3 Different Forms Of Love Shown In “Moon River” Episodes 11–12
With the “Moon River” finale just around the corner, the drama continues to peel back the layers of its characters. In the most recent episodes, viewers finally get a clearer look at how differently love manifests across the “Moon River” universe, none more valid or invalid than the other. From Dal I (Kim Se Jeong) choosing to live for Lee Gang (Kang Tae Oh), to Lee Un (Lee Shin Young) attempting to sacrifice his life for U Hui (Hong Su Zu), and every decision made by the Left Minister (Jin Goo) being driven by love, here are three distinct forms of love portrayed in episodes 11 and 12 of “Moon River.”
Warning: spoilers ahead!
Dal I choosing to living for love
At the end of the previous episode, Dal I finally regains her memories and realizes the truth: she is the deposed crown princess, Lee Gang’s first love and late wife.
Before she can even begin to process the absurdity of her fractured life, her fake aunt, the very woman who once helped the crown princess disappear and start anew, urges her to flee again. With the Left Minister now hunting her down, the plan is simple but devastating: fake Dal I’s death in a fire using a prepared body, erase her identity once more, and send her far away to live under a new name.
Just like last time, this time too, Dal I refuses.
She cannot bear the thought of Lee Gang reliving the same unbearable grief, losing the woman he loves for the second time. In that moment, Dal I is forced to reevaluate not just her past but who she has become. On top of that, she also refuses to die like how the Crown Princess once tried.
Though she has reclaimed her identity as the crown princess, she is no longer the same woman. The five years she lived as Dal I—a merchant, a survivor, someone who built herself from nothing—have shaped her just as deeply, if not more. Her memories as a princess feel distant, almost dreamlike, compared to the vivid reality of the life she has lived since.
And so she makes her choice.
Whether she is a crown princess or a runaway slave, Dal I declares that she will never leave Lee Gang’s side. She has fallen in love with him twice, and this time, she chooses to live for that love, no matter the cost.
Lee Un sacrificing his life so U Hui can breath
If there’s one thing “Moon River” consistently gets right, it’s portraying how deeply its male characters love.
Lee Un and Kim U Hui have loved each other since childhood, waiting years for a moment when they could finally choose one another freely. That fleeting dream seems to come true when they run away together, a short-lived second life where hope finally feels real.
One of the most poignant moments from that escape is when U Hui tells Lee Un that although the air is the same, she finally feels like she can breathe.
That single line becomes everything.
When the Left Minister captures U Hui and drags her back into her gilded cage, it’s that memory, her first taste of freedom, that pushes Lee Un to act. After years of waiting for the “right moment,” he abandons patience entirely.
Lee Un strikes first.
He attempts to kill the Left Minister, fully aware that he may lose his life in the process. It’s not a calculated move for victory or justice—it’s a desperate act of love. If his sacrifice can give U Hui even a chance to breathe freely again, then it is worth it.
Though his choice leaves behind a lover who may forever wonder if she was the reason for his death, the moment still resonates deeply. It’s tragic, yes, but undeniably tender.
Left Minister’s doomed romance
Often in dramas, antagonists are written with such depth that viewers find themselves rooting for the villain more than the leads. “Moon River” largely avoids this trap—its protagonists are richly developed, morally grounded, and easy to root for.
And yet, episodes 11–12 forcefully carve out a reluctant soft spot for the Left Minister who is deeply in love with the last Queen, mother of Lee Un. While the public thinks she is dead, the Left Minister has kept her safe all these years. She does not hold the same mental capabilities and lives in the past, but the Left Minister loves her nevertheless, despite her never being able to offer anything in return.
She is the reason why the Left Minister obtains the mythical Zhen bird, granting him access to an untraceable poison. With it, he sets his revenge plan in motion against Queen Dowager Han, not by killing her outright, but by destroying everything she loves.
It’s love twisted beyond recognition, a devotion so warped by grief and obsession that it becomes indistinguishable from cruelty.
Amid all the chaos and heartbreak, one moment offered the audience a rare sense of comfort. The Crown Prince finally realizes that the woman he has recently fallen in love with, the one he has been willing to sacrifice his life for, is none other than his late wife. He doesn’t ask Dal I to confirm the truth. Instead, he asks her what happens when you catch a falling petal. Dal I gently replies that she may have caught two because she was able to experience her first love twice.
Start watching “Moon River”:
Javeria is a binge-watching specialist who loves devouring entire K-dramas in one sitting. Good screenwriting, beautiful cinematography, and a lack of clichés are the way to her heart. As a music fanatic, she listens to multiple artists across different genres and stans the self-producing idol group SEVENTEEN. You can talk to her on Instagram @javeriayousufs.
Currently Watching: “Moon River“
Looking Forward to: “I Dol I“, and “Positively Yours”