My first reaction to the drama teasers was “What’s with the mask?” and just like that, I was drawn to watch this historical K-Drama with an unusual title – Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. One of 2016’s most anticipated shows, Scarlet Heart Ryeo was in the news mostly because of its star cast that boasted of popular K-Pop idols and acclaimed actors. I am new to K-dramas so I wasn’t fully aware of the popularity of each actor. For me, the storyline and the fact that so many good-looking men were in one single drama was enough to pique my interest.
 
Let’s weigh this interesting historical drama on our show beam balance and see if the show is worth watching or not.
 
Good Weights
Lee Jun Gi (Prince Wang So): First let’s talk about the character Wang So. Wang So is the bad boy who generates fear in the minds of not only his enemies and but also his friends. He punishes all those who harm his loved ones but sadly ends up earning their fear. He isn’t a jerk. He is not mean. He is just a little misunderstood. Wang So is the quintessential good guy who hides under the garb of an evil, ruthless man only to protect himself and his people. He is aggressive and ferocious yet kind and loving. A dominating character like this required an ace actor to pull it off convincingly and Lee Jun Gi’s portrayal of 4th prince Wang So was simply flawless. The drama has several popular faces but lead actor Lee Jun Gi just stole the show not just because of his character but also because of his strong screen presence and fine performance. This may be because he is a much-experienced actor compared to the rest of the cast and Jun Gi can be credited for having kept the audiences engaged for 20 episodes. Even with half of his face hidden behind a mask, he manages to convey So’s feelings so effectively that I fell in love with both the character and the actor. The mask suited him so much that I liked him more with it than without it. Had it not been for Jun Gi I don’t think the drama would have been as interesting as I found it to be especially when we had a pale and expressionless face for a lead actress.

Direction: As you start watching the drama you will notice that every second shot is a close-up shot of the actors. The director seems obsessed with close-ups. Initially, I found these close-up shots annoying but then the same thing starting appealing to me. I especially appreciated these close-up when the scene had the stoic Wang Wook in it. Now, 8th prince Wang Wook is a shy, reticent prince who does not speak a lot. Actor Kang Ha Neul’s close-up showing his subtle expressions worked extremely well for the story. Similarly, Jun Gi as prince Wang So is often scowling or grimacing and the close-up shots effectively captured his not-so-subtle expressions. The only nightmare was lead actress IU, who plays Hae Soo. She is pretty but her face shows no variation in expression. Tears would trickle down her eyes and you still won’t be convinced that she is actually crying. You see, she was that bad. Other than that I think the direction was quite good.

OST: ‘Can You Hear My Heart’ by Epik High and Lee Hi is my favourite of all the songs used on the show. The music is stirring and emotional and suited Wang So the best. Then we have the mournful ‘Wind’ by Jung Seung Hwan and ‘My Love’ by Lee Hi. So melodious these songs are that you will love it even if you don’t understand Korean. That’s the power of Korean soundtracks.

Lee Ji Eun (Hae Soo): When you have bagged a role to die for don’t you think people will have high expectations from you? Scarlet Heart Ryeo revolved mostly around Hae Soo’s character but sadly actress IU was the weakest link of the show. Hae Soo is a complicated character as she goes through a lot of emotions in the story and at times it is difficult to understand her choices and actions. For such a character, it was very important that the actor portrayed emotions that would convey her inner feelings with only her face. Sadly, IU just remained a white face with big black eyes. What’s worse is that she had most of her scenes with actors Lee Jun Gi and Kang Ha Neul who are masters at facial expressions. IU often fell flat before such skilled actors further highlighting her lack of acting skills. I not only hated Hae Soo the character for being so fickle minded, but I also disliked IU for almost ruining the show for me.

Ending: This always happens to me. The dramas I love watching end in the most disappointing way. Previously it happened with Healer and now this drama. This show was so cool throughout but its climax was so bad I almost cried. Happy or sad ending didn’t matter I was just looking for a conclusion that made sense and did justice to the story. But all I got was a drab finale episode.  

The show beam balance is heavy with good weights and I must add here that the drama isn’t perfect script wise but highly remarkable performance wise.I enjoyed every episode and loved every character on the show. Hae Soo did test my patience but I will let that slip as Wang Wook and Wang So managed to rule my heart through the weeks the drama aired.
 
Originally posted on Alphagirl.in.