The Hidden Moon – Series Review & Episode Guide

Khen is part of a content creation team with his friend Toh, Nam Wah, her boyfriend Tan, and their new intern, Bing. Their employer, Kat, hires the group of five to produce an interesting video about a famous historical manor. They have a few days to travel to the site, stay at the house, and gather material for their project. Urban legends claim the manor is haunted, but Kat insists on leaving out supernatural lore from the final video.

On their first day, the group spends more time sightseeing and shopping than doing any research. Nam Wah and Tan enjoy their time as a couple, while Khen and Toh have fun teasing the intern, Bing. Later, Khen stops by the library to read about the manor's history. He learns that it was owned by Thomas Coleridge, a Thai-British noble who fought in the war. After Thomas's first wife Phairin passed away, he remarried Thatim. He has three children: Mas, his eldest son, and two younger daughters, Pin and Dara.

The group finds Thomas's history too dull. There isn't enough juicy material needed for an engaging video. Toh suggests adding fictional elements to dramatize the story, such as a mistress who gets mistreated by the legal wife. Khen agrees to rewrite a more marketable backstory. However, Bing is worried about disrespecting the manor's history. Bing also feels uneasy in the house and claims to have seen ghosts at night. The others remain skeptical, brushing it off as his imagination.

After spending the day driving around the area, the group heads back to the manor. Khen injures himself during the ride and decides to rest. That night, he has a vivid nightmare. In his dream, Khen finds himself transported to an older era, where he meets Mas, the son of Thomas Coleridge. Mas is immediately hostile, accusing Khen of trespassing in his home. As the confrontation escalates, Khen suddenly wakes up and returns to the present timeline.

A new day starts normally, but Bing is shaken. Bing reveals that he tried leaving the house last night, but he couldn't escape. The others test his theory and soon realize they are trapped. No matter how far they try to go, they always end up back at the manor. Panic sets in as Khen and his friends have no way out. Meanwhile, Khen's nightmares continue, bringing him face-to-face with Mas again. As the dreams intensify, the line between his visions and reality becomes blurred.

The Hidden Moon is a high-concept BL drama that sounds intriguing in theory. It combines a historical romance with supernatural horror and a time-travel fantasy twist. The creativity is off the charts. Visually, the series looks stunning. It features breathtaking scenery, historical costumes, and some basic special effects. The storyteller has successfully created an immersive atmosphere, pulling viewers into the mysterious fictional world. The amount of effort put into this production is evident, which I admire.

Despite its ambition, The Hidden Moon is a confusing story to follow. From Episode 2 onward, the series introduces so many bizarre twists that it becomes disorienting. Khen is trapped in a haunted house, attacked by an angry ghost, and pulled into nightmares that transport him to a historical era. With so much happening at once, the random chaos seems nonsensical. The choppy narrative makes it worse, constantly jumping between timelines without warning. Episode after episode, everything continues to be erratic. Many viewers will feel lost or overwhelmed, unable to understand what's happening.

Khen falls in love with Mas, but the romance is disjointed because he keeps switching between the two worlds. Their connection doesn't seem strong based on the mild-mannered exchanges. Yet, the story insists they have developed intense feelings for each other. Some relationship moments occur in beautiful locations with an exquisite ambiance, like sitting by the ravine or holding hands at a fireworks show. However, the kissing scenes are awkward, especially since the camera angles often block the view. The series wants to hide the fact that the kisses lack passion.

I liked Nam Wah's mental breakdown in Episode 4. The actress (Bam) conveys her character's anguish convincingly. I felt the impact when she muttered between sobs, "I hear my mother calling my name." Another memorable moment is when Kampuan and Sompoh fight in Episode 8. Their intensity makes this confrontation more thrilling. However, not everyone in the cast delivers at the same level. Khen's actor (Kin) is okay, but his co-star (David) struggles occasionally. On a positive note, David fits the historical drama aesthetic and looks like he belongs in this era.

After much confusion, Episode 9 explains the strange events in the haunted house. The story finally reveals what has been happening to the characters all along. If you paid close attention, the series dropped subtle hints about the twist earlier, so it didn't come out of nowhere. Still, I was shocked. I had no idea until the answers were laid out for me. Once everything clicks, I realize how clever this plot twist is. What seemed like a bizarre paranormal experience now has a clear, cohesive reason. Knowing the full picture, The Hidden Moon feels more impressive in hindsight.

The plot twist adds depth and makes past events more meaningful. However, it doesn't excuse the confusion in earlier episodes. From the disjointed timelines to the constant chaos, the story was difficult to follow for too long. Some viewers may have lost patience and stopped watching before the answers were revealed in Episode 9. If the narrative had been structured more coherently, it wouldn't frustrate the audience as much. Unfortunately, The Hidden Moon drained the fun out of its creative premise. Instead of feeling intrigued, I left this series dizzy and exhausted.