I totally agree, this drama is SOOOOO DRAMATIC, but unfortunately it is a paint by numbers predictable dramatic. It is tropey, but not fun tropey. It is trying really hard to be a serious drama, but it just isn't. I don't know if it is the actors, the director, or the music, but this drama is fairly mid, as the kids say.

That being said, I don't hate it enough to stop watching, so here I am. I do hope they stop trying to kill our leads though, even the one that is already "dead." Confused face, lol.

I'm pretty new to k-drama, so I am not yet able to determine when it's over the top. So far everything I've watched is "out there" in some way. I think that's what I love. This is the first one I've been able to watch week-to-week and I was drawn to it because I wanted to support the female lead. I've liked her in lesser roles and was happy to see her getting the top spot. I still don't know exactly what's going on, but I'm invested. Thank you for the honest recap, I refreshed all day hoping it would show up.

Yes, the setup is absurd and the ML's acting is as flat as his abs probably are. Unlike Pyo Ye-jin

--

(The show is so ridiculously serious that it’s becoming funny.)

Moments later, the police arrive on the scene and find Young-hwa surrounded by a group of badly beaten men. In a rather unfair turn of events, the police interrogate her for using excessive force

Few things in kdramaland seem as ridiculous to me as S.K.'s excessive self-defense laws. And in what strange universe do police not figure that kidnappers might plan to kill so the victim is in a fight for his/her life?

--

I blame some of this emotional disconnect on the director

Asianwiki doesn't even list a director, which I could spin a couple different ways. He's ashamed to admit his involvement, or there isn't one.

Main takeaways from Ep. 3-4: We thought we were watching Moon in the Day, but we were actually watching "Kill Me in My 19th Life.” Also, a couple that wakes up in hospitals together stays together.

My fav kinda dialogue in kdramas is when someone asks ”is she ok?" Sir, she is bleeding out on the ground… what do you think?

I’m like the kdrama version of terminally online. I see the backdrops and locations and I’ll be like, “Isn’t that the same tree from My Sassy Girl?? Aren't those the caves from Joseon Attorney?”
I get Ri-ta has legit grievances (like the murder of her entire fam), but ma'am, your father was a general too. How many "precious lives" did your dad take on the orders of *his* king? Plus, your entire life of privilege and comfort was made possible by work and labour of the servants you look down on. Pipe down. (Sorry, everyone, this account is proudly and loudly pro-peasant & pro-commoner)
That being said, Do-ha really said "I'm sorry for killing all those people 🥺🥺 I was just following orders", that’s crazy

I *do* feel bad for Doha, what a life of suffering and toxicity he must experienced. Is the evil stepdad just jealous of how Doha is eclipsing him? Or is it something deeper bc simple jealousy doesn’t explain him having such a centuries long hate-on for Doha and his wifey.

Poor Taeju cannot catch a break… imagine getting your life & reputation ruined, losing your job, and then you get capped by the ghost of someone else’s daddy issues.

so Mun-oh ruining Do-ha's plans unintentionally… but the beads are broken and she doesn’t have any protection now?? A chance for Doha, the 1500yo wife guy, to show his mettle ig. Speaking of Mun-oh, his convo with "Jun-oh" about being the elder sibling was genuinely moving. I do hope he doesn't turn out to be a secret antagonist.

Yet again, they made the SFL absolutely deranged lmao. I do hope we’re not in for some DWY style love triangles… Tho I doubt this woman can top Nayeon (can anyone?)


Ok KYD's acting in the staircase scene was genuinely good I think? He gets better in every episode imo

My theory: Doha and Ri-ta teamed up to take down evil stepdad. they failed and Ri-ta had to mercy kill Doha, but without telling him why bc kdrama reasons.

Between the potential of this drama and what we got, there is a a big gap...

Both actors are not good in their role and the writing doesn't help.

I was happy we got several scenes if Silla and not just very short flashbacks that didn't help to understant the characters. But sadly, the FL's anger was expressed in a childish way, there were in war, she should have known better.

KDY doesn't have the charisma to play a great general. He has only one emotion... The reading scene was very funny.

This drama is like Perfect Mariage Revenge, except that PMR knows it's a makjang and has fun with it. Moon in the Day takes itself very seriously and it's ridiculous.

I recognized Lee Kyeong-Yeong's voice before the rest. I'm not used to see him in a sageuk and not as villain CEO/manipulator.

It really feels like the entire cast is just going through the motions. Maybe they didn't work well with the director? The storyline though... it's just funky. Good in synopsis, but the details do not hang together.

As someone who is not watching this drama, but who IS enjoying reading the recaps, this sounds wild in a maudlin way. Thanks for the fun read, @lovepark!

It cracks me up whenever Do Ha has his deadly thoughts about Young Hwa and that no one else can kill her in their world. Maybe that wasn't the drama's intention? LOL, whoops.

The script reading scene was nice. I like it whenever the underdog or immature character surprises everyone else and puts on a good performance/successful show of skills (despite it not being Jun Oh..)

Young Hwa learning about the past is good. More even ground for the leads.

I'm glad Do Ha and Ri Ta had their conversations and she confronted him about his actions. His explanation and reasons aids his story, but it doesn't mean he is forgiven. The way she responded made sense. Telling him to live... Pyo Ye Jin was fierce in this scene!

I'm still not hyped up for any romance.... The timing and backstory between them doesn't encourage it. Plus he's a ghost??! XD

I like that there is another spirit, an unknown variable, going around.

I also appreciated the manager looking into lost souls and searching up information. It would be cool if he believed in it and wanted to help Do Ha.

The brief brotherly scenes with Min Oh are bittersweet. He's trying so hard and he always supports his brother, but Jun Oh's not actually present.

Yeah, I agree the present-day scenes are really killing the angsty, complicated vibe between Doha and Rita. I skipped over most of the modern scenes in the actual webtoon the first time I read it as well bc some of the content was just getting boring (cough, Min-Oh, cough) so I'm not surprised it's the same way for the drama. I'm just here for the historical section of the story which is obviously better but I just don't feel the pull between the leads and still wish they cast a different, more experienced Sageuk actor as Doha (cough, Junho, cough) since Jun-Oh and Doha DO NOT look the same at all.

Part of me felt annoyed that Doha is all upset that he was killed when he was pretty much asking for it. I do wonder why he became a lost soul.

The plus sides - the drama is keeping me interested and Pyo Ye-jin is giving it her all - serving a wide array of expressions and emotions,

The downsides - too overdramatic in some parts. Seems to scream "tragic times to come!". And Doha/Jun-ho being too flat at times, though at the same time Kim Young-dae's eyebrows are acting in overdrive.

Also, was the magic bracelet cushioning Yeong-hwa against all the deadly things that have been happening to her? I can see it preventing a ghost from killing her, but it also works on Car of Dooms?

Even though the first couple of episodes didn't engage me, I watched Eps. 3-4 (admittedly with some ff) to see if it would get better. It didn't. For me, the main problem is the central premise of the show--the ML wants to keep the FL alive so he can kill her and the FL wants to keep the ML alive because it is her calling as a firefighter but in the past life she wants to kill and killed the ML. It is hard with this narrative through the constant voicing of the ML's desire to kill the FL and showing of the FL killing the ML in the past to root for any type of romance between the two. To pull this storyline off, one needs the type of sexual tension and attraction that Brad Pitt and Angelina. Jolie had in Mr. and Mrs. Smith or the leads had in Hyena. But this doesn't have that. There is no spark between them, maybe because one or.the other is unconscious a lot of the time. This drama seems to be going the little moments of softness or caring that is making the couple fall for one another but this fails because the ML is always saying how he wants to kill the FL.

There was one. bright or at least shiny spot(s) in Ep.4--the MLs snap bottom jeans. It was fun to see the jeans in the midst of so much assault and severe injury. So kudos to wardrobe for that,

I think this drama is not. working for me because it is hard to root for or see the romance between the main couple when the central premise is the ML wants to kill the FL and the FL killed the ML in the past. To pull this mortal enemies to lovers story off, one needs to have a high level of attraction and sexual tension. like in Mr, and Mrs. Smith (or maybe you. just need Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at their peak) or Hyena. This drama doesn't have that palpable attraction--it doesn't help that one or the other is unconscious much of the time. If they are going with the moments of caring or lifesaving to show their growing attraction, it is stopped cold by the constant voicing of the desire to kill the FL and showing how FL killed the ML in the past.

One bright spot (or spots) in Ep. 4-- the snap bottomed jeans were a fun distraction in the midst of so much assault and injury. So kudos to wardrobe for that.

I said this during week 1 and I'm saying it again: this just reminds me of Kokdu. I don't know how to explain it. It's watchable (which is argubly more than Kokdu but even that was watchable to a point) but it's lacking at the same time.

There's nothing dynamic about anyone, individually or together (except maybe the manager who seems to be somewhat the comic relief). For me, I could *just* finish watching it and forget I saw it.

Story wise: I get both sides (ugh that phrase is so tainted but that's all I got) because Do Ha has no choices in his situation. He was brought into that life and he has to do what he's told. Clearly no one actually cares about him and it's just a sad and lonely existence. Ri Ta's entire family and I guess everyone in her household was murdered. That could lead to wanting revenge and having a grudge even if it's a reality of war.

Now I'm wondering if Ri Ta killing Do Ha was her doing him a "kindness" or mercy because if she really did end up falling for him, why would she kill him? Just to keep a threat/promise she made when she barely knew him? Also weren't they running from people when his death occured?

In present day, I don't understand why the actress treats people the way she does. She's just a manipulative opportunist that we're suppose to hate?

I don't get the deal with the murderous ceo. He almost died in a fire -> tries to kill Joon Ho -> tries to kill him again -> gets chased by a spirit(?) -> dies only to come back and try kill Joon Ho again?

Oh man, lovepark just described what I totally feel about this drama. It feels so dramatically serious that it's so ridiculous and funny because the contrasting tone of the drama (I blame the directing) and the flat acting from the ML just make it childish and amateurish. Feels like a very childish piece of directing work.

And I feel like I've given enough benefit of the doubt over the course of his several dramas, but now I am ready to say that KYD really can't act, period. That scene where he and the FL were supposed to be emotional when exchanging their innermost vulnerabilities about wanting to die (and her angst over granting him an easy death) was acted so flatly and emotionlessly by KYD (and his expressionless face) that I felt no emotional connection. Probably gonna drop this.

You are not alone in your grumblings @lovepark and thank you for expressing them in a clear way. I practically push myself to finish the episode.

To quote lovepark . . .

"She blames him for killing so many people, but at the same time, he was merely a pawn in a larger sociopolitical game where the true individuals in power waited safely off the battlefield. In some ways, Do Ha is no different from her father who was also a general killing Shilla soldiers."

Exactly! I kept yelling at the TV, "You don't understand!" to Young hwa. Of course, she doesn't listen to me. And the police? Are they really that stupid? They don't listen to me, either.

And then there's the accident. She is bleeding profusely from what I thought was a head injury. In the hospital, she's OK with a full head of hair. Maybe I missed some occult hocus-pocus?

Writer? Director? I will finish because of the ML and maybe we will have a decent end. 🙏

I love both the leads and so was exited for this show. But unfortunately when they came together, i hardly could find any chemistry between them. Also the series is giving Bulgasal vibe, the FL killing ML in past and then on present ML being "I will not let anyone kill her but just me". I love the past grudge troupe so I will continue to watch next week's episodes but the disconnect is the I feel no emotions on the main leads face and the lack of chemistry. Thanks for the review. You wrote down everything I had in my mind.

Thanks very much for the recap, @lovepark! I love reading recaps … and all the comments, because they always give me new and other point of views. Ultimately, they help me to understand something better, which I like.

I share @KellyCasa’s view in comment #2. I can’t quite determine yet if it’s over the top. I am still getting sucked into the drama, although I did realise that «Moon in the Day» is taking itself very seriously. Yet for me, emotion + drama + reincarnation + love/hate/revenge — is somewhat serious, I must admit. Or I would be watching an outright makjang, as has been argued in this thread. So far, I don’t feel this is it.

So what storytelling elements do we find in this K-drama? Let’s start collecting a list …

1) vengeful ghost(s) / protection from ghosts (via amulets, or bean wrist chain in this case) / Buddhism
2) reincarnation
3) Silla / Gaya Confederacy war (war crimes)
4) father / (adopted) son conflict (transported through time, apparently) / mean-to-male stepfather trope
5) conflicted historic female lead (loving/hating historic male lead) and killing male lead while telling him that she loves him
6) this conflicted historic female lead in 19th reincarnation female lead in a «saving lives» profession (firefighter), who has nightmares/dreams
Side remark : is there a particular meaning to it being the «19th» reincarnation ? (otherwise the comment made in this thread seems to be very valid)
7) budding caring/grudgingly caring relationship of female lead/male lead in present-day timeline
( I agree that it’s not really a «love» relationship yet)

I don’t know the webcomic/webnovel. So I can’t tell where the writer and the production started off with the story and how different it is, from what was written. I also don’t know, how much atmosphere a webcomic/-novel prescribes. I suspect it often won’t be as detailed and sophisticated as a full-length conventional novel, so a script-writer using the material will be creating a lot more around it.

I would not compare it to «Kkokdu» as yet, since there I found the ML/FL interaction utterly unconvincing (she was particularly annoying in her role), whereas here I still find the FL solid and convincing (also in her being conflicted in her past incarnation), the ML occasionally too brooding (in his ghost-turned-human-for a month present-day incarnation), but getting better. I agree, when he decides to go for the script reading, I also felt that was a triumph for his character …

So I will carry on watching.

1. The script reading scene made me feel bad for Joon Oh. Someone mentioned that he was dyslexic or something and the bullied him about it? WTF.

It was cute watching Do Ha be all clingy with Young Hwa.

I also liked how she kept waiting for him to call her after getting hurt. And it was hilarious that she thought he did well at the table reading because of her. LOL

Oh, and I can't say it enough: I love the manager.

2. EP4 made laugh:

—I'll kill you.
—Okay. But let me help you with that.
—Okay. *Badum*
—Tbh, I wanna die because I feel bad for killing your people.
—Beach what? I'm so NOT going to kill you now. Live and be happy. Then I'll kill ya.
—Okay, fine. *Badum*

I love this show. LMAO

I have reached the 4 episodes threshold. As much as I love to learn more about the historical part...I find the acting and script horrible. So long drama....I will just stick to the Goryeo-Khitan War and My Dearest

This is one of those dramas where I don't really care about the acting. What's important to me is that it's a drama with real people, not, for example, an animation. After these few episodes, I feel like I don't even care if the drama is well-made. It's enough for me that there are actors, there are dialogues, there is a story of the characters. My imagination works so well with this plot that I am uncritical when it comes to this drama and I just want to watch the episodes and can't wait for the next ones. This plot is my guilty pleasure.

I am enjoying this drama so far. I liked the lead actor in Sh**ting Stars, which I watched to the end. I thought he was funny in the historical comedy he did that I didn’t finish. I feel like he got cast here because this is somehow a blend of those two characters. I like his deep whispery voice and comic facial expressions. Don’t know whether this weird show will continue to hold me, but I don’t blame any of the actors if it doesn’t.

It's true that the ML is not a strong actor, but I knew that already, and frankly, I'm surprised there's so much criticism directed towards him this time when a) he's giving roughly the same caliber of performance he's given before and people were much more charitable then and b) he's hardly the worst kdrama actor out there who was clearly hired first and foremost for his looks. This may all seem like faint praise, and it is, but I'm also expressing some confusion as to why this role and this drama--again, not great, but hardly the total dumpster fire similar performances/kdramas have been this year--are inspiring this kind of negativity. I know "Come on, it's not THAT bad" isn't really a vote of confidence. BUT. Come on, it's not THAT bad!

Watched today ep 6 ,don´t shoot me ,but i like KimYoung dae , maybe his looks . The storyline is a little weird, doesn´t have enough depth. There is no attraction between the male and female ,no tension, no romance i can´t believe it .
I find that face from the FL so boring , her acting is like schooldrama ,then rings my mind.
I didn´t like her from Fight my own way, her hair like a Dutch waffle, and expressionless face.
She never convinces me, Our blooming youth, , Taxi driver etc why didn´t pick Han So Hee, or that new one from heartbeat Won Ji An .
But PYJ looks like an old English sheepdog to me,no grace , no flair,and definitely not feminine .
Sorry guys for the harsh comments , from now i drop this one .

Wow ... I am totally on the board with Moon In the Day contrary to many of you! I find Kim Young Dae and Pyo Ye Jin deeply compelling in their roles.

First of all, exactly how much of kdrama is realistic ... authentic ... true-to-life ... really? Isn't the vast majority of it a bit over-the-top ... but that's why I enjoy it so much!

Second, aren't we all here for the escapism in any event??

Finally, I feel like Kim Young Dae's performance is outstanding ... he's supposed to be portraying an aristocratic man who was a killing machine without love from his 'stepfather' / adopted father (?) ... I don't expect him to be anything other than imperious and ferociously and singularly focused on one thing, and that is how he portrays it.

End of rant.