Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

During a solar eclipse, Go Ha-jin (IU), a young woman from the 21st century, is mysteriously transported to 941, at the beginning of the Goryeo Dynasty. She wakes up in the body of Hae Soo, a young woman who lived with the royal family during King Taejo’s reign. She quickly became close to the many princes and was first charmed by the gentle 8th Prince Wang Wook (Kang Ha-neul).

Her life is turned upside down, however, when she meets Wang So (Lee Joon-gi), the dreaded Fourth Prince, a solitary man who hides the scars of his past behind a mask. Despite her determination not to alter history, Hae Soo gradually finds herself at the center of palace intrigues and the bloody struggle for the throne. Her feelings for Wang So then become inextricably linked to the political rivalries that will determine the future of Goryeo.

Adaptation

The series is the Korean adaptation of the Chinese novel « Bu Bu Jing Xin » by Tong Hua, previously adapted in China under the title Scarlet Heart. The project had a budget of approximately 15 billion won, including an investment from NBCUniversal.

Impact and Success

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo had a rather unusual run: its television ratings in Korea were deemed disappointing relative to its budget and expectations, with a Nielsen average of 7.6 %. However, the ratings improved toward the end of the run, reaching 11.3 % for the final episode—the series’ highest score. Internationally and on streaming platforms, the results were significantly stronger: Youku had purchased the Chinese rights for $400,000 per episode—a record for a Korean drama at the time—and the series surpassed 1 billion views there after episode 9, then 2 billion after episode 18. It also dominated certain VOD platforms in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

According to Good Data Corporation, the series was the third most-talked-about drama of 2016, behind Descendants of the Sun and Love in the Moonlight. She won the K-Culture Pride Award at the Korea Brand Awards and took home 7 awards out of 12 nominations at the SBS Drama Awards.