Beautifully, cinematically shot with thrilling action scenes, a compelling primary romance plot and secondary conspiracy plot. This had all the elements of a perfect drama.
Even better, there were themes! On how wealth and power corrodes the soul. On the moral cowardice of many and the rare moral courage of a few. On how justice exacts a price. On the abuse many vulnerable children suffer.
Yes there was a core plot for 8 or so episodes and then extended plot ideas for 16 episodes - and somehow they ended up shoving something together for 11.
But I would still urge you to give it a try.
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You made me a man.. the best drama after weak hero class s2 of this year fr
DearHongrang is easily one of the most beautiful and emotionally captivating dramas I’ve watched this year. From start to finish, it left a deep impression on me. I smiled, cried, and felt so connected to the characters and their journey — it was truly a rollercoaster of emotions.Lee Jae-wook gave a phenomenal performance, showing incredible depth, strength, and vulnerability all at once. His acting felt so real, and you could see how much he poured into his role. BoA also surprised and moved me! she was stunning in her performance, and her presence brought such elegance and heart to the story.
What made the drama even more special was the OST. Every song was beautifully matched with the scenes, making the emotions hit even harder. I’ve already rewatched the whole drama because it was just that good. Every detail — the acting, music, visuals — was done with so much care.
If you’re looking for a drama that truly touches your heart, Dear. Hongrang is it. I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
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Lee Jae Wook Strikes Again in a Heartbreaking Historical Masterpiece
First and foremost, after Lee Jae Wook’s last historical drama Alchemy of Souls, he did not disappoint. In Dear Hongrang, he returns as a skilled and agile swordsman—disciplined (or perhaps not entirely)—bringing intensity and emotional depth to his role. Unlike the character Jang Uk, this time he sheds the humor and embraces a darker, more brooding presence. Lee Jae Wook, alongside Jo Bo Ah and an ensemble of elite actors, made this drama a truly memorable experience for me.The story is dark, often sorrowful, and just when it gives you hope, it tears it away. While the narrative centers on Hongrang, it's not solely about him. It delves into the twisted ideologies of human nature—greed, jealousy, and how the innocent are caught in the crossfire of the wicked. Yet, it also speaks softly but powerfully about love and friendship.
The fight scenes are exceptionally well-executed, with choreography that impresses without feeling overdone. The plot keeps you on edge, weaving suspense and emotion right up until the final moments.
This drama is a heartbreaker—but one you won’t regret watching.
P.S. - the OST is AMAZING!!
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Beautiful and heart wrenching
PHENOMENAL!!!This drama reveals the beauty of love, even in the midst of a hostile environment and dark times.
It shows humanity that endures despite pain and hardship.
And above all, it exposes the CRUELTY human beings can display... bloodcurdling!
The OST is a MASTERPIECE.
The acting was perfect and Absolutely no one can say that there is no chemistry between Jo Bo-ah and Lee Jae Wook, their acting is so on point.
A deep crush on Dear Hongran. ✨
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This review may contain spoilers
Dear Hongrang, thank you for coming!
The SHOW I WAS WAITING for so LONG, CAME and TOOK a PIECE of MY SOUL.I was hoping that the long wait would not be in vain, but the show exceeded all my expectations. I never thought that a historical series could captivate me to such a way. I simply couldn't stop watching it. It held my attention the whole time, I didn't find it boring for a single moment, and there were no insignificant, time-consuming scenes in terms of the story. The story depicts difficult and painful events and situations, but all of this was brought to the screen with unusual courage and even more tasteful and beautiful.
The beautiful and heartbreaking love story, we can feel the pain and joy of the young lovers with difficult fates, how they become each other's shelters. A great story about two people, who have nothing but hope, only pain and suffering all around them, yet they fight with their overwhelming and sincere love. The purest love, when you have no one but the person you love, but you don't need anything more, it gives you enough strength for everything, it brings you back to life. Nothing can end this, not even death, because Hongrang is always watching over Jae I. The scenes between FML and ML were beautifully depicted. There were chemistry, tension and passion on the screen.
The fight scenes turned out quite well, I liked that these scenes weren't always moderated, they used effects and colors boldly, and showed everything that was needed.
This was a well-assembled production, with lot of heartbreaking, thrilling scenes and sad, but delightful ending. The last part couldn't be avoided without tears, but from the beginning we could know, what awaits Hongrang, I have rarely seen a more beautiful depiction of the "final farewell". Brilliant implementing.
The last scene was an excellent ending of the story. I am totally under a spell, I am completely captivated by the story.
The OST was amazing , it was a hit!
We could pick holes in it but I don't want to and I don't care about them at all.
Thanks to the production team and all the cast members for this amazing drama!
The world has become a little better place with this show.
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Loving you felt like destiny,even if it ended in pain.
My Dear Hongrang is one of those rare K-dramas that pulls you in from the very first episode and doesn’t let go. Each episode ends on such an emotional or suspenseful note that you can’t help but press “next.” The pacing, storytelling, and emotional depth are handled beautifully. The chemistry between the leads feels raw and real, and the cinematography captures the historical setting with such grace and detail. I think ending should have been little better.... it hurts. 1st k-trauma of this year guys😭🤌🏻Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What exactly was the purpose of this story?
For me the most crucial part of a story is its ending.Many things can be forgiven but if the ending goes wrong, all the good moments can easily be forgotten.
Sadly, that is the case with this drama.
I have been waiting for this with anticipation and up until it's middle the story was exciting and unique. The characters were intriguing. The acting was amazing.
But what was the purpose of the plot?
The story begins in a sad and tortured tone. We have an abused heroine and a hero with trauma. Their lives are miserable and the people around them only seek their demise.
In the middle we have a lot of action. Then you dare to hope for some happiness but to no avail. It ends with an even more tragic tone than the one it began with.
So? Did we have the heroine finding her brother? Sure. Dead.
Did we have the heroine finally finding happiness and love? Sure. But he died.
Not every story can have a happy ending but it should have balance so that the aftertaste is bittersweet and not completely bitter. A variety of feelings are needed.
This drama can only offer sadness and death. A continuous slicing of people with no purpose, no resolution, no happy ending.
And after so much death you simply anticipate the ending of the story.
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gut tearing
cried my guts out this is why I don't watch shows with my favorite actors blindly without checking for sadness level but jaewook was too good of an actor I trusted him 🧚🏼💔 it's a good drama overall , not the best at directing the viewer and could have some mixed feelings but the tears and the emotions are so worth it , and WARNING ⚠️ if you can't handle child abuse and by that I mean GRAPHIC child abuse then don't watch it and save your heart 👉🏼👈🏼 all cast are good at what they do and the villans will want you cursing at them all the timeWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I loved the cinematography (although I did have to turn up the brightness on my laptop (!)). The music was particularly gorgeous and added to the broody, moody, atmosphere. I also thought that the actors Lee Jae Wook and Kim Jae Wook were terrific. For some reason, this drama reminded me a lot of an old movie, "Elvira Madigan," which had a beautiful score (Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 21) and also involved two lovers running away together. It also did not end well.
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Confusing for no reason but I’d still recommend watching it
I thought that the political drama part was unnecessary and confusing due to the short length of the drama, and the plot felt very convoluted overall. That being said, I still found this show to be worth watching, as the acting, OST, and production value is amazing. It definitely gets way better in the last 2-3 episodes and stuff starts to make more sense. This certainly isn’t the best k-drama or historical k-drama (kingdom and mr. queen are way better) but if you’re bored I’d recommend it as it is quite short and the acting is phenomenal as well as the soundtrack.Kinda a spoiler (?)
The ending made me cry, just a heads up, if u don’t want a sad ending DON’T watch this.
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Just Yes
The characters roles are conveyed well by the actors and the storyline is mostly good.& Hongrang is just... immediately yes!
Just watch it,
Watch it and you'll see what I mean!
Again, Just yes!........................................................................................................................................................
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Another Fantastic Korean drama
I'll be honest, I kept passing this one up, the summary didn't seem to interest me. I saw that this was actually on Netflix, so I decided to give it a try. The minute I started watching, it completely lured me in, had me hooked in the first few minutes. The cinematography was awesome, the story kept me at full attention, and never was there a dull moment, not once. This drama will pull out every emotion possible, it's a definite rollercoaster ride, explosive, very unpredictable, even frightnening.Was this review helpful to you?
