Drama Digest
As ‘River Where the Moon Rises’ entered its last stretch, it abruptly removed many unnecessary characters, such as Queen Jin (Wang Bit-na), and fulfilled its promise. Pyeonggang (also known as Ga-jin) and Dal were the series’ true stars; even while exciting fight scenes were shown on screen, they served only as a compelling backdrop to emphasize the intensity of their quest.
The Feel-Good Part
For starters, Ji Soo was an excellent choice to play On Dal, and also the poetic nature of the title is appreciable, and the notion of Kim So Hyun playing a brutal princess.
The Disappointing Factor
Things started getting complex sometimes, which made the stuff challenging to watch.
In-Depth Analysis
Pyeong Gang is a woman with enormous goals and boundless ambition who was born a princess and reared as a soldier. Pyeong Gang is adamant about realizing her dream of being the first Empress of Goguryeo and will do anything to achieve it. Intelligent and composed, Pyeong Gang is well aware of the challenges in her path but is more than capable of overcoming them. The day she meets On Dal, a peace-loving man whose only ambition in life is to live in harmony with those around him, things, however, take an unexpected turn. The ambitious princess is the polar opposite of On Dal. In Pyeong Gang’s chaotic storms, he is an oasis of serenity. The brave princess quickly develops feelings for the amiable On Dal. He also has feelings for the princess, whose heart he now controls. To keep her safe, he is forced to compromise his moral ideals, but this is becoming more and more challenging as opposing factions violently compete for the crown. Pyeong Gang’s thirst for dominance may cost her everything as she is forced to compete against some of the most influential individuals in Goguryeo on both wits and brute force. Will the cost be too high to bear, or does she have what it takes to achieve her goals?
Star Power
To be very honest, the actors are the only thing that prevented this drama from worsening. Everyone had outstanding performances in their roles, which helped to at least make the lousy tale entertaining.
Overall Opinion
Where the Moon Rises was okayish to go with. It lacked excitement and was predictable. It was ordinary in many aspects, yet it effectively and professionally produced its story. Although it was felt and didn’t help, I would classify the actor transition as more of a peripheral issue. Not bad, but also not memorable.
