Moonlight (2021)

When Perseverance, Confidence, and Strong-Will Work Together

"As long as I'm working as an editor, I will never give up on any author. That's why I became an editor in the first place." -Chu Li

This quote? Chu Li, the female lead, who is also an amazing editor, said it. I admit I was a little reluctant to start Moonlight, as I was watching other airing rom-coms. But I don't regret my decision at all, because it has just joined my favorites list. I was expecting a cute and fluffy rom-com, but not only is Moonlight cute, but it is so inspirational as well.

Moonlight is a unique rom-com. It's not a love story that takes place in high school or even college. It takes place in work, but it's not exactly an office romance-comedy. It's a cute romance between an editor and an author. Moonlight has made me think more about the powerhouse behind an author's success: The editor. From this drama, I've learned that editors contribute more to a book's success more than most of us think, and even if these characters aren't real editors, authors, and publishers. they've certainly shown us the hard work and perseverance needed to be one.

Story-9.0
As this was an airing rom-com, I was scared as to what would happen in the later episodes, because as we experienced Asian drama watchers know, a drama's later episodes can go downhill sometimes. With this doubt, I continued to watch this fluffy drama, and it did not disappoint. When you're watching Moonlight, say goodbye to the stupid misunderstandings and "I'm doing this for your own good" breakups, because there aren't any! We all love relationships with trust and encourage and love and nothing more, don't we? There are jealous scenes, yes, but when it comes to trust, Zhou Chuan and Chu Li is our model couple! They trust each other no matter what, and help each other on their editing and writing journeys.

Why do I keep on mentioning trust? Well, another female is introduced around episode 30 or so. I was totally unprepared for her, and was terrified that she would cause a huge misunderstanding or breakup, but our strong leads were mentally prepared! 500 second female leads could've stormed in and our couple would probably be left unharmed. Perhaps a tiny bit of suspicion, but nothing more than that. The second female lead was a bit unnecessary, but I like how she found her closure at the end. She deserved hate, yes, but also deserved some understanding.

On the surface, Moonlight is an ordinary rom-com, with a few cliches: Cohabitation, a little bit of Hate-to-Love, Male Chases Female First, but these cliches are used in such a cute manner that this drama was an absolute gem of a rom-com. We do have the online and offline connection, as Chu Li and Zhou Chuan didn't know that they were online friends at first, but the trope wasn't boring at all. Not to mention all the lovable side characters, who never stopped teaching the audience life lessons. If there were two things that Moonlight showed me the most importance of, they would be the importance of mutual trust in a couple and the importance of seeking help from the people around you. It's great to be an independent person, but we all need some help sometimes.

As I said before, I really liked the new environment in this drama. Moonlight was adapted by the Chinese novel "Chu Li is Coming", so most of the story can be owed to the author, but it was refreshing to see a Chinese rom-com set in a different setting. This time, in a publishing house. Chu Li starts off as an intern in the editor branch, but through her hard work through the long nights and many troubles, she proved to everyone just how good of an editor she could be.

The antagonist of this drama shows real life so accurately. Sometimes, jealousy can be dangerous, both to the person we target and ourselves. We shouldn't allow jealousy to overcome us, and take it slowly. This drama also showed the different kind of relationships during work, from friendships to almost-enemies. These relationships are all normal, but we should learn to control these relationships well to not learn these overly take control of our jobs.

Cast-10.0
I'm just going to talk about the dubbing first. Some people had issue with the female lead's voice: Chu Li's voice is dubbed by the actress of the character herself, Yu Shuxin (Esther). Yes, her voice is very high, but that's what I love about Chu Li. She is a perfect example of a bubbly but hard-working girl! Ding Yuxi (Ryan) isn't dubbed either, so you're getting the leads' real voices! I've heard some small complaints about Esther's voice, but I had no problem with it at all.

Back to the cast. No better actor and actress could have been chosen for Zhou Chuan and Chu Li. Ryan Ding gives off that seemingly-cold-at-first-but-actually-cuter-than-a-bunny vibe so well. I did not want another ignorant cold male lead, and Zhou Chuan satisfied my needs. He might be a little cold to total strangers, but he knows when to be polite and when to be cute! From the earliest episodes, I had already decided that he was going to be one of my favorite male leads. Zhou Chuan is a successful author, but there is a rocky path before success. With his perseverance and the encouragement of his family and friends, he made it to the peak of the mountain.

I would not have chosen another actress for Chu Li even if the director gave me a chance. Esther Yu as Chu Li is perfect! She is a real cutie pie in real life, with her kindness, generosity and intelligence, which is why Chu Li was acted so well. You could say that Chu Li is almost an exact version to Esther but in another universe. Chu Li is cute and bouncy, but she is (thankfully), a real strong female lead as well. This tag has been thrown around a lot these days, but you have my word that Chu Li is actually strong. When something seemingly fails, she never gives up, but only stands up from the place she fell down and tries again. And just like Zhou Chuan, her perseverance led to success that no one in her publishing house expected from her.

I loved the second couple as well. I don't tend to smile like a donkey when it comes to second couples, but I did for Jiang Yucheng and Gu Baizhi. They did have some on-and-off moments, but they never stopped loving each other even when they thought they didn't. Sometimes, jobs can be hard, but when you manage to balance them with your lover, you will get the perfect combination. I also like how this couple was a little older than our lead couple, giving us a different perspective of love and jobs. (both couples had to overcome difficulties and such, but their journeys were a little different)

And the supporting characters were real concoctions of happiness and frustration as well, depicting different kinds of people in our lives so well. There are supporting co-workers, as well as jealous ones, bosses who believe in us, and family and friends that will always be there for you. No, while Moonlight mainly focuses on Zhou Chuan and Chu Li's love story, it shows the importance of friends and family as well.

Music-8.5
Moonlight doesn't have many songs, but they songs it has are upbeat and cute. Both leads contributed to the ost; Esther Yu, a member of the girl group The9, sang "Chu Li is Coming", which is the ending song and is very cute. I didn't know that Ryan Ding sang songs for his dramas, but his "Heartless Poems" was very well-sung and upbeat. There were a few other songs as well, "Niu Niu" by Shuang Sheng, and another specially used for the second couple scenes.

Rewatch Value-9.0
I don't tend to rewatch dramas, but I am sure that I will rewatch certain episodes of Moonlight in the future, if not all! This journey has been so inspirational and it never hurts to take a look back at your favorite characters once in a while.

Overall-9.5
As a person who has watched almost 40 Chinese rom-coms, I would recommend Moonlight for people looking for a fluffy drama in a heartbeat. With two cute couples, no stupid misunderstandings, and such inspirational stories, this rom-com should not be missed! (Not to mention the extra cute and satisfying ending!) We can't be successful in a flash. Success takes years of dedication and confidence in yourself. These characters failed countless times, but what made them succeed at the very end? It comes down to these things: Perseverance, confidence and encouragement from others. And that, my friends, is how an amazing Chinese romance-comedy is made. Enjoy Moonlight!

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A refreshing journey that won't fail to bring a smile to your face.

What a journey it has been! it initially started with 0 expectations but ended up being one of the most memorable rides. And it actually raised my standards much for fluffy rom-com now, as it has nothing which I truly despair or get annoyed by, but lots of sweet moments and cute fluff that will give you absolute pleasure.. and pain in the muscle of cheeks.

If I talk about the plot or the theme of the drama. It's quite simple without any complexity. Bit or I'll say a lot unrealistic coz of the number of coincidences it has.. or should I call 'Fate' that brought our leads together.. not just together but living under the same roof hehe. Having a bit cliche story I actually liked its pace and the direction with perfect execution from character personality development to the story progression. Being 36 episode drama plus rom-com it had the most chances to become draggy or have unnecessary parts but actually, nothing happened like that, it never left its track consistent till the end. So the story is really cleverly written and stick to its main concept until the last moment.

Now let's talk about the soul of the show its characters. Wow, what can I say about them? I liked the characters more than the story itself. Having three-dimensional human-like characters (Which many writers forget almost all the time) who act like humans, can do mistakes, and not fit in the mold of 'Perfection.' Chu Li at first glance you might feel ah another naive, innocent FL are we getting here? I mean drama doesn't have a 'Strong Female Lead' tag not to forget she is such a cutie pie and adorable, but being badass, rude/arrogant, having power, or physically strong doesn't make strong female leads for me. Hardworking, passionate about their work, strong-willed, having their own goals, principles for life and actually working on them this defines a strong character in my opinion and Chu Li nailed it with being cute and having that bubbliness in her what a balance it was!

Zhou Chuan no I'll say, Mr. Fox, okay I love him.. not him his character lol. Mr. Fox was such a sweetheart and MOOD. I mean there wasn't any moment or scene of him that I didn't enjoy or had good laugh at. He just brightens every moment. He can be a jerk for everyone totally arrogant dude but when it comes to his loved ones he becomes a sweetheart lol...His awkwardness, not able to express what he feels in the starting was felt so natural. The writer did a great job in case of portraying his character as a 'Writer'.. like his stubbornness his passion for his work all things were dealt with in the right way realistically.

So when Mr. Fox and Monkey come together it's a perfect match.. they have quite different personalities but they compliment each other. Their bickering, fights, the development in the relationship with being each other's first love it's quite enjoyable to watch. The chemistry rocks, and how can I forget how much they trust each other and form such a strong bond together... Surely the best aspect of the drama.

Talking about second leads... I'm the type of person who actually doesn't care about second leads at all most of the time I'm not even interested, but honestly, I was invested in the plot of the second lead's story too! they had great chemistry having their own interesting plotline which actually doesn't try to overlap with the main concept of the story.. so yeah I enjoyed their screentime too!

How can I forget the sizzling chemistry between our Mr. Fox and Jiang Yu Cheng... I never craved for the screentime of ML and SML together but I actually did here.

In the acting, they did a really good job portraying all characters I don't think I can imagine this different cast.. and yeah another fact I was glad that dubbing was with the original voice of actors.

So I was engaged to the story from the start to end more than that I was much invested in our main leads who never disappointed me or let me down... for me, it was an amazing drama which I loved thoroughly... I don't rate any rom-com 9.5.. actually never lol, but it was worth it!

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LOVE LOVE LOVE ~ THIS IS NOW THE MOONLIGHT IN MY LIFE

This is a beautiful rom-com drama about an editor, Chu li, and a young author, Zhou Chuan. Having been online friends for 3 years, Chu li becomes Zhou Chuan's editor, both unaware of their online relationship. Revolving around a hate-to-love story, their relationship blossoms into a variety of adorable interactions, as a lovely connection is created both online and in real life. And as they grow closer, they work together to become better selves and more passionate individuals.

i absolutely LOVE THIS DRAMA i just finished it recently and haven't been able to get over it since!! Everything about it is just perfection, and i enjoyed watching every second of it. Definitely making it into my top 5 ;)

~ STORY ♥ ~
Starting from the storyline, it may not appear to be the most eyecatching, but trust me, it's so unique compared to many other dramas with a similar topic. The show takes place in a working office, but the story is very equally balanced between business and their relationship. So if you came for either subject, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
And with no doubt, the relationship between the leads is one of the CUTEST IVE EVER SEEN. Chu li and Zhou Chuan's relationship is our aspired COUPLE GOALS. Their character development as they grow closer to each other, added with their mutual trust and respect made them strong and confident in each other, is something not commonly seen in other dramas. I swear, couples from other dramas would be jealous of their relationship as it's just unbreakable.

The FL may seem to be like the classic "weak" or "dependent" type but BELIEVE ME she is absolutely not, and is one of my favorite FL my far! Chu li continues to work hard and improve as she works her way up, making achievements throughout her publishing house that repeatedly astonish and exceed the expectations of all those around her. Proving to everyone that she is not to be belittled!

Additionally, I must make an honorable note on these following points, as it deserves a whole award: none of the characters are "dumb" or "stupidly gullible", and if you've watched a few dramas, u would know what I'm talking abt as I can say with a seething passion that... those characters are the worst. You won't have to worry about any unnecessary cliche misunderstandings, "disapproval from parents", or the "I'm doing this for their own good" breakups, as this drama has none of that! The characters hold a steady and powerful relationship the whole time. THE CHEMISTRY IS OFF CHARTS <33

The second couple was also quite a significant part of this drama as well considering that they had their own storyline. I love the second couple ofc, but i must admit that some of their scenes were a bit dull, which would prolly be the only slight downside to the story. But don't get me wrong, it's probably only because I'm a rom-com person, but if ur someone who enjoys watching more seriously-toned relationships, I'm sure you'll love it~! So don't start watching it with a biased judgment! (the second couple's kisses were sm better than the leads frr) BUUUUT even so... the BROTHERHOOD. ML and second ML's loyal bro relationship is kiiillllliiing me. Fr one of the biggest reasons why i loved this drama so much! And even though the 2nd ML did like the FL for a bit, he backed out right when the ML admitted to liking the FL as well. Like that's a loyal best friend right there, and best 2ML of the year award goes to him 100%.

*SPOILER* ..... although in the last 8 episodes or a sudden new girl popped out of nowhere claiming to have liked Zhou Chuan ever since they were in high school, no problems raised. Im sure many ppl prolly think that she was unnecessary but i think that through her, we can see how strong the lead couples relationship is.

*SPOILER 2*.... cutest ending ever! MDL doesn't let us put emojis on here but I fr would spam crying and heart emoji's right now. The script writers actually spent time making sure that everything was wrapped up neatly, and the last two episodes are just dedicated to following through to the ending MWAHHH. Amazing and satisfying, an ending that ill never forget!
*END OF SPOILER :)*

Although Moonlight is a rom-com based drama, it still carries many inspirational messages and lessons for viewers. We are shown that nothing comes out of thin air, and we must work hard in order to reach our desired goals. Chu li and Zhou Chuan are faced with multiple different obstacles that they must overcome both together and individually, and ultimately maturing into more successful individuals. Along the way, they learn the value of love, anger, emotions, and passion.

~ CAST ♥ ~
I was a huge fan of both the actor and the actress way before i watched this drama, and prolly one of the reasons as to why i loved this drama soo much. I was so happy when i found out they were acting together, and the result definitely didn't disappoint!! Everyone in the cast fit their character excellently, and I am genuinely so thankful that they brought this piece to life for us! Many times i wished that I could see more of some of the side characters as well as they were such an enjoyable part of the show, so thank you for making this masterpiece!

I also heard that many ppl think that the female lead's voice is too high or "childlike" to fit her character, but imo, it fits perfectly. Chu li's voice is dubbed by the actress herself, Esther, which I'm very happy about. Having the character's voice as the actress's adds more of a natural flow to the character.

And of course, Zhou Chuan's character played by Ryan Ding was just flawless - like always :)

~ MUSIC ♥ ~
I honestly don't have too much of an opinion on the songs, they weren't amazing but they weren't bad either. I think most of the songs were used repeatedly throughout the drama, which is okay because it ran quite smoothly with the scenes and everything else in the drama made up for the music weakness.

~ ♥ ~
I personally love everything about this drama from the BOTTOM OF MY HEART. ITS SO BEAUTIFUL AAH. I was giggling throughout the whole drama, and the leads are just too cute. So if your a rom-com lover, i recommend you 101% to give this drama a shot you surely wont regret it :)

♥♥♥♥♥♥

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Typical Contemporary Romance Cdrama

Modern romance drama that revolves around the love story between Chu Li, an aspiring editor, and Zhou Chuan, a highly successful debut author. This was a drama that I had looked forward to ever since they announced the lead pair. I had enjoyed watching Ding Yuxi's "Romance of Tiger and Rose" and really liked Esther Yu in "Find Yourself".

However, what started as a solid 9/10 drama, slowly devolved to 6/10 for me. Mainly because of how absurd the ML's behaviour was. I tolerated his antics in the beginning because I thought he would change for the better as the drama progressed. But, 30 episodes in, he still behaves like a child instead of the 27-year-old adult he's supposed to be. At the beginning of the drama, he treats the FL as his own personal assistant, even his housemaid at times, and no one seems to even point out how wrong this is to the person himself although certain characters do remark upon it. Later, after the leads get together, he continues to demand the FL's attention knowing fully well that she's busy at her job and not ignoring him on purpose. I get that in dramaland this behaviour can pass off as cute but imagine if this happened in real life?

Other than that, my only complaint is that nothing really happens in the drama. This would have been a much better-paced drama if it had been 24 episodes. Instead, we have to wait for more than half the drama, around 18 episodes just for the leads to get together. The drama had nothing new to offer, except for maybe the glimpse into behind the scenes workings of the publishing industry.

Nevertheless, I liked our FL and almost all of the female characters. Their story arcs were much better written, believable and relatable. Chu Li was determined and stood her ground despite how harsh her workplace was to her. Even though I wish we could see Esther Yu in a more serious and not-so-typical role, she played the bubbly and unintentionally funny FL to a tee.

I may be overreacting here, but I'm just really tired of the unreasonable MLs. If you like slow-paced, slice-of-life-ish romances or if you are relatively new to modern cdrama rom-coms then this drama might be for you.

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A cute sugary delight

This is a drama you watch just to get a dose of serotonin. It has a very cute couple with contrasting personalities who make a wonderful whole. The drama is well produced with nice sets, colour grading and overall aesthetics. This show delivers a lot of funny moments and a lot of cute moments. The leads are definitely the main attraction. Both Yu ShuXin and Ding YunXi bring out extremely loveable characters to the screen. The bromance between the ML and SML is GREAT. I absolutely love it. The plot is not the star of the show in a drama like this but it was enough to carry the story forward and let us know our characters better.

I was initially annoyed by the FL's voice and mannerism but quickly got used to it around episode 6. Once I did get used to it though, she was absolutely loveable and I want to carry her everywhere so she can spread happy vibes around. The ML Zhou Chuan is just wonderful and hilarious, the anti thesis of the serious MLs that are all too familiar to us. He just won't stop talking. And he MUST bicker with everyone in the world. Its just great. Love his bickering with Chu Li and especially Jiang Yu Cheng, that bromance was one of the best I've seen in a long time.

The plot itself isn't all that complicated, it is just a cursory look into the lives of editors and writers. It did flow well and did not have too many fillers. Especially appreciated that no unnecessary misunderstandings were created between the leads and there were no breakups or noble idiocy nonsense. In a drama where the focus is to tell a cosy love story, a healthy and strong relationship just works better,

I would recommend this to people who like sweet romances. Please don't watch this if you're looking for a great plot or actual look into the publishing industry. This is a pure romcom which delivers on its promise to give you a calm sweet time.

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DO NOT MISS THIS SWEETEST DRAMA!!!

I have watched 22eps till now as it is still airing rn!
Now I cannot control myself to give the review of this rom-com. .This drama is really very hilarious but interesting and super sweet with a great plot, you'll be hooked to the story after each ep. Leads knows very well how to win your heart by their great acting, sizzling chemistry and the dialogues of this drama will make your heart melt especially the confession part n how can we forgot those super jealousy scenes. This drama regarding being romantic also teaches us in real life that no matter what you should never give up on yourself and people around you, yet there will be people who will try to pull you down but you should always strike back stronger.
In a nutshell you should not miss this amazing drama . xoxo ^ &^
As the drama is airing new eps the stry is getting more n more interesting.

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He is really really in to her she is more in to her job, C-fluff with some rare gems.

This drama is pure C-fluff, a pretty smooth ride with the typical C- icicle who has trouble expressing himself and needs a lesson or two in honesty while the female lead is energetic warm and very good at talking herself in to getting more or less whatever she wants. These two have pretty good chemistry, great humor (reminded me a bit of You are my hero), and you can see that the guy is truly in to her, almost a bit to in to her... while she is more in to her job which is kind of funny yet sweet at the same time.

This drama does reinforce the idea of men wanting to get physical most of the time, while women should want to protect their virtue it does deal with the issue of consent in a pretty good way as well as shows the female lead as a competent person. The drama does deal with the issue of working mothers and some of the struggles they may face for trying to have both a career and a job in a pretty good way.

This drama also deals with the classic money over quality as well as struggles between different generations in a okay, not great, not bad but okay way. What it douse do great is shed light on the importance of finding the right person for the right job stressing the importance of a supportive environment for growth and the dangers of trying to impose ones own idea on some one eases dreams. And gives you the feeling of wee can accomplish anything if we work together.

The second couples characters where great, smart, funny, good looking just not together. Their scenes together where probably the most boring thing about this fluff and is probably what lowered the score.

The bromance here is great, and you will find this really rare thing that I can barely remember seeing in a c-drama, the friend actually giving his/her friend good relationship advice! (I was completely mind-blown and had to rewind the first time, to check that I was reading the subs correctly)

While C-fluff often has at least one character that is kind but annoys me, this c-fluff has not a single one of those characters. Don't get me wrong all the characters are not lovable but what I love to hate about this drama is the presence of the aggravating characters that truly make you curse and want to do things you should not do. Adding to the emotional palett this drama offers.

All in all a decent watch, easy to watch some cringe, some fluff, some anger and some pure happiness and girl power!

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Will make your heart flutter and your brain turn to mush

THIS DRAMA. I am blown away. First off, I am an avid reader and absolutely love that this is set in a publishing company with authors and editors thrown into our character pool. Chu Li is the most determined, strong willed, main female lead ever. She is someone that just spews girl boss energy.

The chemistry between the two main leads is off the chart!!! All the mini story arcs and how they dealt with them/interacted...I am blown away.

Would watch this drama again and again. If I could erase it all from memory and rewatch it, I would sell my soul to do it.

WATCH THIS.

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NOT DRAGGY...SO WORTH IT!

I know many people don't like the voice of FL but trust me, you will adapt and appreciate her character for her bubbly nature.
I have to say this drama is practically a visual explosion and everyone acted so well! I'm a dingyuxi fan but the 2nd FL and ML are so so charismatic and good-looking, I really enjoyed their relationship. This is the first time the 2nd leads can rival the main leads in every aspect possible. All the couple scenes for both couples are sooooo cute that they made me feel extra single. The constant bickering in the bromance is also chefs kiss, who doesn't want to see 2 hot guys being funny HAHAHA

MOST IMPORTANTLY, it is not draggy!!! Everything moves at a good pace and the character developments are on point! The story plot is actually really unique in that they tapped on the r/s btw authors and their editors which is quite unusual. I'm glad to learn more about this line of work through this drama as well. There are definitely some parts that are a bit unrealistic but tbh I am more thankful for the realistic parts that dwelled on family acceptance, friendship, overcoming obstacles etc. There's this arc the main characters had to face near the finale and I have to say I was SO STRESSED and I truly felt all their emotions, I even cried with them! Kudos to their great acting I felt equally miserable HAHAHAH

To end it off, this is a really good drama for rom com lovers and visual seekers. Not many side stories, everything is well balanced and focused on the 2 relationships as well as the FLs' job, you will be very very satisfied if you like them :)

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Awkward rom-com saved by a heart transplant mid run

I know some of you will think that I judged this show too harshly but please allow me to explain.

For a rom-com to be good in my book, I have to care for and want to ship the OTP and the story has to be engaging. That might sound like platitude but the more rom-coms I consumed, the more I felt that this is more elusive than we take for granted. For me, Moonlight missed that mark.

On paper the OTP was a decent pairing. A cute, idealistic new grad in her first job meets a prickly but handsome writer. The issue here is that the setting was very contrived. The FL landed an editor job in a publishing house without an interview and no relevant qualifications, in Shanghai, of all places. Does that really happen in RL? We have seen all the tropey meet-cutes with the ML running over the FL on a bike or the FL trip and fell into the ML's lap with a hot drink, etc but this is the backbone of this script so it needs to be believable and plausible. Of course she overcame every challenge placed in her way. Her storyline was not exactly subtle.

The ML's story was the standard handsome, awkward, egotistical man-child. The writer also threw in a "fated" backstory just to seal the deal. I can accept cliché characters and we all know that Chinese rom-coms have more than its fair share but these were not characters endearing to me. Especially the ML who had a crush on the FL but at the same time did his best to deny this (point blank to the FL's face) and pushed her away repeatedly. Not only was it cliché but the way it was done was wearing. The ML would then pulled a face that said "what have I done?!" and I have to ask that same question too.

The pacing for the first half of the show was glacial. Nothing reached any real highs or lows. Stuff happened and sub-plots came and went. We knew where the show was heading but it just took its sweet time. Honestly, it was just as well that the leads were good looking and they could act. At least they made it bearable. Even then, I was seriously considering dropping it by the halfway mark. Then something happened around ep.19/20. At the start of that "turning point", the plot got so bad that I was having WTF moments. Then it felt like someone sat the writer down and had a "good chat" and the tone, pacing and plot just changed overnight. By the end of episode 20, it was as if a new rom-com was born with the same characters but most of what happened before was a dream.

The last few episodes were sugar sweet and tied up all the loose ends. Just about everyone had a happy ending and moved on in life, love and career. It also meant that it was quite tropey but I can accept that as reward for sitting through the first half of the show. IMHO, if they condensed the first 19 episodes, add it to the last 16 and made it a 20 episodes drama, it would be a decent and very watchable rom-com.

Moonlight wasn't bad, it just didn't resonate with me. Rather than being immersed in their budding romantic journey, I was mostly bored and a little annoyed for a good half of the show. I can't, in all honesty, score the first 19 episode a high mark but the last 16 was a solid 8.5 so in balance, it ended up being a 7.5.

On a positive note, I do like the use of the actors' real voices and ambient sounds. Dubbing can be overused in c-dramas especially if the same voice actor is used for many shows. OST was good. The FL also sang the title song. Rewatch value is low for me. 

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"Passion, Sincerity and Hard Work- everything you need to get it done."

"The moon is beautiful tonight."

Moonlight is a rom-com dealing with author-editor relationships, publishing companies and maybe a bit of every c-drama element.

TIP- For some who are hesitant to watch this- I'd ask you to fast forward (not omit) the first three episodes if you're curious, but not willing to risk wasting your time on what seems like a potentially horrible drama.

first thoughts- After watching tedious dramas, and due to the stifling atmosphere created by the pandemic, Moonlight, in its first six episodes of release served as a gift of joy as I unraveled through the lives of the characters. As a regular, consistent drama watcher, I'd only hoped for a decent storyline, fair characters and a plot that doesn't involve unnecessary actions.
Moonlight ticked them all. Introduced to characters that at first glance, fit into the stereotype moulds of an average c-drama, I'd expected many things. To my pleasant surprise, Moonlight took many forms, but it definitely waddled away from stereotypical scenarios and thats what kept me going.

while watching- i didn't binge watch this, so my experience wasn't ruined by constant cringing. The slow-mos were potentially cringe-die worthy and I'd wished they didn't overdo certain moments. But true to its comedic nature, the series had its fair share of chuckle worthy shots and cute scenes. Esther Yu wasn't annoying and childish, Ryan Ding wasn't a tsundere, The second leads weren't completely fools.

Despite appearing to fit into a certain type, I liked how each varied in their own ways. Esther has her pouty moments, but she also shows immense faith and perseverance. Ryan Ding isn't a rude, stand offish guy- he's clueless about human emotions but is willing to learn.

Albeit, the acting as a whole felt a jiffy stiff, especially the romance between the second leads felt WAY tumultuous and seemed irrelevant as to why they were separated in the first place. The last couple of episodes did feel weird and forced.

After watching- it was definitely rushed. I would've expected at least one more episode, or two almost to show a little more progress. But at least we got a nice little gift wrapped with a pretty ribbon and after watching many hyper-realistic dramas, it was nice to see a cute ending.

The leads had their 'main lead halos' but they also had their vulnerable moments. What I liked most about the show is that each of them have their own personality. No character was 'canon fodder' for another and had their own talents. There's a lot of which is unrealistic, but it isn't impossible. There was this perfect balance between both positive moments and negative moments. The pace, in my opinion, in the mid parts were PERFECT. It was natural progress and I loved IT.

Its direct, cutely cringey with some surprising elements and a good story overall. There's a lot of stuff that the series broached about, quietly and shortly.

And that's why I loved it. Watching Rom-coms, in its nature itself is sort of illusion. So I'd rather have a drama like this rather than other unrealistic, head aching ones.

Endline- I'd recommend everyone to watch Moonlight. Watch it when you've finished a sad series, or if you don't wish to connect much to characters too much or if you wish to numb yourself and not want complicated storylines. It's light, carefree, minimum effort to understand series. Perfect light hearted rom-com with a strong female lead and a fun male lead.

Have fun watching!

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A short review (with some little spoilers)

Overall it's a good drama, I think it's great. I personally really liked how the protagonist handles her editor work, and the fact that she is cute most of the time, but also serious when necessary. The couple have good chemistry and the funniest scenes for me are the male protagonist being "a concubine in a cold palace".

I don't know if I already said it, but one of the tags I like the most is the "hardworking female lead", that is, the protagonists who don't live in terms of romantic love. Well, love can be something important, but it bothers me a lot when some characters are defined by the relationships they have with the male protagonists.

I really liked how there is an effort to demonstrate the relationships that exist between editors and authors, as well as the distinction between "good" and "bad" editors. The emphasis given to the importance of books in general is also worth mentioning.


But there are a few things I didn't like, which I listed quickly and not so organized: 1) The way the protagonist got her job was unusual and seemed a little unrealistic, along with the fact that in her first task she took something very difficult to accomplish, which was to sign a contract for the production of the male leader's book; 2) The delay for her to know that the protagonist was her friend on the internet (wechat, I think), and the fact that he used this identity to find out more about her, seemed a little inappropriate, but nothing to stop me from continuing watching the drama; 3) The number of episodes, which could be a little smaller added to the unnecessary drama in the final part, caused in part by a female character interested in the male leader. This made the final part of the drama a bit tiring to watch, I think 30/32 episodes would be an ideal amount; 4) The relationship of the secondary ones who didn't communicate, didn't talk. The chemistry existed, that's a fact, except that the secondary couple's development was a bit boring, with misunderstandings that could be resolved with a simple serious and frank conversation.

However, these negative points were overcome by the dynamics given by the main and secondary characters. I really appreciated the effort made by the protagonist to help her writers. And finally, I'm glad that Esther Yu's acting has improved significantly.

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