It's a good thing there's a Season 2 ...
Season 1 ending where it did would have really made me angry, so I'm glad there was a Season 2 ready to go right away. I haven't finished S2 yet, but Season 1 was terrific. The prickly relationship between the two main characters is funny, infuriating, sad, and beautiful ... engaging at every turn.But the story is so much more than that. It's historically engaging, and emotive, too.
Images you can't unsee make you think about the incredibly difficult lives of Korea's ancestors.
It is an honest, well told story I will probably watch again in the future.
Highly recommended. Namkoong Min is incredible. Just superb in this role.
Choi Moo Sung also brings a moving character to the story.
I hope Season 2 ends well. In any case, I will not regret having watched it.
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MASTERPIECE PAINFUL AND HISTORICALLY REALISTIC
PLOT: FL, a very beautiful girl, attracts the attention of every man in her village, except that of the man she loves, engaged to her best friend. A mysterious man arrives, the ML, a little jaded, but who is intrigued by the FL. Nevertheless, war comes (king besieged in his fortress) and barbarians invade the territory...PROS:
+ great actors: Namkoong Min as ML, accompanied by his 2 friends, and Ahn Eun Jin as FL.
+ the characters are complex, divided between their desires and their responsibilities, tossed around by events.
+ The OSTs are now on my playlist (I particularly like “With you” by Kai).
+ The production is excellent: credible and bloody war scenes ; the tensed, heavy atmosphere of these times of war is well rendered; the cinematography is exceptional.
+ The storyline is solid and the historical aspect seems respected. It is a period which has never or rarely (to my knowledge) been brought to the screen.
=> Don't miss this gem !! ╰(✿´⌣`✿)╯♡
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PLOT: La FL, une très belle fille, fait tourner toutes les têtes dans son village, sauf celle de celui qu'elle aime, fiancé à sa meilleure amie. Arrive un homme mystérieux, le ML, un peu blasé, mais qui est intrigué par la FL. Mais la guerre arrive (roi assiégé dans sa forteresse) et les barbares envahissent le territoire ...
PROS:
+ des acteurs géniaux : Namkoong Min en ML, accompagné de ses 2 potes, et Ahn Eun Jin en FL.
+ les personnages sont complexes, partagés entre leurs désirs et leurs responsabilités, ballotés par les évènements.
+ Les OST sont désormais sur ma playlist (j'aime particulièrement "With with you" de Kai).
+ La réalisation est excellente : des scènes de guerre crédibles et sanglantes : l'atmosphère lourde, pesante de ces temps de guerre est bien rendue; la cinématographie est exceptionnelle.
+ La storyline est solide et l'aspect historique semble respecté et c'est une période qui n'a jamais ou peu (à ma connaissance), été porté à l'écran.
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GIL CHAE IS HERE!!!
If you want to be attached to a drama then you need to watch this! I was looking for something that could change my life, some kdrama that would be one of my favorites since I couldn’t find anything new and My Dearest really showed its potential, it’s an incredible experience watching this. All the episodes had their own meaning, all of them changed the way we see every character and empathize with them. To be honest I even rethought my purpose as a woman because of Gil Chae’s development and how she was just a futile and immature girl who wanted a luxurious life with the man of her dreams and then turned into a woman who just wanted to survive (and she gave all she had to protect those she loved and to keep her head up even in times of despair). And then we have the Male lead who we thought was a jerk bc he didn’t wanted to live a married life and enjoyed flirting with other girls turned to be one of the greenest flags ever, a man who gave up all he believed to love the girl that showed him the sound of flowers. He fought a whole was he couldn’t care less to protect her from getting hurt, he was against all prejudice concerning women to make gil chae feel protected. This was definitely amazing and a 10/10 overall, people can’t miss on this no matter how slow or boring the first episodes seem to be. Everyone should know their story.Was this review helpful to you?
Tense fight or flight scenes to yearning romance
This brought me back to those historical kdramas I used to watch around 2016. Those ones that you get invested in the characters and story and it flows so well.I think it has an interesting angle on war during this era from perspectives of royalty, invaders, civilians, women, scholars, soldiers. It can get so tense on some episodes and I love it lol. The fight and flight scenes are gripping to watch in themselves (forget the romance for a second).
The ML is such a cool guy and he knows many things with an unclear backstory (I guess we will see in season 2). FL comes off a bit arrogant to begin with but when the war comes she really proves herself, I guess she just needs to mature in terms of love and romance. Either way they have great chemistry. I would definitely recommend this drama for the action and the romance and everything in between.
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A 10/10 drama .. Literally
This Drama is one of the best i’ve watched since years. Lately, everything is repeating it self almost. K dramas are becoming alike somehow and it feels like we’ve hit a wall and ran out of ideas . unlike how it used to be. This Drama is honestly a breath of fresh air.. itss different .. the production .. the quality.. the story.. the depth.. THE CASST… everything about this is just chef’s kiss . it is a sorrowful story that will not feel like it in the first couple of episodes i really like the development of characters.. the male lead was someone who is playful and never took anyone seriously.. but once the u progress through the episodes another side of him reveals by how much he cares about the female lead and how much he is ready to give for her. The female lead on the other hand, the spoiled girl.. goes through horrible unexpected experience and becomes a literal badass .. she also said she will never fall for the main lead at first but welp .. they all lied . honestly this show is great just watch itWas this review helpful to you?
Chasing Dreams, Facing War: A Love Story Forged
A sweeping romantic saga set against the backdrop of war, this drama captivates with charm, conflict, and character growth that defies first impressions.Flirtatious, pretty, and radiantly confident, Yoo Gil-Chae is the kind of noblewoman who turns heads—and stirs envy. Known in her hometown of Neunggun-ri as the “99-tailed fox,” she is adored by the local men and quietly resented by the women. Yet behind her coquettish façade lies a recurring dream: chasing a red thread across the land to a man whose face she cannot see. Convinced it is Nam Yeon-Jun—the scholarly gentleman she has long admired and the student of her father’s academy—Gil-Chae is certain her romantic future is with him.
Enter Lee Jang-Hyun, a dashing yet enigmatic merchant whose origins are shrouded in rumour. To some, he is a nobleman. To others, a charming rogue with a lover in every province. Charming and witty, he claims he has no interest in marriage—but his curiosity is piqued by the spirited Gil-Chae. Their flirtation is laced with tension, humour, and an undeniable attraction that neither is willing to admit.
What begins as a light-hearted romantic comedy quickly shifts tone when the Qing invasion plunges their world into chaos. As the war escalates, Gil-Chae is separated from her fleeing family—only to be saved, more than once, by the elusive Jang-Hyun. Yet one fateful secret he withholds becomes the seed of misunderstanding, leading to a wrong choice later.
But it is in these moments that the characters reveal their true selves. The frivolous prove strong. The self-righteous collapse. Gil-Chae, once dismissed as a spoiled beauty, emerges as a fierce leader. And Jang-Hyun, who vowed never to fight or love, becomes a wartime strategist and a man transformed.
The emotional weight of the story lies in how love is tested under pressure. Misguided acts of protection, lies told “for your own good,” and the tragic consequences of miscommunication play out in heart-wrenching ways.
Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun-Jin, playing the lead couple, absolutely light up the screen—their chemistry crackles with intensity, tenderness, and everything in between. Every glance, every silence between them is charged with unspoken emotion. The supporting cast is just as compelling: the idealistic scholar, the gracious best friend, the bitter rival, and the quietly tormented closeted lover—all portrayed with surprising depth and complexity. And yes, it must be said—Namkoong Min is not only magnetic in presence but also irresistibly handsome. Total eye candy, no doubt about it.
And the music? Sublime. Especially the haunting track sung by Ryang Eum—it lingers long after the credits roll.
What keeps you watching is not just the scale of history or the suspense of battle, but the burning question: Will Gil-Chae and Jang-Hyun find their way back to each other?
This drama is beautifully layered, emotionally rich, and packed with surprises. I give it a strong recommendation—and a high rating.
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This drama has mastered how to pull out every one of your emotions
This show is painful to watch. It is so real and heartbreaking and makes me constantly recall how truly callous and inhumane humans truly are; be it then or even now. This show drags all the nasty parts out and shows them exactly as they are. Its realistic and heartbreaking and shows human emotions and human viciousness in a way that makes me ache. The director has mastered how to pull your emotions out of you as a viewer and I went through a slew of them as I watched this. Anger, disgust, annoyance, sympathy. This is the kind of show that you feel your way through and will leave a lasting impression.For me, I can not say I found this enjoyable or entertaining to watch, it's depiction of real life struggles and brutality left me feeling raw and utterly devastated. But it is so heart achingly beautiful that I could not stop myself from watching it. The acting in this from every person is superb. I can not think of any flaw in the way that this show was written, executed, acted, or shot. There are several scenes that are stunningly beautiful. The characters are all thought out, flawed, and experience true character growth. Even the way the production showed the change in color from pastels in the beginning during happy times to the greys and browns during and after war just added to how expertly composed this show is.
-Gil Chae: for me she was truly an unlikable character for the majority of this season and I found myself so frustrated with her specifically in regards to her almost ridiculous adoration and chase of Yeon Jun. Her actions are spurted forward in her pursuit of the man she could not get. She is a spoiled nobleman's daughter that says and does whatever she wants because she is beautiful and noble. But then war breaks out and you start to see her change. She is still ridiculous in her chase of Yeon Jun but she proves herself to be a survivor and a protector. Her character development is the type I want to see in all shows. The kind that is gradual and realistic. She changes as her world around her changes and the circumstances she is put through changes her.
-Yeon Jun: I never at any point like this character. He is weak but believes he is strong. Is selfish but thinks he is honorable. But in how much I hate him, I also know how very real his portrayal is of the men of that time. He stubbornly sticks to his 'loyalty' and 'honor' for himself, never putting anyone or anything over his own agenda.
-Jang Hyun: he is mysterious and seemingly acts out of his own personal interest at every turn. He is a bit of a cad but loyal to those dearest to him with a soft heart and strong mind. A business man that is cunning enough to end up in important circles but chooses to use that power for the powerless. He does find an obstacle in Gil Chae and I think that is part of his interest in her, very like how she is so adamant about someone she can not get as well. But his actions speak far louder than any others in this drama. He is willing to sacrifice himself in exchange for her but will not go down easily.
In terms of the political progression of this story it does flow in a coherent way. You understand the movements, the predicaments, and some of the choices. I personally do not love a politically heavy drama but I was so drawn to Jang Hyun that I kept watching.
If you are looking for a drama that will make you feel something, not matter the emotion then you will find it here. Most o the time you will not enjoy what the characters are going through or the choices they make and you will feel frustrated. The point being that it will make you feel. Out of so many dramas that I have seen there are few that pull out this level of emotions from its viewers.
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We written story and good drama
It is good dramaFl:- given her best
Ml :- given his best
Ambience:- up to the timeline
What I find odd:-
In episode three at starting the invaders ( qing Dynasty warriors) Armor is waving in wing like cloths, that type of Armor had steel plating inside and even if steel plating were absent the harden leather doesn't flap in wind , editor shoul have spotted this little things
Everything else is all right What I find odd:-
In episode three at starting the invaders ( qing Dynasty warriors) Armor is waving in wing like cloths, that type of Armor had steel plating inside and even if steel plating were absent the harden leather doesn't flap in wind , editor shoul have spotted this little things
Everything else is all right
Ending look to commercial ( abrupt change in personality of both main character hence I reduced overall rating from 10 to 7.5
Word filler( to make 500 words)
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good
Iam purely watching only forNAM GOONG MIN
As usual NAM GOONG MIN the way of speech acting style is ultimate
Slightly disappointed script dialog writers they didn't use [ Ahn Eun Jin ] her potential acting fully
Why [ Lee Chung Ah ] making her gest roles or negative roles in many dramas
Making cinematography is rich in class
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This review may contain spoilers
Don't be fooled by the reviews. Its sooooo boring. Let me explain why...
This has to be the most overrated drama. The story is good enough but so confused. Too much happens I the first 5 episodes then it just falls flat. The dialogues are so drawn out.... I want ......( 3 minutes pause......) to leave. Every dialogue was just a few words followed by the longest pause known to man. I watched it at1.5x and still no hope. Also I forwarded through alot of the second part and if I'm being honest most of the final episodes. I can't even tell you what happened to the barbarians because I honestly don't care.Also that love story of constant pushing each other away.... Just No. It only works once for a good story the rest is tiring. Again if I'm being honest I cant tell you what happened to the main characters at the end and again, I don't care.
Amnesia!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhh. I almost broke my phone at that point. It doesn't work anywhere. It didn't work for boys over flowers and it's never worked for any other drama so...No just No.
I liked parts of the FL and parts of the ML. not all but they tried. I blame the director. He must have been there after ever scene shouting .... Cut!!!!! Talk more slower!!!!! Hehe
Finally the editing made no sense. They must have made some mistake in the final editing because the scenes were just jumping forward and back without any logic. That was very frustrating!
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This review may contain spoilers
If you don’t mind sad content and are fond of the separation trope…
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Historical romance drama with 21, 60-90 minute episodes. It was originally divided into two parts: Part 1 with ten episodes and Part 2 with eleven episodes. So some say there are two seasons but there is only one season sometimes divided in two parts..First I provide a Unique Synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Lee Jang hyun (Namkoong Min) is not the type of serious, respectful and honorable noble Yoo Gil chae (Ahn Eun jin) is used to encountering. He is a bit of what we would call these days, a lady’s man but also a “player.” He falls hard for the spirited Gil chae who, as the prettiest girl in her small community, has her pick of suitors. Of course the only guy she is interested in, Nam Yeon joon (Lee hak joo), is in love with her best friend. Kyung Eun ae (Lee da in), Gil chae’s best friend would do about anything for her friend except give up the guy they both love. Eun ae knows Gil chae really just wants Yeon joon because he is not interested and that the roguish Jang hyun is actually a better match for her friend. Eun ae both kind and wise and knows that Jang hyun is actually a very kind and capable man who deeply cares for Gil chae. But Gil chae is slow to recognize her own feelings and does not believe Jang hyun’s feelings are sincere. He has also clearly stated he is against marriage something any noble lady would scorn. Through war and the aftermath the two suffer many missed opportunities and Gil chae weds another man. Despite this, they both have each other firmly in their heart. Korea is suffering as the defeated party under a faction of China and the people are suffering by being impoverished, persecuted, killed and enslaved. Is there any hope for these two who seemed destined to be together?
Review
I do not like sad shows. If you like sad then you would definitely like this more than I did. I actually looked up the ending and it said it ended happy enough so I went with that. But what I didn’t understand is, it may end fairly happy, but it is sad all over the place throughout. Why? Well it is loosely based on true events where there was this Josean king who became paranoid and did a lot of horrible things as a result. And the royals were always trying to poison each other. That is why food tasters were common in many countries among the royalty. It was good for what it was. Wonderfully acted, the filming was amazing, and it was interesting throughout. So, understand that my ranking is based mostly on the fact that it had sad threaded all through it. I would not watch it again because it made me too down. I would recommend it to people that like historical and do not at all mind sad content.
Spoilers
I read that it ends with him losing his memory but that he remembers events around her. But they are together. That is true and that is the way it is nearly to the very end. But, in the last few minutes, he fully remembers her it shows his gaze becoming more steady and he says her name and looks her right in the eyes. So he does fully remember her. But two things about that. I personally hate the amnesia trope in general. And he has not one but two separate periods of amnesia. And, since it ended that way, we don’t know if he remembered any of the other people in his life.
Yeon joon was just an annoying character to me. I guess that wanted you to think Gil chae’s love for him in the beginning was completely juvenile and ridiculous. He was never a character I admired as he was so sanctimonious and it shadowed and influenced everything he did. He was never as thankful to Jang hyun for protecting him during the war as he should have been. If he told Gil chae about that in a “he is my life safer” type way she might have admitted her feelings for Jang hyum sooner. But I think there was a part of Yeon joon that liked having Gil chae romantically interested in him.
Gil chae was really annoying in the beginning. It had a real “Gone with the Wind” sort of vibe as she started as a noble that was very princess like as she was the beauty of the community. Then war breaks out and she goes through serious hardship and has to suffer horribly at the hands of the Barbarians. And it did humble and change her. But then she scorns Jang Hyun and marries the man who lied on the path on the island to basically use her as Barbarian bait. I get that it was Jang hyun’s fault a bit because, even at that point, he did not offer marriage but still you don’t turn your back on someone that has done so much for you and you obviously have feelings for.
Eun au, on the other hand, was such a sweet, humble and loyal person from the beginning, I did not feel like Yeon joon deserved her. The way he treated her when she was asking about being “defiled” by Barbarians made me like him even less. And then when he was a traitor to Jang hyun by leading the soldiers that nearly killed him, I liked him even less. There were just a few moments in the end when he asked Eun au to go with her and if he was still her husband where I think they were trying to show he had come around, but it wasn’t enough. So that wasn’t a sweet side romance.
I thought the Crown Prince and Princess dying was just tragic and unnecessary. Yes that may have been what happened, or close to it, historically but they could have departed and had him live. And then to make the Princess a traitor and even kill the royal heir, just made it Greek tragedy level.
The royal concubine was the evil doer behind most of the tragic events and we did not get the benefit of seeing her taken down. Evil essentially won. And that may have been what happened in the historical event it was drawn from but stories have the opportunity to improve and depart from such things. I suspect the king in the end was the concubines’ son. That was her goal to have her son put on the throne, but that was not very clear.
A large portion of the show was told with the main characters parted by war and other circumstance. I really dislike the separation trope so that being so prevalent and repetitive throughout the series was a serious negative to me. They were apart way more than they were together. Then, they would just get together briefly and either they would have a misunderstanding and go their separate ways, or a tragedy would strike and drive them apart. It was so frequent that the majority of the live commenters were complaining about them mostly being apart.
I guess the ending was supposed to be happy in the house he created to her specifications. But they were always surrounded by so many others throughout that them two alone just seemed very lonely. And it seemed they just planned to live as if dead so that he would not be hunted. But that was sad too. If it weren’t for the mad king and the evil concubine he should have lived out a heroes’ life.
#NamkoongMin #AhnEunJin #MyDearest#LeeDaIn #LeeHakJoo
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Ep 1-4 Review: Overall a Recommendation Review
(First of all, I wasn't sure to put this in a Review or Discussion post)I'm going to try and be as spoiler free as I can, although My Dearest has barely started airing (with only four episodes out).
My Dearest, like many have pointed out in the comment section on MDL, is very reminiscent of the movie Gone With the Wind. I actually watched Gone With the Wind for the first time upon hearing about the comparison to see what people were talking about.
Our FL Yoo Gilchae (played by the very talented Ahn Eunjin) is just like Scarlett in the sense that she is very cunning and confident of herself. But of course, she is sheltered and appears to be more spoiled. Though it is the looming threat of war that sets the tone of the show. And Gilchae has major character development in episode 4 because of the war.
The ML, Lee Janghyun on the other hand is Rhett, a man who appears to be selfish and only acts for himself. Though become enamored by the confident attitude of the FL. Personally I'd say that Namkoong Min has really added his own charm to the Rhett character. Of course we'd really have to thank the screenwriter for changing his character.
Namkoong Min, for those who are already aware of this actor- has insane charisma on screen and it seems that he just keeps on getting better and better though each project he takes on. His character Lee Janghyun has secrets that even the audience can't begin to guess. He's skilled with a sword and appears to have a lot of knowledge of military tactics. For someone who moves like a nomad, he has money, and connections to a lot of people. He's charming, smart, and is not one to fall for the trick of blind loyalty.
I feel like I'm hyping him up excessively but as someone who has seen a lot of Namkoong's other works, this one just seems next level.
Ashley and Melanie take the form of Nam Yeonjun and Kyung Eunae. Because My Dearest takes place in Joseon during the Qing invasion- There is the added plot of Yeonjun and Eunae having a promised engagement since they were young. Though Eunae very much loves Yeonjun.
In my opinion, and from what I've seen in the four episodes that have aired, this is where the similarities to Gone With the Wind end. Nobody got married before the men went off to fight and /thankfully/ Gilchae isn't as obsessed with Yeonjun as Scarlett was with Ashley.
But the writing, the acting, the directing have been excellent. I want to talk about a few stand out scenes that have happened in these four episodes.
- Firstly, I need to talk about Gilchae's dream sequence. From the first episode, we see a beach where Janghyun is located. It's at sunset or dusk and the sky is a beautiful shade of oranges and pinks. Gilchae's dream starts out with a red roll of yarn falling out of her hand and rolling like it has a mind of its own. Of course this is referencing 'the red string of fate'. The red yarn takes her out of her village, through the forest, all while the seasons are changing. She is running though fall, winter, summer, spring. And the string stops at the beach Janghyun is at. Overall, it's such a beautiful sequence and it has a lot of importance. I'm sure someone could even write an essay of its own about the foreshadowing this dream has. Her dream is also recurring- we see it again in episode four, and I'm sure we'll see this dream more in the future as well.
- Then, the scene of the grandparents 60th wedding anniversary party. If anyone has watched Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People- I think you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that this screenwriter (Hwang Jinyoung) is great at creating tension in something that should be peaceful. The grandparents are a couple that are very cute and their party is just overall really touching- but the joy that's being shared overlayed with clips of the barbarians making their way to Joseon makes the audience feel uneasy and full of anxiety of what's to come.
- Episode 4 is a masterpiece in its own. Continuing on from the situation that ep 3 ended on, we face the reality of war. This is brutal, and it won't get better. Some may say that the first three episodes were too silly or had too much comedy, although episode four wouldn't feel so real if it didn't have that normalcy in the beginning. I found myself sobbing for characters that only had at most 30 min of screentime. Namkoong Min shines as Janghyun. He's dependable and he's ready to fight for those he cares about. We realize that he didn't join the other men because if all the men go out to fight, who will protect the elderly, the women, and the children back home. Truly, his charisma will have you calling him husband like Gilchae did at the end of the episode.
Gilchae's character development is beautiful and moving. She went from deluding herself that Yeonjun is in love with her to helping a women give birth, protecting the small group she's with from barbarians, and just really showcasing how smart and brave she truly is. This is a scary situation, especially for a group of women- and even if Gilchae laughed off the idea of war and self defense in the beginning. With the help of Janghyun's warnings, advice, and dagger, she matures.
I am really looking forward to the future episodes and it's been really surprising how not many people are checking this show out. Honestly, I've been looking forward to this show since I saw that Hwang Jinyoung was writing it. (If you see her list of works, you'll know why). Truly, her two past works are in my top 5 sageuks.
Also, a lot of the hesitancy I've seen towards this drama is regarding the ending people think it's going to have. All I can say is that Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People (a show by Hwang Jinyoung), opened by showing the FL being tied up on a pole and being shot in the chest by the ML. And that show has a happy ending with everyone surviving. So, I wouldn't put off My Dearest because of the tone the first episode set about the ending.
It feels like it's been a long time since there has been a truly mature historical drama here in dramaland. I hope everyone who loves historical dramas will check this out ! Even if you don't usually enjoy historical dramas, please give this show a chance. At least watch until episode four.
Thank you for reading :)
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