Love in the Moonlight

I have been meaning to write a comment ever since I finished this drama. I was really excited to watch this one and was anticipating a drama that would bring something different and new to the table.
It got of to a really good start, it was interesting to follow Ra Ons daily struggles and her interactions with the prince.
Since this drama, Park Bo Geum has really grown in my eyes, his acting was great. Sadly, I cannot say the same thing about Kim Yu Jeong. Maybe it's due to her young age but, especially in the latter part of the drama, I found her acting a bit stiff.

I think the ending left us with some loose ends, for example;
what happened to Cha Tae Hyeon and that lady that was seen in the first episode? The way it was portrayed made me think it was something major plotwise. That part has left me very confused since there doesn't seem to come a sequel.

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This is not the first time I watch Park Bo Gum in a Korean Drama. But this is the first time I focused and paid attention to his acting ability. He is really great, I love the little side of humor he put in playing this character. Kim Yoo Jung did well in this drama. I admit that this Korean China had some twists all throughout the drama which I enjoyed. Jung Jin Young, what a fine-looking young man he is with perfect heart shape lips. Then there is Kwak Dong Yeon fine as he wants to be. I was happy! Don't worry, I paid attention to the storyline and I enjoyed it. The visuals and the historic set were awesome. The fighting was not so gory but good. Thank goodness! I didn't really pay attention to the music but only focused on the storyline. Thank you to all who made this story come to life.

Update: My 2nd time watching it and I had to upgrade the rating to 10. I so loved this drama after watching it a 2nd time... and there will probably be a 3rd time.

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Do not miss & rewatch

Most reviews here regardless of ratings are essentially true to some point. End result is it is very much worth the time to watch.
Just like any Korean drama series that start funny and light, towards the middle the heavy drama starts until the end.
Bogum truthfully did well here and lead cast has awesome chemistry that I’m wishing for another series with both of them.
There are so many casts who did an awesome job that without their role, I don’t think this would have ended up with a great rating. Kwak Dong Yeon and Jung Jin Young, then Byung Yeon was so talented played the role of a man of few words, his was the only character made me emotional.
Kudos to the director and production team for this exemplary series. Wouldn’t it be nice if they add another season? Hah! My wishful thinking.

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Great chemistry and cast!

This drama really surprised me! I started watching it after reading glowing recommendations on Reddit and because I wanted to see what the fuss is about. Phenomenal performances and chemistry between the leads! Park Bo Gum is simply wow! He can really emote with his eyes and his character is both funny and intense. In fact, the entire cast in this drama is quite impressive!

Bo Gum's dynamic with the female lead (Kim Yoo Jung) is so beautiful and moving. I'm a sucker for gender bender dramas, though I admit I had to suspend my disbelief A LOT while watching because the female lead DOES NOT pass as a male in any shape or form. She's very feminine in speech and mannerisms, so it's silly that the other characters in the drama are fooled by her disguise. It bothered me at first, but the actress is so expressive that I simply stopped thinking of the gender bender as an important element of the plot.

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casting is amazing

It's a comedy-drama production, sometimes entertaining and sometimes emotional. The casting of the crown prince and Ra-on is ideal. I was convinced by their chemistry. Additionally, the rest of the casting was excellent. My favorite is Kim Byung-yeon. Kwak Dong-yeon looks great and does his role very well. I really enjoyed watching him. I finished it in about four days. It's been one of my favorite dramas lately, after My Demon. Kim Yo-jung is a very beautiful woman and actress. She did a great job in both dramas. Park Bo-gum is very likeable. This is the first time I've seen one of her works. I think I'll watch the Netflix series that came out this year, too.

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Decently cute crossdressing with handsome male lead but predictable/slow storyline halfway through

TLDR; Decently cute drama that's not amazing but not terrible either. Wouldn't rewatch again since I believe there's better dramas out there but glad I got to see PBG's acting for the first time. If you're looking for something with GOOD romance look elsewhere but if you like a side of romance then this is for you.

Acting: Park Bo Gum does a good job as Crown Prince Lee Young but there was a lack of romantic chemistry between him and Hong Ra On in my opinion. Many times throughout the drama they often felt like platonic soulmates rather than romantic ones. Bo Gum delivered his romantic scenes well but Kim Yoo Jung's romantic acting in plenty of scenes could've been much more convincing.

Storyline wise: Drama was interesting and had me captivated for the first 5-7 episodes ish but around the halfway mark it became a drag and I got bored while watching it. After this mark I was forcing myself to finish it and there only a few cute or interesting moments per episode. The story got better in the last 3 episodes but I wished the ending had shown more about the future, I think it would've made the ending that much better.

The OST wasn't that memorable and only towards the last few episodes did I like the song choices & scenes.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this drama to people who love romance dramas but it was a cute thing that I'm glad I got to see PBG act in.

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Charming narration of the girl-impersonates-man story

Although the FL’s impersonation of a man was even less successful that that of The King’s Affection, her cute demeanour and impish smile made watching this drama most entertaining.

It was also a big plus that I loved the ML’s charming smile and their chemistry together.

The general story was the typical ones found in other palace dramas as well but this was told well and had little differences to the story that made it very engaging.

One of the earliest Korean period dramas I watched and I am loving the story telling style much more than the average Chinese drama.

A good watch especially if you find the ML handsome and the FL beautiful.

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Saeguk with disney taste

If you like Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung watch it. If you are not that into them you may don't like this drama.

It's a saeguk where everything is too naive. I felt like everything was a bit "poor". The story was ok, the acting was ok.
If you want to watch a saeguk there are a lot of better choices. If you want to watch something similar but better you can just watch Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung.

If you still want to give this one a try you probably won't regret it. As I said, it's ok. Not great, just okay.

PD: Remarcable acting from Kwak Dong Yeon

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weirdly addicting

Honestly this drama is like q predictable like fml is cross dressing as a man and like ml falls in love gets confused if he's gay and decides fk it he dont care. Nothing too special but icl the chemistry from the leads is so good I just keep rewatching <33 The only part that threw me off was the sml like I did NOT care about bro his death did NOTHING for me also
I love a good crossdress drama but FML honestly too pretty for me to think she's a man like I can't even think of her as a twink like that's a woman no matter the angle also ML is practically blind cause wdym you can't recognise this beauty despite constantly being in her face??? ignoring all that its actually a good drama and worth the watch I still recommend it anyone who wants a very light-hearted watch w 0 investments like to kill time
tldr: plot is eh but actors and actresses are like so attractive it helps

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Light & fluffy turned serious & intense

I was hooked from the beginning of this drama! Boy was it so cute, fluffy and charming! However, I swear as soon as we got past the fluffiness of episode 7 and 8, the show got way more serious. I guess their kiss was the climax of the cute part and then that story got side shifted to focus more on Ra-on’s/Eunuch Hong’s situation within the palace.

For a minute I was very confused about the whole boy/girl situation. One minute I would be like, ‘Does he know she’s a girl,’ and the next I was thinking the opposite. Very confusing - anyway, it sorts itself out in the end and the Crown Prince finally realises that she is in fact a girl, and they have the best kiss scene (even though at that point I was still unsure where he stood on the whole ‘was she a boy or girl’ situation).

The later episodes got really intense. Being a period drama, I expected it to be more serious from the very beginning, not so light and fluffy. That’s what drew me in, otherwise I would have struggled to watch this one, but overall it was a pretty decent story and entertaining and interesting so I liked it very much.

It all started to take a turn when more of the palace people became suspicious of the Crown Prince’s relationship with Ra-on/Eunuch Hong.

I did shed a tear when I thought Byeong-yeon had died - and how did he not die might I add? I was glad he remained alive.

It was horrible how Ra-on/Eunuch Hong was pinned as being a traitor just because she is her father’s daughter (who she had not seen in forever!) Heck, she didn’t even know the reason why she had to pretend to be a boy until she was finally reunited with her mother.

I cannot believe that woman abandoned her baby and then even tried to have it killed.

The way this drama wrapped up was so beautiful it made me cry. The two of them in that field of flowers was gorgeous. These are the swoon-worthy moments that melt my heart. Just before that though, the Crown Prince really did sit down on the stairs instead of his throne lmao XD What a man! Trying to breakdown that hierarchy and become one with his people.

The OST is really good - I liked all of the music!

The acting was great, but MY GOD was there a lot of staring - this is a drama pet peeve of mine. Also, there was so much eye acting/acting with the eyes. I don’t know how the actors did it always tearing up. It became one of those things you always notice, like when someone continuously says ‘Um’ during a conversation. Also, shout-out to the little girl who played Princess Yeong-eun. She did such a good job! Very impressed.

Credits to the wardrobe and design team! All of the outfits were so beautiful and looked well made.

I think I would find myself wanting to rewatch the cute scenes of this drama. So heartwarming.

-E

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awesome start, lackluster finish

This drama is so cute, especially Kim You Jung. She was so young in this drama. The first half was a fun watch. The comedy was light and the romance was sweet. Best part was seeing Park Bo Yum's character questioning his sexuality. The two leads had great chemistry. Loved all the scenes they had after they found out her identity. The second half could've been better. It slightly went down hill after her "true" identity was exposed. It suddenly became not so fun anymore. Overall, still a good drama. The music(Ost) was amazing, and the actors did their thing. will definitely watch again

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A Sageuk to Brighten Your Day

Love in the Moonlight is a lighthearted romantic comedy set in the Joseon era. Since it takes place in ancient times, it naturally involves palace politics, yet it never loses its refreshing and breezy tone.

As a beginner in this genre, I was immediately hooked by several elements: from the historical context (costumes and settings unlike anything I’d seen before) to the politics, which I didn't find overwhelming at all. It had just the right amount of tension to keep me excited and help me understand the dynamics of the era, sparking a genuine interest in seeing how the conflicts would be resolved.
This was paired with comedic situations that had me constantly laughing out loud, creating a perfect balance with the friendship—which felt like a warm hug—and a romance that blossomed in such an endearing way.

Characters and Performances

Lee Yeong: I completely fell in love with him. His charisma, loyalty, and even that commanding Crown Prince persona—which drove everyone crazy while hiding a kind heart—captivated me. Park Bo Gum did an excellent job capturing his essence.

Hong Sam Nom / Ra On: She was adorable throughout; she had many funny and sweet scenes. However, I feel like I can’t highlight much more about her character, which is a bit of a shame.

The Supporting Leads: The loyal bodyguard and the lovestruck artist were highlights for me. Beyond being handsome, I thoroughly enjoyed the contrast between the former's tough exterior and the latter's looks of pure adoration.

The Villains: They certainly did their job—they made me feel genuine anger and helplessness.

Final Considerations

From my perspective, while the series features political elements and court conflicts, they probably weren't the most complex or groundbreaking in terms of intrigue and suspense. The story truly shines when it focuses on romance and comedy. It’s best watched with the mindset of enjoying a light dynamic and letting yourself be swept away by the beauty of a different era.

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