Completed
Alex
281 people found this review helpful
Mar 8, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 10
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers
MLSHR is among a small number of k-dramas that have left a deep impression on me, yet it's also a drama I'd hesitate to recommend to people at large. There are a couple of reasons:

(1) The extent to which you'll enjoy this drama depends on whether you value IDEAS or EXECUTION. If you're the second kind of viewer, this show may drive you mad. The general consensus is that Scarlet Heart: Ryeo had a great story that was screwed up by messy editing/directing/pacing etc. and not enough space to tell it (20 episodes compared to the original 35-ep C-drama). I'm very sympathetic to this assessment.

However, I'm also the kind of viewer who will forgive a lot of flubbed execution for a really good idea, which this drama has in spades.

Scarlet Heart Ryeo is above all an *ambitious* drama, probably excessively so. The upshot is that it has possibly the most uneven execution and post-production editing ever committed... but at the same time some of the most complex and compelling character arcs I've come across in kdrama. It's not for nothing that the show has drawn such an unusual amount of discussion and fannish activity, especially internationally. (MLSHR was poorly received in Korea, but it is/was a certified international sensation, the first ever kdrama to make Tumblr trends, etc.)

(2) My other "disclaimer" for MLSHR is that it has a deeply cynical and subversive approach to romance. If you're looking for a fairytale where love conquers all, this is not the show for you. If you're looking for a classic tale of star-crossed lovers foiled by evil external forces... this is still not the show for you.

If, on the other hand, you're the sort to appreciate tragic missed opportunities of love driven by bad timing and fatal ***character flaws***, then Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the Greek tragedy of your dreams (and/or nightmares). In a market saturated with wannabe Pride & Prejudices, Scarlet Heart Ryeo is out here being a totally unapologetic Wuthering Heights, which is pretty gutsy for a YA reverse-harem premise. (To be fair, they were working off of the Chinese novel, but they *could* have made it more public-friendly.)


Here's the bottom line: This drama is an acquired taste. If you're not a fan of tragedy or bloodbaths, if you need your female characters to be ~empowered~ and save the day, if you prefer people in love to be functional and communicate well — look elsewhere.

However, if you enjoy nonstop political scheming and backstabbing, majority-villain ensembles (including both male leads, arguably), and romantic narratives that reject relationship = identity myths, Scarlet Heart Ryeo is probably up your dark and twisted alley.

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Completed
palak
405 people found this review helpful
Nov 1, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 9
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Moon Lovers and I go wayy back. When Scarlet Heart first came out back in 2011, it was all the rage. At that time I was into my second year of drama-watching and I hadn't watched anything much besides Korean dramas. But I remember a bunch of my online friends strongly recommended me to start Scarlet Heart. In fact, 5 years later, I still haven't been recommended a drama like that, with such intense passion and by so MANY people. But sadly, I never got around to watching it. I was really uncomfortable with the language, the historical setting, the bald-look of the princes (okay, I SAID IT, I'm sorry, I was shallow). But somewhere, at the back of my mind, I had made this little tale that the drama is going to be made into a Korean drama one day, with all these hot actors as leads and I'll just wait it out and watch it then. And okay, a remake is pretty logical because they go around making a lot of remakes but when they announced this, I swear I got goosebumps. Like "I don't believe this--this what I have been dreaming of all my life--someone please pinch me--I should star in the next Final Destination movie now" sort of goosebumps.

So yes, saying that I was excited for Moon Lovers was putting it very mildly. I was exhilarated. Ecstatic. A lot more words with an E. And they made us wait even longer by making it a pre-produced drama and waiting a whole year before it actually came out.

But the best part? It didn't disappoint one bit. I mean, after such high expectations, it is only natural to feel a little let-down just because of all the hype you've been experiencing. But Moon Lovers actually ended up surpassing all my expectations. The drama was perfect from the beginning till the end.

Coming to the plot, it was extremely well-paced. I mean, for dramas it is rare to find such consistently well-paced dramas. Sometimes the beginning is not that good and sometimes the plot dies down after ep 12-16. But here, you never feel like there is too much or too little. It is really hard to skip anything. You just don't want to. Another important fact is that because an older version is already out there, viewers are prepared for a possibly sad/tragic ending. Even if you come without knowing anything about the parent story, the vibe of the show itself whispers the possibility of an un-fairytale-like outcome. There is an intense and gloomy feeling in the show.

The characters are the strength of the drama. I mean, can we talk about the fourth Prince? He is going down in history as one of my favorite characters ever. Firstly, he is so sexy. I mean, you simply can't get enough of him. I have never really been into Lee Jun Ki before but after this, I plan to check out all his dramas. I have seen a couple of his shows but I never realized he was THIS good. The character of Wang So is so complex and so hard to deliver. And yet, Lee Jun Ki plays him so effortlessly, becoming one with the character. What is even more surprising is that he is such a cutie in real life (lol). I really don't know anyone more perfect for this role. I mean, Kang Ha Neul's character turned to the dark side too but it was nothing compared to Wang So. Wang So was simply..addictive!

Coming for Hae Soo. IU faced a lot of flack for her poor acting skills but I felt she was good in her role. I mean, she wasn't as good as Jun Ki or Ha Neul but she did really well. You could feel her transformation from a 21st century person to Goryeo lady to a woman with a lot of scarring experiences. In her previous works she has only done cutesy roles. I really enjoyed her work in this, she showed her versatility as a serious actor. The 13th Prince. He was gentle and kind and the most perfect friend. I loved his chemistry with Woo Hee. It was surprisingly great!

Wang Eun was a big baby but he was a sweetheart too. I wouldn't say Baek Hyun is a good actor but he was given an easy role and it was handled well. Ji Soo was a delight to watch! So far I have loved him in all his roles (I think I have watched everything he has starred in). The rest of the cast was really good too. My favorite among supporting characters was General Park. His acting was so on-point even though he only starred for a few episodes. I liked his daughter too. Ji Mong was a delight to watch. And court lady Oh Sang Goong, I loved her! I can really go on and on about the characters - the good ones and the bad ones, all did well. The acting was so good here, I just couldn't get enough of it. I cried with them and laughed with them.

The music. OH MAN, the music. I love each and every song. This hasn't happened to me since Dream High (I think). I really can't pick a song that I like more than the other.

I am definitely DEFINITELY rewatching this. I know for sure.

The biggest tragedy that comes out of this drama is that the Korean audience could not fully appreciate the perfection that this drama was. The ratings were so low there. Thankfully, it did well everywhere else and made up for it.

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Completed
unterwegsimkoreanischenD Flower Award1
32 people found this review helpful
May 2, 2022
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Entertaining, yet rather lightweight. Visually stunning scenes. Emotionally intense at times, too

Frankly, I'm not a fan of shallow, adolescent love stories. (Not necessarily because they are not good, but I guess I am too old by now. The topics are not mine anymore.) I'm interested in somewhat more complex, mature characters and differentiated relationship studies - preferably in an distinctive (Korean) context with additional historical, cultural or subcultural insight.

"Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart Ryeo" originally goes back to a Chinese story. The movie adaptation was a great success and so here comes a Korean remake - the plot is unceremoniously moved to the Goryeo of the 12th century and a controversial historical ruler is portrayed on that occasion: the 4th son of the founder of the Wang dynasty (who ruled the Goryeo Empire for over 400 years) King Gwangjong, born under the name Wang So (925-975).


----------------------- SIDE NOTE --- King Gwangjong
Some historical sources have led to the interpretation that he was a right-wing tyrant, but more recent evidence suggests that he implemented the major reforms that laid the foundation for a solid kingdom for more than 4 centuries. This character has also appeared several times in KDrama, for example in "Taejo Wanggun" (2000), "The Dawn of the Empire" (2002), "Empress Chunchu" (2009), "Shine or Go Crazy" (2015) or here: "Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart Ryeo" (2016).

Wang So had three older brothers (Wang Mu, Wang Tae, Wang Yo), 20 half brothers and 7 half sisters. From this, one can firstly see that he was not actually considered for the line of succession, and secondly suspect that King Taejo kept several wives at court. As life goes, all three older brothers died for different reasons and in the end the crown accidentally fell at Wang So's feet.

After a turbulent period of 3 kings in quick succession, King Gwangjong re-established a stable, centralized government with a strong, loyal army and 7 peaceful years before the aristocracy rebelled against his reforms (which came at their expense). One of his innovative reforms concerned slave ownership, which he had officially checked for legality. When in doubt, the slaves became free people and taxpayers (while their former masters began to lose influence...) However, putting down this rebellion of aristocracy earned him the reputation of a bloody tyrant.

Another reform was the introduction of a national civil service examination, which lasted for almost 950 years. This replaced the pure nepotism previously practiced in filling political offices with performance and ability. At the same time he laid the basis for Confucianism as a principle of social order. He also introduced a dress code at court, from which the respective rank could be read from the colors.

King Gwangjong married his half-sister and two nieces. This is unique in Goryeo's history, as it was more common at court to marry outside of the bloodline in order to gain allied lordships. Gwangjong, on the other hand, relied on a strong, purely royal bloodline. After all, he ruled for 26 years and set the course for the next 400 or so.
-----------------------------------------------------


Back to the KDrama. Unfortunately, the plot that was spun around this dazzling historical king and his family is a bit shallow and predictable at times. Sometimes it reminded me of a harmless, colorful teenage boarding school flirtation. (I obviously don't quite correspond to the target age group there...) But then, furthermore, the story offers unexpected depth and emotionally touching scenes, too. After all, it also comes along with some exciting and visually stunning sequences and an atmospheric soundtrack. I initially ended up there for ´actress´ IU in the first place. In fact, I discovered Lee Joon-gi (as Wang So) in this KDrama. In my eyes it is his down-to-earth charisma (and maturity?) that helps to overcome some weaknesses in the script.

An attractive dramaturgically dynamic component is the leap in time, through which the approximately 20-year-old Go Ha-jin (IU) suddenly ends up at the court of the royal Wang family - in the midst of the numerous sons and half-sons of King Teajo... As a woman from the future, she brings fresh air and a cheeky spirit into everyday palace life, which is characterized by distrust and intrigues. The various mothers are prepared to do almost anything in order to secure a royal career for their precious princes. At the same time, the modern Ha-jin in her idiosyncratic way brings the blue blood of the king's sons (some of whom are still quite pubescent) to a boil, thus providing additional competition among the boys on top of the already existing succession rivals ....

A nice, charming, entertaining, but rather lightweight KDrama-tour into Korean history.

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Completed
Jeana
163 people found this review helpful
Nov 2, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 19
Overall 6.0
Story 4.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 2.0
This review may contain spoilers
Oh God, this show was such a mess.

To start off with a nicer note, I'll talk about the drama's one and only saving grace: Lee Jun Ki. I am going to be honest, this was my first time watching him, and I was simply impressed. Not only is he a beautiful, beautiful man; he can also act like nobody's business. I also believe that even though he wasn't given much to work with, he tried his level best. And it showed, for the 4th Prince was the only character who I felt somewhat connected to. For me, this was a total case of liking the actor better than the character.

Next, I'd like to come at the people who gave so much flak to IU for her acting. Like, why y'all tripping? I mean her role wasn't even that hard, neither was it anything special. It was the same old 'bumbling, fumbling, self-righteous Mother Theresa level goodness' shebang that we've seen a billion times before. Every other actress in every other drama is doing it. It doesn't even require that much effort and for what it's worth I think IU handled it quite gracefully. People simply want to jump on the bandwagon of the 'singers can't act' stereotype and bash her, while ignoring the other much bigger problems with the show.

Speaking of problems, to be frank, this has to be one of the worst written shows I have ever watched. It's like the author had this vague idea of how to begin and how to end and so she bullshitted through the road in-between.
There is no character development whatsoever and convenient plot-lines are used time and time again to further the plot.

Want to give our hero the run-of-the-mill tragic pariah look?
No problem! Let's riddle him with some mommy issues and a scar to match.

Want to show our heroine change the hero's life by covering up that scar? Alrighty, let's make our heroine a cosmetician!

Want to show that everybody loves our heroine?
Let's make a harem of princes, throw some half hearted moments between them and take a leap; suggesting that they are suddenly so close that they would die for her!

The story is lacking villains?
Ugh, why not just bring back one that we already killed and got rid of before? We will just deem it a miracle of sorts and call it a day. Haha.

Uh oh, did our cranial light bulbs just fuse and we don't know how to prolong the show to 20 fucking episodes?
Nevermind. We always have good old flashbacks to help us through.

God, what a clusterfuck.

Everything was rushed and carelessly executed. They killed people just for emotional appeal. The relationships between characters wasn't fully explored. I mean, do you really expect my peepers to gush a waterfall if you scarcely show me a character; just enough so that he'll be in mind but not enough so that I would actually come to care for him, then in one random episode you show nothing but him and quickly kill him in the next to tug at my heartstrings? Nah boo.

Scarlet Heart was the definition of an ostentatious production. There was loud music flaring up out of nowhere to make scenes more dramatic, over-acting done by a lot of actors and numerous in your face close-up scenes. All these antics did well to suck up authenticity from the show and what you were left with in the end was superficial characters that are only pretty to look at.

Even the 4th Prince had major inconsistencies throughout. Many times, he seemed like a dumbed down version of Bidam from Queen Seon Duk. Thank goodness for LJK and his roguish charm, that he somehow managed to carry the show on his shoulders but ofcourse, one poor soul can do only so much.

The OST while itself brilliant, was also highly inappropriate for the time setting of the show. Do you really want me to swallow that a court lady in 18th, 19th century Goreo would be nodding her head and singing 'My Baby baby boy' in her moving carriage? Sorry, but I'm choking.

The story flows in fits and starts and the poorly executed time jumps don't necessarily help the case. Some aspects of the storyline had so much potential but the writers failed to tap into it. You could say that some scenes were well executed individually but they fell short at fitting together as a bigger picture.
It was crazy how sometimes, so much attention would be given to a supporting role and the main one's would be ignored. Or how important scenes would be inexplicably rushed while things that would be completely random would take up so much screen-time. The jumbled motivations and the fickle thought processes of all the characters reflected the confused mind of the writer.

When a show tries to elaborately sell me the fact that characters can fall from cliffs, get poisoned and stabbed in the heart and still survive, you know what, with some grievances intact I might actually buy it. But when the same show also tries to tell me that someone who got their knee banged up a bit years ago might, out of nowhere, lose the ability to walk or that heart-ache can cause people to have chronic heart diseases, I'm sorry but I'd just have to call the bullshit out.

Even though it was labeled as a period drama, it seemed like a parody of the genre. There were no intelligent palace politics or court intrigue. No cultural focus or attention to detail. All the antagonists were hare-brained idiots and the biggest enemy the good guys had to face was their own stupidity. Needless to say, they lost to it.

I don't consider myself a particularly hard person to move. Often little things touch me deeply and bring tears to my eyes but in this show- all these character deaths and tragedies- all I felt was a vague sense of detachment.

I am not gonna lie, the love story sure was cute. No matter how over-rated they get 'good girl-bad boy' romances will always have allure. And since the romance was all the drama had going for it, I'll give acknowledgment where it's due. There were scenes that made me smile and swoon but they weren't nearly enough to overcome all the weaknesses of the show.

Normally, I would give a show like this a much poorer rating but it's solely because of my love for LJK that I brought it up a notch. Also, I have to say that despite all its flaws, it did make me watch to the end. So all in all, you should enjoy Moon Lovers like you would enjoy a toddler's company: by being indulgent and not taking it too seriously.

P.S: Go easy on the 'This ain't helpful' button. I know this drama is a crowd favorite but I gotta tell as I feel it is. :)))






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Completed
MaruChan61
36 people found this review helpful
Nov 17, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I don't usually write a rewiews because my English is maybe not so perfect, and also, there're not so many dramas that really left something in my heart, but in this case I just had to, I mean after all that this drama did to me! So where do I start?..
I started watching it because maybe I was bored in this moment with my life, and this drama seemed to be interesting... Actually it was my first ongoing drama - usually I hate this, I need it all and now:) And for this drama wait for a next week was really torture! I also want say, that I'm not a person who likes those heavy dramas and movies, with peope dying or just shows you reality of shitty life...It has to be very good for me to watch something sad! For me watching dramas is the opposite - escaping from reality.. But I also like watch something that gets to your heart and makes you think! And SHR is exactly the case!
Actually it starts very lightly and for a first episodes you feel that you're watching romantic comedy with elements of time travelling and lots of eye candies :) Who wouldn't watch this? :) But even in these moments you can feel a very good story coming! From the start you are intrigued with the characters, especially a 4th prince, of course, who just stilling the show from the very first ( and I would say, very last moment)!
And then, with every coming episode, drama starts to get more serious, but not heavy serious - just ... growing up :) And even if it feels harsh sometimes, you are already so into this, so you don't want to leave it, you're totally addicted and everything just feels right! I think the secret ingredient in SHR, and is the first time I felt it so strong in K drama, is that the characters are portrayed so real, that you start thinking about them as you were know them in a real life! And we are talking about HISTORICAL FANTASY DRAMA! But the characters are so damn real!..
OK, the love story... I don't understand how some people say that there wasn't enough chemistry between them?? Common - have you seen the number of fan fiction and videos in youtube about this couple? And most of them were done before this drama even came to the middle! there can be a lot of opinions about everything, but I think one thing is for sure - the couple with no chemistry would never provoke such a storm and make people literately loose their minds:) I am one of them, so I permite myself to say it :) For me, it was the most powerfull love story, at least in K- drama! Before SHR it wasThe Princess Man, and I still love this drama, and maybe it wins SHR in some points, but the leads in SHR.. just stole it! I mean they are two completely opposites who complete each other in such perfection! Everyone of them has a strong character, totally different, and you can just feel the interaction and how they affect each other, it's just amazing! They look beautiful together, and you also like them apart! Their love is not some cheesy fairy tale, witch I hate, this actually perfect written story about two people starting to know each other,with their flows, they become closer and it takes them some time to get together, but the chemistry is so strong that you can't wait for this! You just have to watch it to see what these two do to you! Prepare for some tears, but you won't regret it! It've been more then two weeks since the drama ended, and I was on the trip, but I am still thinking about them, and when I hear a good love song, they are the first who come to my mind! :)
The overall story - it doesn't give you a minute to rest! Maybe you not realise it in the first episodes, but everything in this drama is very well connected! Nothing happens because it just happens, even the most silly moment, you will find it in deja vu later! Everything will find their closure. It has it all, and in proportions - an action, a drama, a comedy, a romance, a tragedy... Everything has it moment, like in the real life...
And another thing I really liked - you can actually see the characters develope and grow up with the time!
The acting - for me everybody were good in their roles, someones were brilliant, but I want to mention just Lee Jun Ki, who slayed it, killed it, and left all of us on the flour! Wang So is amazing, stunning, attractive, and he is most real of all the characters! I felt so related to him sometimes, with his loneliness, his wish to be loved, and and everything he does, he does to the end-be it love or hate! If he loves you, he will die for you, and if he hates you, you better step aside! :) He is outsider, but not loser, his willpower is amazing, you can see him sad, but never giving up, he starts in the shadows, but finishes overshining them all! Even if it only because of him, this drama is worth watching!
Well, I think, I said enough allready, maybe it was overreacted sometimes, but they are my feelings, I'd say just part of them:) If I'd write my every emotion for this drama, one review won't be enough:)
So, if you looking for a drama with a good story, beautiful scenery, touching love story, some action, some laugh, some tears and tones of emotions, watch Scarlett Heart Ryeo!

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Completed
Suki
21 people found this review helpful
Aug 10, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
It has been ages since I have been compelled to write a review for a drama. Not that I haven't seen good (or bad for that matter) dramas lately, just that, none of them made me want to stop and sit and write about them. There was something so captivating about Moon Lovers that I had been hooked since the first episode. I binge watched it straight till the final episode and I am so glad I picked it up after it was completed, I wouldn't have been able to wait for weeks to watch the episodes otherwise. When I read the storyline I was kind of expecting something along the line of 'Faith', a drama that had already dealt with a modern character being stuck in history due to rare astronomical occurrences. I had loved Faith and wasn't sure how this drama could handle something similar and stand out or trip and fall, even.

I have been pleasantly surprised at every turn when it comes to the drama. The story was so beautifully unfolded that I didn't even realize I had spent 20 hours watching it. The pace was so thrilling, the sub-plots so well blended with one another, the twists were thrilling, it was a memorable journey from the first scene till the last. The way the writers have handled all the characters and their individual stories as well is commendable. I found myself warming up to the characters unexpectedly. Until the very end I was skeptical, rational and kept my wits, but the finale did it. Such a marvelous beauty. It's going to be a long, long time before I forget the characters, the story or this drama.

I won't lie. Lee Joon Ki drew me into the drama. I probably wouldn't have picked this amazing drama up in the first place if it hadn't been for him. I might have missed out, but then I think it is safe to say that one of the MAJOR reasons this show was so unforgettable was because of him. I haven't seen such a powerful performance by an actor in such a long time. He made me feel bad for him, he made me fall for him, he made me laugh, he made me hate him, he made me cry with him. Until the very end, this guy held my attention like my life depended on it. IU was so so SO GOOD! I was pleasantly surprised by her dynamic acting. I'd only seen her in Bel Ami and it wasn't really a.. stellar show to say the least, but she gave such a brilliant portrayal of an amazingly strong character. I'd say nice things about all the cast and end up writing a 10 page review, so I'll just sum it up by saying that except maybe a little overacting on the part of a few people who were playing the roles of pedestrians on the streets, remarkable acting on everyone's part! (I hope you got that joke :3 )

I'm currently listening to at least 4 of the OSTs on loop since the last few hours. Hauntingly beautiful pieces were created for this drama I must say. A couple of them raised goosebumps on my arm. Even if you don't feel like watching this show (although you must!), you should definitely listen to the soundtracks, they're that good.

I would start re-watching this right this instant, but I won't. Solely because I am now waiting for a second season to this drama. I really really hope they make one. I'd read the reviews and comments while watching it and people were really sad in general. They kept saying how this was such a sad drama and a tragedy. It was, but it was also breathtakingly beautiful. I'm tearing up just remembering it. The love between the characters, be it Wang So and Hae Soo, or the brothers (the ones who got along anyway), or the families, was heart-wrenching. I'm definitely rewatching this show even if the second season doesn't come out (but please SBS make the second season! *kneels and begs*).

I have been shaken up by this show in a hundred ways. I love it when a drama I don't expect to be good turns out to be one of the best shows I have seen in my life. It was so human, so real. All the people in it were human, they made mistakes, they had flaws, they loved, they hated, they were weak, but they were also really strong. I'd recommend this drama to everyone, regardless of your favorite genre. It deserves to be seen. You might not like it (I bet you will though), but you won't be able to forget it.

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Completed
natalie
14 people found this review helpful
Apr 14, 2017
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I was very skeptical at first of this drama. Having big name actors typically means that they forsake the actual acting to have popular actors in it. Despite this, this drama has become my favorite drama I have ever watched!

IU had fantastic chemistry with all of the actors, whether that was platonic or romantic! Lee Junki and Kang Haneul did especially amazing portrayals of their characters. Kang Haneul had me actually scared at some points in the drama and Lee Junki managed to convey every emotion perfectly. The acting in this drama was amazing, the best I've seen. They could not have picked better people for the parts!

Rookie actors Jisoo, Nam Joohyuk, and Baekhyun all did really well too, despite being new and never having done a historical drama before! I really enjoyed watching their characters and can't wait to see them in more things!

The OST's were so beautiful, AKMU and Davichi have such lovely voices and I've been listening to EXO-CBX's "For You" since it came out!

Overall, this drama is well worth the watch and I can promise a rollarcoaster of emotions. Praying for a Season 2!

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Completed
tsuyoi_hikari
14 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 4.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Messy & Inconsistent Script At Its Finest

Can you see how cool is the entrance of drama? Will the drama stay cool and maintain its quality? Boy what a roller-coaster ride the drama gave its viewers – it will certainly stay with me for a very long time without a doubt.

Unfortunately, the only thing the drama did right is that they made Wang So a sage and a wise king. Other than that (aside from Lee Jun Ki & Kang Ha Neul’s amazing acting), I have nothing good to say about this drama. Sadly to say, this is one of the worst Kdramas I have ever seen (this probably because I usually drop bad dramas but I didnt for this one obviously since I dont love myself lol). This drama has one of the worst writing, directing and editing I have ever seen from a Kdrama. And for me this is a big indication of how awful is the drama since I dont really notice all those before (except bad scripts in general) but I truly feel it with every fiber of my being with this one.

Script: The script is the worst offender of this production. I seriously confuse why this writer got hired since her writing is very inconsistent and terrible. It is full of plot holes, unexplained happenings, dragged and rush script, poor characters’ developments and most of all, full of ridiculous and illogical plots. It seemed like her characters didnt seemed to function like a normal human beings would. I need the drama to make sense but I find myself wondering most of the times of why this and that happened. I need a legit and reasonable reasons for something to happen. Not just something you pluck from the sky thinking that you can fool the audiences. We have brains Ms. Writer, you cant expect us to buy your ridiculous plots again and again.

Directing: People said good thing about the director and his previous works but the direction quality of this production is pretty awful in general. The close-ups, soap opera zoom style and no direction input to new actors (according to Seohyun) made the directing suffers greatly esp for sageuk dramas which are known for quality production. I expect a creative directing or pretty shot from the director but instead I got the opposite of what I’m hoping for.

Editing: Hands down the worst editing I have come across from a Kdrama (and I have seen really a looooot over the years). The choppiness and shoddiness of it is out of this world. They dragged the storyline in the beginning and squeeze everything in the last 5 episodes. The fact that we have like 2 time-skips in a matter of 2 episodes are just laughable. And the fact that some of the plots didnt make sense due to the editing makes it really jarring and dreadful. I dont expect this from a pre-produced drama obviously.

Acting: Like I mentioned above, Lee Jun Ki is soo amazing as Wang So. His eyes conveyed lots of emotions and it just break your heart when you watch this drama as his character is very tragic and unloved. Kang Ha Neul is amazing as well. His characters is so underdeveloped and later forgotten by the time we reached the end (he has like 3 minutes screen time in the later episodes lol – what are you doing Ms. Writer?). The actress who play Lady Oh was great and IU improved a lot as the drama progressed. The rest of the actors are pretty much forgettable esp Seohyun as Woohee.

Soundtracks: Got to admit that the drama has one of the best OSTs for this year. But unfortunately, most of the songs are not suitable for a period drama. Why put a rap as part of the OSTs? And English words in the songs are so jarring when it was played as the background music. For goodness sake this is a sageuk and not a modern day drama. To have ‘baby baby boy’ playing at the background really killing you softly inside. :P

Money: This is a million dollar pre-produced drama but I really cant see where all the money went to. Goryeo and the Palace looks empty most of the times. Where are the servants, guards, armies, noble men, and the citizen? Why the attempted coup looks fake and underwhelming? Why the wigs look so fake? Why we can see the net for the mustache? Why the sets look cheap? Why the Palace only limited to the grand hall, court room, king’s bedroom and the hallway?!! Where did all the money went to?

I’m glad I didnt really care for any of the character so this drama didnt scar me like The Slave Hunter and Warrior Baek Dong Soo did. The writing got pretty bad at the end that I dont have emotional attachment to any of the characters anymore. One thing for sure, I will stay away from the writer’s future work – I ain’t gonna put myself in the same situation ever again.

By the end, I just want to see how this mess will conclude and boy it didn’t disappoint – I spent my time rolling my eyes watching the last 2 episodes (no tears since I was so mad with the ridiculous plots). :P Like I mentioned above, the only thing the drama did right is that they made Wang So a wise king. But thinking back, they should make him go all evil and greedy so the reasons behind everyone leaving him (even Ji Mong) will make more sense. I dont mind a tragic ending but I need it to make sense. I give this drama 4/10. I try to rate it higher but this flawed, and awfully illogical executed drama didnt deserve anything more than a 4.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Major roll-eye (◔_◔) to the writer for her insistence of making Wang So the most tragic character ever – with very illogical reasons for everyone to leave him at the end of the drama. >.>

Wang So is a flawed character without a doubt – his obsessiveness or him killing the monks and horse but somehow Wang So’s fate is just very tragic from the moment he was born right until the end where he is left alone and lonely.

It is more tragic then any other Kdramas’ characters because it is his own family who dislike or abandoned him. Its not his friends or people that he has no blood relation but his own family members.

1) He lacked of love since he was a little kid. His own mother hurt him and left that big scars on his face and later throw him away.

2) His dad use him as a captive and send him away to other tribe to console some lady who lost her son (What a terrible childhood!). And he is not loved by the lady or his adopted family (Surprise surprise ◔_◔).

3) The tribe lock, starve and sent him to the wolves that he ended up having to burn his only friend that is Mr. Tree since it was so cold during the winter (or is it because of the wolves?).

4) His Crown Prince brother, Moo ask him to replace him during the masked dance since he think someone is going to assassinate him. So its okay for So to die on his place? Both of them learn martial arts so its weird for Moo to ask him that request (But of course, So’s life is not that important I guess?).

5) His father’s reaction after the mask was removed – not worry about him being injured but quickly call for Moo and his safety.

6) He killed all the monks (what a fool lol!) for his evil mother but she still disowned and disgusted with his existence (stop Ms. Writer, stawp!!!).

7) All his brothers except Baek Ah didnt treat him right. Moo used him for the dance/marriage and Eun is too dumb(?) to care about his feeling when he ask So to show his scars. The rest just plain hate him without any legit reasons.

8) His mother call him for family dinner only to ask him to kill Moo. Attempt to use him to do her dirty work instead of accepting him as her son after he proved his worth for her attention.

9) The woman that he love; Soo didnt trust him enough that he ended up having to kill Eun with his own hands. By the time Soo decided to stop thinking about the future and be honest with him, it was too late.

10) His loved ones; Beak Ah & Soo are used again & again that forced him to do things that he hate to save them from harm.

11) He never wanted to be a King but later changed his mind since he is tired of bloodshed and everyone using him when they are on the throne (His father –> Fight Kitan, Moo –> Marriage with his niece, Yo –> Using Soo to threat him). He wanted to stop the killing cycle and Yo’s ruthless reign (Or so he thought ◔_◔).

12) He didnt want to marry evil princess Yeonhwa but the love of his life Soo said ‘its okay’ to straighten his position as the King and assured him that she wont give up and she is okay with the arrangement. (Which she didnt since no one will be okay with that kind of arrangement tbh).

13) His happy times with Soo are so brief that she left him and stay with Jung because she is pregnant. She is not honest with him and trust him enough that he will protect her and the baby. She probably think So will treat her like his father did to Lady Oh.

14) In the end, despite writing all those letters how she love and yearn for him, she still doesn’t trust him enough to tell him about their daughter. She probably think he would not respect her request about wanting the girl to stay out of the Palace. (Of course she couldn’t tell him via the letters, but still! ಠﭛಠ)

15) Everyone leave him for such ridiculous reasons; Baek Ah (??) and Ji Mong for he only loyal to the weak King Moo? Really? Why are you feeding us this crap Ms. Writer??!!1 And why I’m still watching? lol

16) Have to live the rest of his lives alone and lonely with someone that he hate. Cant love his son as it is a product of an evil Queen Yeonhwa...

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Completed
ahjussiaddict
66 people found this review helpful
Nov 4, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 2
Overall 6.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers
As a fan of C-BBJX, and watched both version til the end. I can't help to compare these two. Warning : i might write some SPOILERS without realising.

Story :
I'm disappointed with this version, the story is one of the main reason. C-BBJX shows lot of brotherhood of the 4th prince and 13th prince, strong friendship between female main lead and 13th prince, the relation between female main lead and the (late) king - how the king loved her as his own child, how the female lead loved, respected him, yet was afraid of him at the same time. Butt in this version, 80% of the story is about 4th prince and 8th prince's romance with the female lead.

The story pace of K-BBJX is also a problem, The first 8 or 10 episodes were filled with 8th prince and Hae Soo romance story, not a bad thing, but the last 10 episodes flows so quick that left so many questions.

I also despise how they change K-8th prince's character all of sudden (from good to bad to not so bad). In C-BBJX, he was ambitious and honest from the start that he wanted to be king. But after the 4th prince became king, he obeyed the king and started to lived peacefully with his wife (loved it when he realised that his 1st fujin was the one who always with him, and treated her with love), and left good impression at the end. C-BBJX is more realistic, they show that not everybody are 100% bad or good, they have reasons why they become what they are.

Acting :
Despite Lee jun ki and Kang ha neul, i think the others are failed to deliver the character.
I never hate when idols or flower boys dominate the dramas, but i always hope that they can deliver the character well.
IU really didn't convince me anything, especially in the last episode. Jisoo is not much different than IU, i heard that he's a good actor based on his late works, but i have to disagree if i judge from this drama.

Music :
One thing i love from this version is the songs! I love almost all of the OSTs.

Rewatch value :
Instead of wasting another 20 hours of my life for this, i prefer to waste it on C-BBJX.

Conclusion :
I'm a fan of Chinese Scarlet Heart, so i was exited when they announced that they would remake into Korean versions. But now i end up disappointed because of the story mess and the actings. But the cinematography in this version is better (not much better, i don't like so many close up shoots) than the C-BBJX.

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Completed
IWantGoodQualityDramas
20 people found this review helpful
May 25, 2021
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.5
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 2.0
Rewatch Value 2.5

Overrated

I swear this drama is very overrated. It is true that IU and Lee Joon Gi have very very nice chemistry and I honestly love watching them on screen but the story has too much illogical stuffs. Also the FL has this so-called charm that almost all males fall for her. Ugh. I hate this logic.
Anyways if one is after the romance and the handsome cast, go watch it.
If youre after the story, I suggest cdramas. Theyve got more complicated plots that will make you anticipate the story. Also those cool costumes haha.
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Completed
anopinion
147 people found this review helpful
Nov 1, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 10
Overall 7.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers
The Good:



I'm having trouble coming up with things for this one. I think very often it's easy to overlook a drama's strong points because its flaws are so obvious. It is especially so for Moon Lovers. And so I'll acknowledge that this review perhaps isn't really that great of a reflection of the quality of the drama.



Firstly, I think the drama did a pretty good job in executing several parts of the story, particularly when the supporting characters die. I think that's partly due to the actors' portrayals, and partly because the writer seemed to have gotten his grip on at the right moments. It would have been great if the writing was more consistent throughout the drama. If the drama managed to relay such poignant emotions more frequently I wouldn't have felt as detached from the story. In any case, I think those scenes were possibly the most awesome scenes in the drama.



Next, Lee Jun-ki. I'm certainly biased, but I think he delivered his character well, especially during the more emotional scenes. I can't elaborate more since I don't want to spoil the story. I also appreciated his cleaned-up look after he became emperor. It was about a thousand times better than that side-swept fringe hairstyle. I'm not that fond of his acting as a "blood-thirsty" emperor however. I like how his expressions changed, but imo he overacted a little when trying to portray Wang So's darker side. I also think Hong Jong-hyun was pretty good in his role as well. All in all, I don't think the acting was deserving of all the criticisms it was subjected to. I won't deny that there are some jarring scenes here and there because of "not-so-great" acting, but on the whole it was pretty watchable as far as I'm concerned and the actors did improve.



Lastly, the romance. I don't think the chemistry was great. However, there were certain scenes which were really cute. I'm personally not a huge fan of lovelines actually, but people who like to watch romance scenes will like it. It's a pity that a couple of scenes were cut from the international version, and you have to scour the Internet to look for the SBS version.



The Bad:



I think they got the OST choices very, very wrong. I'm personally not a fan of rap songs, and I don't think rap songs have a place in a historical drama anyway. The music was really annoying in some of the scenes because of this. Also, the fact that there were English lyrics in a couple of others as well. However, I did give a high score to the music because:

1. The "dadada" song was really catchy, despite the fact that it's not very suitable for the drama.

2. I also liked My Love by Lee Hi and Wind by Jung Seung-hwan.

3. Im Sun-hye's Will Be Back was really really really good. Not something I'll listen to in my spare time, but I felt it added value to the drama.

And seeing how they phased out the more unsuitable songs towards the end, I'm alright with giving them a higher score.



Many people have also complained about the directing. I have to say, I was actually overwhelmed by it at the start. I loved the shot with Wang So riding away from the eclipse. It was beautiful. Till I realised that that's perhaps the only redeeming scene. A lot of close-ups were wholly unnecessary. I don't mind that the director likes to take close-up shots, but I think it should be done in moderation, and only when it's contributing to the drama. The poor directing and editing knocked a lot of points off this drama.



Also, this may seem like a minor point, but despite it being a high budget production they didn't invest a lot in calefares. I understand that they wanted to put focus on the main characters, but does it make sense that no one is on the streets when Wang So and Hae Soo snuck out? I thought a festival was supposed to be ongoing but there wasn't even a soul on the streets. It just seemed too "cold" because there were only the two of them.



The Ugly:



The writing really let the drama down. I was actually looking forward to more political intrigues, a stronger heroine, better character development in general, and more cohesiveness.



I don't know what the writer was thinking of when he/she first starting conceptualising the characters. They had to dig into Kdrama tropes and hand Wang So a parent issue right at the start. Was that necessary? Was it necessary to give him a scar too? I think the writer was trying very hard to plant conflicts, but it didn't work to plan. And because of the scar, they made the female lead a cosmetics saleswoman. Not very useful in the ancient times. In fact (minor spoiler), it's was awkwardly hilarious that at the end they spoke about how Goryeo was very advanced in terms of cosmetics and tea culture. Riiiiiiight. Furthermore, Hae Soo wasn't the female lead I expected as well. I wanted a stronger, smarter, more independent female lead. Plus the fact that all the princes were crazy for love made them seem like really superficial characters. Personally, if your only motivation to fight for the throne is love, I absolutely will not love you. That's just too lame a reason.



Characters aside, I also have qualms about how they choose to leave out certain scenes. A lot of scenes were left to the viewers' imaginations, and that made the show really incoherent. At the very least they should have added in some of the more important scenes. How Wang So got the throne and all was pretty poorly thought out. The time skips weren't handled well as well (though the same can be said of the Chinese version). They were just there to advance the story so that the next scene can be played out, but the characters didn't really grow or change. Side plots such as the Baek-ah and Woo-hee story line was also choppy and they were given what I'd consider a slipshod ending that didn't make much sense.



Conclusion:



The drama is just disappointing. I expected a lot from it, but I don't think the fact that it was a pre-production did anything for it, nor the fact that it was a high-budget production because that totally didn't show. I think it may be worth a look if you like any of the actors, but that's about it.

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Completed
CherryBunny
72 people found this review helpful
Nov 1, 2016
20 of 20 episodes seen
Completed 16
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
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.

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Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) poster

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