Love in the Moonlight (2016)

Zhu Yan Zhi, disguised as a man, seeks to learn martial arts with an elite clan. Once she begins her intense training, Zhu finds herself at odds with her trainer and superior, Liang.

The show is a reunion of 3 dramas (Love in the Moonlight, Itaewon Class, and The Sound of Magic). So in case, you watched Youth MT because of a drama other than Love in the Moonlight, you should give this good drama a try!!

Because both series have similars storyline, the confusion between a woman wear as man, a very good man trying to be king and fix the world. The difference is basic about the second characters, which are more kind and nice in Love in the moonlight than in Shine or Go Crazy.

Both dramas are historical, filled with comedy, romance and royal family matters. The female leads in both of these series are very similar in my view, also caught up in a love triangle with two men + the hidden king motif.

Love in the Moonlight similar to F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers because :

- Female lead is in a place where she is is danger.
- Female lead has to be smart to escape threats ( being discovered or being bullied).
- Male Lead is persecuting Female Lead so much so that he falls in love with her.
- Male Lead Loves first.
- Male Lead is powerful ( Prince or leader of the F4).
- Forbidden love (she is impersonating a man in the palace or she is from a lower social background than the F4).
- Female lead is poor when Male Lead is rich.

The New Yoshiwara pleasure district, in the twilight years of the Edo Period. Popular prostitute Asagiri will soon be freed from her indentured service. One day at a local festival, she meets young artisan Hanjiro who changes her destiny. Asagiri feels love for the first time in her life, but the history involving Hanjiro's client leads to tragic circumstances.

Xia Le Di was an arrogant, self-absorbed socialite before her father's bankruptcy left her penniless. She believed that it happened because his competitor stole "Mona Lisa," a revolutionary makeup technology that his company developed. She vowed to get it back. She went undercover at JEALOUS, the rival company, working as an assistant to Chang Yu Jie, the heartless operation manager/lead makeup artist. While she focused her investigation on him, her romantic interest wandered to his charming half-brother Chang Shao Feng. But unbeknownst to her, the half-brother was the real culprit behind the theft.

Similarities:
-forbidden love
-ML is a Crown Prince
-FL is in hiding
-Royal & Peasant relationship
-hate to love
-daughter of a traitor
-incompetent king

To protect herself and her family, Hong Ra On disguises herself as a man and counsels men on dating. Due to a love letter she wrote for a client, she meets Crown Prince Hyo Myung. Ra On is unaware that he is the Crown Prince, and Hyo Myung is unaware that Ra On is a woman. Soon after Ra On is forced to become a eunuch by loan sharks, and the Crown Prince and Ra On become interested in each other. As Ra On tries to survive the palace and the Crown Prince navigates his journey to become king, will their love prosper?

-romance, though Love in the Moonlight is a lot more fluff than Moonshine
-tough/ordinary-ish girl, often dresses as a guy
-guy is higher rank than the girl
-(possible) second-lead syndrome/second-couple syndrome
-second-lead starts out with friend vibes

Both main female and male leads are devoted only to each other. Both are historical with politics, but the main focus is on the love story between the leads.

Both are historical dramas in which the ML is a king and the FL is his servant or working for him in the palace. Both have people plotting to get rid of the king, and are a mix of fluffy anachronistic humor and heavier moments.

I watched Maiden Holmes before Love in the Moonlight, and I am very surprised at how many similarities there are in the plot. Some plot points are carried out in the exact same or very similar ways. Same gender bender and female lead with a dark past falls in love with prince male lead.

Similar vibes and relationship between the main characters. Both shows start off sweet and funny then take a turn into heavier court politics and assassination attempts, with a final happy ending.

Although one is Chinese and the other one is Korean, both have good storyline and some similarities
- Both ML are prince…Strong, smart and did many things to protect FL
- Some gender bender…female dressing as a man
- FL family was wrongfully accused so they have to hide their identity
- Make you want to root for their love