TheCoffeePrincess
I'm not into gender-benders. AT ALL. I prefer having a male lead who knows exactly, from the get go, what the gender of his love interest is. Which is the reason why I avoided these types of dramas since I seriously began watching Korean dramas way back in 2011. But I wanted something light and fluffy to overcome a depressing mood following a heartbreaking ending to a drama I watched recently. Love in the Moonlight seemed like a perfect antidote to that. And boy, am I deeply grateful for this inspiration. The drama gave me so much more.
Love in the Moonlight is simply a Romantic drama (it's pretty obvious from the posters, isn't it?). It's a story that revolves around the romance between a crown prince and a common girl disguised as a eunuch at the palace. It's a very cliche story consisting of overly used themes so I can totally understand why a more mature audience would not appreciate it. The plot is very straightforward and the political arc is not as twisted as other people would've wanted it to be (you know, to create more angst and all that). Yet one of the reasons why I appreciate it is that it does not try to be ambitious. It knows exactly what kind of drama it is and does nothing more than take full advantage of the execution of the love story and its characterization.
I already mentioned that the first reason why I love Love in the Moonlight is because of Park Bo Gum. Can I just say he is beyond amazing here? I don't know whether to chalk my love for him to the way his character was written or his performance. Maybe it's both. All I know is, I loved his character as Crown Prince Lee Yeong and I admire him in real life. As heir to the throne, Lee Yeong was highly intelligent, tough and uncompromising, traits which make a great king. Despite his youth, he always knew how to outwit his political enemies and could go head to head even with the most influential and corrupt officials in court (e.g. the queen, the prime minister and his minions). I'm impressed at how he was often able to maneuver the law (legally, of course) to protect the people he cared about. He could become a formidable enemy to those who wanted him dead or planned for his downfall if he wanted to be. At the same time, he was very down-to-earth, passionate and caring to his loved ones, whether it be his people, his sister, his father's favorite concubine, Ra On, his bodyguard best friend or his trusted adviser. I often marveled at the tenderness, selflessness and commitment he constantly showed to Ra On, as well as the unwavering faith he had towards Byung-yeon despite the revelation that the latter was a member of the rebels. The way Park Bo Gum portrayed all these was beautiful to watch.
The second reason why I love the show is its skillful execution. The show was consistent in its tone and direction so I felt like I was on an amazing journey with Lee Yeong and Ra On, from re-discovering the beauty of falling in love for the first time to the pain and struggle of overcoming obstacles to their love. The secondary love stories were entertaining as well. I enjoyed seeing the continuation of the adorable relationship between the princess and Master Jung. I also loved the fact that Ra On's disguise stemmed from a life-threatening place. It makes you understand why she had to pretend to be a completely different person her whole life. The conflict created not only angst but posed a real element of danger to the OTP. It made me say, "Okay, I buy that."
What I didn't like in the drama were the easy solution to the said conflicts and the fact that most secondary characters were one-dimensional. We are never provided with enough background on Ra On's father which made me feel that he was only used to be a no-brainer answer to Ra On's problems in the latter part of the story. We also have a VERY typical secondary male lead. I still don't get why he fell for Ra On. Was it because he found her pretty or something? They didn't establish any foundation yet, not even friendship, for him to like her that much. His affection wasn't credible enough for me. There are the usual power hungry politicians too. I would've wanted them to be more fleshed out, more "humanized", in order to make me understand their deeper motivations. I also didn't like the drastic change in Ra On's character as the drama progressed. I get that she had to tone down her pluckiness when she became a eunuch. But her personality became so diluted I didn't recognize the girl in the beginning anymore.
Nevertheless, would I still recommend this drama? DEFINITELY. That is, if you're in the mood for a sweet love story that makes you happy, lighthearted and hopeful in the end.
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Characters I loved were Healer's Teacher Yeong Jae (he broke my heart), Kim Min Hoo (I totally ship him with his female boss!), Yeong Shin's caring father and the cool ahjumma hacker Min Ja. Ji Chang Wook was awesome as always. Loved him.
I'm impressed at how versatile Park Min Young has become as an actress. She's improved so much since City Hunter. And OMG, Kim Mi Kyung? Is that the same old woman who played the housemaid mother of Park Shin Hye in The Heirs? Being able to camouflage into different personalities, leaving no trace of previous acting performances...that's what you call REAL acting, yo.
Oh and I LOVED the soundtrack they used: Eternal Love by Michael Learns to Rock. Now I can't get it out of my head. Ha.
My main complaint is the ending. Sure, I'm happy because I got the blissful ending I wanted for the main couple. However, I was also dissatisfied because I never got to see a more detailed narration of the downfall of the villains, particularly the Elder and the other members of The Farmers. They have been building up this noble motive of obtaining justice against these evil, greedy people since the beginning. Only to end it like that. It seemed to me that the ending was solely made for the OTP's benefit (i.e. so Healer and Chae Young Shin can live a happy and free life together, etc.) and not to Team Healer's overall cause. A pity because it could've made a big impact on a societal level. They already touched dangers to public safety and all that. They should've gone all the way. Hence, the 8 in my scores.
Despite not making it to my top favorite dramas, I gave it some high marks because I think it's a pretty intelligent show and the writing is solid. Moreover, it has enough sweet, heartwarming and funny scenes to balance the otherwise serious and socially relevant themes in the story, qualities which other crime thriller romance dramas (e.g. My Beautiful Bride) failed to deliver.
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I can't say anything else about this movie. Acting, special effects, storyline, production all perfect. If you haven't seen it, go and watch without the slightest hesitation. Be blown away by how stunning this gem is.
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This drama for me is like falling in love with a guy you would never expect. It was a drama that wasn't on my radar but I decided to try it-out of the blue-simply because I adore Goblin (Kim Eun Sook writes some witty, amazing dramas!) When I watched it, it got me hooked unexpectedly. Granted it isn't the most perfect drama out there and the ending seemed rushed, but I fell for it nonetheless, making it one of my favorite dramas now.. It's surprising to me that despite Song Hye Kyo being the senior and more experienced actress, Song Joong Ki overshadowed her (I found her acting a bit lacking I guess?). Joong Ki was amazing here, possessing traits that make a truly ideal man. I especially loved that the characters' moral principles, patriotism, duty to country and humanity, and courage formed the very core themes of this drama and that the romantic relationship between the Special Forces Captain a.k.a Big Boss Shi Jin and Dr.Kang Mo Yeon revolved around these ideals. Furthermore, both leads are strong, dedicated and successful in their chosen fields. Isn't it amazing that the writers purposely chose the military and the medical professions to create a rather unique kind of conflict in a relationship? This made the drama gold for me. Not many dramas are like DoTS. No second lead pining after one of the OTP, no birth secrets, no manipulative in laws, no parental opposition, etc. which is refreshing. Not to mention, the cinematography is breathtaking and the production is stunning. I also love the OST. "Always", "Every Time" and "Talk Love" are constantly being replayed on my laptop.
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