Title: Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛
Genre: Historical, Romantic Comedy
Release: 2016
Starring (Main Cast):
Park Bo Gum as Lee Young/Crown Prince Hyo Myung
Kim Yoo Jung as Hong Ra On/Hong Sam Nom
Jung Jin Young as Kim Yoon Sung
Kwak Dong Yeon as Kim Byung Yeon
Chae Soo Bin as Jo Ha Yeon
Director: Baek Sang Hoon, Kim Seong Yoon
Writer: Im Ye Jin, Kim Min Jung
Rakuten Viki Rating: 9.6
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Audience Rating: 4.9/5
MyDramaList Rating: 8.2/10
MyDramaList Synopsis: Click Here
Watch with VIKIPASS Plus on Rakuten Viki: Love in the Moonlight
Episodes: 18 (Abt 1 hour each)
Content Rating: PG-13
Violence/blood: sword fighting, blood, death, torture
Sexual Content: Hugging, kissing
Language: Mild
Ending: Happy, Satisfying
My Synopsis
To hide from her family's past, Hong Ra On (Kim Yoo Jung) has had to live her entire young life as a boy under the name of Hong Sam Nom. Up until the present, it has served her well. However, when her current job of connecting hearts causes the breakup in powerful marriage, things start to fall apart. Heavily in debt, and now wanted, she ends up caught and sold to the palace as a eunuch. Having previously had a run in with the young prince (Park Bo Gum), he takes a liking to her and foils every plan she has for escape. As the two grow close, events begin to take place that reveal their past dangerous connection to each other. Can the two navigate their feelings, stay alive, and save a country held in the clutches of political greed?
Trailer
My Review:8.5/10
I did have a few mixed feelings about this one. The story concept was great. The acting was great. And, at first I really was drawn to it with a strong urge to binge watch. However, it sadly took a downhill turn for me and it started to drag and become uninteresting. I almost dropped it, since I found myself at one point with no desire to continue. But, I decided to push on since this is such a favorite drama for many people.
*SPOILER ALERT*
To my great relief it picked up again and I found myself enjoying it once more. I think this should have been no more than a 16 episode drama, taking it down from 18 and condensing the middle more. It would have helped greatly, I think.
Regardless, the story was cute. Overall, it was a nice historical drama, but it wouldn't place at the top of that genre list for me. In fact, I have watched quite a few that I have found better. However, with that said, I still overall liked it. The latter parts did kind of make up for the lacking middle, but I can see some people dropping it before getting there.
Main Characters
Lee Young/Crown Prince Hyo Myung
Park Bo Gum played our young prince. This is the first time I have seen this actor in a drama, but I am well aware of him as he is quite popular. I felt that he did a fine job of acting. However, he has a naturally very suspicious/mischievous smile that doesn't always translate well to other emotions. Sometimes his loving smile makes him look as if he might also be plotting something. Not his fault. Lol. Regardless, he does an incredible job when the need for tears and heart-pain are called for, and I think he will definitely leave the watcher choked up with his emotional portrayals. I really did think he did an excellent job.
As for the character of the Crown Prince, he was very likable. I did find him to be a bit immature and his thought processes weren't always great, but I guess that made him relatable. Overall, he did have a kind heart, and a little bit more of a playful spirit that made him fun. His downsides were that he often made decisions that weren't best for him or those around him, because they were based on his desire to not lose his lady. And, I felt he wasn't always the most perceptive. But, like I said, he was easy to like.
Hong Ra On/Hong Sam Nom
Kim Yoo Jung is also new to my screen, but I am well aware of her. Those that have been watching dramas for a long time, have had the opportunity to watch this young lady grow up. She started acting on screen in 2004 at the age of about 5-years-old and at the time this drama aired (at age 17) she had been a part of 25 dramas and 16 movies. A very impressive resume at her age. Her years of experience show, and I found her to be an excellent actress who pulled off each emotion they gave her to perfection.
The character of Ra On/Sam Nom was really a great one. I loved her boy version, and felt she did an excellent job playing the role of a carefree boy of the time. However, she might have been slightly too pretty to pass as one, but yet, it worked. She seems to naturally have a more alto range to her voice which helped. And if she deepened it intentionally, it didn't sound unnatural. Her character was a fun-loving character, but one who also had a lot of deep feelings and secrets. I enjoyed watching this young lady act.
Kim Yoon Sung
Jung Jin Young played the gentle nobleman Kim Yoon Sung.This actor is completely new to me. He was formally the lead of the Korean boy band B1A4 but has since moved to a solo career. I do not have any more of his works on my "to watch" list yet, but I would definitely be willing to watch him act again. I felt he did an amazing job with his role. He has a gentle face, and the gentle spirit he put with it worked extremely well. Overall, he may not have been stretch over much, except for one scene that I will not spoil, except to say, that it is the type of scene that even well acclaimed actors/actress can struggle with and he did quite well.
As, I said before, the character of Kim Yoon Sung was a gentle one. Despite his horrible family, he somehow turned out well. Maybe it was that his heart was less into politics and more into art. He was often a comfort to our main female lead, and a background support for the crown prince (even though the feelings between them weren't always mutual). His character was a breath of fresh air within the drama, and I always looked forward to his calming nature on the scene.
Kim Byung Yeon
Kwak Dong Yeon played the mysterious, quiet and faithful, Kim Byung Yeon. He was definitely a favorite character of mine. I do happen to be familiar with this actor. I first saw him in My ID is Gangnam Beauty, and secondly in Vincenzo. The latter he stood out a bit more in. However, I think that so far, this is my favorite of his characters. I thought this type of role - the strong and loyal and yet, quiet personality - suits him well. He did an amazing job with this role, I found that his acting suited everything that was required of him well.
The character of Byung Yeon, was one that had endured a painful beginning, followed by some painful growing up years. He followed under the one who took him in, but he could not help but have his tender heart fall for the ones that continued to show their care of him. He strived to be faithful to all those he looked up to even when they were on opposite sides. Because of this, he was often in conflict. Yet, even when he takes one side, he is there to protect the other. He had little regard for his own personal safety as long as what he stood for, and who he cared for, succeeded. I don't think there could be anyone who doesn't love this character.
Jo Ha Yeon
Chae Soo Bin played the character of Jo Ha Yeon. I am also familiar with this actress and have preciously seen her first in I Am Not a Robot, and secondly in Strongest Deliveryman. For being listed as a main lead, she played a relatively small role and really didn't get much screen time. Her character was not stretched at all. She did have a few mild emotional scenes, but other than that her character was not challenged. If this had been the only drama I had seen of hers, I don't think I would be able to make a judgement off of it. But, thankfully I have, and I have felt her a fine actress in other things.
The character of Jo Ha Yeon, in my opinion was not a necessary character. As I said, her role was very small, and I am not sure she really added to the story, as I feel the elimination of her role wouldn't have changed anything. Other than that she comes from a prominent family, we know nothing about her. She is just a sweet gentle personality that enters and leaves each of her scenes quietly.
Crown Prince Hyo Myung and Hong Ra On
The first meeting of the Crown Prince and Sam Nom (Ra On) is outside of the palace in a not so pleasant encounter. Our main female lead does not realize he is the prince and so treats him unpleasantly. However, when meeting again within the palace walls, it is their past meeting that has the prince stopping her every attempt of escape. And thus starts, first, a entertaining friendship.
The relationship between these two was pretty cute, and they definitely had some good chemistry. Though, there were some awkward and uncomfortable scenes as they first began to navigate this complicated relationship. But, overall, I think the watcher will be quite satisfied by their sweet connection.
Support Characters
Princess Yeong Eun
Heo Jung Eun played my favorite support character, the sweet little mute Princess Yeong Eun. After an incident, only she is aware of, she quit talking and communicates only through her little book and some hand signals she learns along the way. I couldn't help fall for this sweet little girl as she suffered alone trying to find a way to bring out what she struggled to face. Though, she may not have had a lot of screen time, I always looked forward to her and I found her to be quite an amazing little actress. Her emotional scenes were so very genuine... her tears and broken heart were extremely believable. It is no wonder she won an award for this role. Though only about the age of nine here, she had already been in nine dramas prior and four movies. Her career has continued since this and I have had the pleasure of seeing her in 100 Days My Prince, the Arthdal Chronicles and the current drama I am watching, Start-Up. I hope her career continues, and I look forward to seeing her more in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would recommend this drama. I think the majority of people will find it quite a pleasant watch. My only warning would be the dragging middle that might might make some people want to give it up. However, I suggest you plow through that because the later parts get interesting again, and I was gladly pulled back into it. Overall, it was fun and I was thankful for the introduction to some of these well known and lesser known actors/actresses.
Awards Won
Love in the Moonlight - 2017 - Platinum Remi Award (50th Annual WorldFest Houston); Top Excellence Award for a Hallyu Drama (12th Seoul International Drama Awards); Best Drama Series (22nd Asian Television Awards)
Park Bo Gum - 2016 - Asia Star Award, Actor (Asia Artist Awards); Best Star Award, Actor (Asian Star Award); Top Excellence Award, Actor (30th KBS Drama Awards); Netizen Award, Actor (30th KBS Drama Awards) - 2017 - Most Popular Actor, Television (53rd Baeksang Arts Awards); Outstanding Korean Actor (12th Seoul International Drama Awards)
Kim Joo Jung - 2016 - Best New Actress (5th APAN Star Awards); Best Icon Award, Drama (Asia Artist Awards); Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama (30th KBS Drama Awards); Most Popular Actress, Television (53rd Baeksang Arts Awards)
Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung - 2016 - Best Couple (30th KBS Drama Awards)
Jung Jin Young - 2016 - Best New Actor (30th KBS Drama Awards)
Lee Jun Hyeok - 2016 - Best Supporting Actor (30th KBS Drama Awards)
Jung Yun Seok - 2016 - Best Young Actor (30th KBS Drama Awards)
Heo Jung Eun - 2016 - Best Young Actress (30th KBS Drama Awards)
Gummy ("Moonlight Drawn by Clouds") - 2016 - Best OST (Asia Artist Awards)
OST
We didn't have a favorite OST from this drama, but were pleased to find that Park Bo Gum lent his beautiful vocals to one. Please listen below!
My Person by Park Bo Gum
안녕! - 줄스
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