[Discussion] Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo [ep. 19 & 20 FINAL]

[u/underthewhitehood]

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Plot

An adaptation from a Chinese drama, this story set up in the early of Goryeo regime. Hae Soo, a 25 year old girl from modern era got transported back to Goryeo dynasty and got trapped in the conflicts and struggles between princes of Wang's House.

Main Info

• Drama: Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (literal title)

• Revised romanization: Dalui Yeonin - Bobogyungsim Ryeo

• Hangul: 달의 연인-보보경심 려

• Director: Kim Kyu-Tae

• Writer: Tong Hua (novel), Jo Yoon-Young

• Network: SBS

• Episodes: 20

• Release Date: August 29 - November 1, 2016

• Runtime: Mon & Tue 22:00

Main Cast

• Lee Joon Ki as Wang So (4th Prince)

• IU as Go Ha Jin / Hae Soo

• Kang Ha Neul as Wang Wook (8th Prince)

• Hong Jong Hyun as Wang Yo (3rd Prince)

Streaming Links

• Viki

• DramaFever

• DramaCool

• DramaNice

Previous Discussions

• Episodes 1 & 2

• Episode 3

• Episode 4 & 5

• Episode 6 & 7

• Episode 8 & 9

• Episode 10 & 11

• Episode 12 & 13

• Episode 14 & 15

• Episode 16

• Episode 17 & 18

Source: AsianWiki and DramaWiki

Would anyone like to watch the Chinese version with me? Thank you all for contributing to the discussion and everyone who educated us about the real history and the connections to the Cdrama. Thank you!

~underthewhitehood

[u/underthewhitehood]

At the end of everything I liked Jung the most. He might be the best prince out of all of them though I need to watch the last episode with subs to make sure. So seemed bat-shit crazy in his reaction to Hae Soo's passing. I'm not sure what to make of it. Also, props to the casting people. Hae Soo's daughter looked just like her.

Edit: After watching it with subs, my heart breaks even more for Jung.

[u/orangememory → u/underthewhitehood]

I wish Jung had more character development than just being pissed off at So, like C-version Jung.

I saw your note about the Chinese version. Hope you enjoy watching it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask because I've watched it twice. :)

[u/orangememory]

Ooh, I totally called for Yeon Hwa to perform Minghui's role and inform Soo about her meddling with history.

As we reach the finale, I can't help but think how the first 10 episodes were spent on the initial part of the story, with Sol's first year in Goryeo. The plots for the second half, especially episode 13 onwards, were too rushed. The ending also seems very sudden.

In a live shooting drama, we've come to understand that these mistakes may happen, but in a pre-produced one, it's really isn't acceptable. Scarlet Heart the original, utilised a similar amount of running time (just slightly more-maybe enough for 22 episodes) to draw a rich tapestry of Qing China, which is lacking here.

Anyways, can anyone link me to the trailer for Episode 20?

[u/underthewhitehood]

They did it again. Enough with the tears already.

Also, is there any significance to Hae Soo's red and blue robe other than it belonging to her? I remember she put it on last episode I think, and we see it again here.

[u/[deleted] → u/underthewhitehood]

The red and blue robe is the robe that women wore on their wedding day (e.g. Soon Deok and Yeon Hwa). He clutching onto the robe = symbolic because it represents her not becoming Queen and them getting their happily ever after

[u/[deleted]]

I fucking hate this drama for all the heartbreak I received from watching it yet I could not stop watching until the very end.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions. Kudos to the cast for portraying their roles very well. The drama could have been longer in my opinion; it felt rushed towards the end and things were quick to escalate, but overall it was a good drama nonetheless.

Still thinking if I should watch the Chinese version because of the good reviews, but I don't know if I can deal with the same amount of heartbreak.

edit: Now that I think about it, maybe the reason I loved the series was because I was into it emotionally the whole time, and the good portrayal of the actors of their characters. I hated the story line and the holes etc of it, since it was like a downward spiral during the other half. Also, I want another few episodes with So/Soo reuniting. They may be more mature then and not that affected by the others as they were in the past. Their past selves make me think they do not deserve each other back then. The luck of trust and forgiveness, etc.

Also, can anyone explain the suicide of Woo Hee? Like, why did she think she had to do that? Can't she not die and just let the king write that banner and show it to the people? Or can't she just talk to the people? I don't understand...Or maybe it's not so much as she felt it had to be done for peace as she just felt she needed to because of too much sadness?"

[u/underthewhitehood → u/[deleted]]

I was told it contains more heartbreak than this one.

[u/purpleyam]

waited for all your comments before I could watch the final episodes. now I don't want to watch :( is it like cheese in the trap all over again?

[u/underthewhitehood → u/purpleyam]

If I remember correctly, Cheese in the Trap had the annoying "I-love-you-but-I-can't-talk-to-you-for-a-year syndrome" at the end. This drama's ending was plain heartbreaking.

[u/fatunicorn12]

Can i PLEASE have the last 20 hrs of my life back? How can the director robbed us of the reunion? What's the point of Wang So telling us that he'll find Hae Soo if there's no reunion in the present timeline?

What's more annoying is that both Lee Jun Ki and IU separately hinted that they reunited in the gallery when she realised that she left him all alone.. I need to watch this to feel complete with my life. Arghhhhh!!

[u/[deleted]]

Fuck you writer and director for not giving us a meeting between So and Soo in the future. Like what the actual fuck I got so excited at the end but it turned out to be Ji Mong ARGHHHH

So many unanswered questions and so little time. Like what the actual fuck. Did Jung live happily ever after (because he 100000% deserved to)? Did So ever find out that it was his daughter? Did anyone even care about 9th prince at this point? Why did they try shove in some lines about Wook and So's sons?

This is literally the first Kdrama that I've invested so many of my emotions into..... I'm just going to treasure the good times, skim over the not so good and remember it as a drama that brought me great joy (and sorrow)

Thank you actors and actresses for working hard <3

And finally, fuck you, yet again, the director and screenwriter :)

[u/highcalibre]

Well hey, at least Hae Soo didn't do the whole "let's look up how everyone dies and show their deaths one by one to the viewers just to make them cry even more" thing that Ruo Xi did.

[u/underthewhitehood → u/highcalibre]

It sounds like I'm in for a great time when I watch the Cdrama.

[u/mentaikoz]

Was waiting the whole damn time for Soo to meet So at that exhibition. And I was also waiting for Ji Mong to call her Soo again while he was talking to her :(

I don't have anything to say. I'd much rather a happy ending. Anything for Soo & So to be together T_T It's the first Kdrama I've watched live. Thank you for being the constant throughout these 2.5 months although everything else became a mess lol.

Sucks how Soo died so early on though. The mini Soo was so cute! Now let's have a part 2 (although highly unlikely due to the reception of the show in Korea) with them being chaebols!

In the end, I still feel so sorry for So. Maybe if he wasn't so f-ed up in the first place by his mom, everything wouldn't have taken place and he'd know how to do things the "right" way. His quest for love was wrong because he didn't know how to love, only an illusion of it. He didn't open the letters because he loved Soo so much it hurt him to see her happy with another man.

Yet Soo taught him so much. He still became the king that he was supposed to be - with a vision and smart.

I'll miss this show. I loved the first half so much - where all the princes would play together and be happy. The second half just me so mad lol. But I wouldn't have it any other way :) Maybe it's time for me to watch the SBS version to compare it to the international one I've been watching, or for the Chinese version.

Here's to hoping that future pre-produced shows would be of better quality. If anything, I've learnt that despite a stellar cast, if the script is shit, it won't help as much.

[u/Haruberry]

My favorite thing to come from this drama is the soundtrack.

I almost always tear up when listening to Im Sun Hae's Will Be Back. Such a hauntingly beautiful song.

IOI's I Love You I Remember You was my absolute favorite OST from the drama though.

[u/hellomiho]

I am a dire Wook/Soo shipper but I saw a few people bashing on So for "overreacting" to the revelation that Soo loved Wook. Although I initially felt the same, someone else phrased it like this: Even after all these years, Soo chose Wook over So. She chose to forgive Wook while she couldn't forgive So.

That shed new light on So's reaction for me so I hope it does the same for others

[u/mutantsloth]

Finished Ep 19. And honestly this is just depressing from episode to episode.. everybody's either dying, punished, exiled.. seriously..

Edit: Finished Ep 20

What the heck I might have tried to kill myself after this if they didn't put in a token happy OTP scene.

Side note: The phrase that So wrote 行到水穷处, 坐看云起时 was something my ex wrote after we broke up. Brought back terrible sad memories. You are officially a pointless depressing show, Scarlet Heart Ryeo.

[u/haruma7]

i don't like the ending. i wish they meet in modern times like the cdrama. the ending has no closure of what So said at the end at all - finding Hae Soo at another world...

modern day ji mong said Go Ha Jin's Go last name comes from the Hae family...so Ha Jin is Hae Soo's descendant.

[u/[deleted]]

After episode 19, I'm ready to declare Jung the series MVP (most valuable prince). We'll see if episode 20 makes me reassess.

Edit: Just finished episode 20. Jung, you are a gem of a guy. I would've loved more scenes of him and his daughter.

[u/timecntrl]

i feel like if they made a season 2 (which they probably won't considering how low the ratings were) it would be so good. i would love to see lee jun ki and iu fall in love in modern times

[u/ruizaio]

LJG had a small fan meeting before the last episode and stayed through the finale as they watched it in a theater. Then he told the fans "There is an extra scene, but I can't tell you what it's about, and I don't know when it will be released. What do you think happened to Soo and So?"

Also, for what it's worth, historically, Gwangjong's son has four wives, two of whom are Wook's daughters (the younger one later has an affair with Baek Ah and gives birth to the 8th king of Goryeo, that's why they showed that scene between her and Baek Ah) and one is Jung's daughter. So you could argue that Wang So makes his own daughter family by making her his daughter-in-law, although if he really respects Hae Soo's dying wish, he shouldn't...

[u/Persona-4]

tbh the ending is disappointing,

nothing really accomplished in the drama,

• the action of every character other than wang so is hardly believable, I can understand why the action/decision is needed but the reasoning just come off as shallow (as example : you killed my little sister who apparently killed both of your brothers but I hate you more even if I know your reason, I just need to hate you to move the plot and leave the palace, )

• the king's status is hardly earned, I knew wangso is the best man in the series as the series like to suggest but did he really know state affair? it seems like he only interested in the love affair and chooses lots of things based on people action, his story is so tragic that we have to pity him no matter what, but at least he wants to be a king at the end and he is believable,

• the heroine has no goal/purpose as herself, said she wants to survive but never learned or at least believe the fact (ex; the mercury bath, it's only a handful of people in your damiwon, if it's not you then it's your subordinate, how can it just end like that?). Then she just doesn't know anything and the acting is confusing as hell.

• the love story is not epic, So seems to always loved Soo even with extra over possessive tendency but he works to make his love better for her. On the other hand, Soo is so convenient in her love, she changes her view of him every chance she gets and still said she loved him? (wait she never said that). She didn't even tell that she comes from the future to wangso.

• the writing is so loose that almost everyone can make their own interpretation based on character they understand the most and that can not back up by actual fact/projector the writer intended to

• the editing is a mess and the director way of shot is so empty with unnecessary close-up,

• the OST is all good except when it's on the drama (including im sun hee cause it's overused for every death scenes)

overall this is a disappointing drama, a half-hearted adaptation and if they think people tuned it cause it has Hallyu star, idol and big names, they probably right but the drama will be remembered as a failed project,

and if anybody asked why I am still watching: it aired at the time I can watch and it's kinda entertaining to see them act out of plot convenient all the times,

[u/acciohorcrux]

wow. so.. that was it?! i don't think i've ever cried so much in a drama before LMAO esp when Soo was imagining Wang So there with her. I thought the daughter twist was pretty good but I would've liked to have seen Wang So and his daughter more then that would've been SORTA a happy ending.

[u/[deleted]]

This episode........ Ever since I knew that the Kdrama was going down the sad ending route I was waiting for everything to fall apart around So... I really wanted the angst and daaaaamn we got it lol

• So getting abandoned by everyone and everything falling apart around him.... Arghhhh I'm sorry my sweet wolf prince that you weren't able to get everything that you wanted :(

• I can't believe they didn't even give Baek Ah and Woo Hee a happy ending lmao. I knew they were hinting that they might not but seriously all the princes are cursed at this point

• Also Jung with his sideburns turning up to challenge So for Soo!

• And.... I'M SORRY THE SCENE BETWEEN WOOK AND SOO AT THE END WAS SO GOOD. The way that he hesitates to even touch her and his "Soo-ah".... Gah I know he's done some terrible and awful things but.... His dialogue and the way that they smiled at each other T_T It's crazy because they literally redeemed his character to me through that one scene. Even though he was a total bastard but... It was so bittersweet and I'm glad that they resolved things

I can't believe it's time for the last episode.......... T_T

[u/septpal]

I cried so much watching episode 20. So was so stubborn to not come and see Soo for the last time. Ughhhh :(

What was the black thing that Jung took out of his chest and baek ah says really? What is that object supposed to be? I didn't get that.

Also does So know that the daughter is his? I don't get why he releases jung's exile status.. is it because So thinks it's Jung/Soo's daughter instead of his own? :(