Amor ao Luar (2016)

I don't know where to start, I didn't have that big expectations before watching this and I'm not the kind of pretentious watcher even though I rarely give 10 to a drama, it has to be crazy good for me to do that.

Story: it is childish and most of the time it makes no sense. How can a girl disguise herself as an eunuch and nobody doesn't notice it? 18 episodes are way too much, I think 12 episodes would've been enough and we would've got rid of many filler scenes. The ending made absolutely no sense! The drama was so dragged and you rush the ending like that?

The acting: Park Bo Gum was so good, have to say one of the reasons for watching this was him winning an award and wanting to see why, he was great, he carried this drama. Kim Yoo Jung is an actress I've followed since forever, watching her in so many child roles and now having lead roles is an amazing thing. She's incredibly talented but here unfortunately she didn't shine and I didn't see at all the chemistry with Park Bo Gum, they looked like brother and sister most of the times, it's not because of the age difference, 6 years is nothing, it's just that I didn't feel it. I'm a BANA so seeing Jinyoung made me so happy; I've tried to forget the fact that he's an idol and I've seen him as an actor, he was really good! Wanted more fight scenes with him, he was so badass. I'm looking forward to see him in other dramas.

OST was alright.

3 is my rewatch value because there were some cute moments even if I didn't feel the chemistry and Jinyoung had short but great fight scenes.

Leia Mais

Such a sweet story of first love. ♥️ But melodramatic too.
Okay, this was in the beginning such a sweet story. (No spoilers ahead, just the premise) The girl has really no underlying reason to dress up as a boy. But finding herself recruited to be a eunuch the first alternative is to escape. The second one is to fail the tests and be kicked out. But "the flower scholar", the only person she knows at the palace find her amusing and wants her to stay so he keeps helping/sabotaging her efforts and therefore she's stuck in boys clothing at the palace. A sweet drama begins with a little palace intrigue thrown into it and love of course.
But then.... BAM... I was hit in the head with more sadness and melodrama I was expecting. I usually never watches anything too sad/melodramatic because of personal reasons. But it ends well and when I'm writing this, several months after I watched the whole drama, I don't have any bad feelings to it or any scenes that still makes me upset. So that gives me the conclusion that the dramas level of angst are probably okay for most people.

The actors are absolutely wonderful. Park Bo Gum as the crown prince hypnotized me with every move he did and every smile was like arrows trough my heart. This is the first of his dramas I've seen and he's really a charismatic actor that oozes sincerity in his acting. The kind of actor you go: "-Wait what, was he in that drama, are you sure?" Just because you were so convinced of the character that you forgot the actor playing it.
Kim Yoo Jung was obviously good as the female lead, she shines in every work she does. She is also one of those actors that work with everything she has and never feels stuffy or weird.
Their chemistry makes me hope for another drama with them.

I would recommend this drama and I have rewatched the cute parts several times. They still get to me because they are so pure and sweet

Leia Mais

Romantic love story

The drama in question has definitely sparked some mixed reactions among viewers. While some have hailed it as a masterpiece, others have been critical of the age gap between the female and male leads, which spans six years. Personally, I prefer to watch a show first and then read comments afterward, so as not to be influenced by the opinions of others.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The actors were fantastic and their chemistry was palpable. While Korean dramas tend to be slightly less conservative than their Chinese counterparts, I wasn't taken aback by the limited displays of affection, including a handful of hugs, a few instances of hand-holding, and a couple of closed-lips kisses. I'm more shocked when I see young actresses portraying prostitutes or older actresses playing characters that are much younger than their actual age.

In many dramas, we have seen the depiction of a forbidden love between two men, which eventually leads to a happy ending when one of them transforms into a woman. This is a plot that has been explored in both Chinese and Korean dramas, and I have personally enjoyed watching it when it is executed with emotional depth and complexity in both of the characters. One such drama that stands out in my mind as a beautiful love story is "Love in Moonlight." The way the story unfolds, with its intricacies and layers, is very well played. I can't help but be drawn in by the chemistry between the characters and the depth of their emotions. In romantic relationships, it's quite common to experience a variety of obstacles before reaching a happy ending. In fact, the more challenges the couple faces together, the stronger their bond can become. These bumps in the road can come in many forms, such as miscommunication, misunderstandings, disagreements, or external factors that put pressure on the relationship. However, overcoming these obstacles can lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of each other, and ultimately a stronger and more fulfilling relationship.

The drama I watched did a great job of delivering the romance I was hoping for. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the entire show. The plot was engaging and kept me invested in the story, and the writing was top-notch. Overall, it was a great viewing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic drama to watch.

The age difference between the lead characters in a drama is a subjective matter. In my case, I had no idea about the age of the characters while watching the show and assumed that they were of similar ages. For me, both of them were young adults, and surprisingly, I was taken aback to see viewers being shocked about the age difference. I have seen worse cases in other dramas where actors in their 40s are paired with actresses in their early twenties. Therefore, the age gap of 16 to 22 years old, which I came to know after reading comments, was puzzling, considering that the only issue was a closed-lip kiss and a few hugs. The love depicted in the show was pure and romantic, which could have been portrayed by an actress even at the age of 16 years old. It is worth mentioning that historically, girls were considered ready for marriage at the age of 15, and in some countries, even younger.

I must say, I enjoyed Park Bo Gum as the main character. He played the role of a prince who was bound by strict traditions but was trying to break free and find a way to love the person he wanted while also fulfilling his duties as prince and future king of his country. He did a great job of making the character's struggles and conflicts seem real and convincing.

I have to admit that Kim You Jung's character in the drama was a bit frustrating. She kept rejecting the protagonist all the time, and her role seemed one-dimensional. She loved the protagonist but couldn't be with him, and loved him but didn't want him to touch her. The few times she allowed herself to show her feelings were great, but they were too rare.

While the storyline isn't particularly groundbreaking - featuring a prince, a woman disguised as a man, villainous ministers, and two men vying for the affections of the same woman - it was still highly enjoyable. The love story was heartwarming, and the script was engaging. The casting was also spot-on, with each actor bringing their character to life in a captivating way.

All in all, I thought this was a great drama and I would definitely watch it again in the future.

Leia Mais

After watching many dark shows, I was in need of something fluffy and fun. So, when Netflix added Love in the Moonlight I thought it was the perfect time to finally dip my toes into another period piece. Sadly, this drama left me feeling underwhelmed. It was way too fluffy while nothing much happened storyline-wise. Only the last two episodes made me feel a bit excited and emotional, but it was ruined by the rushed and disappointing ending. This drama also shows a trope that I really dislike: the Damsel in Distress. It would be much more interesting if Ra-on wasn’t crying in a corner while men were throwing their swords around!

One of the strengths of this drama is its supporting characters, such as Byung Yeon and Princess Myun Geun. But why don’t they get more screen time? I couldn’t help wanting more from their storylines. Aside from the King, who gave one of the worst performances I have seen in a long time, the acting is generally strong and helped me complete the show.

I think this drama is perfect for those who enjoy fairy-tale-like romances and melodramas. Unfortunately that’s just not me.

Leia Mais

Love in the Moonlight is not that original. If you have seen any other historical drama then many of the tropes and storylines are the same. The best part of this drama is Park Bo Gum and the action. There is awesome action in this series. Park Bo Gum is a great actor and he proves it in this drama. He can express so much emotion with the slightest of movement. There are scenes in this drama where he is acting with his ears. (Yes you read that right). Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not up to his level. I was especially disappointed by the lead female. Her character started off strong and but by the end was quite weak.

Leia Mais

The story was a tom and jerry run around the mill. There were times when it become ridicoulous to think that anyone of sane mind would believe any of this insanity. There were so many plot holes that it became frustrating to continue. On that note lets get down to analyzing the series. The series was much spent on flash backs to amped the romance aspect of it while leaving out contents tha could've made the series epic.

ML-character development was about as rigid as his jawline. There was no consistency in his arch story and top it he came out as a pussy crazy crown prince who was continuously bolsterous about his power but was just the same as the king who was tied down by the nobels.

FL-don't understand how such a character would've survived in a real world scenario. She would've been the first to be killed. She spent the better part of the series crying, flattering and complementing the crown prince. Yet provided no real substance to the over all story with her character alone. Although I won't blame the lack of her knowledge to her past which was a strong card to hold.

Villainous Troop: Prime Minister, Queen, Minister of Interior (Nobles)- These side characters were of the most interesting throughout the series. They provided the best plot and twist in the story which the 2 main leads fail to achieve. I was cheering for the villainous queen the most because she was consistent in her character.
Supporting Characters: side characters like Body Guard Kim and the ex best friend Kim were the most developed in characterization and also hold the most intersting story archs in the whole series. They alone along with that of the queen were of the most consistent.

Rewatch Value: Absolutely NO...I wouldn't recommend it even if my life depended on it. But this is my personal preference. If you want to dive in go ahead...just don't go in expecting much.

OST: best part of this whole damn series are the ost..some were heart wrenching and others were very lively....

Leia Mais

It was meh.

Honestly i was expecting a lot more from this drama mostly because of the cast, description and reviews but it was not good.
The drama started great but the episodes were so slow and most of the time about same things . The story did not explain lot of issues and i do not even want to talk about main leads past there is nothing explained the drama will end and you still have plenty of questions.
I personally did not feel chemistry that much almost not at all and it did not make sense how prince found out about things regarding main lead and stuff (plus his behaviour was weird but i guess that is just my personal issue) also the main lead had too much luck like things did not make sense here too because others had to do some orders but she does not have to only because there has to be some way how she is going to meet prince and not have problems about her gender....
And the last thing i want to complain about is second lead. Like i would not even call him second lead because of his screentime, screentime with female lead and overall his relationship with her also i did not feel any chemistry between them at all. AGAIN.

The good thing is the comedy at this drama it was really nice i laughed a lot :D.

I would rate 4.5 or 5 if there was not princess who was literally only character i finished the show for. I am glad that the producers did not leave her relationship (finally couple i liked xd sad that she was a support char TTvTT) and did not only focus on main couple im happy how she ended up :3.

Visually it was pleasing, the ost was nice.

I am a sucker for these kinds of dramas (historical, joseon,comedy,gender switch etc.) but its just a big meh.

Leia Mais

Political angst and great comedy

This was my first Kim Yoo Jung drama, and damn, she's a great actress. The story was kinda boring at times when they focused more on politics and not romance, but it didn't last too long and it was still interesting, just not very entertaining. I wish this drama gave us more of a conclusion to the romance, maybe telling us what is next for the couple, instead of just leaving them there with some issues unresolved. Overall, there were quite a few ridiculous but also amazingly hilarious moments in the drama, and I was enjoying every second of the episodes where Yoo Jung's character struggled with maintaining her identity a secret.

Leia Mais

JUST AS GOOD 4TH TIME

I needed to see another Park Bo Gum drama so I went back to Love in the Moonlight. What a wonderful romantic drama. I loved the connection between the four main characters played by Park Bo Gum, Kim Yoo Jung, Kwak Dong Yeo and Jung Jin Young. I know this drama has been out since 2016 but I hope they continue to make it accessible for viewing. I discovered Kdramas a year ago and I have become enamored with them. I always look for new movies from these actors.
I thank you for your hard work and thank the behind the scene workers. I love the extra episode provided that gives us viewers access to the real person behind the actors. This group were just so adorable. Wish there had been a second season.

Leia Mais

Beautiful Setting Indoor and Outdoor

Hmmm....where do I start? There were so much hype and awards for Love In The Moonlight lead actors, that I decided to give it a go. I was drawn to the beautiful setting from the beginning, indoor and outdoor plus the nice costumes, giving me flashes of Moon Embracing the Sun (2012). This drama Moonlight (2016) also starred the pretty Kim Yoo Jung (Hong Ra On) who played a young teenage noble family daughter in Moon Embracing The Sun.

The story and plot is nothing different or special as it is the usual Joseon Dynasty Royal Family competing, fighting and plotting against the King and his son, the Crown Prince for the throne, through greed, murder, and anything one could possibly do to take over/rule the Kingdom.

The music was also the norm. The theme song sung by Gummy sounded like most of the other drama tunes which did not stand out for me, but it was very popular in Korea and I guess one needs to understand the Korean lyrics to appreciate it.

Wow, I sound pretty monotonous as I am reading my review....(sigh). The drama was pretty even paced, except for the last 3 episodes (Ep. 16-18). So, I took time going to get my snacks and cool beverages.

The only thing that kept me going was to watch an impressive performance from Park Bo Gum who played the Crown Prince Hyo Myung. He was only 23 years old when he acted in this drama. Prior to this, he played mainly teenager supporting roles. Even then I found him quite talented. However, in Moonlight, I found his lead role allowed him to have a broader opportunity to flex his acting ability and I liked it. He played a confident young Prince and while courting Ra On, he was cute, endearing and his entire performance was well executed.

All the other Senior Cast did really well. Yoo Jung was only 17 going on 18 for her Hong Ra On role, and her youth was evident. Therefore, her chemistry with Bo Gum was not felt. But they looked cute together and again was well liked by their young fans.

To conclude, if you are looking for something light and acceptable, giggly cute romance, this will be a drama to watch. If you are looking forward to 'chasing' every episode, be at the edge of your seat with heart pounding from passionate kisses and hugs that sends you reeling .... then you should skip this one.

Cheers! K-Drama forever!

Leia Mais

A gender-bender drama about a woman disguising herself as an eunuch to escape unfortunate circumstances. The pure luck that she had escaping detection was a bit of a fantasy in itself but the suspension of disbelief in watching this drama wasn't too farfetched. Park Bo Gum was great as the stoic, playful and yet righteous king who wants to rule his kingdom in a more democratic way, quite different from the dirty traditional politics that was enveloping his nation. I was rooting for their love and as well as for their fight for truth and freedom in the midst of turmoil.

Leia Mais