In the global Kdrama sensation, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Lee Ji-eun (also known as IU) stars as modern-day girl, Go Ha-jin, who finds herself in the body of Hae Soo, a young woman living in 10th century Goryeo. There, she becomes embroiled in the lives of eight princes, all sons of King Taejo (Jo Min-ki) the founder of the Goryeo dynasty. While she may first be drawn to 8th Prince Wang Wook (Kang Ha-neul of Heirs/Inheritors), Lee Joon-gi’s 4th Prince Wang So is the person she can’t ignore.
From what little Hae Soo remembers from her Korean history lessons, Wang So is destined to be king. But, his journey to the throne includes killing his own brothers. Can one 21st century girl change the course of history and prevent the bloodshed of the princes she has come to love?
- Series Title: Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (Korean: 달의 연인 – 보보경심 려)
- Starring: Lee Joon-gi, Lee Ji-eun (IU), Kang Ha-neul
- Written by: Cho Yoon-young
- Directed by: Kim Kyu-tae
- Network: SBS TV
- Where to watch in the US: DVD
- Premier Date: August 29, 2016
- # of episodes: 20
- KafeNook Rating: 4.6 sips
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo — !! Spoilers Ahead!!
It is not easy watching Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. For one – no streaming services in the US currently carries it. Fortunately, the DVD is available on Amazon, and I was lucky enough to receive a copy for my birthday. It’s also not an easy drama to watch knowing the ending will be a tough one. That didn’t prevent me from wanting to watch this immensely popular drama. I just had to steal myself for the ending. What I did not expect is all of the heartache that happens along the way. No wonder “Scarlet Heart” is part of the title. Speaking of which. . .
Scarlet Heart
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is the South Korean remake of the 2011 Chinese drama Scarlet Heart. Scarlet Heart, in turn, is based on the 2005 novel Bu Bu Jing Xin written by Tong Hua. To adapt the source material for a Korean audience, the writers chose King Taejo, founder of the Goryeo dynasty and his real-life sons and family members who provide the perfect dynamic for the series. (Thankfully, the princes have Korean names vs the Chinese names: Yinzhen, Yinsi, Yinziang, Yinti, Yinreng, Yinzhi, Yintang and Yin-e. Otherwise, I don’t think I could keep them all straight!)
Wang So (portrayed magnificently by Lee Joon-gi in the show), did indeed become the fourth King of Goryeo, succeeding his oldest brother, the Crown Prince Wang Mu, followed by Wang Yo with whom he shared mother, Queen Yoo. Wang So married his half-sister, and their son succeeded him as king followed by the son of half-brother Wang Uk’s (Wook). Despite that – Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is a work of fiction. (Unless traveling to the past and inhabiting a person’s body is a real thing 😊.)
A Modern Girl Stuck in the Past
In one of my favorite Kdramas, Mr. Queen, the soul of chef Jan Bong-wong (Choi Jin-hyuk) ends up in the past and in the body of Kim So-young (Shin Hye-sun of See You in My 19th Life), the soon-to-be queen. It’s a fun, drama filled with all the antics you can imagine of someone being stuck in the past, in another body, and – a body of different gender. While the show contains some serious moments, most of the fun comes from Bong-wong trying to acclimate to his new reality. Watching Mr. Queen and now Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo made me wonder how I would fair if I suddenly found myself living in the past, trapped in another person’s body. If I were Go Ha-jin, stuck in the body of Hae-soo, would I make the same decisions she does?
For one thing, I think I would experience withdrawal. No cell phones, TV, internet, or computers. No movies (or movie theaters), dramas, reality shows, books (that I could read because they are all written in Chinese characters), computer games or apps. Ok – that sounds a lot like my childhood which I survived – but still.
Go Ha-jin as Hae-soo shows signs of being a modern girl stuck in the past. Like her, I would have a hard time accepting a woman’s lot in life. She rebels at this by doing things she enjoyed in her previous life: making soaps and being a make-up artist. IU perfectly portrays Hae-soo’s modern sentiments and happy innocence, the two things that get her noticed by the princes. Besides her cousin, Hae Myung-hee (Park Si-eun), 8th Prince Wook is the person who shows her the greatest kindness. Not only that, but he is also intelligent, handsome, and charming. I would fall for him in a heartbeat.
But I am a sucker for a bad boy. (How many romance novels feature a rake who becomes the best boyfriend/husband?) 4th Prince So is an outcast of the royal family. The mask he wears over a portion of his face only adds to his air of mystery. He is indifferent to Hae-soo at first, but once she gains his attention – he becomes impossible for her to ignore. As Hae-soo faces hardship after hardship, it is So who is consistently there for her rather than Wook. I like to think I would have dumped Wook way before Hae-soo does and turned my sights toward So.
Would I have been smart enough to cut myself so that I would be ineligible to become King Taejo’s concubine? Or come up with a way to help So by covering up his scar? I like to think so. Could I have avoided being framed for trying to murder a prince or being beaten and demoted to a washer woman? Probably not with so many people conspiring against Hae-soo. Given her situation, she really does more than manage to survive in a difficult world.
The Many Loves of Hae-soo
It is fair to say that most of the princes portrayed in the drama love Hae-soo in one way or another. Crown Prince Wang Mu (Kim San Ho), the older brother figure in Hae-soo’s life, has genuine affection for her and trusts her to take care of him once he becomes king. Talented musician and artist 13th Prince Wang Baek Ah (Nam Joo Hyuk of Vigilante), also cares a great deal for Hae-soo and becomes her close friend. (Nam Joo Hyuk’s Start-Up character would be missing those computers, though!) Ultimately, four of the princes fall for Hae Soo: 4th Prince So, 8th Prince Wook, 10th Prince Wang Eun (EXO’s Byun Baek-hyun) and 14th Prince Wang Jung (Ji Soo).
10th Prince Eun
If I were Hae-soo, I would easily pass the time with 10th Prince Eun who is the first to confess his love to her. His zest for life is infectious, whether it’s putting on a puppet show to cheer Hae-soo up or playing games. His is the most innocent love. Born out of school yard antics, it starts as concern for Hae-soo and then develops into a full-on crush. Hae-soo adores him for his playfulness and shows her affection by singing a song to him for his birthday. (At the very same birthday party where Prince So first falls for her.) Even though she is unable to return Eun’s love, she never stops caring for him.
Though Eun loves Hae-soo, he is forced to marry Soon-deok (Ji Hye-ran) the daughter of a general. It’s only when Eun and Soon-deok’s lives are threatened by 3rd Prince, now King Wang Yo (Hong Jong-hyun) that Eun realizes he loves his wife. The two have one night together as true husband and wife before she dies defending him. Eun then gives up his only chance to survive in order to join his wife in death. Calling on a former promise made by Prince So, he asks his brother to be the one to kill him. When Hae-soo sees the look on So’s face as he carries out his brother’s wish, she understands the cost of the choice he makes. How can she not love So all the more? (And fortunately for me, I can go watch videos of Baek-hyun singing at any time!)
8th Prince Wook
Hae-soo’s first love is 8th Prince Wook, the husband of her cousin. When modern-day Ha-jin finds herself in the body of Hae-soo, she is immediately drawn to Wook’s kindness. He, in turn, revels in the joy she brings to their lives. Her joy is infectious and Wook’s home becomes the place where his brothers like to hang out. Myung-hee, Wook’s sickly wife, has always loved Wook even knowing that he doesn’t love her. Her greatest wish is for Wook to marry Hae-soo after she dies. In one of the best tear-jerker moments of the series, Wook confesses to Hae-soo that it took Myung-hee’s death to realize he loved his wife after all.
Though Wook falls in love with Hae-soo, he is the center of his mother, Queen Hwangbo’s, plans. He doesn’t know how to go against his mother and be with Hae-soo at the same time. Even Hae-soo, who knows Prince So will become king, tells Wook he can either marry her or be the king. He can’t do both. This is start of Wook’s failings. Unwilling to go against his mother, he comes up with a plan to gain the throne. He believes the person who kills the current king will be considered a traitor. If Wook takes out the traitor and becomes king, his actions will make him a hero. As king, he can be with Hae-soo. What he doesn’t take into account is all that Hae-soo suffers along the way.
Wook watches silently as Hae-soo is accused of poisoning a prince and subsequently beaten. He stands by again when she is accused of killing King Mu. Though he is jealous of Hae-soo’s growing relationship with Prince So, Wook stays firm in his plan to become king. He realizes too late that he has lost her, not because of her growing affection for Prince So, but because of all of the times he failed her. It’s Prince So who takes the role that Wook wanted – becoming king after the traitor. Near the end of Wook’s end of life, he tells his brother Jung what he has come to realize about himself. His problem is that he loves with his whole heart but can’t make up his mind. All too true – Wook! It is nice to learn that Wook’s son eventually becomes king.
4th Prince So
Bad boy with a good heart, 4th Prince So gradually makes his way into Hae-soo’s heart. Her helping him cover his scar seals the deal of his affection for her and sets in motion his inevitable ascent to the throne. Where Wook is unable to act, So acts instead to help and support Hae-soo whenever he can. She eventually sees that, unlike Wook, she can trust So to be there for her – even if he is not able to get her fully out of her predicament. Like Wook, however, So understands that way for him to have what he wants, including Hae-soo, is to become king. He just happens to be successful in making that happen. Knowing So is destined to become king, Hae-soo agrees to support him. She only asks him not to hurt his brothers on his way to the throne.
Many people warn So he will have to give up everything and everyone he loves to become king, but it’s a warning he doesn’t heed. He believes he can still be with Hae-soo. Like his predecessors, the curse of power hangs over him. One of his first acts as king is to quell the rumors about his rise to power. He does this by ordering the execution of all the people in the place at the time. What a terrible way to start his reign – especially if he wants to be a different king. Whether on his own, or driven by others, he makes decisions that Hae-soo doesn’t support. Even his decision to give Princess Yeon-hwa (Kang Han-na) what she wants shows how his quest for power is more important to him than Hae-soo. Like Wook, he realizes too late what his ambition has cost him.
14th Prince Jung
14th Prince Wang Jung turns out to be the most faithful prince to Hae-soo and the one she eventually trusts the most. I would trust him the most too. Due to Jung’s success on the battlefield, King Taejo grants his request to marry Hae-soo. Jung doesn’t immediately act on the decree and instead tells Hae-soo to notify him when she wants to leave the palace.
After So’s marriage to Princess Yeon-hwa, an ailing Hae-soo wants out of the palace and contacts Jung. He brings out the decree, forcing So’s hand and takes Hae-soo to his estate. There, he provides her with all the love, support, and comfort he can as she goes through a difficult pregnancy with So’s child. Though Hae-soo is truly grateful to him, her heart lies with So up until her death. This is one place I like to think that I would deviate from Hae-soo and turn my affection to Jung. It’s nice to see that Jung is the one who raises Hae-soo and So’s daughter in the end.
A Break Needed
After watching episode 17 of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, I had to take a mini break from it. I found myself upset by a couple of events that occurred in the previous episodes. For one thing, Yeon-hwa becoming Queen, puts a damper on Hae Soo and So’s newfound happiness. But the biggest issue is the conversation between Hae Soo and Wook where he asks her why she told him to stay away from So.
Did Hae-soo know that So was going to become king? Hae-soo’s response that So was born under the king star is a bit lame. If it were me, I would tell him the truth. “I’m from the future. So is destined to become king but in doing so, will slay all his brothers. To prevent that, I made him promise not to kill the princes”. By explaining her foreknowledge, Wook might have better understood Hae-soo’s actions. Wook also reminds her that she said he couldn’t have the throne and her – which is the reason he gave her up. Why is it ok for So to have the throne and her? Her reason? Because So was straightforward with her about what he wanted. And Wook was not? Until this point, Hae-soo has maintained the higher ground between her and Wook. This feels like a slap in Wook’s face.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo Ending
After Hae-soo dies in the past, Go Ha-jin finds herself back in her original timeline. The events of the past don’t seem real to her until she goes to an art gallery where a collection of early Goreo dynasty works are on display. She learns that So turned out to be a better king than her history lessons portrayed. Though some of the brothers may have blamed her for events that happened, ultimately, she her presence brought about improvements for the nation. Seeing the images from the art, Ha-jin begins to cry as she is reminded of her life as Hae-soo and the princes she loved.
The Chinese version, Scarlet Heart, ends with the heroine meeting someone who looks like her 4th prince in the future. For Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, there is evidence of a scene featuring Prince So’s modern-day look-a-like. Unfortunately, the scene is not included. In the scene, Ha-jin is crying in the museum when someone looking like So hands her a handkerchief. Excluding this scene (which is also absent from the director’s cut) will forever be a missed opportunity. The Chinese version also followed up with a modern-day sequel. With that scene inserted, this version could have done the same thing. How fun it would be to see the princes as their modern-day equivalents.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo Soundtrack
I usually add a few songs from a soundtrack to one of my Kdrama playlists. The Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo soundtrack is one I listened to dozens of times trying to pick out my favorite songs to add. It turns out I like just about all of them. As one of the best Kdrama soundtracks I have heard to date, this OST gets its own playlist. Standouts include: For You, sung by EXOs Chen, Baekhyun (10th Prince) and Xiumin; Forgetting You by DAVICHI, Epik High & LeeHi singing/rapping Can You Hear My Heart; and the heartbreaking Will Be Back sung by Sunhae Im that plays whenever someone dies in the show.
