RIVER WHERE THE MOON RISES (2021) was a really great show. Going into this, I was reluctant, given some of the controversy and outrage of changing the male lead cast member mid-show. I won't get into that topic, but was worried that presumably significant change might have caused the show to suffer and feel disjointed somehow, whether in story, character chemistry or even by editing flaws. I was concerned something might not feel right. Still, I reluctantly gave it a chance.
That was not the case, thankfully. The cast, Kim So Hyun as the Assassin / Warrior named Princess Pyeonggang, and Na In Woo as the charming, peaceful On Dal had such adorable chemistry and many of the side cast was likable or relatable as well, such as the other Ghost Village members, but especially On Dal's Mother / nanny. I adored On Dal and his mother's sweet, unique relationship. That was probably one of the most absolute sweetest things I've seen in a K-Drama in a while. The little orphan girl was so adorable as well. The side cast did a really good job honestly and truly helped make this show so memorable.
While the show used a few old drama tropes that I'm not a huge fan of, such as convenient amnesia, unrequited love from childhood friend (to the point of silliness imo), and random breakups of serious couples, it still managed to keep me engaged.
All that aside, this series was really touching, great writing and direction, great acting/casting, great character development, great story arcs and scene settings, and wonderful aesthetic design, such as costumes and cinematographic visuals. The music was really memorable as well. Overall, this was a show that has it all; adventure, action, romance, mystery, comedy, and tragedy. I highly recommend giving this one a fair chance (with the reshot episodes/scenes with Na In Woo), despite the critics, naysayers and casting controversy concerns.
STORY: 8/10
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 10/10
ART/DESIGN/VISUALS: 10/10
MUSIC: 9/10
OVERALL RATING: 8.5.
