This review may contain spoilers
Jang Hyun and Gil Chae - that's who you need to know
This review comes with spoilers - the spoilers are in the second half of this post and I shall mark it in bold letters so you can stop reading at that point if you don't want to be spoiled.Referring to just part 2, this was literally actually theoretically a not so enjoyable rollercoaster ride. But theory cannot compete with Nam Goong Min and Ahn Eun Jin's acting so it was still very much enjoyable. Perfect man and perfect woman who are perfectly interesting both by themselves and together do not need the best chemistry to make their collaboration a success. That is my conclusion after seeing Jang Hyun and Gil Chae portrayals. They are gems ❤️ who will last a long time.
Pros:
CANNOT emphasize on the whole amazingness of this production enough. It surpassed everything in this show and even many other shows. They've left every other part of this show to play catch up to them, and when it almost seemed like some parts did, it left everything and everyone (except one aspect) in the dust and won the race. That one aspect, the only thing that was at least able to keep relative pace with (behind) the production was NGM & AEJ's acting. It was golden. These people can act. Coupled with those melting OSTs, this duo is pretty much unstoppable.
Coming to another important thing, the story. Despite the tumbles the writing took, the story and context (special praise and mention here - to how well they showed the difficulties of the commoners during a trying period) and plot - felt new, interesting, engaging and thought-provoking and in many places, the characters themselves were swoon-worthy. Forgetting all the flaws for a second, I think this deserves much appreciation.
However the side characters ended up, I cannot deny how I loved so many of them. I enjoyed Gu Jam, Jong Jong, Young Rang, Crown Prince & Princess and even the stupid Yong Gol Dae.
Best was the main couple of course. The characters held so much power and stood on their own so well and together, the pleasure they could give us was always double. So ya, all of that makes this drama a really good watch.
SPOILERS:::::
Cons:
Man, for an ending episode, that I was satisfied with in many ways, especially after the let down of the previous eps, it still left many things to be desired :( I was right, that they did seem to have had some of the ending planned before so it was not a complete mess, but it was still messy. Especially when it comes to Ryang Eum & Eun Ae. Ryang Eum - mainly cause of the ending - totally left him and us hanging there after all the build up in the first scene with the letter and finding the truth and if JH is coming back and all that stuff. Eun Ae - her role in part 1 was genuinely good. I cannot describe it properly but that's clearly how it was and how it felt. And in part 2, it all felt just lacking when it came to her - SO - the downward transition of this role and the character's importance feels like poor planning. As for Yeon Jun, it's a bit confusing - BUT - to me, the show has taken a confusing stand point forever when it comes to Yeon Jun. From part 1 till now, it's like they are unable to make up their minds which part of his personality they want to emphasize on and they're presenting all they can think of for him as it is. To me, that at least seems consistent even though it's a bit frustrating because if I want to call him names, I don't want to have doubts about it. I don't know if that was intended, but I doubt it. Possibly many other ifs and buts and uncrossed t's and undotted i's.
Overall, decided to stay consistent to my part 1 rating of 9 / 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
E O VENTO NAO LEVOU...
O prota lá na China, salvando os cativos de joseon.. a prota em casa casada com o nojento 🤮 do oficial. Só que ela é raptada e levada como cativa pra China.O nojento acha q a pobre fugiu de novo, a amiga defende ela e o estudioso tbm. O cantor q foi esculachado pelo prota por ter dito q ele morreu, com medo da prota morrer e o prota enlouquecer quando souber, vai atrás dela. Volta pra China e avisa q ela tá lá como cativa.
O prota só fica sabendo disso depois que a pobre sofre… sofre… sofre demais. Ela é a Jong jong foram raptadas.
O marido chega a ir atrás dela, mas quando descobre q ela foi abusada pelos invasores, simplesmente larga ela lá e volta pra casa mentindo q mandou alguém atrás e q foi roubado e não pode pagar o resgate.
A pobre, achava a o marido ia buscar ela. Ela salvou a amiga, salvou o estudioso da cadeia mas ninguém foi lá atrás dela. Só o prota quando soube, ficou louco
(Se prepare pra cena mais linda quando ele a vê no mercado de escravos 😭😭😭😭😭 ) chorei horrores
Daí ele começa a fazer tudo pra salvar ela. Tudo mesmo, inclusive mentir e dizer pra ela ir embora pq a cascavel 🐍 da mulher mascarada quer ela longe dele.
Daí a pobre volta pra joseon
Ele pensa q ela foi acolhida pelo marido. Ela pensa q ele vai ter uma vida melhor sem ela. Os dois sofrem
Ele volta pra joseon, vai atrás dela pra vê se ela tá bem mesmo. Descobre a ela tá só e divorciara. Daí os dois ficam juntos… prepare-se para a melhor cena 🎬 da vida (quando ela diz q foi abusada ) pra ele e ao contrário do nojento 🤮 ele a acolhe.
Tem um monte de coisa, mas no final eles ficam juntos.
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This review may contain spoilers
You see Nam Goong-min, you go in.
My Dearest with all its paraphernalia will, for me, stand at the apex of a period piece adjacent to Kingdom. It is a vision of a lover manque till the very end, until its materialization.It's not a drama that will induce beatification for most parts, so do not expect that.
It will have you at chokehold with intense tension in between characters and with the circumstances, making you anticipate for what comes next. It's the Joseon's weaving of love and unwavering fidelity in all forms and values amidst royal feud, political uproar, foreign invasion, war and chaos.
When I see Nam Goong-min, rest assured it'll be quality delivered. He defined peak gentleman as Lee Jang-hyun; masculine enough to cut through vile, yet feminine enough to express tenderness through his affectionate gestures and acts of service. Can one really get enough of his acting? He lives in his roles. You think it couldn't be any better, but he'll prove you wrong.
Ahn Eun-jin as Lady Yoo is the most cherishable entity in the drama. Her character development from part 1 to 2 was one of the finest things about this drama. Soft yet strong-willed, cantankerous yet compassionate; she displays those emotions at full range without holding back the force that is Goong-min. I was thoroughly impressed by her spirited portrayal of a cringe-free character.
A tale of passionate yearning, yet not overbearing. The pacing might seem a bit tardigrade at times but will round up substantially.
Resolve if strong enough will not be shaken by any external force, and devotion if deep enough will not be sifted out by any enchantress; nuanced and beautifully intricate.
[mild spoiler alert]
As evidenced by Jang-hyun's last conversation with the princess of Qing Dynasty as she questions "Why do you want to return to your hometown, you will die; is it because of her?"
Hyun softens his gaze as he replies, "She is my hometown. Now I want to return home and take a rest.
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This review may contain spoilers
worth the watch
this is my 4th reviews so don't expect much writing and pls do not hate me, it just my opinion i do like my dearestlet start the reviews. im happy that nam goong min played as lee jang hyun also that gil chae is best character of 2023 all tho i don't think part 2 was as good as part 1 but i do think it best sageuk of 2023 but part 1 was soo engaging and soo good. i wanna write more but i can't think more of what to write and i hope this reviews is helpful
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The sound of flowers *ugly crying*
This show was so good! It was different but I think it still belongs to the Saeguk Hall of Fame. There were some hiccups along the way, the uncanny similarities to Gone With the Wind, the unfortunate shoehorning of that one actress with her bad acting skills...but the main plot, the romance, the historical events, the main actor and actress (and the supporting cast that mattered), the music, and the production were all perfect!In fact, I loved this show so much, that I didn't want to finish it because I was afraid the ending would ruin it. That didn't happen. A certain character who shall not be named really downgraded my enjoyment of this from a 10 to a 7 and I would have let that affect my rating except I decided she wasn't worth it. I decided she was not significant enough for me to let her ruin my favorite show's rating. So I was gonna just redact half a point, which would be what she deserved but by the end, I loved the main cast so much that I decided she wasn't even worth that. So this is now a 10/10 show!
Now, there were some hiccups in production but I only noticed this nitpicky stuff because the overall work was way above average which allowed me to then pay attention to details. So for example, some scene blocking, editing, and camera angles were a bit bothersome but come on!!!! Do you even notice this stuff for an average show?! No, you don't! You're distracted by the cringe dialogue, the stiff acting, and the ridiculous melodrama! So I'm not gonna hold it against the show if they forgot to change a character's clothes from one scene to the next to show the passage of time...it's fine! It's totally fine. Is it a rookie mistake?....kinda! But whatever. It's fine.
Now the indisputable strength of this show: the main cast. Except for miss-death-of-emotions-by-botox-I-am-a-nepo-addition-to-the-show-to-ruin-your-enjoyment-evil-cackling. She sucks as$. But everyone else was so good! No one more so than Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin. They were soooo good. Their acting is just heartbreaking and inspiring. I also loved Kim Yoon Woo, my lil baby. He did such a good job. He is one of my newcomer favorites. I can't wait to see more of him.
Now, I never mention music but this show had great music. Why? Well, you might not know this about me, I may hate Korean pop but I love traditional Korean music and the main song and the general vibe of the whole show's ost were heavily inspired by traditional Korean songs, like the songs I used to love before I even got into kdramas. So not only did the song make me emotional every time I heard it, it was also just so beautiful. I love it. I had to mention that.
Overall: Great show. Go watch it and join our cult!!!!
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A masterpiece!
This is the most amazing k-drama series I have ever seen in my life!!!!The story,the screenplay,the music,the cast are really incredible. The series is a blockbuster for sure.The male lead(Namkoong Min) is fantastic and the female lead Ahn Eun Jin) has become a great actress!!!The plot is amazing and you never know how the story will go on,is really unexpected.
I believe that every k-drama lover must see this tv-series .It is right that they won so many awards since it is a masterpiece.
I recommend this drama unreservedly !!!!
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Repetitive and underwhelming
Part 2 has 11 episodes, but only enough plot for like 5 or 6, so there's a lot of repetition and drama cliches that get thrown in. It's especially frustrating because this season tackled some very important subjects that deserve to be reckoned with. Sometimes less is more - a shorter and more focused drama would've worked better. The cliches the writer includes to fill up time make for a dull viewing experience. It felt like the talent of the lead actors and the excellent soundtrack were both completely wasted.Just stop at the end of part 1, you won't miss much.
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"Do You Hear It?. It Is The Sound Of The Flowers"
What can I say? In my opinion, this is the best drama of the year, perhaps the best in a long time, and undoubtedly the finest historical drama. It's a beautiful, inspirational adult love story with none of the fluffy stuff. The drama takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with many heart-wrenching moments throughout. While it touches on controversial topics, it deals with them beautifully, sparking diverse opinions.The actors, especially the main leads, were phenomenal. The cinematography, fight scenes, and OST were amazing. Sure, you could point out some flaws in the plot, but let's be honest, most dramas have them.
This drama has secured a spot in my all time top ten, a list that I often tweak based on my mood. It joins the likes of "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim," "Itaewon Class," "Fight My Way," "Hometown Cha-Cha," "Flower of Evil," "Touch Your Heart," "Vincenzo," and "Strong Girl Bong-soon."
Honestly, I stumbled upon this drama by accident and didn't know the main leads very well. However, I watched it with an open mind and have no regrets. I found myself completely engrossed, never skipping a moment, even when the storyline got frustrating at times. The drama also boasts scenes that are worth watching over and over again.
I highly recommend it to people who enjoy the melodrama, romance, and sageuk genres. It's a must-watch!
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Longing for someone.
How sad and how beautiful!I'm speechless. What a wonderful story. It's like, if they are happy, you are happy.
I'm exhausted mentally and emotionally. The whole story was a rollercoaster, you may be laughing and crying without even knowing it.
Sometimes, we as humans take some things for granted, and then our destiny shows us how important those things are. You may think, “Well, I will do it later”, but then you realize that was the only opportunity that you had.
Anyway, nothing is perfect. This story has some inconsistencies with the plot and how the character will react in some situations. The FL has had some growth since the last season, we have to recognize that she is not the same girl, and she has grown beautifully.
I loved the cinematography, music, and acting. I can't complain; this wait was worth it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Dear Husband…
I’m going to rate this in 2 parts since it has a season 1 & 2.Season 1: 9/10
Season 2: 8/10
Overall, it is a remarkable series with minor inconveniences.
I know this series was based on actual historical events so they didn’t give us the typical good guys conquer all storyline. You’re not going to get the epic political warfare or battle of the wits in the royal court. It was more focused on the fall of Joseon during the Qing’s takeover. You see more of the heartbreaks from the civilians’ eyes. That being said, there were SO many moments I wanted to just scream and punch my pillow out of anger or just cry in anguish.
If you’re here for the romance. Hang tight. It won’t kick in until episode 18. This was THE most chaotic couple in the history of couples. By chaotic, I meant chaos followed them everywhere and every single time. They don’t have a lot peaceful times before shit would hit the fan and off we go running again and again. The ML was one of the most heroic and greenest flag of all green flags. He LOVED the FL with all of his heart, body and soul. The FL .. you’ll have to wait until at least episode 3 to warm up to her but the character development was remarkable. She went from being an arrogant, petty and selfish brat to a strong, independent, wise and courageous woman. Truly magnificent to see her blossom.
Let’s talk crazy. We all know who. Ryang Eum was batshit crazy. He was manipulative, obsessive, possessive and I blame him for the leads’ misfortunes in the first season. Nam Yeon Joon was another crazy mofo. His self proclaimed righteousness under Confucianism blinded him from seeing the actual lack humanity presented in front of him.
The amnesia. Overdone and overused. Wtf. It happened not once but TWICE? EOTAKE?!
The women in this series suffered. A lot. You need to be brave to watch some of it.
Overall, it was a great series and experience to watch. I would not watch it again.
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"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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Wow…Masterpiece!!! The best drama ever
Wow what a masterpiece!!!The production and acting is amazing. Namkoong is fenomenal actor and I love his voice. It is the best drama I had ever watched.
I like how EunJin character envolved in the drama and in the end she knew what is in her heart and never stop loving Jang Hyun and finally she started to persue him. It was painfull journey but she never gave up.
It was hard to watch all the intrigue and betrayal of family and friends. Jang Hyun had fallen for her at the first sign and he always protected her even he had to sacrifice himself. I really hate his father and the crazy king just gets on my nerves. I am so glad they got their happy ending and survived all the obstacles on theirs journey.
Of course there is unsolved story how Ryang ended up in prison and we probably will never know unless we have season 2.
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