ReviewK-drama review: River Where the Moon Rises – epic romance sheds its baggage to deliver a fitting ending
- The dramatic battle scenes that play out in the later episodes serve as a backdrop to the passionate love affair between Kim So-hyun and Na In-woo’s characters
- By the end, the show has whittled down its different storylines to deliver a dramatic and focused conclusion for viewers
This article contains spoilers.
3/5 stars
Over 20 episodes River Where the Moon Rises has seen feuds break out among the tribes of the ancient Korean Goguryeo kingdom, wars at every turn beyond the palace walls, and amnesia strike both its leads. But in the end, the show was able to whittle down its scattered elements as it reached a dramatic and focused conclusion.
One of the main differences between Korean dramas and Western shows is how they’re structured. Individual K-drama episodes tend to be longer, but they’re generally part of a story with a clear destination that will be reached within a few weeks or months. Whereas Western shows are designed to keep going for years as they chase lucrative renewals, a K-drama, more often than not, will reach a definitive conclusion within its first and only season.
Korean drama series will often come out of the gate strong with a lot of exposition and introduce a lot of characters. Shows may meander in their midsections, but it’s all about the endgame, as K-dramas are judged on how successfully they wrap up.