Love in the Moonlight

I've been turned into a Park Bo-Gum fangirl

This drama is what you would get if you were to mix a star crossed lovers story, a la Romeo and Juliet—except, you know, with a big social class gap between the two main characters—Mulan, and maybe a little bit of Cinderella, and set it all as a historical drama set in the Joseon period of Korean history.

This was my first foray into the world of sageuks, and I must say, it was an excellent choice.

Had its fair share of laughs as well as angsty, teary moments. I enjoyed it very much, and the leads were absolutely adorable together! Had great chemistry. The supporting characters were also very good.

I would definitely watch it again!

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My new favorite crown prince. Once he fell for her he did not waver.

9/10 os my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean coming of age historical romance with 18, 60 minute episodes. It is based in a web novel entitled “Moonlight Drawn by Clouds”.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.


Synopsis

Crown Prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo-Gum) is awash in palace intrigue as he navigates the dangerous waters of becoming a monarch. His journey is made better with his friendship with Hong Ra-on (Kim Yoo-jung) who serves as one of his few allys and offers loyal friendship. Most servants avoid extensive contact with Lee Yeong as he is mischievious amd has the unpredictable nature of someone whose interest center in music and art. a series of unfortunate events involving debt collectors and being sold into servitude lands Ra-on in the palce seving as a Eunich. Although Ra-on has pretended to be a male her whole life, this turns out to be her most dangerous and complex ruse. As the two start to fall for each other, can Lee Yeong see through Ra-ons guise to discover he is not engaged in a forbidden attraction? Will the reason Ra-on has pretended to be male be what keeps them apart?


Review

This is a must watch for romance fans.  It has that sort of slow burn romance that is so appealing.  One of my favorite tropes is where main guy is hard to win over but once he falls for the girl, that’s it.  You do have to put up with a lot of the typical politics in Josean era historical romance with the infighting for power.  But that just comes with the territory with historical romance.  It is well paced, the romance is believable, and there are enough interesting things that happen and mysterious back story to make it all flow nicely and remain engaging.  I highly recommend it and would watch it again.


Spoilers


It ends happy in the sense that the good overcomes evil and the couple wind up together.  I see what a lot of other reviewers said about it being very rushed.  To watch 18 episodes and only get to see them be fully together in the last tens of minutes is a bit disappointing but not enough to ruin it as a very good, superior even, historical romance.

For the longest time I could not get the total fixation with Park Bo Gum.  He is undeniably handsome and just has this air about him where he seems like a very kind person.  I got that.  But I hadn’t seen anything where his acting was beyond just really good.  But this showed me why people are so invested in him as an actor.  His portrayal of Lee Yeong was nothing short of masterful.  I think he is now my favorite Crown Prince.  He was playful in a spiteful I really hate this position that was thrust on me way.  I liked how loyal his character was to all of those he cared about and the people in general.  Every aspect of his acting was spot on and his expressions and even his body language were perfect for the role. It was such a highlight of his talent for really brining out the unique aspects of a character so that they felt real. Great acting makes you feel thankful.  I am very thankful to him for the magical journey he took me, as a viewer, on with this character. 

 

The only disappointment I had in the way the Lee Young’s character was portrayed was around his relationship with Jo Ha-Yeon (Chae Soo-Bin) who later became the Crown Princess.  Although I think it is true to life in a way, I still did not like it. She falls for him basically because he is handsome and debonaire.  And that is when she starts being clingy and manipulativ, both traits I really dislike in females.  I don’t know why he wasn’t annoyed when she followed him in the marketplace.  I did not like how arrogant and entitled she acted from their first encounter and how she continued to act that way even after she found out who he was.  He doesn’t ask her to accompany him, but she follows him and essentially puts him in more danger trying to protect her while fighting the masked ninjas that attacked them.  I liked when Lee Young was like stay out of my space but then, later, he does a reversal when she manipulates him into believing she is willing to be the Crown Princess just to help him.  As a position/title but not like his spouse.  And he falls for that.  Then she proceeds to invade his space as much as she wishes even bragging that because she is the Crown Princess they just let her in to wait for him.  When he was pushing her away, he clearly told her he was already in love with someone else, but she did not respect that at all.  I do not know why when she screwed up and winded up feeding him poison that didn’t get her deposed.  Like an idiot she guilted him into drinking some tonic they had been trying to get him to drink and he almost dies.  But she didn’t act remorseful about her role at all. And she did not get deposFor the longest time I could not get the total fixation with Park Bo Gum.  He is undeniably handsome and just has this air about him where he seems like a very kind person.  I got that.  But I hadn’t seen anything where his acting was beyond just really good.  But this showed me why people are so invested in him as an actor.  His portrayal of Lee Yeong was nothing short of masterful.  I think he is now my favorite Crown Prince.  He was playful in a spiteful I really hate this position that was thrust on me way.  I liked how loyal his character was to all of those he cared about and the people in general.  Every aspect of his acting was spot on and his expressions and even his body language were perfect for the role. It was such a highlight of his talent for really brining out the unique aspects of a character so that they felt real.

 

The only disappointment I had in the way the Lee Young’s character was portrayed was around his relationship with Jo Ha-Yeon (Chae Soo-Bin) who later became the Crown Princess.  Although I think it is true to life in a way, I still did not like.  She falls for him basically because he is handsome and debonaire.  And that is when she starts being clingy and manipulate, both traits I really dislike in females.  I don’t know why he wasn’t annoyed when she followed him in the marketplace.  I did not like how arrogant and entitled she acted from their first encounter and how she continued to act that way even after she found out who he was.  He doesn’t ask her to accompany him, but she follows him and essentially puts him in more danger trying to protect her while fighting the masked ninjas that attacked them.  I liked when Lee Young was like stay out of my space but then, later, he does a reversal when she manipulates him into believing she is willing to be the Crown Princess just to help him.  As a position/title but not like his spouse.  And he falls for that.  Then she proceeds to invade his space as much as she wishes even bragging that because she is the Crown Princess they just let her in to wait for him.  When he was pushing her away, he clearly told her he was already in love with someone else, but she did not respect that at all.  I do not know why when she screwed up and winded up feeding him poison that didn’t get her deposed.  Like an idiot she guilted him into drinking some tonic they had been trying to get him to drink and he almost dies.  But she didn’t act remorseful about her role at all.  And she did not suffer any repercussions for her role in nearly poisoning the Crown Prince.

 

I don’t think there has been a 2nd male lead I have liked as much as I liked the Kim Yoon Sung (Jung Jinyoung) character in awhile.  Excellent acting.  His love and caring for the main girl was palpable.  The conflict he felt over his loyalty to his friend and family obligations was real.  He did so much for Ra-on and the Crown Prince behind the scenes and never felt the need to get the credit for it.  He was smart, and foiled so many plots.  I loved that character.

 

The other character I completely loved was Kim Bryung-yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon).  He was such an amazing martial artist and swordsman and such a loyal friend.  I was so happy he survived and that it was Yoon Sung that discovered he was still alive. 

 

I have been a fan of Kim Yoo-jung for quite some time. Perhaps it is her youth, but she brings such a whimsical feeling to every role.  When she smiles her whole face just lights up and it makes it so convincing why the men fall for her.  She is an amazing actress, and she was so good in this role.

 

I don’t think there has been a 2nd male lead I have liked as much as I liked the Kim Yoon Sung (Jung Jinyoung) character in awhile.  Excellent acting.  His love and caring for the main girl was palpable.  The conflict he felt over his loyalty to his friend and family obligations was real.  He did so much for Ra-on and the Crown Prince behind the scenes and never felt the need to get the credit for it.  He was smart, and foiled so many plots.  I loved that character.

 

The other character I completely loved was Kim Bryung-yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon).  He was such an amazing martial artist and swordsman and such a loyal friend.  I was so happy he survived and that it was Yoon Sung that discovered he was still alive. 

 

I have been a fan of Kim Yoo-jung for quite some time. Perhaps it is her youth, but she brings such a whimsical feeling to every role.  When she smiles her whole face just lights up and it makes it so convincing why the men fall for her.  She is an amazing actress, and she was so good in this role. 



They showed where Lee Young pardoned Ra-on for her “crime” (which to me is odd crime was basically being born the daughter of a rebel) so that she was able to live normally as a woman.  The Crown Princess basically had their relationship annulled.  So, he is free but there is no indication they will have any kind of public facing permanent relationship.  Knowing those royal positions, at least as they are portrayed in other historical dramas, he would normally have a wife and maybe some consorts or concubines.  But he is changing the rules so we don’t know what that means for him or for their relationship.



Ra-on’s father was supposed to be some super rebel.  Akin to the Star Wars rebels.  But he is seen talking to Kim about watching over ML.  They seem buddy, buddy but there is no clarity around what He supposedly has such dangerous ideology that everyone wants to know where his offspring is.  Some want to use her as a bargaining chip, but they made it seem as if she had some power to reunite and reenergize the rebels behind her.  But then they locate her and all they want to do is put her in hiding.  But not even good hiding.  She has lived her life pretending to be a man because they are looking for a woman.  But now they are looking for a woman that hides as a man and she goes incognito but then continues to hide as a man.  Seems like the best cover would have been as a woman.  And for cripes, change your name.  Don’t go by, in hiding, the very name of the individual they are looking for. 



The dad’s whole mystique became a nothing burger.  They find out he is alive, he has some strong words for the King, talks to the Crown Prince a couple of times, decides CP is how he wants things to be and that’s it. 

 

Huge missed opportunity in my mind to have FL be a strong swordsman super ninja.  In her circumstances, wouldn’t that have made sense?  And it sure would have been more entertaining than watching her stand there while whomever is protecting her is getting absolutely trashed.  I think the most I ever saw her do was kick a sword to the CP.  And she did try to get in front of second guy to block a sword.  But, her typical, was to stand there and just watch.  I mean tackle their legs or something.  You got teeth woman – bit them.  Throw dirt at them.  I don’t care.  But do something other than just watch the battle.  I mean she all but had popcorn. 

 

Why did 2nd guy die?  He was one of my favorite characters.  I wanted to see him join the light side.  Once evil grandpa was gone, he could have joined the CP as a trusted advisor.  But I guess the focus was on fulfilling the prophecy where one of them died young.  But come on, Kim was way more injured and he lived.  That was a bummer.  I really liked him. 

 

And we just don’t get to know about some characters.  Like the Little Princess.  Now that she told her story is she all better?  Talking?  Her boogeyman is now gone.  What about the baby princess?  She was recovered.  How is she doing?  And the fake prince.  What did they do with him?

 

Where did the king go?  ML’s father.  Did he retire?  I mean he doesn’t have a primary wife now.  She was deposed.  Did he finally get with his nice consort that ML liked who had the Little Princess? 



#LoveInTheMoonlight   #MoonlightDrawnByClouds  #ParkBoGum  #KimYooJung  #KwakDongYeon  #ChaeSooBin  #JungJinyoung

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I love it but...

I watched this drama two times already, I used to watch this before but never get to finish... cause I was a kid, the drama is good and the acting is perfect for me! Although I want the politics to be more emphasized than the romance, but that will be dumb because I am watching a romcom in the first place. But, since this is one of the first kdramas I watched and adored, it holds a special place in my heart. I recommend this to people who like female cross-dressing, cute, and kind of cliche romance. It's fun to watch, politics is ok, too. Plus yoo-jung unnie is very pretty!

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I love this drama so so so much❤️ I already rewatched it many times and still get inlove with the drama, worth to watch. I watched this before 2016 and still watching it, first ever kdrama that I got so addicted, the plot is also great and even the visuals of characters. At first I hesitated to watch this drama because it's kind of historical and I'm not into that kind of drama but then when I've watched this drama I've loved it, even though it's already years I felt like for me there's more much they should put on the ending, but nevertheless the drama is so nice.

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Intriguing Politics But Dull Romance

Love in the Moonlight was great when it focused on the political intrigue and the Crown Prince's friendships, but faltered when it came to the romance. Initially I enjoyed the romance between the two, especially as the Crown Prince struggled to understand his growing love for a person of (who he thought) the same sex. It was an emotional, interesting, and layered performance that kept me invested through the first half of the series. As the story moved into the latter half, it became abundantly clear the female lead didn't have much of a personality or anything to do when she was not involved with the Crown Prince and his story. I think the actress was fine (and goodness knows she could stare in the distance and almost cry beautifully), but the writing lacked for her character.

My interest was at its peak when watching the Crown Prince maneuver between his corrupt government officials and his uneasy relationships with his childhood friends. Park Bo Gum did an excellent job moving between all of these aspects of the story, and I am beyond excited to see more of his shows. However, the breakout star for me was Kwak Dong Yeon. Everything I see him in, even when he is a minor character (looking at you Fight For My Way), I love him. Goodness knows, he pulled off the messy ponytail, badass swordmen, and moody man well.

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I don't know where to start, I didn't have that big expectations before watching this and I'm not the kind of pretentious watcher even though I rarely give 10 to a drama, it has to be crazy good for me to do that.

Story: it is childish and most of the time it makes no sense. How can a girl disguise herself as an eunuch and nobody doesn't notice it? 18 episodes are way too much, I think 12 episodes would've been enough and we would've got rid of many filler scenes. The ending made absolutely no sense! The drama was so dragged and you rush the ending like that?

The acting: Park Bo Gum was so good, have to say one of the reasons for watching this was him winning an award and wanting to see why, he was great, he carried this drama. Kim Yoo Jung is an actress I've followed since forever, watching her in so many child roles and now having lead roles is an amazing thing. She's incredibly talented but here unfortunately she didn't shine and I didn't see at all the chemistry with Park Bo Gum, they looked like brother and sister most of the times, it's not because of the age difference, 6 years is nothing, it's just that I didn't feel it. I'm a BANA so seeing Jinyoung made me so happy; I've tried to forget the fact that he's an idol and I've seen him as an actor, he was really good! Wanted more fight scenes with him, he was so badass. I'm looking forward to see him in other dramas.

OST was alright.

3 is my rewatch value because there were some cute moments even if I didn't feel the chemistry and Jinyoung had short but great fight scenes.

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Such a sweet story of first love. ♥️ But melodramatic too.
Okay, this was in the beginning such a sweet story. (No spoilers ahead, just the premise) The girl has really no underlying reason to dress up as a boy. But finding herself recruited to be a eunuch the first alternative is to escape. The second one is to fail the tests and be kicked out. But "the flower scholar", the only person she knows at the palace find her amusing and wants her to stay so he keeps helping/sabotaging her efforts and therefore she's stuck in boys clothing at the palace. A sweet drama begins with a little palace intrigue thrown into it and love of course.
But then.... BAM... I was hit in the head with more sadness and melodrama I was expecting. I usually never watches anything too sad/melodramatic because of personal reasons. But it ends well and when I'm writing this, several months after I watched the whole drama, I don't have any bad feelings to it or any scenes that still makes me upset. So that gives me the conclusion that the dramas level of angst are probably okay for most people.

The actors are absolutely wonderful. Park Bo Gum as the crown prince hypnotized me with every move he did and every smile was like arrows trough my heart. This is the first of his dramas I've seen and he's really a charismatic actor that oozes sincerity in his acting. The kind of actor you go: "-Wait what, was he in that drama, are you sure?" Just because you were so convinced of the character that you forgot the actor playing it.
Kim Yoo Jung was obviously good as the female lead, she shines in every work she does. She is also one of those actors that work with everything she has and never feels stuffy or weird.
Their chemistry makes me hope for another drama with them.

I would recommend this drama and I have rewatched the cute parts several times. They still get to me because they are so pure and sweet

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Worth watching ❤️

There are no words for Kim Yoojung's beauty. Park Bogum was born to be royalty!

the visuals aside, the direction, acting, music - all of it grand and top-notch!!

The last three episodes, especially, were exceptional.

sad for jinyoung's character but this whole cast is sooo wholesome and i loved them and their bond in Youth MT and the Seasons where Bogum was hosting. The bond which lasts after almost 10 yrs comes through very beautifully onscreen too in the drama.

Had a few episodes which dragged in the middle, could have sped up for plot, but tis a kbs saguek! should expect as much.

I loved the last three episodes sooo much, and binged without sleep, that I'm ready to let go of every other shortfalls. It ended so beautifully, especially with our beautiful leads in the flower field MUAH. what a sight to sore eyes!

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Romantic love story

The drama in question has definitely sparked some mixed reactions among viewers. While some have hailed it as a masterpiece, others have been critical of the age gap between the female and male leads, which spans six years. Personally, I prefer to watch a show first and then read comments afterward, so as not to be influenced by the opinions of others.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The actors were fantastic and their chemistry was palpable. While Korean dramas tend to be slightly less conservative than their Chinese counterparts, I wasn't taken aback by the limited displays of affection, including a handful of hugs, a few instances of hand-holding, and a couple of closed-lips kisses. I'm more shocked when I see young actresses portraying prostitutes or older actresses playing characters that are much younger than their actual age.

In many dramas, we have seen the depiction of a forbidden love between two men, which eventually leads to a happy ending when one of them transforms into a woman. This is a plot that has been explored in both Chinese and Korean dramas, and I have personally enjoyed watching it when it is executed with emotional depth and complexity in both of the characters. One such drama that stands out in my mind as a beautiful love story is "Love in Moonlight." The way the story unfolds, with its intricacies and layers, is very well played. I can't help but be drawn in by the chemistry between the characters and the depth of their emotions. In romantic relationships, it's quite common to experience a variety of obstacles before reaching a happy ending. In fact, the more challenges the couple faces together, the stronger their bond can become. These bumps in the road can come in many forms, such as miscommunication, misunderstandings, disagreements, or external factors that put pressure on the relationship. However, overcoming these obstacles can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other, and ultimately a stronger and more fulfilling relationship.

The drama I watched did a great job of delivering the romance I was hoping for. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the entire show. The plot was engaging and kept me invested in the story, and the writing was top-notch. Overall, it was a great viewing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic drama to watch.

The age difference between the lead characters in a drama is a subjective matter. In my case, I had no idea about the age of the characters while watching the show and assumed that they were of similar ages. For me, both of them were young adults, and surprisingly, I was taken aback to see viewers being shocked about the age difference. I have seen worse cases in other dramas where actors in their 40s are paired with actresses in their early twenties. Therefore, the age gap of 16 to 22 years old, which I came to know after reading comments, was puzzling, considering that the only issue was a closed-lip kiss and a few hugs. The love depicted in the show was pure and romantic, which could have been portrayed by an actress even at the age of 16 years old. It is worth mentioning that historically, girls were considered ready for marriage at the age of 15, and in some countries, even younger.

I must say, I enjoyed Park Bo Gum as the main character. He played the role of a prince who was bound by strict traditions but was trying to break free and find a way to love the person he wanted while also fulfilling his duties as prince and future king of his country. He did a great job of making the character's struggles and conflicts seem real and convincing.

I have to admit that Kim You Jung's character in the drama was a bit frustrating. She kept rejecting the protagonist all the time, and her role seemed one-dimensional. She loved the protagonist but couldn't be with him, and loved him but didn't want him to touch her. The few times she allowed herself to show her feelings were great, but they were too rare.

While the storyline isn't particularly groundbreaking - featuring a prince, a woman disguised as a man, villainous ministers, and two men vying for the affections of the same woman - it was still highly enjoyable. The love story was heartwarming, and the script was engaging. The casting was also spot-on, with each actor bringing their character to life in a captivating way.

All in all, I thought this was a great drama and I would definitely watch it again in the future.

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After watching many dark shows, I was in need of something fluffy and fun. So, when Netflix added Love in the Moonlight I thought it was the perfect time to finally dip my toes into another period piece. Sadly, this drama left me feeling underwhelmed. It was way too fluffy while nothing much happened storyline-wise. Only the last two episodes made me feel a bit excited and emotional, but it was ruined by the rushed and disappointing ending. This drama also shows a trope that I really dislike: the Damsel in Distress. It would be much more interesting if Ra-on wasn’t crying in a corner while men were throwing their swords around!

One of the strengths of this drama is its supporting characters, such as Byung Yeon and Princess Myun Geun. But why don’t they get more screen time? I couldn’t help wanting more from their storylines. Aside from the King, who gave one of the worst performances I have seen in a long time, the acting is generally strong and helped me complete the show.

I think this drama is perfect for those who enjoy fairy-tale-like romances and melodramas. Unfortunately that’s just not me.

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Love in the Moonlight is not that original. If you have seen any other historical drama then many of the tropes and storylines are the same. The best part of this drama is Park Bo Gum and the action. There is awesome action in this series. Park Bo Gum is a great actor and he proves it in this drama. He can express so much emotion with the slightest of movement. There are scenes in this drama where he is acting with his ears. (Yes you read that right). Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not up to his level. I was especially disappointed by the lead female. Her character started off strong and but by the end was quite weak.

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