Panda Impressions #32: Moonshine and Valentine & Hero’s Dream

Panda Impressions
The drama drought has gone on for too long this year to the point that finishing an episode is hard. What more an entire drama! Recent selections have shown much promise. And I’m happy to add two new premieres to the list. Because really, I just went from having nothing to watch to binging everything in a week.


Moonshine and Valentine

Moonshine and Valentine First Impressions
I have been met with too many disappointments to have any expectations coming into a drama. Eight episodes down the line and I have to say, Moonshine and Valentine has overturned all my existing biases. It is not just good, it is great! I only had a vague insight of Huang Jingyu before this, and I’m beginning to understand why he’s popular. He is easily the scene stealer as he brings an enigmatic charisma that is essential for a supernatural character like his.
 
By episode 1, I was fully invested in the story of the fox tribe and how they have managed to live alongside humans for years. Victoria Song playing your typical heroine that’s too painstakingly nice seems less interesting in comparison. It’s a character that usually gets on my nerves, but I actually like her too, which I think is a testament to a well-executed production that is a rarity nowadays. 

Hero’s Dream

Hero
Watching the first two episodes gives you two different dramas. The first is a serious historical drama, that’s bold and dramatic in its storytelling. Then there are scenes with Tang Yan that remind you that this is science fiction and probably shouldn’t be taken that seriously. I’m not sure who to talk about first. Oho Ou is captivating as the lead, but it’s Qiao Zhenyu’s crazed portrayal of Qin Shi Huang that really caught my attention. If you’ve seen The King’s Woman, this is the same King, the non-romanticized version. Leading lady Karina Hai Ling impresses as the damsel in distress that is strong and unyielding. Can you believe she’s the palace maid in Go Princess Go?
 
If the story continued the tone from the first episode, then I would be watching this for sure but the second episode does a complete one eighty. Suddenly, it’s turned into a comedy. Oddly enough, I’d be down for that too.  
 
Hero
Volunteers Wanted: We are on the lookout for volunteers to keep this section alive. Panda Impressions was meant to be a place to share first impressions or talk dramas, but there are too many undiscovered dramas that need some love. 

If you would like to share your thoughts on a particular drama (old or new, c-drama or k-drama), please send it via the ‘contact us’ form (rightmost link on the menu bar) and we’ll use it in the next post if we can. Just a paragraph or two usually works, no word count required. Thank you!   


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6 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    May 14, 2018 7:17 AM
  2. Anonymous

    May 14, 2018 12:36 PM
  3. Unknown

    May 14, 2018 9:14 PM
  4. Unknown

    May 14, 2018 11:28 PM
  5. Anonymous

    May 15, 2018 5:11 AM
  6. Anonymous

    May 15, 2018 11:36 PM

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