Empress Ki was my favorite until this EPIC story came along
For mature audiences who love to watch powerful romantic shows!Number 1 The music alone would make me want to watch it again, That voice and the melody can really take you to a place of imagery, it was perfect for the show.
Number 2 The ML, had the most sexiest, deep, voice, his timing to respond was excellent. I’ve never seen this actor before, but now I’m going to be looking for everything he plays in. He has a look in his eyes as if what’s happening is true,. I’ve seen hundreds of shows like this one and other types of shows like Wolf, which was my favorite too until this movie!
Number 3 The plot was very well executed, the only thing is , it should have been longer than 20 episodes !
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A must for historical drama fans (and romance fans)
I have to begin this review with the fact that, in general, I do enjoy watching historical kdramas so I feel rather strongly about how much I loved this drama. I watched part 1 and 2 consecutively (in an effort to avoid writing my thesis paper lol) so this review will be based on both parts.First and foremost, the acting in this drama is an absolute 10/10. Every character was portrayed so masterfully by their actors. I also think this goes hand in hand with the writing of the drama. The writing was well done, in my humble opinion, and all the character's actions felt true to their character. And each main character had a beautiful storyline and arc and this includes the characters that were not my faves, which I think speaks to the writing being done well. I particularly feel that the female lead's character development was done incredibly well. Also, I am a sucker for well done romantic dialogue and there were some lines that just pierced my heart so deeply. For the sake of not spoiling anything, I won't write any out. But the chemistry between the leads?! 10/10, no words.
The strong female characters were... chef's kiss. Their perseverance, resilience, and sisterhood was one of my favorite parts. Yes, this drama centers romance but it does such a good job in highlighting how amazing women are especially during such difficult times and harsh conditions. When it comes to the romance, there is a lot of push and pull and I can see how people might find this annoying or boring, but I actually didn't mind it in this story and actually felt it fitting. The other parts of the story, like the political turmoil and how it affected people, were also done well because it really makes you become invested in what is going on and how people are being affected.
There were some amazingly beautiful shots in this drama. I had to pause occasionally to take it all in. Hats off to the cinematographers. To wrap this up, if you enjoy historical dramas I think you should definitely give this a chance. If you enjoy romance that is felt so strongly through the screen because of great chemistry, give this a chance.
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A Must Watch!
This show is a masterpiece! I loved this show so much! I’m writing this review two years after completing it. I will never get over this show, and I will always go back and rewatch it! This show had everything! I broke down so many times while watching! This show definitely deserved all the awards it received! This is the show I will always recommend people to watch! The depth of the story was brilliant! This show had everything! I actually was hesitant on watching this show at first because I’m not a big fan of historical pieces, but after this showed me how much I love historical pieces!Was this review helpful to you?
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Ultimate love story
I love everything about this. Them meeting, their voiceovers, the push and pull, the angst....so perfectGil-Chae was kind of a pick me in the beginning but it makes sense for the time period they are in. She has great survival skills and for women needed to be picked by a safe man in order to survive. She stepped up when there was no man to help them and went a long way on her own, I liked those parts so much. Gil-Chae and Jang Hyeon finding each other in these gaps, missing and yearning for each other while not admitting anything to each other...so entertaining to watch. I'm very happy with the 1st part. Let's see how the story goes
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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!Was this review helpful to you?
Amazing... but confused
A quite slow beginning (it took 2 episodes to really get into it), but it is worth hanging in there. Acting was amazing, especially in the war scenes. The chemistry is great and the sorority between the four women is really precious.I loved almost everything, except the last 2 episodes that I found to be a bit confusing (with some flashbacks?). The war/occupation storyline was completly left out in the last episode and it looked like a pressed ending. It is honestly disappointing and a waste because there is so much more to be done (exploring characters' past, development etc).
Let's see what season 2 has in store, but give season 1 a try :) EDIT : Go watch Part 2 it's amazing !! My Part 2 review : https://mydramalist.com/profile/lisouille/reviews/329673
Note : I am a bit sensitive and some scenes were kinda violent so watch out if you cannot stand violence...
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My Comparative analysis: My Dearest and Gone with the Wind
For me, Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable are one of the most legendary couples in the history of world cinema. Therefore, the Korean series, which reinterprets the story in its own way and according to its cultural codes, could convince me to forget the first version and immerse myself in its story. The answer is yes: this series can be classified in the category of a major work of so-called “minor art” (popular art), because although there are differences, there are also similarities. Hence, I took the time to make a comparative analysis of two major works.My Dearest, a 17th-century Korean sageuk, and Gone with the Wind, the emblematic novel and film of the American Civil War, both tell stories where passion and destiny intertwine at the heart of turmoil.
Historical Context: a reversed mirror of society
In My Dearest, the Joseon kingdom is shaken by the Manchu invasion. Confucian social structures collapse, and women become targets of violence and abuse imposed brutally by war. Every choice becomes a matter of survival. Love appears as a fragile luxury, threatened by chaos and social conventions.
In contrast, Gone with the Wind depicts the American South in the 19th century, during the Civil War. Southern aristocrats see their plantations and power crumble. Famine, violence, and human losses disrupt a world once structured and reassuring. Here, there is a glorifying view of the slavery system, which I personally consider the film's major flaw. Scarlett O’Hara, like Gil‑chae, must learn to survive and make decisions that define her, often against society’s expected morality.
This war shows the strength of heroines—women like Gil‑chae, who suddenly grows up, much like Scarlett shedding her carelessness. It also shows how men perceive war and what patriotism means: one fights for the king and ideology, the other only for the suffering people, otherwise abstaining.
Male Heroes: Jang‑hyun and Rhett Butler
Jang‑hyun and Rhett Butler share the archetype of the charismatic, wounded, and elusive man. Classic anti-heroes: charismatic, mysterious, often distant. Jang‑hyun hides his heart behind a mask of indifference and sarcasm. His loyalty and depth appear in times of crisis, revealing a love that only those who can understand him truly perceive. Rhett Butler, cynical and brilliant, feigns indifference to survive but burns internally with an intense passion for Scarlett.
Both fall in love not with appearances or social conformity, but with the heroine’s strength and lively spirit. They are deeply feminist, disregard the opinions of others, and possess a rare, admirable sense of loyalty in love.
Cinematically, both are filmed splendidly with wide shots but also isolated ones to capture the actors’ full range of emotions. Scenes in the fields are magnificent and poetic.
Heroines: Gil‑chae and Scarlett O’Hara
Both women embody the survivor archetype. Gil‑chae, at first coquettish, carefree, and social, quickly reveals herself as strategic, courageous, and resilient. Scarlett O’Hara, though often criticized for her selfishness, shares the same ability to adapt and survive despite loss and humiliation. Their love for the hero is paradoxical: it is both a refuge and a catalyst for their evolution.
Gil‑chae’s love for Nam Yeon‑Jun is more literary and imagined, a nostalgia for her carefree youth. Yet unconsciously, both women always loved the main hero because they share the same moral codes and values. Gil‑chae’s relationship with Jang‑hyun often relies on dialogue without space for sincere emotional exchange, as both egos clash; no one wants to yield or open their heart.
Psychological Evolution: The Arc of Redemption
Gil‑chae transforms her vulnerability into strength and her fear into conscious choice.
Scarlett, through her pain and failed romances, learns to distinguish material survival from emotional fulfillment, maintaining positivity despite life’s obstacles.
These arcs of redemption are not only individual: they concern how each learns to love and stand upright in a broken world.
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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!
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A character driven story that was overpowered by the plot
I haven’t written a review in a while so bear with meAs 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
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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.
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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.
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A thrilling, epic historical romance. Well worth a watch . . . Some caveats on the portrayal of the 'barbarians' at the end:
Lee Jang Hyun is a familiar character, a world-weary ex spy or military man who hides his skills and history behind a joking, frivolous womanizing mask. What is unique, is that he meets Yoo Gil Chae an entitled, determined and crafty 'fox' of her village and falls head over heels for her because of these qualities, not in spite of them. Here, though young and immature, is a woman who has the resilience to survive. As these characters get tossed to and fro, partially due to being in the middle of a tragic and gory war, and partially due to their own inability to be vulnerable, you very much cheer on their survival and happiness.
Towards the end, the miscommunications and missed connections stretch into the absurd. It is understandable that both characters would prioritize their country, community or family over their romantic love - laudable even. It's also understandable that both misunderstand each other - assuming that their love was weak instead of that their duty called on them to act differently. This does not forgive the lack of letter writing and direct communication of the last episode. The lack of communication during war is forgivable - during peacetime less so, and so some points were knocked off for that.
The acting here is believable and top notch, not for one moment from the main characters to the supporting characters, was I ever taken out of the story. Namkoong Min does an excellent job in the early episodes of hinting at the cold competent nature that hides behind the mask. Ahn Eun Jin has the difficult job of portraying a character with many unlikeable flaws and making her come alive and be endearing and she does just that.
The music was sweeping and epic, and some scenes will definitely linger, even if the show isn't really set up for rewatching. I grade on other criteria as well:
Themes: 10
In difficult times, the clear headed, determined will to survive at any cost will triumph over ideological purity. You can find someone that loves you for your difficult qualities not in spite of them. Beware parting with angry words or things left unsaid, you could end up living a life of regret. Be skeptical of titles and power. Look to people's actions not their words in determining where there values and priorities are. Romantic love is not always what to prioritize there is our responsibility to our country, community and family to consider.
Complex characters/Character development: 8.5
All the characters even the secondary ones, have different sides to them and I appreciated this. I was mildly annoyed that instead of having a bigger time skip and allowing Yoo Gil Chae to fully mature, the plot kept them reuniting piecemeal and didn't let the mark of war and trauma full settle on to her.
Complex Women/Strong connections with Women. 9.0
The friendship between Gil Chae and Eun Ae was a complex and enjoyable one. Both having a deeper connection, than their reputations as the 'bad girl' and 'good girl' of the village would imply. Eun Ae, like Jang Hyun, respects Gil Chae for what would be considered 'bad qualities' in a woman.
Cinematography/Production Values: 9.0
Really beautiful, with plentiful use of outdoor sets, well-done costumes, and excellent fight scenes. Nothing new or innovative, but a pleasure to watch.
Note on the 'Barbarians':
The portrayal of the Mongolian and Jin/Qin people is primitive and dehumanizing. It was not 100% this way. I did like that even Jang Hyun underestimates them at times, assuming they will greedily go for the money or gold, only for them to catch him in his plots. I also liked how it shows how Jang Hyun can trade and live amongst them: he understands and respects their practical drive to survive and conquer over the scholars of his own country upholding ideological purity even if it led to defeat. But, I'd be curious for those more knowledgable or from those heritages how they found the portrayal.
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