Reviews

For me, the title of this show should be more like “Love and Hate in the Moonlight.” Because those are my feelings towards it - incredibly mixed and indecisive.

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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Oh man here we go; mostly watched the second season (the first is called Innocent Lilies, watch it first) so I could get more Moga in my life. It went slightly better then expected.

We see Moga and Eimi continue on after their misadventures in the first season. They happen to be helping out Rina, who, surprise is also a White Witch from a different academy. The 'black' witches arrive, and declare not war, but superiority over the white witches and capture Rina. For some reason, a mysterious red suited man appears to assist Moga in a time of crisis.

Again, you can almost 100% read this plot like the first season. But it's still very much worth a watch if you liked the first season and looking for something to numb your mind a bit. Again, the acting isn't great, but definitely better then Season I. The fight choreography got even better, which is a plus (still cheesy at parts though).

The episodes are a touch longer (on average 20 minutes an episode), but the season is shorter (only 5 episodes). The plot, while not as strong as the original, was tacked on nicely and works out without too many kinks. The black witches, and other new characters aren't idols but actual actresses/actors which allows a more stable flow of scenes and direction.

The music, is recycled from the first season, aside from a new song you'll hear.

Again, this isn't a serious drama. This isn't something you're going to be raving to your friends about. But it's worth a watch if you liked the first season. It's worth a watch if you need something to numb you're brain about. It's cute, it's dramatic, and I, despite the low rating, enjoyed it.

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The story was different. When I watched the trailers, it was so cool but it's true that the trailer is way better than the movie. Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie, its just that they put every exciting cool scenes in the trailer. Overall, the story seemed original but the subs I watched were either strangely translated or the script was just weird on its own. I generally enjoyed this CUT version of the movie to pass time.

The actors did a fairly good job with each of their parts. The name "Thomas" for one of the lead characters seemed really strange while the other was "Ai Fei". It just seemed so out of place to me. Other than that, the acting isn't the worse I have seen. The characters were true to their roles but a warning to those who watch the CUT version, they got rid of most of the BL scene between Thomas and Ai Fei (disappointing me to no end).

The music that accompanied the movie was kinda weak. The emotional scenes that were accompanied with the piano made me really get into that mood. However, most of the scenes don't even have background music and I think if it did, I would have enjoyed it better, it would have built tension or expressed the mood better.

I watched the CUT version and I realize (and regret it) now because all the scene I have been looking forward to was nowhere to be found. I was so mad. I can't wait til I can re-watch it but this time, the UNCUT version. It looks like they spent all their money on the intro because the visual effects are really weak but not so much that it was un-watchable. The fighting scenes as well, they were not the worse I have seen but they were definitely not the best.

Overall, I recommend you watch this but don't expect too much on the ending. I really want a sequel because this movie didn't answer all my questions and is kinda open-ended.

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I was recommended this movie after I talked about how great the Kill Bill movies were, at first reading the description, I did not expect it to be as sad as it was. As sad as the deaths were, it wasn't until I thought more about them that made me want to cry, because when you're watching, all you can think about is what will happen next. The story is extremely moving to me, and the ending is definitely tear-jerking. This movie is far from substance-lacking killing. You can see the reluctance in some students to take the lives of their friends, while others see it as an opportunity to finally satisfy their bloodlust. The central figure in the picture, Kitano, was their former teacher, as evil as you will think he is, when you find out the ending, you will regret those thoughts and find out why he acts the way he does. For more backstory on him and his daughter, watch Battle Royale 2, it's not nearly as good, but at least you get some clarification out of it. The music gets a 10 from me, I even got the soundtrack to the movie; don't hesitate looking up some songs on YouTube. If you've seen the movie, listening to some of the songs on the OST makes you tear up, almost guaranteed. Especially the song titled "Teacher vs Students/ Final Battle", I suggest you look that one up on YouTube, it plays during Noriko's dream and at the ending, and the ending will have you at least wanting to cry. The conclusion; Battle Royale on the surface seems like students just killing each other, but when you watch the movie and dive deeper into it, the powerful and twisted story is definitely heartwrenching. I can watch this 3 times in a day and still feel as much emotion as I did the first time, but nothing can replicate my experience first watching this movie. It changed my emotional being.

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Memories, this movie brings back so many memories...whether you lived it or not

It reminds me of the 90’s, no mobile phones, no computers, no social media, no music streaming, no downloads, no iPods, no internet friends...it reminds me of days where things were more organic, more simple, when your mother told you off for spending too much time on the phone to your friends, when you wrote letters to your idols and posted them hoping to get a reply, when you read girly magazines all the time and dreamt about your gorgeous idols and recorded their favourite videos on VHS and after a while screamed at the TV because the image started to break down as the tape started to erode from the millions of times you watch that recording. Why is the tape ruined? Why? Why??? Those were the times where you listened to music on a walkman, tape after tape after tape, those were the times where you spoke to your friends on your house phone and met up after school to go out and your parents didn’t call you to find out where you were because they knew where you were and it was safe to play outdoors and hang out with your friends... yeah, the popular kid would always exist, fun, cool, amazingly gorgeous and the bad boy, the epitome of an outcast, exuding this charm one didn’t quite know how to define... Old times....

Those who experienced the 90’s one way or another will relate to this movie a lot. It’s all there, the wanting to go to a concert and don’t find tickets, the favourite singer or the favourite band one will always remember with fondness... Andy Lau, yet it could have been Savage Garden, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi... the one guy that made your heart beat so fast it seemed like it had a life of its own and would come out of your chest straight into his to show him just how much you cared...the guy that defended and protected you, the guy, that guy...then then...the now...the job you worked hard to achieve, the long hours you put in to go be hated by your colleagues or envied...the gorgeous boyfriend that becomes like a comforting piece of furniture, instead of the man you’re with...the routine...and the looking back to the days when you were happy, when you fought for something that mattered, when you were with people that mattered, longing for the guy that mattered, realizing that your life resembles nothing of what you then thought it would be, that your adults days are filled with...a whole lot of emptiness... you look back and see what you were and what you have become, what you wanted and what you’ve got, you realize that you’re not happy so you decide to take control of your life and start to live it the way you were meant to live it all along but life... life that has given you everything had actually not given anything worth fight to keep until now.

I cried watching this movie. It’s not often that a film brings me to tears but Our Times did. It was not their times, it was our times, it was not their story, it was our story, our, mine, yours, our story, our times. Maybe if it was now or even 10 years ago the story might have been different but as such is a fantastic homage to a decade that meant a lot to so many girls and still means a lot to so many women.

Funny how, despite Our Times have passed things still remain pretty much the same nowadays with social media and phones and streaming and the lot... well, the gist of it at least, the idols, the pop culture, the friends, the hot guy, the troublemaker...so it makes me wonder if our times are really over or they never will be over as they live with us in our memories. Our Times will always be ours, will always be special and will always be part of us whether we’re 20, 30, 40, 50, 50, 70 or 80 years old and that friendship, that love and those dreams no one can take away from us.

For all of the above, to me the movie is a perfect 10 out of 10.

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So I was having a pretty rough week and wanted to watch something that would punch the sadness out of me with sadness (yeah I fight fire with fire, don't judge) and at the same time inspire me by showing the light in this trashy world. So naturally I picked up Boku no Ita Jikan. Why you ask? Because I was sure that this kind of drama, where the main character looses the things he loves doing one by one, will be one of those bittersweet stories, where even though it ends tragically, it's still very positive and hopeful, because it teaches us to love the little things in life. And I was right, it was just like that (even though I could argue about the ending being tragic) but did I enjoy it?

The STORY is pretty cliche. A man finds out that he has an incurable disiese. One Litre of Tears much? But It just wasn't as good as I expected it to be. When you present me this type of premise, I hope for a deep, maybe even unique story that will be stuck in my heart for years. With this kind of story you can't just swim on the surface. But they kind of did. Not saying that the story was bad. It just didn't add anything new. It felt like I was watching One Litre of Tears again, except there were some minor changes. It just didn't leave a deep impresion for me.
The strangest thing is that I liked the story outside the disease more, than everything concerning it (except some little things here and there but nothing exceptional, still pretty cliche). I liked Takuto's and Rikuto's existential struggles and psychology behind their behaviour. That was probably the most interesting part of this drama.

The CHARACTERS really were the ones that made the drama stand out for me. All of Takuto's family including him developed really nicely. I loved the psychological portrait the writers drew for Rikuto (Takuto's brother). And their parents growth was heart warming too.
Megumi...it's really weird how I have no complains about her but at the sams time I didn't like her either. It's like I liked how the writers developed her, what they made her do but it just felt sort of unnatural and she really was pretty bland, like she had so little character.
Other than that everyone were fine. Nothing bad, nothing good.

I wasn't very fond of Miura Haruma's ACTING. The way he expressed surprise by opening his eyes widely was so unnatural.


I feel strangely bad critiquing this kind of drama. How can I say that a story of a man with an incurable disease is unoriginal and cliche...but it just is!

Overall if you have watched One Litre of Tears or anything with similar story this is pretty skippable, because it doesn't add much new (This opinion might be influenced by the fact that I love tragedies and have seen most of what they can offer) but if you really like these kind of stories or haven't watched anything like this before then go ahead, watch it, it was by no means bad, but don't expect anything mind blowing (then again if you're really new then this might not apply).

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I've been in the world of the dramas for quite a while, but there is some time that I didn't find anything so cute like this one. I mean, almost all the relationships that this drama bring to us are kind of cute, the only exception is the relations inside the Kim family. The friendships between the eunuchs, the friendship between the CP and his followers, the beautiful friendship and loyalty between him and Byung Yeon and Yoon Sung (YES, WITH HIM TOO!), the way the bond between the CP and Ra On is created and how it grows are really really beautiful to watch. Although the main theme of this drama is the romance, the other side stories are really well done and it's really nice to watch the grow of all characters. The evil ones are really evil and easy to hate, and there are this confusing one characters that you want to hate but can't hate because you pity them: like the King. What make this drama more interesting to me was the second female lead: I just loved her, I love how for the first time there wasn't this evil female lead, I felt sorry for her but she was one great plus to this drama. I really loved almost everything about the story of this drama, but towards the end everything was way too rushed for me, some characters where very lost (like Kim Yoon Sung) and it felt sometimes weird to watch, and definitively felt like something was really missing.
This drama was a very good choice to watch on my mondays/tuesdays: it was a cute crossdressing story filled with a lot of bromance and beautiful friendships. Although the plot seemed really ordinary, the cast and the acting made it really beautiful and turned Moonlight Drawn by Clouds into an unique drama. This drama is a perfect choice for people who enjoys a cute romance, because guys, they surely did it so cutely. As I said before, towards the end I felt somethings were missing or not developed really well, and I really missed this.. thats why I gave it 8.5. I really hope that there will be a second season and I'll definitively watch it with this huge amazing pleasure.

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I saw this movie as soon as the subs were out. The poster caught my eye and so did the synopsis. I am so glad I watched it. It's a very well-directed and acted film.

FYI it is based on the real life of the last princess of Joseon Dynasty of Korea and her life's events are more or less depicted accurately. Some parts have been dramatized for entertainment but I liked that the major events shown were how they went down in history. It's quite emotional and I think irrespective of the country you are from, you will be able to relate with the pain Korean people went through under Japan's rule.

The casting of the film was on-point. Right from the child actress to Kim So Hyun to Son Ye Jin, everyone portrayed the princess excellently. I felt her pain and sympathized with what might have happened to her. Not only her but so many people in her life were affected because of the Japanese rule and if you look up her life on Wikipedia, it's becomes even more sad.

I love that this movie has an undertone of patriotism throughout and everyone can relate to that. The romance and rebellion is also there but it doesn't ruin or make the movie any heavier than it could have been. It's rather lighter than how I expected it to be. While this princess had a hard life I equally felt for her servants who waited for her for some 40-odd years.

The best part about the movie was the ending. Not only was it inspirational that life can go on in spite of hardships, it shows that this person who went through so much in her life got what she wanted at the end.

Hope everyone watches this film because it will make you respect the princess. The only flaw was the 'villain' because he was a little difficult to be taken seriously. At times it seemed too fictional and that's where the movie got lost a bit.

I commend the nice direction, great costumes, sets and the cast for their acting. Do watch this for a memorable experience.

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I feel like I would've rated this higher if I'd watched it before watching the drama version. They tried to jam 30 hours of drama into under 2 hours and it shows. Don't blink, don't look away, and look forward to whiplash by the end. I don't think the heroine's friends were even introduced in this. Also, WHERE'S THE LOVE? I feel like I blinked or something and completely missed them falling in love. If I re-watch anything it will be the drama series not this movie. The only thing I liked better about this was the casting of the female lead, but for EVERYTHING else the drama series was better.

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It has been since Healer that I hadn't a real on air drama with I was obsessed, yeah there was many amazing drama, better than this, but this one was so simply and magical.

Story: 8
The story wasn't really great, in Historical Dramas they are more complicated, but this one was was like read a Fairy tail, or a Japanese manga. It was magical, and made me dream like a baby. The couple story was totally my style: a secret "impossible" love. Totally my style. The story wasn't so complicated, there was just a few of questions, but they give a response to all them, so I'm happy that there wasn't holes.

Acting/Cast: 10. Amazing cast and amazing characters. I think that rarely I end up a drama loving everyone, second lead girl too. Everyone was really fit for its own character.
- Park Bo Gum was charming, and his facial expression was pure gold... he can tell so many things with only the eyes. He reminds me so much Song Joong Ki, another actor that I love. His character is one of the best of all time, expecially since he never become weak, he's always ready to fight with his smart brain.
- Kim Yoo Jung has always been an amazing actress, but in this one she totally sparkled. Her first true main role in a k-drama, and she did an amazing job. Her character wasn't annoying like usual main girls, she was just a cute puppy
- Jung Jin Young: even if I loved him in his previous dramas, I wasn't sure to see him in this drama. I mean, it's an historical drama, why put an Idol, but he proved that Kim Yoon Sung role was perfect only for him, doing an amazing job. I loved his character.
- Chae Soo Bin, I'm a little sad to see just so few of scenes with her, she was so sweet, I thought I would hated her, but she was so kind a weak, not an evil girl, but just a girl in love who wanna be a support for her love ones. If she was the main girl in another show I surely rooted for her.
- Kwak Dong Yeon, the Guard that stoled everyone's hearts. Even if he's really cute, in this drama he was really mature and reliable, with his mysterious aurea. I really loved him.

Music: 10
This drama's music was really beautiful, from its instrumental ones to Misty roads, Because I miss you, My dearest, Fondly Goodbye, Love is over, Love that shines like a star and more...

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wooooot! Well this is rare- a 20 episode drama usually makes me wary since a seasoned veteran knows that a long drama= a lot of plot dragging; however I was pleasantly surprised to find out that episode episode averages a 15 min which is the reason for a slightly longer drama!

I was happy to find that this drama wasn't your typical melodramatic twisted love story with dozens of plott wists thrown in as this drama stays true to its light cheerful genre which made this quite entertaining to watch!

The Good
It kind of reminded me of the drama Sassy Go Go since it involves students needing to work together as a team. It started off with the usual girl who was forced to do something she doesnt want to do, and tried to be distant- however warms up to everyone. It's not the best drama ever since it does have its flaws- however i enjoyed how the topic of teamwork is addressed as you have to work together in order to accomplish your goals. I loved the relationship between each team players and how they mature and learn to work with one another and improve themselves.

I seriously loved all of the actors and actresses as they fit their role perfectly! I especially loved the chemistry between the main leads as they were cute! Soo bin and Representative Kim- oh how much I hate your characters so much in the beginning- but ohh how I love how you two (mostly) redeemed yourselves at the ending. But seriously- props to them for making me hate their characters so much at the beginning since it shows that they did such a good job portraying their characters!

The Bad
Overall there wasn't much to complain about- I know that some people are disappointed that the female lead didn't even seem like a good volleyball player- but i hope they realize that it's a drama, and that of course it wouldnt be realistic. One thing I noticed that stood out at me was the acting- at times it was over-exaggerated and at times it made me sigh as their facial expression was clearly fake or over-exaggerated. I also was non too pleased at how Soo Bin's character was quite shallow as she was portrayed as a psychotic childhood friend that loves the male lead so much- although I did love her at the end since her personality is quite crazy at times.

One other thing that stood out at me was the relationship between Se Ra and Jae Woong. Since this is a sports focused drama- the romance was minimal so don't worry if you think that romance will be the main theme.They're cute together without a doubt- however they're romance had suddenly popped up overnight- and it made me skeptical as their romance seemed a bit too rushed for my liking.

Overall? If you're looking for a light hearted drama to pass time- I recommend this drama! Along with Go Ho's Starry Night as I found that they were similar in terms of being a drama that is good if you don't want something too heavy!

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