Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Main

• Lee Joon-gi as 4th Prince Wang So
  • Hong Dong-young as young Wang So

Initially known as the cruel and aloof one among the princes, he is both feared and misunderstood by those around him. He begins to change because of Hae Soo, who quickly realizes that his coldness is a front to hide his pain.

• Lee Ji-eun as Go Ha-jin / Hae Soo

A 21st century girl who has had a painful life. She travels back in time to 10th century Goryeo. She is an optimistic girl and can't stand injustice. She becomes the first one to understand Wang So's pain and decides to help him. She cares deeply for her loved ones. She initially develops feelings for the 8th Prince, but later falls for the 4th Prince.

• Kang Ha-neul as 8th Prince Wang Wook

A good man who cares deeply for the people around him. His kind charms make Hae Soo fall for him. However, his position places him as a rival to Wang So for both love and the throne.

Supporting

Others

• Kim Sung-kyun as Choi Ji-mong [ko]

The king's astronomer. Crown Prince Wang Mu's friend.

• Sung Dong-il as Grand General Park Soo-kyung

Soon-deok's father and Wang So's right-hand man.

• Woo Hee-jin as Court Lady Oh Soo-yeon

Head of the Damiwon Palace, King Taejo's one true love and Hae Soo's mentor, who is a mother-like figure to her.

• Choi Byung-mo as Park Young-gyu, Wang Yo's father-in-law
• Park Jung-hak as Wang Sik-ryeom, King Taejo's cousin
• Kim Kang-il as a member of the Shinju Kang clan

Special appearances

• Byeon Woo-seok as Go Ha-jin's ex-boyfriend (Ep. 3)
• Jang Hae-min as Go Ha-jin's friend (Ep. 3)
• Park Kwi-soon as the Chief Monk of the temple where the tongueless monks reside (Ep. 3)
• Oh Yoo-mi as court lady (Ep. 10)
• Jang Seo-hee as Lady Gyeonghwa

Crown Prince Wang Mu's daughter who later become Wang So's second wife and consort (Ep. 14)

• Seo Eun-sol [ko] as Hae Soo and Wang So's daughter (Ep. 20)
• Kim Do-hye as Bok-soon, Wang Wook's daughter (Ep. 20)^[12]

Development

On June 25, 2015, director Kim Kyu-tae and his production company, BaramiBunda Inc., announced that they were in the early stages of making a Korean version of the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin by Tong Hua.^[13] YG Entertainment and NBC Universal invested in the series, with the latter covering half of the budget of ₩15 billion.^[3][14]

The Chinese streaming platform Youku bought Moon Lovers at $400,000 per episode, making it the most expensive Korean drama ever sold, surpassing the records previously set by Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Uncontrollably Fond (2016), which were sold to China for $250,000 per episode.^[15][16][17] The record was beaten a few months later by Man to Man (2017).^[18]

Casting

On November 11, 2015 it was announced that Lee Joon-gi had been offered the male lead part of Wang So.^[19] The actor confirmed his participation in the project on January 4, 2016, and the same day it was announced that singer-actress Lee Ji-eun had accepted the part of the female lead.^[20] The first script reading took place four days later.^[21]

Production

The jewels in the drama were all created by Jung Jae-in of Minhwi Art Jewelry, and Lee Ji-eun herself designed the hairpin with the peony gifted by Wang So to the female lead.^[22] Artist Lee Hoo-chang designed and supervised the production of the over one hundred masks for the drama.^[23]

Filming

From top left: Baekje Cultural Center, Unjusa temple; Saseong-am hermitage; Seyeonjeong pavilion, Pocheon Art Valley, Seon-gyojang mansion, the Naju Image Theme Park

Filming, which lasted five months, began in February 2016 at the Yoseonjeong pavilion and the Yoseon-am rocks in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province,^[24][25] ending in the early hours of July 1, when Lee Ji-eun filmed her last scene from episode 20.^[26] Lee Joon-gi ended his part on June 30 on the set in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.^[27][28]

Other locations include Baekje Cultural Center,^[29][30] Naju Image Theme Park,^[31] Ondal Tourist Park in Danyang County, North Chungcheong; Unjusa and Man-yeonsa temples in Hwasun County; Saseong-am Hermitage on Mount Osan in Gurye County; Wolhwawon garden in the Hyowon park in Suwon;^[32][33] Seyeonjeong pavilion on Bogil island,^[34] Cheonjuho lake in the Pocheon Art Valley,^[35] Miryang lake, Ban-gok lake, Seon-gyojang residence in Gangneung^[36][37] and the hanok complex of the Nampyeong Moon family in Daegu.^[38][39][40]

Charted songs

Critical response

After the premiere, audience reviews were mixed, with the adaptation, the soundtrack, the photography, and Lee Joon-gi's acting being praised, while Byun Baek-hyun's performances received criticism.^[58][59] Lee Ji-eun's performance received mixed reviews: some critics believed the actress was doing a good job despite the frequent mood changes from one scene to the other,^[60] while others believed that director Kim Kyu-tae's trademark close-ups revealed her lack of emotion.^[61][62][63]

While for Kim Yoo-jin of TenAsia the drama's brevity compared to the Chinese counterpart and the rapid pace weren't sufficient to introduce each character,^[64] for MediaUs the first two episodes established good connections between the characters through rapid development,^[65] suggesting however that, if Moon Lovers had focused on the power struggles of the early Goryeo Dynasty "instead of setting up the Goryeo version of Boys Over Flowers," it would have received a positive response from male viewers interested in political dramas.^[66] According to Lee Woong of Yonhap News, the first part of the drama, which highlighted the love triangle and had almost all conflicts stemming from Queen Yoo's pathological love for Wang Yo, made the entire series too fragile.^[67] There were also doubts about the plausibility of the developments, such as the historical knowledge of the female lead, and that Wang So's scar could be covered with makeup.^[67]

With the 10th episode, the mood of the drama changed with the beginning of the power struggle over the throne among the princes, and the development of a three-dimensionality in characters considered "flat and dull" until that moment: Yonhap News again wrote that "IU has shed her comic acting and grasped Hae Soo's emotions in front of a tragic fate. Wang Wook, who has failed to win love and is anxious to choose power for the survival of his family, has become a tragic but empathetic real person."^[67] Lee Seung-rok of MyDaily also noted that after turning to tragedy in the second half, the acting, directing and writing had found stability, contributing to the increase in ratings.^[68]

The opinions on the finale were discordant: despite the good acting performances of the actors, viewers complained about the excessive product placement in the last episode.^[69][70] On the drama in general, Lee Woong of Yonhap News expressed a positive opinion, writing that Moon Lovers faithfully portrayed the tragedy of a love whose ideals are broken by reality, using fantasy as a dramatic device to show the tragedy of reality and exposing the same contradictions people experience in ordinary life.^[6] Park Si-eun's and Woo Hee-jin's acting in their last episodes was also praised for its solidity and maturity.^[71]

The reception abroad and on the Internet was more positive than in South Korea.^[72] After five episodes, the People's Daily wrote that "the Chinese version is calm and steady, while the Korean version is more catering to the new generation of online audiences: the overall style is bright, adding a lot of funny elements. The handling of these details reflects South Korea's serious attitude in remaking foreign work."^[73]

Audience viewership

Impact

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was chosen as the most anticipated series of the second half of 2016 in China.^[96] The previews released through Naver TV cast reached more than one million views each in early October.^[78] In Singapore it was number three in 2016 Google Trends (TV shows section).^[97] According to the research institute Good Data Corporation, the series was the third most discussed drama of 2016, after KBS dramas Descendants of the Sun and Love in the Moonlight.^[98]

In an American survey conducted on Korean content consumers in October 2016, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Lee Joon-gi placed second in the drama and favorite actors charts respectively, while Lee Ji-eun placed third in the favorite actresses chart.^[99] Due to Moon Lovers, Lee Joon-gi's popularity grew and the actor's name consistently topped the real-time and weekly portal sites search rankings.^[100] In episode 8, his performance in the last scene drew viewers' attention, and his name, the drama title and "Gwangjong" were the most searched words.^{[101][102][103]}

Accolades

On October 28, 2016 Moon Lovers received the K-Culture Pride Award at Korea Brand Awards "for the contribution to the exchange of cultural contents" between Korea and China,^[104] and at the end of the year, it was nominated for twelve categories at SBS Drama Awards, winning seven in total.^[105][106]