My Dearest

Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin made this look like reality

The producers and director captured and presented exactly what this story told. It's cinematography is spectacular & makes you feel like you're right there amidst the jangle and luxury of 1636. Try not to read reviews that spoil the crafting of this story's characters; just let this one happen to you for it is sublime & epic. There are dramas/movies where the wonder and appeal cannot be easily described, only experienced. And if you're a lover of Classic Art in any format, once the soundtrack and ballads begin it will touch your senses deeply.

The main characters are unaware they will start a journey of recognition and self discovery . Gil Chae is immature & thinks she already has life figured out because of her beauty. Jang Hyeun is a man with deep convictions learned from real life encounters, to him love is sacred & humans are incapable of it. He thinks the woman he desires doesn't exist; he's seen them all. Yet the mystery of recognition starts once these characters meet. I found myself speaking to them out loud. Many times I wanted to advise and comfort Jang Hyeon; or give Gil Chae a wake-up call. The casting is phenomenal; each role delights, disgusts, infuriates, intoxicates, puzzles, and surprises you as needed. And if any role gives that icky uncertain feeling, time will expose their true nature. One in particular (Ryang Eum) will capture your enduring empathy as a tragic character. Whatever attracts us to dramas is very subjective; if actors Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin don't capture your imagination immediately this drama might not be for you.

The romance involves a lot of characters vying for our two main characters affections; sometimes very tenderly and sweetly, sometimes brutally; sometimes in an covert manner. Jealousy will reveal or defeat itself in countless ways - tenderly or brutally. I would have watched this sooner had synopsis been better. But there are true heroes within the realm of humanity (warts and all). Even though romance is my main draw, the historical backdrop is eye opening and educational (about politics, philosophy & culture). Psychological conflicts, mental instability and insanity abounds.

It isn't obvious this is a 2 season series. Series 1 ends in the storyline where things are almost too confused to see forward. So although it backtracks a bit in Series 2, DO NOT use any fast forwarding when scenes get uncomfortable because the story is told in a way you will miss important information and dialogue. And because dream sequences are a prominent theme throughout, you will get the wrong idea or make assumptions especially towards the end.

After watching this to completion, I have two criticisms:
(1) the happy ending is scrunched up in the last 10 minutes. I don't know why this is a constant in many long dramas!!!! It would be more satisfying if "the END" took at least half of the last episode's runtime - say 35 minutes. Viewers would WELCOME that reward having persevered through the nerve wracking twists, turns, and angst of a 21 episode battle for the main characters.
(2) this story took place over 23 years. But the passage of time isn't always obvious with vast distances back and forth between Joseon and the Qing dynasty. A date given at the end of this story means our lead characters are in their 40s at the very end.

So this is a VERY ‼️sad tale if the timeline is taken into account. And especially why producers should give viewers more in the way of satisfaction. We want to see what "happily ever after" looks like by golly!!!!. Still, this really is a 10 ⭐️ production.

Additional warning ⚠️ : watching Jang Hyeun's character express and welcome feelings he's never had before is dazzling. If you're very sensitive, it will be emotionally exhausting to watch when he repeatedly risks his life for the people/person he loves. Actor Namkoong Min dupes you into thinking his role is non-fiction. Be forewarned, your empathy will pour out in buckets. He is self sufficient, clear thinking but misses well deserved happiness by seconds countless times. Yet from the beginning to the end he remained true to his nature against he backdrop of such a horrific time in history.

This is now, the MOST BEAUTIFUL historical (sageuk) drama I've ever seen.

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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 PERIOD DRAMA MASTERPIECE

"My Dearest" is one of the best period k-drama. From Cinematography, story, set up, locations, customs, action, actors and of course the main leads. It is a roller coaster of emotion from episode 1 to episode 21.

I love the character development of the female and male lead. Their love story is a series of love, longing, pain, suffering and dedication. It breaks you and heal you then break you again and heal you over and over again. Lee Jang-hyun unwavering love to Gil-chae is one of the highlight of the story. As a women you will eventually realize you want to experience that kind of love in this lifetime.

You will feel so much emotions in every scene. It was perfectly written and beautifully acted.
Namkoong Min performance as Lee Jang-hyun is exceptional. His smile, his action, his facial expression, his longing face. They deserve all the awards!

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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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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.

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Elegant and Graceful

My Dearest (2023)

With some Korean actors, you just learn to trust their judgement in picking great Korean Dramas in which to act. I took on this drama ‘My Dearest’, because of the actor Namkoong Min. Within minutes of viewing, I knew that I made the right decision for me.

The period covered in the story, pasted around actual factual history, is 1636-1659 CE. ‘My Dearest’ starts out in 1659 and goes back to 1636 for the backstory. Lots of period Korean culture is on display in this drama, including historic instrumental music. The historian for this drama did a great research job.

Joseon gets embroiled between the Chinese Jin and Ming Dynasties, plus the Japanese. The Chinese barbarians, with a huge military force, declares war on Joseon. The Chinese are a skilled fighting force. They come up against the drafted Joseon intellectual and political elite who seem as rag-tag against this dominating military presence. Based on this backdrop is a beautifully emerging story of forever love.

Quote: “Have you ever heard the sound of flowers in bloom? I heard that rare sound today (when he first met her).” Male Lead gazing into the eyes of the Female Lead.

The Male Lead character Lee Jang-hyu is arrogant and worldly-wise. The Female Lead character Yoo Gil-chae is very conceited and forceful. This is a playful match. ‘My Dearest’ is such a realistic Korean Drama, with realistic people who have huge faults. In addition, much attention is paid to building these characters, each with unusual personalities. ‘My Dearest’ is rich storytelling, unique dramatization blended into historical facts. Many are going to find this drama intriguing. There is sword fighting in this drama.

I think that ‘My Dearest’ could be an Insta-Classic at its present meteoric ratings pace.

Two really good actors stack the cast. Watch for their facial expressions, those little nuances which raises an actor above the crowd.

Namkoong Min (Hot Stove League, Remember: War of the Sun) playing Lee Jang-hyu is a dubious and mysterious nobleman. Ahn Eun-jin (More Than Friends) playing Yoo Gil-chae is an erasable spoiled Aristocrat. They are a hot couple who will draw you right in. This Korean Drama is a go for me.

Chinese comparison Drama is Love Like the Galaxy.

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An intense ride

I binge-watched this drama in one day and was clenching my chair by the last episode. The acting is absolutely flawless, and for ten episodes, I felt like the story not only flowed at a perfect pace, but the intensity of the characters and their stories held me for the entire drama. Also, kudos to the writers because they unfolded the story of war and the repercussions endured by those who are helpless to fight or run.

Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin are flawless in their roles, and their chemistry, especially in the last episodes, was off the chart. The dynamic of unsurity between the two characters is methodically played out to the very end, and the next season cannot come fast enough. Good, bad, happy or tragic, I'm all in for the ride.

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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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Nam koong min is the best actor in korea and accept best series plot to act

Nam koong min is the best actor in korea and accept best series plot to act

i like this series plot and all of actors especially nam koong min

he shines in every genre
he prove that with this series and the veil and good manager (the besries of him with three genre)

he deserve get best prizes for this series
im a kdramer from my chilehood ; i see kdrama from 8 up ton now that i am 25

and after empress ki and arthedal none of historical kdrama series couldnt attract me

but when namkoongmin act in a series; he changs that to best series on that genre


kdrama didnt have good series this two years but this series changes every thing

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This drama made me cry a lot. Over the course of these ten episodes, I have grown to love Gil Chae and Jang Hyeon and ship them. That's why episode ten broke my heart. I'm afraid that in the second part, the creators will not strive for a happy ending for Gil Chae and Jang Hyeon. I don't want the second part to end like Moon Lovers for me, because I still can't forget the sadness.

But despite the tears shed, I love the first part. There were also some funny scenes. This drama is interconnected sadness, pain, fear and happiness. The characters develop and have difficult decisions to make. I wonder how the rest of this story will unfold. I have a feeling the ending might not be a happy one, but I hope I'm wrong.

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A Beautiful Ryang Um Who's Like a Flower: Layers of His Character

I feel like Ryang Eum's character is interesting. He's complicated. He's definitely a more reliable friend than Eun Ae. But at least Eun Ae could understand the fl better. She even admitted that she understood her better than herself.

Meanwhile Ryang Eum seemed to have unseparable bond with the ml. It looked like there's no one who could understand him better than Ryang Eum but there was a time that Ryang Eum failed to understand. It's his heart. It felt like they didn't share the bro codes only in that particular thing.

"I don't belong to anywhere. I'm just here and there." When the ml said that what he actually meant was that he's longing for a place of his own. A place called home. And his reply with "Right. You don't belong to anywhere. But wherever you're, I belong to your side." It creeped me out.

I don't know what's his real deal was. Was it because of too much loyalty or he saw him more than friends? But I understand why he did what he did. Personally, I can relate to his character. That's why I can say that he's being childish at that moment. I thought he also realized his mistake but he just decided to cross the line.

And he really meant it when he said he didn't regret it. Moreover when he witnessed what happened to the man he looked up to at the end. If I were him, I would be glad if turned out I was wrong. But the look in his eyes, he was so mad that in his mind he's true about her after all.

I understand her decision and it seemed like there's another reason that will unfold in the next part. The writers seemed to have an intention to make it as if she didn't really meant it when she said "I don't love you enough to leave everything behind." Maybe they will provide a good and brutal excuse for us and we will buy it later. Something like "I love you too much that's why I was letting you go." But what makes it clear for me right now is, he gave everything for her, even his life. But she couldn't do the same. That's why to me what she said was quite literal, that 'he loves her more than she loves him' and I think Ryang Eum would be agree with me.

Was he okay when he saw Gil Chae sending him off just like that after what he's been through for her tho? Ryang Eum is not just another supporting character. And his bond with Lee Jong Hyun is too strong for him to let him go like that. Ryang Eum is smart and tactical and sometimes manipulative. Our main lead would have been died several times if it's not because of him. He has the ability to change the direction of the wind. If you know what I mean...

Based on the teasers, it seemed like something happened to the female lead. I wouldn't be surprised if Ryang Eum had anything to do to pull the trigger. Maybe he didn't need to take much effort. He just needed to sing, and it would be like a butterfly effect. When a small flap of its wings might cause a tornado at the mainland and the peninsula.

Or there's a twist of a character development and it's the other way around of what I've said about him. It would be interesting if later turned out I'm wrong. And I'm really anticipating of what they have in store in the next part.

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this show will steal your heart

At least, it stole mine. Where should I begin? Before starting it, I was a little bit sceptical. I was not sure what would await me. But since I like both main actors, I gave it a try anyway. And what should I say? This show is totally my taste. The first two episodes were okay but it was hard to tell where the show was headed. But I remember being in love with the cinematography. It's so beautiful. Episodes 3 and 4 were the ones that totally captured me. From showing the naivety and happiness of people living in peace to showing the horrors of war and the fates of those being confronted with it. This is for everyone that wants a deep story with a slowburn romance. The characters are flawed and that's what I like about them. You can see them grow and make mistakes and there is still so much room for development in part 2. What I love about this show is that the characters exist outside the romance storyline. I wasn't bored of the seperate storylines at all. They gave me inside of who the characters are and made me like them even more. I love both mainleads. They might be clumsy fools when it comes to love. But that's what makes them endearing. Gil Chae is strong in the way she cares for her family and friends and protects them. She is smart as hell. Jang Hyun is smart as well. I love how he questions the authority of the king and is good at scheming. He also protects the people he loves at all costs. The way he presents himself is really manly. Both characters are flawed, but I can understand their worries and why they act the way they do.
Absolutely love this show.

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