Four episodes in and I like but just can’t love KBS sageuk River Where the Moon Rises. Conversely I was madly in love with leading lady Kim So Hyun‘s prior sageuk Tale of Nokdu at the same point in the drama. All my earlier quibbles with this drama’s abrupt directing and rather skimpy storyline are still here but so are all the great things including a well matched OTP in opposites attract. a gaggle of kind hearted extended family and friends to the OTP, and the broodiest second male lead caught between first love princess and being the son of a power hungry bastard and the subordinate of a mad king. I’m sure eventually Ga Jin will go back to the Palace and become the Princess likely for revenge against those who set up her mom and General On to be killed by her dad and in the process take out all the baddies one by one. It’s nice that she gets some time in the mountains pretending to be a nobody and having Ondal dote on her but he’s got to get more purpose in life than taking care of Ga Jin, and doing so in a way that puts his village in danger to boot. The second female lead doesn’t interest me (yet) and I’m annoyed at how Go Geun is being wasted on his limited screen time.