LJG is such an amazing actor. His acting created such a feeling inside me to rise whenever a sad scene came up (which was often) and made this whole watch absolutely unforgettable. This kdrama is definitely drama that I will never forget. IU's acting I had no problem with. Some people may disagree but I thought she played her character out nicely.
The music was definitely one of my favourite things about this drama. Every time an OST soundtrack played during an episode, it tugged at my heartstrings. Most of the OSTs I remember hearing were sad though. But they were really good songs.
I will definitely rewatch this one day. Ahhh I feel like crying because it's over! Now I'm just left with these super memorable scenes that keep replaying in my head and my fav OST of the kdrama playing in my head. What an unforgettable drama.
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Reasons:
1) The storyline makes more sense as compare to the Chinese version.
(The restructuring of some scenes allow the story to be convey in a smoother way)
2) The characters are well made as compared to the Chinese version.
(Each character in this version plays an important role in the events happened in the story... unlike the Chinese version where most of the characters did not leave much impact to the viewers)
- The 4th Prince -
In the Chinese version, the 4th Prince is a very ambitious person where he long for the throne. He can do anything cruel including killing all his brothers in order to become the King. However, in the Korean version, the character has much more humanity. The 4th Prince wanted to become the King in order to protect his love ones (friends and family).
-The 8th Prince-
The 8th Prince in the Korean version has much more impact as compare to the Chinese version. (From the affection of the 8th Prince towards Hae Soo till his helplessness to give up Hae Soo and his greed towards the thrown and the betrayal of the sister..). In the Chinese version, the character of the 8th Prince is just someone who is in love with Hae Soo with not much ability in becoming a King.
-Other characters-
All other characters are well design to fit the storyline in the Korean version. (Some of the characters did not appear in the Chinese version). Although they were not the main character, they all played an important role in the story. Besides the love story between the male and female lead, the love story of the 10th Prince and the 13th Prince were well written.
Overall:
Recommend this drama to those who had watch the Chinese version. If you haven't watch the Chinese version, it's ok.. their good acting, the background music, the editing of the drama, the emotion of the story will definitely make you hook up to this drama!! Have a try~~
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This review may contain spoilers
This could have been a great drama, but the author has written a script that has major lead dramas!
I have just watched the last episode of the drama and I can't get over it... the ending was tragic for the main leads... the author of the script had no mercy for them... and this is the main complaint and my low assessment of the plot, which was already saturated from the middle only drama, shocks, misunderstandings between the leads... there was blood spilling, everywhere around were people hungry for power, full of intrigues... it was definitely too much...The beginning promised that it would be a nice romance, but from episode to episode the plot became darker and harder to bear. I don't know, maybe there are fans of such an accumulation of aggression, hatred, jealousy, deceit... but I am not one of them... I would like there to be some balance and for bad deeds to be justice and compensation... but unfortunately this did not happen in the majority cases of this movie...
What I liked.
FL and ML, i.e. Wang So and Hae Soo, played their roles very well for me, to the extent that the character of Hae SO at one point became obsessed with dreams (by the way, I don't know why she had such dreams from the past, if she hadn't experienced it before this life in those times, she just moved there, so how could she know certain situations? I don't know and it wasn't explained) in fact, she contributed to many bad situations... and she was completely unaware of it... she interfered and wanted to save and reconcile all the brothers, which of course was not possible considering that several of them dreamed of becoming emperor, so they pursued it by all means. Hae Soo allowed herself to be unnecessarily drawn into these intrigues. Her attitude pissed me off when she already knew that Wook had betrayed the emperor, she still had a million excuses... she didn't see and didn't want to see the truth... And besides, she fell in love with him when he still had a wife, by the way, she was her younger sister... great arrangement... These obsessive dreams were the reason for her hostile attitude towards Wang So for a long, long time, and it was only towards the end that one could notice that she was starting to feel something more towards him than just gratitude that ML had saved her many times... I regret that the author of the script did not develop the topic of true love between FL and ML so poorly... there were very few truly committed scenes when they really realized their love for each other, because the plot deviated in the meantime to side plots and supporting roles, which took a lot of time... In the last episodes, I was fed up with this heroine FL and her selfish behavior towards ML... Wang So did everything for her when he became emperor, he wanted her not to feel bad in this palace, despite the fact that everyone around they did everything to divide them and in the end it happened, to such an extent that the author of the script didn't even let them say goodbye in the last moment of Soo's life... a completely hopeless moment... ultimately left them both disappointed and lonely... they fought against adversities and in the end they were not given a chance to explain and forgive each other directly face to face... why, the author of the text, did you have to end things so hopelessly between them? I have huge grudges and that's why my rating for re-watching this drama is so low... I can't see it and experience it again!
The supporting characters did well - some were funny, others were power-hungry, others were irritating... unfortunately, the antagonists practically did not suffer any specific punishment... especially the witch Princess Hwang Bo - a terrible character... she was hungry for power and splendor from the very beginning. , full of envy, jealousy and striving hard to achieve her goal... and in fact she didn't suffer any punishment, on the contrary she got what she wanted... basically everything... so my question is, what's the point of being good and honest if you the good ones ultimately lose their lives, such as 10 Prince Eun and his wife... (victims of power-hungry brothers)... makes no sense...
I won't describe the rest because it would take several pages.
Overall, this drama could be really good, but the author of the script went too far, as they say in our country, "he went astray"... well, as I see, this is the problem of many script writers and few scripts are well written in terms of the beginning, development of characters and plots, and in balanced between good and evil... many questions remain because the plot often wandered and did not provide answers...
Why did So finally give hope that he would find her one day? And no sequel has been made, even though 7 years have passed since the premiere... no sequel... why give viewers hope? another poorly thought-out finale... well, to sum up, I regret that with a few wrong moves you can turn something good into something that arouses frustration and regret of wasted potential... and even the best acting of the actors will not help here....
OST
when it comes to music, I was particularly touched by 2 songs: beautifully sung with a beautiful heart-catching melody (Will Be Back) and beautiful (MY LOVE)...
I also liked Lee Hi's song 'Can You Hear My Heart'
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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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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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Don’t let the end keep you from enjoying this gem!
I’m not going to go on and on about this series. It’s up there with Goblin, Mr. Sunshine and some others that have marked milestones in Korean drama history.How can I deal with the end? I tell myself that our female lead had a dream in which she had like 5 gorgeous, hot prince’s vying for her attention. So when she woke up,she was back where everything was in place. Then she saw his drawing, where a terrible sense of loss hit her. Nevertheless she was alive and fine.🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
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Some dramas you watch, but Moon Lovers is one you never forget.
Some dramas are simply enjoyable, but others leave an unforgettable mark. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo belongs to the latter. This isn’t just a love story, it’s an emotional journey that pierces the soul.Based on the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin, it takes us to the Goryeo era, where Hae Soo, a modern-day woman, wakes up trapped in the past, entangled in palace politics, betrayals, and impossible destinies. From the very first episode, it blends romance, history, and tragedy with gripping intensity.
Lee Joon-gi as Wang So delivers one of the most memorable performances in K-drama history, a prince scarred by pain and loneliness, who finds in Hae Soo (IU) his only light in the darkness. Their chemistry is heartbreaking yet beautiful, leaving unforgettable scenes etched in memory.
The drama is a whirlwind of emotions: the sweetness of innocent love, the cruelty of palace intrigue, and the inevitability of a destiny that hurts to accept. All enhanced by a soundtrack that feels like another character, amplifying every tear and smile.
Moon Lovers may not be flawless in execution, but it’s perfect in impact. It’s one of those dramas you rewatch knowing it will hurt just as much, yet you cannot resist. In the end, what remains is the certainty of having witnessed a story that transcends time, breaking your heart while making it beat stronger.
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