Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Scarlet Heart Ryeo might only have 11%
ratings in its country but the international fans love this drama so much.
Its OST is one of the best and the cast is perfect (well for my POV).
IU's acting can be improved but hands up (and feet too)
for Lee Joon Gi and Hong Jong Hyun. Kang Ha Neul is awesome too. I love to
hate and love him too at the same time.
I hope they added the tragedy category
earlier so I can prepare my poor heart with
its ending. This will make you feel so much emotions.
Love, hate, anger, sorrow, grief and hope. Im constantly at the edge of my seat.
I can say that this drama is worthy to be rewached! Ready your tissue.

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STORY : all the love stories felt disconnected and suffocating. ppl "fell in love" with each other just to carry the plot along, not b/c it made sense. the first 1/3 of the drama was definitely the best part, but after that, let me tell you IT DRAGGED.
also ppl switched their affections like every other episode.
one thing I DID LOVE was the fact that it was a drama set in Goryeo period. Korean dramas are always set in Joseon period (which is fine and all) but I loved seeing a drama who's style was more that of Chinese since the Goryeo period was more heavily influenced from China.

ACTING : some actors (basically the princes {sans baekyun sorry}) did either a good acting job or a really good one, but none were amazing.
and no matter how much I love IU's voice, so did NOT deliver in this drama.

MUSIC : a 50/50 for me. there were some tracks that were perfect and others that were really bizarrely peppy and upbeat during sad moments that really threw you off and didn't fit the overall drama.

REWATCH VALUE : heck no.
it dragged and I couldn't wait for it to be over, but I'm a completionist so I had to finish even tho I almost died of boredom many times

OVERALL : 4.5/10 for me plot is the most important part of a story and that was the biggest flaw with this drama.
but I have to say that the costume designs and sets were all immaculate.

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Possible spoilers ahead

The drama was entertaining, especially the first half with such exciting episodes that kept me on the edge. As usual, at some point in the middle, there were boring moments, but I didn't lose my interest even once. There are a lot of things to be disappointed about but also a lot of amazing things as well.

The first thing that made me wonder was how they talked modern Korean and how the songs were all very "modern" as well, it didn't really suit the atmosphere. It was also strange ,how instead of trying to find a way back, Soo concentrated on changing the history. It would have made more sense for her to try to go back, then accept the fact that she won't be able to escape, and only after try to change the history. In fact, the whole concept of changing the history is an overused cliche...

The character development was rather poor. Either there were too many characters or then not enough time. Some of the side characters weren't even introduced too well, yet they were supposed be important. Because of the poor editing, the changes in main characters' personalities were rather sudden and strange. I like how all princes who got on the throne became crazy because they were too weak. Not everyone can be a king. Later in the drama, Soo lost all her spunk, and I understand the palace life did that to her, it killed her inside, but towards the end she became a really boring character. It also seems that, at some point, the whole acting cast was becoming very tired due to the hectic schedule and their acting got worse. The only one who shined through was Lee Jun Ki. Overall, I became attached to all characters and am willing to forgive a lot. Despite the flaws, all characters were really lovable and memorable.

The storyline concentrates a lot on the characters instead of other plot devices, there is not really much of "other plot" like politics and scheming. That's why I am a bit disappointed that the characters come out so incomplete. Also, how come Baek Ah and So were the only ones who didn't seem to get older? And was it really that hard to have at least one successful love story in a drama with so many characters?

The last episode wrapped up the story pretty nicely. Throughout the story the bad people, who seemed to be getting away with everything they did, got what they deserved, they might not have understood their punishment, but at least it left the audience satisfied. The last episode is such a tear jerker, you realize that it's really is the end. I wish the whole drama was as good as the last episode.

Though, "the real world"- part was sort of lame. Instead of remembering the old times, it would have been more interesting if Soo took a look at what happened after she had left and instead of being sorry, it would have been more satisfying if she could leave this all behind with a peaceful heart and finally move on in life. So the audience could, as well, have a peace of heart. Regarding to whom Soo met later in real life and whom she didn't, it made sense if you go back to the first episode. Whom did she meet there and why?

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I really enjoyed watching this korean drama. The story is so thrilling setting in the Goryeo Era. The plot is about love, hate, brotherhood, friendship and palace intrigue. The actors and actresses are very good except for some of them (suppoting role). They don't express in the best way their characters because I think they lack experience in acting. The cinematography and the editing of this drama are astonishing, cured in details. The soundtrack is well done: I really like the songs. They are so catchy, I can't get it out of my head.
In my opinion Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is one of the best korean drama of 2016 I've watched so far, so I heartily recommend this costume drama, if you like the genre.

I apologise for this review: it's my first one. I am not used to write, especially in english. So I hope this review can be of some help. Thank you e bye bye :D

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I'm not sure I've recovered enough to be fair in a review. This is one of those dramas where you can see the end coming from the start and you know it's going to be devastating and you will cry and scream and rage and pray for things to turn out differently and almost start to believe things will turn out differently. But deep down You know the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train, not the light of day, but you have to keep watching anyway.

Never watched the Chinese version. Probably never will. Not a fan of tragedy or saeguks overall and I knew that going in, but MLSHR sucked me in anyway then chewed me up and spit me out the other side.

Life sucks, then you die. People suck, sometimes inexplicably. It sucks to be king. It sucks to be someone who loves the king. It sucks to be not-the-king. It sucks to be royalty. It sucks to be not royalty. No one in a saeguk is ever happy.

I loved it up until the last two or three episodes where it seemed like everything just unraveled too quickly and without reason. I thought the acting was good, not that I'm a great judge of acting ( I'm good enough to know William Shatner is BAD and that's about it). I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely and thought using modern music for a saeguk was refreshing (but then I liked Romeo + Juliet so what do I know?) I would have been happier with the story if they had used more creative license as opposed to shoehorning the plot into the framework set up by the original. What bothered me most was that 4th prince just seemed to take all his character development and toss it out the window after he became king, as did Hae Soo. She reverted to a damsel in distress that needed saving, he reverted to the wolfdog monster everyone always said he was. If I rewatch, I'll skip the last few eps.

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What a stupid decision it was to watch this show!!!!

**This is a review of the SBS edition**
Once again with more gusto! (This is a rereview of sorts. I had a very emotional reaction to this back in the day. I have since changed my mind and changed how I rate shows so I'm going to give this review another shot.)

It’s hard to talk about this show without mentioning its relation to the Chinese adaptation or the novel it was based on. I know people don’t like comparisons between shows but everything makes so much more sense once you see the extended Scarlet Heart Ryeo universe in one picture. Luckily, I am not done watching the cdrama so I can’t really compare the two here. (I’m coming for you in the scarlet heart review though!)
If you don’t know, this show is the Korean adaptation (adaptation being the operative term here) of a Chinese novel set in one of the most historically intriguing moments of Qing dynasty history; the fight over the succession of emperor Kangxi. The gory, soap-opera-like historical events are so irresistible that they have inspired many retellings. Scarlet heart being a particularly famous one. I have read books that don’t even directly say they are about this period but then *that* thing happens and you just know.
The brilliance of this show is that the writers were daring enough to take this very Chinese historical tale and adapt it to a Korean historical moment of equivalent dramatic potential. And they succeed?! It’s unbelievable but it worked. The number of things they didn’t change is almost more upsetting than what they did change. My theory is that the dude who decides what happens to humans got bored and copy-pasted a part of history twice and just changed some details so it wouldn’t be too obvious.
Anyway, you should watch this show if you like:
1. Star-crossed lovers
2. First love is not the be-all
3. Tragic ending (Be ready. It will end badly)
4. A bunch of pretty incompetent boys running around failing at acting
5. Political backstabbing
6. Succession wars
7. Historical romance (of the bodice ripper variety)
8. "Dirt-poor production doesn't mean bad"
9. Charmingly messy writing
10. Boys taking too many baths…it was a weird detail. They made the bathhouse one of the main sets…
11. A Byronic hero, flaws and all
12. If you are just content with Lee Joon Gi doing a damn good job while everything falls apart around him like a house on fire.
13. If fratricide and incest do not bother you (I'm just throwing it out there. It's not detailed ...well...)

Summary: Girl goes back in time. Girl meets boy. Girl meets boy. Girl meets boy. Girl meets b-… you get it. And just when you think it’s all fun and games, history hits you like the bus at the end of mean girls.

Story: This show has the most uneven writing I have ever seen in an East Asian show. It’s like they wrote about ten episodes then got tired so they just decided to wing the details and the beginning and the end. And it works out. Somehow. Here’s where the comparison comes to matter. Where this show fails in its first five episodes to establish the world of the story in a level-headed and engaging manner, the cdrama is especially competent. The first five episodes are truly the Achilles heel of this show. The show starts with a heavy reliance on the pretty boys and the almost ironically nonsensical romantic tropes of high school dramas of the early 2010s but then whirls into serious political tragedy and grey area writing two episodes later! It’s such a weird beat to start on and I think this is the reason why a lot of Korean fans had a negative response to it back in the day. But then suddenly, everything clicks into place and for ten episodes, the show actually successfully emotionally grabs you and while it still has flaws, the intrigue becomes more mature and the characters settle down in their positions and it becomes really enjoyable. Then again the ending becomes very rushed.
I think the main issue of the show is pacing. They needed maybe 5 more episodes so they could flesh out the falling out of the end. The way it happens now, the show is one tragic event after another for 15 episodes in a row. It becomes a bit emotionally taxing when you are giving away so much to the drama and get no payoff for all that emotional labor is provided.
I love the romance in this show. It’s dirty, grimy, messy, destructive. Although they love hard and passionately, the characters never really lose themselves to each other in a way for them to be strong together. And that’s the tragedy of it but also, its beauty. There is not much of a miscommunication here (except those last 3 episodes but f*ck ‘em. We don’t acknowledge those episodes!) it is just how the characters are not willing to believe in their love. They always hold back while at the same time, they’re stretching themselves thin to save the other. It’s so tragic to watch them fail because it feels like one of those mythical romantic tales. You watch them and you know exactly how they're going to fail each other but there’s no stopping the train anyway. So you just sit there and watch Orpheus turn around...
Now those last three episodes suck. I got so upset watching them that I didn’t even cry when sad things happened because I was angry. But since I was invested, I watched it all the way and I don't regret anything.

Acting: Lee Joon Gi acted in this show. That’s it. Everyone else was there too. No, I'm kidding (sort of)! I think IU did a good job too. People say she acted weird at the beginning and they are not wrong but further research has informed me that that’s just how the character works in the early stages of this story so just go with it. She settles better into the character once the absolutely silly high school girl shenanigans end. Everyone else was varying degrees of good to bad. I’m sorry but some of those boys survive the show but just barely! That's not to say it was all bad. Everyone did their best. A for effort.

The music: Yeah, this is the OG show with the bad music. It was hit or miss. I sort of hate the ones with singing in them but then there was this one song from the soundtrack called "Gestures of Resistance", I think, and it's so beautiful. Halfway into it, there's a part that electric music starts, and then it's interrupted by a cello and a violin, and WOW! It was so epic and melancholic at once. I love that one piece so much.

Production value: It’s a cheap show and you can tell but if you get invested in the characters, then it would not matter too much because you’ll be too busy following the schemes and the love triangles and the heart-stopping grief that the production value will not bother you as much as the knife in your heart does.

Rewatch value: When I first watched this, I told myself I would never touch it with a stick because it hurt too much. And yet…and yet I keep finding myself missing the feelings. I have to fight myself to not go back to it. So for me, it’s a show that I might rewatch if I ever have the time. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time.

Negative:???? It's sad. It's not evenly written. It's cheap-looking. The editing is messy, the music is irritating... There's so much wrong with this and I just don't care! Lee Joon Gi smiles at IU and I'm a puddle and none of the bad things matter!

Overall: I think it’s a bit hard to pitch this show to a new watcher or try to analyze it with any clarity because it’s one of those shows that either touches you emotionally and then you’re willing to ignore the messy script, the bad acting and the terrible production or it doesn’t and suddenly everything wrong with it becomes relevant.
I just think the show is worth a watch because if it does connect with you, then chances are it’s going to be a show you won’t forget. Like ever. I honestly feel haunted by the story of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Like I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how it could be analyzed through this theory or that, or just what the point was? Why? Why did it happen like this?!
It might seem like it’s just a cheap reverse harem story (and it is) but there’s something very heartfelt and authentic about it that those who love this show have felt.
It’s an acquired taste but if you are in doubt and you’re not sure if you should watch it or if the first five episodes turned you off, then I’m here to tell you it’s worth giving a chance to. Just lower your expectations and let yourself get carried away by the emotion.

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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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Story: 9/10
So the story was nearly a 10, however, there could have been more explanation on the "How" and "Why" Go Ha Jin ended up as Hae Soo and what the eclipse had to do with the whole situation (Which would also clear up the ending somewhat). I personally didn't mind the ending, if only because it meant hope. I think it made real Hae Soo's main quest of "changing history"
I know some people stop liking a drama if they don't understand or want answers, but I like to fully put myself in to what i'm watching - if I enjoy it until the end (leaving aside my complaints) then it did a good job, but if you can't get past the inconsistency then it did a bad job. This did a good job at keeping me captivated and to me that means the Drama served its purpose to entertain. Even if you find holes in the story its told well enough for you to keep going. I've seen that people don't like the relationship progression but to me its more real. The feelings are raw and confusing. They aren't black and white. The whole drama and its relationships are not fairy-tail ones - they hurt and they try to persevere.

Acting: 10
I've now seen many dramas, some cringy and some not. I think each cast member brought a good personality to the characters. I cared about some and hated others. That is all you can hope for, if you dont feel anything for the character at all I think the acting wasn't worth it. I ended up crying a lot.

Music: 9
There wasn't any one particular song that stood out to me, the music was good but nothing that made me go "Wow I want to download this". Perhaps I was focused too much on watching that I wasn't hearing it. Although perhaps thats a good thing, you can't have music too overpowering for a story like this - and sometimes the way that the drama repeats the same powerful song every episode annoys me.

Rewatch: 10
I would watch this again to focus on details I may have missed the first time. Side characters, subtle hints or actions, try to answer some questions I asked by taking what I know from the first watch and fill in the pieces.

Worth the watch, definitely, It's very emotional and raw. The music doesn't overpower the story and distract you from the very intense and fast paced lives of Hae Soo and the princes.

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