River Where The Moon Rises/The Moon Rising River 달이 뜨는 강 [2021]

[mademoiselle]

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

@mademoiselle you’re talking about the last still right that @Tofu posted above ? Who is she in this drama ? 
Do we have character chart ? Can’t remember if KBS releases relationship charts the way tvn etc does 

Papago says she is:

 

A descendant of King Pyeongwon. Her outstanding beauty and craftsmanship won the king's heart and gave birth to a prince Gunmu. She is trying to oust Crown Prince Hoshi Tammam from power and put to the throne.

[joccu__]

D-Day

[abs-oluteM]

Yay @joccu__ . I hope this drama will let our dearest Ji Soo have a happy ending where he gets the girl . 
Is that possible? I have zero knowledge of the history 

Press con

I wish the stylist dress them better 

 

[mademoiselle]

@abs-oluteM That's exactly what I thought too! It's underwhelming. On the plus side, SK has lower the COVID restriction so I guess that's why they can take pics w/o masks.

Edited February 16, 2021 by mademoiselle

[bluepebbles]

ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕤 

filming location 

 

There is no indication yet on the exact locations but based on the teasers/photo spoilers, the production is exerting impressive effort for the cinematography of this drama. So far I am so delighted with the fantastic locations .

 

𝕄𝕒𝕖𝕟𝕘𝕛𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕛𝕦𝕜 / 𝔹𝕒𝕞𝕓𝕠𝕠 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕜

 Address: 700 Geojebuk-ro, Hacheong-myeon, Geoje, Gyeongsangnam Province, South Korea

Travel Guide

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Samseonggung (Samseong ℙ𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖 ) /삼성궁

Address: 2 Samseonggung-gil, Cheongam-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam Province, South Korea 

 

 

Spoiler

Samseong-gung is a shrine along the slopes of Jiri Mountain, Hadong county in South Gyeongsang Province, that was created for paying homage to the three mythical founders of Korea: Hwanin - or "Divine Regent". In the traditional Dangun mythology Hwanin is portrayed as the Emperor of Heaven himself  (wikipedia)

 

Photos credit as tagged~ 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

ooo this site has given some character descriptions

https://www.dramamilk.com/character-chart-river-where-the-moon-rises/

 

 

First OST is out

 

[abs-oluteM]

Four Key Points to look out for 

Sports Donga

KBS2's new Monday-Tuesday drama "The Moon Rise" (written by Han Ji-hoon/directed by Yoon Sang-ho) will premiere at 9:30 p.m. today (15th). "The Moon Rising River" is a fusion historical drama romance that depicts the pure love of  Goguryeo's Princess Pyeonggang (Kim So-hyun), and General Ondal (Jisoo), who made love into history. Amidst  the high expectations  viewers for the first broadcast, the production team has reavealed some viewing points to look out for:

 

▲ How do you explain  the meeting of Pyeonggang X Ondal that was not recorded in history?

The "River Where The Moon Rises " is based on the story of Princess Pyeonggang and General Ondal, but it is a fiction created by adding historical imagination on top of it. To complete a new story by filling in the empty space of history. The first broadcast will feature the first meeting of the two, opening with an epic prelude . I am already curious about how they will meet and how this meeting will affect the two's future lives.

 

▲ Queen Yeon, Pyeonggang, and Kim So-hyun's dual role

Kim So-hyun appears as Queen Yeon, Pyeonggang and two people in the first broadcast of "The River where the Moon rises." According to the production team, Kim So-hyun perfectly performed both Queen Yeon and Pyeonggang with her concentrated acting. I look forward to see if Kim So-hyun will rise to the challenge of acting out Queen Yeon and Pyeonggang.

 

▲ Exciting Goguryeo power struggle

Pyeonggang of  is an enterprising/ ambitious  princess who dreams of Goguryeo's revival. The first broadcast depicts the chaotic situation of Goguryeo, the reason why Pyeonggang had this dream. Among them, the production team said, "We should pay special attention to the power struggle that takes place in the Goguryeo royal family." Also, the situation of Goguryeo is closely related to the melodrama of Pyeonggang and Ondal, so it is necessary to pay more attention.

 

▲ Glamorous and magnificent action to catch your eyes

The drama  is expected to catch the attention of viewers with its grand scale action from the first broadcast. From the war in which Pyeonggang and Ondal participated, to the swordsmanship of Pyeonggang, who lived by killing, you will not be able to take your eyes off  Director Yoon Sang-ho's sensuous action is expected to catch the viewers' eyes.

 

[joccu__]

@abs-oluteM I think I read somewhere that they do get married or at least lives like a couple. So there is a big chance that this time it is  going to be happy ending for Jisoo character.  But who knows how this ends. At least we are going to see them fall in love.

 

I really liked the 1 episode. 

Edited February 15, 2021 by joccu__

[Tofu]

@stroppyse mentioned before that their love story is pretty widely known and they end up marrying each other. However, she also said that On Dal dies in battle too.....so the ending for the drama can go either way. 

 

I'm halfway through episode one right now and I'm loving it so far!

[Tofu]

KBS tweeted out new photos:

[bluepebbles]

W O W ! The Samseonggung is a majestic place ! They really did a good job in choosing peculiar locations for this drama, love it ! 
 

 

 

[Tofu]

@bluepebbles - I agreed! That was one of my favorite scene. 

 

I finished watching episode one and Kim So Hyun is amazing. That fight scene in the beginning was great (the same with the scene where Kim So Hyun was playing the Queen) -- it was good to put all photos, previously released, to the scenes they belong to. 

 

I am going to assume that Kang Ha Neul's defeated look means that he might have surrendered and got killed. I wanted to see more of him. 

 

I believe this is the preview for episode 2?

 

[abs-oluteM]

Yet to be able to check out eps 1 ( have 3 dramas on Mon-Tues slot ) . Will do so soon

-------------------------------------------------

Post from :SCMP

River Where the Moon Rises: an epic Korean costume drama with romance to spare
The visually spectacular series revisits the legendary exploits of Princess Pyeonggang
Kim So-hyun plays the fearsome warrior princess with Ji Soo as her love interest, On Dal

 

All’s fair in love, war and Korean historical spectaculars. And while we’re still in the warm, fluffy embrace of Valentine’s Day, here comes the first instalment of the next big-budget, Goguryeo-inspired romantic drama for the ages.

Twenty-episode River Where the Moon Rises revisits the legendary exploits of Princess Pyeonggang and the unfortunately named On Dal the Idiot: “the woman who lived for Goguryeo”, according to her public relations department, together with the man who was, what, a fool for love? We’ll find out.

Meanwhile, the legend has it that her royal highness was raised as a soldier and on a parallel career path, On Dal eventually became a general. As with all the best historical-folkloric offerings, however, the hiding of one’s identity from the enemy was sometimes required if grisly death and other inconveniences were to be avoided. So expect to see the princess (Kim So-hyun) and her beau (Ji Soo) dressing down to embrace their fake peasant roots before they can right some wrongs and claim their respective honorifics.

 

And what vicious wrongs! Steel flashes, armour clangs, the general wields a mighty sword for his woman – stop sniggering at the back – and we know that, ultimately, love will conquer all. Even if, as written 900 years ago, Pyeonggang’s empress mother and her commander-in-chief are obliged to exit the action early when assassins strike.

From then on, the warrior princess finds the going tough in a world riven by conspiracy theories and one in which the most devious mischief-makers are calling every shot. With a supporting cast featuring baddies as unblemished as Choi Yu-hwa and Lee Ji-hoon it’s difficult to know who to trust.
Although all this might eventually come to resemble Hallmark history – swooning embraces, doe eyes in faces far too fresh to have been out in the sun – here we have love and war airbrushed to within a topknot of their credibility. And in a costume drama as sweeping as this, there’s nothing wrong with that.

 

[bluepebbles]

ℝ𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕤 

filming locations

 

𝒪𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓁 𝒯𝑜𝓊𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓉 𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓀 (Episode 1)

 

Ondal Tourist Park [온달관광지] that includes a museum a cave and a fortress as well as a section which exhibits props used for filming has been the backdrop for a lot of historical K-Dramas. It is located in the village of Ha-ri [하리] in the Yeongchun Township [Yeongchun-myeon/영춘면] of Danyang County [Danyang-gun/단양군]; around 4hrs by public transport south-east of Seoul.

Address
23 Ondal-ro, Yeongchun-myeon, Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

 

Spoiler

 

𝒮𝒶𝓈𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑔𝒶𝓂 ℋ𝑒𝓇𝓂𝒾𝓉𝒶𝑔𝑒

 

Saseongam Hermitage [사성암 or in full: 구례 오산 사성암 일원/求禮 鼇山 四聖庵 一圓] is located on the granite cliffs and summit of Mt Osan, in the foothills of Mt Jirisan. It is also known as The Hermitage of the Four Saints, referring to the four head monks who lived and studied here, and practiced asceticism (renunciation of worldly pleasures to achieve a high spiritual state of being). It was founded during the rule of King Seong of Baekje in 544 CE, who was a great patron of Buddhism in Korea. The main hall houses a rock-carved Buddha, which is said to have been carved by the monk Wonhyo using his fingernails. The views from the Hermitage are said to be spectacular, especially at sunset.

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

𝒢𝑜𝑔𝓊𝓇𝓎𝑒𝑜 ℬ𝓁𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈𝓂𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒱𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝑔𝑒 - 

 

 

*Photo on my first post about filming location is modified. I presume this scene was filmed in this location instead. Based on this blog, Goguryeo Blacksmith Village is one of the film locations of this drama. The drama may have used CG instead to reflect a wider scope of On Hyeop's tribe. 

 

Spoiler

 

Goguryeo Blacksmith Village, established by Guri-si, Gyeonggi-do, is the historic theme park of Goguryeo. Many foreign tourists visit this place because It is the only blacksmith village in Korea and filming site, where various dramas, such as Taewangsashingi, Bramuinara, Kwaedohonggildong and Jamyeonggo, were filmed. 

 

sources [1] [2] 

[abs-oluteM]

I enjoyed the 1st episode very much. I was completely engaged which is a feat as I don't usually watch historical kdramas.  The cinematography, casting and story were up to expectations. 

 

Summary recap & thoughts for eps 1:

 

The 1st episode starts off in the present with Pyong Gang and On Dal at the battlefield. I am assuming this would be a climax battle scene for the fight for power for Gorguryeo. Both are fighting off enemy soldiers. On Dal gets injured & he falls to the ground. PG finds him & checks to see if he's alive. Holding him in her arms, she thanks him being for staying alive ( I hope this is the case , as I cannot take another tragic ending for JiSoo) and gives him a kiss. Tears role down his eyes.

 

Then the story brings us to the past where we see a young Pyon Gang and her mother, the Queen ( also played by Kim So Hyun ) witnessing a mutiny / protests or sorts against the king who had tried to abolish the monopoly on the salt trade.This was led by the General of the Gyeru tribe & I think the King gave in.  Pyon Gang's mother married the King and became the Queen at a very young age giving birth to both Pyong Gang and a prince. So she had the King's favour. The Queen was  strong & courageous. She understood how detrimental the salt  monopoly would be to the livelihoods of the people ( I believe the protest was instigated by Go Won Pyo , a trusted advisor of the king , whose Gyeru tribe had the monopoly over the salt trade). The various tribes with their military strengths have become bolder & seem to threaten the position of the royal household. Knowing that they would need military enforcement in the capital/ palace , the Queen tells the King she will "patrol" the land ( which was translated as a land survey)  - she had plans to go secure support from tribes such as the Sunno Tribe who guarded the south borders of the land & were loyal to the nation .  ( It baffles me that the Queen was much more proactive then the King. Interesting that there's a strong feminist theme going on here)

The Queen takes Pyong Gang with her on this trip leaving her much younger son in the palace. Before leaving for the trip , Pyong Gang had overheard Concubine Jin and Go Won Pyo plotting a conspiracy against her mother. GWP had asked Jin to put a letter in the Queen's chambers when she leaves for the trade. This as we would find out later will incriminate the Queen of betraying the King. However , given the many things taking place, PG forgot to tell her mother what she saw. (Concubine Jin was older than the Queen, and would like to be Queen herself. )

 

We were then introduced to the Sunno tribe led by its General ( played by Kang Ha Neul) who was On Dal's father. On Dal, a pre-teen impatient to become a warrior like his father, gets a stern lesson on the importance of saving lives over fighting in battles. While the scene depicted the strict upbringing that On Dal had , it also showed the bond between father & son , and these lessons will stay on with On Dal into adulthood. 

 

While on the way to visit the Sunno tribe, The Queen makes a personal detour to a mountain temple. We find out here that the Queen's true love is General Wol Gwang from the Jeollo tribe . Wol Gwang was the most successful General of his time but the King realised that Wol Gang and the Queen may have affections for each other. Rumors ( Concubine Jin made sure that the King knew this ) of the affair and doubts over who Pyong Gang's actual father put the Queen's life / position in danger. So, Wol Gang retired to become a monk at the temple . ( We're now definitely left to wonder if PG was Wol Gang or the King's daughter.) Anyway on this trip of hers, we see the Queen visiting WG and they hugged (quite tragic, I must say).

 

Go Won Pyo had ensured that the Queen's itinerary was reported to the King ( they used pigeons to deliver the messages quickly). The King hears of the Queen's visit to the temple, becomes jealous and gives GWP permission to have his army look / kill Wol Gang.

 

Meanwhile the Queen arrives at the Sunno tribe village and speaks to General On Hyeob and asked for his help to bring military reinforcement for the palace. They speak at a pavilion away from the village. It was only then that Princess PG had remembered Concubine Jin and GWP's plot to get rid of the Queen. However it was too late as GWP had made his move. GWP sent his General to Sunno village . They twisted things and accused the villagers of treachery by killing the Queen.  Oh Hyeob and the Queen gets a message that GWP's men had overtaken Sunno village & were killing off some villagers. Knowing this was GWP's doing, On Hyeob asked On Dal to take the Queen and PG up the mountains to hide them. The Queen decided to stay on to sort out the problem and asked On Dal to take PG instead.

 

On Hyeob and the Queen fought GWP's army but she died. GWP's general asked On Hyeob to admit that he was a traitor if he had wanted the lives of his tribesmen to be spared.

 

Then we see On Dal and PG climbing the mountains. Unfortunately, in helping PG up, On Dal fell into a river. There were several moments before that where PG had wanted to give up , but On Dal told her that she needed to stay alive to reclaim Gorgoyeo. We were not shown On Dal's fate after he fell but we do see that PG managed to climb to the top. Later on we see that the King had gone crazy burning villages etc looking for Wan Gol ( and for her ). While she was hiding in a cave & almost got caught by the King, an old man knocked her unconscious and saved her.

 

Years later we see that PG had grown up. She was raised by a kind old man , and they had become indebted to the Cheonjubang rebel group who had helped them. She became a fighter & assassin for them . This rebel group's goal is to overthrow Gorgoyeo. After a mission where one of the rebels cold bloodedly killed a mother & baby, PG had wanted to quit the group. However the rebel leader refused to let her go & convinced her to help them with one more mission that involved the plans to assassin the King. 

 

On her way to her mission, PG comes across some men who had captured a deer. They seem pretty cruel. On Dal stopped them & managed to fend them off. On Dal seeing how badly injured the deer was , mercy killed it but he was attacked by the men again. PG jumped in to fight the men off. When all was done, she walked off saying he need not thank her. But he ran after her and told her that he knows her.

-eps ends-

[abs-oluteM]

Preview for eps 3

BTS

 

[joccu__]

the second episode was emotional!

 

burning you own eyes to stop Dal for leaving! 

 

 

[Alice Wonderland]

Watching the first two premierre episodes, good! The cinematography and how all it begins has the vibe like the classic saeguk. I like they set the time in georyeo than Joseon. We seen enough of Joseon with its evil politicians in red robes. And here we have othe form of them with more dark colour costumes. Lols. 

 

Spoiler

The acting are great! But here I am supposed to root for Dal and GJ as the otp, somehow I lean more feelings to the son general, I am waiting how he figure it out she was the princess he promised to pledge his loyalty with.

 

Did the king know that the queen is not guilty? Is that why he felt sorry for killing her?? Ughh.. poor pyeonggang, her dad is the killer of her mom. 

 

Looking forward for next episodes

Edited February 17, 2021 by Alice Wonderland

[abs-oluteM]

11 hours ago, joccu__ said:

the second episode was emotional!

 

burning you own eyes to stop Dal for leaving! 

 

 

It really was so sad. The father had wanted to make sure that he remains alive , tells him to be live a hidden life & don’t stand out (be a fool ) . And the nanny to ensure she fulfills her promise of protecting On Dal , sacrifices her sight so that he has to “look” after her . 
 

But as fate would have it in the 2nd episode, On Dal & PG cross  paths . He doesn’t actually recognise her. And neither does she . But I am wondering if she had any recollection whatsoever about her past . She seemed surprised that she was actually an orphan & was adopted. Maybe she’s subconsciously suppressing the bad memories. These memories seem to resurface as she hid herself in the palace pretending to be a maid ( her nanny recognised her for sure ) & when she was supposed to execute the assassination, she faltered because flashbacks of her past distracted her . 
 

 I do like the start of the love story between On Dal & PG. The  intertwining of their fates brings them together but  I can see she would be drawn to him for his kindness & thoughtfulness. In return he’s intrigued by her true identity & fearlessness. 
 

@Alice Wonderland I was very interested in Lee Ji Hoon’s character & hope we get to see more of him. I finally connect that he was the young boy who trained her to fight & who had pledge allegiance to serve her family. He’s clearly uneasy with what his father , GWP does. However I can see he’s got the tragic hero arc written all over him. I believe he’ll come round to support PG’s quest to reclaim her position but it’s going to be a one sided love . Poor fella. 
 

 

[ktcjdrama]

I haven't started this one. Might wait for a detailed recap first so I can understand the characters who is who to better understand the story.

I tried to watch but couldn't concentrate well with the various introductions. So I stopped before reaching a quarter way of the first episode. 

Will pick up again next week when I have more time to spare. 

[abs-oluteM]

20 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

I haven't started this one. Might wait for a detailed recap first so I can understand the characters who is who to better understand the story.

I tried to watch but couldn't concentrate well with the various introductions. So I stopped before reaching a quarter way of the first episode. 

Will pick up again next week when I have more time to spare. 

I did a detailed recap a few posts before yours for eps 1. Unfortunately, don’t hv enough time to do for eps 2 

[Alice Wonderland]

4 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

was very interested in Lee Ji Hoon’s character & hope we get to see more of him. I finally connect that he was the young boy who trained her to fight & who had pledge allegiance to serve her family. He’s clearly uneasy with what his father , GWP does. However I can see he’s got the tragic hero arc written all over him. I believe he’ll come round to support PG’s quest to reclaim her position but it’s going to be a one sided love . Poor fella. 

Yes he was the master who trained her. And the so called sad boy ji soo aka dal will end his curse in previous dramas. Now LJH will take over the title  lols. 

 

I like how he differs from his dad. Hope he wont change even GJ didnt fall for him. 

[Tofu]

Ahhh!! I wrote a lengthy response but my browser refresh and I lost it.  Here's a draft of what I was kind of writing earlier...sigh.

 

I think a lot happened in episode two so some of the highlights were (I tried to keep these in order of when they appeared in episode two):

• Ga Jin fought the hunters with Dal, or I guess she "saved" him. 
• Dal made Ga Jin smash the herbs to put on the wounds she caused on those hunters. 
• In order for Ga Jin to leave the assassin group she's in, she's been ordered to kill the King. She disguised herself as one of the shamans/dancers (not sure what they are called). She failed her mission because Go Geon received a tip that someone is there to kill the King. More precisely, the King noticed the resemblance between her and the Queen. He had a complete meltdown and made a scene. This ruined Ga Jin's plans and she had to retreat. 
• As Ga Jin is running away, she falls over a ledge and is saved by Dal. She has flashback of multiple memories (the day her mother died, having to run away with Dal, and her father being the caused of this). She ends up fainting and Dal brings her home to his place. 
• Prior to the day she tried to assassin the King, Ga Jin pretended to be a maid and was asked to bring something to the Princess's quarters. It seems like a gift from the Crown Prince (he doesn't believe the Princess is dead). There she meet her old nanny and have flashbacks of her, but doesn't quite remember the exact details of those memories. The nanny is able to recognize that Ga Jin is the Princess because she noticed how Ga Jin moved some of the stuff in the room to their right position. 
• Ga Jin is given a new outfit by Dal's mo-chin. She goes and meet the other assassin group's members. They talked about all the traps that Dal has set up and how there were so many (Dal tells Ga Jin later that the traps are because he's scared of humans and not wild animal). The group members said that since he saw her face, she has to kill him because that's part of the rule. The male group member says that one way to get out of it is to seduce and marry him. 
• Dal thinks back to when his father was in prison. Dal's apologized for being the reason the treasured sword is now broken. Dal is telling his father to escape and go with him. His father responded with, "a general cannot disobey the King's order". Dal asked what about him and the villagers, what are they supposed to do? His father said the reason why he is there is to save Dal and the villagers. He asked that Dal never seek revenge, to not live a life of resentment. Dal is told to live a quiet life as a fool. Dal's tearful exchange the entire time broke my heart especially since his dad did not have any reaction to it at all (however, you can completely tell how heartbroken he is for his son through his nonverbals). 
• As @abs-oluteM pointed out, Dal's nanny (his mo-chin) burned her eyes so Dal can take care of her and not try to seek revenge on his father. 
• Go Geon is asked to work at the palace and tasked to find the assassin. He made a comment to his father along the lines of, "you didn't care at the ceremony, why now?". 
• One of the assassin is ordered to hurt Ga Jin's adopted father. He gets poisoned and is found by the other assassins who are good friends with Ga Jin. While saving her adopted father, the assassin friends are asked to tell Ga Jin to not return -- to find her real parents instead. They also talked about the necklace as a way to find her real parents but it seems like the other assassin took it. 
• The assassin friend heard Dal's voice and asked why Ga Jin has not killed him yet. She tells her friend that it's because she's going to seduce him. 
• Dal gives Ga Jin something he carved. Ga Jin says she doesn't have anything to give him in return. Her assassin friend said that she does and pushed her against him. They both fall and she lands on top of him. Haha!

 

I've been watching a lot of period dramas and it amazes me how much someone is willing to sacrifice for their country or their King/Queen. The answer to their sacrifices is always, "This is what I'm ordered to do,", "It's part of my services to this country,", etc. I completely felt for Dal, having to witness his father be killed at such a young age. How do you move on from that? 

 

Go Geon seems like someone who is going to question his father's hypocrisy, but I wonder if later on his mentality on this will change. If Ga Jin does not love him back, will he go crazy and try to harm Dal? I really hope that he doesn't because I want to like him in this drama. 

 

In case anyone else was curious like me, I asked @stroppyse about the way Dal called his "mother" and this is what she said:

He calls her "mo-chin" which is another way to say mother. However, she doesn't necessarily have to be HIS mother for him to address her as "mother". It's not in common usage in modern Korean, and not used by children to address their mothers. It's more of an honorific than that, and when I've heard it used, it's more along the lines of So-and-so's mo-chin rather than to address the person directly.

 

This was one of my favorite scenes. As @bluepebbles mentioned, I loved where they filmed this:

 

[bluepebbles]

Some of my fave shots of Kim So Hyun from episode 1-2 

gif credit  [1] [2] 

[Tofu]

To add on to @bluepebbles's post, the person who made those .gif also created .gifs showing the similarity between the Queen's and Ga Jin's fighting style (I know they are both Kim So Hyun, but for the sake of the story -- Ga Jin inherited her mom's fighting skills):

Spoiler

Credit