Halo, sudah lama sekali tidak posting sesuatu di blog ini. Sebagai post pertama di tahun 2018 dan membuka masa hiatus menulisku, aku pilih review drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (MLSHR) yang sebenarnya sudah lama tayang. Kenapa baru sekarang review? Karena baru ditonton hahaha, dan karena waktu itu aku mengikuti Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (MDBC). Sebenarnya, topik ini bukan yang ingin aku tulis sebagai pembuka, tapi setelah aku pikir lagi, post pembuka akan lebih menyenangkan kalau membahas topik yang agak ringan, kan?
Actually, I planned to write this review in bahasa, but, after three long paragraphs, I found that my words choice is better in english. So, yeah, I will try to write more in bahasa 🙂
Now, let’s get started and enjoy my review :). My aim of writing this post is to ease the readers who want to watch the drama in short summary, without reading a long recaps first. Before we continue to the main part, let me say sorry if there is any spoiler content which I write *peace*.
Why suddenly I decided to watch MLSHR?
To be honest, I forget the exact reason why then I watched this drama. I only remember that I was in the middle of my thesis working and still unfinished until now LOL, then I found a FMV about EXO’s Baekhyun and Z.Hera. And yes, as a korean drama lover who is easily interested to FMV (I often end up watching a drama because a FMV), I started to watch first episode, then could not stop until fifth episode in the first night (eventhough I didn’t watch a whole episode, still it was crazy night). As what I mentioned before, last year, when this drama was airing, I didn’t give any attention, except because of Lee Jun Ki played as a main role. He is one of my favorite actor, yes because he is damn hot, right? Hahahaha. The rating was far lower than MDBC with Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung casted in that. In that time, many articles said that MLSHR was not given any interest from the Korean viewers because of IU and Baekhyun’s bad acting. I will explain why it could happen back then from my POV.
Cast Members
I can guarantee you guys that the prince cast members are superb, they are all good looking. Many of my favorites are there, such as Lee Jun Ki, Ji Soo, and Nam Joo Hyuk. The cast members are really overflowing. The storyline is about Hae Soo/Go Ha Jin’s life which travels back to Goryeo era. Then, Hae Soo is involved in complicated love line along with the politics played by the princes in order to sit on the throne. Totally, there are 8 princes, but the crown prince is not highlighted that much, so it focuses on 7 princes. Hae Soo is friend to 5 out of those 7 princes.
- Hae Soo (in the past)/Go Ha Jin (in the present) – IU – main cast*
- Wang Moo – Kim San Ho
- Wang Yo (third prince) – Hong Jong Hyun
- Wang So (fourth prince) – Lee Jun Ki – main cast*
- Wang Wook (eighth prince) – main cast*
- Wang Won (ninth prince) – Yoon Sun Woo
- Wang Eun (tenth prince) – EXO’s Baekhyun**
- Baek Ah (thirteenth prince) – Nam Joo Hyuk***
- Wang Jung (fourteenth prince) – Ji Soo
- Woo Hee – Seohyun Girls’ Generation***
- Z.Hera – Park Soon Duk – ***
- Yeon Hwa (princess) – Kang Han Na
P.S. *first couple, **second couple, ***third couple
Story Line
-Explaining Love Line
When you watch the opening episodes, it has a big probability that you will get confused with the love line. Because it is changing from time to time. So, it is important to state the love line before we go too far. First, Hae Soo and Wang Wook, it lasts until tenth episode. They are aparting because Wang Wook -who is ex-husband of Hae Soo’s older cousin- decides to ignore her due to the ambition for the throne. In that time, they are already promised to get marry to each other, but then Hae Soo is slandered by the bad side. So, if Wang Wook decides to protect and save her, his family will be in danger. Second, Hae Soo and Wang So who is the main couple here. At first, those two is not get along well, even once Wang So wants to kill Hae Soo who ruins his mission. But, then, Hae Soo gives a lot of attention to him, in which he is lacked of attention by being thrown away out of the palace. It happens because her mother -who is the bad side cuts his face and leave a scar. Wang So is touched by Hae Soo who never hates him and starts to have a feeling. Then, start from twelfth episode, finally Hae Soo accepts him *happy*. Third, Hae Soo and Wang Eun who fights to each other in their first meeting, but leave a deep meaning for Wang Eun LOL. But, then Wang Eun is asked by the king to marry Park Soon Duk who is the daughter of general. Wang Eun tries to convince Hae Soo to be his second wife, but they end up as a friend happily. Fourth, Hae Soo and Wang Jung, who is saved by the brave Hae Soo. Hae Soo treats Wang Jung as her younger brother since Wang Jung is the youngest among the princes, but then Wang Jung is growing his feeling toward her. They end up marry to each other, in order to grant Hae Soo’s will to leave the palace. But, unfortunately, Hae Soo’s feeling is still for Wang So. Fifth, Baek Ah and Woo Hee with complicated relationship and bitter ending. They are so good to be together, but many obstacles around them because of their family background.
-Explaining Conflict
The story starts from Hae Soo who comes from the present named Go Ha Jin. She is working in skincare field, whose life is ruined because of her boyfriend and bestfriend. They have hidden relationship and even deceit Go Ha Jin. Her house is taken and she is being chased by the people who lend their money to those deceiver. One day, she is drunk and talk with homeless person in the lake, until she awares that a child is drowning. She tries to ignore it at first, but she just can’t and save the child. It looks that she is drown and dead, but actually she is saved by wakening up in the prince’s bath pool. She is so shocked and has no idea about how to survive there, but then Wang Wook helps and protects her all the way. Then, the conflict starts when the princes are competing to sit on the throne. It is because Wang Yo, Wang So, and Wang Jung’s mom, who is one of the queen has the ambition to throw away the crown prince. Here, Hae Soo has the vision to see the future, she also knows that the later king of Goryeo will kill his own brother. Because of that, at first, she makes a distance with Wang So and give warning to Wang Wook to be careful with his brother. It changes a whole story, which later the death of the princes one by one can’t be stopped.
My Perspective about Why It Has Low Rating
Here are solely my own perspectives from what I get after I watch a whole drama.
First, do I recommend you to watch this one? Yes. Especially when you want a refreshing drama with a bunch of good looking guys along with funny scenes in the several first episodes.
Two, what is the positive side of this one? From what I watch, this drama is not as complicated as other saeguk drama, except the reason that it is fiction. MLSHR is trying to show that in that era, your act is not as easy as now to be done. Everything is strictly limited by the palace rules, added with different status of each person. By watching this, probably you will understand the another saeguk drama from a little thing, such as why can’t you be together if you love each other? The answer is because you only have two choices, protect yourself and your family in the palace, or still being with the one whom you love eventhough she/he gets a problem. You have to lose one, in order to get another one. This line is correct.
Third, why it has low rating? First thing first, the rival of MLSHR was MDBC which I have mentioned before. Not different from MLSHR, MDBC is also a fiction saeguk drama. The main cast members are Kim Yoo Jung, Park Bo Gum, and B1A4’s Jinyoung. It was pretty compared by the viewers even since before both of them were aired. Actually, MLSHR got a very high anticipation since it was pre-produced, supported by awesome cast members too. But, thing didn’t turn out as good as what it was expected. One, several first episode are funny, BUT BORING. The story line until seventh episodes only shows about how Hae Soo does a fault since she is newbie, and then saved by one of those princes. Kinda like ‘what kind of drama is this, pft.’ Meanwhile, MDBC has an interesting story line, that one which makes the viewers become curious about what will happen next. Two, I am pretty curious about an unsatisfying story line since it was pre-produced. The team actually could make it better. I am refering to the complicated love line, so the drama can’t focus on what should be focused. It makes the story line seems like jumping from one scene to another scene irregulary. Third, it does leave a mark after you watch it, but unfortunately, it is not the kind of story line or ending which makes you want to watch it over and over again.
Yeah, it is my point of view regarding to the drama. Overall, it is actually not that bad, only so-so. I recommend it to you who wants a light drama, but I don’t recommend this one to you who is looking for a challenging drama.
Notes: I think IU and EXO’s Baekhyun acting is not bad, I really mean it. For IU, it is her characteristic to be like that, even if you compare it to Kim Yoo Jung, yeah it is on different level. *since Kim Yoo Jung is indeed an artist* Meanwhile, for EXO’S Baekhyun, he is not bad, he only needs to improve his acting skill. If I am not mistaken, it is his second drama after EXO Next Door which was aired on Line.
Thank you for reading this review. You can leave a comment what drama or everything about Korea you want me to write.
I REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TO LISTEN TO THE OST.
-FOR YOU – EXO-CBX
-CAN YOU HEAR MY HEART – EPIK HIGH FT. LEE HI
Hug from Panda 