Wow! Historical epic. Visually stunning. Magnificent. What starts out harmless is caught up in the merciless story. Please buckle up. "My Dearest" goes all out. Thrilling! Moving! Intoxicating.

The excursion leads into a painful chapter of Joseon's past, its historical cornerstones being emotionally successfully captured in striking scenes. Already after the third episode one may have forgotten the harmlessly rocking swings... back when everything was right with the world. On the other hand, the worst at times brings out the best in people. This may certainly be true for our protagonists, because the more hopeless the circumstances, the more persistent their personal commitment.

A dramatic story. A moving love story. An excellent historical drama. Definitely worth seeing. The time around the Qing invasion on the Joseon Peninsula will remain unforgettable for everyone... and the epic relationship of our protagonists too!
What a couple - in the course of their encounters, Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun-jin develop a strong, charismatic attraction for their ambivalent and baffling, yet complex and nuanced characters. All this is visually perfectly staged. Perfection applies overall to the dramaturgical layout of the intertwined personal and political processes. "My Dearest" offers differentiated, touching character portraits right down to the supporting roles. Powerful!

Unfortunately, after the tenth episode, we're stuck for a while before we continue with the second season... But until then, as far as I am concerned, "My Dearest" has been a complete success!






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SIDE NOTE --- the Qing invasion 1636 ---
The historical context of “My Dearest” is quite an issue for Joseon history! For the Korean national self-image the impact of the Qing invasion of 1636 can be reckoned even more traumatic, shameful and dramatic than the unparalleled Japanese invasions of the Imjin Wars in 1592 and 1598. This is because Joseon finally had to ignominiously submit to the Qing and eventually remained their vassal state until the First Sino-Japanese War end of the 19th century. (With Imjin Wars, Joseon was actually able to repel their invaders - at that time with the help of the Ming - and thus could preserve the grandeur of sovereignty.) That second Qing invasion in 1636 went down in history as a truly disastrous defeat. Who likes to remember such a 'weak' king and such unspeakably embarrassing humiliation?

Apart from its touching epic love story, "My Dearest" thus also deals with the narrative of the people of Joseon back in the 17th century - their different positions, either pragmatic or idealistic. That time of the invasion is well documented in diaries of contemporary witnesses. Historical scholars to date, however, have discussed the Qing invasions in Joseon mostly from the perspective of the Qing against the Ming and the political power struggles concerning the Chinese empire. In “My Dearest” the Joseon perspective is given its own emotional narrative. And this is characterized by personalities, ideals, value systems, symbolic gestures, as well as those small and large deeds and sacrifices of inconspicuous people who often fall through the cracks of historiography. So "My Dearest" isn't just heartfelt entertainment. To a certain extent, the KDrama has an identity-forming, great mission and takes it very seriously and right into mass consciousness. Its intention is to be suitably great. It offers portraits of the people at that time an how they were processing historically questionable/questioned decisions, too. It brings us close to the dilemma of that time. And greatly so.

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