“When two souls are as one, they stay together on the Wheel.”

“When two souls are as one, they stay together on the Wheel.”

This has been such a journey, with so many ups and downs, but I made it through this glorious romance, aflame with passion and longing. I got to experience something beautiful to behold:

The love story of Jom and Khun Yai, and the way they see the world.
The thoughts they share, the pieces of wisdom within their phrases, and the severity of the decisions they had to make. Their bond is so deep, I can barely put it into words.

I knew it would be heart-wrenching, yet full of warmth, because I read the novel. Every emotion portrayed throughout the drama was so raw and layered that I didn’t know where the story would take me in its final moments.

Gripping and filmed at a pace that controlled and intensified the feeling of unease, it was also one of the most romantic queer dramas I’ve ever watched. I almost forgot the outside world existed when I was watching it. I’ve never been so emotionally invested in a story as I was with this one. Furthermore, I'm sad now that it's over, but I loved every minute!

The cinematography and scenery are breathtaking. Needless to say, there is something quite alluring about Chiang Mai and its ancient beauty. An unforgettable choice of melodies underscored the poignancy of each moment.

Flawless!

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Some things cannot be undone or unsaid, and the consequences of our actions are still the same.

Do you ever look back on a decision you’ve made and thought, how might my life be different if I chose a different option?
If only we could go back in time…

In this wonderfully heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of loss, sorrow, redemption and self-forgiveness, you will be able to experience a myriad shades of gray.

It is Hua Qian’s personal and internal struggle with the evil she has perpetrated. Her mind, her body, her very essence rails against her past actions and leads her down a journey of acceptance and the possibility of redemption.

I loved this drama in so many levels for its unapologetically sentimental slow burn story, its challenges, and for making me reflect and confront my own. For it’s part of being human to feel genuine remorse over our bad actions and voluntarily take steps to rectify those, that leads to change and growth.

The core message of this cleverly weaved tale is powerful;

Some things cannot be undone or unsaid, and the consequences of our actions are still the same. It is with this sentiment that I applaud fervently the ending and treasure deeply this drama.

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People will do whatever it takes to survive; those who will not do so are bound to perish. 



— Review Part 1 —

People will do whatever it takes to survive; those who will not do so are bound to perish.

It is a very well-written story, and although it cannot be considered historically perfect, I found it to be largely accurate.

Romance might be at the centre, but its historical war setting plays just as big a role, too. Its intense focus on the ruthlessness of war, neatly tackling transformation, development, longing, loss and the deep unfairness of life, is nothing less than top-notch.

My Dearest not only explores life in times of war but people's reactions to it, and as such, war is questioned by many of the characters from different perspectives.

Of course, in times of war, prisoners were victims of constant physical and psychological abuse, torture and humiliation, and the unfairness of it all could reach inhumane limits.
The women were the target of rape and sexual abuse and were even expected to take their own lives if there was so much as an encounter with an enemy because, to society and their families, they were not pure anymore.

It is outstanding how most of our main characters show a grey moral character and emotional flaws, and their bad traits receive as much attention, or even more, than the good ones.

The costumes, scenery, cinematography and realistic scenes of the horrors of war are the best I've seen in a sageuk.

A must-watch.

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Humans are the most fearful beings.

Humans are the most fearful beings.

It's not easy to complete this series without feeling queasy, anxious and angry all at once.

It’s worth watching, but frankly speaking, is just overall, above average.

Its strong point is the tension built and maintained through misdirection and the manipulation of the twists, keeping the viewer guessing, uncertain about what's actually going on and where the story is headed.

The drama is often very slow and has an unnecessary, and overcomplicated (you need to rearrange the whole timeline on your own for a deeper understanding of the current events) storytelling.

However, the fun of this drama is not in figuring anything out, but in watching it unfold in its absolutely messy pacing; one of those white-knuckle, edge of your seat watch, where the story is broken up between the past and the present, as the time between those periods narrows, bringing them together.

Although its content is crawling with extremely twisted and bizarre insinuations, this story isn't the least bit graphic in what it reveals. It displays more mind-control and fear than anything else.

The sickening element is certainly present, but applied with a gentle hand and refrains from growing too dark or heavy.

It has a decent closure, but not the grand finale I, personally, expected it to have, specially considering the grand scheme of things.

I really enjoyed the series until the end, although it did have many flaws and plot holes, more so in the last episodes.

The music scores fit perfectly, and the acting was absolutely stellar.

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Definitely a wonderful drama with a solid mixture of myths and legends.

The Legend tells the story of King Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. It explores his life and reign, including military conquests; his relationships with the people around him; and the efforts to unify the Three Kingdoms and establish Goguryeo. 



The plot, narration, and acting keep the viewer engrossed throughout the series and the visuals are spectacular and dreamy. Definitely a wonderful drama with a solid mixture of myths and legends—it’s nothing less than outstanding.



The OST is equally gorgeous with a music score by the genius Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, who wrote many film scores for mighty animator Hayao Miyazaki. 



The Legend remains one of my all-time favourites, a must-watch.

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The beauty of the bones.

There’s a considerable amount of dramas full of overly wrought love stories in which the conflict seems contrived merely to create drama, comedy or both.

In One and Only the love is so simple yet intricate, that it feels totally believable.

This is one my favourite dramas of all time. The quality of the acting leaves me breathless.

The attraction between Shiyi and Shengchen is obvious, but genuine, and is filled with the kind of "touches" that make it feel real.

Because all of us intuitively know what they are going through as they strip away layer after layer. Who of us hasn't feared exposure of the person we feel the world shouldn't see? As such, we are drawn into their secret as we see them shouting their feelings without a sound. Because one can find someone to share that silence with, and it is that that makes being vulnerable worth it.

There is a scene I can’t seem to forget where Shengchen and Shiyi were simply looking at each other eyes, and yet, the magnificent depth and variety of what "those eyes" express is overwhelmingly powerful.

Not every unforgettable love story needs to have a happy ending. The ending while tragic is perfectly fitting;

From the beginning, it was a forbidden love, and a silent one, as historically speaking, women didn’t have a lot of rights in Ancient China and were expected to marry whomever the family selected.

On the other hand, even if you were the most loyal General of the Emperor, he could still execute you for any reason at all. It was portrayed as realistically as possible, and beautifully done. It is also a visually beautiful drama.

The haunting OST sets a marvellous tone for the drama, and I found myself listening the main song over and over, each time tracking the path of each voice, an all-embracing delight. It weaves itself into your consciousness through flawless vocals and longing lyrics.

A must-watch.

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“Hope is a difficult thing to kill, just a spark of it can start a fire.”

“Hope is a difficult thing to kill, just a spark of it can start a fire.”

The story brings a depth of anguish to the characters and engages our compassion no matter how unflattering and biased the gaze through which we see them. We feel deeply for them because they’re not simply good or evil, they’re flawed people who hurt and were hurt.

Despite their deep abiding wrongness sometimes, we are drawn to their honesty and rawness. This is not a story of niceties after all, it is a tale of people who are not socially (or morally) acceptable. Under this light it is effortless to love, understand, hate and pity them.

The real-life situations push at us, challenging us, all the while knowing that we have to keep watching because redemption awaits. Given this dynamic, it seems almost inevitable that these characters would not just make only themselves, but everyone around them miserable for life.
Human nature personifies itself, subtly saturating every scene with the threat of doom.

The point is, while the drama may not be the wistful romance one expected to be, it is a particularly satisfying one for all its dark and layered complexities.

The entire cast simply excels at their craft, the writer remains true and realistic, and the music blends wonderfully every time.

I recommend this one!

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