'Youth must bravely face trials on their journey of growth'
This is not a love story. This is the story of two teenagers navigating their struggles to discover their morals and find solace in each other's company. This is a beautiful depiction of youth, culture, and Asian family dynamics. It'll make you scream at the screen, and you'll often find yourself crying. For some people, this will hit too close to home as an Asian girl. The struggles that we all have faced, small or large, at some point in our teenage life, the society we all have hated at some point in our lives, it's beautiful to watch it get recognition. This feeling that we must face trials and it will be okay, growing up is scary, and we don't know anything, but we will get through it.Qiao Qing yu, a girl always following the rules, finds herself at a crossroads when the reason behind her sister's death is revealed. We see her slowly come out of her cage, get injured, and cower because it's convenient to stay where we are, never get hurt, and never hurt anyone. She doesn't want to grow up because she doesn't want to be like the adults she has seen.
Ming Sheng, a kind boy but always misunderstood, who hides behind his mask of arrogance, never quite finds his footing in the world. Suffering from his own trauma, he becomes brave for someone else. He silently helps Qiao Qin yu, never questioning her, never telling her how much he has done for her. His presence is loud enough for Qinyu's silent world. Together, they battle the world, each with their own ghosts, and emerge as winners. Their love story is ever present in the whole drama, but only comes to completion in the last episode. And that was enough for the hopeless romantic in me.
This drama is for the girls who have been wronged by their families or society, the ones with unhealed trauma, the ones who never wanted to grow up, the ones who raised themselves. Welcome to the journey. You can do this! Fighting!
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Strong female lead leads her way through the moonlight and finds the moon on the way
This drama is my first historical/costume drama that I've FINISHED. I've tried watching a lot of them but never was able to finish them. In terms of story and chemistry this drama is unlike what I've seen before and because of that I was obliged to finish this, and I did end up loving it.Zhou ye deserves her acting flowers, portraying a powerful general who had to pretend to be a man in a man's world. She is independent, hard working and persistent. She had been masked, blinded and then killed. But in her heart, at night the moon would know her real face, her real identity, her real beauty. On the way to her finding her real identity she finds her moon, clothed in a childhood friend's cloak and basked in a general's suit. Together they reach their goals. The younger son who shoulders the family's reputation, brings recognition back to his father's grave. The daughter who was never treated like one, earned her much deserved title back to her real name. The commander who never smiles much and the soldier who makes him smile, together they love each other, never throwing away each other's potential, and never shadowing the other's light.
Cheng Lei couldn't have portrayed Xiao dudu anymore perfect than he already did. His eyes, minuscule expressions and soft smile captured the love of a stern commander softening for a female general. Xiao Jue never felt threatened by He yan, never tried to dim her light, rather have always been in awe of her capabilities. Just like the moon, his love is soft, persistent, and just there, shining and guiding her path without her knowing.
The drama was beautifully portrayed, from fight sequences to soft moments, everything was choreographed perfectly. Honestly speaking, I'd never forget Xiao dudu and He Yan, they'd forever be in my heart. And strangely whenever I'd look up at the moon I'd always remember He Yan's terrible embroidered circle on the back of the pouch.
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Right person wrong time
This movie is the fictional tale of a trope that is quite usual in real life that is "right person wrong time". Although Shu Yan and Yu Xuan were able to overcome their curse of time, it doesn't quite happen in real life.Upon first glace, the story of this movie seems like a typical time travel story, where both the partners try to save each other, sometimes even sacrificing themselves. However, after a while, I had understood the moral, a little bit. The universe is always pushing people in and out. As much as it is fate, it is also divine timing of events that results in key defining moments of one's life.
For Shu Yan and Yu Xuan it was death. If they stayed together, they'd fall to their deaths. However, when they met at a certain time after they usually did, it was divine timing. Both of them had achieved something that they wouldn't have otherwise. They were able to overcome their demise by wishing on candles.
The movie was executed perfectly. The message was vague but understandable. Albeit a little sad, but thought provoking. I was happy Shu Yan and Yu Xuan got their happy ending as not many couples get it in the real universe. As they say, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
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