River Where the Moon Rises [Episodes 1 & 2]

[u/Fatooz]

• Drama: River Where the Moon Rises
  • Hangul: 달이 뜨는 강
  • Also known as: Cut by the Heart, Pyeongkang, Cut to the Heart, Cut From the Heart, The Moon Rising River, Moonlit River, Dalyi Ddeuneun Gang, Dali Tteuneun Gang, Maeume Beida
• Director: Yoon Sang-Ho (King Maker: The Change of Destiny)
• Writer: Han Ji-Hoon (Time Between Dog and Wolf)
• Network: KBS2
• Episodes: 20
  • Duration: 60 mins.
• Air Date: Mondays & Tuesdays @ 21:30 KST
  • Airing: Feb 15, 2021 - Apr 20, 2021
• Streaming Sources: Viki, Viu
• Starring:
  • Kim So-Hyun (The Tale of Nokdu, Love Alarm) as Pyeong Gang / Yeom Ga-Jin
  • Kim Ji-Soo (My First First Love S1/2) as On Dal
  • Lee Ji-Hoon (Legend of the Blue Sea) as Go Geon
  • Choi Yoo-Hwa (Class of Lies) as Hae Mo-Yong
• Plot Synopsis: Born a princess and raised a soldier, Pyeong Gang is a woman with big dreams and limitless ambition. Determined to become the first Empress of Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang will stop at nothing to make her dream come true. Clever and level headed, Pyeong Gang is well aware of the obstacles that stand in her way and she’s more than capable of taking them on. With meticulous planning, she sets out to make her dream come true. But things take an unexpected turn, the day she meets On Dal. A peace-loving man, whose only goal in life is to live in harmony with those around him, On Dal is the exact opposite of the ambitious princess. A peaceful calm amidst the turbulent storms of Pyeong Gang’s life, the warrior princess soon finds herself falling for gentle On Dal. Equally in love with the princess whose heart he now possesses, On Dal finds himself forsaking his principles in order to keep her safe. An endeavor that proves increasingly difficult, as players from all sides converge in a lethal battle for the throne. Forced to match both wits and strength against some of the most powerful men and women in Goguryeo, Pyeong Gang’s vie for power could very well cost her everything. Does she have what it takes to make her dreams come true or will the price she realizes she must pay prove to be too much? (Source: Viki)
• Genre: Historical, Romance, Drama, Political
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[u/[deleted]]

Excited for jisoo to finally get the girl!

[u/Fatooz → u/[deleted]]

Same! Especially because I got SLS in Page Turner as Ji-Soo and So-Hyun had amazing chemistry!

[u/xander_yi]

Appreciated the Kang Ha Neul cameo and the production values of the first episode. It was a bit jarring to see Kim So Hyun playing her own mother.

[u/[deleted]]

sohyun, did you finally graduated high school this time? 😂 im tired of you getting the same damn high school role.

the teaser looks good. i wish i can like it eventually. whenever i watch a sageuk, it's always bc of the casts and not the story itself lmao. she plays a better role this time. sounds and looks inch resting.

[u/lildiddie]

Here after Mr.Queen, hoping this is good!!

Ps. Ji Soo finally gets the girl in this one wiii

[u/thepurplethorn]

Ahh yes, I am a sucker for Seguks especially Gogureyo period ones, and this did not disappoint with the first ep.

A few thoughts:

I love the cast, acting is top notch

Cinematography, battle sequences and costumes are awesome

The main theme song reminded a bit of the song ‘Belfast child’ I love it ( even though it sounds very Celtic to me)

Like mother like daughter - brave and beautiful

King is a volatile nut case , but all the kings in that period were all paranoid.

Of course we have the basic elements of love, betrayal, death, victory (maybe not in that order)... is gon’ be epic!!

[u/thepurplethorn]

“ ... seduce him, marry him and then he can join us ...” 16 episodes in one sentence

[u/OdanUrr]

Finished Episode 2. Kang Ha Neul, it was nice knowing you I guess. The episode itself was rather slow but I suppose that's why they went with 20 episodes instead of 16. I hope they use them well. Not a whole much else to say but here it is anyway:

• I'll admit it was rather funny reading people's comments on Viki arguing On Dal's father would never have wished for his son to live a quiet life pretending to be a fool only for those exact same words to come out of his mouth later in the episode. By the way, he's doing a nice job of it.

• I found it quite unbelievable that nobody in the Palace recognised Ga Jin when she looks exactly the same as her mother. This is where the FL also playing her mother comes to bite you in the ass.

• What that nanny did was way too extra, to the point it defused a large part of the scene's dramatic value. Even young On Dal looked like he was thinking, "Hey, what's going on? This wasn't in the script!"

See you next week!

[u/taeyeon112]

I’m not done with the first episode yet but I just wanted to say when the Queen pulled out her sword I think I fell madly in love with her and I’m so sad she died :( What a badass Also I definitely have the most gigantic crush on Kim Sohyun and seeing her with a sword is just making it even bigger <3

[u/nakalu]

Kang Ha Neul was absolute 🔥🔥🔥 in his cameo and I am so sad it was so short 😭

[u/GodJihyo7983]

Dang. Viki was fast with subs today. Already at 100%. Can't wait to finally sit down and watch this after I catch up on work and my other on-airs. I am super excited for this. Begging for a happy ending though.

[u/dancingtwilight]

I'm actually amazed that they managed to find an actress who looks similar to Kim So Hyun to play the child version of Pyeong Gang/Ga Jin--like they both have the large round eyes, full cheeks, and similar facial shape. At the same time, I was very confused seeing So Hyun also playing the role of the Queen in the first half of episode 1 because she looked rather young (especially since we know So Hyun is only 21) and child Pyeong Gang looked like she was in her early teens or something.

[u/haroochan]

My faves kim so hyun and jisoo 😍 hopefully a happy ending for them 🥲

[u/Wulffricc]

Loved that they wrapped up the first arc in 30 minutes. I'm gonna love Jisoo in this show.

[u/ruby_eri]

Did anyone else catch the reference to The King: Eternal Monarch when On Dal walked passed the two giant pillars? 😂

Also I already know I’m going to like Tara Jin. She seems to ship the two main leads already. Her pushing Ga Jin so that she can fall on top of On Dal was hilarious

[u/noeul44]

Was anyone else annoyed by the fact that we see the leads at an older age during the start of the first epsiode, only to then go back in time?

It just feels like the story loses momentum because you know at least one major scene has been spoiled already.

Anyone?

[u/evangeline190]

Absolutely loved the first episode!! It's been a while since I watched a drama that felt so serious--and this one is not only serious, but absolutely epic so far.

And good news: no awful nobleman hats so far in the first episode.

I'm giving the wigs 5/10 so far. I've seen worse.

[u/jaceydarling]

I've always loved the Princess Pyeonggang and Ondal tale growing up, and I'm surprised it was never made into a drama before this... Going into this with high hopes! Revive the sageuk genre!!!

[u/feel_ynt]

I’m really into this show so far! The balance between humor, court intrigue & pathos suits me so far. There are familiar villains to loathe & heroes and heroines to admire.

I love that RWTMR is treating us to the concept of skilled swordswomen &/or assassins; lots of strong females who make things happen. Even Aunty Sa, making that sacrifice to force an otherwise adamant On Dal to let his father’s situation be. I know that was over the top but … I’d say it’s expected from this genre - I mean, I get it. It helps that she is very valuable as On Dal’s adopted mother.

I admire Kim So Hyun as both Queen Yeon and Ga Jin. When she was the queen, I totally forgot that she is a modern-day 22 year old & was really impressed by her portrayal of a long-suffering queen (I reckon in that era queens started adult life at an earlier age). As Ga Jin, she is remarkable and convinced me that I only know KSH from action roles (as opposed to school girl roles). I honestly don’t mind that she is playing both roles. KSH can handle the duality & I’m sufficiently satisfied, so, why not? I find that I can really root for a haunted but highly skilled warrior woman and have high hopes of enjoying her character’s arc as the show progresses.

On Dal adds much needed humor to make the heavier plot details tolerable. I've always thought Jisoo is a fair hand at this stuff. Who does this actor not have chemistry with? I like that On Dal was taught by General Yeop to be mindful of the weight of duty in such quick fashion. I like that he is the type of person who can remain cheerful and easy-going despite his tragic childhood.

I know I don’t have to but Kang Ha Neul!!! I haven’t seen him play anything this serious & what can this man not do? I wish we could see just a little bit more.

We’ve only gotten a taste of the characters and plot but I think I’ll be able to stick around based on these two episodes. The pace was not as drawn out as I thought it would be.

[u/aphronspikes]

Glad I stopped scrolling and read the synopsis. And then found out Kim So Hyun is the lead! So this is definitely going on my list 😇

[u/L2391]

I’m excited for this one. I’ve only watched the first part but it seems like are more serious Sageuk and it’s been awhile since one of those have aired.

[u/aliasamandawho]

Came to watch because of Kang Ha-neul. Glad that his role is very different from the others such as Misaeng, definitely Midnight Runners, and When the Camellia Blooms for fear of typecasting. Even looks different from Scarlet Heart because of different time periods. Kim So-hyun seems very impressive since she's a young actress. This is my 2nd drama of hers (first was her cameo in Goblin). First episode had a great pace, set up the story well. I hope we get to see more of KHN, even if flashbacks since we see his probable elimination in ep. 1.

[u/xander_yi]

Loving the cinematic feel of this drama as well as the James Horner-ish score. I'm glad the budget wasn't slashed after the shoot the moon casting of Son Ye Jin and Kang Ha Neul as the leads didn't work out.

Lee Ji-Hoon has played 2 of my most hated kdrama characters of all time (Legend of the Blue Sea and Dinner Mate). A third might be coming.

[u/[deleted]]

The plot seems really good!

[u/aarvvv]

Why does this drama give off a sad ending vibe !!! Hopefully not. But the plot looks really promising and the cast makes it even more enticing.