> The Rom-com Saeguks released this year are most disappointing except for the heavy-hearted Red Sleeve and Moonshine shines more among the mediocre left

PLOT
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On paper, this drama seems exciting and something new and fresh in the great landscape that is a period drama from South Korea. The sort of procedural police drama with a bit of romance set during the Joseon era is something we don’t get every day. But as the drama progresses, it seems to lose its essence and become a little too traditional.

The plot seems too rushed at times; it never really stops long enough to explore things or build them up enough for it to hook you in. There is a lot of tell, and not enough showing us things. Showing us the main couple falling in love for example. Things just happen because they are supposed to happen. But at the same time, the story drags its feet so much and the plot and the character go in so many circles - which is a shame because the cast is great, but not used all that well within the story.

CHARACTERS
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Although there is not a single character you hate in this show ; everyone had a backstory and comedic touch (yes even the evil ministers).


It’s Ro Seo who manages to shine the most in this drama and her character manages to be the heart of the story someone you can really root for. Hyeri is so likeable here. And if the story had been built solely around her, we might have gotten a better story. But it is Nam Young and his story halts the story so much. He is only there because Ro Seo needs some contradiction to her character and her story, but he does not get enough to do so that it has a strong enough impact on the story. His character hardly matters in the grand scheme of things ; which is refreshingly quite opp. to usual where female characters take backstage after strong introduction.

This role insufficiently used Yoo Seung Ho, one of South Korea’s most talented actors in his age range, which is a damn shame. And while Yoo Seung Ho uses all his charisma and puts as many emotions and empathy into Nam Young as he can muster, the writing does not match his energy, so no matter what he does, Nam Young feels flat as a character. Which is frustrating to watch. He is a plot-point, not a solid character who influences the story itself. Most of the story he is just there.

For a change the Queen and Consorts were pleasantly good and non-threateningly evil . The ministers and thugs were evil but were not too frustrating except in the end where [spoiler] Lee Shi-Heum get his way and crownprice sits quite [/spoiler].

Overall
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Moonshine is an overall drama with lots of potential, but with such an aimless narrative that hesitates to take risks and break away from the norms of its genre, with crown princes, palace politics and forbidden love between classes etc. It leaves the mystery of the story in the dust and therefore the structure of the story, some of the character and many of the side-plots feel rather flat and they lack a little focus and depth. The drama wanted to do too much, but at the same time too little, with the time it took to tell this story. I cannot say that I was bored watching the drama, but rather that I was frustrated by the wasted potential of it all. The cast carried the drama through for me and bgm for comedy was apt ; I did have few laughs but when the story got serious at the end I lost interest .