Television series
Love in the Moonlight
- Romance
- Light-hearted
A Joseon-era romance where a woman disguised as a man becomes an unwitting palace eunuch and catches the eye of the Crown Prince. It's all sparkling charm and absurdist comedy—the genre's equivalent of a perfect pastry. Ideal for anyone who wants romance that doesn't take itself too seriously, with gorgeous costumes and a lead couple with genuine chemistry.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like romantic comedies built on mistaken identity and sharp, slightly absurd court politics, where the banter does as much work as the swooning.
Skip it if you find disguise plots wearying or need your period drama dignified and unhurried; this one leans playful and will feel frivolous if you want palace intrigue played straight.
What it asks of you: Eighteen episodes of roughly an hour each, a long haul with a slow-building rhythm that rewards patience through its quieter, more earnest stretches.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Descendants of the Sun2016
A sweeping military romance with the same star and similar tonal balance: genuine stakes and emotion punctuated by humour and spectacle. Gorgeously shot and genuinely moving without ever losing its sense of fun.
But It commits harder to melodrama than Love in the Moonlight does, and the pacing can drag in its second half. If you want lighter, this swings for bigger emotional territory.
My Love from the Star2013
A time-displaced Joseon nobleman lands in modern Seoul with a woman pretending to be a man for her own reasons. Same delightful gender-disguise comedy, sharper dialogue, and a romance that actually earns its payoff through genuine conflict and growth.
But It's a heavier time-travel premise that demands more emotional investment. Some find the modern-day setting less visually interesting than historical ones.
100 Days My Prince2018
Another Joseon romance with amnesia, mistaken identity, and a lead couple who can't stop finding ways to misunderstand each other. Rich production values, excellent chemistry, and the show trusts its audience to enjoy the slow-burn of recognition.
But The amnesia plot feels mechanically deployed at times, and the pacing occasionally sags when you're waiting for the obvious reveal to land.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Love in the Moonlight
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Apothecary Diaries2023
Both use gender disguise as the engine of the story, both set a woman masquerading among court insiders who have no idea, both find comedy in small moments of near-discovery. But where Love in the Moonlight is all sparkle, this is amber—the same situation, entirely reframed.
A poisoner disguised as a man in an imperial palace unravels medical mysteries with a eunuch. Same mistaken-gender-in-court setup but transformed into something far more serious: a detective story about power, harm, and how to see what others miss.
But It's entirely animated, which some feel removes the visual pleasure of costume and setting. More importantly, it's genuinely dark—poisons, slavery, abuse. Not a romance, even though one develops underneath.
More like this (7)
Healer2014
A night-time courier and a reckless heiress team up in Seoul with genuine chemistry and a plot that actually surprises you. Balances action, romance and comedy without letting any dominate; the banter is excellent.
But It's contemporary, not historical, so no costumes or palace intrigue. The action sequences, while good, aren't the show's strength.
The Legend of Korra2012
A Goryeo-era romance with supernatural elements, mistaken identity, and a woman who has to hide who she really is. Lush and weird in ways Love in the Moonlight isn't, with real stakes underpinning the comedy.
But The supernatural mythology gets tangled and the show sometimes prioritizes spectacle over character. Tonal whiplash from comedy to genuine danger.
Splash Splash Love2015
A modern woman time-travels to Joseon and must hide her knowledge while romancing a young royal. It's shorter and breezier than most—basically the same pleasure as Love in the Moonlight, distilled.
But It's very slight and short, so there's less room for the characters to deepen. If you want substance, this won't satisfy.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo2016
Time-travel romance in Goryeo with identity confusion, a woman pretending to be someone else, and a prince caught between duty and feeling. Higher stakes than Love in the Moonlight, with a richly complex central relationship.
But It's genuinely tragic in ways this show isn't—if you want the lightness to stay consistent, this pivot will feel like a betrayal by the end.
Arthdal Chronicles2019
A prequel-adjacent fantasy romance with an unwitting impostor, a society built on disguise and secrets, and a lead couple that fascinates each other despite not knowing who the other really is. Visually stunning and thematically rich.
But It's much darker and more violent than a Joseon romance should be. The plot sprawls unpredictably and some arcs don't land.
Fabricated City2017
Both are fundamentally about the power of pretending—about becoming someone else so completely that the people around you believe it. But where the drama comes from the moment of discovery in Love in the Moonlight, here it comes from weaponizing the deception itself.
A wrongly imprisoned gamer and his online guild use deception, identity-swapping, and the skill of appearing to be someone you're not to expose a conspiracy. It shares Love in the Moonlight's delight in performance and misdirection, but at breakneck speed and much higher stakes.
But It's contemporary, urban, and aggressively paced—no historical beauty or romantic breathing room. The tone is grim underneath the cleverness.
Tale of the Nine Tailed2020
Both build their entire emotional engine on the gap between who someone is and who they appear to be, and on the moment when that gap begins to close. But one is a fairy tale and one is a ghost story.
A supernatural being disguises himself as a man in Seoul to live among humans and falls for a woman who doesn't know what he is. Uses the same architecture of hidden identity and slow revelation, but in a fantasy-horror register with real danger and genuine myth underneath.
But It's dark and melancholic where Love in the Moonlight is bright. The mythology is complex and asks you to track multiple timelines. Not a comedy.
People
Cast
Recommended by
The Empress Ki, School 2013, Red Sleeve, The King's Affection, Answer Me 1997, Answer Me 1994, Incomplete Life, Eternal Love of Dream, You Are My Spring, Red Sky, A Poem a Day, The Scholar Who Walks the Night, Record of Youth, River Where the Moon Rises