Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)

I'm not sure I've recovered enough to be fair in a review. This is one of those dramas where you can see the end coming from the start and you know it's going to be devastating and you will cry and scream and rage and pray for things to turn out differently and almost start to believe things will turn out differently. But deep down You know the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train, not the light of day, but you have to keep watching anyway.

Never watched the Chinese version. Probably never will. Not a fan of tragedy or saeguks overall and I knew that going in, but MLSHR sucked me in anyway then chewed me up and spit me out the other side.

Life sucks, then you die. People suck, sometimes inexplicably. It sucks to be king. It sucks to be someone who loves the king. It sucks to be not-the-king. It sucks to be royalty. It sucks to be not royalty. No one in a saeguk is ever happy.

I loved it up until the last two or three episodes where it seemed like everything just unraveled too quickly and without reason. I thought the acting was good, not that I'm a great judge of acting ( I'm good enough to know William Shatner is BAD and that's about it). I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely and thought using modern music for a saeguk was refreshing (but then I liked Romeo + Juliet so what do I know?) I would have been happier with the story if they had used more creative license as opposed to shoehorning the plot into the framework set up by the original. What bothered me most was that 4th prince just seemed to take all his character development and toss it out the window after he became king, as did Hae Soo. She reverted to a damsel in distress that needed saving, he reverted to the wolfdog monster everyone always said he was. If I rewatch, I'll skip the last few eps.

Lire davantage

What a stupid decision it was to watch this show!!!!

**This is a review of the SBS edition**
Once again with more gusto! (This is a rereview of sorts. I had a very emotional reaction to this back in the day. I have since changed my mind and changed how I rate shows so I'm going to give this review another shot.)

It’s hard to talk about this show without mentioning its relation to the Chinese adaptation or the novel it was based on. I know people don’t like comparisons between shows but everything makes so much more sense once you see the extended Scarlet Heart Ryeo universe in one picture. Luckily, I am not done watching the cdrama so I can’t really compare the two here. (I’m coming for you in the scarlet heart review though!)
If you don’t know, this show is the Korean adaptation (adaptation being the operative term here) of a Chinese novel set in one of the most historically intriguing moments of Qing dynasty history; the fight over the succession of emperor Kangxi. The gory, soap-opera-like historical events are so irresistible that they have inspired many retellings. Scarlet heart being a particularly famous one. I have read books that don’t even directly say they are about this period but then *that* thing happens and you just know.
The brilliance of this show is that the writers were daring enough to take this very Chinese historical tale and adapt it to a Korean historical moment of equivalent dramatic potential. And they succeed?! It’s unbelievable but it worked. The number of things they didn’t change is almost more upsetting than what they did change. My theory is that the dude who decides what happens to humans got bored and copy-pasted a part of history twice and just changed some details so it wouldn’t be too obvious.
Anyway, you should watch this show if you like:
1. Star-crossed lovers
2. First love is not the be-all
3. Tragic ending (Be ready. It will end badly)
4. A bunch of pretty incompetent boys running around failing at acting
5. Political backstabbing
6. Succession wars
7. Historical romance (of the bodice ripper variety)
8. "Dirt-poor production doesn't mean bad"
9. Charmingly messy writing
10. Boys taking too many baths…it was a weird detail. They made the bathhouse one of the main sets…
11. A Byronic hero, flaws and all
12. If you are just content with Lee Joon Gi doing a damn good job while everything falls apart around him like a house on fire.
13. If fratricide and incest do not bother you (I'm just throwing it out there. It's not detailed ...well...)

Summary: Girl goes back in time. Girl meets boy. Girl meets boy. Girl meets boy. Girl meets b-… you get it. And just when you think it’s all fun and games, history hits you like the bus at the end of mean girls.

Story: This show has the most uneven writing I have ever seen in an East Asian show. It’s like they wrote about ten episodes then got tired so they just decided to wing the details and the beginning and the end. And it works out. Somehow. Here’s where the comparison comes to matter. Where this show fails in its first five episodes to establish the world of the story in a level-headed and engaging manner, the cdrama is especially competent. The first five episodes are truly the Achilles heel of this show. The show starts with a heavy reliance on the pretty boys and the almost ironically nonsensical romantic tropes of high school dramas of the early 2010s but then whirls into serious political tragedy and grey area writing two episodes later! It’s such a weird beat to start on and I think this is the reason why a lot of Korean fans had a negative response to it back in the day. But then suddenly, everything clicks into place and for ten episodes, the show actually successfully emotionally grabs you and while it still has flaws, the intrigue becomes more mature and the characters settle down in their positions and it becomes really enjoyable. Then again the ending becomes very rushed.
I think the main issue of the show is pacing. They needed maybe 5 more episodes so they could flesh out the falling out of the end. The way it happens now, the show is one tragic event after another for 15 episodes in a row. It becomes a bit emotionally taxing when you are giving away so much to the drama and get no payoff for all that emotional labor is provided.
I love the romance in this show. It’s dirty, grimy, messy, destructive. Although they love hard and passionately, the characters never really lose themselves to each other in a way for them to be strong together. And that’s the tragedy of it but also, its beauty. There is not much of a miscommunication here (except those last 3 episodes but f*ck ‘em. We don’t acknowledge those episodes!) it is just how the characters are not willing to believe in their love. They always hold back while at the same time, they’re stretching themselves thin to save the other. It’s so tragic to watch them fail because it feels like one of those mythical romantic tales. You watch them and you know exactly how they're going to fail each other but there’s no stopping the train anyway. So you just sit there and watch Orpheus turn around...
Now those last three episodes suck. I got so upset watching them that I didn’t even cry when sad things happened because I was angry. But since I was invested, I watched it all the way and I don't regret anything.

Acting: Lee Joon Gi acted in this show. That’s it. Everyone else was there too. No, I'm kidding (sort of)! I think IU did a good job too. People say she acted weird at the beginning and they are not wrong but further research has informed me that that’s just how the character works in the early stages of this story so just go with it. She settles better into the character once the absolutely silly high school girl shenanigans end. Everyone else was varying degrees of good to bad. I’m sorry but some of those boys survive the show but just barely! That's not to say it was all bad. Everyone did their best. A for effort.

The music: Yeah, this is the OG show with the bad music. It was hit or miss. I sort of hate the ones with singing in them but then there was this one song from the soundtrack called "Gestures of Resistance", I think, and it's so beautiful. Halfway into it, there's a part that electric music starts, and then it's interrupted by a cello and a violin, and WOW! It was so epic and melancholic at once. I love that one piece so much.

Production value: It’s a cheap show and you can tell but if you get invested in the characters, then it would not matter too much because you’ll be too busy following the schemes and the love triangles and the heart-stopping grief that the production value will not bother you as much as the knife in your heart does.

Rewatch value: When I first watched this, I told myself I would never touch it with a stick because it hurt too much. And yet…and yet I keep finding myself missing the feelings. I have to fight myself to not go back to it. So for me, it’s a show that I might rewatch if I ever have the time. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time.

Negative:???? It's sad. It's not evenly written. It's cheap-looking. The editing is messy, the music is irritating... There's so much wrong with this and I just don't care! Lee Joon Gi smiles at IU and I'm a puddle and none of the bad things matter!

Overall: I think it’s a bit hard to pitch this show to a new watcher or try to analyze it with any clarity because it’s one of those shows that either touches you emotionally and then you’re willing to ignore the messy script, the bad acting and the terrible production or it doesn’t and suddenly everything wrong with it becomes relevant.
I just think the show is worth a watch because if it does connect with you, then chances are it’s going to be a show you won’t forget. Like ever. I honestly feel haunted by the story of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Like I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about how it could be analyzed through this theory or that, or just what the point was? Why? Why did it happen like this?!
It might seem like it’s just a cheap reverse harem story (and it is) but there’s something very heartfelt and authentic about it that those who love this show have felt.
It’s an acquired taste but if you are in doubt and you’re not sure if you should watch it or if the first five episodes turned you off, then I’m here to tell you it’s worth giving a chance to. Just lower your expectations and let yourself get carried away by the emotion.

Lire davantage

Story: 9/10
So the story was nearly a 10, however, there could have been more explanation on the "How" and "Why" Go Ha Jin ended up as Hae Soo and what the eclipse had to do with the whole situation (Which would also clear up the ending somewhat). I personally didn't mind the ending, if only because it meant hope. I think it made real Hae Soo's main quest of "changing history"
I know some people stop liking a drama if they don't understand or want answers, but I like to fully put myself in to what i'm watching - if I enjoy it until the end (leaving aside my complaints) then it did a good job, but if you can't get past the inconsistency then it did a bad job. This did a good job at keeping me captivated and to me that means the Drama served its purpose to entertain. Even if you find holes in the story its told well enough for you to keep going. I've seen that people don't like the relationship progression but to me its more real. The feelings are raw and confusing. They aren't black and white. The whole drama and its relationships are not fairy-tail ones - they hurt and they try to persevere.

Acting: 10
I've now seen many dramas, some cringy and some not. I think each cast member brought a good personality to the characters. I cared about some and hated others. That is all you can hope for, if you dont feel anything for the character at all I think the acting wasn't worth it. I ended up crying a lot.

Music: 9
There wasn't any one particular song that stood out to me, the music was good but nothing that made me go "Wow I want to download this". Perhaps I was focused too much on watching that I wasn't hearing it. Although perhaps thats a good thing, you can't have music too overpowering for a story like this - and sometimes the way that the drama repeats the same powerful song every episode annoys me.

Rewatch: 10
I would watch this again to focus on details I may have missed the first time. Side characters, subtle hints or actions, try to answer some questions I asked by taking what I know from the first watch and fill in the pieces.

Worth the watch, definitely, It's very emotional and raw. The music doesn't overpower the story and distract you from the very intense and fast paced lives of Hae Soo and the princes.

Lire davantage

Although I really enjoyed this drama, there were a few things that really bothered me.

1. Characters who should not have gotten redemption, got it, and that really frustrated me.
2. It felt like they put in tragic stuff just for the sake of it.
3. There was no closure on anything. Characters that suffered in the beginning were still suffering at the end.

However, the actors were phenomenal. Joon Ki was absolutely amazing. Extremely captivating, he was the main reason I continued to watch until the end. I hope for a season 2 or a special to give us some closure. I don't like how it ended at all. But I'm someone who likes happy endings lol.This drama made me cry really hard. Way too hard.

Lire davantage

Traumatizing and unfair

Beautiful drama that started promising, but then something terribly wrong.
Amazing actors, visuals, OST, everything, but story traumatized me.

** SPOILERS **

In the end, when Wook asked her why did she chose So, she answered that is because So was honest to her, but, as far as I remember, Wook loved her and told her that he wants the throne because he was not able to protect her, it was for her, while So, in order to become the king, left her saying that he does not love her anymore. So from my point of view, what So did was more unfair and he was the one who was not honest. At least Wook had the reason that he was forced by his sister, but So did this on his own, he chose to left Hae Soo for the throne... Wook wanted the throne for Hae Soo, while So wanted the throne for him.
And then, Hae Soo was so easily disappointed by Wook when he did everything for her, but she continued to love So even after he was so bad and possessive to her... I can't believe. But maybe she was so disappointed by Wook because she loved him more. And I hope, that when Yeon Hwa told her why her brother acted like this, she realised how wrong she was and how much she hurt Wook...
And I think that she still loved Wook because she knelt down for him.

I want Soo and Wook to meet again in the present, I want her to meet Wook and not So, because she lived her love with So, but she didn't fulfilled her love for Wook.

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Then a TV channel aired this drama. At first I said that it is just too painful to watch again, but then I said "Ok, just watch again, maybe you will see it differently". I am somehow happy that watched it again, because I could see many details that I skipped first time or that I forgot.
In ep. 12:
- When Soo was in prison, Wook went to her, but she asked him about So. This hurt him so much. I know that she was a good girl that worried about everyone, but she should've think also of Wook.
- Wook couldn't say anything about the real culprit in order to protect his family. He was forced. But he tried to save her by talking to Lady Oh. He really loved Soo, but he was caught between her and his family... and he couldn't betray his family. So I don't know why everyone blamed him, when he was just a victim.
- When Soo was kneeling for Lady Oh, she saw Wook coming and leaving and she asked herself why. Her love was not so strong to trust Wook and to know that he must have his reasons.
In ep. 13:
- Soo accuses Wook that he used her to kill So... well, how did she reach that conclusion? She couldn't trust Wook... and Wook did everything because he loved her...
- She then ask Wook to leave with her, but he is afraid that something else might occur. She can't understand his feelings... and accuses him once again that he does not love her and abandons him... she doesn't even let him explain.... she accuses him that he does not trust her feeling towards him, but she was the one who didn't trust him....
In ep. 16:
- Soo learns that So left her in order to get the throne, but it is OK since it is So... really? She left Wook when he wanted the throne, but since she knows that So will be the king it is OK? From my point of view So was the one unfair to her, not Wook. And then she lets So speak to tell her that he will make her agree. Seriously, she didn't give that chance to Wook...
In ep. 19:
- Poor Wook, who did everything to protect his family is abandoned by his mother and sister...
- Soo hears that Wook is going to die and she kneels down for him, to save his life. Later, Wook tells her to pay attention such that So won't suspect her, and she then says that she would have done this for every prince. But I don't think that she would have knelt down for any of the other princes, but she did this for Wook, because she deeply loved him. Or maybe the meaning (maybe lost with the translation) was that So can't suspect her, because he would think that she would have done this for any of them.
- When she leaves the palace, at the gates, she meets Wook. They are both outside the palace, this may mean something. Also, Wook says "It's over in this life.". If we want to search for hidden meaning, then this is equivalent with "In the next life we can be together.". Here Wook finally looks calm, and I think that it is because he kept his promise to take Soo out of the palace, even if he can't be with her. He finally could keep his promise and helped her and this made him happy.
In ep. 20:
- Before Wook dies, he seed his wife, Lady Hae... I'm not sure about this, it may be interpreted like he is going to be with her in the afterlife... Why did he not see Soo... an answer may be that she is alive in the present. But what if Lady Hae will take him to Soo in present? Since it was her wish for Wook to be with Soo...

So, in the end, Soo was the one who couldn't trust Wook and he was the one who was hurt the most.
And it is such a pity, because their love story, as seen in the first episodes, was the most beautiful love story that I ever saw in a drama, but after ep. 12 everything was ruined....

Lire davantage

Breathtaking drama with bittersweet ending

The K-drama period that I just finished watching is, without a doubt, one of the best ones I have ever seen. I was completely sold on it and couldn't help but be captivated by the cast's performances, the chemistry between the characters, and the intricacies of the plot.

While I was hoping for a happy ending, I couldn't give it a perfect score because of the bittersweet conclusion. However, there was an open-door possibility that the main lead would find a way to be with her lover. The mysterious voices she heard and the paintings she saw, as well as the appearance of a man who looked like the 8th Prince in modern clothes, all suggest that there is a chance for a resolution to their love story. Sadly season 2 never been produced.

I must say that I watched the entire series in a marathon, unable to let go of the story. The multiple love stories that were intertwined The scriptwriters finally got it right this time - they respected the timeline and nothing was rushed. They took their time to allow her to truly fall in love with her first love, and then to gradually unlove him. It wasn't until much later that she fell in love with someone else. The years apart were the perfect choice, and the scriptwriters nailed it. were all beautiful yet tragic.

The scriptwriters finally got it right this time - they respected the timeline and nothing was rushed. They took their time to allow her to truly fall in love with her first love, and then to gradually unlove him. It wasn't until much later that she fell in love with someone else. The years apart were the perfect choice, and the scriptwriters nailed it.

The love stories portrayed in the production were truly believable and heartfelt. Each storyline had a timeless quality to it that made it resonate with the audience on a deep emotional level. The themes of love, loyalty, betrayal, mistrust, jealousy, pain, despair, and even hatred were all perfectly executed by the talented cast. Every actor brought their A-game, immersing themselves in their respective roles and delivering performances that left a lasting impression on everyone in attendance. Overall, the production was a masterful display of storytelling that left the audience feeling captivated and emotionally moved.

As much as I loved the drama, I must say that I have a deep dislike for time travel dramas in general. The same old sad ending of the main lead leaving her lover behind and returning to modern times is something that I find predictable and cringe-worthy. It would be great if the lead could live in the past, or if she were given a real choice, rather than being forced into an unhappy ending.

Lire davantage

Yes this is based on a Chinese Book, but this is a remake and they sort of buy the rights, so under the hands of a good screenwriter even a bad book would turn into a marvelous drama. Most of the actors are wasted in the drama, we did not see anything much of love. Scarlet Heart Back in 2011 was my first CN drama. It was the first year I started to watch Korean CN dramas did not know much about them, I accidentally discovered them on youtube.. I can only say this this was not as brutal as the original one.

I still want a S2 if all the fans get together and push them by petitions & twitter parties we'll get it but we won't get anything by sitting and hoping..

I am still not recovered by this drama, I want to go and watch it back, I have done the same on Scarlet Heart a couple of times.

Lire davantage

Since this drama is a remake of its Chinese cousin, I had high hopes before watching this drama. It took me a year of starting and putting it on hold to finally finish this. I must say, I liked the main cast better than the Chinese version because IU! and JOONGI! However, because of the many model-turned actors and idol-turned actor, Baekhyun, the acting was a bit sloppy and somewhat fake at times to be honest. No shades here, for Baekhyun to act this way for the first time is very good for an idol but sometimes I feel like he's over-acting for the sake of it (I do look forward his future works as an actor and see how he grows). The romance between the main characters and each character's development throughout the drama, from main to support, is what kept me watching the whole thing.

I do like a drama that has a good plot and good acting? But I guess this one only has a good plot, for a drama that has been remade. The ending though? I wanted to kill myself but sadly NO SPOILERS.

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Dor que transcende o tempo

Talvez esse dorama divida opiniões porque foge da lógica do que estamos acostumados a visualizar em histórias de romance. Foi tão marcante que não me esqueço de tê-lo assistido em 2016 e de sentir um completo vazio e dor. Acabei de reassistir em 2024 e, oito anos depois, saio com os mesmos intensos sentimentos.

Particularmente, gosto bastante de contextos históricos, e isso o drama soube fazer bem. Somos imersos na Dinastia Goryeo e, embora príncipes e reis sejam reais, ainda assim possuem características e histórias fictícias.

A cinematografia e ambientação histórica são deslumbrantes e a trilha sonora complementa perfeitamente as emoções das cenas, intensificando ainda mais a experiência.

Minha dica é: assista preparado para vivenciar diversos sentimentos e aproveite para mergulhar e vivenciá-los. São cenas engraçadas, muitas de amor, de ódio e de tristeza, todos aqueles sentimentos que compõem a existência humana.

São histórias fadadas ao sofrimento. Pode parecer estranho dizer, mas não evite histórias assim, também há uma estranha beleza, um certo tipo de poesia que permeia nossa existência.

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