Moonlit Reunion: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
- Jul 27
- 4 min read
Title: | Moonlit Reunion (2025) 子夜归 |
Platform: | Disney+, WeTV |
MDL Rating: | 6.2 |
Genre: | Period Idol Fantasy/ Romance/ Demon Hunting |
Episode Count: | 38 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | TV-14: Minor violence and blood, a few innuendos |
Staring: | Xu Kai (Wonderland of Love) Tian Xi Wei (Pursuit of Jade) Wang Jia Yi (Shadows of Desire) Wu Jun Ting (Blade of Vengence) |
RBTS Rating: | 3.3/5 Stars (A campy Xianxia/Wuxia Hybrid with epic side characters, demon hunting, and a Male Lead who phoned it in)  |
Synopsis:
Wu Zhen, known throughout Chang'an City as a notorious dandy, has a unique and extraordinary background. As the daughter of the Duke of Henan and sister to the Empress, she has enjoyed a life of luxury and indulgence. With a bold, uninhibited nature, Wu Zhen is infamous for dressing in men's clothes, frequenting the Lefang brothel, and leading a band of aristocratic youths on wild escapades. Her carefree lifestyle, however, conceals a deeper, supernatural secret. From a young age, Wu Zhen could see spirits, a gift that marked her path to an unusual destiny. After a fateful fall from a building, she was saved by the former Cat Master, who passed on his demonic powers to her. Now, Wu Zhen stands as the new Cat Master, quietly governing Chang'an's hidden Demon City and maintaining order among the supernatural beings that reside there. Mei Zhu Yu is a Taoist prodigy. Nephew to a noble concubine, Mei Zhu Yu shares Wu Zhen’s ability to see spirits. Sent to a Taoist temple in his youth, he honed his spiritual powers and quickly rose to prominence within Taoism. Although he hides his abilities from the world, his skill in Daoist arts is unmatched, making him an invaluable ally to Wu Zhen. Together, Wu Zhen and Mei Zhu Yu form an unlikely but harmonious pair. Their daily life unfolds in a world where human and spirit realms intersect, filled with love, laughter, and moments of tenderness, as they navigate their roles as protectors of the unseen world. @MDL
Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Moonlit Reunion felt like a Halloween Wuxia/Xianxia hybrid with some Power Rangers worthy demon transformations and solid worldbuilding. It had so much potential with the cast, story, and the director (of The Double), but it fell short of expectations.
Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere was great, but the characters populating it needed some work. The biggest strength of this whole shindig was the FL and her demon crew. She served. Her friends ate. And their camaraderie and underground world made the show so fun. The world building in the beginning was so interesting, but then it abruptly stopped. I would have loved to dive more into the demon realm.
The biggest L goes to Xu Kai (ML Actor). His acting was truly stale and I know he can do better. The crux of the drama should have been the romance, but there was truly nothing going on in those eyes hiding behind those wispy bangs. The main couple was suprisingly amourous for a C-drama, but he Dua Lipa'd us. Girl, give us something.
His hairline troubled me, as did his wildly angled eyebrows. I was also troubled by the evil spirit talking like Jar Jar Binks. I get that the tone, supported by the ambient mood lighting, was camp and Halloween spooky silliness, but it was a bridge too far. An ink stick went to jail! Don’t even get me started on the Power Rangers Cat.
Again, the romance was such a miss. Tian Xi Wei (FL actress) did her best, but those kissing scenes were so forced, I had to skip them. I also saw too much of her clavicle. Why doesn’t she get pajamas? I really liked how independent, capable, and clever her character was, but I didn't always like her plan regarding the ML.
Shout out to my favorite sound description subtitle: “Chilling soul draining whoosh”.
Something to note is that when the drama was released the ML actor, Xu Kai, was "semi-cancelled" for cheating on his past GF, so some reviews on MDL are more about him as a person, than the drama.
Even though Moonlit Reunion had MANY flaws, I still would recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy and don't mind camp. Some parts are draggy, but that's what the fast forward button is for. I wouldn't say it's worth getting Disney+ jut to watch though.
Story=4 (I did like the story but felt like parts were missing, espc towards the end), Acting= 3 (Loved the FL acting, & the body switching acting was done well. The ML didn’t act which was weird, because he’s in a show. Every time he was on screen, I found myself chanting, more passion, more energy like an 80s workout coach), Production Quality= 3.5 (A style was committed to and I respect that. But I don’t respect slow motion. No more) Rewatch Value=3 (Meh), Ending=2.5 (huh?) Enjoyability: = 3.5 (Fine)
Trailer:
Director: Lu Hao Ji Ji (The Double, Rebirth)
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