Beautiful and Heartfelt
I absolutely loved this drama! I started watching it because I like the main actress Esther Yu but I fell in love with the whole cast as well. The setting and story was very interesting as I've never watched a drama about and writer and an editor before which made it refreshing to watch. The main couple has great chemistry and their love story is built with care and without frustrating plot points to keep them apart longer. Their personalities mesh very well and I liked their individual characters a lot. I even enjoyed the side characters! My only complaint was that I did not like the second couple that much. I don't know if it's an issue of my personal taste or a fault of the show but I didn't like the sfl that much which made it hard to like them as a couple. This however isn't that much of an issue since their scenes are skippable without missing much. I recommend this drama to anyone who wants a romantic feel good show that has an interesting and simple plot.Was this review helpful to you?
Cute, light-hearted drama with great lead chemistry -- just a smidge off amazing
If you're looking for something that's cute and sweet without much angst/separation/betrayals, this is the show for you. Throughout the whole show, it keeps up its lighthearted atmosphere. All the leads are likeable and the "villains" in the story aren't too bad - they're generally more annoying and disruptive rather than evil and sinister.1) Pros:
Great acting and characters. Ryan Ding and Esther Yu both were amazing in their roles. Although this isn't totally out of their comfort levels, it was still a good display. Ryan Ding was able to play a more bratty/successful male lead while Esther Yu played the foil of being the naive/air-headed female lead, although there are moments where she was able to show off her range of emotions. Second Male Lead and Male Lead have a good relationship; although there is a love-triangle involving them, it never felt angsty or upsetting, but rather more akin to friendly competition. The male leads are friends from beginning to end and its great to see their friendship. Second Female Lead is solid too and had a good performance, but I didn't find her character too much of a stand-out.
Solid plot. The plot isn't anything too special if you read the synopsis but the execution is great if you're looking for something light-hearted. Most of the conflicts are character-driven rather than external villains acting 'evil'. This allows the major strength of the show (the characters) to really shine through since the viewers are able to see their growth. Ryan Ding's character moves from a bratty/self-centered person to a caring and considerate one. Esther's character starts off air-headed and a pushover but really starts to stand-up for things and people she cares about. It's great to see. As it's an easy to digest plot, marathoning this show was very easy and there's a solid rewatch value.
2) Minor Quips:
There really isn't any major cons so I'll only go over some minor things I had issue with.
Last arc was disappointing. Around episodes 28-34, I felt the plot really started to drag. Many cdramas have this issue of having underwhelming final arcs and I felt this one was a bit forced. I felt like it moved away from what made the previous episodes enjoyable and started moving towards "evil villain" and forced-drama vibes (especially with the introduction of another certain character....).
Would've liked to see more of the female lead's thoughts. Although the FL is the "main" character, the story really heavily centers around the point of view of the male-lead. This makes the FL feel like she's in a more passive/static role whereas the ML is one that's in the dynamic role.
A little bit too much focus on second leads. Since the main leads' relationship is relatively smooth-sailing, this put a lot of the drag/boring tropes on the second leads with their back-and-forth. Not too big of a deal.
3) Miscellaneous:
Plot is VERY reminiscent to Love is Sweet. Characters, dog, motivations, cohabitation, etc. Not a con by any means but there's a lot of similarities to be drawn. OST is solid but really only 1 song by Esther Yu that's actually rememberable. Cute FL outfits.
Overall, would definitely recommend.
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This review may contain spoilers
Why can't I have their relationship?
Came to watch this after Love Game in Eastern Fantasy and I really enjoyed it even though I rarely watch modern dramas.The beginning was slow moving for the couple but it was quite funny and light-hearted. The FL wasn't a damsel in distress. She was a queen who wasn't afraid to defend her authors and demand others respect them and their work. She was dedicated and good at her job. She deserved every good thing that happened to her. She valued and respected others and they valued and respected her in return. As someone in the creative industry, I appreciate this a lot and hope others can also learn to respect creatives and their work. We work for our passion but we deserve fair pay too.
Sure Zhou Chuan was childish at the start. As someone who only lived for himself and his work to suddenly have to do feelings. I don't think it's too far-fetched. He is endearingly childish to me and as the story progresses, he finally shows his generosity and care, not just towards his girlfriend but also to people he genuinely cares about. He's resourceful, he knows his worth and he makes full use of it (to help his girlfriend fight against unfairness in her workplace). They are both professionals at work and respect each other.
Finally a series where the dude is not oblivious to other girls and their schemes. He is direct and rude but i love it HAHAHA! THIS SHOULD BE THE WAY GUYS PLEASE TAKE NOTES! He sees through all the girls trying to get in between him and FL and he just goes "yeah nope byebye" in the most direct manner.
I love it when smart people get together and this is one such instance.
Special mention: the bromance!! The friendship between Zhou Chuan and Jiang Yu Cheng is one of the best I've seen in any drama. They bicker and fight but also have each other's back anytime. They are friendship goals!!!
Will 10/10 rewatch again.
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This drama is as beautiful as the moon! I'm in love!
I don't want to expect a lot from this drama but I've read a lot of good reviews and this drama didn't disappoint me.I really enjoyed every episodes. The plot includes comedy, romance, life lessons, friendship, family and career. It's very impressive. I love books but not that much as I prefer watching dramas now. Though I still read sometimes. They also showed the works in a publishing company and it is very interesting. Usually work/ business talks are boring but this drama made it interesting.
This is one of my favorite Chinese drama. What I like most on most Chinese dramas is that they don't have the overly dramatic and overly complicated plot. You just enjoy the story and relate to characters experiences. And this Cdrama is one of the best.
Actors portrayed their Characters well. Zhou Chuan (Ryan Ding) is such a childish brat. But I love him and he's so cute. I actually watched this because of the plot and him. Hehe.
There is really a good chemistry between all the Characters. There are bromance, sismance and love-hate relationships and I love everything.
But, as I mostly indicate on my reviews, there is no perfect drama. There are some scenes that you might wanna skip, some Characters you might hate and some scenes you might not relate to but this drama all in all is a good one. I barely noticed that I already finished the 36 episodes as I really enjoyed watching it.
I will definitely miss them and will definitely re-watch. Although I don't know when since I have tons of dramas on my watch list. Hehe.
Side note:
I also want to see a beautiful moon with someone beside me. :')
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Heartwarming
I will start by saying that I love cdramas and I’m a big fan of Esther Yu. When I first watched Moonlight, it was actually my first time seeing her as an actress. At the time I was still new to modern cdramas since I mostly watched costume dramas, so I didn’t really know what to expect but I can confidently say it did not disappoint. When I started this drama I was going through a very low period in my life and I have to admit that Chu Li became a source of inspiration for me. There was something about her resilience, her determination to pursue her dream of becoming a great editor, not only for herself but also for the authors she works with that penetrated right through me.At first glance, she might seem like the typical “cute” female lead: cheerful, smiley, sweet, with expressive and playful mannerisms. I know that some people tend to get annoyed by characters like this often labeling them as childish. But Chu Li is anything but childish. Beneath that soft exterior, she is mature, intelligent, and incredibly hardworking. As we watch her face different challenges, she doesn’t give up. Instead she grows, improves, and becomes stronger in her profession. That journey is what inspired me the most.This drama has a perfect blend of romance and comedy, but what truly makes it stand out is how it balances lighthearted moments with meaningful character growth that can inspire even the viewers and fans of this drama. The relationship development feels natural rather than forced, and the interactions are both entertaining and emotionally grounding.I'm writing this comment after having rewatched this drama and experiencing the same exact feeling I did the first time I watched it too. And I hope that more people get to see and appreciate and be inspired by it. I don't care if most people don't like it if someone at least someone reads this comment and is inspired to watch it and gets to have a good experience while watching it that's all I wish for.
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A boost of serotonin!
i’m a fluffy romance fanatic and this drama is the boost of serotonin i was looking for! moonlight is a rom-com that hit the nail in the head for me. i watched a few episodes and i was all-in, especially the lead couple and their portrayals. i only recently became familiar with ding yuxi’s works but his portrayal of zhou chuan in ML is by far my favorite work of his.the relationship between the leads is adorable and it was nice to see the ML liking the FL first rather than it being the FL always crushing on the ML. their chemistry was really good and they had many swoon worthy scenes and to contrast, some bickering scenes that made me love them more; zhou chuan is childish but in a way that it only made his character more lovable ( i applaud yuxi’s amazing acting! ). the plot of this story is pretty generic IMO, showing everyday work in the publishing industry; chu li struggles in the beginning of the drama with her work being difficult. but it was so refreshing that chu li had a backbone and never allowed anyone to walk all over her; her determination to do her work proficiently was admirable and empowering. she’s not only reliable but she’s a lovable character that i sincerely grew fond of as the drama progressed. the bromance between zhou chuan and jiang yucheng was lovely and i enjoyed their moments of friendship ( it was hilarious how zhou chuan would get jealous everytime chu li praised jiang’s works and he’d want her attention to himself LOL ). one of my most favorite moments would have to be the way chu li handled the rumors that her BF was involved with another woman — she handled that amazingly and with such maturity it just boosted my respect for her. i simply love it when dramas promote healthy relationships!
overall this drama really exceeded my expectations as i am usually not a fan of dramas with a large amount of episodes as they tend to get dragged out; but this rom-com was entertaining to watch and a sweet fluffy delight; you get invested in the characters that you look forward to seeing what comes next! i can’t quite express wholely why i loved moonlight but it was a complete pleasure to watch, hands down one of my favorite dramas from 2021. i congratulate ding yuxi on yet another incredible project and to esther yu as well! one of the best modern cdramas i have ever seen <3
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Best Romantic drama with great chemistry..smart but cute female lead and nice clingy male lead..
To be honest I really like this drama moonlight..the acting of eesther yu and ding yuxi iso so good... they fit so amazingly in their roles!!The story, plots and their sweet romance is so good...
And their chemistry.. woww ❤️
To be honest I really like this drama moonlight..the acting of eesther yu and ding yuxi iso so good... they fit so amazingly in their roles!!
The story, plots and their sweet romance is so good...
And their chemistry.. woww ❤️To be honest I really like this drama moonlight..the acting of eesther yu and ding yuxi iso so good... they fit so amazingly in their roles!!
The story, plots and their sweet romance is so good...
And their chemistry.. woww ❤️
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This review may contain spoilers
Serotonin boost!
i’m a fluffy romance fanatic and this drama is the boost of serotonin i was looking for! moonlight is a rom-com that hit the nail in the head for me. i watched a few episodes and i was all-in, especially the lead couple and their portrayals. i only recently became familiar with ding yuxi’s works but his portrayal of zhou chuan in ML is by far my favorite work of his.the relationship between the leads is adorable and it was nice to see the ML liking the FL first rather than it being the FL always crushing on the ML. their chemistry was really good and they had many swoon worthy scenes and to contrast, some bickering scenes that made me love them more; zhou chuan is childish but in a way that it only made his character more lovable ( i applaud yuxi’s amazing acting! ). the plot of this story is pretty generic IMO, showing everyday work in the publishing industry; chu li struggles in the beginning of the drama with her work being difficult. but it was so refreshing that chu li had a backbone and never allowed anyone to walk all over her; her determination to do her work proficiently was admirable and empowering. she’s not only reliable but she’s a lovable character that i sincerely grew fond of as the drama progressed. the bromance between zhou chuan and jiang yucheng was lovely and i enjoyed their moments of friendship ( it was hilarious how zhou chuan would get jealous everytime chu li praised jiang’s works and he’d want her attention to himself LOL ). one of my most favorite moments would have to be the way chu li handled the rumors that her BF was involved with another woman — she handled that amazingly and with such maturity it just boosted my respect for her. i simply love it when dramas promote healthy relationships!
overall this drama really exceeded my expectations as i am usually not a fan of dramas with a large amount of episodes as they tend to get dragged out; but this rom-com was entertaining to watch and a sweet fluffy delight; you get invested in the characters that you look forward to seeing what comes next! i can’t quite express wholely why i loved moonlight but it was a complete pleasure to watch, hands down one of my favorite dramas from 2021. i congratulate ding yuxi on yet another incredible project and to esther yu as well! one of the best modern cdramas i have ever seen <3
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One of the Best FL and Main Couple in a Modern C-drama
< Review mostly focuses on the main couple >STORY
Overall: The absolute best part was how their characters were written and portrayed! The romance for the main couple was gradually developed and felt natural (don't worry, they have their fair share of sweet and romantic moments). Their relationships and friendships with other characters were nicely interwoven. The progression is good and while it sometimes quickly jumped to a month or two later (with a mere mention of it in dialogue), it was a bit more realistic compared to some dramas where a bunch of dramatic events occur in succession and they date/break-up in less than 2 months. Though there were times I wondered where things would go and how, it was never boring and only made me more invested.
Breaking it down,
Beginning: Don't be fooled by the initial tropes like cohabitation, bad first impression, and being online friends because there was so much more to offer. Their acting and reactions during the first third was highly entertaining and fun. It offers glimpses into who the characters really are as well.
Middle: Initially wasn't sure how the story would progress but with additional characters, there was more to the story and relationship development.
End: Changes in setting were somewhat randomly added sometimes in later eps to add more romance, but it helps since they were often in the same setting of either Zhou Chuan's house or the Yuan Yue Publishing Office.
CHARACTERS
1. Chu Li (Female Lead):
Chu Li retains the main characteristic of a typical FL that's bubbly and cute, but she goes beyond the typical damsel in distress that always fails and has to rely on the ML. Instead, she often refuses to! She was smart, thorough, persistent, firm, strong, and confident. She could solve problems on her own and knew how to stand up for herself.
2. Zhou Chuan (Male Lead):
Zhou Chuan started off as a character that had a rude demeanor and was the typical tsundere ML. However, his online persona and friendship with Jiang Yu Cheng showcased his nicer side in the beginning until we could see improvements in how he treated Chu Li.
Chu Li <3 Zhou Chuan as a Couple:
What I enjoyed about the two of them is that they kept this drama light and enjoyable. They gradually became interested in each other romantically until they came to see each other as partners in life. The best part of their relationship was how they were:
1. being mutually supportive,
2. respectful of each other's views/work/decisions,
3. concerned about each other's well-being (physical and emotional),
4. present in each other's happy and sad moments,
5. trusting/confident in their love and feelings for each other
6. understanding and accepting of each other's flaws
Overall, both Chu Li and Zhou Chuan were multidimensional characters that made rational decisions which made sense for who they were and what they wanted to achieve. While each of them had their flaws/weaknesses, they had their own strengths to utilize towards their goals. They weren't perfect but that's what made them relatable. Their efforts inspire viewers to do work hard, grow from our past, and end up stronger on the other side.
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A drama that makes you feel like you've LIVED through it.
The good: 1. Chu li's character sketch -when we first meet her i was foolish enough to make some snap judgments about her character based on her cutesy high pitched voice and fresh from the suburbs to the city innocent look but she's no maiden in need for rescue. We mustn't take her cutesy baby act at face value she's actually a fierce woman who can not take no for an answer and will work till she drops if its for something she believes in. She's also not perfect. She can be hot tempered, impulsive and even rude but she's loyal, kind and sensitive. Despite my original reservations and doubts about her being a cutesy but dumb female lead her character consistently impressed with wit and an iron will. They were able to give us a believable three dimensional character. Esther Yu was able to successfully portray this fiery but adorable young lady perfectly. 2. Ding yuxi's acting- the character of zhou chuan is not always loveable he's very much so a temperamental artist. He can be childish and frustrating but hes been a joy to watch because of Ding yuxi's enviable level of acting skill. He is always enjoyable to watch and all his emotional scenes always come across as very sincere. It was lovely to watch Zhou chuan grow up while watching this show. 3. The pacing - the drama is very quick paced and almost never boring. It always makes you want to click next episode button. The bad- 1. The romantic relationships - both main and second lead relationships take a lot of time to get established. This is likely because the drama is 36 eps and the writers feared if they got together too soon the audience would lose interest which I understand but the way they went about delaying the inevitable relationship between zhou chuan and chu li was stupid to me. Chu li gives zhou chuan multiple opportunities to confess but he coldly rejects every opportunity. He has loved no other girl before him so he has nothing to be that afraid of. Moreover he was the one who started liking her first. The drama doesn't give anything apart form some vague reason as to why zhou chuan doesn't want to start a relationship with chu li. 2. The main "villain" of the drama is deputy chief miao. He was almost cartoonish in the way he went about trying to destroy his own company just to ruin chu li's career. I admit she was rude to him several times but he's so vengeful against her it feels like she ruined his life or something. He just exists to hate her intensely for no good reason i guess. Apart from that I've no complaints about this show. I know some people including me must be wary about the 36 episode run for a modern drama but trust me it's totally worth it. Its not only easily enjoyable but memorable in a way a lot of rom coms aren't. I assure you you will miss them once you're done with the show. Happy watching!Was this review helpful to you?
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Feeling disappointed with the plot and characters
I started watching "Moonlight" after finishing Esther Yu and Ding Yuxi's LGIEF. I loved their chemistry in LGEIF so I was eager to see more of it in this c-drama.The first few episodes were intriguing and I liked how we were given tidbits about the publishing industry and what being an editor entails. The ML and FL's online friendship was also one aspect of the story that I loved. Plus the ML and his best friend's bromance of course.
The ML blushing and acting like a schoolgirl with a crush made me giggle and swing my legs too lol.
However, since I expected the ML to cut down on the cold rude love interest persona I was left annoyed and rolling my eyes at his behaviour. I thought he would cut down on it and show more tender vulnerable parts of himself to Chu Li (FL) after she moves into his house. But he doesn't. Instead he keeps demanding her time and attention, acts immature and petty when he doesn't get his way and is pretty one dimensional as far as episode 13.
Scenes where the ML showed more sides to his personality than the whole tsundere thing were far and far between. I can't see what the FL sees in him to be honest. Most well written dramas with cold and jerk MLs start to the 'thaw the ice' (generally speaking) after the ML and FL sort of become friends or tolerate each other's presence in some cases lol. This maintains the intrigue and keeps the watchers invested in the story.
I think the only time I felt invested or even mildly interested in the ML was to see how things will play out between his father and him. Both father and son have a superiority complex although the father's also a raging asshole to his son and has an even bigger superiority complex than ML. As the ML's exasperated mother rightly pointed out, both of them are like dictators. Poor woman is tired of their bullshit.
Another issue with the drama was that there were no ups or downs even by episode 13.
The good looks of the cast and their acting skills were the only things which kept me watching the show and spending 13 hours of my life on it.
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I actually watched Love Game in Eastern Fantasy first before watching Moonlight. I saw the growth of the 2 main leads here from Moonlight to LGEF. I look froward to another colloboration of Esther (Yu She Xin) and Ryan (Ding Yu Xi) in the future.
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