Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Pure , Raw emotions so well portrayed. DEFFENITLY WORTH IT TO WATCH

I have watched many many kdrama's but by far this is the only one that got to me so deeply , watching this masterpiece was an emotional rollercoaster and i was in for the long ride.
I expected it to drag me into the story as i love the story this is based on but the actors truly outdid themselves this is one if not the best Kdrama i have ever seen.
i'm not one to cry easily specially for a television series but Scarlet Heart Ryeo showed me parts of my soul i didn't know i could access..... as tho it is a tragic ending it is an extremely beautiful story anyone who likes kdrama's or historical drama's should watch.
Let it drag you into the story let your heart open for all the emotions that come with it let yourself cry and feel the raw pure emotions the actors so well portrayed .
RESPECT and GRATITUDE for all the actors and crew involved into making this masterpiece

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Overly ambitious story riddled with contrived plot devices that broke me nonetheless.

For what it’s worth, I never for a moment felt apathetic towards this show. This show put me through the wringer. If I could’ve binged the entire thing in a day, I would have. That said, I think it had big ideas but executed most of them terribly. What saved it from being a total disaster was Lee Joon Gi.

As others have said, he carried the entire show on his shoulders. I could watch his tortured soul with his Phantom of the Opera mask and his side swept fringe all day every day. This and Flower of Evil have made me realize that two flavors of my Kdrama butter are LJG playing unhinged and LJG crying. There’s a lot of both in Moon Lovers, let me tell you. I wasn’t particularly happy with his character development but it was easy to overlook because his commitment to the role deserves all the awards.

Part of me wonders if I went into this show with certain expectations and set myself up for disappointment. I was promised an epic romance and for me, the show failed to deliver, which I imagine is an unpopular opinion. It left me cold, though I put none of the blame on LJG or IU. The writing was so uneven. Her love for him never felt believable to me. She spent the entire first half of the show in love with Wook and then the entire second half afraid that So would go Kill Bill on his entire family. He loved her and demonstrated it consistently; she never trusted him. Given all his grand gestures (worth swooning over even if they were rough around the edges), I never felt like she reciprocated in a way that went beyond basic kindness. I needed way more scenes like the one at the very end - the day to day of their relationship showing their mutual affection. Instead, a lot of the romance was overshadowed by political power plays, which got so damn tedious and this is coming from someone who generally enjoys court intrigue.

Unfortunately, I also thought Hae Soo had probably the worst character arc in the show and ended up being one of the blandest heroines I’ve seen in Kdrama. She started off with guts and grit and humor, and then I guess palace life broke her? The shift felt too extreme. This is also why second half So/Soo fell so flat for me. He was in love with a shade of who she used to be, someone who beat up a prince and ran headlong into danger to do the right thing. Honestly, I was rooting for Yeon-hwa half the time. Her character was surprisingly nuanced and complex and Kang Ha Na’s performance was impeccable. She was the one who outplayed everyone and deserved the crown.

As for the rest of the cast, I really like Kang Ha Neul and Nam Joo Hyuk, and both deserved more than this show gave them. Same goes for Eun and the general’s daughter. It’s frustrating what the show sacrificed in order to move the plot along. I also did not expect that literally everyone would be a tragic character and I have a weak stomach when it comes to tragedy for tragedy’s sake. The show did not do anything well enough to justify how gut-wrenching the experience was. I would say, though, that what it did commit to with gusto is the idea that no one residing in the palace and in proximity to power stays unchanged. I just wish this hadn’t been repeatedly crammed down my throat throughout the second half of the show.

If I ever watch this again, it will be for Lee Joon Gi, his wounded eyes, and his perfect Goryeo hair.

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Great start, depressing middle, sad ending

This is my first review, but I felt like I had to give my two cents on this drama.
The story itself is very interesting and unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's a good story, and I would've thoroughly enjoyed it if it had stayed nice and cheery throughout the whole series. However, it took a dark and depressing turn when the brothers started fighting for the throne. That part was rushed, unpleasant, and not well-thought out, nor filmed, in my opinion. This is not for you if you want a drama like Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung. THIS DRAMA IS LIKE ROOKIE HISTORIAN GOO HAE-RYUNG AT THE BEGINNING AND TURNS INTO KINGDOM HALFWAY THROUGH.
This drama is not for you if you like happy and satisfying endings (which I do). It was sad and not at all satisfying.
The music was really good though, one of my favourite things in this drama, I would totally download the OST.

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(This is my first review,be gentle)

The first time I stumbled upon this drama was when my mother was watching it.I watched with her one of the "bad" episodes of it,translating to one of the tearjerker episodes, and the moment I did I knew that this show would wreck me.It's been almost a year since that happened and I finally decided to watch the whole show and boy,was this a good decision.Scarlet Heart is a show that hooked me up from the first to the last minute of it.This drama was addictive as heck and once I started watching it I just couldn't put an end to it.

First,the story.Simple enough,a time slip story but it's not focused around the theme of time-slipping,rather the events coming from it.I dont want to spoil anything so I'm just gonna go on and describe as spherically as I can.At first,It's easy going.No drama,no tears,just happy and fun moments regarding Hae Soo's interactions with the princes.As much as I enjoyed the early days of this,the days to come were filled with more drama and tragedy as the plot thickened and started revolving around politics.Scarlet isn't a story about a tragedy,nor a story about flower boy harem.It's not a story about boring political issues nor a story about silly romance.It's a story that combines many elements in to what seems a perfect combination.It makes you laugh,cry,hope,love.It brings you feelings like sorrow and happiness and it can make you seriously quit thinking about anything else for days after you finish watching it.There are only a few tv shows who can make you feel this many emotions and scarlet hearts definitely is on top of them.Another thing I enjoyed about it was its pace.Neither too fast,nor too slow.It was just great because you always felt like what you watched was right.Nor too much,neither too little of it.It contained the best amount of every aspect without being boring or pompous.I cant say anything more about the plot without spoiling it.Just fair warning:have tissues around you because you'll never know when you'll cry because of it.

Moving on to the characters:Hae Soo,the leading lady is a good protagonist.Strong,fair,quirky,smart and is someone who is generally likeable.I can't say she remains like that for the whole duration of the series but I can say that her character's actions are justified (mostly) by the things she goes through.It's the second time I'm watching IU(Lee Ji Eun) in a show after My Mister and I can honestly say I had a hard time recognizing her by how immersed she was in this role.She's one of the few good idols turned actors and I'm sure she will continue to amaze.The leading boys of this drama are generally 2,one having more screen time early and the other dominating early.Kang Ha Neul is a renowned actor and this drama points out the reason why he is.His character,Wang Wook,may resemble a Disney prince(you'll find out why) but after some incidents we see him going under a major character change.Ha Neul,manages to portray him in a way that makes you feel that something is not quite right anymore but it is subtle enough to send chills down your spine.Wook may not be a bad guy but sometimes,I felt more scared watching his scenes than the ones of the truly bad guys.The other lead of this is Wang So,portrayed by the one and only Lee Joon Gi.Before Scarlet Hearts,I had only seen pictures of Joon Gi and honestly I didn't know why the fuzz.But,after watching him for the first time here,I could definitely see why.Lee Joon Gi has a certain charm that makes you want more and more of him.Even when seeing him in your screen it's not enough.The original flower boy,as some may call him,grabs your attention in this and doesnt let it go till the end.For sure,I've become a fan of his after watching the show.Anyways,his character helped a lot in my transformation into a Lee Joon Gi fangirl.Wang So is the bad boy of the show but he's also a hurt and complex character.You see his character development and you see why he acts the way he does.You root for him and sometimes you want to yell at him but you can't deny the superiority of him as a character.Surely one of the best characters in a k-drama.
About the other characters now.There are of course evil moms in this.You'll hate one particular,I promise you that.There are other pretty princes with key roles.Honorable mentions go to:Wang Eun,the kind hearted-fun prince portrayed by Baekhyun of EXO,Baek Ah,the perfect brother and free spirited artist portrayed by Nam Joo Hyuk,Wang Jeong the protective and strong friend portrayed by Ji Soo and of course Wang Yo,also known as Eyeliner (boy,he put on tons of it),the guy we all love to hate,portrayed by Hong Jong Hyun.The acting in the drama is superb and the chemistry between the actors is plausible,especially between IU's and Joon Gi's character(I still am not convinced they aren't dating in real life)

Music:
Scarlet Hearts had one of the best ost.Hands down,that's the case. The songs simply mesmerized you.From light and cheerful ones,to sad tear jerking ballads,every one of it was perfect.

Now the only reason I put a 9.5 score for rewatch value is because of the ending.Not gonna lie the ending was tragic.It wasn't a happy one nor a satisfying one.I don't think If I'm gonna be able to cry as much in my life again and I know watching this for a second time will make me order a truck full of tissues.I still think about the last episode from time to time and I feel like bowling my eyes out.But in my heart I still hope they make up for it with a season 2 so let's wait for that.Other than the inevitable last episode,Scarlet Heart is a historical drama that is captivating and easy to follow that should be in everyone's watch list.

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Although I'm writing this some months after watching the show, I would like to write a review as I am planning to watch this drama yet again because of how much I loved it.

I remember having this drama in my 'Plan To Watch' list for a long time although I wasn't exceptionally excited about watching it since I'm not fond of the historical genre . However, because I knew IU starred in it and I was really curious as to how her acting skills were, I decided to give it a go.

Before starting this drama, I had no previous knowledge of who the cast members were except for IU. The moment I saw Ji Soo , Nam Joo Hyuk and Baekhyun I was really surprised. I really liked Ji Soo's and Nam Joo Hyuk's acting skills in past dramas but I was unaware of Baekhyun's acting experience.

In the beginning, nothing really caught my attention about the story until things started to get real dark and the back story to many relationships had been revealed. That was when things started to get interesting beyond my imagination. The rivalry between the princes who were in love with Hae Soo, the rivalry between the brothers in order to gain a place on the throne...But as the sucker for romance that I am, what I enjoyed the most was the couples. My favourites without doubt were Wang So and Hae Soo, Wang Eun and Park Soon Duk and Baek A and Woo Hee. The actors and actresses overall delivered the characters' ways almost perfectly and I would especially like to point out Hong Jong Hyun's (Wang Yo) acting as he perfectly acted out the character's straighforwardness and how cold blooded he was in this drama.

I definitely didn't expect the tragic ending. I was so shocked at how things has ended so twisted up. That definitely came off as the drama's charm to me as it is rare to find dramas with sad endings. It was what made me decide that I would definitely want to watch this show again.

The music was good although there isn't a song in particular which I remember loving.

This has definitely been included in my top 3 dramas!

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That OST blew my mind!!!! Just like the rest of the drama. Acting wise it's the best Haneul, Lee Joongi, and IU did a fantastic job obviously but even the supporting cast everyone from Nam joo hyuk and Ji soo to Baekhyun did a great job but ok special mentions to Hong Jong Hyun who seriously acted so well nothing like his previous roles. He was able to bring the conflicting emotions of his character from being a little bit of a narcissist in the beginning to becoming someone obsessed with power and when you realize he keeps himself looking like a villain but how inside its driving him slowly insane. And this actor he delivered so we could see all these disparate sides of him he's a different person when he was just hanging out with his brothers even if he was a little misguided and how because he felt wronged by someone who was always tagged as a villain by his mother even though they're biological siblings.

At the same time I think IU played her character with a kind of innate innocence which never comes across as childish but merely naive especially considering the time period she's in. I think she beautifully portrayed the emotions of her character, whether it was happy or sad or heartbroken. I honestly fell in love with her in this drama.

Lee Joongi ok again another actor who is so talented at portraying a range of emotion and seriously Hanuel is my favorite no doubt but the second Lee Joongi steps in you feel his presence it completely takes over every single scene. And I honestly started rooting for them the second he stepped in and I was put through hell.

Hanuel ok because he played the character with such nuance I was able to despise him lol that's a good thing! And I truly love the way he showed the conflict in his character and made it come alive.

Special mentions to Park Ji Yong for playing her character so damn well and giving us a villainess worth hating and same for Kang Han na who played Yeon Hwa and truly made her character come to life.

Ji Soo and Nam Joo hyuk did great as the supporting cast I absolutely loved their antics and their bromance with each other and with the other princes was so amazing it became heartbreaking.

Another two members of the cast who also made the drama what it is and gave you everything from comic relief to sheer tragedy was Baekhyun and his character prince Eun and his romance with Z hera as Soon deuk! Omg I watched their adorable back and forth again and again.

And I know a lot of people go "idols can't act" and that's such a moronic thing to say as though acting is some kind of special club that you have to take membership in order to act lol like wtf does anyone's job description have to do with their acting skills? Would you tell a library assistant she can't draw? Like ok that is the most elitist bs ever! And I know a lot of people are art elitists but I don't support them because I'm not a douche.

So idols can act and should act and they shouldn't care about a bunch of elitist pricks.

Anyway so yes Baekhyun's role in the beginning was comic relief and rather easy but gets so much more complicated later because of the way the plot progresses. And wow he delivers.

So, am amazing drama about good and evil and insane kind of love.

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I don't usually watch Sageuk dramas and this is my 4th Sageuk and I am impressed.

The story line was not uncommon. Princes or the officials fight for the throne. (All sageuk I watched has that as part of the plot line) I commend here are the twists and the things you did not expect to happen. Well I am not familiar with Korean History and maybe most of us aren't, but this follows what happens in Goryeo dynasty thus if you do not want spoilers, DO NOT read the Goryeo dynasty wiki article lol. Heart shattering, but overall, the drama will touch depths of your kdrama heart.

As for the acting, this is my first Lee Jun Ki drama and I may say he is a favorite when it comes to Sageuk. He has a dark story and personality at first but as the story goes on, he'll probably entice you just as he did with the female lead hehe. He was great here. I can literally feel when he was hurt or the joy when something fortunate for him happens. Typical.

Kang Ha Neul is most probably one of my favorites here. He was the second lead, and I am one of those female viewers who has soft spots for second leads. I usually root for them. I fall inlove with second leads. And I loved him as the second lead up to the end. Yes, up to the end. I'll probably choose him anytime if I was Hae Soo. Some viewers were disappointed of the 8th prince. But I can understand his decisions though.

According to some articles I've read, knetizens are not really impressed with IU's acting and I cannot say that I am impressed too. But I believe this is her first 'not cutesy' role and I commend her for the transition. I love her guts. She's strong and lovable at the same time. Ask half of the princes in the drama who fell in love with her.

With the supporting characters, I'll go first with Nam Joo Hyuk. I'm sorry but I am pretty biased because this 13th prince is my favorite. Because he is Jung Joon Hyung!!!!!!! Okay setting aside WFKBJ, Baek ah's my favorite because he had a soft heart, free spirit and he is an artist. He's a ladies man because it is said that he is the most handsome all over Goryeo. I agree. Who doesn't? Pls fight with me. He loved beyond the barriers of the fight for the throne (he did not eye the throne for God's sake that's why he is the best) and being a prince. He is a companion, a friend and a brother to the main lead, Wang So, and a shoulder to lean on to the female lead, Hae Soo. Baek Hyun is the 10th prince. I'll probably be biased too because he's one of my favorites from exo and the main reason why I loved exo back in 2014. But I opted not too be bias. This is his first drama (excluding END) and he was given a light role suited for the baekhyun I have known for years. He had this friendly chemistry with the female lead and throughout the heavy plot of the drama, his cute antics and playful personality along with the 14th prince has been the ones who made me laugh and stopped me from bursting into tears. But watch out okay? Ji Soo - Wang Jung, the youngest prince who loves marial arts. He irritated me a bit because he does not have a good relationship with Wang So but at the end, I loved him with all my heart. He's my second favorite prince. And why will I forget the villain, Hong Jong hyun - the 3rd prince Wang Yeo. Oh you know I don't have this soft spot for villains - they wreck the main leads life etc etc etc - but Wang Yeo's the ONLY EXCEPTION. With those earrings, heavy eyeliners, ability on archery, the slanting eyes, the frown, and that face, yes that face, I loved him as the villain.

The music. Of all the Kdramas I ever watched since I've started buying dvds and kdramas were subbed in my own mother tongue tagalog, Scarlet Heart Ryeo's OST is the only one which I will rate as 10/10. Lovely. All of it. You may not watch the drama because it is heavy, but please, listen to the music.

Rewatch Value. I probably will rewatch some episode but not all.

Overall, the drama is great. I was born ready but not for these types of drama. I literally cried my eyes out every night. Tissues, get them ready!

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What an extraordinary story?! This drama has something for everyone: Romance, Action, Suspense, Intrigue, Political Power Plays etc. The main storyline is set in the Goryeo Period during the Wang Family's internal struggle for power. This drama is absolutely gorgeous considering the costumes, the sets, the actors ... For being a 20 episode series, the pacing is perfect and keeps moving. The only thing is during the second half, the tone of drama takes a sad and emotional turn. Lee Jun Ki makes another star appearance as the misunderstood, tortured antihero. This is a reverse harem series, so the young male cast does provide for a lot of eye candy and fan service. I highly reccomend this series. A quite moving drama that leaves a deep impression.

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A Mesmerizing Blend of Romance and Intrigue in Ancient Korea!

"Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" is a captivating historical Korean drama that seamlessly blends romance, political intrigue, and time-travel elements. As a viewer, I was drawn into the beautifully crafted world of ancient Korea, where the lives of the characters are intricately woven together. The breathtaking cinematography and stellar performances by the cast bring depth and authenticity to the story. The emotional journey of the protagonist, who finds herself transported back in time, is both heart-wrenching and compelling. While the series presents a rich tapestry of relationships and power struggles, it also explores themes of love, sacrifice, and fate, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" is a must-watch for fans of historical dramas and those seeking a captivating blend of romance and history.

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This is a drama with great cinematography. The story isn't bad either, but definitely falls off in the later episodes - maybe even halfway. The only thing I don't like is the music selection - I prefer more melodic, orchestral music, especially for historical dramas.

Overall, the production quality is great imo. Some of the camera shots are amazing.

The characters are fun to watch in the beginning and hooks you in. Unfortunately, it gets very melodramatic around the halfway point.

The cast is great, even greater for kdrama fans, especially for fans of good-looking male kdrama actors. They seem to have got them all in 1 drama.

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A great drama that will keep you wondering even if you know how it will end

This was definitely a ride... I wouldn't say roller coaster but how about a dirve far upp in the alps or any other really narrow, steep and curvy road, the type where you are not sure if the car ahead of you is heading away from you or toward you.

Before entering this ride I had been warned that I would end up crying, I think i held on for a long time but towards the end the tears just wold not stop falling down so even my top got wet. But enough about the end, here is more about the way there. This is probably one of the worst love storys ever written, but a great story about deception, betrayal, how power ruins everything and the fragile male ego all in the name of love...

The pace in this drama is really good and consistent. I can really not say i experienced a dull moment, even when I thought it would start getting dull, I was confronted with a new twist and I was back wondering what would happen next. I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out who was good, who was evil and in what order the people (mainly the princes) would die. I did not get a singel one right, mostly because this was a story involving humans that where ever evolving and subjected to change. So even if I was waiting for a sad ending I really had no clue in what way it would end sadly ( you would be surprised over how many ways my mind could come up with).

The characters in this drama brought the 10th century in to the 21st century... With most probably 0 historical accuracy. And I cherish them all. While many dramas use annoying characters for comic relief, here the comic relief came from smart and sweet characters that made for a good balance without being ridicules or annoying, so big + for that.

The women in this drama rock, most of them are evil and scary as hell but all (except for one) had great acting skills and where very convincing int their role. They probably had the least character development though they stood for quite a few twists and I thought for the longest time that this drama would end up being about how men got the credit for the evil deeds of past women (I´m not going to tell you how accurate I was).

The princes different personalities and talents reminded me of boys over flowers but way cuter and in a kind of waiting to die/ kill each other way. It was also interesting to try to figure out who wold be involved in the love star (I have named a love triangel with more then three people for a star, I do not know if there is another term for this, maybe love tangel....but I like star so I´m keeping to it).

IU was amazing all the way! I loved her ok, I did not love all of her characters choices but her acting was flawless and she was as bad ass as always.

The male lead prince no 4, was a typical wounded sole waiting to be rescued, however he had severe trust issues and really did not grasp the notion of consent, but I guess that is to be expected of a prince 1000 years ago but he did make some attempt at gaining consent but really did not stick to it witch was really to bad. He was however mostly kind, and really did go out of his way to protect the woman he loved, and seemed to have a constant struggle within himself protect-own-protect-own her. He probably had the weirdest character development that made it hard for me to love him in the end, so I guess i ended upp feeling sorry for him.

I had mixed feelings about the second lead, I don´t know about you but there is something in the line I am going to love you the way I could not love your (dead) cousin (that was like a mom to you)" just douse not really scream love of my life for me but hey, who am I to judge. He is also the character that surprised me the most and was probably the most interesting male character of them all.

The princess had an interesting character development and was both smart and driven, this drama would definitely have been boring without her. a perfect love to hate character and probably oddly enough the perfect match to the person she ended up with.

Prince no 10 was so sweet and adorable his interaction with IUs character was adorable and stod for the humor in the drama.

The generals daughter was so cool, both loving, funny and reminded me little bit of Do Bong Soon from (SWDBS).

Prince no 13 was sweet but probably had the least character development, this was however not Nam Joo Hyuks best acting.

Prince no 14 grew on me with time and is probably the most admirable prince of them all.

So in short this is a great drama that will let you experience a range of emotions that will most probably surprise you even if you have read this review that tells you that you will most probably cry in the end.

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