VeeVeeVee
This review may contain spoilers
And we rose along with the Moon upon the River
River Where the Moon Rises had “news” and “issues” plastered in it since its inception.
Starting from the casting news where both Kang HaNeul and Son YeJin rejected the offer due to schedule conflict but with the former offering to appear for a cameo, the COVID-19 protocols which affected their filming, Hanbok versus Hanfu debacle on social media, the Jisoo controversy, and the drastic casting of Na In Woo which also entailed refilming the entire drama altogether— all of which were apparently key ingredients into making a phenomenal project that proved to everyone how great team work could weather any storm. This production was composed of actors and staff whose main priority is their craft. Their professionalism really transcends and for that, as a viewer, I am very grateful.
This notwithstanding, I would like to convey my opinion about the drama without delving into the above in order to make this as unbiased as possible.
STORY:
As an international viewer, I started the drama without any idea on either the historical figure Princess Pyeonggang or the folktale regarding On Dal the Fool and the Princess of Goguryeo. I also prevented myself from reading the story in the middle of watching the show to maintain the curiosity I have of their story.
With that, I actually liked the story. It was novel to me— a self-proclaimed avid sageuk fan. Goguryeo is an era that I truly want to explore but have few to no materials to begin with. That’s why having this drama around quenched my thirst for that empire.
STORY-TELLING:
The technique that the PD chose was not particularly a breath of fresh air, but impactful nonetheless. Especially with the initial episodes, the introduction of the story was truly enticing that a viewer would certainly get attached to several key characters instantly. It’s not necessarily gripping or suspense-filled, but it has enough pull to let you decide at the onset that you’re in for the ride.
What he missed though, or perhaps, the subbers, was to provide the viewers a bit more insight as to who the characters are on the show or what exactly the issues were in the first place. He might have considered that foreigners who have zero knowledge on korean history are also watching it. The issues tackled were great but it would have been better if more explanation or introduction at least, was given. There were even simple things that could support this, for example, I was already on ep 18 when I found out that “Gochuga” is a royal name for the head of the Gyeru tribe and not just Go Won Pyo’s nickname; or the names of the council members and all other characters could have been introduced as text as well so to guide the viewers instead of relying on Google to search for their characters’ names— may be minor details but worth highlighted on.
I also understand that there were moments that were too somber and could need a help on good scoring to execute the necessary emotions, but the music and timing didn’t fit well (which I would love to tackle more deeply later). Moreover, the quality of the cinematography had to suffer a bit due to budget issues caused by refilming. Although the show’s cinematography DID NOT really suffer per se, the difference between the delivery from the first 6 episodes as compared to the subsequent ones, was almost glaring. You can tell that lesser camera angles were used so they could film more hastily. Again, it did not affect the drama that much but you can still feel the budget cuts.
SCORING:
To have a big scale sageuk, one would naturally expect that the soundtrack would also live up to the standards set. But here, sadly, it did not. Yes, it had a good list of official soundtracks but none of them left a mark on me. None of them was legendary— which is almost a requirement to every korean historical drama.
It made me think that perhaps, this is because of the small number of songs they have available. That the editors were left with little option on which to match the scenes with. Granting that this is true, why would this be so? Why allow your drama to be limited with a short list of songs to choose from? Why allow your drama to have sub-standard scoring?
I say this coming from someone who felt irked in a few scenes, not only did the timing of the songs was not perfect, the song played did not also help to convince me that the Musical Scorer did his best with the task given.
ACTING:
I may have complaints about the musical scoring, but there’s definitely nothing to whine about this show in terms of acting. All of them—- from the main leads down to the supporting roles, even to Dal Gang the dog, did their part very well. Everyone gave justice to the characters and for that, I bow my hat off to everyone.
As much as I would love to discuss the delivery of each character, I would instead focus on the two main characters: Pyeonggang and On Dal.
Pyeonggang:
Kim So Hyun as Princess Pyeonggang and Gajin (and Queen Yeon) just proved to the kdrama land that she is definitely the best actress of her generation. Her professionalism transcends beyond the tv screens. Unknown to some, it was not only the drama that underwent turmoil. So Hyun herself had a lot of things to deal with personally upon starting the show. She did not only have to learn how to play 3 different characters, but she also had to take care of her business by changing agencies in the middle of filming. This means that she had to deal with the legal aspect as a signed actress, as well as having to let go of the staff she had worked for years and build rapport for the new ones assigned to her. She also had to promote two shows back to back— RWTMR and Love Alarm 2. This could also be the very reason why she seemed unfazed when the refilming controversy surfaced and still managed to show up at work in high spirits, like nothing could deter her from finishing this drama beautifully. She’s been through a lot before! Haha
Regarding KSH’s acting though, I understand that she envisioned Pyeonggang as this stoic and determined person, but how I wish she had loosened herself up in some scenes. I could name a few number of scenes where I wished PG would somehow change her facial expression from stoic to something more endearing. However, she really did great overall. The fighting scenes were convincing, powerful, and laudible.
Romance-wise, this drama has been her best so far. Perhaps owing to the fact that Inwoo and her had an unexpected electrifying chemistry that made me appreciate how God managed to remove Jisoo out of the picture to give way for Inwoo. Their fate had proven to be stronger than anything else. They were really born to make their chemistry ooze on the screens. Kudos, KSH for such portrayal.
On Dal:
Jisoo as On Dal was supposedly very good. In fact, I really thought that On Dal was the best character Jisoo had ever played in his entire career. Everything about his portrayal was natural— we had a mischievous, funny, and smitten On Dal before our very eyes. But when In Woo came and showed us his interpretation of On Dal, a rather different interpretation if I may emphasize, our lenses as viewers truly had to adjust to the change, and I for one, really enjoyed and appreciated the adjustments.
In Woo portrayed On Dal as this naive, gentle, soft, emotional, and just purely good-natured human being. Very different from that of Ji Soo’s but the better interpretation in my opinion. Na In Woo singlehandedly took the focus from Pyeonggang (or Go Geon for that matter, Lee Ji Hoon really had a commanding presence) and demanded it be placed unto him. He made the story his own, his character his own, and the loveline his own. Na In Woo, in every sense of the word, did justice to his character, and HE IS ON DAL.
I would also like to emphasize how I’m in awe of his courage to take on a very controversial drama and allow himself to undergo the hurdles laid before him, without ever making others feel that he came unprepared. He did so well, exceeded everyone’s expectations that most of us wished he was casted as On Dal from the very beginning. He truly has a bright future ahead of him and I’m looking forward to see him reach the top.
WRITING:
There were definitely a number of things worth pointing out but I honestly do not mind them that much. Contrary to others’ opinion, the characters were very consistent and I had no qualms in how the writer made it so.
What I have for the writer instead was admiration, that he was flexible and humble enough to assent to the needed change for his story. The PD had graciously shared his gratefulness for the Writer who conceded to the tweaking he asked particularly for the ending, and I commend him for that because the story still wrapped beautifully. In fact, watching the series makes you feel that it did not go through all those things that it went through. Definitely thanks to the Writer and the PD who worked great together.
OVERALL:
This drama is a very good sageuk. All the elements are there to let you remember it for a long time. Rewatch value is also great. Please have a try and watch this masterpiece.
Starting from the casting news where both Kang HaNeul and Son YeJin rejected the offer due to schedule conflict but with the former offering to appear for a cameo, the COVID-19 protocols which affected their filming, Hanbok versus Hanfu debacle on social media, the Jisoo controversy, and the drastic casting of Na In Woo which also entailed refilming the entire drama altogether— all of which were apparently key ingredients into making a phenomenal project that proved to everyone how great team work could weather any storm. This production was composed of actors and staff whose main priority is their craft. Their professionalism really transcends and for that, as a viewer, I am very grateful.
This notwithstanding, I would like to convey my opinion about the drama without delving into the above in order to make this as unbiased as possible.
STORY:
As an international viewer, I started the drama without any idea on either the historical figure Princess Pyeonggang or the folktale regarding On Dal the Fool and the Princess of Goguryeo. I also prevented myself from reading the story in the middle of watching the show to maintain the curiosity I have of their story.
With that, I actually liked the story. It was novel to me— a self-proclaimed avid sageuk fan. Goguryeo is an era that I truly want to explore but have few to no materials to begin with. That’s why having this drama around quenched my thirst for that empire.
STORY-TELLING:
The technique that the PD chose was not particularly a breath of fresh air, but impactful nonetheless. Especially with the initial episodes, the introduction of the story was truly enticing that a viewer would certainly get attached to several key characters instantly. It’s not necessarily gripping or suspense-filled, but it has enough pull to let you decide at the onset that you’re in for the ride.
What he missed though, or perhaps, the subbers, was to provide the viewers a bit more insight as to who the characters are on the show or what exactly the issues were in the first place. He might have considered that foreigners who have zero knowledge on korean history are also watching it. The issues tackled were great but it would have been better if more explanation or introduction at least, was given. There were even simple things that could support this, for example, I was already on ep 18 when I found out that “Gochuga” is a royal name for the head of the Gyeru tribe and not just Go Won Pyo’s nickname; or the names of the council members and all other characters could have been introduced as text as well so to guide the viewers instead of relying on Google to search for their characters’ names— may be minor details but worth highlighted on.
I also understand that there were moments that were too somber and could need a help on good scoring to execute the necessary emotions, but the music and timing didn’t fit well (which I would love to tackle more deeply later). Moreover, the quality of the cinematography had to suffer a bit due to budget issues caused by refilming. Although the show’s cinematography DID NOT really suffer per se, the difference between the delivery from the first 6 episodes as compared to the subsequent ones, was almost glaring. You can tell that lesser camera angles were used so they could film more hastily. Again, it did not affect the drama that much but you can still feel the budget cuts.
SCORING:
To have a big scale sageuk, one would naturally expect that the soundtrack would also live up to the standards set. But here, sadly, it did not. Yes, it had a good list of official soundtracks but none of them left a mark on me. None of them was legendary— which is almost a requirement to every korean historical drama.
It made me think that perhaps, this is because of the small number of songs they have available. That the editors were left with little option on which to match the scenes with. Granting that this is true, why would this be so? Why allow your drama to be limited with a short list of songs to choose from? Why allow your drama to have sub-standard scoring?
I say this coming from someone who felt irked in a few scenes, not only did the timing of the songs was not perfect, the song played did not also help to convince me that the Musical Scorer did his best with the task given.
ACTING:
I may have complaints about the musical scoring, but there’s definitely nothing to whine about this show in terms of acting. All of them—- from the main leads down to the supporting roles, even to Dal Gang the dog, did their part very well. Everyone gave justice to the characters and for that, I bow my hat off to everyone.
As much as I would love to discuss the delivery of each character, I would instead focus on the two main characters: Pyeonggang and On Dal.
Pyeonggang:
Kim So Hyun as Princess Pyeonggang and Gajin (and Queen Yeon) just proved to the kdrama land that she is definitely the best actress of her generation. Her professionalism transcends beyond the tv screens. Unknown to some, it was not only the drama that underwent turmoil. So Hyun herself had a lot of things to deal with personally upon starting the show. She did not only have to learn how to play 3 different characters, but she also had to take care of her business by changing agencies in the middle of filming. This means that she had to deal with the legal aspect as a signed actress, as well as having to let go of the staff she had worked for years and build rapport for the new ones assigned to her. She also had to promote two shows back to back— RWTMR and Love Alarm 2. This could also be the very reason why she seemed unfazed when the refilming controversy surfaced and still managed to show up at work in high spirits, like nothing could deter her from finishing this drama beautifully. She’s been through a lot before! Haha
Regarding KSH’s acting though, I understand that she envisioned Pyeonggang as this stoic and determined person, but how I wish she had loosened herself up in some scenes. I could name a few number of scenes where I wished PG would somehow change her facial expression from stoic to something more endearing. However, she really did great overall. The fighting scenes were convincing, powerful, and laudible.
Romance-wise, this drama has been her best so far. Perhaps owing to the fact that Inwoo and her had an unexpected electrifying chemistry that made me appreciate how God managed to remove Jisoo out of the picture to give way for Inwoo. Their fate had proven to be stronger than anything else. They were really born to make their chemistry ooze on the screens. Kudos, KSH for such portrayal.
On Dal:
Jisoo as On Dal was supposedly very good. In fact, I really thought that On Dal was the best character Jisoo had ever played in his entire career. Everything about his portrayal was natural— we had a mischievous, funny, and smitten On Dal before our very eyes. But when In Woo came and showed us his interpretation of On Dal, a rather different interpretation if I may emphasize, our lenses as viewers truly had to adjust to the change, and I for one, really enjoyed and appreciated the adjustments.
In Woo portrayed On Dal as this naive, gentle, soft, emotional, and just purely good-natured human being. Very different from that of Ji Soo’s but the better interpretation in my opinion. Na In Woo singlehandedly took the focus from Pyeonggang (or Go Geon for that matter, Lee Ji Hoon really had a commanding presence) and demanded it be placed unto him. He made the story his own, his character his own, and the loveline his own. Na In Woo, in every sense of the word, did justice to his character, and HE IS ON DAL.
I would also like to emphasize how I’m in awe of his courage to take on a very controversial drama and allow himself to undergo the hurdles laid before him, without ever making others feel that he came unprepared. He did so well, exceeded everyone’s expectations that most of us wished he was casted as On Dal from the very beginning. He truly has a bright future ahead of him and I’m looking forward to see him reach the top.
WRITING:
There were definitely a number of things worth pointing out but I honestly do not mind them that much. Contrary to others’ opinion, the characters were very consistent and I had no qualms in how the writer made it so.
What I have for the writer instead was admiration, that he was flexible and humble enough to assent to the needed change for his story. The PD had graciously shared his gratefulness for the Writer who conceded to the tweaking he asked particularly for the ending, and I commend him for that because the story still wrapped beautifully. In fact, watching the series makes you feel that it did not go through all those things that it went through. Definitely thanks to the Writer and the PD who worked great together.
OVERALL:
This drama is a very good sageuk. All the elements are there to let you remember it for a long time. Rewatch value is also great. Please have a try and watch this masterpiece.
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