My Dearest

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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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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Fluffy? Yes. Horrifying? Also yes. A GRIPPLING HISTORICALLY ACCURATE GEM.

From the first second I could tell how much detail and effort they put into making this drama historically accurate. From the way the actors spoke ancient Korean, to the raw and cruel realities of war, this drama made my jaw drop over and over.

For the first three episodes, it felt kind of slow. But I promise when you reach the start of the war, you will be blown away by its intensity.

Likes:
- PLOT went from 0 to 100 real quick. I really appreciated the intensity of the plot, especially showing the realities behind war.
- One of the more realistic and historically accurate Sageuk.
- Really compelling character depth and dynamicism. I loved the journey of FL's extreme immaturity to maturity as she faces adversity, it was both powerful and heartbreaking.
- Acting was just phenomenal.
- A masterpiece full of horror and beauty. I don't think I can find another historical drama as well done and intense as this.
- Great chemistry between the actors.

Dislikes:
- The interactions and love fights between FL and ML got too repetitive and annoying. The writing for developing their love and passion felt lazy and insufferable because of how immature it is. They kept making the same mistakes over and over and acted selfishly and toxicly to each other. The world gave them multiple chances to make it up to each other, and they both took it and stomped and spat on it with their blind eyes. Honestly, I don't understand why ML even fell for the girl cus every time they meet they just hate and lie to each other.
- Hard to get a sense of the timeline, so I often fell out of the immersion when I didn't understand how long things had passed.

I speak quite strongly about my critisms of the show only because I loved it so much and wished for its perfection. It was frustrating to see how much the romance pales to the rest of the fast paced, beautiful, and grippling parts of the drama.

If you love Sageuk and thriller, this opened a door of hunger to watch another show of similar historical accuracy and intensity for me, and I am scavenging with no success. My Dearest is truly a rare gem that makes most other Sageuk you watch coming after feel unsatisfying and superficial.

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Beautiful historical love story

Beautiful production with near perfect casting. the chemistry between the main couple was electric, both characters well developed. The rest of the cast and their backstories could have been expanded on more rather than focusing on the historical aspects.

Only negative aspect is that it should have been 16 episodes long. The historical aspects didn’t add much value to the love story other than keeping them apart and bringing them back together. a few of the story arcs could have been left out and they were separated too many times, it became a bit irritating.

But overall, it’s definitely worth the watch.

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A mature story not those boring childish time wasting kdrama

I have never took my time to register and comment on this forum before but this my dearest movie forced me to comment. Infact I watched 10 episodes in 2days despite my busy work schedule. But this story must not end on season 1 because the loves and little borns never get meaning in the story and the male lead is still going to war at the end of the episode 10 . The heart breaking part that makes me not like the full story is how the male and female lead didn't end up marrying each other while the other girl and
her loyal husbandd married happily. If there is season 2 please let it air immediately unlike arthal chronicle that took months to watch season 2

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She Is My Homeland

All seems cheery and peaceful in a small Joseon village circa the early 1600s. The series starts off much like “Gone With the Wind.” Scarlett O’Hara is a spoiled, selfish young woman who is addicted to the attention of young men, and she’s in love with a man who is already in love with someone else. Enter Rhett Butler, the man who is a bit of a philanthropist and an opportunist who is immediately captivated by Scarlett, despite her insecurities and immature behavior.

Yoo Gil Chae is very much like Scarlett, and Lee Jang Hyeon shares many aspects that parallel Rhett. Their initial meetings are met with tension and resistance, as Lee Jang Hyeon has no intention of ever getting married, which is just fine with Gil Chae since she’s in love with Nam Yeon Jun, the one man she can’t have because he’s in love with Kyung Eun Ae. Sound familiar? To anyone who’s seen “Gone With the Wind,” it won’t be hard to connect the dots.

Even the setting of “Gone with the Wind,” during the American Civil War, shares similarities when the Q’ing, with help from the Mongols, decide to invade Joseon, thus throwing the small country into strife and turmoil, as the struggle to survive becomes paramount, and it is here that the story really begins to create its own identity.

Gil Chae is a young noblewoman who quickly learns that she can’t rely on anyone but herself if she wants to survive. She quickly realizes that throwing her “noble status” in the faces of her enemies is pointless. Little does she realize that, despite her constant rejections, Lee Jang Hyeon is already smitten by her and the sound of flowers.

Lee Jang Hyeon, on the outside, seems like a slick opportunist who could care less about what’s going on around him. He has no love or respect for the king of Joseon, or anyone who believes that they should follow a monarch, no matter what their own situation or beliefs may be. He’s a master of taking any tenuous situation and making a profit. He also has tremendous charisma that people immediately seem taken to, even the Q’ing, who find out just how valuable his talents are.

However, there is much more to Lee Jang Hyeon than meets the eye. While he may seem to be colluding with the Q’ing, he’s doing all he can to help the simple people of Joseon to survive and, hopefully, and eventually return home.

The Khan, who is the ruling member of the Q’ing in Shenyang, creates unrest when he demands that the Crown Prince be sent to Shenyang to act as a liaison between Shenyang and Joseon. However, the longer the Crown Prince remains in Shenyang, the more suspicious and paranoid the king of Joseon becomes. Initially, the Crown Prince is much like his father until Lee Jang Hyeon directly challenges him to use his status to help save the people, and soon the Crown Prince becomes the only member of the Joseon monarchy that he begins to respect because instead of demanding that the people serve him, the Crown Prince finally begins to realize his obligations to his people, especially when he sees everything that Lee Jang Hyeon is doing for them.

Gil Chae is hardly left unscathed as she begins to finally live and stand on her own two feet. She inspires the poor farmers and even gets into blacksmithing in order to create much-needed brass bowls to help boost the failing economy. Gil Chae and Lee Jang Hyeon’s meetings are short and initially met with much friction and even some open hostility, despite Lee Jang Hyeon professing his feelings for her.

Just as it seems that the “ice princess” is beginning to melt, Gil Chae resists Lee Jang Hyeon’s affections, even though she has no clue just how much he’s an integral part of helping the captive people of Joseon who are being held prisoner in Shenyang. She chooses Officer Gu to marry instead.

This is a series that hardly gives you time to rest or even breathe as new dangers seem to spring up like wildflowers. Gil Chae finds herself kidnapped and sent to Shenyang to be sold as a slave. It’s almost sheer luck that Lee Jang Hyeon happens upon her as she’s being auctioned off on the selling block. Gil Chae learns that her husband came looking for her, but upon hearing that she’d been violated by the Q’ing, he gives up and heads home. This finally opens the doors for our star-crossed couple to finally profess their love for each other.

Once again, before they can truly bask in each other, we learn that the king of Joseon has become even more paranoid and vile. Believing that his own son is conspiring to dethrone him and that the Joseon captives in Shenyang are a part of an army being raised by his son, the vicious, diabolical king orders the captives to be killed. Even as Lee Jang Hyeon secures their release from the Q’ing, he finds himself caught in the king’s sadistic plot.

Just when you thought there was a possible way out, the Crown Prince and his wife are poisoned to death, and all remaining captives are also rounded up and killed. It’s ironic that throughout the series, the Mongols and Q’ing are referred to as “barbarians,” and yet, by the end of the series, you may be asking yourself, “Who are the true barbarians?” What happens when a country turns its back on its own people? Perhaps we learn very quickly who the real barbarians are. The Q'ing seem bad, but we quickly learn that Joseon is far worse!

There is also a twisted and sick idea that Joseon women, even if touched by barbarians, are somehow violated and are expected to kill themselves. It’s a demented notion, obviously thought up by small-minded old men. When Kyung Eun Ae’s husband finds out that a barbarian grabbed her shoulder in a vain attempt to rape her, he’s horrified that she didn’t take the noble path of suicide. It’s amazing how often throughout history, ignorant and delusional men decided that they could market their women’s chastity like measuring the value of gold.

This is an epic series of love, adventure, turmoil, loss, and the measure of loyalty. When a country or regime does the unthinkable, it’s the duty of its citizens to rise up. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little, temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Too often, the cowards cower to authority rather than doing the right thing, and that’s what we see here, which is rampant throughout history.

Lee Jang Hyeon represents true nobility and that doing the right thing is often unpopular. It takes a while for his companions, and even Gil Chae to fully understand and realize what he’s doing. He rarely asks for any credit. He’s loyal to the people of Joseon, and he’s loyal to Gil Chae. Both are unwavering, which is what makes his character so compelling.

Brace yourself for the last episode, and you might want to keep a box of tissues handy! We find that true love and true loyalty always bring their own rewards, even when circumstances to the contrary appear to exist.

Performances are incredible, but it’s Namkoong Min’s Lee Jang Hyeon that truly inspires and captivates. He seems shallow, a bit arrogant, and indifferent, but we learn quickly that these are nothing more than masks that he wears to hide the man that he truly is.

Do yourself a favor. Sit, watch, and listen to the sound of flowers, and just let it all soak in to your heart and soul. You won’t be sorry.

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My dearest series, indeed!

It took me forever to finally watch this show. I have had this on my watchlist for a while and I finally had time, energy, and fortitude to be able to watch this. And let me tell you - it was well worth it. I was both sorry I waited so long to watch it, and sorry I already watched it and it finally ended. It was a masterpiece, for lack of a more eloquent term to describe it.

Lately, I have been on a K-drama slump and have really been struggling finding good series to watch and so I have been either rewatching old favorites or watching C-dramas or J-dramas. However, this one really made me remember the good old days of K-drama, especially the really fantastical storytelling of historical dramas of the past like Jewel in the Palace, Empress Ki, Jumong, The Great Queen Seondeok, to name a few.

My Dearest is one of the best historical dramas I have seen so far. It had all the right elements to make the series into such a beautiful saga of love, loyalty, friendship, found family, and fealty. The leads did such an amazing job - I fell in love with Lee Jang Hyun and Yoo Gil Chae. Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun-Jin were phenomenal. The supporting cast also made the whole series flow beautifully. The cinematography was the perfect backdrop to the storytelling. The soundtrack just wrapped your heart and soul. I swear, this series has me on a chokehold. I love this show so much.

WATCH IT. YOU WILL CRY. BUT IT IS WORTH IT.

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A devastatingly beautiful drama that stays with you long after it’s over.

✅ What Makes My Dearest Exceptional

🔥 A Perfect Blend of Epic Storytelling and Deep Emotion
• This isn’t just a love story—it’s a story about war, survival, sacrifice, and longing.
• Every character feels real, flawed, and deeply human.
• The scale of the war and the intensity of the emotions hit equally hard.

💔 A Love Story That Feels Earned
• Some dramas tell you that two characters love each other—this one makes you FEEL it.
• Every moment between them is filled with tension, heartbreak, and the weight of everything they’ve been through.
• This isn’t a simple, easy love—it’s the kind that is fought for, stolen, and torn apart by fate.

⚔️ The Fighting Spirit of Korean Dramas at Its Best
• Unlike One and Only, where confidence in battle is a given, here, every survival moment feels desperate and earned.
• The struggle to live, to love, to protect—it’s all intense, and you feel every second of it.

🎭 Acting That Lives on Screen—Especially the Female Lead
• The acting is absolutely breathtaking, but the female lead (Ahn Eun-jin) delivers one of the most incredibly nuanced performances.
• She has that rare, doll-like beauty that feels perfect for the historical period—but what makes her performance even more astonishing is how she transforms.
• At first, she looks soft, youthful, and delicate—almost untouched by hardship.
• But as the story progresses, her eyes change.
• She carries every emotion—pain, resilience, heartbreak, and love—just in her expressions.
• It’s an extraordinary performance that makes you feel every moment of her journey.

👥 Themes of Emotional Maturity & Patience
• This isn’t just a romance—it’s a story about growth, patience, and emotional depth.
• The male lead’s quiet, unwavering patience with her maturity makes their relationship even more layered.
• It’s not just about love—it’s about understanding, waiting, and loving someone through all of life’s hardships.

❌ Where My Dearest Wrecks You

💔 It’s Brutal, Emotionally and Physically
• There’s no “safety net” in this story.
• People suffer, die, lose everything.
• The heartbreak isn’t just one scene—it’s the entire experience.
• Prepare to be wrecked.

🐌 The Pacing May Feel Slow at Times
• The drama takes its time developing everything—which makes it all hit harder, but requires patience.
• Some parts could have been slightly tighter, but in the end, it all pays off.

👑 A Drama That Refuses to Let You Go

💡 It’s not just a drama—it’s an emotional experience.
• After watching My Dearest, I couldn’t move on for days.
• It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring at the ceiling, haunted by what you just witnessed.
• Some dramas you forget—this one lingers, refusing to leave you.

💡 It has the kind of heartbreak that feels like real life.
• No forced tragedy, no exaggerated melodrama—just pure, raw, human devastation.
• The kind of love that should have worked but was never meant to be.
• The war, the time period, the struggle—it all feels painfully real.

🚨 Final Verdict: An Unforgettable, Devastating Masterpiece

⭐ Rating: 4.75/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ One star for the raw, breathtaking performances.
✅ One star for the sheer emotional depth.
✅ One star for the realistic, heartbreaking love story.
✅ One star for the intensity of the war and survival themes.
✅ Half a star for the extraordinary transformation of the female lead.
❌ Minus quarter of a star for the pacing—some moments could have been tightened.

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THIS HAS BECOME ONE OF MY FAVES OF ALL TIME!!!

This show was amazing. So entertaining, so romantic, and so well done. I will be doing a full review here and not splitting it up by parts btw.

Firstly, I was surprised to watch the whole show and not really see any big kdrama actors. Even the old usual side actors weren’t really present. They utilized a lot of fresh faces (at least to me anyways and I’ve been a kdrama fan for 6 years) and I appreciate that.

Secondly, the characters were amazing. Obviously the ml and fl were great and I really appreciate their performances. I knew Eunjin from Strangers From Hell and I feel like she was able to keep the same freshness and youthfulness to her character. Her performance is also one of my favorite fell characters of all time. The character, Gil Chae, is so inspiring because she has such a great self esteem and at the very core knows what she’s capable of and what she deserves. She also has an entrepreneurial spirit which I feel like is rarely shown in kdramas. She’s a total girl boss.

And Namkoong made me want to watch the show because as an nctzen, I can’t help but be drawn to him, he looks so much like Jaemin lol. Even his portrayal of the character reminded me of Jaemin and every scene Namkoong was in made me feel satisfied. The beginning scene of him on that beach still brings tears to my eyes. I could just see the exhaustion with the fight and life in general on his face and those tears slipping down was amazing.

The side characters killed it aswell. I was surprised to see how much second leads there were. Ryanguem really was so loyal and beautiful and to have a gay second lead was unconventional but I love it. It makes the perfect sense of his character’s actions and the show wasn’t afraid to show a person like him in Joseon Korea as well as not write his actions off as brotherly like most show wills do. Chungah I know from watching Heart Pairing this year but had never really seen her before. I really liked her performance as well but I still don’t understand why she was chasing down captives. She was a bit of a weird character. Yeongjun was annoying but surprisingly I cried for him on the last ep so I guess he wasn’t all that bad. He’s just one of those overly honorable characters that has no room for gray area which bores me. Eun Ae was sweet but I didn’t like how she kept downplaying Gil Chae’s feelings for Yeongjun as if that’s not her best friend smh.Will forever be a fan of Gu Jam cause he has a lot of aura and is so cute. Big Hyungnim was a cute character as well.

The progression of the show was pretty good to me but I did feel like the dialogue was kinda weird at point. Like when Jang Hyeon comes back and Gil Chae is getting married. I feel like neither of them actually expressed their feelings toward each other. And I watched all 21 episodes and I don’t recall ever seeing or hearing a “saranghe” from either of the characters. Also to use the memory loss trope 2x in one drama is kind of lazy but I’ll take it. I also felt rather let down with Janghyeon’s past and expected something more exciting.

The show is long but genuinely I watched every episode with eagerness and never ONCE got bored of it. I enjoyed the themes of chastity and nationalism. I also enjoyed the soundtrack. I do like the ost in Ryanguem’s voice the most cause it brings me to tears.

This show is a 10/10 and I’ll recommend it to everyone

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A great war story, with a touch of romance, action, and so much crying. I watched this drama because of Namkoong Min, stay because of the amazing cast and story. The supporting cast was so talented and I love the small knitted female group that formed and took huge chunk of my heart.

I started this drama liking Yoo Kil Chae right off the bat. Although a little spoiled and bratty, I still found her very confident, witty and sassy. Watching her grow from a little princess in her village to a humble person surviving to get back to her family was such a great journey. Her courage, resilient, and leadership was the reason why her little group made it.

Lee Jang Hyun, what can I say? He was the perfect man. Brave, strong, and oh so handsome. No, but for real though, he did so much for her in the background that it hurts when he didn't get credit for it.

This is the drama would definitely recommend to my non- drama loving friends.

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I think I never gave a historical kdrama a perfect score before

I think I never gave a historical kdrama a perfect score before. This one deserves it. The portrayal of a Joseon in ruins during and after war with the Qing and how the war deeply wounded its people from the lowest to the highest ranks of society was poignantly breathtaking. Everything about the production is top notch. Performances throughout were excellent.

I went in having no expectations and expected a nice romcom, but I was served the most epic love story I've ever seen in kdrama. I highly recommend this drama to anyone ready for an epic tale of love in the time of war.

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