News 
This review may contain spoilers
Unmissable heartrending story with amazing acting and fantastic arcs...
This particular serial is a darling for many Kdrama fans who live in false hope that a season 2 will somehow happen. Many have been waiting for years, which in itself can tell a potential viewer how valued and appreciated this is.I am told that Korean viewers did not love it as much as international fans did. It is unclear why.
The story is beautifully told, there is a wonderful balance of pathos, complexity, light relief and tragedy to make any true Kdrama fan happy. The story is slightly complex with many strands and an ensemble cast who have all done a stellar job. The tragic undertones and foreshadowing are always part of the storytelling. Yet it is a joy and a pleasure to watch.
Despite the Chinese vaersion having more than 35 episodes while this was 20 episodes, I found the pace appropriate and suspect I would have found more episodes tedious. The episodes were sharp and focused and moved forward the tale effectively. We are introduced to the backstory of Wang So the protagonist with dramatic flair, our hero and heroine meet in a suitably dramatic fashion, and our heroine struggles but learns to adjust to the new world she finds herself in. As happens in the best Kdramas, the leads are not the only ones with a great story, the other characters have equally deep and interesting story lines that progress. The change of tone and the journey of key characters from light hearted young people with nothing to worry them to being in the midst of battles of life and death, and political chess games that can and do cause death was riveting. In the end, the natural progression of life in a court takes place and it is a bitter sweet ending.
The final denouement does close the loops and show how the events of the story have changed our key characters and the world around them. It also tantalises the viewers with an open ending that shows future possibilities.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love, Power, and Tragedy Beneath the Crown
A sweeping historical romance that balances political intrigue, heartbreak, and destiny, Moon Lovers pulls you into the brutal world of royal power struggles while weaving a deeply emotional love story. The drama shines in its exploration of ambition, betrayal, and the heavy cost of the throne. The shifting dynamics among the princes are gripping, especially as trust turns into rivalry and strategy overtakes emotion.The romance is intentionally frustrating at times, driven by misunderstandings, timing, and prophecy. This adds to the tragedy rather than weakening it. The 4th Prince’s emotional arc is the most powerful...his transformation from rejected royal to feared ruler is both painful and compelling. The final episodes deliver devastating emotional weight, with a conclusion that lingers long after the screen fades to black.
The soundtrack elevates every major moment with haunting beauty, and the visual tone complements the melancholy atmosphere. IU brings emotional vulnerability to her role, embodying fragility and quiet resilience.
While the drama occasionally feels emotionally sparse in its detailing between major events, its core tragedy and performances make it unforgettable.
Was this review helpful to you?
A story that belongs to its time
I thought Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was a good drama for 2016, but watching it in 2026, I can’t say I found it extraordinary and so tragic as I initially thought.First of all, I was a little surprised by all the comments saying that all died. They didn’t. And honestly, considering the struggle for the throne, deaths among the princes are not that surprising, especially in a historical drama. I have watched Asian dramas that were much more violent and filled with far more hatred.
For me, the love story between Hae Soo and the 8th Prince, Wook, was much better developed and had much more chemistry. Their relationship felt natural, emotional and romantic. In comparison, I didn’t really feel that same chemistry between Hae Soo and the 4th Prince, Wang So. We know that he was constantly trying to protect her, and their relationship was important to the story, but somehow I didn’t feel enough romance between them. I kept waiting for that deeper emotional connection to really come through.
That said, I think the drama did a good job of trying to portray the reality of those times. The competition for the throne, the political conflicts and the deaths are part of the world the story is trying to show. It isn’t necessarily a story about endless hatred or violence, but rather about people caught in a brutal political reality.
I actually avoided watching this drama for a long time because of the reviews. I had the impression that it would be overwhelmingly sad and depressing. In the end, I found it to be more of a story about a certain reality, with many beautiful moments along the way — especially Hae Soo’s relationships with the princes and the memories they created together.
I also have to mention IU. I think she played Hae Soo perfectly. The character suited her incredibly well: beautiful, playful, kind, warm-hearted and compassionate. It’s easy to understand why so many men were drawn to her.
Overall, I think Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was a drama that excelled in its time and clearly left a strong impression on viewers. But watching it now, in 2026, I would personally rate it as a good drama rather than an extraordinary one.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I found Haesu stupid, she did not act like a modern women, her falling in love with Wook was understandable but I hated Wook for it, like how can he fall in love with his sick wife's cousin, after he started plotting I wanted him to die really bad. I really liked So but I hated that he changed after becoming king most probably because of his trauma, but he shouldn't have listened and married Haesu, even he changed like Wook, he thought if he closed his eyes then Haesu will be better.I almost cried when Eun and his wife were killed, I had really liked them from the start. But I did not understand why Woo hee had to die, I really wanted her to end up with baekha, he lost both his loves.
I really like Jung as a lover, I thought he would jeopardize Haesu and So's relationship but he did no such thing and respected Haesu, so like God's gift Haesu died in his arms and his wife and he raised Haesu's daughter. He was a perfect lover unlike So and Wook who thought about forcing their love on her.
Was this review helpful to you?
They should add more conflicts and plot
This drama should have a long story if they make it solid. It's 20 episodes with 1 hour-long per episode. That should be more than enough to extend the plot.Unfortunately, they put too much romance scenes and waste the time on it. I hate it when it's actually not necessary but they keep putting it. But, it's not that bad since the "overloaded" romance scenes suit the drama well --> Because of 'love' and wanna monopolize it, they dare to fight with their brothers and spilling the blood for a throne.
It's history-based drama and worth to watch to help you understand a little bit of history of Korea in the Goryeo era.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love is just a word if actions contradict it
5 years after seeing Moon Lovers for the first time and having seen it for the 5th time this year, I'm taking my pen to this review.I'm always a bit wary when I approach historical dramas as I often get stuck on the whiny heroines, the stereotypical male lead or the slow pace of the plot. This time the drama blew me away with its plot, the acting (Kang Ha Neul is amazing) and by its ending.
Moon Lovers is a poignant story of a sibling who loves each other despite the weight of their title and power struggle, but ultimately self-destructs without concession or mercy.
The opening is done in a rather light but not classic way. Hae-soo arrives straight from the 21st century in the heart of the Wang dynasty. In the first few episodes she introduces us to the 14 princes. There are the good guys without an ounce of malice, we come to like them easily. There are the bad guys, the ones who don't hide it, the ones we won't like at any time and that we curse until the fifth generation. Then there are the others, the ones we struggle to read, the ones we would love or hate, but who always manage to leave us hesitating.
In this whirlwind of contradictory feelings towards all this little world, the plots, the manipulations, the betrayals and the wounds fly, leaving us no respite and immersing us even more in their duel, in their loves.
Heads fall one after the other. Some in vain and it's frustrating, most to save someone and others to make the main characters grow.
For my part, I was 100% taken in by this scenario. It's not the most dynamic drama you'll ever see, there's very little action but you'll be made to read into each of the characters over and over again and it's enjoyable because there's never a dull moment. All the action has its place at the right time.
Emotionally it was hard, but I got over it at least until the most innocent, candid, lovable character ever fell unfairly. I felt like flaying the whole sibling. Without realising it, I had in turn been a victim of these manipulations, encouraged by insidious feelings that I had been forced to feel, that's the talent of the scriptwriter.
When I got to this point, I realised that this drama had no limits, no fears. That I would not come out of it unscathed, that it was already too late for that anyway. It was in my blood.
The end came and I have to admit that I shed my tears and yet I am usually the unflappable type. I suffered with them, sometimes because the emotions they offered were magical, because I anticipated the inevitable separation, the redemption (Wang Soo, I hate you as much as I love you)
The ending is as good as the drama, as good as what it offered us in terms of emotional rollercoaster. A painful and tortured ending, but so right, yes the right word is right.
And at the very last minute of this drama (after having seen it 5 times) I realised the excellence of the acting of the main actors. The skill with which some of them interpreted their characters. The subtleties they put into it.
Of the cast, the one I remember the most is Kang Ha-neul, the interpreter of the 8th prince Wang Wook. For me, he is the one who best presents the different facets of his personality, he is the wolf in the sheepfold.
IU was able to make the heroine the kind of woman I love. Strong despite flaws that don't prevent her from standing her ground. A feat, even more so in the middle of a drama where she evolves in a man's world.
Lee Joon-gi who plays Wang So (4th prince) even if he was not as excellent as in The King and The Clown, blew me away with his look that can make you love him or hate him and his smile when his character deigns to do so is to die for.
I close by saying that I recommend this drama to all fans of highly psychological and twisted plots. From my point of view, even if it means taking the risk of breaking your heart, this drama is a must-see. I think that like me, you will come out of it with this heavy and somewhat negative weight on your chest, while paradoxically all you will find to say about it will be positive. That's Moon Lovers a game of contradictions and manipulations that doesn't even stop after the last episode!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Captivating in spite of its flaws
Romance was touching and I appreciated the way it developed without the usual drawn out hidden feelings that other dramas like to use. One of the sweetest moments for me was the walk in the snow. Something different with a little extra touch to hint at the budding romance.I found myself reading the synopsis of each episode while waiting for the advertisements to finish playing - something I have never done before as I prefer to let the drama unfold without spoilers. So many twists and turns that I ended up reading all the synopsises ahead of time! Strangely though, it didn’t spoil the drama too much for me but helped warn me of impending heartaches.
The storyline for the 2 main romances was strong. The falling out of love / separation reasons were well written and did not involve jealousy or love triangles. Unfortunately, the non-romantic plots were not very strong.
I love period dramas for their costumes so was a bit disappointed with this drama - the gauzy material for the male costumes did not sit well with me as with the last Emperor’s costume which looked too big for him. Music was also a miss at times with English lyrics and modern beats. While the 4th Prince’s acting was good, he didn’t really embody a ML persona that I envisioned for this drama. The 3rd and 8th Prince were better for me in terms of looks and physique. My last gripe is how the ending looked like it was set up for a second season.
A decent watch if you’re more interested in the romance and how it changes over time.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I've watched it twice now... and here's my honest opinion
The first time I watched this drama I was in year 10, now I'm in my second semester of university. The first time I watched it, I thought it was an alright drama ( the making, cast etc.), nothing exceptional. However the overall drama left me deeply affected. At that time, I don't think I was suited to watch a heavy, emotional and mature drama such as this to be honest. The drama impacted me in such a way that I was sad for weeks and then I no longer wanted to think about it and be sad. So I sort of just tried to forget it existed. I'm specially sensitive, but still, being this moved by a drama as you can tell, is not usual and speaks volumes about the quality about the drama. The way it ended however, I couldn't really come to grips with. I was one hundred percent expecting a fairy tale ending, And I think not getting one, really distrubed me. And I'm not being dramatic or exaggerating unfortunatley. I felt like I really needed closure due to becoming so emotionally attached to this dramaSo this year in yet another lockdown I decided to do something about it. I decided to watch season 2.
The original producers act like this drama was a bif flop due to the ratings in korea, so of course there's not actually a season 2. However, the chinese season 2 was there. The original story was sourced from a multi part book series by a chinese author and was adapted in to two seasons of ( luke warm quality might I add) of shows bringing the novel to life in China. I was not excepting much, after all the korean one was made 5 years later with writers who were more experienced with how to appease a broader, more critical audience. It only made sense the chinese one would not live up. Still, I wanted to experience the characters finding happiness after being reborn. But my god, the chinese drama had such little impact. I felt very neutral watching it, not really engaging with the characters or the badly paced plot. But it did give the sudden, unavoidable urge to rewatch Moon Lovers. I really really felt like rewatching the korean one after seeing how underwhelming the chinese one was.
To be honest , I was scared to rewatch moon lovers. It affected me too much emotionally ( I didn't want be sad all over again). But I put on my big girl pants and off I went. I watched epsiode 1 to 20 with absolutely no skips or lack of attention ( unlike the first one where my attention occassionaly drifted away during the political bits). And now I can conclude this show is a cinematic master piece. The first time I was not able to grasp the sheer perfection of this drama because I did not focus on the plot truly. A lot of things happen at the same time, and so it distracted me as I did not want to pay this much attention in between school and homework. But after truly and clearly seeing this drama, I realised how to beautiful this drama was. It truly lingers with you not matter how many times you watch it. I cannot think of a bad thing to say about the making. I can even say that after watching it a second time, the ending hurt me a little less.
I think it's very much worth watching this drama, if you're willing to truly give your attention to it. It has a lot of power and control over it's viewers and I think that's very special for a drama. I could not reccommend this drama enough to a person who has the ability to watch this with true focus.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The plot is very typical, a girl time travels to the past and gets involved with the kingdom and people over there. Even after being warned, she interferes in their lives and thus causes a chaos. After her death she returns to the present only to know everything she thought of as a dream was actually real.Now coming to our actors, IU is one of those idols who can act and has done a fantastic job here. There were variations to her character, from bubbly to serious to cute. LJG, I guess the name is enough. His acting, dialogue delivery, everything was mesmerizing. I've become a big fan of him after this. All the supporting actors have played their role well.
Music is too good. All the Ost can be played on loop for hours. I wish the makers plan for 2nd season. This season's ending was too sad. I want HS and WS to be together in future.
Was this review helpful to you?
OST-
It didn't really strike me, like some, but it wasn't lacking much!
ACTING-
IU's acting is really good especially back when she was only like 21 or 22. She greatly delivered a girl from 21st century discovering the ancient times. The fear she portrayed and cuteness was what struck me the most. The male leads acting was good too, the coldness was really present. I got scared at times, but soft at times when he was cold yet caring towards MC. The other prince's were great as well, and I was proud of Baekhyun for doing a great job!
PLOT-
It's a heartbreaking plot, they deliberately make you love everyone and then strike you with that history lesson. I was heartbroken when someone died, no matter how minor they were. The romance was great, and sad at the same time, especially at the ending. What made me smile through this sad drama, was the MC slipping to her 21st roots, making everyone weirded out. When I finished the drama I clapped, even tho there was no need to.
Was this review helpful to you?
This isn't a drama that you need a reason to watch... Just, watch it and feel it....
This drama is actually the top launch..... hats off to the cast and crew who dedicated their hard work to this drama...The screen play was soo amazing. and it never made me , who always forward the scenes to watch it quickly , to fastforward it.This drama made me laugh and cry along with it....It also made me regret for not watching it 1st when it came on my recommendation...>< I just wish for the second part to be released...though I know its not possible....
Yet let me hope it happens some day... and I'm also waiting for Lee Joon Gi's next work...
#waitingffor2ndpart #moonlovers2 #scarletheartryeo2
Was this review helpful to you?
