Warning! This review will be long because I can't help having *A Lot* to praise. Let me just start off by saying that I had been waiting for this drama to air since late last year, when it was first announced. When the first of January arrived, I was excited, but then my soul was crushed when I found out that it was to be pre-produced and that while the shooting began in early January, the actual drama would not air until August. I thought I was going to die! >_< Finally, August 29th arrived, and with it, the airing of the very first episode. I was immediately captivated and hooked. The original Scarlet Heart is one of my favorite dramas, so I was really looking forward to the Korean adaption. I was *not* disappointed at all. I stayed hooked and obsessed with this drama the entire way through. Story: This was an adaption, so even I was a little unsure how faithful to the original it would be. There were a couple of times I was sincerely worried that it was going to veer off course, but my fears there were proven to be groundless. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Goreyo truly impressed me with how faithful it stayed to the original story while adapting it to real, actual Goreyo history. There were a couple of things it did leave out that did disappointment me, however. The relationship between 4th Prince and 13th Prince was not shown as often as in the original, at least in the earlier episodes. It made up for it in the latter episodes, though, plus, having only 20 episodes, extra things being cut down is understandable. The only other missing piece for me is very minor, but still felt like an endearing part was left out. In the original, 4th Prince had a habit of teasing the female lead by thumping her on her forhead. Here in Moon Lovers, that only occurs once, and it is a light smack on the head instead. I missed the thumps very much! :( Cast: I sincerely think that the whole cast was excellent. Especially Lee Joon Gi as 4th Prince Wang So. This man is my bias, it is true, but here in this role, it is easy to understand why. He is, quite blunty, amazing in this. He dominates every scene he is in. His emotions are raw and heartwrenching and I daresay he deserves a best actor award this year for this. IU as Hae Soo was very good, as well. During the airing, a lot of netizens were putting her down and criticizing her acting, but I think she was great. Honestly, the Korean version of this character was written differently than the Chinese version. She was not nearly as strong or independant, so that is a reason in the writing, not IU's acting. I liked her here. Kang Ha Neul as 8th Prince Wang Wook was truly impressive. I have always liked him, but he really blew me away here with his portrayal of hopeless romantic turned manipulative bastard. He really shines here, especially as he evolved into the antagonist. Baekhyun as 10th Prince deserves a mention here too. Despite also getting a lot of grief from netizens, I was truly impressed with him and how he acted here. I wonder how many of those that shamed him had ever even seen the original Scarlet Heart or even knew what sort of character 10th Prince was, because Baekhyun was absolutely perfect! The character of 10th Prince is, frankly speaking, childish and not very smart. He is overly enthusiastic and quick to respond, but slow to 'get' things. Baekhyun portrayed this perfectly and it was not a lack of talent at all, in my opinion, but a truely legitimate rendition of the character. I say this, by the way, as someone who does not follow K Pop at all and whose only knowledge of EXO is what my friends post on the feeds here and the song that was used in this drama. Hong Jong Hyun as 3rd Prince impressed me as well. I knew who he was before, had seen him around, but he never really stood out to me before this. He was wonderfully manipulative and evil here, plus he shows a wonderful range of conflicting emotions as his character evolves. He makes a great bad boy and looks *very* sexy in guyliner. Music: The music was great. I fell in love with every OST that was released. Even though it was, essentially, a historical drama, most of the non instrumental songs were modern K Pop. However, I found it a lovely paradox that fit very well, given that the heroine is a time traveller from our modern times. As the story goes on, she adapts so well to her new home in that time period that it is almost possible to forget that she doesn't really belong there. The music that plays during the drama feels like a reminder of this fact. It is like a link from the Goreyo period to modern times. In the end, I enjoyed this drama more than any other drama this year, and more than all other dramas I have seen thus far. There are some things that I feel did not quite match up to the original, but then there are also aspects I felt were better. After thinking on it a good while, I have decided that I liked this Korean version even more than the Chinese version. For me personally, I feel I was more emotionally invested and it just seemed to hit me harder. It has earned the #1 spot on My Favorites list. It has made me feel a range of emotions, starting even before it ever aired. It has both enthralled and enchanted me. It also broke my heart. Very few dramas have ever actually made my heart flutter or truly brought me tears. Moon Lovers was one that accomplished that. Now that it is all over, I am left in a daze, not knowing what to do next, just as I was after completing the first Scarlet Heart. I do not often rewatch dramas, especially the very emotional ones, but I feel like this one will end up being an exception. It is hard to say goodbye to it and let go. For me, Moon Lovers is a masterpiece.