Drama Review: Moon Lovers
Synopsis: During a solar eclipse Go Ha Jin ends up hundred years in the past in the Goryeo era. There she falls in love with Wang So, one of the nation’s prince feared by many and rejected by his family.
Cast: Lee Jun Ki, IU, Kang Ha Neul, Ji Soo, Nam Joo Hyuk, Baekhyun, Hong Jong Hyun….
Lee Jun Ki!! It’s probably the one thing that I liked about the show. Lee Jun Ki owned this drama from the first minute to its last and is one of the few reasons I actually tortured myself to finish the drama. His performance was flawless and if he doesn’t get a Daesang for his role there might be a riot coming.His ability to portray such a vulnerable yet feared character was mesmerizing. I’d say it is one of the best roles in his career so far and I truly wish for him to get the recognition he deserves.
The princes (minus Wang Won). Particularly at the beginning before they all went to each others throats! I’m really fond of siblings relationships well written in dramas and though this one lacked a little, I still loved the few scenes where they looked like loving brothers.
The Queens. I loved hating both So’s mom and YeonHwa. I loved hating the both of them but you have to give it to them, they both eventually got what they wanted. Actually I’d say that both of them were the strongest characters of the show. Despite their manipulative and bitchy behavior they stood for what they wanted and what they believed in.
The Ladies. Lady Hae & Lady Oh. As the motherly figures to Hae Soo they were so wonderful. Despite dying early in the show, they left me with the biggest and best impressions.
The music and the scenery. Whatever is my opinion about the show there is one thing I cannot deny…the scenery and costumes (except that horrid king outfit Wang Yo wore) were absolutely beautiful! My favorite spot was definitely the bath in the Damiwon, particularly when the Queens had their baths there.
The story. I know it is shocking. To be honest it isn’t the story in itself that I didn’t like but more the lack of it. It does start with Hae Soo showing up in the wrong century and somehow getting everyone’s attention including the love of both the 4th and 8th and 14th princes. Unfortunately, the consistency of the story is lost and past the half point of the drama it just because a poorly executed succession of scenes. Unfortunately the constant editing as well as the multiple versions of the episodes did not help in any way the story. There are so many things I wish we saw in the drama, starting with a real and true reason as to why So’s mom hated him so much.
IU. I’m sorry I thought I could get past her acting, and I did the first couple of episodes but then it came back rampant. It was okay when Hae Soo was a happy pill but her lack of skills really showed as the drama started to get more serious and dramatic. It became even worse as she became the lady of the Damiwon. The worst part stays her constant O_O face. There are different ways of acting surprised, or shocked or anything actually but she kept this face over and over again.
Seohyun. Thank god she only had a “small” role. If IU’s acting is bad her is absolutely terrible! Please Seohyun do not make this a career. Everything from her face to her body language was off and I just couldn’t take her character seriously.
Hae Soo. At first it wasn’t the case, she was a cute kid trying to find her place in a whole new world. But as the show went on I just couldn’t deal with her choices. I mean I get that her visions made her wary of what So could become but if you love someone can’t you give him the benefit of the doubt? Her constant distrust of So, despite his efforts to prove her the opposite over and over again was extremely frustrating. It became even infuriating as she kept forgiving Wang Wook who was not trustworthy at all!!! Over the episodes (and years) she still wasn’t able to make the right choices and it made me so mad. I’ve seen a lot of posts saying that she adapted to the Goryeo era but I totally disagree with it. She might have pretended that she did but she still had the mindset of a 21st century girl. Every time she was mad at So or questioning his choices or trying to make him change his mind, she didn’t think about the bigger picture. I’ll go even further by saying that she was a pretty selfish person. Hae Soo was always questioning So’s action not for his well-being and who he would become in history but because she didn’t want to love a bad man or a bad king.
Which brings me to the second thing I hated. So and Soo’s love story. Some scenes were cute and I actually believed in the love So had for her but aside from that? It was so bland! To be more precise I didn’t believe in Hae Soo’s love for So not for one second. While he was doing everything he could for her even going as far as taking the throne he never wanted, she was always trusting someone else and questioning his actions. She never truly believed in him! How can you love someone if you are not able to believe in them? Also I didn’t like how she switched from loving Wook to loving So. It just seemed so unreal to me.
THE WHOLE LAST EPISODE! That was a waste of my time and everyone else. Instead of 20 minutes of flashbacks, new scenes would have been much more appreciated. Instead of this ridiculous redemption Wang Won gets for getting the Crown Prince killed, his hanging or beheading would have looked better. Instead of angsty 14th prince crying for losing the love of his life, actually seeing him fall in love with her would have been great!! But more than anything, instead of seeing Ji Mong in the 21st century, seeing So would have been the ultimate present for fans who actually went through so much torture! But no, just like this whole drama, the last episode was a mess and didn’t even live up to the viewers expectations.
I must say it was probably one of the worst dramas I have watched in terms of directing. (and I’ve watched quite a lot) The constant close up and zoom-ins made me cringe so much. As for the editing, Moon Lovers is a bad case of 100% pre-produced drama. Similar to Cheese In the Trap, the director and producers seem to have gone rogue on putting the scenes together past a certain episode which is why you don’t really know in the end what is the true story.
Drama Rating: 5.5 out of 10
I wasn’t planning on watching Moon Lovers in the first place and now I feel like I should have followed my initial decision. Scarlet Heart Ryeo is the perfect example of a drama that puts everything in the cast and not enough in the story. The producers were too greedy in wanting to create the next Descendants of the Stars but have completely messed it up leaving us with a drama that’s even worse than your average drama.
