I found my favourite drama ever... and it hurts.
{I'LL WARN YOU ONCE I GO INTO SPOILERS}Hello. This year, for some reason, I haven't been writing reviews for every drama I watched. I think I got a bit lazy after watching so many dramas that didn't make me want to write a review for them. I watched many 8-star-worthy dramas in 2020, which was bittersweet. I felt like I was somewhat losing my deep interest in dramas because I had already watched the ones that would always stay in my top 10 list (is this sentence confusing? It is to me... I'm sorry hahaha). And then Moon Lovers came into my life. I don't know how I'm going to write a review for my favourite drama of all time but I knew I had to write one. So that I could later remember these feelings of when I first watched it when I rewatch it over and over again. Yes, this drama is flawed and I'll point that out later in this review. But no other drama could make me feel like this. This exact feeling I'm feeling right now after having binge-watched the show for three days. This feeling that I can't name but that I'll try to describe throughout this review.
Okay. Let me get into the review.
Background:
I never had any interest in watching this show. I thought period dramas weren't for me and I had a huge prejudice against this drama because of that- which is very ironic, considering many of my favourite dramas, such as Goblin and The Untamed, have the same elements of a period drama. I love history but I was scared I wouldn't understand the story or wouldn't be able to connect with the characters because of the setting. Therefore, I had been ignoring Moon Lovers since 2016, even though I've heard many amazing things about it. I only decided to watch it because, on Sunday (September 27 2020), my boyfriend made me watch The King and The Clown, a great movie that shoot Lee Joongi to fame overnight. I tried to resist it because it's also set in the ancient times but thankfully, my boyfriend insisted and I watched it. Lee Joongi's performance was... very touching? He left a great impression on me, that's for sure. And, suddenly, literally out of nowhere, I thought "He's in Moon Lovers, right? Why don't I watch that after I finish the dramas I'm currently watching?". I ended up watching it before finishing anything else. The power Lee Joongi holds!!!
Acting:
I was interested in the story from the very first minute. That scene with IU complaining about her life to the homeless man. I later found out that many people didn't like IU's acting and for that gave up on the drama. Wow, never have i disagreed with anyone more! I honestly think her performance was stunning. It didn't feel like acting so I was completely immersed in the drama from the very first scene. In fact, I loved every actor's performance in this show. Even the actors who were fairly new to the scene (like Baekhyun and JiSoo). I think everyone fit their roles very well and even though I hated some characters, I was very glad they were portrayed by those actors and actresses.
Lee Joongi took the best actor award for me, however that is only because he is absolutely insane. His facial expressions could rip my heart apart. How could is smile hurt more than when he cried??? Insane, that's what that man is. I'll now have to watch every single project he's in! Yay! Kang Haneul, Hong Jonghyun, the senior actors. Literally everyone. They made these characters come to life and I couldn't say enough good things about this cast. It was on point.
Characters:
Let me start off by saying that I love that every character had grey areas. No one only had white sides to them and no one had only black ones. Each character had flaws, ambitions, made mistakes and had a reasoning behind their actions. There were characters that I loved more than others but I know I couldn't just take one character out of the story because they all added something to it and I couldn't completely hate anyone because I could understand what motivated them to do what they did. That's one of the big reasons why this drama impacted me so much. How cruel, pure, passionate, ambitious and desperately human these characters were. I also love the fact that we got to watch them change throughout the show, even though it stings and we want to go back to how everyone was in the first few episodes. It hurt but it made sense. That's all I ask from a drama. On top of all that, the fact that women weren't portrayed negatively in this drama made me so happy! There were female characters that I "despised" but I can't deny they were powerful! There were many female characters I loved, such as Court Lady Oh and Lady Hae. Amazing. And the complexity of these characters... 4th prince So is one of those characters you never forget after you get to know them. But if I start ranting about him I'll never finish this review.
Plot:
The plot was huge. Very well written but sometimes they had to rush some things so that they could fit everything in 20 episodes. I wish they had taken their time to include the things I'll mention in the "Things I would change if I could" section. Overall, the plot was very smart and it made sense for the era that the story was set in and the characters' personalities and situations. It makes the viewers think about what they would do if they were in the characters' shoes. And call me crazy but if I could live in any drama and interact with any characters, I would choose this drama.
OH AND BY THE WAY!! The scenery was beautiful! The props too. Great production.
Soundtrack:
Never has a soundtrack fit a drama so well. There were some modern songs thrown in there, which, in my opinion, fit those scenes so well because Hae Soo had just arrived from the modern times and was filled with happiness and innocence. So the music was kind of funny and cute, in a way? And by the middle/end they weren't played anymore.
And the sad scenes hit differently because of the soundtrack. The songs were absolutely perfect to emphasize the emotions of each scene. Lovely.
Things I would change if I could: [THIS SECTION MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS]
-The fact that Hae Soo seemed to have forgotten her life in the modern times too swiftly. Like, she didn't even try to go back more than once. Also, she didn't seem to miss her family or friends and the only time she mentions anyone is when she mentions her brother when she has that conversation by the lake with So. I wish we had got to know her life before she went to Goryeo and that she had expressed more pain or fear for being there? At least in the beginning!
-Also, Hae Soo's personality changed quite drastically throughout the drama, which I understand since she went through a lot and grew up. But I wish she showed more of her former self. I'm not sure what I mean by this but yeah, she seemed a lot more like Court Lady Oh as time went by (which is probably what the writer wanted to show- the parallel between the two lovers of the Kings).
-I don't know if I would change this because that's what makes the 4th prince that mesmerising but the cruelty he showed when he became a king was scary. But he also had his reasoning behind his decisions... but... I guess I'm just used to the plain good male leads so So's decisions are a bit hard to take in but all of them make sense and they may seem cruel but what choice did he have?? Okay, I'm ranting now.
-A lot of shots were straight up ridiculous. When the 3rd prince "died" and fell off the cliff it wasn't shown! I was so frustrated haha. Also, when Hae Soo was writing the shots never seemed appropriate? Or when some characters came into some scenes. A bit awkward.
My favourite scenes: [THIS SECTION DEFINITELY INCLUDES SPOILERS]
- The deaths. I know it sounds a bit morbid but oh God, did I cry... They were really well done. Even those of the characters I didn't like were good. I have to say that the one I cried the most was Eun's death, along with his wife's. That was probably the moment I cried the most in the whole drama. What a tragic ending!"I'm all she has... I won't leave her alone." And then So (finishing) killing him... UGH!!!! So much pain. Just thinking about it breaks my heart. The song that was playing... AHHHHH it hurts.
-8th Prince Wook crying after his wife's death and realising he did love her but never got to tell her that.
-The snow scene with Hae Soo and Wook.
-The scene where Hae Soo and So met.
-The scene where Hae Soo and So reconcile and act all cute ):
-When the princes were playing together in the first few episodes.
-When 4th prince was doing the rain ritual and it started raining.
-Their daughter... and So asking Jung to come to the castle often with her... his smile... why must it hurt like this?
-The last scenes of the last episode. THEY. HURT. SO. MUCH. I. COULDN'T. BREATHE. Loved them and I will always remember them.
-To be honest, every scene. That's it. That's the section.
Random thoughts/observations: [SPOILERS]
-Ok but... did Ji Mong like Prince Moo??????? Guys... I squealed!!!
-Was that little girl Woo Hee's reincarnation? Heartbreaking.
-It hurt when So made love to the Queen. But it hurt more that he couldn't care less about his son. Poor boy. I wish he wasn't so cold to him but once again, So is a flawed character. After Hae Soo's death he must have lost the will to live and to love anyone else. It's just sad that his son will probably suffer as much as he did because he will feel rejected by his own father.
-The fact that he ended up alone in the end... all his brothers died or left him. The love of his life died too (or was unreachable). The astronomer and the general left too. My heart physically hurts just thinking about how lonely he was, from the very first episode. "The Lonely Wolf"...
There are so many things I want to talk about but my computer is already lagging because of how long this is hahaha help. I'll just say one more thing:
The ending:
[SPOILERS] I liked it. It hurt, for sure. But it hurt so good? OMG HOW CAN I EXPLAIN THIS? It's memorable. I'll never forget how it made me feel. This type of hurting... as if I was the one living this story. Of course I wish there was a second season (as long as it didn't ruin what this show did for me, of course). But I like how it's kind of open and lets the viewers imagine what could have happened. I like the fact that a second season is not necessary but that there's room for it to happen. Also, no one can convince me that there is anything more painfully beautiful as that last scene. Stunning. I can accept a sad ending when it's well done. It fit the story perfectly and that's all I can ask for. That said, I'll now go read the novel and hope for a more cheerful ending hahahaha it hurts. It hurts so much. I just wish it didn't end. Or that I could forget everything and watch it like it was the first time. It hurts. It physically hurts.
Remember the feeling I mentioned in the first paragraph of the review? There is a Portuguese word that is unique to the Portuguese language: "Saudade". That word describes the feeling of missing someone, something or a moment so deeply that you're filled with nostalgia and your heart aches. And usually that feeling stays with you and you have to carry it with you for the rest your life. I think that's the best way I can describe how this drama made me feel, and it can describe just as well the feelings the characters have for one another.
I just feel like this drama was tailored to fit the number one spot in my heart. I was certainly not expecting it but I'll forever be grateful that it exists and that I found my way to it.
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Incredible story, you will always remember.
Amazing series, the one still closest to my heart. I think no other drama would ever capture my heart in a way, this one did. Such strong perfomances and acting, amazing chemistry, script, story... almost everything is perfect. Lee Joon Gi was once again amazing in this, but so was the female lead, second male lead and so on. This story of power, history, love that lasts past life... is truly something that everyone should watch. I dont understand some mixed or negative views here, I really dont. The ending would remain in my mind, as there is hope but so much beautiful heartbreak. Reccomend a lot for everyon.Was this review helpful to you?
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One of the BEST historical K-drama that you cannot miss
I only watched Chinese Historical Drama all these time, but I was recommended this one by my friends. I guess it doesn't matter which language actors speak. As long as you are interested in watching costume/historical drama, I truly recommend this drama.Unlike Chinese drama, the ending was clear. There were no disappointment nor confusion. C-drama tends to have strange way to end the drama or unexpected end, confusion and etc. Not all of them, but I noticed I tend to be frustrated with C-drama ending, but this K-drama ended with very clean but very sad ending.
Plus I don't know why but I kept watching the last episode over and over. I do not like sad drama at all, so I avoided any of the bad (unhappy) ending. Therefore, this is the very first drama I cried so much. Yet, I still cry at the last episode after I watched over and over. I know I will cry, but I just want to watch it again and again. I wonder why? Because I was impressed with Lee Joon Gi's performance when he went to pick up the ash of Soo. He cried out so hard and burst into tears. he made me feel exactly how I would feel if I were him. My heart ached and I even felt I would just fall on the floor because he lost his true love and my knee left numb and I couldn't hold my body anymore. Joon Gi's performance was so impressive and this drama ending was perfectly executed by his acting.
After I watched this drama, I decided to watch more K-Drama (historical) and/or C-Drama with sad ending. It maybe sad but I was satisfied with drama itself and I know now I can even enjoy sad ending. IU and Joon Gi's chemistry also made this drama so successful, and rest of the support actors did great job. Thank you everyone for making this drama!
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HOWEVER! I was very surprised and pleased the more I watched. The acting was amazing, especially in specific scenes that will remain unnamed. (Those who have seen it will understand). The music choice was great, especially will be back...every time that song started my heart was just like...ah. I don't know. Anyways, the story was great I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. There is also some comedy, which I appreciated.
My last note is...WATCH THIS AT NIGHT! It made me cry so many times, and you probably will too! Once again, I point out that the acting was fantastic!
I hope you choose to watch this amazing show. (And I will definitely be re-watching!)
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Different type of romantic drama
Lee Jun Gi's 2nd best film, not only for his acting but his stage makeup was just captivating! I knew it by episode 9 that this cannot be a happy ending but I kept on going.... why? the story portrays 3 different characters and how they love based on their belief, value system and their personality. It is unprecedented that the script doesn't follow the protocol of a romantic love story.. but it allows reality, the real life to kick in and shows how our choices bring consequences and affect the endings of our lives. It was sad, but at the same time, it makes you think about what is important in life. Of course, we have to take into consideration that back in Joseon Dynasty era, things were different and they had limited choices as princes & princesses. However, well-made drama, worth the time and you won't regret it!Was this review helpful to you?
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😭WANG SO - The minute he appears on the screen I AM GLUED TO HIS FACE AND FACIAL EXPRESSION😭😭TO BE TRUE - I LOVED HIMM SOOOOOO SOOOOO MUCH WIT MASK ON HIS FACE.... OMOOO!!!! HE IS DAMNN... PHENOMENAL🤤😭💜
.........😭UNTIL THE VERY END, THIS MANNN HELD MY ATTENTION LIKE - "MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT"😭.........
😭ALL I NEED HIS WANG SO's HAPPINESS, I want his SMILE... ALWAYSSSSS😭
😭💜Whenever those two were together, it always felt like the TEMPERATURE WAS RISING!!💜😭
😭I WAS ROOTING FOR THESE TWO TILL THE END😭 I WANTED A HAPPY ENDING 😭 BUT ENDED UP GIVING ME UNFORGETTABLE PAIN😭
...😭THEY MADE ME WANT THAT LOVE FOR MYSELF😭...
😭Whenever Wang So smile, it made me so happy😭 Whenever he would cry, I would cry😭 Whenever he shows his love fr her, I would melt😭
😭I cried for 2 straight nights and still cry😭 OST hunts me though they finish throughout my life😭
😭They gave me EVERY EMOTIONS IN ONE GO😭 be it HAPPINESS, TEARS, GRINNING, SQUIRMING, LAUGHTER, RESENTMENT, HEARTACHE, SHORTNESS OF BREATH😭
.............😭EXTREMELY PAINFUL😭..............
😭✨THEIR HAPPINESS😭 WHY DIDN'T LAST✨😭
😭✨THE WAY HE GAZE AT HER😭 IT MELTS ME✨😭
😭🙆WHENEVER HE HUGS HER Goshhhhh!!!! IM GRINNING SO MUCH ND SWOONING TO DEATH 🙆😭
😭THE WAY HE PASSIONATELY SMILE AT HER😭 ALWAYS KEPT ME GRINNING... SWOONING... GRINNING... SWOONING... REPEATEDLY😭
😭✨HE HAS SUCH A POWERFUL EYES✨😭
😭BEING A KING - HE DID EVERYTHING THT HE SHOULDN'T - Onlyyy for her HAPPINESS😭
😭GODDDDDD!!!!! MY HEART PAINS THT I WOULD DIE😭
😭I was really disappointed that I didn't get to see the reincarnation - THEY DESERVE IT😭 Even if it was JUST a GLIMPSE in the FUTURE of THEM MEETING each other, I would've been so HAPPY 😭 THIS SERIOUSLY BROKE MY HEART😭
😭 I'M NOT SURE IF I WILL EVER RECOVER FROM THIS LOVE STORY😭
😭Goddddd.... Whyyyy I'm nt getting through this.... Whyyyy.... Whyyyy... I'm crying as if IM GOING THROUGH THIS😭
😭I couldn't help myslf so kept looking online to see if there will be a season 2 also searched abt GORYEO DYNASTY HISTORY cause that is just how GOOD THE DRAMA WAS😭
😭I'm DEFINITELY RE-WATCHING this show even if the second season doesn't come out😭but please I NEED SEASON 2 😭
😭 I CANT HELP MYSELF OVER THIS😭 난 절대 못해😭
😭THIS SHOW HAS LEFT AN IMPRINT IN MY HEART LIKE NO OTHER 😭
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Let’s weigh this interesting historical drama on our show beam balance and see if the show is worth watching or not.
Good Weights
Lee Jun Gi (Prince Wang So): First let’s talk about the character Wang So. Wang So is the bad boy who generates fear in the minds of not only his enemies and but also his friends. He punishes all those who harm his loved ones but sadly ends up earning their fear. He isn’t a jerk. He is not mean. He is just a little misunderstood. Wang So is the quintessential good guy who hides under the garb of an evil, ruthless man only to protect himself and his people. He is aggressive and ferocious yet kind and loving. A dominating character like this required an ace actor to pull it off convincingly and Lee Jun Gi’s portrayal of 4th prince Wang So was simply flawless. The drama has several popular faces but lead actor Lee Jun Gi just stole the show not just because of his character but also because of his strong screen presence and fine performance. This may be because he is a much-experienced actor compared to the rest of the cast and Jun Gi can be credited for having kept the audiences engaged for 20 episodes. Even with half of his face hidden behind a mask, he manages to convey So’s feelings so effectively that I fell in love with both the character and the actor. The mask suited him so much that I liked him more with it than without it. Had it not been for Jun Gi I don’t think the drama would have been as interesting as I found it to be especially when we had a pale and expressionless face for a lead actress.
Direction: As you start watching the drama you will notice that every second shot is a close-up shot of the actors. The director seems obsessed with close-ups. Initially, I found these close-up shots annoying but then the same thing starting appealing to me. I especially appreciated these close-up when the scene had the stoic Wang Wook in it. Now, 8th prince Wang Wook is a shy, reticent prince who does not speak a lot. Actor Kang Ha Neul’s close-up showing his subtle expressions worked extremely well for the story. Similarly, Jun Gi as prince Wang So is often scowling or grimacing and the close-up shots effectively captured his not-so-subtle expressions. The only nightmare was lead actress IU, who plays Hae Soo. She is pretty but her face shows no variation in expression. Tears would trickle down her eyes and you still won’t be convinced that she is actually crying. You see, she was that bad. Other than that I think the direction was quite good.
OST: ‘Can You Hear My Heart’ by Epik High and Lee Hi is my favourite of all the songs used on the show. The music is stirring and emotional and suited Wang So the best. Then we have the mournful ‘Wind’ by Jung Seung Hwan and ‘My Love’ by Lee Hi. So melodious these songs are that you will love it even if you don’t understand Korean. That’s the power of Korean soundtracks.
Lee Ji Eun (Hae Soo): When you have bagged a role to die for don’t you think people will have high expectations from you? Scarlet Heart Ryeo revolved mostly around Hae Soo’s character but sadly actress IU was the weakest link of the show. Hae Soo is a complicated character as she goes through a lot of emotions in the story and at times it is difficult to understand her choices and actions. For such a character, it was very important that the actor portrayed emotions that would convey her inner feelings with only her face. Sadly, IU just remained a white face with big black eyes. What’s worse is that she had most of her scenes with actors Lee Jun Gi and Kang Ha Neul who are masters at facial expressions. IU often fell flat before such skilled actors further highlighting her lack of acting skills. I not only hated Hae Soo the character for being so fickle minded, but I also disliked IU for almost ruining the show for me.
Ending: This always happens to me. The dramas I love watching end in the most disappointing way. Previously it happened with Healer and now this drama. This show was so cool throughout but its climax was so bad I almost cried. Happy or sad ending didn’t matter I was just looking for a conclusion that made sense and did justice to the story. But all I got was a drab finale episode.
The show beam balance is heavy with good weights and I must add here that the drama isn’t perfect script wise but highly remarkable performance wise.I enjoyed every episode and loved every character on the show. Hae Soo did test my patience but I will let that slip as Wang Wook and Wang So managed to rule my heart through the weeks the drama aired.
Originally posted on Alphagirl.in.
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The acting cast was great they made every emotion the characters have reach me like how they feel happy or sad or angry as IU was very good in showing her character's emotions
The music was perfect I liked it the most and I like how they made it know that the character is dead by the song they play when every character dies it took me sometime to realize it but when I found out I knew that the character is going to die now and the song that shows you that they love each other, anyways I liked the music most
The rewatch value, well don't take my rating for the rewatch value confidential as I don't like rewatching anything even if the drama or the series is good
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Although I was hesitant to watch the Chinese drama since I was not used to the language and (honestly) the baldness of the male charactersㅋㅋㅋ, but Chinese version of Scarlet Heart indeed made me change my views of Chinese drama. Indeed it was a drama with great story with skilled actors. The language that I thought was hard to adjust was so smooth, and that's how much I was moved with Scarlet Heart.
When I heard that they are making a Korean version of the drama, of course I would be so excited to hear one of my favorite drama being made in Korea, and the main role would be IU! Sadly, the drama was not able to beat the original like many others.
I don't think IU's acting was bad. She did well despite this being her first fantasy historical drama. The funny and cute scenes were adorable to watch, but to see the romance scene between the second and first male leads with the main girl and other serious scenes in the Korean version did not really move my heart. It's just the story of the original and the actors/actress was really good in the Chinese drama that it was a bit hard for me to watch. In my opinion, Chinese drama emotions are hard to copy, so it's hard to exact the same emotion or make it better (it's a bit hard to explain).
Overall, I would say with the cute scenes of IU and other actors/actress the Korean version would be rated as fair. Also, if you haven't watched the Chinese version, I think some will enjoy watching a fantasy drama version like this :)
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This review may contain spoilers
A really good plot but bad ending
I really loved the acting, the music, the story line but yeah the ending was so sad and unsatisfactory or else this drama would get a 10/10.Lee joongi did a marvelous job. The costumes were amazing. The songs, especially For you by EXO CBX is amazing!
I really loved the cute and funny moments through out the series but i really wish that they ended it the same way as in the original version(chinese) where they atleast meet each other in the future. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. cried a lot at the end .
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You will not be able to forget this one.
One of the best K dramas I have seen and if I may say so this is the first show I have come across that really stuck to its guns when it comes to being merciless with the plot. And I mean this in a good way because it made me respect the show more. A show doesn't have to be all sun and roses to be satisfactory but at the same time the it also shouldn't be all gloom. There was a good balance. I tried my best to predict the plot and googled a lot about Goryeo history during this time period but still the show was built well enough that all my research, which I assumed would give me spoilers, had no bearing on the story. The plot kept me on my toes. Not all dramas can pull off the wide array of themes, emotions and perspectives. The show is quite tightly packed( no useless fillers) and good direction I must say, because the drama really held up its shape. Scenes were meaningful, wonderful music, strong writing and good acting.There are some shows that are people-pleasers and then there are some like Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo that are assertive in their quality. If you want the first one then you would do better to leave this one out. But I suggest you to be courageous and watch this one because it is fantastic. Scarlet heart is a drama that will stay with you for a long time,and that's what makes it special. I have a new found respect for K dramas. Now go watch it.
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