My Dearest (2023)

Gone with the Wind, My Dearest…

It’s worth noting that the genre tags on MDL are historical, romance, drama, melodrama and not comedy, because even though the start has all the hallmarks of a romcom, as it progresses it gets a great deal more serious. I didn’t find the transition in Episode 4 altogether convincing and that is probably because the contrast in tone and overall production style between the start and what was to come is so marked that I couldn’t reconcile them. By the end, the impression was that I had watched two different dramas. Yes I do get that the writer wanted a contrast between peace and war, but for me, the frivolous approach to the opening didn’t lay a credible foundation for what was to come.

There is now a well established practice of sugar-coating a 21C story with pretty costumes and sets borrowed from an earlier era and dumping all the inconvenient things like the contemporaneous social rules and attitudes. The opening three episodes of this production sit very squarely in that camp. The costumes and sets are far too rich, clean and bright for the period and the social interactions are so far from the 17C that they had to script a line about how this village had lax attitudes to contact between men and women.

The story then transitions into sweeping epic mode and does a very creditable job of fulfilling the demands of flawed characters, poisoned chalices and lesser of two evils choices. At heart it is a love story and the character development of the two lead characters is the thread that binds it all together. This first part focuses more on how war and difficulty transforms our heroine from petulant, manipulative teenager to a strong and capable woman. And I suspect that the second half will focus on the male protagonist whose character also needs to grow somewhat.

The plot surrounding this love story is the politics of the time, which is given a creditable depth with a side serving of weeping melo. My gripe, which is not overly huge, is that the love story and the politics were not quite enmeshed enough for me. As a result it felt a little fragmented. The male protagonist was half-heartedly twisted into the political plot, which was correct for his character, but not helpful for overall cohesion.

I did enjoy the range of characters which offered the actors a chance to get their teeth into them with varying degrees of success. Namkoong Min can be smooth, slippery and enticing anywhere, and I think that Ahn Yun Jin stepped up to the plate with the later episodes, but her performance was a little patchy in places. Perhaps because of the irreconcilable styles I mentioned earlier. Another notable performance for me was Choi Young Woo as the barbarian general.

The music was a mixed bag. I liked the opening sequence, the low camera angle, the muted tones and the silence followed by strains of music that had echoes of history in it. But we soon graduated to the hackneyed swelling strings and a full-on Kolly-Bollywood dance. In general, the music disappointed. The introduction to the unsurpassable singer (Ryang Eum) in the story just felt ordinary to me, although later instances were more convincing. There were however, some good OST ballads, mostly used for the ending credits.

Overall, it would be churlish to call this production average. What stops it from being exceptional is the uneven writing that created a somewhat bumpy ride. However, it was good enough for me to want to embark on part 2 when it arrives.

Leia Mais

A beautiful gem

I usually don't watch on-going dramas for the simple reason that I know I will like them and I don't want to wait every week. But for some reason I started this, and while the wait is excruciating, I have the best time watching this gem of a drama. So much so that I finished another show with Namkoong Min to shorten the waiting time (also, he is a great actor!).

This show has everything: a great story, amazing characters with depth, action, intrigue and a (bitter)sweet romance. The latter blossoms very slowly but makes your heart flutter like crazy, trust me! I love Gil Chae as a female lead a lot. She may be bratty and spoiled and maybe a little narcissistic but you can't really blame her. Imagine a whole village thinking you're pretty... let's not pretend like it wouldn't get to you head! (Also, she is still young) But to have her confidence... uff I would do a lot. Like she is her own hyper-person: she feels sad? she'll just look in the mirror! BAM, happy again. What I love about her as well is her bravery and the responsibility she took to protect her friend and the maids. She takes leadership, she uses her brain, she is able to make smart decisions very quickly and she listens to Jang Hyun despite bickering with him. And I love the consistency of her smart leadership. Every episode, she continues to be strong when she needs to, be it physically or mentally; she is a great female lead in my opinion! She continued to be resilient and selfless until the last episode, and the despite heartbreak it caused, I still understood her decision!

Jang Hyun... ahhh. He is an amazing lead. Namkoong Min manages to make his character charming and witty. His chemistry with Ahn Eun Jin is great and I love his longing gazes a lot. He is a very expressive actor that can use his face very very well (which I could see in >One Dollar Lawyer< that I just finished). Subtle acting is not easy but he does it perfectly. You can see the love his character feels for Gil Chae in his eyes and his whole body. I wish he would give those longing stares directly to Gil Chae so that she could SEE them as well and stop thinking that he's just playing with her (and finally forget that loser Yeon Jun lmao). The last episodes were a masterclass, he made me cry so much with his expressive eyes, what an actor!

I don't want to talk about Yeon Jun to be honest because he annoys me haha, same with the king. The man is more concerned about his chickens and palace than his subjects that die for and because of him. His son, the crown prince, is not any better. The scholars are all so useless because all they do is talktalktalk but they don't actually DO anything. It's terrible, but I guess that's the reality. The poor and defenseless will always suffer while the rich and powerful survive on their backs.

The cinematography is absolutely mesmerizing and astounding, I love it so much. The music as well. I may not be the biggest ballad fan, but the show has such a great OST I could cry! The only other costume/historical drama that I have seen was >Alchemy of Souls< (PT.1&2) and the catch was that it had fantasy. For some reason, costume dramas intimidate me to be honest but I just had to watch this one and I dot not regret it. The balance between action, politics, characters and romance is so nice that I hardly realize it's not a modern drama. And to be honest the historical aspect makes it a bit more romantic because of the elevated language and because the actions sometimes speak so much louder.

Overall, I have nothing but praises. The show got me screaming and bawling and giggling and kicking my feet and I adore it. After finishing the show, I can say it's a new favorite. I bawled my eyes out, laughed and got all excited watching this masterpiece. I understand if the characters frustrate you in the beginning, but overtime you will love them for their resilience, strength and bravery. Gil Chae is such an amazing female lead, I adore her, and my heart broke for her in the last episode, what a dilemma. In the end, she gave up what she loved most, I can't blame her but I cannot wait to see how Pt. 2 will wrap things up. How it'll develop and how our couple will meet again. I don't want to brace myself for a sad ending, but I don't want to get my hopes too high either haha. I am so happy I started this because it gives me so much happiness (despite the uncontrollable crying lmao) and I hope many more people will watch it because it is simply amazing and I am sure you will love as much as I do. ?

Leia Mais

Following the Red Thread to You

When I first saw the title of this drama, I was all ready for the most beautiful love story, and I was not disappointed. We all wait for that exceptional love and to be swept up into an emotional storm of unbridled love; such is the case with this drama.

The backdrop is set in the 1600s during the Qing invasion where you have the young, bright and beautiful Yu Gil Chae (Auh Jin Lin) who has a propensity to attract every man in town, but her eyes are only set on one man--Nam Yeon Jun. She does everything to always garner his attention as well as make the other women in town not like her. They think her actions are inappropriate to say the least. But Nam Yeon Jun while knowing her feelings always makes her feel that he has a slight interest, but he finally put those feelings to rest at last when he marries Kyung Eun Ae.

Lee Jang Hyun (Namkoong Min) arrives in Neunggun-ri, and sees the attractive Yu Gil Chae for the first time as she is on a swing in the woods along with other suitors who are watching her as well. Lee Jang Hyun is instantly captivated as he watches her swing back and forth, smiling and laughing as she goes higher and higher. They both recollect this moment later: One day, I asked you my darling, "Do you recall the day you first saw me?" You answered, "Of course, I do. I heard a very rare sound that day." I asked you what sound you heard. "Do you hear it? This sound, the sound of flowers." Just at that moment the swing broke and he caught her in his arms. As he looked at her up close for the first time, he said thinkingly, "Have you ever heard the sound of spring flowers bloom? I heard that rare sound today." So, began the amazing love story of Yu Gil Chae and Lee Jang Hyun.

Each time this couple met it was always a lively banter of words between which was a growing love, more so for Lee Jang Hyun, but Yu Gil Chae for so long had her sights on Nam Yeon Jun she never allowed herself to even think another man could enter her heart. Lee Jang Hyun played many mind games and their "tug of war" where both their feelings were concerned fascinated him. He did not want her to lose interest in him, so this is how he kept and captured her to him.

But just as things began to heat up for them, war starts and so they are separated before they could even make sense of their feelings.

Many things happen once the war started. Lee Jang Hyun finds himself working for the Khan as well as the Crown Prince. He does save Yu Gil Chae, gets ill and then the worse of it all is that she believes he died. Those who would die, they would put their possession in a box. Yu Gil Chae went looking to see if there was something of that manner for Lee Jang Hyun. Well, she did find a box which contained her red ribbon most importantly--his fan that he was never without. Even though she had these items, a tiny part of her still held on that he was alive. She held onto his coat and even screamed and cried for him to come back but he didn't. Hence, she had to fend for her and the others due to Kyng Eun Ae's husband, Nam Yoon Jun being imprisoned, and they lost everything.

Picking herself up she found a way to make money and get everyone back from the brink of disaster. Enter Gu Won Moo who led her to believe that he was the one that saved her and the others when they were on the island, but we all know it was Lee Jang Hyun. She decides to marry him.

Meanwhile Lee Jang Hyun is finally able to come back to Yu Gil Chae because the Crown Prince has been allowed by the Khan to see his father. Well, Lee Jang Hyun ask Ryang Eum to tell her that he is coming. But because of the beliefs that Ryang Eum has, once he does see Yu Gil Chae not only does he tell her that he is dead, but also that he had another woman during that time. I believe that he had a love for him that exceeded friendship. He used the guise of saying he felt that she was bad for him and was going to hurt him, so he drove her away. I think he didn't want him to have anyone in his life but him. So, misunderstanding ensued.

Coming into town, Lee Jang Hyun is happy because he has all the flowered printed slippers that he promised her. As he is walking down the street, he hears a man calling out about the bride's chest and out comes Yu Gil Chae. To say he wasn't blown away and her too, because she sees him at the same time is an understatement.

They finally meet and he tries to explain things to her but again, she basically doesn't listen to him and believes he is playing games with her, and she is not hearing anything that he is saying. He does find out that Ryang Eum was the cause of him not telling her that he was alive and leading her to continue to believe he was dead. Ryang Eum said that she was already getting married so why should he have told her anything different in his mind. I believe at this point; their relationship was severed.

The final parting of Yu Gil Chae and Lee Jang Hyun was in this letter that she wrote him as he sailed down the river without her. She said, "It is true that I wavered for a moment, but I do not trust you nor love you enough to leave everything behind me. If any small affection for me remains in you, please forget everything about me."

After reading the letter he picks up her flowered printed slippers and remembers what he had told her when he left: "I will come back with the prettiest flower slippers in the world." He then just drops them in the water as they float away...so ends their story for now.

Ryang Eum who Lee Jang Hyun left is on the riverbank watching him leave without him, turning to leave, he looks up only to see Yu Gil Chae and cannot contain in his look his disgust and anger for her.

Yu Gil Chae feels tears running down her cheeks as she watches Lee Jang Hyun leave and thinks: "When I asked you if you ever hated me, you said this--the day you left me forever. I stared at you for a long time because I hated you so much. But no matter how long I stared at you, I did not feel hatred for you. So, I just hated myself. And you asked me, how cruel you are. Did you even fathom how I felt? I can tell you now. I could not even fathom, it is just that my heart shattered into a thousand pieces, and I wished that you would not feel like me. I prayed desperately so."

Two years later we find Lee Jang Hyun in Shenyang and he is once again chasing down escapees from the war.

This is where the drama ends for now. Such a beautifully crafted piece of work. Everyone in the cast gives superb performances. The lavish and breathtaking scenery is just amazing. I am thoroughly in awe of this drama. You will as well.

I did take a bit of my own spin when she had her dream, but this was the most poignant moment to me in this drama,

One day Yu Gil Chae was sewing an embroidery, as she got to the sun, she needed more red thread as she went to reach for the spool of red thread, it fell out of her hand and began to roll. As she watched it roll down the hill she began to run after it. The red spool of thread led her down a path of trees which were in full summertime bloom, through a field of lush yellow flowers, skipping on stones along a babbling brook, a grove of autumn trees with an array of vibrant colors in red and gold, a snow covered path with her feet crunching on newly fallen snow all the while feeling the breath of winter's wind on her face, and a dense forest of trees, where the red spool led her to the sandy beach and the sound of the ocean.

As she watched the blazing colors of the evening sunset against his silhouette, she saw laying at his feet the red spool of thread. Thinking she said, "Was all that I saw as I ran to you, the highs and lows of what was to be expected in our journey?" But as he stepped from the glow of the setting sun, she watched as he slowly reached down to pick up the spool. She asked him..."Who are you, Young Master?" He said, "I have been waiting for you. At this place...for a long time." As she watched his head lean down for a kiss, she thought, "I have waited for you a long time too...my dearest."

Such as the ending I would have liked to have but alas we have to wait for the red thread to continue its journey in October for the second part.

Leia Mais

"It's time for you to stop playing hard to get" -Jang Hyun

My Dearest is about a noblewoman who is separated from a mysterious traveler upon the Qing invasion.

The pacing is great and I like that the external conflict is quickly set-up, along with Jang Hyun mysterious background. The fact that he’s a stranger coming to a new place is intriguing. The most enjoyable part in the series was the invasion, especially the one in ep 4. Regarding Gil Chae’s character, I’m a bit lukewarm to her as she’s a bit wild and too proud of herself.

Production-wise, it is stunning! Seeing as it is a miniseries, it doesn't have to worry about stretching its budget so every single shot looks like a movie. There are a lot of breathtaking scenery, everything is so wonderful. The use of color was both very artistic and engaging.

But to be honest, I was a bit struggling as I don't fall in love with the main plot which is the romance T.T
I enjoy the couple when they're together, but I was not enjoying their constant push and pull. So in most episodes I couldn't feel the emotional engagement of their scenes. Since the closure doesn't feel very "ending" as it is a two-part show, I'm curious on how the story goes; more on Jang Hyun’s story and I am anticipating for on point romance beyond all these emotional sufferings.

(SPOILER part) I think both of them need to be more honest. Gil Chae keeps in denial and does not confess her thoughts to Jang Hyun, while desperately crying for him when he's not around. However, I understand her hesitation because Jang Hyun chooses not to marry, so I agree with her final decision. Even though Jang Hyun finally shows his true feelings too, he still chooses to consistently leave, without enough explanations and believable promises.

Leia Mais

A mature historical kdrama - might or might not frustrate you.

My Dearest is a epic masterpiece most of the time - with beautiful cinematography, interesting plot and amazing acting. Set during 1600s when Qing declared war with Joseon, it tells the tough violent times with many innnocent lives lost, killed in brutal ways… In midst of the tragedy, there is Gil Chae, who started as an arrogant, spoiled young woman from a noble family, but who is forced to mature quickly because of war! And then there is the cynical realist Jang Hyun, who has seen it all. He”s a mysterious man with a dark past who is fascinated by the bold Gil Chae, she who has many men drooling after her because of her beauty and is disliked by other women because of jealousy and because she is not ladylike and is quite ”scandalous” known for flirting around. But she is in love with the scholar Yeon Jun, she tries everything to get his attention, but he’s engaged to her only friend - Eun Ae. Anyways everything is peaceful, but then war starts and it changes everything forever, Jang Hyun falls deeply in love with Gil Chae, Gil Chae however is confused by her own feelings …

My Dearest is somewhat loosely based on the classic Gone With the Wind, but it grows into its own unique story without much common with Gone With the Wind anymore. My Dearest is a serious, dark ”proper” historical drama, not one of those youthful lighthearted historical dramas with idol actors. The acting here is amazing and of highest quality, the quality overall is on the same league as Mr. Sunshine! Definitely not a cheap drama! Characters are multidimensional, flawed and complex. Both main leads - Jang Hyun and Gil Chae are very interesting characters. Jang Hyun is anything but naive, he doesn’t live in some bubble, he knows How dangerous, powerful and strong those ”barbarians” are, and that the Joseon men fighting in the war will most likely lose. Because he is not unfraid to be brutally honest, he is not popular among the others. Besides that, he has this playful nature, in order to hide his dark past. He is a womanizer who never wants to marry and he lives without a purpose. Just like Gil Chae, he is concidered ”scandalous”.

When Jang Hyun meets the much younger Gil Chae, he experiences true love. He loves teasing her, which often makes her angry. Just like the others, she looks down on him and is quite mean to him too, he is far from her ideal type…but when war starts she sees another side of him, and gets confused by her own feelings. Gil Chae, who has been in love with another man for years, refuses at first to admit her growing feelings for him, not only because she is in love with someone else, also because she doesn’t see him as serious since he teases her a lot and not wanting to ever marry.

The other characters are interesting too… we have Yeon Jun, an idealist who has studied confucianism all his life, he has been taught to put the King first, having him as the first priority, he is engaged to Eun Ae, an soft gentle young woman who is great at reading other people and a great observer, unlike Gil Chae. However, she is not nearly as strong as Gil Chae.
She loves Yeon Jun, despite not putting her first. But does Yeon Jun truly love Eun Ae?? Or is he with her only because she is the safe choice, while he has feelings for Gil Chae, but won’t act on them because she is too strong-willed for him, not some ”proper” lady. Then there is Ryung Eum, a legendary singer and Jang Hyun’s friend, he has a big Secret that he keeps to himself…

Despite the big age gap between Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin the chemistry is AMAZING! I love their characters banter, how they quarrel and How both are so strong willed, refusing to back down! Sometimes Gil Chae gets a bit too harsh and mean to Jang Hyun, but we see she cares for him a lot. Jang Hyun sees Gil Chae for who she truly is, he admires her strength… would Yeon Jun admire Gil Chae’s strength? I doubt it,while he likes her he doesn’t want to a bold woman, he wants someone submissive. Anyways, Jang Hyun is willing to go so far for Gil Chae, and yes it’s frustrating because she doesn’t know that… but it’s not really her fault, because he never tells her how much he is willing to sacrifice for her. By the way, it’s such a delight to see how Gil Chae develops so much, how strong she actually is… at first you think she is quite stupid, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth… when it comes to surviving she is very smart. I love that.

Jang Hyun really grows on you, at first I didn’t know really want to think of him although I admired him for his brutal honesty and for being a realist, but I ended up really loving him and feel for him. He is without a dobt the best character in My Dearest, for me, and one of my all time favorite male leads in dramaland! Behind his playfulness he is quite vulnerable, all he wants is Gil Chae’s love! Namkoong Min does an outstanding job, he plays his character with so much depth. I’m glad they casted him, besides his outstanding acting he has a mature face, which in my opinion is important , because his character is supposed to be older who has been through a looot, I’m thankful they casted him instead of some younger baby faced actor. And Ahn Eun Jin is also outstanding! She plays her character so well, I’m glad she’s getting more popular. All actors are amazing!

This drama is very realistic, the sword fighting is great and the makers of this drama has done a great job potraying the uglyness of war, how it affects people, how it destroys them. Since My Dearest is for mature audience, it can get very brutal and violent. But that’s How it was during the Qing invasion of Joseon,people were tortured in the most horrific way possible, women were raped, etc. What I love about this drama is that the makers are not obsessed about having the actors look like flawless dolls, the make up artists actually makes them look dirty/ messy. Just as it should, there is no way during wars that they looked perfect and flawless, with make up on. Kudos to the makers of this drama, the make up artists… and kudos to the actors for not being scared of not looking perfect all the time!

Many says that ep 1-2 are not that interesting, that its not until ep 4 this drama gets VERY interesting! I liked ep 1-2 but yeah, it definitely got more interesting in ep 4. But it was important to introduce the characters in the first 2 episodes, so that we get to know a bit what they are like. My Dearest is a very tragically beautiful drama with lots of heart put into it, it’s a roller coaster full of emotions! I have to keep my breath sometimes, it’s a stressful drama because you never know what will happen and you fear for the characters, etc. it’s far from a predictable story, far from being cliche. I love that this drama is quite fast paced, I never feel bored!
Thanks to this drama I learned a lot about Korea’s history, I had no idea prior to this that there was war between Qing and Joseon. And learning about Khan, Mongolians and Manchu people was really interesting, it was interesting to see actors portraying them. They could be really brutal!

Honestly, tho … the love story can be very frustrating , because Gil Chae… For part 2- hopefully it will have the same high quality in part 2 too, which I think it will, because supposedly they split this into 2 parts so that the quality wouldn’t be less. .. I just hope that Gil Chae will realize how much she loves Jang Hyun, who’s done so much for her. So overall, a great watch if you can handle some very frustrating moments.. sometimes I felt like banging my head into wall to be honest, but the greatness is far stronger …

Leia Mais

Biggest disappointment, last 2 episodes ruined the drama

At this point, dramas that fumble the ending just feel like a disrespect to the audience who invest hours into these shows. I'm shocked that people praise Gil Chae's actions as 'realistic' and 'powerful' when, for me, her actions seem pathetic. The root of her choices stems from her unwavering view that Jang Hyun is a womanizer who is unfaithful, it kills me to the core that even by the end she still doubts him. Of all the people I'd expect her to realise how true and deep his love for her is. This man went through physical torture when he was captured, for her sake. He would've never risked his life or joined the war if it wasn't for her sake, yet she has the audacity to say that he left her?? That he's always leaving her? The whole marriage plot at the end was so unnecessary and stupid. Ryum Eu's lie hits the nail on the head as another useless obstacle placed at the end for the sake of drama. I was hoping he'd develop a little, Ryum Eu, since he saw firsthand how much Jang Hyun risked for Gil Chae's sake, but for him to remain as stubborn and cruel in the end made me lose any form of respect I had for him.

I absolutely love Jang Hyun, he's a very nuanced character. First, he's known as a man who doesn't agree to marriage (finding that during that era many marriages were superficial) he comes across as a shallow man, but later on we realize that his love for Gil Chae changes his outlook on his stance, he finds true love and completely commits to it. I also understand why he didn't tell Gil Chae that he saved her, he wanted for once Gil Chae to want him for him, not because she felt indebted to him. It's like throughout the whole drama Gil Chae never matured enough to realize that she can love Jang Hyun because he's a kind soul who would sacrifice anything for her-instead she's always looking for reasons to doubt him, and when she finds any reasons (grasping at straws) she sticks with it.

Gil Chae only ever loves Jang Hyun when he's not with her. She's too immature to communicate her frustrations with him when they are face-to-face. It creates a predictable cycle where, only when, Jang Hyun leaves does Gil Chae realize how much she loves him and takes him for granted. Then when they are back all they do is argue, mostly because of Gil Chae's dobutfulness.

I'm so disappointed in Gil Chae's character development, it really felt like in episodes 6-8 she was finally realizing how wrong she had been in the past, and then in episodes 9-10 she reverts to her naive self who lacks communication. In the beginning, Gil Chae isn't a good person either, she manipulates the men around her for her benefit. Then when war breaks she's forced to mature and realize who she cares about. Yet every time she had any semblance of peace, she goes back to her naive self--finally, she breaks out of that when she realizes she does love Jang Hyun. So WHYYY in the last two episodes does she once again reverts to her immature self, it's just frustrating.

Leia Mais

The Titanic of K-Dramas

After years of watching K-dramas, I actually created a MDL account just to write this review. I was instantly hooked and very impressed,which is rare, and my amazement continues with each episode aired. This seems unprecedented in comparison to other dramas I have watched. If I must compare, I would say this drama is on the level of Titanic, an American film, with regards to storytelling and emotional acting. I'm eager for more episodes to be released. I am blown away by every aspect of this drama. The Soundtrack is equally impressive, my kids don't complain about the orchestra music when I turn up the volume to cover my crying ??.
This is a must watch Drama.

Leia Mais

Boring

Pretty bad story, Yoo Gil Chae has a personality that would give warning bells to every single man in the world that she has a cheater, everything and today's term would be one that classifies her as a Golddigger, from EP1 to EP10 has been about what she can get out from from people but wants the person.

She wants everyone to do everything for her and buy her stuff, and she then accuses Lee Jang Hyun of being exactly who she is.

Lee Jang Hyun is very loyal, honest, no matter how bad Yoo Gil Chae treats Lee Jang Hyun he is still willing to do everything for her, even if he knows that Yoo Gil Chae will just give him pain in return.

She reminds a bit of men who use surrogate mothers want them to do things for them but then want nothing to do with the person at all.

It's a wonder Yoo Gil Chae even has friends in this series with her personality she actually deserves a really bad marriage.

Hope then Lee Jang Hyun in season 2 really gets a better woman. Not someone who is willing to throw themselves under any man because they believe that men can be their savior, you should save yourself not sell your body for some temporary protection.

A good ending to the series in season two would be that Yoo Gil Chae, has a horrible marriage when she learns that her husband lied, and she finds out the whole truth, so she brings pain to herself through her constant negative and bad decisions, and that she accuses and claims things that aren't true, where she realizes that everything she has accused Lee Jang Hyun of is exactly what she is, and that Lee Jang Hyun was really a man who was honest and that Lee Jang Hyun is dating a strong independent woman who is really normal in the head since Yoo Gil Chae gets to see the marriage she could have had so she gets even more regrets in life. That would be a happy ending.

That would be the best ending for this series.

Leia Mais

The Smart, Heartbreaking Historical Epic I’ve Been Craving

For some time I have been waiting for a serious Sageuk to hit the Kdrama scene again and My Dearest came in like a wrecking ball. The fainthearted who cannot handle a mature drama filled with flawed people trying to love through hard times will want to turn away. It is a drama that excels from the directing, acting, characters, and writing, filmed on location in beautiful settings, taking you from villages to battlegrounds to mountains to Kisaeng houses.

In just ten episodes the journey the drama has taken is nothing short of epic. The character arc of Yoo Gil Chae, the female lead, is especially amazing to watch, as she grows from a vapid cheerful young woman to someone mature and brave, a leader for those she cares for. But all characters are interesting and worth exploring, and played so well by a great cast. Lee Da In and new actor Kim Yoon Woo play their emotional scenes perfectly.

The romance can be playful one moment and heartbreaking the next and actors Nam Koong Min and Ahn Eun Jin play all those layers perfectly, making you smile and kick your feet before making you cry desperately. The romance is also a realistic one for its time…This love story is not easy. It is a tale of two people who are torn apart by larger forces and who tear away from each other due to their own flaws. An adult romance for adults who recognize that love is not enough to make a relationship work in the best of times, let alone a tumultuous time in history.

A special note needs to be made about the drama’s OST and the gorgeous instrumental music that perfectly accompanies every scene, tugging at the heartstrings instantly.

Despite my love for the drama I can admit it was not perfect. The biggest flaw is some messy editing and confusing timeline jumps, though some episodes were more imperfect than others. Not the worst offense for a drama but it would have been nice if the editing were more polished. Episode 10 in particular felt jumbled together.

The journey is still far from over. I am waiting with held breath for Part 2!

Leia Mais

Once in a year drama

How can I start describing this marvel of a gem?

I am mostly used to kdramas who are pretty much same story lines, although entertaining and fun to watch, they are always familiar and loveable. Whether it is a legal drama, rom com, comedy or thriller.

Rarely we get kdramas that distinguish themselves very different from what we usually watch. Misaeng, my liberator notes, my mister, weak hero class 1, etc. Now you know what kind of drama I am speaking about.

My dearest, isn't a drama, it like watching a well written novel. Each and every part of the drama, every second of it is not wasted on unnecessary filler just to drag till 16 episodes. Every episode is like a chapter of a book, every character is unique, each distinguish themselves and sets them apart uniquely. Whatever things they and whatever choices they make won't seem random, because each character was given personality and not just dialogues that sum up a story.

And the most incredible thing is, both ML and FL characters are inspiration from Gone with the wind. But I have to say entire drama doesn't copy gone with the wind, but often times you get those vibes especially in the beginning. ML and FL, are complicated characters and Fl shows incredible character growth and is so unique. Fl is a brat, selfish and entitled at beginning, but she grows so much as a person in a ways that very admirable. Mi Jung from my liberation notes, hye jin from hometown cha cha cha, deok im from red sleeve are the recent kdramas that had such determined unique females who had incredible character changes, this drama does the same.

As for love story part, this drama isn't about romance or a simply historical romance story. It's main theme is love story but it is a very realistic drama, so it takes every other element that belongs to part of life of that era, and a characters thought processes, their personalities into consideration.

A must watch kdrama.

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A love that is true but keeps tumbling over.

[I'm aware that the ending is one of the heated topics right now but I'm going to try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible.]

Whew.... this drama was BRUTAL.

It is so rare nowadays to find a drama that you get so into it and y'know what makes it better? 'My Dearest' was not entirely a predictable story even though we were all made aware that it wasn't going to be a jolly one.

A story of two imperfect people who are in love but due to their circumstances and unresolved misunderstandings, their love keeps tumbling over. Yoo Gil Chae and Lee Jang Hyun have such a gosh darn sickeningly, amazing and addictive oozing chemistry that whatever awful thing hit the fan, I found myself rooting for them. Truly great performances from Ahn Eun Jin and Namkoong Min.

I was in for a treat when I realised just what I got myself into: pure but beautiful angst. At first, Gil Chae was that character that I found entertaining, might be a bit immature and full of herself. Yes, she has the milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard. And damn right, it's better than yours. However, she totally bloomed into a strong and reliable character that I grew to love. Even then, she has always been a woman that was capable. Is she perfect? No. She has her issues but they're also understandable. For Gil Chae's case, she couldn't accept that the man in her dreams could be someone else other than Yeon Jun. While I know many might disagree with me, I personally like that the drama highlights that feelings for someone don't shift that fast. If this turned out to be like any other romance drama out there, it would no longer have a unique perception of a romance story. Maybe I'm just a masochist but it's nice to see something different for once.

The drama has some really nice screenshot-worthy moments (most of the time). I really like the camera angles and editing on this one. It adds details to the scene and makes me want to tear up even more. The music was not bad too. The cast was amazing. Not one person here missed. If I were to nitpick, I think the timeline was a bit weird on the last episode. Overall, the production quality for this one was pretty good imo.

By the way, can we appreciate that the women here are not fighting against each other but instead are standing up for each other? We don't get to see that in dramas very often and I genuinely appreciated that the writers didn't create unnecessary drama between my girls, Eun Ae and Gil Chae. They had the most precious bond in this drama despite Gil Chae's feelings for Yeon Jun.

This drama doesn't shy away as it is quite realistic in terms of how the war affected people. The women who had to go through so much hell, the grief people had for their loved ones, how prisoners were tortured and the bitter truth that the poor suffered harder than the rich. In addition, the annoying ones who take credit when they haven't done a single thing for the country.
The great contrast of past scenes to the current one makes up for a good way to show the viewers a clear picture of the situation that the characters in.

I'll try to be as discrete as possible but I believe the ending had a lot of weight more on Gil Chae than Jang Hyun. Are we not going to talk about how difficult Gil Chae's situation was? She has so much that she'll be leaving behind while Jang Hyun has the freedom to go as he pleases. Personally, I also found the guilt tripping and Jang Hyun being inconsiderate of her situation quite frustrating. I'm not ignoring the hurt that Jang Hyun feels but it felt like he was being selfish for not thinking about her case. Both Gil Chae and Jang Hyun were not aware of what went down from their last meeting which caused a lot of misunderstandings. This is also what I like about the ending because usually, in dramas, these misunderstandings might get fixed in a flash but here, it was much more complex and interesting.

I will not mention the person but we all know who to blame. I couldn't accept it at first because I got attached to this character. It is obvious that it was out of jealousy but it was not right. I'm highkey scared of what they'll do next.

In conclusion, I will forever not be over this drama. I was super invested every Friday and Saturday so I'll miss the fun (pain) I had. I'm sure there will be more heartbreak for Part 2 so better brace yourselves. I stand with my rating of 10. After the number of times I suffered, swooned and was treated like a punching bag, it's safe to say that this drama still became one of my top dramas this year.

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