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

COMEDIC HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH SOME ROMANCE.

Moonshine is a liquor produced illegally. In this drama, the king prohibited drinking and making liquor and the story revolves there. This drama has a unique topic compared to other historical dramas which makes it interesting.

STORY:
While the drama is a comedy type, there are some serious moments that deals with politics, problems of people and survival during that time. The story is quite interesting and the first few episode seems promising. The pacing at first is really good as well, the characters were introduced nicely and there’s a hint for a little mystery to come that made the drama very engaging. but as it goes on I feel like its losing my interest to the point that I stopped watching it and just finished it to know the twist. The story revolves too much about the alcohol (especially around the middle part, but it gets better during the last episodes) more than the other elements of the plot. Still, I love the showcase of strong female characters and friendship, character growth, villains, and romance.

CHARACTERS:
I really like the characters and I’ve seen major growth throughout the drama especially with the prince. He has a very realistic character, he gets scared which is very natural for anyone in his situation but still chooses to do what’s right in the end. Also Nam young, he seems very strict with his principles but throughout the story he showed that doing right isn’t always following what’s proper. I do like Ro seo as she showed strength being a female in that time and situation, though sometimes her character seems to be a bit draggy. I think that her and the main lead lacks so much chemistry. Even with the story of romance mostly revolving around them feels draggy. Even with the prince who liked her at first, there is no chemistry. The one with more chemistry would be the second leads. I really liked her character (Ae jin) and even from the start you can feel how strong the chemistry is with her and the prince. Sadly they don't have more scenes.

REWATCH VALUE:
I enjoyed the romance (second lead), there is a good mystery (plot twist), and funny scenes. I do recommend the drama but I personally wouldn’t rewatch.

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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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Good one

The beginning was a little boring, but after the 4th and 5th episodes, the story became gripping. Set in an era when making and drinking alcohol was prohibited and harsh punishments were meted out to those involved, the story revolves around themes of hatred, jealousy, misunderstanding, the fight for prestige, and love.

I particularly enjoyed the acting of Inspector Nam Young and Mr. Lee. Nam Young is a character who initially adheres strictly to the law and his teachings, never thinking for himself. However, as he begins to feel his emotions, he starts thinking beyond what he was taught. Mr. Lee, on the other hand, has a mischievous personality and sometimes even looks cute.

The lead actresses were good, but the lead male characters were more interesting. Overall, the development of the characters and the unfolding drama kept me engaged.

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Lackluster as both a romance and action, but not without highlights

Ngl, I was pretty bored and it was a push to finish this one. They failed to straddle the romance and action genre, by giving us the most lackluster of both. The cast was great! (Except for the ML who I find dull.)

However, while not living up to its potential, it would benefit future shows in the Palace genre to draw inspiration from its strengths; character complexity and somewhat unique storyline (while avoiding its pitfalls in execution, please).

A standout aspect is the portrayal of 'corrupt ministers' as more than stock villains. There was a lot of ambiguity in character morality, as individuals acted based on complex, personal motivations. I actually kind of felt bad for the bad guy in the end... Usually, I feel pretty bored with the greed-motivated plotting, so this was refreshing. I would love to see more shows do this!

For execution, it did feel a little "busy"... Rushing through a big cast of characters/big narrative arc can sometimes feel boring, despite a lot going on, because you don't get time to connect with the characters or develop investment in the current arc.

It might have felt more focused if they gave us some real fight scenes. They had the perfect set up for great fight scenes!!! A couple characters, like Hyeri's--since her dad was the "Tiger"-- and with the Prince's sword-fighting skills, could have been dedicated to great fighting scenes and it would have added a lot to show. Making Hyeri feel more like a badass lead... And making the cinematography more dynamic

What we got was *a lot* of "people chaotically running around clanking swords" scenes. For a show with a considerable emphasis on action, the lack of good fight scenes is a noticeable deficit. (There doesn't even have to be a ton of them, just make them well done!)

I also loved the unique premise (admittedly underpinned by some tired tropes), but I do wish they leaned into the unpredictable aspects more... There were some *really good* potential endings... But the ending we got felt confined by the need to circle back around to the MLs romance, which felt more like a plot device than a real romance. (I will comment the ending I wanted to see for others who have watched already.)

I gave the music a 5/10 because I didn't hate it, I just never noticed it.

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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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