Love in the Moonlight (2016)

After watching many dark shows, I was in need of something fluffy and fun. So, when Netflix added Love in the Moonlight I thought it was the perfect time to finally dip my toes into another period piece. Sadly, this drama left me feeling underwhelmed. It was way too fluffy while nothing much happened storyline-wise. Only the last two episodes made me feel a bit excited and emotional, but it was ruined by the rushed and disappointing ending. This drama also shows a trope that I really dislike: the Damsel in Distress. It would be much more interesting if Ra-on wasn’t crying in a corner while men were throwing their swords around!

One of the strengths of this drama is its supporting characters, such as Byung Yeon and Princess Myun Geun. But why don’t they get more screen time? I couldn’t help wanting more from their storylines. Aside from the King, who gave one of the worst performances I have seen in a long time, the acting is generally strong and helped me complete the show.

I think this drama is perfect for those who enjoy fairy-tale-like romances and melodramas. Unfortunately that’s just not me.

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Love in the Moonlight is not that original. If you have seen any other historical drama then many of the tropes and storylines are the same. The best part of this drama is Park Bo Gum and the action. There is awesome action in this series. Park Bo Gum is a great actor and he proves it in this drama. He can express so much emotion with the slightest of movement. There are scenes in this drama where he is acting with his ears. (Yes you read that right). Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not up to his level. I was especially disappointed by the lead female. Her character started off strong and but by the end was quite weak.

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The story was a tom and jerry run around the mill. There were times when it become ridicoulous to think that anyone of sane mind would believe any of this insanity. There were so many plot holes that it became frustrating to continue. On that note lets get down to analyzing the series. The series was much spent on flash backs to amped the romance aspect of it while leaving out contents tha could've made the series epic.

ML-character development was about as rigid as his jawline. There was no consistency in his arch story and top it he came out as a pussy crazy crown prince who was continuously bolsterous about his power but was just the same as the king who was tied down by the nobels.

FL-don't understand how such a character would've survived in a real world scenario. She would've been the first to be killed. She spent the better part of the series crying, flattering and complementing the crown prince. Yet provided no real substance to the over all story with her character alone. Although I won't blame the lack of her knowledge to her past which was a strong card to hold.

Villainous Troop: Prime Minister, Queen, Minister of Interior (Nobles)- These side characters were of the most interesting throughout the series. They provided the best plot and twist in the story which the 2 main leads fail to achieve. I was cheering for the villainous queen the most because she was consistent in her character.
Supporting Characters: side characters like Body Guard Kim and the ex best friend Kim were the most developed in characterization and also hold the most intersting story archs in the whole series. They alone along with that of the queen were of the most consistent.

Rewatch Value: Absolutely NO...I wouldn't recommend it even if my life depended on it. But this is my personal preference. If you want to dive in go ahead...just don't go in expecting much.

OST: best part of this whole damn series are the ost..some were heart wrenching and others were very lively....

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It was meh.

Honestly i was expecting a lot more from this drama mostly because of the cast, description and reviews but it was not good.
The drama started great but the episodes were so slow and most of the time about same things . The story did not explain lot of issues and i do not even want to talk about main leads past there is nothing explained the drama will end and you still have plenty of questions.
I personally did not feel chemistry that much almost not at all and it did not make sense how prince found out about things regarding main lead and stuff (plus his behaviour was weird but i guess that is just my personal issue) also the main lead had too much luck like things did not make sense here too because others had to do some orders but she does not have to only because there has to be some way how she is going to meet prince and not have problems about her gender....
And the last thing i want to complain about is second lead. Like i would not even call him second lead because of his screentime, screentime with female lead and overall his relationship with her also i did not feel any chemistry between them at all. AGAIN.

The good thing is the comedy at this drama it was really nice i laughed a lot :D.

I would rate 4.5 or 5 if there was not princess who was literally only character i finished the show for. I am glad that the producers did not leave her relationship (finally couple i liked xd sad that she was a support char TTvTT) and did not only focus on main couple im happy how she ended up :3.

Visually it was pleasing, the ost was nice.

I am a sucker for these kinds of dramas (historical, joseon,comedy,gender switch etc.) but its just a big meh.

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Political angst and great comedy

This was my first Kim Yoo Jung drama, and damn, she's a great actress. The story was kinda boring at times when they focused more on politics and not romance, but it didn't last too long and it was still interesting, just not very entertaining. I wish this drama gave us more of a conclusion to the romance, maybe telling us what is next for the couple, instead of just leaving them there with some issues unresolved. Overall, there were quite a few ridiculous but also amazingly hilarious moments in the drama, and I was enjoying every second of the episodes where Yoo Jung's character struggled with maintaining her identity a secret.

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JUST AS GOOD 4TH TIME

I needed to see another Park Bo Gum drama so I went back to Love in the Moonlight. What a wonderful romantic drama. I loved the connection between the four main characters played by Park Bo Gum, Kim Yoo Jung, Kwak Dong Yeo and Jung Jin Young. I know this drama has been out since 2016 but I hope they continue to make it accessible for viewing. I discovered Kdramas a year ago and I have become enamored with them. I always look for new movies from these actors.
I thank you for your hard work and thank the behind the scene workers. I love the extra episode provided that gives us viewers access to the real person behind the actors. This group were just so adorable. Wish there had been a second season.

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Beautiful Setting Indoor and Outdoor

Hmmm....where do I start? There were so much hype and awards for Love In The Moonlight lead actors, that I decided to give it a go. I was drawn to the beautiful setting from the beginning, indoor and outdoor plus the nice costumes, giving me flashes of Moon Embracing the Sun (2012). This drama Moonlight (2016) also starred the pretty Kim Yoo Jung (Hong Ra On) who played a young teenage noble family daughter in Moon Embracing The Sun.

The story and plot is nothing different or special as it is the usual Joseon Dynasty Royal Family competing, fighting and plotting against the King and his son, the Crown Prince for the throne, through greed, murder, and anything one could possibly do to take over/rule the Kingdom.

The music was also the norm. The theme song sung by Gummy sounded like most of the other drama tunes which did not stand out for me, but it was very popular in Korea and I guess one needs to understand the Korean lyrics to appreciate it.

Wow, I sound pretty monotonous as I am reading my review....(sigh). The drama was pretty even paced, except for the last 3 episodes (Ep. 16-18). So, I took time going to get my snacks and cool beverages.

The only thing that kept me going was to watch an impressive performance from Park Bo Gum who played the Crown Prince Hyo Myung. He was only 23 years old when he acted in this drama. Prior to this, he played mainly teenager supporting roles. Even then I found him quite talented. However, in Moonlight, I found his lead role allowed him to have a broader opportunity to flex his acting ability and I liked it. He played a confident young Prince and while courting Ra On, he was cute, endearing and his entire performance was well executed.

All the other Senior Cast did really well. Yoo Jung was only 17 going on 18 for her Hong Ra On role, and her youth was evident. Therefore, her chemistry with Bo Gum was not felt. But they looked cute together and again was well liked by their young fans.

To conclude, if you are looking for something light and acceptable, giggly cute romance, this will be a drama to watch. If you are looking forward to 'chasing' every episode, be at the edge of your seat with heart pounding from passionate kisses and hugs that sends you reeling .... then you should skip this one.

Cheers! K-Drama forever!

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A gender-bender drama about a woman disguising herself as an eunuch to escape unfortunate circumstances. The pure luck that she had escaping detection was a bit of a fantasy in itself but the suspension of disbelief in watching this drama wasn't too farfetched. Park Bo Gum was great as the stoic, playful and yet righteous king who wants to rule his kingdom in a more democratic way, quite different from the dirty traditional politics that was enveloping his nation. I was rooting for their love and as well as for their fight for truth and freedom in the midst of turmoil.

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Lightweight Romane comedy

I just finished watching this drama. And I neither hate it or love it. Firstly I watched bc of Jinyoung knowing he be 2nd lead. For Story it is quite lightweight for a historical drama since most of them tend to be heavily political and display the cold nature of the palace. Most of the characters in this dramas are nice. Which is ofcourse not a bad thing. I like the main couple but find the romance a bit lacking. I found it more fun at the beginning when the main couple is quarreling a lot and it was quite cute to watch but they fell in love too easily and too early (Just my opinion). The actress is too pretty and feminine to act as a boy but it is just drama so I could overlook and pretend that everyone believed she was a boy. Tbh I don't hate the actress but I feel like something is lacking with the acting or her character in this particular drama (I like her in other roles). Both male leads fell in love with her character even tho she wasn't any special. What does she have that other doesn't have. I prefer the 2nd female lead more. It get interesting in the beginning and fell flat in the middle that i just wanted to drop but at the end it again get interesting when the dramas get bit political and shows what the Prince can do. I really cringed a lot when they do the slow motions thing where they grab the arm of female lead to stop her from going or doing something or looking too long into the eyes when there are so many people around them even though they are not supposed to be recognised by other that they in love..... one or two times is great but if this keep happening it is just annoying. It is also annoying when they show the same recap over and over again. I wished the female lead was stronger and more independent that she doesn't need to be constantly saved by someone. She kept getting rescued by so many people....I do think at least male lead was well written...he is clever, royal to his friends and lover additionaly kind to his people. He takes actions and abuse his power as prince when he needed to. Overall the drama itself was nice to watch because all the actress and actors are eye candys. As conclusion it was not the best kdrama I watched but I can't say that I hated it. If you love the actors or actresses you should definitely watch it.

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