My Dearest (2023)

A Glass Half Empty

Well, someone has to put on their big boy pants here. If there’s anything I for certain have gotten out of this drama is that I wouldn’t mind if it ended with Ryang Eum taking off h-..

My Dearest, where do i begin? Have i already begun? Hell could i even tell you after a ridiculously long “part 1” that this drama even began yet? I’m sorry , let me get the few praises i have out the way that made me stick through and why anyone contemplating may want to give it a go.

Cast

Yes this is indeed Namkoong Min’s world and we’re just living in it. Emphasis on namkoong min alone, not his character. In fact I’ll get it out the way that there’s not a single character besides one (I’ll get to) that satisfied me on screen. BUT!..but, the casting surprisingly held its own to enhance the mediocrity my now dreary eyes couldn’t get enough of. Namkoong Min is truly a delight no matter what he’s starred in, i can watch the man stare in longing from afar for hours. Actually, should i rewind and start a timer? I think we have already, no? Was at least 10% of this drama not comprised o-. Sigh, pros… pros. The rest were good enough, big ups for the antagonists here.

Cinematography

Watch the trailer. Yeah no just watch the tr-Shut up, turn the trailer on. Want more? Of course you do .

Jack of all Trades, Master of None

Listen, we have a bit of almost everything here that almost every kdrama fan can’t get enough of. Cliche romantic setups, poetic dialogue, BL, stunning settings, censored BL, intense love triangles as confusing as they are everchanging. Hm, anticlimatic cliffhangers keeping us flat on the center of our chairs, oh hey Ryang. Grand action sequences , sleeve tugging, not now Ryang, heart numbing departures, weirdly timed confessions, me too Ryang. Know it all there for it all wingmen. Oh so mysterious and seemingly tragic pasts, singing, fine ,one more Ryang. Damsels in distress, but hey, capable damsels? Trying betrayals, ah, slam him harder against the wall, more passion, t-that’ll show him.

Fyi, i enjoyed all of these and more for some reason. And for that same reason unknown to me, I’m sure anyone contemplating on watching it now would too. Would i say any of these were executed profoundly? No, but I wouldn’t say any of them were done in some piss poor manner either, more so a delicate tinkle.


Character

No not characters, let me introduce the most refreshing female lead to hit the screen in 2023, that I’ve wa-. Yoo Gil Chae is this manipulative, seemingly selfish, obnoxiously stubborn, clueless, hopeless romantic young woman finding herself during a dark time in Neunggun-ri that’s falling down on her quicker and heavier than anyone at that point of time could ever imagine. Forcing this carefree woman to adapt quickly in extremely harsh and boundary pushing surroundings. What once was manipulating others’ infatuation and frustrations for her personal gain in favor, entertainment ,and reputation suddenly had to shift into taking advantage of the cards dealt in front of her in order to survive and protect those she care for. This selfish woman going with almost any means necessary to make it through one more cold insufferable night, day by day. You have the absolute pleasure of witnessing these strengths and weaknesses contrast in several completely different and expansive situations. Sometimes with relieving and maturing results, other times leading to deeper holes and despair. Ladies and gentlemen, Namkoong Min may hold the star power, but there’s no other character here that holds a torch to the ever-growing flame that is Yoo Gil Chae. She alone made this worth my time, she alone may make this worth watching part 2 if i weren’t currently exaggerating my ass off from the temporary fulfillment her character has given me in comparison to the other mediocrity.


Episode 6

I do not care what anyone has said or tells you. This point here is what sold me on this drama’s potential that it later fell flat on. Not the drastic tone change in the beginning episodes, though impressive in contrasting. Hell if you would want to just spring on ahead of the other episodes to see what i mean, I wouldn’t advise otherwise. This was the peak for me, all the way through, what happened before and after this episode? Couldn’t tell you.

I don’t wish to convince anybody to turn away from this series, as there’s some quite impactful stuff here to miss out on. But I wouldn’t consider this a must try either. At moments it has everything going for it. But then there’s the ineptness of the pacing here of what feels like a story meant to be told in it’s entirety within what is made out to be the first half? The extremely questionable actions and senseless confusion from these characters that had me questioning if i’m just not comprehending the full picture drawn out. The sole plot progression tool and absolute bot of a character Eun Ae went out her way to be. The complete abomination of a “part 1” finale that was just all over the place in pacing and writing that terrifies me in even opening a trailer for the inevitable second half around the corner. These are hot takes, simpleminded thoughts to avoid deep dives and heavy spoilers just to take a shit on this drama in full cognition. My single half assed rant amongst the swarming amounts of well thought out reviews treasuring this drama for plenty of valid reasons. I’m currently half awake and pissed at the potential I personally didn’t find this drama coming close to. Constantly sipping away at some cheap wine i know would be empty soon. Admittedly addicting ,but no memorable notes. Now a trade of my time for a bit of yours.

Leia Mais

seobangnim (서방님)

By far the best series of the historical genre in the last 10 years! Although the screenplay is an adaptation of the enduring work "Gone with the Wind", at least for the first 5 episodes, the author has so delicately mixed different emotions such as fear, excitement, love, sadness, and hope that the story drowns you. There are no extra scenes or dialogues, unlike other series in which you advance the scenes, here every scene will nail you! I emphasize that all the actors have played their roles in the best way, even the minor roles like soldiers! This series is not to be missed!

Leia Mais

Do you hear the sound of flowers?

First of all excuse my English. Second of all how do i put my love for this drama into words? It’s been months since I watched my dearest but I still can’t get over it. This drama left a void in me, no other drama could satisfy me as much (in terms of chemistry and love story) as this one.

Plot: Lee Jang-Hyun is a mysterious man who suddenly appears in neunggunri (a small village). There a woman named Yoo Gil-appears in front of him and he falls for her at first sight. Yoo Gil-Chae is the daughter of noble a family. She is a lovely woman, brimming with confidence. Jang Hyun tried to win gilchae over but she admired another man. As the Quing invasion begins, jang Hyun and gil chae are torn apart.
The first 3 episodes are more like a romcom but as the quing invasion begins it takes a dark turn. (Episode 4 was sooooo well executed like WOOOOWWWW. I believe ep4 was the best historical k drama episode.)

I fell in love with this drama right away. Besides that it was a bit political heavy in the end,I have absolutely no complains. I loved everything of it. Especially our main leads🥹🥹 there SOOOOO BEAUTIFULLY written idk how to put my love for these two into words. I dont think u could have done any better with their writing. Gil chae is one of the best female lead characters I’ve ever seen. She is not that typical FL you’d except but a very realistic and competent character who acts rational accordingly.
Oh hand janghyun, I absolutely LOVEEE him. He has skyrocket my standards.
Also this dramas cinematography was just chief kiss. This is a must watch. Please give it a try!

Leia Mais

epic, gripping and valuable.

if you're drawn to beautiful epic and orchestral music pieces this is one of the aspects where this show stands out and shines so brightly, I was moved since the very first scene, each piece simply brings out the deepest emotional element of the story and makes the it richer and more complex, this on its own made the show much more memorable, just as much as the cinematography, the composition of everything with the beautiful scenery and play with lighting gave a refined look to everything, there was so much attention to detail, it was very impressive.

For me the intricacies in the context of this story turned into a double edged sword at times, on one hand there were so many layers that made this piece truly interesting and worth studying, the historical nuances, developing the deeply unfair and harsh circumstances of the past, morals behind loyalty, power over love, honor over family and the people, even sacredness, chastity, marriage, inevitably pushes the audience to see how some things have changed drastically and some are still the same, to name a few, each of these became a critical part of the show, however at times it felt like piece by piece each story was moving at a confusing pace between push and pull that was not very balanced, with so many back stories so many characters with all kinds of different sub plots, turning the story a bit too dense, lacking some closure and with no seeming sense of relief in the horizon.

While I truly loved everyone's incredible job bringing each character to life, all the actors brought a top tier level performance (Hello Eunjin, you're a star!!) and had really nice chemistry, I have to mention Mr. Namkoong, the way he was able to command the scene without having his ego take over the dynamics between his counterparts and actually achieving the opposite, he injected a special kind of energy to his character, I'm looking forward to discover more of his works.

For me, the second half of the story was a bit tiring, and the ending didn't necessarily excite me but, I really believe this is worth watching and I will be recommending this.

Leia Mais

BEST HISTORICAL KDRAMA !!!!!!❤️❤️

After a long time a drama ,that is soothing as well as which could prick ones heart have got to watch ,the potrayal of lead characters is quite appreciatable and commendable , when they longed for each other we longed for them to be together more , even though there were episodes were the leads doesn't have scene together one doesn't feel to skip because each character had a worthy story to tell about .
Two characters who called themselves selfish but when the time came they forgot themselves and fought for others with all their might , The depiction of female lead is quite good neither a whining girl who is waiting for her prince nor a girl who can fight off ten men but simply a girl who is strong willed and believes in what she does , her characters growth from the beginning to the end is vast . Talking about lead male ,what to say when the actor emotes with his eyes even we shed our tears along with him , the character is too deep , a noble born man but do like to be known as man who brought noble title with money , tells he has no empathy for people but all he did was simply live for them , a hero who doesnt gives a motivational speak of patriotism but someone who simply speaks with his actions , his words not nurtured by many yet it was all him who had wise ideas and tried to colloborate with everyone , courage not in his words but in his veins , last but not the least that laugh with that "aigoo"! how can one forget it , the depth of his love for his Gil chaye makes one wonders what is it to love a person , even after knowing she was pregnant though she was decieving him with it he simply wanted her to be happy , he wants nothing but simply her happiness.
If someone ignored this masterpiece thinking they have no taste in historical drama they are simply fathoming a brilliantly written and acted drama , which could show you one of the finest lovestories of joseon era.....

Leia Mais

a perfect marriage of history & drama

This review is only for Part 1 (Ep 1-10)

Having grown up in North America, I know next to nothing of Chinese & Asian history. This K-period drama has sparked my curiosity about ancient China's profound economic, political, & cultural influence on Korean history. The show balances interwoven love triangles, set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 1637 Qing invasion by a transitioning China. Korea is caught in the crossfire between two Chinese dynasties, the declining Ming & rising Qing.

The central character is a young noblewoman, Yu Gil Chae, who lives in a college town filled with scholarly noble families. She, along with her peers, is concerned only with finding the right husband. Problem is, she loves her best friend's betrothed who doesn't return the affection. As the spectre of a devastating war looms, a mysterious nobleman, Lee Jang Hyun, comes into town to do business, who seems completely noncommital & almost contemptuous in both personal relationships as well as politics. He justifiably criticizes a weak and paranoid king. However, willingly or not, he becomes a key player in the fate of the townspeople, the country, & Gil Chae's destiny.

The romance portion starts off light in tone, whereas the war is given a very stark & brutal picture. The barbarian coalition of Manchus, Mongols, & Chinese forces are literally blood thirsty. Interestingly, the Manchu language, which is now in danger of extinction, is preserved in this drama with the actors actually having had to learn & speak lines of it. For the first half, it seemed like this show would be a more serious war drama with a light romance on the side which didn't really seem to fit. There's the usual trope of the bad start relationship, & Gil Chae's devotion to her unrequited love interest got rather annoying.

However, in the 2nd half of Season 1, the war ends with the subjugation of the Joseon king, & the relationship between Gil Chae & Jang Hyun, as well as the rest of the characters, gets really interesting. The war divides Joseon into 2 types of people: those who place counry & duty above all else & those who don't. This is oversimplification but it's the basis of all the interpersonal conflicts. I liked Ahn Eun Jin's amazing portrayal of Gil Chae's growth from a naive girl into a self determined woman. I was completely sucked in watching the push & pull of Gil Chae & Jang Hyun's relationship as they try to figure out what they want from each other & for themselves. The emotional level is on par with The Red Sleeve. Gil Chae makes a gut wrenching but true-to-self decision at the end & this is the lead in to Season 2. Definitely must watch to the finish!

Leia Mais

Don't be fooled by the reviews. Its sooooo boring. Let me explain why...

This has to be the most overrated drama. The story is good enough but so confused. Too much happens I the first 5 episodes then it just falls flat. The dialogues are so drawn out.... I want ......( 3 minutes pause......) to leave. Every dialogue was just a few words followed by the longest pause known to man. I watched it at1.5x and still no hope. Also I forwarded through alot of the second part and if I'm being honest most of the final episodes. I can't even tell you what happened to the barbarians because I honestly don't care.
Also that love story of constant pushing each other away.... Just No. It only works once for a good story the rest is tiring. Again if I'm being honest I cant tell you what happened to the main characters at the end and again, I don't care.
Amnesia!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhh. I almost broke my phone at that point. It doesn't work anywhere. It didn't work for boys over flowers and it's never worked for any other drama so...No just No.
I liked parts of the FL and parts of the ML. not all but they tried. I blame the director. He must have been there after ever scene shouting .... Cut!!!!! Talk more slower!!!!! Hehe
Finally the editing made no sense. They must have made some mistake in the final editing because the scenes were just jumping forward and back without any logic. That was very frustrating!

Leia Mais

A character driven story that was overpowered by the plot

I haven’t written a review in a while so bear with me
As a kid I played this Pride & Prejudice game, a multi choice story board with different endings
For example if Lizzy chose to dance with Mr Darcy the first time they met, or if she accept his first proposal, things would be different
How so? In the second scenario he never went back to their mansion, he thought she was a simple win, maybe even after his money so he didn’t love her as dearly

And well getting back to the review, this is what happened here, the setting was simple, a flirtatious girl meets the heartbreaker
And then we started getting constant sidetracking plotlines

For me eps4&5 then 8&9 were the best simply because it was about gilchae, our sweet naive girl’s journey and growth
For her, shoes and boys were her pastime activities , she had no worries, no threats
Her love was a product of that fantasy and “only” future plan for girls, to get married
Anyway as janghyun shook her world and the war broke her world, we get a simultaneous narrative of two different prospectives

To me all men looked at gilchae like she was gullible. They never accepted her feelings and never thought it was anything more than a youthful vigor. And that is the curse of age gaps, men think they’re more mature and have a deeper acknowledgment of the world

The fantasy dream of janghyun shows how he never understood or got to see the gilchae that had to mature, from the island but more so when all the male figures in her life weren’t there to “save and protect” them, the women who were raised to stay home and take cover while the men did everything.
So she had to get up, work, make men listen and try hard to show results to gain money to survive while also getting respect as a figure able to plan and plot

I am glad, eventho it was messy, I’m glad they had finally both talked it all out, that was three or more years of two incredibly frustrating people that didn’t show their vulnerability
Every time they had to actually admit their feelings they would switch it up with bickering and teasing that did become burdensome and increased misunderstandings

But anyway if she had gone with him, she’d always feel guilty about her family and he’d think she hated him for it so the best choice was to stay
Just like how janghyun said if he had “went to her faster” he worried she’d get over him and that was basically why he played hard to get, which also led to frustration and made gilchae trust him less

Now they also need ten more eps, so they had to end on heartache but either the husband lets her go, idk how their separation works. Or he dies and she can be free
By then I hope janghyun sees her as a mature person rather than a fancy object in forms of a love interest

Leia Mais

A MUST WATCH

SUPER LONG REVIEW AHEAD!

I can't believe I just happened to scroll by the title "My Dearest" and because it reminded me of Supercell's song "My Dearest", I went on to google to search out of curiosity what's it about. For once, I've been grateful I let my curiosity get ahead of me or else I'd be missing a gem.

This is definitely a masterpiece portraying a combination of romance, drama, war and politics. The story took place in Joseon Dynasty and during the Qing Invasion. I am well aware I'm still confused to some of the war politics here, but there's a lot of references that you can take note of such as the "JingKang incident". It's thanks to Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong that I understood this reference. It goes way back to the Song Dynasty when Jin invaded the Song empire (thus the war between Jin And Song) and when the Jin army caught the Song Emperors, they humiliated them... Going back to the events in My Dearest, this is what the Joseon Emperor is fearful of when the Qing Army besieged them. Since the Qing army is composed of what they call 'barbarians' who cares more about money and raping women, the show managed to execute it in the entirety of season 1 with such thrill. It was also the perfect introduction to highlight the strengths of both the male and female lead. It left us in tenterhooks and anticipation of what will happen next, will they survive? The Season 1 set the bar so high that somehow, when things calmed down and gave way to more palace politics in Season 2, S2 pales in comparison. But what happens in S2 is still essential to wrap up the entire story, and it actually has much more tragedy than S1 so prepare your tissues. Tbh, I felt like crying on almost every episodes, that when we get cute moments, it almost felt surreal. That's just how heart-wrenching this show is. It gives us that feeling of receiving treats before getting beat up badly.

CHARACTERS

Now let's talk about Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun-jin. Jang hyun (Namkoong Min) is a mysterious man who has no desire nor purpose. I felt Namkoong Min really did well in pulling of Jang Hyun's charm and enigma. He is wise when he speaks, but when he reserve his words, his eyes tells everything. He is an empty shell, satisfied being a bystander, and letting others enjoy than himself. But upon meeting Gil Chae, his eyes started having all sorts of emotions. Because he wants to prove to Gil Chae his worth, he decided to save people and the fire that died inside of him once again ignited. Jang Hyun is actually a compassionate man. In the series, I cannot count how many times he cried, and nothing was more manly than that of how NamKoong Min did so. And even though he cried a lot, there's still subtle differences. You can notice that there are only two times he really cried for real, one is because of Gil Chae, the second when he plead His Highness the Crown Prince to keep his promise to the captives. I fell in love with Jang Hyun's character so bad, that's no doubt.

The dynamic between the Namkoong and Eunjin is also just perfect.
Here's my take for the people hating on the FL. The FL is a strong headed woman. In a setting where women are usually suppressed and kept as housewives whose expected role is only to tend and serve their husbands, Gil Chae broke the norm and actually had done SO SO MUCH. She saved her friends during the invasion, she provided rice for the people of the General in exchange of their labor and she continues saving people and slaves to the point of being a slave herself. Those who are hating on her lacks empathy and may be bias to the Male lead. There's a point where I also almost got annoyed by her because why can't she just accept Jang Hyun? But later on, I understood. Perhaps Jang Hyun— with his overflowing display of affection— came on too strong. And Gil Chae, as someone who also has a strong personality, her instinct was to avoid Jang Hyun and suppress her feelings. She knew Jang Hyun always has a bigger purpose and role, always gone like a wind, he's bound to leave at anytime and she's bound to wait. Did y'all ever see an instance where she stopped him from going? Not once. Everytime, she wishes him well on his journey, even when Jang Hyun himself pleaded to Gil Chae to stop him, she did not. And that was so courageous of her, that even though it pains her to see Jang Hyun go everytime, she persevered and waited, even without assurance from Jang Hyun. How hard is a long distance communication in their period? It's not like they have cellphones to communicate whenever they liked. How excruciating was it to wait for news of your loved ones, for weeks, months and years? Yet Jang Hyun never wrote to her to update her. He's always on the go, and even though he promises to come back, it was always Gil Chae who has to bear the burden of WAITING. So it's unfair for everyone to say who suffers more, when clearly both Gil Chae and Jang Hyun suffers in their own both ways. It's unfair that Gil Chae has to be the bad person when she married another man, but who does not make bad decisions in their life? There's still that traditional thinking wherein it's okay for men are allowed to sleep to anyone, but if it's a woman who was touched by another man, it's such a big deal. Gil Chae may have married another man, but just like what Jang Hyun says to the Princess of Qing, "I can give you my body but not my heart", Gil Chae was the same. The whirlwind of events taught us that it doesn't matter who they were entangled on in their journey, what matters is that they FOUND THEIR WAY HOME TO EACH OTHER. Just like Gil Chae loved Jang Hyun despite knowing him only on surface level (Gil Chae only knows Jang Hyun is a merchant, and later on she knew he was a government slave. In those times, nobles are on a waaay different level from people who only bought titles, so even if Jang Hyun appears to be an aristocrat, some might just raise their eyebrows and not honor his title and still regard him as lowly slave. For you can change your title but not your origin. Gil Chae did not do any of this, and she still love Jang Hyun as he is. She never pried into his past, and just like that. Jang Hyun also did the same to her, he never cared what Gil Chae went through with the hands of the intruders, he just honor Gil Chae for what he had known her, a strong and amazing woman. Dare I say any more why they are perfect for each other, and that them ending up together did not do any injustice to the other, rather, what's greater injustice is that! If they didn't get the happy ending they deserve from each other's company.

I have never written a review for a romance drama before, but I just felt compelled to speak out for the characters here. My Dearest is definitely one of the historical kdramas that will stay in my memory forever. Highly recommended.

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"I had made up my mind to not believe in marriage. But if the only way to make a certain woman mine is through marriage, then I am willing to marry."

"Husband? No way. I will be your servant. My body is yours, my soul is yours, my heart is yours too" - Lee Jang Hyun

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Eun Ae: Do you think women should take their own lives when the foreign intruders grabbed their wrists?

Yeon Jun: A single drop of ink is enough to make a clean water dirty. Whether it's just their wrist, or something even worse, they have lost their chastity

💔

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Gil Chae: What if I say a foreign intruder took advantage of me?

Jang Hyun: Then I should give you a hug, for it must have been painful.


💘

Here's a clear differences in perspective of a scholar who has never experienced dirt and is bound by traditional thinking vs a man who crawled himself out of dirt and experienced all kinds of cruelties.

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Leia Mais

It will suck you in instantaneously

I mostly binged this part and it was probably the best decision since it's an easy watch. By that I mean, it is very easy to sink into the story. It captivates you. There is a lot happening constantly so you certainly won't be bored. It also has some very emotional moments. At least they were for me. I was on the verge of tears at least a couple of times so expect angst as it delivers it well.

The war scenes were brutal without being too gorey. They left it to the audience's understanding of what might have happened/is happening and I am thankful to not have to seen some of those scenes. Else it would have required me to take a lot of breaks. It's nothing close to Game Of Thrones if you need an idea. There are some action scenes but not that much and nothing that blew me away. It's less skill and more about war tactics.

I enjoyed the character development of the female lead. How she changed from being self-obsessed and somewhat immature to having great strength, wonderful leadership qualities, being a quick learner and strong-willed. The male lead on the other hand gives off red flag vibes initially but falls hard for the female lead so there were several points where he won my heart. There's a lot of push and pull happening.

If you prefer quick resolutions, don't bother. It's a bit of a rollercoaster. The final episode may leave you feeling a tad annoyed. But nothing we didn't expect I suppose.

All actors were brilliant. The OST is beautiful. Hopefully part 2 will be satisfying.

Leia Mais

This was my first bingewatching. I loved it!

Absolutely one of the best I've ever seen! And I've seen a lot of them. It was so compelling from the beginning to the end that I had to keep busy until the morning. For me, the first time I just couldn't stop. I love history and how exactly that was in reality, I can't judge, but I found the implementation very realistic. The actors were just great. The main characters play so authentic, the newcomers (Crownprice and Ryang-eum) were also impressive.There are so many history dramas, but this is definitely one of the best with gripping fighting scenes and authentic locations. I've suffered so much, I've hoped for it, I've rejoiced. Clearly for me, a drama that touched me deeply and I hope you will love it, too.

Leia Mais

Good Enough

Korean Drama " My Dearest " is part one of the historical melodrama, following the lives of two tragic lovers that fate and their own mistakes keep them apart.

The drama starts off seemingly like every other historical romance, with some light moments, some comical sketches, and two leads that seem to be constantly fighting and loathing each other, even though, underneath it, there is an undeniable tension brewing. Soon, however, things take another turn. War breaks out and the characters come face to face with its ruthless reality. Hereafter, the story goes deeper and deeper into darker waters, with the drama hitting its pick towards the ending, when the characters have gone through a huge character development, and their stories coming together. The ending, even though its just the end of the first half, was just what the story needed to fully embrace the melodrama.

Moreover, the performances were masterful, by everyone in the cast, but especially the two main leads, whose chemistry was deliciously enjoyable.

So, overall, nine and a half out of ten.

Leia Mais