Darkside of the Moon (TV series)
| Darkside of the Moon | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 黑色月光 |
| Genre | |
| Written by |
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| Starring |
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| Opening theme | "Moonlight (月光)" by Kimberly Faith |
| Original language | Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production locations | |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes per episode |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
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| Release | 28 October – 3 December 2024 |
Darkside of the Moon (Chinese: 黑色月光; lit. Black Moonlight) is a 25-episode Hong Kong drama series produced by 77 Atelier in collaboration with the mainland Chinese streaming platform Youku. The series premiered on Youku on 9 October 2024 and on TVB Jade on 28 October 2024. It follows Yu Mun-yuet, a woman whose deeply traumatic past drives her to orchestrate a meticulous plan to infiltrate and exact revenge on those who wronged her. Starring Tavia Yeung, Vincent Wong, Rosina Lam, and Edward Ma, the series explores themes of vengeance and moral conflict.
Cast
- Tavia Yeung as Yu Mun-yuet (Moon), a public relations expert whose traumatic past drives her to orchestrate a meticulous plan of revenge against the powerful Cheung family.[1]
- Jessica Liu as the young Yu Mun-yuet
- Vincent Wong as Shing Fung (Morris), a stock market strategist who becomes emotionally involved with Yu Mun-yuet and secretly aids her in executing a carefully planned revenge.[1]
- Rosina Lam as Cheuk Wai-wan (Vivian), a former friend of Yu Mun-yuet who becomes the politically married granddaughter of Cheuk Ho-tin and is ultimately revealed as the mastermind behind Mun-yuet's traumatic past while pursuing her own ambitions.[1]
- Joey Leung as the young Cheuk Wai-wan
- Edward Ma as Cheung Kei-chun (Wilson), a wealthy, reckless heir whose past assault on Yu Mun-yuet and mismanagement of his family's business lead to tragic consequences.[1]
- Kris Lam as the young Cheung Kei-chun
- Priscilla Wong as Yu Hey-sun, Mun-yuet's disabled younger sister, traumatized by past assaults and living in fear, who gradually finds hope and determination to support her sister's quest for revenge.[1]
- Stephanie Au as the young Yu Hey-sun
- Lenna Yeung as Yu Man-sing, the eldest Yu sister, protective of Hey-sun yet distant from Mun-yuet, carrying the emotional burden of their family's past tragedies and unresolved conflicts.[1]
- Sophie Yip as the young Yu Man-sing
- Mat Yeung as Chu Pak-chung, a friend of the Yu sisters who helps Mun-yuet carry out her revenge.
- Oscar Tao as the young Chu Pak-chung
- Mark Ma as Kwong Wing-yuen (Barry), Cheung Kei-chun's close friend who assaulted Hey-sun.[1]
- Wong Kin-fung as the young Kwong Wing-yuen
- Matthew Ho as Mok Ka-long, a righteous police officer and son of Mok Chun-keung
- Vincent Wan as Cheung Chit-yin, chairman of Bo Yip Construction and father of Cheung Kei-chun
- Candy Cheung as Chan Hing-fong, mother of Cheung Kei-chun
- Samuel Kwok as Cheuk Ho-tin, a wealthy business tycoon
- Jonathan Cheung as Cheuk Sai-kei (SK), Cheuk Ho-tin's nephew who has a feud with him
- Henry Lo as Yu Kai-fu, father of the Yu sisters
- Helen Ng as Cheung Bik-fan, mother of the Yu sisters
- Stephen Ho as Kwong Man-hoi, Kwong Wing-yuen's father who works at Bo Yip Construction
- Ethan Lam as Mok Chun-keung, a police officer who receives bribes from Cheung Chit-yin to cover up the Cheung family's crimes
- Derek Wong as Peter, a friend and colleague of Shing Fung
Production
The series' story concept, centered on revenge, was inspired by the Korean drama The Glory.[1] Filming took place in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, running from December 2023 to March 2024.[2][3]
Plot
The series follows Yu Mun-yuet (Tavia Yeung), a crisis public relations expert whose outward confidence and charm conceal a deeply traumatic past. Eighteen years earlier, Mun-yuet and her sisters—Yu Man-sing (Lenna Yeung) and Hey-sun (Priscilla Wong)—lived happily until tragedy struck. Mun-yuet was drugged and sexually assaulted by wealthy heir Cheung Kei-chun (Edward Ma), while her sister was assaulted by his friend Kwong Wing-yuen (Mark Ma). To protect his son, Cheung Chit-yin (Vincent Wan) bribed a police officer to conceal the truth, pushed the sisters off a hill, and framed their father for imprisonment. The destruction of her family, her sister's trauma, and her own estrangement left Mun-yuet scarred and fueled her vow for revenge.
She endured 18 years of suffering before rising in high society as a respected PR expert. Determined to expose those responsible, Mun-yuet uses her professional expertise and strategic alliances to infiltrate the Cheung family, navigating corporate power struggles, buried crimes, and moral conflicts as long-hidden truths gradually come to light.[4]
Music
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Moonlight (月光)" | Edith Södergran, Kong Fai | Kong Fai | Kimberly Faith | 0:56[5] |
| 2. | "Dark Moon (黯月)" (in Mandarin) | Tiffany Ting | Kong Fai | Joey Thye | 2:57[6] |
Ratings and reception
In Hong Kong, the series ranked third on Google's 2024 "Top Ten Most Searched TV Dramas" list, but failed to achieve high television ratings.[7] A writer from Oriental Daily News attributed its low ratings to shortcomings as a revenge drama, noting that it tells rather than shows the heroine's suffering. This approach, they argued, results in shallow emotional impact, unconvincing plotting, and a hollow revenge arc compared with The Glory and classic TVB tragedies, which earned audience catharsis through depictions of genuine suffering.[8]
| Week | Episodes | Airing dates | Ratings[a] | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform peak ratings | Viewership | ||||
| 1 | 1 – 5 | 28 October–1 November 2024 | 19.7 points | 1.28 million | [10] |
| 2 | 6 – 10 | 4–8 November 2024 | 19.9 points | 1.29 million | [11] |
| 3 | 11 – 15 | 11–15 November 2024 | 21.2 points | 1.38 million | [12] |
| 4 | 16 – 18 | 18–22 November 2024 | 20.4 points | 1.32 million | [13] |
| 5 | 19 – 23 | 25–29 November 2024 | 20.1 points | 1.31 million | [14] |
| 6 | 24 – 25 | 2–3 December 2024 | 19.7 points | 1.28 million | [15] |
Release
The series premiered on Youku on 9 October 2024, and on TVB Jade and myTV Super on 28 October 2024.[16]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 57th TVB Anniversary Awards | Best Television Series | Darkside of the Moon | Nominated | [17] |
| Best Actress | Tavia Yeung | Nominated | |||
| Rosina Lam | Nominated | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress | Priscilla Wong | Nominated | |||
| Lenna Yeung | Nominated | ||||
| My Favorite Television Series (Greater Bay Area) | Darkside of the Moon | Won | |||
| My Favorite Actress in a Leading Role (Greater Bay Area) | Tavia Yeung | Won | |||
| Rosina Lam | Nominated | ||||
| Best Television Theme song | "Dark Moon" | Nominated |
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h 黃梓恒 (4 November 2024). 黑色月光｜演員陣容名單＋角色人物介紹：楊茜堯／王浩信／林夏薇 [Darkside of the Moon Cast List and Character Introductions: Tavia Yeung, Vincent Wong, Rosina Lam]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 28 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ 黑色月光丨楊茜堯做「復仇天使」角色陰暗 林夏薇與王浩信有激情戲 [Darkside of the Moon: Tavia Yeung as Dark "Avenging Angel," Rosina Lam and Vincent Wong in Passion Scene]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 5 December 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ 港版《黑暗榮耀》殺青！視后楊茜堯奸笑：我要拿回屬於我的一切 [Hong Kong Version of The Glory Wraps Filming! Tavia Yeung: "I'm Taking Back What's Mine"]. ETtoday (in Traditional Chinese). 27 March 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ 黑色月光線上看｜1-25集大結局TVB全劇透！每集劇情預告即時更新 [Darkside of the Moon: Episodes 1–25 full-series spoilers, updated episode previews]. ULifestyle (in Traditional Chinese). 3 December 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ 黑色月光｜主題曲及片尾曲介紹 歌手身份曝光 戴祖儀被誤認係炎明熹 [Darkside of the Moon Introduction to the Theme Song and Ending Song - Singers' identity revealed — Joey Thye was mistaken for Gigi Yim]. Sunday Kiss (in Traditional Chinese). 3 December 2024. Archived from the original on 10 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Dark Moon (黯月) (Ending theme from TV Drama Darkside of the Moon by Joey Thye on Apple Music". Apple Music. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 10 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ Google香港2024年度搜尋榜出爐！《家族榮耀之繼承者》力壓呢套劇位居榜首 熱播劇《黑色月光》僅得第三 [Google Hong Kong's 2024 search rankings: The Heir to the Throne ranked first, while Darkside of the Moon placed third]. Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 10 December 2024. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ 娛圈單打︱復仇到喉唔到肺 收視自然也閉翳 [Entertainment Knockout: Revenge That Falls Flat, Ratings Suffer]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 16 November 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ "TVB Interim Report 2025" (PDF). TVB. 2025. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
- ^ 《黑色月光》首播最高收視19.7點 《中年3》吸143萬觀眾 [Darkside of the Moon debuts with a peak 19.7 rating; Midlife, Sing & Shine! 3 attracts 1.43 million viewers]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 4 November 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ 胡凱欣 (11 November 2024). 綜藝節目繼續穩據收視榜首 《澳門25個第一》《自駕德島》升最多 [Variety shows remain on top; Macau 25 Best and Tokushima Road Trip Ideas see the biggest gains]. HK01 (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ 收視大戰︱《巾幗》vs《黑色月光》邊奪No.1? [Ratings battle: No Reserve vs Darkside of the Moon — who takes No. 1?]. Oriental Daily News (in Traditional Chinese). 18 November 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ 《萬千星輝賀台慶》破近5年收視 192萬觀眾捧場 [TVB Anniversary Gala reaches a five-year ratings high with 1.92 million viewers]. Bastille Post (in Traditional Chinese). 25 November 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ 《異空感應》首播吸134萬觀眾捧場 收視稍勝《黑色月光》 [Call of Destiny debuts with 1.34 million viewers, edging out Darkside of the Moon]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 2 December 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ 《黑色月光》結局收視19.7點 《異空感應》吸132萬觀眾 [Darkside of the Moon finale scores a 19.7 rating; Call of Destiny draws 1.32 million viewers]. Ming Pao (in Traditional Chinese). 9 December 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ^ 王英敏 (15 October 2024). 大女主复仇爽剧 "Moon姐"杨茜尧加倍奉还 [Female-led revenge drama: "Moon" Tavia Yeung delivers double payback]. Lianhe Zaobao (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 29 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
- ^ 萬千星輝頒獎典禮2024｜完整得獎名單（含五強名單）！張振朗龔嘉欣首封視帝后 《反黑英雄》成最大贏家 [TVB Anniversary Awards 2024: Full Winners List (Top 5 Included): Owen Cheung and Katy Kung Take Best Actor & Actress; No Room For Crime the Night's Biggest Winner]. TVB (in Traditional Chinese). 19 January 2025. Archived from the original on 22 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.