A Rare Gem of 2021. Highly recommended!!
I watched this drama without having high hopes and much expectations because I wasn't familiar with the casts. When I watched the trailer, it was something unique and ML is blind and so handsome. So, I decided to check it out. Trust me, it doesn't disappoint me at all. Since Ep 1, I was completely hooked into this drama and super active in the comment section of MDL.This drama really got me.
THE STORY: It was so simple, but attractive romance. Since it has only 24 eps, it was perfect for binge watch. The story does not drag or rush in every way. It was absolutely fascinating and beautiful. I was not bored even one second while watching this drama.
THE CAST/ACTING:
All the casts did very well. Kudos to Our Male Lead, Lin Yanjun. He was the one who carried the whole drama with his incredible acting skills. You won't believe this drama is actually his first acting debut work. He can really act. Lin Yanjun rocks as Su Nian Qin so perfectly. His gestures and movements are all perfect and convincing as a blind person.
Wan Peng also did well as Sang Wu Yan.
Their acting seems really natural, nothing was out of place and I could feel the emotions they tried to show with their acting.
CHARACTERS:
Su Nian Qin - He is a visually impaired person. He is not completely blind. He can see blurred things within 3 feet. He works as a song-writer with the name "Yi Jin". He actually comes from a rich family. He is unpredictable, lonely and sensitive person. He has insecurities and hurts.I love him so much.
Sang Wu Yan - She is bright, friendly and curious person which dreams of becoming a radio host. She studied psychology at the University.
THE CHEMISTRY:
Lin Yanjun and Wan Peng.. their chemistry is off the charts. I'm amazed by their genuine and excellent acting and chemistry.
MUSIC:
The first thing that I felt in love with was the music. I am not a person who is much interested about a OST but I seriously loved all the songs. It was amazing! My favorite OST is Yuan Lai Wo Hen Ai Ni (I love you very much) by Lin Yanjun.
REWATCH VALUE :
I am sure I will re-watch it many times. I could see myself rewatching at least 2 times a year from now on.
OVERALL :
In conclusion, this drama is everything I need in a modern romance drama. It was fun, interesting, enjoyable with a few cliched moments. I truly invested in it emotionally.
So you can say that this drama is definitely worth a watch! Highly recommended!
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Nine: Nove Vezes Viajante do Tempo
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During the holiday weekend, I finally threw off my initial apprehensions and sat down with this drama. If I'm honest I expected to drop it after a few episodes. Despite the countless positive comments about Nine, I'm a long-term science fiction fan who has developed an unhappy wariness of the time travel plot device. How many times has it been used, especially in the west? And then even the best examples have glaring mistakes, including plot holes, missed details, bad science or ignored in-universe rules, etc. So imagine my elation when Nine skyrocketed beyond expectations and glued me to my seat for a two-night marathon.What makes Nine special is that it is careful with detail while maintaining a thrilling and unpredictable atmosphere. Apart from two instances, the first easily forgotten and the second clearly meant to be ambiguous, the drama unravels its mysteries with beautiful pace. With so much to explain, I almost expected loose ends; but every time I found myself questioning, I got a satisfying answer soon after. It's hard to go into much detail for fear of spoilers, but overall the writing is refreshingly strong and the usual mistakes of the genre are not present here. My only real issue in this department is that the first few episodes are somewhat slow to hook, despite being filmed in beautiful locations in Nepal and being integral to plot set up.
The best performance in Nine is hands down lead Lee Jin Wook. Without his natural charisma, Sun Woo might have collapsed into the arena of the two-dimensional. His performance hits every note and reaches ranges that include the sympathetic to the strong and sexy. He had me believing--which is everything you could want from an actor. I also spent a great deal of time marveling at how well everyone was cast in general though, especially when characters from the present started appearing in the sequences of the past. They'll have you swearing the casting department had a time machine of their own and just used younger versions of the leads!
Unfortunately, the weakest part of this drama is most definitely the music. Sometimes it's completely melodramatic and might remind older viewers of something straight out of the Twilight Zone. Most of the time, especially with the case of the insert vocal tracks, the songs are just not memorable. It's a shame, but I think with so much good going on elsewhere the OST can be forgiven.
Nine comes highly recommended, especially if you're looking for time travel done right. This is a drama which has a fast pace and mature, dark tone...so it's also perfect as high class palate cleanser after a long romantic comedy stint.
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Story:
As I've already have mentioned it probably won't be new to some of you as similar themes have been done before maybe not a Korean movie but it's still not “brand new”. However the way it was delivered, the emotional journey you go through while watching it makes it one of the most quality story lines for such types of movies I've seen thus far. I did not expect to get all emotional while watching this, I can assure of that, but things just don't always turn out they way you expect them to do.
Pandora story is told in a way that would get you attached to the characters very fast!! This is just beyond wonderful because normally it takes a whole drama with 16 ep+ for me to get attached to the characters (that is if I get attached at all). Somehow in Pandora, you can relate to the characters and feel them, which is what makes it a very emotional ride without being a tearjerker or tire you down with emotional scenes on purpose. In fact, this is what I loved about the plot, it not trying to be over the top or play the emotion game. The writer has managed to keep things in tact without draining you with all the tragic events. Pandora story pretty much mastered the love, friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, neighbors, heroic acts, dirty politicians... all in one plot which is over 2 hours without tiring me.
Acting:
Kim Nam Gil: He is the main reason why I decided to go all the way to the cinema in the cold harsh winter and watch this movie, which didn't appeal to me at first. If you are reading this review and have never seen anything for this man I earnestly ask you to pls hunt his profile down and WATCH HIM! Simply because there are no words that could be said, enough to compliment this amazing actor. He has yet again embraced me with his impressive beyond words performance but this time with a Jeolla Satturi accent! This is my first time watching him preform this accent and he's one of the best K-actors who perfectly mastered it to the point that I had to remind myself that it is truly KNG! His performance didn't just move me, it moved the whole audience in the theater, and the whole hall was crying in tears and crying in heart. Amazing heartfelt sincerity that broke my heart into pieces.
Jeong Jin Yeong: This man owned the first half of the movie! I've had the pleasure of seeing this actor before but I was even more delighted to see him here because what he showed me here is on a whole different level. He is my favorite character from start to end, loved Pyeong Seob with all my heart! Such a courageous, righteous, wonderful character played by this wonderful mister.
Han Joo Hyun: What a wonderful surprise! I've seen this girl twice but never like in Pandora. This movie has to be her breakthrough! When I was watching her I couldn't resist falling for her, her character is my 2nd favorite but how Joo Hyun played it is just too precious. The whole time I was so impressed I couldn't avoid my girl-crush. She stood her ground as a new talent among these giant actors! Bravo!
As for the rest of the cast I honestly loved them all, Kim Myung Min, Lee Kyeong Yeong, Kim Young-Ae what a stellar cast!
Re-watch
I don't really re-watch things (except for few exceptions), and in my opinion even for those who do re-watch I don't think it's the type of movie that you'd want re-watch.
Overall
**Although I would love to say this is a movie for everyone, but it would be wiser to say that it's a movie for those who don't mind bloody scenes. The story isn't aggressive but "nuclear power plant" is involved so scenes of injuries are bound to happen, just a warning ahead for those who hate the sight of blood.
Compelling emotional story, high quality direction and production, and finally stellar cast. I’d love to state all the points I loved about it but I tried not to give anything away so I will conclude my review in one sentence, “try not to miss Panodra” :)
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Fun and silly ride with a few potholes that make it bumpy
The first half of this drama I really enjoyed. It was light and silly and the strong willed Yeon Woo was fun to watch. Sa Wol was one of the best characters in the show. She was so funny and lightened every scene she was in but also carried her loyalty and wisdom well.Overall and nice watch to pass the time. But there are some things about this show that I found reduced the rating for me. First was the future Tae Ha's unbelievable jerk behavior when they first meet. I know that is a trope of the overbearing boss kind but it bothered me here. When he finally lightens up and starts to accept the situation he does become more likeable. Next is how quickly the women adjusted to the changes. It did not feel realistic with how fast they changed the way they dress and act in a time that was so dramatically different than what they lived in. And finally, is the love story. While it was fun to watch them bicker and find their way to each other then the love story gets a little boring. It almost felt like filler to watch them after that and while I love romance I thought that time could have been cut out for me and just moved on with the plot.
Slight spoiler here so be warned but I also could not stand the ending for the Old Joseon Tae Ha. I was annoyed the whole time I was watching it as the character did not deserve it.
Overall the music is quite nice, the production was done well from sets to costumes, and the parts were acted well. A good way to pass the time but I could also recommend several other shows I would find better than this as well.
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My shalala is back = Not addicted just in love
I didn’t even think I needed this until I watched the first few episodes.I was ignoring many famous BL series because I didn’t want to get addicted again. But our OGs were pulling me in so hard that I couldn’t ignore them. I knew that if I started this series, I’d end up rewatching Addicted Heroin for the nth time—and still, I couldn’t ignore how much I missed them. So yes, I went back… again.
Coming to the series… how was it?
For me, it felt like coming back home. I was giggling, kicking the air, and pausing a hundred times just to process certain scenes—not in a bad way, but in a very spicy way.
I don’t know how new BL watchers will feel about it, but for me, I’ve waited 10 years because this is a continuation of Addicted Heroin (side couples story). Literally, 10 years. So even if they’re just sitting together, I still get butterflies.
Their acting is so good, and honestly, our leads have become insanely hot and sexy. Just watching them on screen feels refreshing for the eyes.
I also loved the topic they touched on—false accusations and fake allegations against actors regarding relationships and cheating. It felt very real. We judge so many actors just because they’re famous, forgetting that they’re humans first.
The music is calm and soothing, and there’s one Korean OST that I absolutely loved—it just flows straight into your heart.
There were a few instances where I felt some miscommunication between the writer and the editor. At times, I also felt that Chinese humor is hard to translate accurately into English, so as viewers we end up feeling a bit confused—like, what exactly is happening here?
Disclaimer: my high rating is purely based on my long-awaited love for lead actors. So don’t judge me even if I rate this a 10 after saying all this.
And please, don’t let me meet that idiot director—how dare he do such things to our pookie?!
Now… the romance.
Oh. My. God. Who is even saying they don’t have chemistry?! That finger-in-the-mouth scene… AAAAAHHHHHH.
Just go watch it, idiots. No need to waste time reading my review. Like me, I’m sure you’ll end up watching it in one go.
-Ahhhh the ending.. How can you rush it like that. Give justice to my pookies!!!!!
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Uncovering the Curse of Taekwondo
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Thoughtful and compelling character study...with a few flaws
Definitely a worthwhile series, albeit with flaws. Below, I outline three sharp criticisms where I think the writing stumbled. None of these missteps is fatal to the story or characters. Definitely a case where the flaws cause a series to fall short of potential greatness rather than stumble into becoming a misfire on every level. Throughout, the acting, directing, and writing (script/diaog) are mostly high quality. The flaws highlighted below owe to writing choices (story structure, story direction, character development) that I believe undercut this series' chance to rank among the all-time greats.Three criticisms:
1. The high school era was more interesting than the adult era.
The series occupies two timelines in the characters lives. But the tone of the series is not consistent between the two, with the result that the first few episodes wind up way more satisfying than the back half of the set .
-- First: Two boys wounded by family, stuck in unpleasant circumstances. Finding their way toward solace by finding their way toward one another. That is a damn good premise for a BL romance. And our young protagonists had a good thing cooking, too. Enough character, story, and emotion introduced in eps 1-2 to sustain a whole series. Instead, the writers chose a time jump prior to working through all that potential.
--Second: Two adults wounded by their past. Placing obstacles in the way of their own solace. That is a damn poor premise for any romance, BL or otherwise. And the behavior exhibited by our older protagonists induced this viewer to contemplate in multiple episodes whether these two humans belonged together at all.
--Conclusion: At some level, the bipartite storytelling does work. And yet. Because the later episodes prove far less compelling than the earlier episodes, the result is a series where both timelines underperform the potential baked into the characters and story. Again, to reiterate: not fatal flaws! Still a compelling series.
2. That was the most preposterous time jump any BL series has ever foisted off on viewers.
--12 years? Really? To Be clear, I don't mind the length of this jump. Indeed, the idea that high school sweethearts reconnect in their early 30s could easily supply a premise around which to build a whole series. I'd totally watch that. Rather, it is the execution of the time jump that bothers me.
--During the intervening decade, the two individuals ought to have lived some life, grown into new people. I mean being an adult ("adulting") changes people, and these guys had a decade of adult responsibility under their belts that their younger selves did not have. Even if the reunion rekindled dormant feelings, the vibe should feel like two near-strangers starting fresh--because none of us at 30 is the same person we were at 18.
--Characters ought to adjust to "Who Are We Now?" Here, it is as if both characters have been in stasis since high school. Pining away for one another yet not reconnecting. Apparently (and we must surmise, for the writing reveals very little about how the two protagonists spent their decade apart), neither of them moved past the other. Neither experienced any intervening romances to provide the sort of life/love experience 18 year Olds didnt have. They do not reunite as older, wiser versions of their younger selves but as emotional cripples stunted in growth at 18. No more savvy about love at 30 than as callow teens. Did either of these guys grow at all? It's like the writing forgot that people change, for the characters seem to be just as they were before the time jump. Just with jobs now.
--I am all for reigniting the lost flames of a youthful passion. But not for wasting the entirety of one's 20's hoping to maybe, one day, rekindle a past flame that did not work out in the first place. These guys missed out on a lot of "adventures" people in their 20s typically stumble into, through, and beyond. Then, after 12 years apart, trying to pick up where you left off? No no no. These two should re-start as strangers. So to reiterate: my gripe here isn't the exorbitant length of this time jump--in fact, its decade+ span is kind of faring. Rather, I object to the illogical way in which the writing fills in the gaps.
Note 1: The series hired two actors roughly 25 years old to play the same characters at age 18 and age 30. While that tactic of "splitting the difference" does work visually in the sense these actors can believably play either age, it is nonetheless jarring to see "Twelve Years Later" pop up on screen and have the actors look as if no time has passed. (The make up folks dyed Dad's hair gray. So, we know the production team realizes people age!) As much as I admire the performances of these actors, I think a time jump of this magnitude warranted recasting the parts because that would have emphasized the natural growth humans experience in transitioning from impulsive but callow youths to responsible adults. Here, the actors' non-aging just added to my sense that these two characters got stuck in high school. (See above.) Because visually, "no change" is what comes across.
Note 2: The obvious BL story that comes to mind with a comparable time jump is the chronological gulf between His: I Didn't Think I Would Fall in Love (Japan, 2019 [series]) and His (Japan, 2020 [film]). That production team did re-cast the TV actors for the movie sequel. Like the second half of LFTHCOT, the film plot also depicts the rekindling of a dormant romance, one also spoiled when one party abandoned the other long ago. But the older versions of those characters had to work to rebuild trust. Neither presumes they can simply resume their former relationship where it left off. In that telling, their present-day situations mattered more than the shadows of the past. His (film) is one if the best "gay men overcome obstacles to create family" stories I have seen from any continent or any decade. Playing the time jump effectively is one reason why. The missing and unseen years had an impact on the characters that added depth to that story, even if the viewer is not privy to everything that happened in that time. Those writers understood that a decade of adulting changes people profoundly.
3. The fraud subplot was unnecessary.
--Sometimes writers fall victim to a temptation to layer additional challenges into their story. ("What new horrors can I inflict on these characters to ratchet up the stakes?") Often, simpler is better; editing, warranted. Here, the fraud adds nothing to the character of Do Hoe. His story was already compelling.
--Indeed, it may have become more poignant if every detail stayed except the fraud. Dreams shriveled (like a raisin in the sun) supply ample basis for tragedy without introducing criminality into the mix. Explore that concept without destroying the character's moral character. If his personal demons had driven him to suffer in silence rather than choose overt criminality, a compelling emotional journey is still at hand. Criminal fraud, in fact, makes any character less sympathetic even if his motives are well-explained, which these were not. Adequately explained and justified--yes. But "adequate" falls short of "well-", just as I rate Let Free falls short of elite status. The character had many burdens already, and this self-inflicted gaffe demeans everything his younger self hoped to accomplish.
In summation, Let Free is a very good series. Certainly, worth one's time to watch. And the ending eventually proves sweet and affirming. Flaws in story structure undercut the bid for greatness, as does the too common penchant to withhold information from the reviewers via editing. Here, flashbacks in the penultimate and finale to the high school timeline fill in missing information help us to understand why each character behaves as he does after the time jump. But honestly, the middle episodes would have been far less frustrating if those details had been in the open earlier. Handled properly, the romantic story would play as a tragedy rather than the stunted, slow-burn mystery tale we got.
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Minha Identidade é Beleza de Gangnam
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The acting in this is great. The only slight quibble I had is that Cha Eun Woo is noticeably younger than Im Soo Hyang even though they are supposed to be the same age. He's even supposed to be 10 days older than her. However, it's not a big enough issue to affect the show, it was just something that I noticed. Both of them did a great job with their roles as did all the cast. The two creepy guys in the show are exceedingly creepy and the evil girl is horrible, so those roles were filled well too. My favorite characters though (aside from the two leads) were probably the second male and female leads. I loved their relationship and enjoyed any time they got to be onscreen together...or even separately. They were just good characters who were fun to watch.
The music in this is really good too. It was catchy and fun.
I absolutely recommend this show. And if you enjoy a sweet romance, I think you will too.
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The story is very suspenseful. I watched this as it came out and every week I was left wondering what would happen next. The only weakness in this drama is that the people that are told to follow someone aren’t very good at it. There is no ninja stealth in this drama. Although, I guess you could look at it as the people that are being followed are just really good at giving the others the slip. Also, they aren’t very good shots unless they are pretty close. I read somewhere that the guns used in that time period didn’t have very good sights. Maybe it is just part of keeping it real??? LOL I usually don’t like dramas that are this long because the story gets bogged down, but this is an exception. Every episode added to the story and there is very little flashback filler. When they do flashback it has meaning.
What makes this drama great is the acting. I gave it a 10 because of Joo Won and Park Ki Woong. Joo Won’s acting as Lee Kang To/Bridal Mask is amazing. He really should get some kind of an award. He has an uncanny ability to make a person feel what the character is feeling. Park KI Woong plays Shunji to perfection. I’m completely captivated by this actor. The character is so intelligent. I have a love/hate connection with this character and that is a tribute to Ki Woong’s acting ability. The female lead character of Oh Mok Dan/Boon Yi is played by Jin Se Yun. I wasn’t really that impressed with her acting until the last two episodes. However, looking back maybe she felt that her character couldn’t show emotion and that is why she was stilted in the beginning and then showed her emotions at the end. Han Chae Ah who plays RaRa is really good. All you had to do was look at her face to know what she was thinking even when she was trying to hide her emotions. I loved her character and her acting. The side characters were really good too. Special mention for Ahn Hyung Joon who plays RaRa’s bodyguard Katsuyama. He has skills. I hope to see him in more dramas in the future.
The music for this drama is fantastic. I love the theme song.
I will probably rewatch this at some point.
I think this is a must see for everyone. It is defiantly a heart wrenching drama of epic proportion.
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What I didn’t enjoy was how the female lead was written to be so friendly with Su ho’s ex best friend. That dynamic felt unnecessary and took away from the relationship I actually cared about. I would’ve preferred to see her story focus more on Su‑ho instead of building connections with someone who had such a painful history with him.
Overall, I loved the main couple, but I really wish the drama had shown more of their romance and growth together. I’d love to see these two reunite in another drama or movie someday.
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Best C-Drama of 2025 – The Best Enemies-to-Lovers Ever
This is the best C-drama I’ve watched, especially this year.It’s definitely the best 2025 C-drama. Everything about it is amazing, and I’m so happy Liu Yuning is finally getting the recognition he deserves. It just makes me so happy — and finally, he gets a happy ending! We haven’t seen him in a happy ending much, and my boy truly deserved this one.
However, I wish the last episodes were longer. At the very least, we should’ve had a special episode where we could see more of the couple. I really wish we had seen his reaction when he saw his child for the first time, or scenes of her being pregnant and him taking care of her — showing concern, being gentle. I would’ve loved to see him care for her more.
The last few episodes didn’t have much screen time for the couple, but overall, everything about this drama is perfect. The costumes, the acting… the chemistry is off the charts — honestly, the best I’ve seen this year. I also loved how mature they were as a married couple. They cleared up misunderstandings quickly, actually communicated, and even apologized to each other — such a refreshing dynamic.
There was no storyline that dragged on too long, which was great. I appreciated how understanding they were toward each other, and how he didn’t accept her so easily. It took him more than 25 episodes to recognize his feelings, and I found that realistic. At the end of the day, she is his enemy’s daughter — so him letting go of all the revenge he’d been holding onto for years instantly would’ve felt out of character.
Everything was just on point. The story was unique — not the usual dynastic plot, but more clan-based, which was a nice change if you watch a lot of historical C-dramas like I do. I was also really surprised by how much sarcasm and comedy was in it. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it would be a dark show, but it turned out to be lighthearted and fun. Honestly, I laughed more than I have at actual rom-coms!
I loved how they were always willing to say “I was wrong” and take responsibility — that’s such a beautiful thing.
I felt bad for Bi Zhi when Fan died, because he never actually wanted to be a commander. He only took that position to protect her and build a life with her. But in the end, he lost her and had to raise their son alone. That was really sad. Although I didn’t really like her character, I understood her — I just wasn’t very emotionally invested in her.
Also, F4 deserved to get a happy endings :(
So happy Zu Er was cleared so we were able to finally see this masterpiece. Wish we got a special episode so we could’ve enjoyed them one last time.
I keep finding myself repeating scenes as there are truely amazing memorable scenes. I would say it’s a rewatchable cdrama for sure. Not too heavy and full of romance.
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GMMTV's Worst BL
I don't think I've ever seen a story that had an interesting premise go down the drain in 10 episodes. This is the worst show I've seen produced by GMMTV since Waterboyy and that's saying something. Heed my advice and don't watch this show.First things first, I feel so bad for the original author of Tonhon and Chonlatee because I know it must've hurt to see your work bastardized in such a terrible way. Why the hell did they add toxic homophobia to a character who was never homophobic in the first place?
Tonhon was a male lead that I couldn't rot for in any way shape or form. It's time BLs move past the characters with toxic masculinity mixed with homophobia who suddenly realize that they're into men (or ONE man). Tonhon never atoned for anything of the hurtful things he said to Chonlatee or his roommates Ai and Ni or to any of the people he offended in passing. If anything Tonhon should've been left in the dust along with his homophobic father.
Chonlatee was an okay character, he had guts until it was time to check Tonhon on his homophobia. He was refreshing, in terms not taking shit from no one but I got tired of seeing Khaotung pull the same confused/constipated face everytime he was faced with an obstacle.
Ai and Ni were quite honestly strange and it was obvious they were a couple, Tonhon must've been dumb as hell to not see through that. Mike and Toptap have acted together and previously were each other's love interests in 2Together, so I was confused as to why the chemistry wasn't good as it was before. Their chemistry was sorta there but their performances left me wanting. Also what was with the cut scenes around them kissing lmfao. Did they not do it properly or something?
GMMTV definitely through this garbage together and thought they could feed it to BL fans with no consequences. The budget was not ENOUGH for this production, as it looked like they cut corners and shit. I know they pay well and are quite well known so I'm not sure what's up with the lackluster production.
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When Love in the Moonlight first hit my drama radar, everything about it put me off. The promo posters just radiated cheesiness, so much so that I’m pretty sure I internally gagged. Not to mention, everything about its premise was overdone and oftentimes badly so. The crossdressing girl, the handsome prince, the political intrigue mixed somewhere in there...Was it worth the risk of watching and likely being disappointed?
The thing about Love in the Moonlight is that it is definitely a good show. Well, partially. It suffers from what I like to call “K-drama syndrome,” where it starts off at its peak and then plunges down into its inevitable doom, where the plot and characters deteriorate in a cesspool of their previously glorious existences. It's exactly as revolting to us viewers as it sounds.
The storyline of Love in the Moonlight is incredibly unoriginal. Its desire to take on the tropes of a crossdressing female who falls in love with a higher-class man was quite impressive, and for a good half of the drama, the execution was phenomenal. I found myself practically twitching while I waited to watch the next episode upon release.
There’s something about cliches done well that’s just as appealing as a never-before-seen storyline, and that’s what Love in the Moonlight accomplished. Its cheesy romance was bolstered by a talented leading couple, and its political aspect was intelligent, yet not overly difficult to follow. Not to mention, the characters were all lovable, each with their defining characteristics that made you love to see them. I admired the drama's ability to make the usually predictable storyline both unpredictable and addicting, and making me take back all my doubts from the beginning. Touche, writers; but that victory only lasts for a little while.
The problem with Love in the Moonlight is that as time goes on, you begin to see the infection of K-drama syndrome more and more. I'll admit, the writers keep you on your toes enough so that you barely even notice the problems unless you take a glance backward. But holy cheese, did this show throw away its potential at being perfect.
The romance is great, that much I will stand by. However, I attribute that much more to the capabilities of the leading actors than the characters themselves. I adored the Crown Prince at the beginning, and I likewise appreciated Ra On’s quirkiness. But over time, the writers lost sight of what made these characters unique and reduced them down to “male lead” and “female lead.” I don't even want to talk about the atrocities of the side characters, particularly Ha Yeon, who faded further and further into the background. It got to the point where she would come on screen and my reaction would be, "who is dis," because she had become that irrelevant. I’ve seen static characters, but I was puzzled with how the ones in Love in the Moonlight somehow managed to all move backward in development - their quirks disappeared. To me, there was nothing sadder than the moment I admitted to myself that the only reason I still liked the Crown Prince was because of Park Bo Gum.
Additionally, I have to say that the writers really lost themselves nearing the end of this show. It was cliche in the beginning, but at least they carried it out well. By the end, they were throwing so many tropes in your face that it almost bruised me. Most of which, I didn’t appreciate at all. There’s a difference between using previously-seen plot elements to better a show, and using them just because there is a need to. By resorting to the latter, the writers failed what could have been an absolute gorgeous ending.
For me, the one trump card of this drama was the cast, and this is the one basis I will recommend this drama off of. I sat down in front of the first episode knowing no one out of the main cast aside from Kim Yoo Jung, who I sneered at for being far too young for her role. By the end, I was impressed with everyone’s ability to portray their respective roles.
Park Bo Gum is phenomenal. He’s obviously goodlooking (those puppy-dog eyes though hehehehe), but the level of emotion he puts into every line and movement is awe-inspiring. Everything about his acting feels real, from the look in his eyes and - I swear - each shift of his facial muscles. He brings the Crown Prince to life in a way that I’ve honestly never seen another actor do with their character. And now I have posters of him on my walls. I wish this were a joke, but I guess I’m prouder to say that it’s not - he was just that good.
Yoo Jung is where I’m split. There’s no doubt she’s talented, but I’ll still enforce the idea that she was too young for the lead role in a romance drama. If you’re going to forget how weird it is morally that 23-year-old Bo Gum is interacting romantically with a minor, just know that her acting was far better in scenes where there wasn’t any handholding and whatnot. I’ll give it to her that she tried, and did well alongside Bo Gum, but she still needs more experience to pair with that acting talent. Soon enough, she’ll have a scary level of skill.
I would also like to comment on the music, most of which I loved. They chose a good collection of strong singers for it, and the instrumentals were beautiful (I listen to some of them when I work now because they’re that entrancing). I am going to go out on a limb here though, and say that the song they gave to Park Bo Gum was subpar. I know he’s capable of better music, and I just wish that they provided him the chance to blind us even more with his unlimited talent.
I’d say that Love in the Moonlight is worth the watch, if only to see how the actors are able to bring quality to a usually mundane plot. Despite the bits of disappointment I felt at the ending, I am still glad that I watched the whole thing through and I can say that I enjoyed myself for the most part.
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a subtle masterpiece
raw, intimate and delicate. it's tender and romantic and handles uglier topics in a genuine way. the music, cinematography and script were great. lovely use of light, colour and silence. the actors fit like puzzle pieces. more than plot it's driven by emotion which gives everything this subtle, quiet feel. perhaps to a fault for some viewers but i thought it captured the fragility of relationships really well. it's a drama to watch when everything surrounding you is loud, it feels like wearing warm earmuffs in the snow or sitting under the shade of a tree in summer. it didn't try to be more than it is yet it resonated with me and i feel like it would with some others too. in its simplicity i think it's one of my favourite dramas that builds and gives layers to each character, showing their flaws and strong points. i'll shut up now but i personally love this drama so much. hwang daseul has yet to disappoint.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
