It is easy to understand why The Moon Brightens For You has quite a lot of viewers giving it a positive review. Overall, it is an enjoyable watch even if you think the acting sucks. Well, some people seem to think so while others hold a contrary opinion especially when it comes to the male lead. Personally, I find Alan Yu’s acting to be a little stiff. His demeanor is very robotic-like especially in the beginning of the drama. I don’t know whether he tends to act this way or the character that he plays are all similar because he also seemed to display the same style in Eternal Love Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms.

The good thing is he gets a bit better later on when the relationship with the female lead begins. He loosens up more then apart from just displaying a poker face. But I still feel that he lags behind other actors who have also played cool and stoic roles such as Zheng Ye Cheng in The Sleepless Princess and Allen Ren in Under The Power. They were able to inject more life and nuances into their characters while Alan Yu’s Lin Fang just seems rather bland in comparison.

Chemistry
Qing Long is a lively character and Fair Xing makes it work with her grins and a dash of mischievousness. As opposites attract, a dose of chemistry is automatically generated in Qing Long’s interactions with Lin Fang. As their relationship progresses, the chemistry improves further as the teasings begin and Lin Fang starts taking the initiative for a welcomed change. So, while I don’t quite enjoy Alan Yu’s acting, I can still feel a bit of the chemistry between him and Fair Xing in the drama to make the loving moments watchable.

Generally, Fair Xing has her way of generating the required sparks with her co-stars. She also has a good couple vibe with the male leads in Put Your Head On My Shoulder as well as the more recent My Little Happiness.

A Role Reversal For A Change
Another positive aspect of The Moon Brightens For You is the role reversal of the male and female characters. Typically, it is the male lead who will protect the female lead with his excellent martial arts skills or they are equals at the very least. But in this drama, Lin Fang is weakened by poison and has no martial arts skills while Qing Hong is his protector instead. It is something different from the usual which I think is refreshing for a historical drama.

However, if you are used to the typical heroes and prefer a more macho character, Lin Fang may fall short of your ideals. At times, he may seem useless when being confronted by enemies. His strength lies in his strategic thinking and intellect that has its advantages but he would always be in need of someone to protect him in physical fights.

A Good Number Of Fighting Scenes
Being a wuxia drama, good fighting scenes are necessary to raise the excitement level. In The Moon Brightens For You, there is a sufficient number of such scenes which are well choreographed that should pleased fans of this genre. In fact, the drama has all the hallmarks of a wuxia story with turmoil in the wulin, the fight for a manual with a bit of politics thrown in, the eventual increase in the protagonist’s martial arts skills, and a romance. It does have a good plot to work with and the story does suck you in especially after the first 10 episodes.

What Could Make You Drop This
As mentioned, the male lead’s acting might put some viewers off. If you can’t get used to Alan Yu’s expressionless acting, it is indeed a little difficult to get invested in the story.

On the other hand, if you like to see more of Lin Fang with Qing Hong, it might also annoy you that the romance between Qing Hong and Wen You takes up a big chunk of the drama. You need to have the patience to sit through almost three-quarter of the drama before the relationship of the main couple begins. For me, I’m not watching this for the romance and thus, it is fine with me. But if you are, then you would have to decide if the slow-burn romance of the main couple would be worth the wait.

My Verdict – Watch If You Are A Wuxia Drama Fan
Overall, The Moon Brightens For You is one of the better wuxia dramas for 2020. At the very least, its story and execution is interesting enough to draw viewers in compared to say, And The Winner Is Love. Of course, it won’t be able to match the fighting scenes in the bigger budget wuxia dramas like Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre. But these scenes are still sufficiently engrossing to me that I’m happy to watch till the end.

Personally, my main complaints about this drama is the slow start-off and Lin Fang’s character. I just find the first dozen episodes to be a tad boring before the story really kicks up in intensity. As for Lin Fang’s character, I’m not too keen that he keeps hiding things from Qing Hong including Wen You’s marriage to the princess. He also hides the fact that he has been poisoned. Hence, I’m not particularly gung-ho about their romance. But then again, I’m not watching this for their love story which makes it easier to sit through.

For this The Moon Brightens For You review, I think a score of 7/10 would be fair. It has its weaknesses and still falls a little short of being a really compelling wuxia drama as the ultimate bad guy and overall direction of the plot is still kind of predictable. Nevertheless, do give it a go as it does have a unique story with some level of suspense.