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Rushed Ending but worth watching for Xu Kai & Tian Xi Wei
There were other costume dramas released at around the same time when “Moonlit Reunion” aired. This drama felt like it didn’t get a lot of buzz compared to a few others. I waited and hesitated to watch due to its lukewarm reception. But, it’s Xu Kai and I have always been his fan. With low expectations, I embarked on this mystical journey and had a great time!
What I Like:
1. Wu Zhen (played by Tian Xi Wei) - I was pleasantly surprised to have a ‘playgirl’ female lead in a costume drama. I was worried that Wu Zhen is another cute and innocent FL who needs to be saved by her man. Luckily, she’s not and she’s actually the cat lord! Wu Zhen is powerful, independent, smart and forward-thinking. She matches evenly with her man, her supporting man and the villains. I love a strong woman who can dress up prettily, beat up some guys, crave attention from her man yet not be afraid to initiate affection.
2. Main Acting - Xu Kai and Tian Xi Wei are both excellent in this drama. Both of them have very expressive, big eyes. Their eyes can convey so much emotion without words being spoken. Their chemistry is pretty good, though I wouldn’t say excellent. Their romance doesn’t give us a lot of sweetness and fluffiness, but the angst was quite good. Hey, both actors can kiss and I appreciate effort, especially a couple passionate ones.
3. Costumes - Set in the Tang Dynasty, I love the elaborate hair designs and accessories, and the colorful hanfu the women wear. To distinguish the mortal world from the demon world, the characters have a different style in their looks. I love both looks and we don’t have crazy, ugly demon wigs for the cast (maybe just some ugly, alien masks for the unimportant demons). Oh, FL has the sexiest ‘pajamas’ I’ve seen in a costume drama. LOL She always sleeps with bare shoulders and arms.
4. Cinematography - Chang’an is always vibrant and lively, no matter which Chinese drama you are watching. “Moonlit Reunion” did a great job in showing the colorful side of Chang’an with beautiful cinematography. Is it as beautiful as “The Longest Day in Chang’An” or “Luoyang”? Definitely not. But I don’t think this is an S-level drama either.
5. Interesting Plot - I like the plot and all the side stories of the drama. I might have liked a little more time in certain areas, but as a whole, the drama keeps me interested throughout the 38 episodes. For the most part, I like the pacing as well except for the last few episodes.
6. Bromance - I love the fun bromance between ‘Grandfather’ snake and Mei Si. An unlikely friendship developed between them, and I actually would like to see more scenes of them, and also with Liu Tai Zhen (Snake lord).
What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
1. Wu Jun Ting - I love him in all his other roles as the young high schooler or college student who is usually the greenest of flags. I am happy to see him branch out to a very different role here in “Moonlit Reunion”. Having said that, I think there’s room for improvement in his acting when trying to act ‘unkind’. His eyes are too kind and sweet. He wasn’t horrible, but when he’s acting alongside Xu Kai and Tian Xi Wei, he’s not quite up to their level. I hope he continues to try out different roles and improves.
2. Last few episodes - the editing and storytelling are choppy in the last few episodes. I felt like a lot was cut out especially when ML met the former cat lord. Though they try to show us some flashbacks, it doesn’t feel right. The ending was rushed and not properly developed. The great villains are easily defeated. I thought there would be one or two big fights or battles but was sorely disappointed. And hey, where’s the big baby? Never really made an appearance and I was looking forward to meet him.
3. Supporting Cast acting - I love the main acting, but the supporting cast is a mixed bag for me. Yi Da Qian is pretty good as Mei Si, but Wang Jia Yi’s Liu Tai Zhen is a hit-or-misss to me. When she tries to be cold, she appears wooden. The rest of them are good enough but not excellent.
4. Special Effects - The quality is quite inconsistent as there is some really cool CGI, e.g. the tornado of pages for Wu Zi Shu, and a few of the fight scenes and magic. But then, some other scenes do not have the same quality of special effects.
5. Makeup - Tian Xi Wei has beautiful makeup. But I can’t say the same for the male actors. When closeup, you can see the uneven thick white foundation (no smoothing filter on) and whether the guys shave properly. It bugs me everything there's a close up of Xu Kai's handsome face.
Although “Moonlit Reunion” is not a perfect drama, from an entertainment perspective, I had a great time. I like the main leads’ acting, the beautiful costumes and hairstyles, the interesting plot with decent pacing and nice cinematography & music. Despite a rushed ending and other minor criticisms, I am giving this a solid 8.5. I think watching this with low expectations and waiting for the right mood helps with my enjoyment. I’m also glad we have a costume drama that is not a transmigration or a traditional xianxia about the 3 realms. Oh, don't forget there's a small epilogue after the ending credit in the last episode.
Other Random Observations:
1. This drama has the most amicable and sweet royal family.
2. Xu Kai looks tired in a few scenes with big eye bags. 🙁
3. I’ve never seen the flower pinning ceremony at a wedding before.
4. There’s a lot of wind, therefore, a lot of flowy fabric, flowy hair.
5. The kid actors that play the younger versions of the leads are the two of the best. You’ve seen them in many other dramas before, and they are just lovable.
Completed: 10/14/2025 Review #633
What I Like:
1. Wu Zhen (played by Tian Xi Wei) - I was pleasantly surprised to have a ‘playgirl’ female lead in a costume drama. I was worried that Wu Zhen is another cute and innocent FL who needs to be saved by her man. Luckily, she’s not and she’s actually the cat lord! Wu Zhen is powerful, independent, smart and forward-thinking. She matches evenly with her man, her supporting man and the villains. I love a strong woman who can dress up prettily, beat up some guys, crave attention from her man yet not be afraid to initiate affection.
2. Main Acting - Xu Kai and Tian Xi Wei are both excellent in this drama. Both of them have very expressive, big eyes. Their eyes can convey so much emotion without words being spoken. Their chemistry is pretty good, though I wouldn’t say excellent. Their romance doesn’t give us a lot of sweetness and fluffiness, but the angst was quite good. Hey, both actors can kiss and I appreciate effort, especially a couple passionate ones.
3. Costumes - Set in the Tang Dynasty, I love the elaborate hair designs and accessories, and the colorful hanfu the women wear. To distinguish the mortal world from the demon world, the characters have a different style in their looks. I love both looks and we don’t have crazy, ugly demon wigs for the cast (maybe just some ugly, alien masks for the unimportant demons). Oh, FL has the sexiest ‘pajamas’ I’ve seen in a costume drama. LOL She always sleeps with bare shoulders and arms.
4. Cinematography - Chang’an is always vibrant and lively, no matter which Chinese drama you are watching. “Moonlit Reunion” did a great job in showing the colorful side of Chang’an with beautiful cinematography. Is it as beautiful as “The Longest Day in Chang’An” or “Luoyang”? Definitely not. But I don’t think this is an S-level drama either.
5. Interesting Plot - I like the plot and all the side stories of the drama. I might have liked a little more time in certain areas, but as a whole, the drama keeps me interested throughout the 38 episodes. For the most part, I like the pacing as well except for the last few episodes.
6. Bromance - I love the fun bromance between ‘Grandfather’ snake and Mei Si. An unlikely friendship developed between them, and I actually would like to see more scenes of them, and also with Liu Tai Zhen (Snake lord).
What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:
1. Wu Jun Ting - I love him in all his other roles as the young high schooler or college student who is usually the greenest of flags. I am happy to see him branch out to a very different role here in “Moonlit Reunion”. Having said that, I think there’s room for improvement in his acting when trying to act ‘unkind’. His eyes are too kind and sweet. He wasn’t horrible, but when he’s acting alongside Xu Kai and Tian Xi Wei, he’s not quite up to their level. I hope he continues to try out different roles and improves.
2. Last few episodes - the editing and storytelling are choppy in the last few episodes. I felt like a lot was cut out especially when ML met the former cat lord. Though they try to show us some flashbacks, it doesn’t feel right. The ending was rushed and not properly developed. The great villains are easily defeated. I thought there would be one or two big fights or battles but was sorely disappointed. And hey, where’s the big baby? Never really made an appearance and I was looking forward to meet him.
3. Supporting Cast acting - I love the main acting, but the supporting cast is a mixed bag for me. Yi Da Qian is pretty good as Mei Si, but Wang Jia Yi’s Liu Tai Zhen is a hit-or-misss to me. When she tries to be cold, she appears wooden. The rest of them are good enough but not excellent.
4. Special Effects - The quality is quite inconsistent as there is some really cool CGI, e.g. the tornado of pages for Wu Zi Shu, and a few of the fight scenes and magic. But then, some other scenes do not have the same quality of special effects.
5. Makeup - Tian Xi Wei has beautiful makeup. But I can’t say the same for the male actors. When closeup, you can see the uneven thick white foundation (no smoothing filter on) and whether the guys shave properly. It bugs me everything there's a close up of Xu Kai's handsome face.
Although “Moonlit Reunion” is not a perfect drama, from an entertainment perspective, I had a great time. I like the main leads’ acting, the beautiful costumes and hairstyles, the interesting plot with decent pacing and nice cinematography & music. Despite a rushed ending and other minor criticisms, I am giving this a solid 8.5. I think watching this with low expectations and waiting for the right mood helps with my enjoyment. I’m also glad we have a costume drama that is not a transmigration or a traditional xianxia about the 3 realms. Oh, don't forget there's a small epilogue after the ending credit in the last episode.
Other Random Observations:
1. This drama has the most amicable and sweet royal family.
2. Xu Kai looks tired in a few scenes with big eye bags. 🙁
3. I’ve never seen the flower pinning ceremony at a wedding before.
4. There’s a lot of wind, therefore, a lot of flowy fabric, flowy hair.
5. The kid actors that play the younger versions of the leads are the two of the best. You’ve seen them in many other dramas before, and they are just lovable.
Completed: 10/14/2025 Review #633
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