When Flowers Bloom, I Think of the Moon (2021)

Great plot overall but ruined by poor story development and undisciplined writing.

This drama is insulting to intelligence, common sense and a serious test of one's patience. The writer loves to hang on to arcs and subplots that never seem to end or get repeated ad nauseam.

I think it was a passable story up until episode 10. At episode 11 though, I was so over the writer's lack of talent and finesse in continuing this to a logical end. Behold another train wreck idea to force a conflict and confrontation. I could see that from a mile away. Never mind I was already rolling my eyes out when they showed the real mastermind. Anyone with half a brain would have guessed by now. But of course we need more pointless and meandering drama before we get to the resolution of this story.

I thought the writer did well with characterization overall. The motivations and aspirations of people are plainly shown. I thought it was refreshing to see a drama where most characters aren't exactly saints and of dubious personalities. This had an interesting main plot with surprisingly well written characters but got dragged down by a poorly developed story. The arcs here are never resolve. They just tie a loose end to another loose end from one arc to another.

I think if the writer had more talent this would have been a great drama. So much potential but in the end lazy writing and the lack of aptitude to write a more discipline and intuitive story was it's downfall.

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Yoo Seungho played as the main lead... how can I not watch this drama? Though to be fair, this drama kept making me want to rewatch Ruler so many times due to the many scenes that tend to parallel some of parts of Ruler that amuses me a lot many times. And when I say there was a lot of parallel plots, there was really a LOT.

The character of Kang Roseo had been set up pretty well with her being a former noblewoman who ended up becoming a moonshiner to make a living. The crown prince Lee Pyo also have his own story to which it also connected with the prohibition order as well as the general plot around it.

And above all, Nam Young seemed to hold the biggest mystery that may lead to a clue that tied the three people together. He's quite a cute character (something that Seungho had a natural flair at playing it) and his upright as well as innocent persona was enough of a charm to make you like Nam Young. Though some may find him a bit annoying but that's how he's been raised. It'll be interesting to see how Nam Young would change even more while being with Roseo and Pyo.

The story was quite light-hearted enough and fun to watch. Though the serious plot would start to creep in the more the plot dwelve more into Lee Pyo's past and Nam Young's locked memories. As well as the romance that started to grow between an unlikely pair of inspector and a moonshiner.

Overall, the drama was really a fun watch. And while there was quite some loose ends that remained unresolved like what happened to some people after the truth was revealed, what will Young do with his life now and I'm still curious about Young's true parentage, the drama ended with a very good note. As much as the lovelines of the main and secondary pair ended up not being expanded enough, I like the fact that the romance didn't feel out of place. Young and Roseo made for quite a goofy pair and Pyo-Aejin pair were quite cute. And I really love the overall visuals of the drama that was as beautiful as the poem the drama was named from.

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Too much to say 'cause I enjoyed it sm!!!

I believe, the strongest point of this drama is that it's not draggy. There's always something happening on the screen because the story has so many things to tell you.
It features court intrigues, the work of government bureaus, rising to high positions from the lows, the life of impoverished aristocrats and some commoners, small bandits gangs and organised crime organisations hiding in the dark. And, of course, as every self-respecting kdrama, it has a love story, too! ;^)
Naturally, if you're interested only in one of the aspects of the story (for example, romance), you will be bored watching other points of the show.
Supporting roles aren't outshined by the main characters. All the characters are very diverse (government officials, bandits, gisaengs...) and all have different personalities and looks.
The balance between serious and light-hearted moments is nice, too. Not being gloomy and having funny moments helps the drama to hide some illogical moments of the plot. (For example, the FL sometimes is TOO STRONG running with all those heavy jars full of liquor). But small mistakes didn't ruin the whole story for me. It's not that this drama is aiming to be epic. Instead, it's very self-aware: it often tricks you showing a cliché drama moment but then turns it to a joke.
Music and visuals are also on point. The scenery is just beautiful. The costumes, the landscapes, the colours - everything is very appealing. I was blown away each time I saw some of the fabrics or interior.
However, the pacing of the storytelling is not balanced. Close to the end everything becomes very intense in contrast to the lazy beginning. Idk, maybe that's how it was intended. It's nor bad nor good for me.
I guess, the most charming trait of the show for me was its embrace of Korean traditions. As this drama's main focus is not about royal kings and queens they give you a peek at the life of common people. There were things I've never seen before in a historical kdrama.
Previously, there were some period dramas that the audience found upsetting ('Mr. Queen' and Joseon Exorcist'). So I loved the producers’ attention to small details.
Overall, there was a lot of effort put in this show. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in history or Korean culture in general.
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Now a little bit about my personal experience with this drama.
As I understood from reading the comments, many people were disappointed with the main couple. As I'm nor Yoo Seung Ho's fan, nor Lee Hye Ri's fan, the main leads weren't the reason I picked up this show. They were okay for me.
To be completely frank, that's the first Yoo Seung Ho's role I liked. It's not that I've seen him a lot before, but still. His character and the SFL are my favourite here! Every week I was craving to see the 2nd couple interaction. But I was played :((((
Anyway, I will definitely watch this drama again!!

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Good Enough

Korean Drama " When Flowers Bloom I Think of The Moon " is a period drama with a strong female lead.

The start of the drama is quite strong and gets things fascinating for the continuation. However, the second part is generic and falls right into every period drama cliche. It also gets boring, if it wasn't for the villain that kept things thrilling and suspenseful. The romance, on the other hand, was boring, even though the leads had chemistry and their bickering at first was enjoyable.

The performances, moreover, were great by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, four and a half out of ten.

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Highly Entertaining...to say the least!

Highly entertaining...to say the least. This series has to be one of the best historical dramas I've watched in awhile. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, some shocking/dramatic moments, and some heartfelt moments between the leads.

I've read where some viewers have issues with the FL; however, I'm really loving her in this role. Her character sort of reminds me of the kicka** women who were said to have help tame the American wild west. She holds nothing back, and you can tell she is doing everything in her power to protect the people she cares about.

Another character I love is the CP's mother. She hasn't been in many scenes, but she's stolen the show for me.

Regarding the chemistry between the leads, I do love it. The pacing of their interactions and banter are spot on. I can't wait to see how they work through and bring their different worlds together.

If you are looking for something fast paced and funny with a complicated plot and dramatic moments, I highly recommend this series. Also, the bromance between the ML and SML is well worth it.

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Just a thought

Drama have a unexpected and unthinkable plot a unique one. Drama runs through a fast phase from the first episode. Yoo Seung-ho is really a out match actor his character fills alive in drama as all his drama fells female lead actor Hyeri is simple and basic in acting there is no aliveness in her character but her chemistry with Byeon Woo-Seok feels nice as compare with Yoo Seung-ho story line is great and intresting drama can hold its audience until the end. I would suggest the drama of Yoo Seung-ho Emperor the owner of mask for great chemistry and fantasy story line if you wanna watch drama that is based on joseon period. I can suggest this drama will show a twist in the end as the Chief Secretary is giving some different vibes and it will connect three off our lead characters together. Yoo Seung-ho has return after a long time hope this drama will go well.

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