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Growing Pains
Based off of popular novel Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, Love in the Moonlight is a not so ancient youth sageuk rom-com with enough angst for two more dramas. It’s a fantastic combination of a really heartfelt coming-of-age story and a dreamy romance, all punctuated with beautiful cinematography and skilled directing.
But before anything, what really made the drama stand out to me was its adorable cast and their top-notch acting. I’d like to specially commend Kim Yoo Jung for portraying Hong Ra On so well, where it was easy to fall in love with her just after the first few scenes. Park Bo Gum as Prince Lee Yeong was equally versatile and exceeded all my expectations.
A fantastic combination of heartfelt coming-of-age story and dreamy romance.
Episodes 1-4 Review
Love in the Moonlight starts with a pretty fast pace with things happening sequentially in a self-explanatory manner to set up the premise rather quickly. Our heroine quick-witted Hong Ra On (Kim Yoo Jung), who has to moonlight as a man named Sam Nom for safety reasons, is forced to live in the royal palace as an eunuch as punishment for being unable to repay a debt. There, she inevitably meets the bright, mischievous, jokester Crown Prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo Gum).
So right off the bat, the drama employs fated encounters, cohabitation hijinks, identity secrets, and romantic petty rivalry that makes great comic moments that viewers will enjoy.
In line with the pacing, we’re able to identify both the heroes and villains by the end of the first episode as well. Complications heat up as we find out that things might not be all hunky dory as the prince is literally surrounded by enemies. I find myself already worrying for the safety of the troubled Crown Prince. But for my consolation, we also get to witness just how smart and capable the prince is. He manages to subdue his and the King’s enemies who consist of the prime minister and his cronies for the most part.
Episodes 5-10 Review
I didn’t think they could, but the storyline picks up even more in this section of Love in the Moonlight as feelings build between the prince and his favorite eunuch Ra On. Her identity gets revealed to more people and the Prince’s fondness for her becomes a problem and weakness for many.
Meanwhile, two love triangles come into the mix here, with nobleman Kim Yoon Sung (Jinyoung) vying for Ra On’s attention, and high class lady Jo Ha Yeon (Chae Soo Bin) pursuing the prince’s affection.
Things also get serious in the palace, and the Prince is forced to take extra measures to ensure the safety of his position and his father’s throne. I enjoyed watching Prince Yeong become even more mature and wise, under the pressure of political maneuverings. The drama also gave us some more information on the Prince’s life, which helped me understand his personality and relate to his decisions more.
At this point, the drama starts to drop hints about Ra On’s childhood and her deceased father, prepping for future tension. I start seeing just how much she’s unknowingly entangled in the whole story’s primary conflict. We soon find out that she’s a key determining factor in the general destiny of all our major characters as her existence in itself is a threat to the palace at large. Unsure how this will impact her relationship with Prince Yeong, I anxiously watch on.
Episodes 11-15 Review
Impossible as it may seem, Love in the Moonlight gets even more intense and Ra On’s life is put in danger. As the drama had been leading towards from the onset, both the people who should and the people who shouldn’t know are all aware of the implication of Ra On’s presence in the palace by now. It becomes a matter of who will get to her first, and I found myself watching nervously in the hopes that Ra On will remain safe.
The drama imparted me with profound emotional attachment.
As with the climax in most dramas, things get a little dire here as our main couple is forced to separate. But rather than just expecting these predictable events, the drama imparted me with profound emotional attachment as I find myself feeling rather heartbroken for the forlorn Prince. The drama also manages to throw in a big surprise about Ra On’s father so close to the end, spicing up the already exciting turn of events.
But aside from the engaging plot development, I particularly enjoy the fact that the drama moves fast throughout, not dwelling on one moment for too long. It keeps the storyline continually interesting. I must also state that the side stories gave a variety of flavor as well so that not all the focus is on our main couple alone.
Episodes 16-18 Review
The last leg of Love in the Moonlight continues the rollercoaster ride. It’s filled with so many ups and downs that I wondered just how it was going to wrap up in time flawlessly. The sequence of events happen in such a way that I start to doubt if there’ll be any happy ending for our main couple, and the good side at large. Even though our prince Yeong has proven himself to be extremely resilient and intelligent over and over again, it seems as if he’s still on the losing side.
But my fears are allayed, and somehow, the drama does manage to spin things and create a happy ending for everyone deserving. I especially like the fact that everything is brought out into the open, and facts like Ra On’s identity and the Prime Minister’s evil deeds are made known to everyone. It is a very rewarding conclusion to a drama that had so many hills and valleys through its eventful run.
Yet, my favorite part about this ending is its balance between bitter and sweet. There wasn’t more sadness than happiness or more pain than relief. For every bad thing that happened, there was just the right amount of delightful payoff for viewers to get over it, making the drama a worthy journey.
My favorite part about this ending is its balance between bitter and sweet.
I must also commend the writer of the story for doing such a great job with the plot. Storylines like the one from Love in the Moonlight aren’t rare, but what makes it special is how the story is told. Even if all the tropes and the plot devices were familiar, they were heartfelt and genuine enough to stand out and capture the hearts of many viewers.
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