The Moon That Embraces the Sun

sure, a fairy tale. a Korean one, with the entire flavor of spices and scents and beauty and bitter joy. with slices of drama in brilliant clothes. with delicate romanticism and links between so different worlds. but, in same measure, chronicle of a fight. for love. and for self definition. the young king looking the right manner to solve the crisis. the young woman looking be herself and, in same measure, the good answer to the challenges around her. so, a film who preserves many ingredients from the historical films from South Korea cinema. but , in same measure, who remains special. for its delicate and precise use of poetry

Who the hell decided to cast Han Ga-In as a grown-up Kim Yoo-Jung ? It was a terrible mistake and totally destroyed the show! With all due respect to her, she looks nothing like Kim Yoo-Jung and frankly her acting was mediocre at best. Funny thing is, Nam Bo-Ra would have been so much better for this role as one could easily believe thats a grown up Kim Yoo-Jung. Han Ga-In would have suited much better as a grown-up Joon Bo-gyeong.

It was a great storyline but the bad casting spoiled the show for me. I still gave it 6 because of Kim Yoo-jung in first 8 episodes and wonderful performance by Kim Soo-Hyun as the King in remaining episodes.

I overheard a student where i work mentioning that all her friends were asking for more Korean program suggestions on Netflix and I was intrigued. I've already enjoyed a few subtitled shows and when I heard her discussing them I knew I had to see for myself. While one of the suggestions wasn't really my cup of tea, Moon Embracing the Sun is one of those series you can only hope you find another like it. I'm on Episode 13 of 20 of Moon Embracing the Sun and it is one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had on television in years. It's a Korean period piece set in the distant past with a little bit of everything. The drama and romance (not sex) between the main characters is so intense. I love looking at their faces, their clothes, everything they do and the places they go. I find myself staring at the screen. It's a story about lovers who are subject to the events around them living in the royal palace and city. There's some political intrigue. There's the shaman culture and Confucian philosophy. There is a point where without warning the characters are replaced by older actors in a passage of time so I was a little confused at first but soon caught up. Love the actors who play the King - young and old. I'm thinking I want to know more about Korea now.

I am finding this show good in storyline and visuals, but excruciatingly slow and painful to watch. Each episode could be cut in half and still achieve the same goal. The switch of characters in the time jump baffled me as they looked nothing alike and it took me 3 slow episodes to figure it out. While i feel like I've complained a lot, the storyline is good and interesting and the costumes and sets are beautiful. I just wish i didn't fall asleep midway through every episode.

This is a powerful historical drama and love story, combining myth, shamanism, Confucius thought and a glimpse into some aspects of an ancient society. Very well-done and most compelling. Having lived many years in Korea/Japan, it gives me more insight into the depths of Korean history and society, the script they used, the food they ate, how they treated each other. I am dying to get back to Korea and see the people, experience the amazing cuisine of many small dishes of various fish, vegetables, rice, and visit the temples.

By studying this series, one can gain some good understanding into the Confucius thought that Korea adopted as its "religion" for hundreds of years, and gain some good insight into the people today.