Jongidal

While I appreciate its shorter runtime of 10 episodes but I wish it was even shorter for a tighter package. Some side plots didn't fit the narrative and were a mere distraction, such as the female lead's friends personal affairs, not even a good filler. The middle parts were filled with padded sequences. It took a long time before actually getting into what the synopsis describes. From this kind of plot around embezzlement, I would expect somewhat a smarter play and a deeper plot but the drama kept things mostly at a surface-level and borderline making stupid mistakes intentionally to create some tension and invoke a reaction from the viewers. I really like what Kim Seo Hyung has been doing in the past few years, leading projects of characters that fit her are infinitely better than older supporting roles. Anyway, the drama may not rank high but still offers a decent viewing experience for those willing to explore something different.

PALE MOON (2023 - ) is a K-Drama that features blended elements of both the romance and thriller genres. While quite a bit slower in terms of pacing, (especially for a thriller!) it is a shorter series than typical k-drama series (10 episodes as opposed to 16 + episodes).

This series is a female centric series and can be considered a bit of an examination of feminist thought, with main themes such as the trodden housewife / middle aged woman seeking new life purpose, learning new skills and advancing herself, finding worth in herself; a woman developing herself to be independent and professional, seeking her own desires and identity; a woman under the control of her husband that struggles to break free despite the societal constraints.

While the characters choices are morally and ethically debatable, the psychological aspects made this an interesting process and excellent food for thought, as well as a conversation starter.

"A thriller drama about Yoo I-hwa, a stay-at-home mom living her comfortable and contented life without desires, but to her husband's indifference. While working as a bank contract employee, she unexpectedly touches money from VIP clients and gradually falls into an irreversible collapse."

This is the kind of drama that could have done without the romance plot, (or at least a subtler one) in my opinion. I understand they wanted that dimension, a love interest, but I felt it wasn't truly believable, interesting and even necessary. I feel it slightly detracted from the impact of the other aspects of this series or perhaps the chemistry was lacking, rather than having the FL find love, strength and happiness on her own and in herself, becoming independent first (and then romance later on, if necessary at all). However, I was happy to see a middle-aged, slightly older female lead and romantic interest. In many other dramas, the middle-aged female in this age range usually turns out to be some kind of villain archetype.

Overall, this was a refreshing change of pace from some of the more overplayed romance drama themes out there, but I do feel like it could have been a bit more of exciting (for a thriller series) as well as adding much more depth, on the psychological and emotional levels as well. This series was still a very well made show and worth the watch. Glad to see drama's switching things up.

Apparently this is a remake of a Japanese series and movie by the title of Paper Moon. As such, my one problem with the drama, (the ending), becomes a bit moot. I like things tidied up a bit better, but it wasn't a terrible ending, and many things did get some closure.

I'm a big fan of Kim Seo Hyung, and she did not disappoint here. She has always exuded such presence that it hurt my soul to see her portrayal of a very intelligent and capable career woman stripped of all self-esteem by her self-absorbed husband. Her exceedingly lonely existence was its own tragedy and lent itself as the driving ingredient for the events that followed.

There's certainly room for debate about some of the character's choices, but there's also a great deal of deserved empathy for the underlying emotions and motivations for those choices. It's all quite conversation-worthy.

I found the so-called May-December romance to be quite believable in that it wasn't a rush of sheer lust. Just a quiet longing for attention and affection during a crisis in each of their lives, that also included attraction and intimacy. They filled each other's needs at that time - which often gets mistaken for real love. Those kinds of relationships rarely last, even without an age gap. Once the crisis changes or is resolved for one, the foundation inevitably cracks. And for this particular culture, having relatively realistic intimacy scenes, and showing that a man his age not only can, but actually often does, find an older woman attractive in that way, was extremely refreshing.

I very much enjoyed the noir style the director chose, the soundtrack was subtle - meaning nothing caught my ear as either memorable per se, nor distracting. I even liked the unobtrusive intro and let it just play each episode.

Now that I understand this to be a remake, I'm not expecting a second season - though I would be over the "pale moon" if they got creative license to do so. If you aren't a fan of subtle noir-style, slow-burn, have some kind of problem with older woman/younger man, or will find yourself very upset with adultery from a woman's side, no matter how many men get away with it - this won't be for you. If you can handle those things and want to watch several great performances, (including the elders of this drama - who get a chef's kiss), then I definitely recommend.

Pale Moon is an intriguing drama that departs from the norm of what I think of when it comes to K-Drama. It may not appeal to everyone, including myself, however stuck it out and watched it in its entirety. It does go kind of slow at times. To me it is more of a film studies kind of movie. The kind that you may get for an assignment at school in a film studies class where you are asked to watch it and then write a paper on it with your comments and theories. The use of the moon in the beginning and the ending and cinema type lighting techniques - shadows, dark, is reminiscent of old Hithcock films reminds me of this drama although different.

Here in Pale Moon everyone uses everyone else - The ML's (Gong Jung Hwan) boss uses him like a dog and a minion, and he uses the wife to prop up his career only. The wife uses the young ML (Lee Shi Hoo) to fulfill her own emotional needs, the young ML uses the FL, Kim Seo Hyung, for money. Even the side stories everyone uses everyone else for sex, designer clothes, whatever it may be.

As far as the May December romance, I had a hard time believing it. Sorry but didn't see the chemistry - Maybe if the FL had a different haircut just a little bit longer such as in her bio photo on Viki I could have seen the chemistry better. I just thought it looked a wee bit boyish and the bio photo was so much sexier. If they were trying to give her the "housewife" look, I think it was a fail. Couldn't see how the romance could have begun in the first place - the emotional connection wasn't "all that" in the beginning, but the money was. I kept thinking it was more like those jigglo K-dramas I have seen where the young guy gets kept on the side. IMO that was more believable, but don't think that is what the director wanted us to believe.

Which brings us to the ending. Hate the kind of endings where you don't know exactly what happened, where you are left "hanging" there. It is open to interpretation - is it the husband who now lost everything - his job, his wife, and realizes what he lost and that he truly loved her? Or was it the young love that realizes in the end everything she did for him and how much he really did love her after all - which he did all along but the fame and fortune got to his head? Please someone tell me if I missed something and I am supposed to know.....that's why I can only give it 8 stars and not 10. Some might think there will be a second season?

#PaleMoon #PaleMoonKDrama #LeeShiHoo #Kim Seo Hyung.