Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho and Hyeri

Moonshine is set during the strongest prohibition law in Joeseon and centers around an inspector (Yoo Seung Ho) looking to restore the name of his family, a noblewoman (Hyeri) making alcohol to pay back her debt, and a crown prince (Byun Woo Seok) that frequently sneaks out of the palace for drinks.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho

Yoo Seung Ho plays Nam Young who is an inspector trying to restore his family’s name. He is an upright and by the books kind of man who does his best to live his life with very high morals.  Things get complicated for him though after he meets Ro Seo.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Hyeri

Hyeri is Kang Ro Seo. She is noblewoman living in poverty as she tries to pay back her debt. She has a knack for making alcohol and begins selling it in secret despite great risk due to the prohibition law.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Byun Woo Seok

Then we have Byun Woo Sook as Crown Prince Lee Pyo. He is a charismatic man who likes to sneak out of the palace to drink. He eventually meets Ro Seo and becomes enamored with her.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Kang Mi Na

Next, there is Kang Mi Na as Han Yae Jin. She is a strong-willed noblewoman who has eyes for the Crown Prince, but she doesn’t know who he actually is. Her pursuit of him takes her down an interesting path.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Choi Won Young

Finally, we have Choi Won Young as Chief Royal Secretary Lee Shi Heum. He has a complicated past and grand plans for the future of Joseon.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho, Hyeri, and Byun Woo Seok

Moonshine is a fun historical that I really enjoyed. It has unique premise with it being set during Joseon’s prohibition along with the story heavily revolving around that dynamic and complex topic.

While the drama definitely has palace politics, a large chunk of the drama is set outside of the palace and deals with the problems of average people just trying to survive during difficult times. This is always a refreshing change of pace. There is also a fun love square that provides for some entertaining relationships.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Hyeri Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho

Hyeri really makes her mark during the first half of the drama. She fits the character of Ro Seo perfectly and captures her fighting spirit. Ro Seo has had a challenging life, and I liked seeing her always rise to the occasion to stand up for herself and get things done. I think people will be happy to see that this is a character that never falls by the wayside. She remains strong and is a driving force throughout the drama.

I love Yoo Seung Ho in historicals and found him to be quite humorous as the righteous and uptight Nam Young. He comes off as a bit of a stick in the mud, but it’s evident that he has a good heart and wants to do what is right. It’s fun seeing him begin to question his beliefs and soften up.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho, Hyeri, Kim Gi Bang, Seo Ye Hwa

The first half of the drama has nice and steady pacing. It wasn’t too heavy, though it did address some serious subjects. There is plenty of action to keep things exciting too. The characters are nicely explored and the groundwork is laid for the more in depth story to come.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho and Hyeri

I liked seeing the budding romance between Nam Young and Ro Seo. They have a very fun bickering chemistry that then turns to a reluctant friendship and then eventually romance. It was a nice progression, and I enjoyed all of the stages of their relationship. We get to see this couple go many through highs and lows. The slow and steady build of their journey felt very rewarding.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho Moonshine Korean Drama - Hyeri
Moonshine Korean Drama - Byun Woo Seok Moonshine Korean Drama - Kang Mi Na

As to be expected, things get more serious in the second half. Nam Young, Ro Seo, and everyone else has been trying to solve a mystery, and that all begins to come together. They have to deal with heartache and revenge as they try to move forward with their lives.

The pacing continued to stay good throughout, and the drama remained very engaging. Despite a few convenient plot devices, all of the story developments felt natural, and there were plenty of rewarding moments. Even the last episode was great and very satisfying.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Moon You Kang Moonshine Korean Drama - Park Ah In
Moonshine Korean Drama - Jung Sung Il Moonshine Korean Drama - Hong Wan Pyo
Moonshine Korean Drama - Kim Gi Bang and Seo Ye Hwa Moonshine Korean Drama - Byeon Seo Yoon

There also is a fantastic cast of supporting characters that were memorable. I loved the variety of villains, the characters with shades of gray, and the fun sidekicks to our heroes. They give us lots of interesting relationships to enjoy from family to bromance to romance and more. It always makes a big difference to me when I enjoy the entire cast.

Moonshine Korean Drama - Yoo Seung Ho and Hyeri

Overall, Moonshine was a great watch for me. It’s the kind of historical I love with a nice mix of action, drama, romance, and humor. The story was solid with a unique setting and a wonderful cast of characters. Moonshine was enjoyable all around.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Check out more Korean Drama Reviews.

Kdrama Kisses Sign Up Button - Korean Dramas Reviews, News, Guides

Copyright © 2015-2022 by Kdrama Kisses

5 responses to “Moonshine Korean Drama Review”

  1. kdramachickblog Avatar

    Nice review, Kay! Still not sure I’m ready for another period piece just yet but will keep this one in mind for later. I’d already watched the first episode I think and wasn’t in the mood to watch more but liked the feel of the set up and cast.

    1. Kay Avatar

      Thank you Kate 🙂 It is a nice one for sure. Nothing mind blowing, but refreshing and solid all the way though 🙂

  2. […] Yoo Seung Ho and Hyeri were both fantastic in their roles, and I quite enjoyed their romance as well as their individual stories. There was also a great cast of supporting characters that were memorable. Moonshine really is the kind of historical that I love and was a great watch all the way through. (Moonshine Review) […]

  3. […] Yoo Seung Ho and Hyeri were both fantastic in their roles, and I quite enjoyed their romance as well as their individual stories. There was also a great cast of supporting characters that were memorable. Moonshine really is the kind of historical that I love and was a great watch all the way through. My Rating: 8.5/10 (Moonshine Review) […]

  4. […] always enjoy Yoo Seung Ho, and his performance in Moonshine was no different. It was fun getting to see him in a more humorous, uptight role. His character had […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, I’m Kay

Welcome to Kdrama Kisses! Kdrama Kisses is dedicated to bringing you the latest in kdrama casting news, drama guides, reviews, trailers, and more. I hope you’ll join me on our kdrama adventure!

Let’s connect

Recommended

Button - February Korean Dramas
Best Korean Dramas of 2023 - Lee Jae Wook, Yoona, Junho, Ahn Hyo Seop, Shin Hye Sun, Ahn Bo Hyun, Park Eun Bin, Kim Young Dae, Chae Soo Bin, Jung Ill Woo, Song Ha Yoon, Suzy, Yang Se Jong
Support Kdrama Kisses