QAS

Moon Lovers has a large cast with only twenty episodes to tell the story of the first four Kings of Goryeo. The historical timeline is over a span of years, so there are many time jumps (which usually happens in the final episode of a K-drama). Lee Joon Ki is the most experienced actor among the actors playing princes, princess and Hae Soo. The minor princes weave in and out of the episodes, with one to three scenes (sometimes no scene). Overall, the drama holds your attention. Comparison to the Chinese version has been made constantly, but the Goryeo royalty was real history, with the time travel included, to add some mystery and intrigue to the plot.

MLSHR was a remarkable success, having grasped the attention of viewers worldwide. The acting, plot, scenic design and costume design surpassed expectations. The actors did a fine job, portraying the members of the dysfunctional royal family. Lee Joon Ki is the only actor who could pull off, the complex Wang So role, and he subsequently gained more fans globally. Lee Ji Eun and Kim Sung-Kyun portrayed the satellite characters effectively. A special nod to Hong Jong-Hyun for his excellent performance as the villain Prince Wang Yo. My pet peeves were the numerous close-ups and the scene editing. The close-up meant that the actor interfaced with an impersonal camera lens instead of a person. The editing was choppy at times. It was distracting when two scenes were intercut, and the flow of conversation was interrupted.