers failed what could have been an absolute gorgeous ending.
For me, the one trump card of this drama was the cast, and this is the one basis I will recommend this drama off of. I sat down in front of the first episode knowing no one out of the main cast aside from Kim Yoo Jung, who I sneered at for being far too young for her role. By the end, I was impressed with everyone’s ability to portray their respective roles.
Park Bo Gum is phenomenal. He’s obviously goodlooking (those puppy-dog eyes though hehehehe), but the level of emotion he puts into every line and movement is awe-inspiring. Everything about his acting feels real, from the look in his eyes and - I swear - each shift of his facial muscles. He brings the Crown Prince to life in a way that I’ve honestly never seen another actor do with their character. And now I have posters of him on my walls. I wish this were a joke, but I guess I’m prouder to say that it’s not - he was just that good.
Yoo Jung is where I’m split. There’s no doubt she’s talented, but I’ll still enforce the idea that she was too young for the lead role in a romance drama. If you’re going to forget how weird it is morally that 23-year-old Bo Gum is interacting romantically with a minor, just know that her acting was far better in scenes where there wasn’t any handholding and whatnot. I’ll give it to her that she tried, and did well alongside Bo Gum, but she still needs more experience to pair with that acting talent. Soon enough, she’ll have a scary level of skill.
I would also like to comment on the music, most of which I loved. They chose a good collection of strong singers for it, and the instrumentals were beautiful (I listen to some of them when I work now because they’re that entrancing). I am going to go out on a limb here though, and say that the song they gave to Park Bo Gum was subpar. I know he’s capable of better music, and I just wish that they provided him the chance to blind us even more with his unlimited talent.
I’d say that Love in the Moonlight is worth the watch, if only to see how the actors are able to bring quality to a usually mundane plot. Despite the bits of disappointment I felt at the ending, I am still glad that I watched the whole thing through and I can say that I enjoyed myself for the most part.
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I'm not into gender-benders. AT ALL. I prefer having a male lead who knows exactly, from the get go, what the gender of his love interest is. Which is the reason why I avoided these types of dramas since I seriously began watching Korean dramas way back in 2011. But I wanted something light and fluffy to overcome a depressing mood following a heartbreaking ending to a drama I watched recently. Love in the Moonlight seemed like a perfect antidote to that. And boy, am I deeply grateful for this inspiration. The drama gave me so much more.
Love in the Moonlight is simply a Romantic drama (it's pretty obvious from the posters, isn't it?). It's a story that revolves around the romance between a crown prince and a common girl disguised as a eunuch at the palace. It's a very cliche story consisting of overly used themes so I can totally understand why a more mature audience would not appreciate it. The plot is very straightforward and the political arc is not as twisted as other people would've wanted it to be (you know, to create more angst and all that). Yet one of the reasons why I appreciate it is that it does not try to be ambitious. It knows exactly what kind of drama it is and does nothing more than take full advantage of the execution of the love story and its characterization.
I already mentioned that the first reason why I love Love in the Moonlight is because of Park Bo Gum. Can I just say he is beyond amazing here? I don't know whether to chalk my love for him to the way his character was written or his performance. Maybe it's both. All I know is, I loved his character as Crown Prince Lee Yeong and I admire him in real life. As heir to the throne, Lee Yeong was highly intelligent, tough and uncompromising, traits which make a great king. Despite his youth, he always knew how to outwit his political enemies and could go head to head even with the most influential and corrupt officials in court (e.g. the queen, the prime minister and his minions). I'm impressed at how he was often able to maneuver the law (legally, of course) to protect the people he cared about. He could become a formidable enemy to those who wanted him dead or planned for his downfall if he wanted to be. At the same time, he was very down-to-earth, passionate and caring to his loved ones, whether it be his people, his sister, his father's favorite concubine, Ra On, his bodyguard best friend or his trusted adviser. I often marveled at the tenderness, selflessness and commitment he constantly showed to Ra On, as well as the unwavering faith he had towards Byung-yeon despite the revelation that the latter was a member of the rebels. The way Park Bo Gum portrayed all these was beautiful to watch.
The second reason why I love the show is its skillful execution. The show was consistent in its tone and direction so I felt like I was on an amazing journey with Lee Yeong and Ra On, from re-discovering the beauty of falling in love for the first time to the pain and struggle of overcoming obstacles to their love. The secondary love stories were entertaining as well. I enjoyed seeing the continuation of the adorable relationship between the princess and Master Jung. I also loved the fact that Ra On's disguise stemmed from a life-threatening place. It makes you understand why she had to pretend to be a completely different person her whole life. The conflict created not only angst but posed a real element of danger to the OTP. It made me say, "Okay, I buy that."
What I didn't like in the drama were the easy solution to the said conflicts and the fact that most secondary characters were one-dimensional. We are never provided with enough background on Ra On's father which made me feel that he was only used to be a no-brainer answer to Ra On's problems in the latter part of the story. We also have a VERY typical secondary male lead. I still don't get why he fell for Ra On. Was it because he found her pretty or something? They didn't establish any foundation yet, not even friendship, for him to like her that much. His affection wasn't credible enough for me. There are the usual power hungry politicians too. I would've wanted them to be more fleshed out, more "humanized", in order to make me understand their deeper motivations. I also didn't like the drastic change in Ra On's character as the drama progressed. I get that she had to tone down her pluckiness when she became a eunuch. But her personality became so diluted I didn't recognize the girl in the beginning anymore.
Nevertheless, would I still recommend this drama? DEFINITELY. That is, if you're in the mood for a sweet love story that makes you happy, lighthearted and hopeful in the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
Review on the second watch. First of all, I give the kudo to Director Baek Sang Hoon who also directing other good dramas. I came across this drama following the child actress from Moon Embraces the Sun. This is a charming romcom drama with two adorable leads played by Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung. Their chemistry is strong since the first time they met using different identities, in later on when their relationship is forbidden during that era, being a crown prince and a eunuch or in essence homophilic. I applauded Jung Jin Young and Kwak Dong Yeon's acting as other leads. Addition to the impressive leads is lovely performance of Chae Soo Bin as Lady Ha Yeon, although she appeared quite later in the show. Stunning cinematography and gorgeous costume. The story is hilarious all around although the drama gets quite serious to the end. The OST is amazing with tons of pleasant songs written and sung by incredibly talented musicians and singers, credited to the Music Director Kang Dong Yoon. Male lead Park Bo Gum sang "My Person" and second male lead Jung Jin Young composed "Misty Road". Good rewatch value with some skipped scenes on the politics. Was this review helpful to you?
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So about the STORY!!!! Park Bo-gum's char is.. well.. very.. CHEESY. In a CUTE WAY. UGH his char is soooooo CHEESY with love. It's so adorable and cute and MY HEART qwjlkbg. HE is perfect. I have never seen a Crown Prince so dreamy. He was able to tug my heart along with him for 18 episodes. I find it so rare that I get to see a drama where the lead male is so cute and cuddly. This alone makes the drama 100% MUST WATCHHHH.
I love how in this drama the princess actually starts out as a "bigger" girl. The story of her and Master Jung is cute and cheesy as well. The fact that in the end he thought she looked better before she starved herself to get skinny says it all to me.
Side characters in this drama.. HAAA. The Crown Prince has 1 too many BROMANCES if I do say so myself. The best one of all being him and KIM BYUNG. Kim Byung oh KIM BYUNG. A great example of friendship. + he might be the first 97er I have ever fallen for. The Crown Prince & eunuch Jang.. Such a funny thing of loyalty, seeing how jang freaks out every 5 sec.
Jinyoung. Oh what can we say about you.. This is Jinyoungs first drama with a lead role and I can say.. he did an absolute superb job. His character is actually quite likeable. But I am more shocked at how good he is at acting. His character is quite a playboy and I think he shows it with his expressions very nice.
So really, the main plot imo isn't that GREAT and a little confusing and not really elaborated on but the love plot is great. If you came from somewhere like Nirvana in Fire and you are expecting a thick and juicy plot about rebellions, this might not be the place for you. Overall, This drama is 95% love story focused vs a thick and juicy plot. I actually found the plot around the prime minister to be not so appealing and a bit of a bore. That aside, the queen does an excellent job at portraying a villain. She is legit scary.
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Does this hold up to a rewatch? I scored it at a 9 on my first go around, and I can honestly say that YES, it absolutely does stand up to a rewatch. In fact, it might have been even better for me this time around, because I have a better understanding of Korean culture and I have a few fusion Sagueks under my belt to compare.
Moonlight is still awesome in every category for me. The storyline, the pacing, the characters, the OST, and even down the the amazingly beautiful hanboks designed for the show. I think there is a meticulous attention to detail.
Does that mean the show is perfect? Well no, I could point out some things that are slightly less than stellar--fat princess played for comedy affect... um no. (Just once, please can we have a fat person who is just a person?) Ra On's helplessness in parts of the show I could have done without. She lost a little of her feisty appeal at some point, so that was disappointing. Simplistic plot--that's not to say it wasn't good, but if you're looking for something truly deep and convoluted, this just isn't it. Watch it for what it is--and yes, this was tailored more for a YA audience--and that I have no problem with.
What stood out in this show? Well, obviously Park Bo Gum was AH-mazing. That boy can do no wrong in my eyes. He really inhabited the character of Young and made us believe 100% in this prince. And boy, does he look fine in a hanbok. Also, Kim Yoo Jung was a pleasant surprise. She's such a young actress, but she can be really expressive, and, unlike that other Moon show where the actress looked 12 and had the range of a dead fish, KYJ actually had some mobility to her features, which she used for good effect, and looked more the age of the character she was playing.
Some of the side cast deserve praise too, particularly Kwak Dong Yeon who was able to sell me Chief Kim's conflict in his silent way.
All in all, a very tight production, a beautiful story told, and a great ending. What more could you want?
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Was it worth it: Is there a word stronger than “absolutely?”
What I liked the most: For a Sageuk (period drama), it was very “loose.” You know how that type of drama tends to be very deathly serious? Not so much for this one. I loved the relaxed atmosphere.
What I disliked the most: Though it tried to fight it, the politics creeped their way in towards the end.
Moment Meter: 8/10 – Wholly satisfying.
Other thoughts: I’ve had my eye on Bo Gum for a while and he’s officially on “the list” now, so I will officially be watching every drama he’s in (past and present). Jinyoung is also a big bias-wrecker for me and I was torn between the fact that he did very well (which will probably result in more fans) and the fact that I am very selfish and want him all to myself (meaning I don't want him to have any more fans). :-\
Note: Certain actors will automatically make the drama better (for me), so the rest of the review will be biased. It can’t be helped. Consider yourself warned.
The beginning was extremely satisfying. All of the situations and the cavalier atmosphere made it incredibly watchable. The politics that ALWAYS afflict Sageuks kicked in a bit toward the end, but they did well to have the politics fuel the personal story rather than the personal story fueling the politics. Jinyoung got to play the cool guy, much to my delight. Bo Gum did an amazing job. Kim Yoo Jung also did a great job, though (as typical for this type of female role) as time progressed, her somewhat outspoken character had very few words to say when things ramped up. It helps to have a little experience with Korean period dramas to get into the flow right away. The pacing was consistent and kept my attention.
Conclusion: A very easy to watch Sageuk. It was a bit overshadowed by all of the other dramas out at this time, which is a shame because I thought this drama was above average; bordering on excellent. I loved it.
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