Once Upon a Time, 1500 Years ago... a Love-Hate Story Began (Bonus Watchlist included)

Korean Drama Review: Moon in the Day (2023) - A Viki Original Series Based on a Webtoon

Once upon a time, about 1500 years ago … a love-hate-revenge-love story began and the lovers ended up in modern-day South Korea. Will we finally know the rest of their story?

Main Characters:

• Do-ha / Han Joon-O (played by Kim Young-Dae)
• Han Ri-ta / Kang Young-Hwa (played by Pyo Ye-Jin)

In present-day South Korea, Han Joon-oh is a popular celebrity who becomes possessed by Do-ha, a very angry spirit who has followed his wife, Han Ri-ta, for 1500 years through her various reincarnations. He does not know why his beloved wife killed him and all he wants to do is kill her to get revenge! But for 18 different reincarnations, somebody else always manages to kill her. It's a small consolation to Do-ha that in her reincarnated lives she never remembered him anyway. She wouldn't even know why he killed her.

But this reincarnation is different! It's the 19th time and Kang Young-hwa is a firefighter-turned-bodyguard. If she was Han Ri-ta in her past life, she does not know because she has no memories. At least not yet. A car accident occurs, and Kang Young-Hwa tries to save Han Joon-oh’s life but fails. He dies and the spirit of Do-ha possesses his body. But everyone thinks Han Joon-oh was miraculously resurrected, even though now he acts very weird. (O.o)

Do-ha in the body of Han Joon-oh hires her to work as his bodyguard so he can keep her close enough to kill her! Working together so closely leads to a rekindling of the romantic feelings he once had for Han Ri-ta. After all, she was his one and only wife.

Kang Young-Hwa, with no memories of her past life, is drawn to him. She keeps having these dreams. But are they dreams or is she recalling a past life?

The monk at the temple says he is a lost soul. The angry spirit of Do-ha tries to manifest himself through the body of Han Joon-oh to kill the woman who killed him but … ??? … it’s complicated. All Do-ha wants to do is take revenge by killing the woman who betrayed him 1,500 years ago.

But it’s not as easy as he thought it would be.

TRAILER: LoveBreak _Official. “Moon In The Day.” Kim Young Dae {ENG SUB} - YouTube, 1 Nov. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=575h2vEvT14&t=53s.

BONUS Watchlist:

The moon makes many of us think of romance. If you like "moon-themed" Korean dramas, add these to your watchlist. They are all historical period K-dramas

1) The Moon Embracing The Sun (2012)

2) Love in the Moonlight (2016)

3) Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)

♦ 1) The Moon Embracing The Sun (2012)

20 Episodes; Historical Fiction, Sageuk, Political Intrigue, Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy

Main Characters:

• Heo Yeon-Woo/Wol (played by Han Ga-In) – Won Best Actress (mini series) at the 2012 MBC Drama Awards
• Lee Hwon (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) – Won Best Actor (mini series) at the 2012 MBC Drama Awards and the 2012 (48th) BaekSang Arts Awards

This is a beautiful love story. Two people met during their childhood. One child was Lee Hwon, a crown prince and the other child was a girl from a noble family, Heo Yeon-Woo. The crown prince was smitten and wanted her to become the crown princess. But his political opponents had someone else in mind. Through devious and treacherous means they got rid of the young crown princess. Or at least they thought they did. A shaman came up with a plan to save her life. But in saving her life, the young girl lost her memory. So she was raised to be a shaman and given the name Wol.

For years Lee Hwon grieved because he thought his beloved had died. For years, Heo Yeon-Woo had lived as Wol, not knowing her true identity. In Joseon culture, the Sun is the symbol for a king or the Moon is his queen. Eventually, as adults, the paths of the lovers would cross again. Initially, they do not recognize each other. But their love blooms again and ultimately, the Moon embraces the Sun.

TRAILER: Winterfell-Wolfling. “The Moon That Embraces the Sun || Trailer (HD).” YouTube Video. YouTube, July 18, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4nP601FRyk.

♦ 2) Love in the Moonlight (2016)

18 Episodes; Historical Fiction, Sageuk, Romance, Comedy, Political Intrigue, Mystery

Main Characters:

• Crown Prince Hyomyeong (played by Park Bo-Gum) – Won Best Actor at the 2016 KBS Awards
• Hong Ra-On / Hong Sam Nom (played by Kim You-Jung) – Won Best New Actress at the 2016 (5th) APAN Star Awards; Most Popular Actress at the 2017 (53rd) BaekSang Arts Awards; and Excellent Actress (medium-length drama) at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards
• Park Bo-Gum and Kim You-Jung won the Best Couple Award at the 2016 KBS Drama Awards

A love story between a crown prince and …?? … a eunuch? For her entire life, Hong Ra-On's mother has always made her dress up like a boy, and even used a boy's name: Hong Sam Nom. She never understood why she couldn't wear pretty clothes and put beautiful ornaments in her hair. So when Crown Prince Hyomyeong and Hong Ra-On first meet, he thinks she's a man, and she has no idea that he's the crown prince. Had she known he was the crown prince she would not have left him in the trap he had fallen into. Later on, Hong Ra-On alias Hong Sam Nom needs to escape some bad guys who are after her. The solution is to sneak into the palace and become a eunuch. The palace? Guess who she bumps into there? The crown prince, of course. He recognizes her … uuhh … him.

The crown prince makes sure that Eunuch Hong Sam Nom gets assigned to him, so he can pay her back for leaving him the pit! What starts out as an uncomfortable relationship will become a romantic relationship. But first, there are some urgent matters that must be handled. Hong Ra-On eventually learns that she has a secret identity. Her mother protected her from her enemies by dressing her up like a boy. The crown prince discovers that enemies of Hong Ra-On are also his enemies. If they can both survive the treacherous acts of their enemies they might be able to have a loving relationship and live happily ever after.

TRAILER: 22,645,500 views. “LOVE in the MOONLIGHT Full Trailer.” YouTube Video. YouTube, March 7, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6qXU7oVDYw.

♦ 3) Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)

20 Episodes; Historical Fiction, Sageuk, Romance, Political Intrigue, Time Travel, Supernatural, Fantasy; Based on a Chinese novel

Main Characters:

• Wang So / King Gwangjong (played by Lee Joon-Gi) – Won the Ten Star Award, Hanryu Star Award at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards
• Hae-Soo (played by Lee Ji-Eun aka IU)
• Lee Joon-Gi and Lee Ji-Eun aka IU won Best Couple Award at the 2016 SBS Drama Awards

A young woman named Hae-Soo is in modern-day South Korea trying to decide if her life is worth living. She sees someone drowning and attempts to rescue the person by diving into the water to save them. When she comes up out of the water she is in the Goryeo era. Not only that but the body of water she popped up in was where the princes were taking a bath! The king had several handsome, healthy, virile sons. She manages to get away from that uncomfortable situation but not before one of the princes recognizes. He thinks he recognizes her because he calls her Hae-Soo.

What in the world? One minute she's in modern-day South Korea contemplating if life is worth living, and the next minute she's in Goryeo??? Forget how did she get there, how can she go back?? While she's there, she needs to adapt to life in the ancient kingdom. She meets a prince who literally swoops her off her feet. Hae-Soo was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he had not lifted her up and put her on his horse, she would likely have been trampled to death. That prince who saved her was Wang So. He would later become king after a lot of bloodshed. But first she falls in love with him and even has his child. Does Hae-Soo ever return to modern-day South Korea or does she die in Goryeo?

TRAILER: Korean Drama. “Scarlet Heart Ryeo Trailer Korean Drama 2016.” YouTube Video. YouTube, June 19, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_F5_j4tA50.

‌❤️ Thank you for reading.

(NOTE: This is my original content which appears elsewhere on the web.)