Moonlight

fun until it got too dragging

I initially really enjoyed this drama.

It was fun until it got too dragging.

I liked the female main lead- at first, but her life just revolves around her work. I understant the grind. The love one has for their work and passion. But in this case, it superceeds almost everything in her life. At first it was cute and admirable, but as I kept watching, it became too cringey and dragging. It felt like it was romanticizing how you’re supposed to just take every hit if if means you get the goal. It portrayed how its okay for a company to just use you as a tool, as long as you produce something again, they’ll take you back. It’s aggravating to watch. And the female main lead just allows it all to happen.

I also have an issue with how nothing about this series goes a bit deeper in terms of personal relationship between the leads… For almost all the 36 episodes all she ever talks about with everyone is work. All about the book, manuscripts, ghost writing, etc. I swear, it’s all about books and work. I know that’s the theme, but there should be something deeper in there. It felt superficial. There is nothing in this story that gave the characters some dimension. The male lead has so much character in him, but when he interacts with the female lead it turns bland, because it’s all about work. Nothing fully about them…

Episode 35 is one of my favorite episodes as it was a full circle for the father and son. Out of all the episodes, this one showed heart the most. The essence (challenges and happiness) of parent and child relationship was fully embodied here.

Out of everything they dealth with in this series, the issue with the celebrity is the part I loathed the most. Too much unnecessary drama for a series that’s supposed to focus on the publishing world.

I came here after watching a drama from the same leads, I had high expectations because I gave that drama such high ratings, but this, the story and execution, sadly really disappointed me.

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Nice Doesn’t Mean Weak!

I’m a total book nerd so a love story between a kind-hearted editor + a best-selling author totally piqued my interest when I read the synopsis. And while it was a bit more fluffy than I was expecting I still really enjoyed their story.

I found the FL to be quite relatable (though a bit too “cutesy” at times) with her bubbly personality, enthusiasm for her writers, & optimistic nature. She showed a lot of spunk for a girl who was just starting out in her career. She quickly learns it won’t all be easy since several colleagues seem intent on seeing her fail, but she’s determined to prove that she has what it takes to succeed. To do so, she sets out to sign a contract with a difficult & reluctant author.

I admired her character throughout the show. She faces a lot of challenges as she embarks on this new phase of her life, but she never lets the pressures or failures keep her down. She’s a sweet girl who others often underestimate. But we witness her inner strength when she stands up for herself, for what she believes in, & for her authors multiple times. It was refreshing to see a FL who’s friendly & kinda quirky not let anyone push her around. Like hey - we can be kind A N D strong, ya know? 🙌🏻

The ML matches her energy well as he’s also a combination of strong & dorky. He doesn’t care what others think of him or his writing, he stays true to himself despite any negative reviews. It’s only when his loved ones are threatened later in the show that he considers bending, though they refuse to let him do so. He’s a bit of an eccentric character, whom I found both entertaining & frustrating in equal parts for the first half of the show.
Let me explain: I’m not a fan of the hidden identity trope so that lessened my enjoyment of both him & the drama a bit. Him not admitting to the FL that he’s her online friend (even straight up lying to her about it) was confusing. I didn’t at all understand his reasoning for this. I know he explained it to her later amidst their fighting & reconciliation scenes, but I still don’t get it. IMO, the FL was fully justified in her anger towards him. So while, yes, I did love the ML, he wasn’t without flaws.

Back to his good points, though. He’s not at all lacking in self-confidence, but when it comes to the FL he’s a bit out of his depth. He likes her but he’s not quite sure what to do about it since she likes her online friend (the ML’s jealousy over this “love rival” is funny since he’s knowingly jealous of himself, haha.) His attempts at wooing her are clumsy & tend to have the opposite effect, but eventually his efforts pay off. And we get to experience how adorable this duo is as a couple in love. 🫶🏻

Together, they’re precious. They’re both very loyal & refuse to be swayed by others’ opinions. They don’t give outsiders any room to cause misunderstandings between them (I LOVE how they both handled the delulu girl - she didn’t stand a chance at breaking up these two). They’re fierce in their defense of one another & they make each other/their relationship a top priority. They’re a solid couple with great chemistry. They have lots of cute, swoon worthy moments & many sweet kisses. 🫠

Apart from the greatness of the Leads’ relationship, I also enjoyed the “business” side of things. If you’re a word-lover like me, I think you would as well. Taking a peek into the world of authors & their editors was a fun delight (even if it’s a fictional look in another country). There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes for the books we love to wind up in our hands. I wasn’t at all bored by this aspect of the plot line or the many scenes focusing on their careers. And I liked that the Leads were able to separate their personal relationship & their business dynamic. They handled that very maturely. Same goes for their interactions with colleagues - they never let work negatively impact their friendships. Healthy relationships all around!


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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.19 💋
- Together : ep.21 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BreakUp : Nope 💖

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A dreamy and cute romance!

goodness me, what a delightful watch!

pros:
- wonderfully written characters who developed well as the episodes went on. there was a beautiful balance between romance and plot happenings.
- healthy relationship between the leads. it started off rocky with ZC’s very apparent daddy issues but I love how his character actually grew and matured while still maintaining a playful air! i love the trust and loyalty they had towards each other, with a sprinkle of healthy jealousy. it was so nice to watch <3
- the plot was actually good! i feel that often with cdramas, the romance and story can clash or be incompatible sometimes and i lose interest in one or the other after a bit but i enjoyed both in Moonlight! it was nice seeing some insight into the publishing world
- i loveeeee the beige/warm colour palette and aesthetics. so comforting :)
- the acting was great :D DYX has really nailed the loving gaze (reminds me of Mark Prin’s loving gazes haha) and his kisses are so good lol there were some bits from Esther’s side where i felt was a bit awkward? but overall, everyone did a good job.
- side characters were not jarring and i didn’t feel like they’re screentime was taking away from the leads’ storyline. well written once again!
- the natsume soseki references. ugh will never be soft for ‘the moon is beautiful tonight’ confessions.
- the ending was perfect! beautifully wrapped up :) love it when they end with them becoming a family and not just a wedding :D
- er gou. that’s it. that’s the tweet.

cons:
- i did skip Jiang yu cheng’s storyline and romance, it was so boring to me lol
- it got a *little* draggy near the middle before zhou chuan and chu li got together. they overused the interruption before the leads wanted to say smth trope and it got annoying after a point. nothing a good skip can’t solve though.
- sorry but zhou chuan’s style was horrendous LOL he’s meant 28 year old man they were dressing him like a 12 year old fortnite kids at times (what was with the hoodie + blazer/trench coat combo?!) esther’s styling was nice though.
- i am not a fan of babyish female leads and unfortunately chu li was just that. it took me at least 10 episodes to tolerate the baby voices, sounds, accent and mannerisms. while i still enjoyed her character in the end, i felt like her character could have done without it. it seems she always gets casted in these type of roles since her voice is very scratchy and squeaky and is so unpleasant to listen to when she wails. her acting is pretty good though so it didn’t ruin the drama for me in the end.

overall, a very smooth sailing drama and such a gem! i highly highly recommend it! 9/10

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This drama was good because of the acting. The story had some depth to it as you get to understand more about the publishing world, but I found it difficult to swallow that her male supervisors were such obvious haters of her and trying to sabotage her work. The lead and secondary couples were both good even if I hated that deep red lipstick the secondary FL always wore to look tough/cold. I watched this twice and picked up a few points I missed in the story. The FL needs to just work on lowering her voice - these actresses with their baby voices are kinda irritating but at least overall she comes across smart and hard working. Give this a try

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dropped at episode 27

I was excited about this drama. I meet these actor for the first time in "love game in Easter Land" and I was anticipating seeing them in a modern "set".
This drama started really well. I was looking for something light hearted and funny and I wasnt disappointed until about half way through.

The gimmicks between the characters start to get repetitive, and the cliche are numerous.
The 2 main character are basically in their late 20's but they are so childish. Sure, 2 conventionally attractive people never had a crush... Sure sure.
I know this is light-hearted but it's a pretty unrealistic drama.
This unknown girls starts working as an editor and everything goes so smoothly she lands contract after contract.
The "forced roommate" is a well known trope but why is she supposed to live with a stranger even after she gains some money? No pride girl?
Even after the main conflict arises, she basically forgives him after a week. Girl, you said it yourself, he manipulated you, lied to you and after hearing 2 sweet words you are alright back. He basically drags her into his house against her will.

Speaking about the second couple... They had good moments and bad moments. At episode 26 we don't really know what happened in their past. The editor is really annoying and ready to do anything to save her ass at work. I get she is stuck between a rock and a hard place but she always prioritizes her work even after being so obsessed with the same guy she betrayed. I don't know . Should we root for them or not?

The drama starts with more underlying plot lines that basically disappear after episode one. We are introduced too a nepo baby which is supposed to be a rival to main protagonist... It went nowhere.
The Direcror is supposed to be "scheming" to grab power in the publishing company.... He does very little to get anywhere..
And can we please stop creating "tension" by merely making the FL literally fall into the ml arms... It's not romantic, it's poor writing and this drama overuses this trope.
A Xiang..poor girl. The FL best friend has no plot line at all. She is basically a mail man delivering news to the FL.
Episode 27: I am dropping it. It just too boring.

the FL wouldn't basically go anywhere in life without her boyfriend saying her ass.

I would recommend this drama if you are looking for something not too demanding or full of fluff.

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It’s good but not that good.

Looking at the high rating, I had the urge to watch this series. However, it doesn’t satisfy me enough.

Plot wise, it’s interesting but a bit too draggy and repetitive. Can easily cut some episode to make it compact. Romance and chemistry? Great! The sole reason that keep me going until the last episode. Their relationship are cute and fluffy. Definitely a good serotonin boost. Acting wise? Honestly cringing most of the time listening to FL high tone voice. I don’t mind if she want to baby talk to ML, but she’s also act like a child in front of her older colleagues. Doesn’t seem professional and it annoyed me so much. ML is also childish but at least, he only acted like that around his close ones. Despite FL being child-like behaviour, i still like her character, radiating positive aura and a happy pill. It will be 100% better if she act as a professional during the work setting.

Overall, still enjoyable if you crave for happy couple moments.

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honestly one of the best c-dramas in 2021

note: mandarin is my mother tongue, i speak it almost everyday
long story short if u wanna know if this show is good... i bought all 4 books of the original novel lol... :D

lets start off with the actors shall we?
visuals are OFF THE CHARTS!!! male 1, female 1, male 2 and female 3,, my goodness !!!!!! male and female 1 are the cutsie couple while male and female 2 are the cool and chic couple!! not to mention the 2 girls, they sing so well in real life!!! i recommend GWALLA and ChuLi is Here both by Esther Yu [ChuLi] and Reverse - Ma YinYin [GuBaiZhi] Both guys are smoking hot as well hahahaha

now the story -
unlike what esther yu dramas were always like, this sotry is more on the maturity side, like entering the workforce for the frist time, pursuing dreams and goals. this show is worth to watch because of the meaning of the story and basically how the show progressed and how the characters were portrayed. the main couple being goofy and finding love with each other while the second couple finding their love and passion for each other. so it is right for me/us to say that this show covers everything from different aspects. its like a whole package. story summary that is more in detail: chuli works at a book publishing company of her dreams ever since middle school, she meets her favourite novel writers, zhou chuan and jiang yu cheng respectively, coincidentally both of these writers were best friends since young! zhou chuan and chuli relationship grows steadier and closer as they work on publishing books together and.......living with each other under the same roof! and as for jian yu cheng, he meets his ex again, gu bai zhi and like the latter, they work together on books and also their broken relationship as to ge back together! overall, like ive mentioned, the story is lovely and very whlesome and family oriented as well. oo and honourable mention: er gou!! the doggo of the show hehe

acting skills,
well ding yu xi who played zhou chuan has already captured my dear old mum's heart so what else can i say! as for esther yu and chu li, their personalities are EXACTLY THE SAME! goofy and ambitious, no one can ever take place of acting chu li!!

music -
very nice! my favourites would be ChuLi is Here and NiuNiu! very cute songs!

and of course 10/10 wld rewatch! i even bought all 4 parts of the novels, which are VERY aesthetic. book 1 to book 4 is a spectrum from white to gray to black! :D

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Charming, with a takeaway lesson

Super cute drama, with lots of fluff. Solid acting across the cast. Decent storyline.

Female lead is well done, as you root for her every step of the way. Even though she may act cutesy, you see she is not a dumb girl and she works very hard to advance her career.

Second male lead is super attractive!

The colleagues are the main points of conflict in the drama and while annoying, the plot lines do wrap up by the end of the drama.

The overarching plot about publishing novels is also a refreshing one, and a great setting for a fluffy enjoyable romcom. Highly recommend.

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All Chinese dramas should be like this, so refreshing!

Very refreshing- from the storyline to the production, acting and the music background. All future Chinese dramas should follow its lead, then it can be equivalent to Kdramas :) Very classy and sophisticated drama.

A big shout out to ML Ding Yuxi who played his role REALLY REALLY WELL!! He’s an author who has a hot temper, socially awkward and a coward when it comes to love! 😄👍🏼❤️ His previous dramas were Intense Love (I did not like because I couldn’t stand the actress) and The Romance of Tiger and Rose (which was good but I believe his voice was dubbed). In this one he really shines! 👏🏼👏🏼 He shifted from throwing tantrums, to being in love, to showing sadness and crying all with ease. He had a way of drawing the audience to feel and understand what his character was going through. I especially loved how he dealt with problems and issues he faced, which such class and maturity. The scenes which I particularly loved were when he was facing the ghostwriting issues and wanted to give up- he was holding back his tears in the kitchen; and when he received his award. His facial expressions were so real and deep. I also liked how his character was smart and mature when handling questionable circumstances- e.g asking his friend to accompany him to the hotel room when meeting with Song Xi, and keeping his distance from her and telling her off. Very man!

To me the FL Esther Yu was somewhat less desirable. Some reviewers enjoyed her cuteness and bubbly persona, whereas others found her voice and whining annoying. I am of the opinion of the latter. Yes her voice is very squeaky and high pitched, and she likes to whine- so unfortunately for me I did not enjoy her acting/ character.

The chemistry between both leads was pretty good, kissing scenes were nominal nothing great. I did feel towards the 2nd half it seemed that Zhou Chuan loved her more and was more invested in their relationship. She seemed to brush him off more often and focus on her career. I did enjoy the chemistry and storyline of the 2nd leads, although quite predictable. Their proposal was way better, I mean who goes to walk alone in the streets during New Year’s eve and your boyfriend has to search for you via a tracking app? Just sadddd...

BROMANCE!! This was one of the highlights. :):) The friendship between Zhou Chuan and Jiang Yu Cheng was very admirable, even when they were both chasing the same girl, they didn’t fight or get angry with one another, JYC even confessed in front of ZC! I found that so hilarious and never seen before in any drama! Lol.. love their brotherhood ;)

Music background was also sophisticated and relevant. Songs were alright, nothing really memorable. I did find the story to get draggy towards the middle till the end. They introduced more characters and side storylines, which I skipped. Some plots also became repetitive. I hope that future Chinese dramas could be shorter maybe between 25-30 episodes.

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