Dear Hongrang

REALITY IS PAINFUL BUT REFUSE TO SEE IT IT'S WORSE

What a perfect unions of acting, directing, LOCATION, and intensity.
I am trully happy that this drama focus on one of the most rampant trend of this century.
There is a real that you can touch, and there is a real that you don't want to see nor touch.
The only difference of today and the previous centuries, it's that the hunting is easier, faster, with a VASTE number of preys to pick from.
NOBODY ever wanna talk about how children are treated like livestock, and moreover there such a cognitive dissonance that prevent us from understanding how big and sadistic the issue is.
This drama, is magnitude 10 because the editing is so magnificently tuned with EVERYTHING, that it render the view tollerable and gets your hope so high that you cling into the tiny hope it's going to end they way you want.
Maybe the ending (not the story ending ) was the only weakness. ...what the heck with the ice part.
5* on everything an a RIP for Park Zi-A.

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A Tragic Romance of Memory, Forbidden Love, and the Search for Identity

“Dear Hongrang" is a historical K-drama that blends mystery, forbidden romance, and family drama with rare finesse. The story begins with the disappearance of Hongrang, the son of a powerful merchant family. Twelve years later, a man returns, claiming to be him but with no memory. His reappearance disrupts the balance of power, reopens buried wounds, and rekindles long-suppressed emotions.

*The characters are the beating heart of this drama.*
Hongrang (Lee Jae-wook) is a living enigma. He shifts between coldness, pain, and tenderness. There’s a sense of a broken past and a fragmented identity that creates a constant tension around him. By his side, Jo Bo-ah plays Jae-yi, his half-sister a strong yet wounded woman torn between family loyalty and a forbidden love she tries desperately to suppress. Their relationship, full of lingering glances, restrained gestures, and unspoken words, is both heartbreaking and magnetic.

The character of Mu-jin (Jung Ga-ram) also deserves attention. As the adopted son of the family, he hides his own wounds consumed by jealousy, unrequited love, and a longing to be acknowledged. His arc is one of the most tragic and human in the series.

*The OST is exquisite.
The music perfectly accompanies each scene, enhancing silences, amplifying tension, or wrapping emotional moments in a delicate soundscape. Some melodies gentle, haunting stay with you long after the episode ends. Moments of confrontation and intimacy are elevated by the soundtrack, which adds incredible emotional depth to the story.

This is a drama of contrasts: there are genuine moments of joy, when reconciliation or a future seems possible… but they are often quickly overshadowed by the harsh realities of the era, political games, or secrets too heavy to stay buried. I laughed at times, but I mostly cried. Not because of grand tragedies, but because of those small, fleeting moments—when everything could have changed, yet the characters remain prisoners of duty, name, or past.

- In conclusion, *Dear Hongrang* is a visually stunning and emotionally intense drama, carried by actors at the peak of their craft. It’s not fast-paced or action heavy, but it grips your heart and doesn’t let go. It speaks of memory, forgiveness, impossible love and above all, identity. A must-watch for those who appreciate deep, melancholic storytelling.

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the search for a lost brother

finished 9/10 🌟

What a trip filled with beautiful landscapes and an impeccable story you gave me, dear Hongrang 👏
It's been a while since a Korean historical film excited me so much.
Lee Jaewook is impeccable and proves once again that this type of role suits him perfectly ✨
Boah performed excellently, especially in his melancholic scenes. I could feel his pain and anguish through his character 👏
Kim Jaewook as a villain, which was spectacular, although I felt that I needed more of him. I wanted to see more representation of his character and I was left wanting more 😭
A heartbreaking but healing ending that teaches us that someone always comes into our lives who gives us a purpose for living.
It may not be a kdrama for everyone, but for those of us who love the historical genre, I must say that this kdrama is incredible 👏

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Only needed more time at it's climax

My heart really couldn't handle the last few episodes. This is very dark and not for the fainthearted, but it's an absolute mindblowing cinematic experience, the likes of which I haven't seen in any historical dramas so far. All the filming locations and sets are brilliantly made, and I found the writing of the main story incredible unique and real. Action sequences are incredibly refined and well made. The story was as fleshed out as it could get albeit 11 episodes is definitely NOT ENOUGH, cause they really had to reveal a lot of heavy and disturbing information in chunks near the end. Why can't kdramas be 16 episodes if they have enough content for it??? I don't like how kdramas are getting only 8 or so episodes now when they need more. Even 11 was not enough!

Now for the OST, it is an absolute masterpiece and something I will never be able to forget. Both the ballad and the OST in the action scenes (sounds really south-asian like) are just masterpieces that need to be recognized, and they are incorporated in the best way possible without taking away from certain scenes by being too loud or unfitting (huge pet peeve of mine). They really enhance the scenes and draw out the emotions they want to. My my biggest positive about this drama though is that the ACTING IS FANTASTIC OMG, I cannot say enough about everyone's performances. This is SUPER IMPORTANT because I found many scenes to be silent with little dialogue, but the emotions and developments are all there. Just by looking at the actors, you can completely tell what's going on in their minds if they want you to. It gives off a very unique intense lingering feeling that sits with you that I wish more dramas would do, and I have so many actors I am a huge fan of now including LJW, Jo Bo Ah, Jung Ga Rum, Uhm Ji Won, etc! Everyone is perfectly cast and give it their all for their roles. I will be following so many promising actors from now on!

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it is a dark drama but you will love it!

I bridged the drama over two days as I could not stop watching it. The cinematography and acting are amazing. To be honest, Jae Wook was born to play i daesang; it suits him perfectly. I love the storyline and how slowly we are getting to the truth. Not a single episode was boring. The chemistry between the leads is awesome! I love the bond Jae I and Hong Rang had. Their eyes speak for themselves. The fighting scenes were great as well. It was a real surprise to see the real villain, as he had my blood boiling every time he appeared. I will not say more to avoid spoilers.

The OST is great, so fitting to the drama. It is not a typical drama; it is dark, and with each episode, there is more suffering, but it is a beautiful story of two people who try to protect each other. The last episode was very emotional.

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A Haunting Masterpiece: The Tragedy and Beauty of Hongrang

I rarely give such a high score in my reviews, but I had to for this one. Not a single bad note. It felt like listening to a musical masterpiece, tragic, seamless, beautiful, and deep.

We’re introduced to the Sim Guild clan, a prestigious family of art merchants. One fateful night, the young heir disappears without a trace, leaving the whole family in turmoil.

We follow Sim Jae-i, the half-sister, bullied at home by her stepmother. She was once the closest person to Hongrang, the missing heir, and has spent 12 years searching for him. The stepmother is consumed by grief, while the father keeps it together surprisingly, but he took it upon himself to replace the missing heir by adopting another boy, Sim Mujin.

One day, a mysterious young man is brought to the house. He has no memory of his past, but everything about him matches the lost heir. That’s when the drama starts. The mother wants to reclaim her power and reinstate the returned heir as the leader of the guild. The father, surprisingly, resists and starts plotting with his adopted son against his own blood.

There’s a whole web of complex relationships here, full of secrets, ambition, grief, and twisted loyalties. And underneath it all, the mystery of what really happened to Hongrang. The man we know as Hongrang adds to the confusion himself. He’s a skilled fighter, known as the “Soul Reaper” and he’s secretly hunting the monster who took him all those years ago.

The story keeps unraveling in unexpected ways. We’re constantly misled about who’s really pulling the strings, who Hongrang truly is, and what each character actually wants, or even is.

Despite everything, Hongrang and Sim Jae-i slowly grow close. But they have to deal with Sim Mujin’s obsessive and toxic love for her, as well as betrayal, power games, revenge, and the painful search for truth.

It all plays out like a symphony building to a crescendo to explode in the final act.

The acting was phenomenal. I hated the characters I was supposed to hate and cried for the ones who were hurting. This isn’t an easy watch, it’s heavy, raw, and deeply tragic.

I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say this: Hongrang deserved better. Still, I don’t regret how it ended.

The pacing was excellent, only 11 episodes, not the standard 12, and it showed that every moment mattered. No filler, no dragging. The visuals were stunning, the tone dark and chilling, and the fight scenes? Some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Lee Jae-wook absolutely delivered. His performance had so much depth, it was beautiful. Honestly, the whole cast was perfectly chosen.

I 100% recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery, a tragic love story, and top-tier acting.

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beautiful cinematography, great acting, but not well executed

i will start by saying that dear hongrang goes into some heavy topics, which i applaud the writers/producers for. it's not easy to portray a lot of this stuff, and i think they did well in some parts. however, there were many plot holes and the pacing felt choppy—i do think everything only really fell into place in the last 4 episodes, but that the foreshadowing up until then wasn't well executed. i think this would've been a great 3 hour long movie instead of a drama series.

there is a very noticeable shift in the atmosphere of the romance/intimacy halfway through the show which would have worked great if they had set it up better earlier on. i do think their chemistry was quite nice in the last few episodes 👍

the actors all did a great job though—especially jaewook. i think hongrang's story is a very haunting one, and he did extremely well with such a heavy role. there is a lot of emotion both he and bo-ah bring to their characters individual stories, which did save the drama a bit.

the costumes and the cinematography were all gorgeous! the ost was also beautiful and i think probably my favourite thing about this drama 💕

overall, i think the ending works really well with this kind of plot, but i do wish it was better paced/executed throughout the actual episodes. it is very haunting though and does leave an impression on you.

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I Watched It… But Only Because of the ML ?

I watched the entire Dear Hongrang series, and I’ll be real — it was a drag for me.

The only reason I stuck it out to the end was because I liked the male lead, and that’s only because I loved him in Alchemy of Souls. Otherwise, I probably would’ve dropped this halfway through.

The female lead just didn’t click with me at all. I couldn’t connect to her character, and the chemistry just felt… flat. 😬

And then there’s the storyline — the whole “long-lost brother” returns, and then suddenly there’s a romance brewing (even though they’re not related)… yeah, that was weird. I get it technically, but emotionally it just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t get into it. Felt forced and off-putting.

On top of that, the pacing was slow. Way too much posing and dramatic staring instead of actual fighting or momentum. Scenes that could’ve been over in 2 minutes were dragged out just for aesthetics.

Visually, it had some nice moments. But overall, style couldn’t save the lack of substance in this one.

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Very hollywoody meaningless showy SOAP. Like a 100-episode morning drama in historical context

So many ppl wrote that the ML was a great actor and FL terrible, and I agree. She cannot act. I saw her in All About my Mother and she is acting there the same way she is acting here.
I watched the side actors and they are all pretty bad. They cannot act It is clear they are pretending.
ML on the other hand can act a wide range and is rather convincing.

The plot as the story is interesting and realistic to some degree. What ruins it is the Hollywoody shocking thing (and unfortunately real thing) of abusing children in evil rituals. That part was .. iffy. ... Although historically and currently that happens in the West (and the east too??) .... well... it was too much and it took away from the drama because it introduced more mess than necessary. It was one of those signature SENSATIONALISTIC Hollywoody tricks and it is just ... distasteful in the end.

Well the topic of using children for evil rituals has to be talked about though. But in a way that doesnt make it just a show but a way that makes it a social commentary on why that is possible and how to prevent it. Not just a big heading in the news with flashy bombastic text and pictures, leading to no change.

So the plot without too much emphasis on the "shocking stuff" would have been ok... .but .... nothing was done with it. There is no character development, or conflicts worked out and resolved. It is just ... mindless show. AND, the overall message is the message of desperation and gloom, or a sugary ending without any explanation and any pointers for how it happened. Just like most Hollywood is. ALl glitz and glamour SHOCKING stuff and supposedly catchy scenes, but no content. WHAT WERE WE SUPPOSED TO LEARN FROM THIS KDRAMA?

How the drama was made, plus the overdone soapy acting, just doesnt cut it for me.

I watched the end episode too

I watched a lot of it with sound low and without much subtitles so I saw the acting really close up. Then I listened to the music - it is sooo over the top soapy and terrible.

Overall, the soap factor here is about 100% and it reminds me of morning 100-episode dramas, just done with a lot more $$$$ spent on costuming and scenery. Total Hollywood. I see that Netflix makes kdramas like that and I really dislike it. I think Netflix is basically killing kdramas as it is making them americanized to sell more of it in the west, but then the kdrama charm is GONE. True Kdramas with their CREATIVITY and MEANINFUL CONTENT and shows about real people from daily life and their struggles and how they overcame them, kdramas with content and without much vulgar or violent scenes, with sophisticated humor and deep insights, kdramas suitable for all kinds of audiences and ages, showing WARMTH of relationships and GROWTH, and FAMILIES, and society, .... etc. well they might die at this rate. I am really concerned.

The only thing that came a little close to real kdramas is the very very very very end scenes, like last minute of the last episode.
I like the very very very end scenes with FL recovered from the trauma and grew from it. She moved into a better life and helps children, being at peace. It is a realistic and meaningful ending. The horror did not destroy her. I wish we got to see HOW she did it. This unexplained "magically happened" happy ending is too much Hollywood and Disney for me. It is too sugary and soapy. What would make the drama worthy is to see HOW she overcame the trauma. And I wish that FL actress acted those end scenes better. It almost got ruined by bad acting.

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In summary: I dont like this kdrama. I think it is a very glorified morning 100-episode SOAP..... and I have watched some of the morning 100-episode soaps and imo they are better than this.

This drama is good for nice historical costuming and scenery. That's about it.

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Un Drama che lascia il segno, che ti fa soffrire e amare con la stessa forza

Un k-drama storico intenso e profondamente emotivo, recentemente disponibile su Netflix. Ambientato durante la dinastia Joseon, il drama si apre con il ritorno improvviso di Hong-rang, figlio di una potente famiglia di mercanti, scomparso da dodici anni. Il suo rientro, privo di memoria, sconvolge gli equilibri familiari, in particolare quelli con la sorellastra Jae-yi, che ha sempre sperato nel suo ritorno ma ora si trova di fronte a un uomo che potrebbe non essere chi dice di essere.
La serie esplora con grande profondità temi dolorosi come i legami familiari spezzati, l'identità e la follia. Attraverso una narrazione avvolta nel mistero e nel melodramma, Dear Hongrang mette in luce le ferite invisibili causate da abusi e traumi infantili, mostrando come queste cicatrici influenzino le relazioni e le scelte dei personaggi. La follia non è solo una condizione mentale, ma diventa una metafora della disgregazione familiare e della perdita di sé.
La regia raffinata e le interpretazioni intense, in particolare quella di Lee Jae-wook nel ruolo di Hong-rang, conferiscono al drama una carica emotiva potente. La serie si distingue per la sua capacità di trasmettere emozioni contrastanti, passando dalla tenerezza all'angoscia, dalla speranza alla disperazione, offrendo una visione profonda e toccante delle dinamiche familiari e delle conseguenze della sofferenza non elaborata.
Dear Hongrang è un'opera che lascia il segno, consigliata a chi cerca una storia intensa, capace di esplorare le complessità dell'animo umano e dei legami familiari in un contesto storico affascinante.
Questo drama mi ha letteralmente spiazzata. È davvero bellissimo, ma anche profondamente triste e a tratti crudele. Un’autentica montagna russa di emozioni: si passa dalla rabbia alla disperazione, fino alla dolcezza struggente dei momenti condivisi tra i protagonisti.
Lui è semplicemente perfetto in questo ruolo. Lo avevo già amato in Alchemy of Souls, ma qui riesce a superarsi: è meraviglioso, intenso, capace di trasmettere un’intera gamma di emozioni solo con lo sguardo.
Dear Hongrang entra di diritto – e direi anche con prepotenza – nella mia TOP TEN dei drama più intensi, dolorosi e romanticamente indimenticabili.
Un racconto che lascia il segno, che ti fa soffrire e amare con la stessa forza.

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