K-DRAMA FIRST LOOK: “Moon River”

A grieving crown prince crosses paths with a mysterious woman who resembles his late wife but has no memory of the past. Personality differences lead them to clash, but our crown prince can’t help but be drawn to that woman and question the resemblance. However, things get chaotic as the two swap bodies.

We also have an influential minister, a royal who appears to be an ally yet may harbor a hidden agenda, and a strong-willed noblewoman who seeks to take control of her life. Let the palace intrigue and body swap hijinks begin.

Bunny S. watches Moon River on Viki

Opening Week Ratings:

---

Moon River Opening Week Story

“After all, Crown Princess is Left Minister’s daughter.”

Meeting our male lead, Crown Prince Yi Kang (Kang Tae-oh), he is still getting nightmares about the death of his late wife, the deposed crown princess, Kang Yeon-wol. The two used to live happily together; however, palace intrigues brought on this tragedy.

Five years ago, the queen, Kang’s mother, was assassinated, and Yeon-wol was framed for it. Deposed, she was ordered to drink poison. But Yeon-wol drowned herself instead to protest her innocence.

Refusing to believe his wife committed suicide, Kang pleaded with the king to investigate her death, only to be shocked after learning the king had ordered Yeon-wol to sacrifice herself to protect Kang. Ever since, Kang has developed a resentment toward water and aquatic creatures, becoming a fastidious man who nitpicks everything and causes great distress for everyone in his service.

The mastermind behind the queen’s assassination, though, is the Left State Minister, Kim Han-cheol (Jin Goo). His end goal is to make his daughter the new crown princess and have her bloodline ascend the throne. And he blatantly admits it all before Kang, arguing that knowing changes nothing, as no one dares to punish him.

In fact, Han-cheol holds the ultimate power in court, surpassing even the king. Having crossed him, Han-cheol got the king locked up in his quarters, claiming his madness had worsened, and had Kang rule in his place. Not that Kang can openly go against Han-cheol. The most he can do is practice archery all night throughout the heavy pour with bloodshot eyes and bloody hands while imagining Han-cheol as his target.

“Where should I start to make things right?”

For context, we learn that Han-cheol assassinated the former king and his son, the former crown prince, and then enthroned the current king to act as his puppet. The former king’s wife was framed for having an affair and executed. And the former king’s other son, Prince Lee Woon (Lee Shin-young), got deposed. Yet he was later reinstated by the current king.

After Yeon-wol’s death, Kang resolved to investigate everything from the beginning, starting from the late king and crown prince’s mysterious deaths. The investigation led him to a rare and deadly poison that only existed in Qing. Yet, since Han-cheol kept a close eye on him, Kang needed an ally who could travel freely without raising much suspicion. And the perfect candidate was Woon, who also held a grudge against Han-cheol for what happened to his family.

Joining hands, Kang had Yoon head to the Qing to investigate secretly. And he has recently returned with some important findings that tie Han-cheol to the poison. But it isn’t enough to incriminate him.

“If I were born lowly from the start and got used to being treated poorly, maybe I could accept it.”

Outside the palace, on the crowded street, we meet our heroine, Park Dal-yi (Kim Se-jeong), a resourceful peddler with a cheerful personality. The only thing that annoys Dal-yi, though, is the so-called noble brats who throw rocks at her and then use their high class to get away with it.

Interestingly, Dal-yi nearly drowned a few years ago, and her memory was erased. She now lives happily with her adoptive parents and her aunt, who runs a merchant guild and seems to know Dal-yi’s true identity but keeps it secret from everyone.

Claiming that slave hunters are on the lookout for her, Dal-yi’s aunt firmly warned her not to visit Hanyang for any reason. Still, Dal-yi can’t turn her head away from a poor widow who is pressured by her in-laws to commit suicide. And it is here that Kang glimpses Dal-yi while on an outing. Stunned by the striking resemblance between Dal-yi and Yeon-wol, Kang chases after Dal-yi. But she flees away, scared he might be her master.

“Are you treating a perfectly fine person like a ghost?”

Taking shelter, Dal-yi has a run-in with Woon. Startled, he drops his precious item. Thus, getting it broken and Dal-yi injured. Still, Woon treats Dal-yi’s injury and stays by her side until she regains consciousness before asking for compensation the moment she wakes up.

Unsurprisingly, Dal-yi tries to elope. And when she fails, she chooses death over suffering at Woon’s hands, having realized his royal status. Rather than get captured, she throws herself off the roof only to land in Kang’s arms, who was there to meet Woon.

Taking a proper look at her, Kang hugs Dal-yi, calling her “my lady.” But she is rightfully confused by his actions. The body Kang verified at the lake was decayed beyond recognition, so he holds onto the tiniest bit of hope that Dal-yi might indeed be Yeon-wol. Perhaps someone saved her and then sold her as a slave. However, since Yoon hasn’t met Yeon-wol before, he readily believes Dal-yi might be a runaway slave.

Either way, Kang and Woon decide to protect Dal-yi after learning of her plan to help the widow escape, though in different ways. While Woon is on board with the idea and tells Dal-yi to flee with the widow, Kang orders the servants to take the widow away since helping her elope will make Dal-yi an accomplice and put her in danger.

Livid, Dal-yi lashes out at Kang for siding with the widow’s in-laws because of some stupid law. So, he mentions her status as a runaway slave and offers to give her money to elope. But Dal-yi doesn’t need his charity. In another situation, Kang would have Dal-yi arrested, but he can’t help protecting her because she looks like Yeon-wol. And his suspicions grow when Dal-yi recites the same phrases Yeon-wol used to say.

To appease Dal-yi, Kang saves the widow and has her father-in-law arrested for attempting to falsify a virtuous monument (a reward granted for widows who take their lives). Dal-yi thanks him, and they share a tender moment as it snows and Kang sheds tears, thinking back on his time with Yeon-wol. Dal-yi pats his face and offers to buy him a meal to comfort him. But they take a rain check on that after Dal-yi spots her adoptive parents, who came to Hanyang to look for her. Still, they make plans to meet at noon the next day.

Hearing of the incident involving the widow, Han-cheol becomes suspicious and decides to put Kang on a leash, a.k.a move up the marriage plans between Kang and his daughter, Kim Woo-hee (Hong Su-zu). But neither party wants this marriage. Ironically, Woo-hee is in love with Woon, vowing to protect him no matter what. And Woon seems to reciprocate her feelings, too.

“How did you come here, my lord?”

In the morning, Dal-yi escorts the widow safely to the widows’ village and bids her farewell. Then, she heads to see Kang, who rented out the whole tavern and waits impatiently for her. But on her way, Dal-yi gets taken by the officers after the widow’s in-laws frame her for theft to get revenge. Just as Dal-yi is about to receive her punishment, Kang barges in and frees her, throwing all caution to the wind.

For someone as vigilant and meticulous as Han-cheol, it won’t be long before he learns of Kang’s involvement with Dal-yi and puts her on his radar. Sure enough, the resemblance won’t be lost on him, and he will scheme to get her killed. For now. Dal-yi is unaware of Kang’s identity and believes he is a secret royal inspector. So, Han-cheol might use that to his advantage.

Rewinding to the night Yeon-wol supposedly died, we see her jump into a lake. But she is miraculously saved. The first one to find Yeon-wol is her court maid, who we now know as Dal-yi’s aunt. She gives amnesiac Yeon-wol the name Dal-yi. And the rest is history. Also, Dal-yi’s adoptive parents were a court lady and a eunuch, yet they fell in love and fled overnight. So, we are curious how this arc will play out.

---

Moon River Opening Week Musings

It is only the beginning, but the palace politics are already menacing. Hopefully, as we progress through the plot and get to the body swap, things will get a little lighter. Han-cheol is such a formidable antagonist, and the way Jin Goo embodies his character gives Han-cheol a powerful aura.

Kang Tae-oh and Kim Se-jeong are shining in their respective roles, and we root for them to uncover the truth and get payback for what happened to them. Hong Su-zu only appeared briefly. But Woon seems like a multifaceted character, and we look forward to how Lee Shin-young will portray him.

Another intriguing plotline is the alliance between Kang and Woon. Those two are cousins. But Woon’s family was annihilated to enthrone the current king. So, it stands to reason that he resents Kang and the king. And Kang suspects as much. For now, they are working together to get their revenge. Yet the question is how far Woon will go to avenge his family. Will he stop at taking down Han-cheol, or will he claim the throne that was supposed to be his?

Spicing things up is the fact that Woon is in love with his enemy’s daughter. Though it will be disappointing if it turns out he is just using her for his revenge, since Woo-hee seems sincere about her feelings for him. Still, it is too early to be sure of anything. So, let’s tune in next week to see how things will unfold.

---

Photos and Videos: MBC Drama