My Dearest Part 2 (2023)

Lacking compared to part1

My review is for the second half of the drama rather than the entire drama. I quite loved the first half (part 1) but this second half (part 2) was so much more weaker.

The first 3 episodes are decent, there are light moments (when you compare to the tragedies of the first part) and hope. But episodes 4 - 9 were such a drag to watch. You get brief moments of happiness and then problems. To the point that it seemed like a never-ending mess. I was prepared for a tragic ending. Apart from that, the story was really moving slowly with not much happening. You can easily watch these episodes on 2x because everyone talks so slowly.

Some of the characters really annoyed me. One being the king. He was so hell bent on retaining power and his position that he lost trust in everyone including his ministers, his son, and his people. To target his own people who already faced so much was simply unforgiveable according to me. What does loyalty mean if the other party unreasonably wants to sentence you to death in order to feel "peace"?

The other character was the scholar who acted all noble and could see that the king's fears are driving him to cruelty and he made the same exact choices by giving into his unreasonable fears. Though it just proved that he was always a cruel man and he never regretted his part mistakes. He would repeat them again without much hesitation.

Finally, it was Officer Gu, who we all knew was not worthy of marrying Gil Chae.

It's easy to blame the "barbarians" for the sufferings of the people of Joseon but this part highlighted that the people of Joseon were far more cruel to their own. They abandoned their own family and wives and sisters and daughters if they deemed them to be "tainted" and were obsessed with keeping Joseon "clean". They were willing to kill their own by labelling them as traitors without proof. They forced women to kill themselves. They humiliated anyone who survived. They truly disgusted me because instead of easing each others suffering and giving each other comfort after all the hardships and sorrows, they rejected and ridiculed them instead. They didn't allow their own people to heal. So the real traitors were the ones who escaped "unscathed". Problem is, I don't know if majority of the audience will understand this because of the way it was presented. Unless you can relate to being "othered" in your own country, it's unlikely that most of the audience will understand this aspect of the story because of the way it is presented. It will probably get sidelined as an aspect of war.

The last two episodes were the best compared to the rest of this part. Though there are again unnecessary hurdles and part of me wanted to know what happened to all the politics that we were forced to suffer through, I am glad we were not forced to suffer more on the leads' story front. If not for the last 2 episodes, I would have certainly scored this part lower just for those middle episodes. The male lead also said and did all the right things and he truly was a blessing for everyone. The growth of the female lead was also nice to see and a good contrast between part 1 and 2.

One aspect they glossed over is what exactly happened to Ryang Eum.

The OST of this show continues to be enjoyable.

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my dearest vs. the red sleeve

i have two words only: absolutely mindblowing!

much has been analyzed about my dearest solely itself, but i wanted to use this review to stir conversation and draw some comparisons to another fantastic (and may i dare add, even more intriguing) sageuk-- the red sleeve-- in order to encapsulate my frustrations with the storyline of my dearest's main couple and where i see room for improvement.

(warning: some major spoilers ahead for the red sleeve).

1) equality of contributions in their relationship.

what the red sleeve does so well, even amidst a severe power imbalance between a crown prince and his court maid, is demonstrate that the ML and FL view each other as equals. despite the FL's lowly status of a court maid, she saves the ML on multiple occasions that made my heart SWOON, which ultimately restores balance to their power dynamic and also, reaffirms their mutual love for each other. that is what makes the love between them so discernible to the audience. i could FEEL it in my toes.

on the other hand, what was so frustrating in my dearest is jang-hyun's constant unreciprocated affection toward gil-chae. though both shows have this period of "unrequited love" from the MLs to the FLs, although refusing to become the crown prince's concubine, the red sleeve's FL constantly contributed to their relationship and protected the prince as much as the prince is protecting her, which made their affection for each other palpable. although the FL denies her feelings for him, you can see through her facade and really feel her love for him even with their massive gap in social status (which i'll delve into later). as for my dearest, although jang-hyun's love for gil-chae was so painstakingly obvious, i never felt as if gil-chae reciprocated it. the discrepancy between number of times he has protected her vs. the number of times she has protected him is just too large to imagine gil-chae loving jang-hyun with the same intensity and depth in which he loves her. honestly, as part 2 progressed, i started to pity jang-hyun immensely for his all-consuming passion for someone who seemed like she was indebted to him rather than her being in love. i also think this inequality in their respective contributions to their relationship is made worse with the durations of both shows. TRS is 17 episodes in compared to MD's 21, which may have helped me overcome the excruciating unrequited love phase and hang on to TRS's story much more than MD's.

2) the driving obstacle toward their relationships

in the red sleeve, we've always understood why the main couple could not be together; as a concubine, the FL would lose her freedom and be entirely devoted to a man who simply cannot be entirely devoted to her. what made their story so tragic is that their circumstances are entirely out of their control; it was fate that made the FL a court lady and the ML a prince. in addition, the pay-off of the couple finally getting together was truly rewarding in that the audience finally witnesses how becoming a concubine heartbreakingly stripped the FL of her personality and charm. the regret that she feels for giving in to the prince is tangible. the warning that she has been alerting both the prince and the audience over the entire course of the drama has finally (and tragically) come to fruition.

however, for my dearest, the obstacles that inhibited their relationship was the intervention of other characters as well as a simple lack of communication. to me, rather than tragic, these roadblocks were frustrating. to prove to gil-chae that he truly truly was committed to her, jang-hyun should've told her about the dozens of pairs of floral shoes he purchased during his agonizing time in simyang. to show jang-hyun that she was in love with him, gil-chae should've cleared up that his "younger brother" literally told her that he was dead, and also that she was staying with officer gu because she had a duty to her family, not because she didn't love him. their poor communication eventually lead to misunderstandings and it was KILLING me. furthermore, i never felt as if the pay-off of jang-hyun and gil-chae getting back together was as satisfying because their entire story was soon marred with hardship that seemed if it had no end.

despite these frustrations, my dearest has been an absolute roller-coaster exploring love in its most pure, raw, and honest shapes and sizes. jang-hyun's love and devotion toward gil-chae was so admirable. and alas, despite both being sageuks, the red sleeve and my dearest are two completely separate shows with separate romances featuring separate issues of the time period. either way, i highly highly recommend my dearest to those looking for a truly epic, slow-burn love story!

(on a final note, i wish men like jang-hyun were real.)

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Halfway and I lost interest, too much self-pity and crying

I wasn't loving part 1 as I found the dynamic between the lead is a bit childish and drags. Part 2 comes and first 4 episodes hit me with massive emotional train wreck, so painful yet so beautiful. What stands out to me compared to the previous season is this new dynamic among the hunter woman, Jang Hyun ang Gil Chae. She has so much passion and her motivation is interesting, so she elevate the stake. I'm in for their painful future stories.

Cinematography is just as stunning as the previous part. The shots are very captivating, that you can't help but admired. Trigger warning: the torture scenes realistically gruesome, comparable to few historicals Mr. Sunshine and Empress Ki. I guess it is to highlight the degradation that Joseon went through during this historical time. Great and emotional acting by all cast! Namkoong Min has rightly been receiving praise for his accolade and I enjoyed his chemistry with Lee Chung Ah. Honestly, they look great together in all situations.

Even if it won't happily ever after, at least I hope the struggles of our heroes come to an end soon because all of them goes through so much pain already. Every little hopeful moment counts, even though I don't know how it's going to end.

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PART 2 CRINGE FROM PART 1 - the power of domination

"watching people want to live when they have been taken captive, seems so pathetic in my eyes"

Part 2 always cringe. And my beloved Princess Qing, is right, it is pathetic indeed, to be a slave.
Always stupid and ridiculous characters, eithout any development and positive elements
The ministers are more reasonable and normal characters. You have been conquered, accept your fate as slaves and deportation.
Some of the useless characters lose their lives (finally).
The two protagonists are the same as the first episode of part 1, without development or maturity.
It is also annoying that they are still called "intruders" when we are almost completely conquered in China (end of 1642-1643). The Han of the Ming Dynasty would have the right to do so, not the slaves. How beautiful the market was❤️
The only nice thing is to see the Qing conquest after a few years, and the few Qing that are seen. CONQUEST POWER.
The Princess of the Qing Dynasty is the only decent woman, and decent character, in the whole drama, along with those of the Qing Dynasty. The drama, in the first part, deals with the years 1636-1637, in the second part 1642-1645.
The useless Crown Prince and Princess die, and they deserve it.
The ML protagonist remembers of creepy stalkers, it's as trashy as the drama (unwatchable). The story is not at all believable from any point of view ( what kind of behaviours??)
Princess Qing is literally the best, strong, pragmatic although kind-hearted. She much better than all the spineless Korean characters, both male and female. 0 courage.
Nonsense ending fanservice for the fans of an actor ( are they arelly actors?) who doesn't even know how to act, like the whole cast. Inaccuracy of the costumes can be clearly seen.
Not recommended at all. This is too comic relief.

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what the fuck was this?

the only thing good about this kdrama was the acting.
the amnesia trope being introduced twice in FIVE episodes.
the fucking second lead blaming HIS WIFE for almost being raped instead of comforting her and then WANTING her back as if he was not a fucking piece of shit?
hating the male lead after he protected his ass so many times during the war, and wanting him dead???
the plot of the war with qing was NOT resolved, the only thing resolved was the romance plot!
ryang eum ending up LOCKED UP for being insane?? when he isn't??? what the fuck is up with that??? him being the only one with grey hair at the end altho he is one of the youngest in the series????

just what the fuck did i watch? i wasted my time for this and i regret watching it. it was not worth it.

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"그 무엇이든, 난 길채면 돼."

Of course, romance is what the drama primarily is, but it is not a sweet one. Just as equal of a part is the political rivalries inside and outside of the country that only bring tragedy and destruction to the lives of regular people. Another the themes played, another one is the loyalty to the state VS the loyalty to the people.

🔸️The main character is the person of free thought and nonconformity to the traditional society structure. He doesn't believe in sacredness of marriage, "purity", he doesn't evaluate someone's worth based only on their social status. And why would he? He experienced the highs and lows. But don't be tricked by this character because he is not an ideological hermit, and asceticism is the last thing he would ever want. He plays by the rules to improve his wealth and help those in need. Lee Jang Hyeon, although he is indeed great in business, doesn't lack empathy and courage despite his unwillingness to give up on his image of an unapproachable privileged weirdo. He is devoted to helping the lower class citizens wronged by their own government that had to protect them. Jang Hyeon will and does go out of his way if somebody relies on him desperately, even if that will cause issues with the aristocracy and the King himself.


The drama doesn't aim to appeal to the modern viewer through Lee Jang Hyeon. Rather, on the contrast with him, it shows the traditional old and prejudiced society where the life of a woman was expected to end in shame if she was sexually harassed or raped. This narrative of women suffering from the old customs is present throughout the whole drama, and it plays a significant role in the story. Gil Chae and almost all the female characters suffer from this ostracism, as if invasion of Qing, enslavement and food scarcity is not enough. Seemingly, the shared struggle should unite the people, but in this case almost everyone faced humiliation from the invaders, and probably sought out to blame someone else to feel better for themselves.



🔸️I appreciate the drama for not reserving to only bleak or only bright colors and for allowing heartwarming and hilarious moments among the violence, blood, and uncertainty of mid-Joseon. Although, in my opinion, the drama suffers from the repetitiveness in relationships between Gil Chae and Jang Hyeon that made me grow tired by the final. 12-16 episodes would be just fine with no need to divide the release in 2 parts, which also made me feel like the buzz around it gets lower despite the ratings doubling ×2.4 from the first to the last episode.

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This is why it got extended? Repeated scenes, flashbacks, flashbacks, and repeated plotlines?

Yeah this season had great character growth but it also had 11 dragged out reason just so “they didn’t get together” as if them staying together was the only point they feared they had nothing when they finally got together
I think I made s1 a 9 from 8ish but yeah that ending was DISAPPOINTING

Another freaking amnesia??? They should be lucky I didn’t give a 1

The war? The fight? two people just committed suicide or died.. that’s not the ending

And their final scene with the horrible blurred background, what did they record it in the studio

No wonder her first dream was her chasing him, it was one big long chase

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My Dearest – A Tale of Love, War, Identity, and Survival

Set during the Qing invasion of Joseon in the 1600s, My Dearest is more than a historical romance. It’s a harrowing, poetic exploration of what it means to be human when the world is stripped of dignity, hope, and control. Through intimate character arcs and sweeping historical tragedy, it weaves love, loss, betrayal, and resilience into something hauntingly unforgettable.

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War as the Great Equalizer and Destroyer

The backdrop of the Qing invasion is not just a setting — it’s a living force that crashes into the characters’ lives and obliterates every illusion of safety, class, and control. Nobles become slaves. Soldiers become traitors. Citizens become survivors. The war strips everyone bare, revealing the raw truth of who they are when everything else is taken.

“The world has changed. And so have we. But I don’t know if we changed because of the world… or because we had to survive.”

The war exposes the fragility of national pride, the corrupt nature of political loyalty, and the sheer helplessness of the common people caught in the games of kings and emperors. Joseon’s leadership is portrayed as weak and divided, failing to protect its people — a bitter commentary on the cost of blind patriotism and power struggles.

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Love as Resistance, but Not Salvation

Yes, the central love story between Lee Jang-hyun and Yoo Gil-chae is moving — but it’s not romanticized. It’s full of missed chances, trauma, and choices that hurt both of them. What makes their love story so compelling is that it mirrors the chaos of the era: unpredictable, painful, yet rooted in something deeply human.

But love does not save them. And that’s the point.
Instead, love becomes a quiet rebellion — a way to cling to identity, hope, and humanity when everything else is collapsing. It is both a burden and a blessing. The tragedy is not that they fall apart, but that they love so fiercely in a world that doesn’t allow them to be together.

“You became the only thing I wanted in a world that gave me nothing.” – Jang-hyun
“Even when I hated you, I prayed you were alive.” – Gil-chae

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Identity and Transformation

Every character undergoes transformation — not a glow-up, but a breaking-down and rebuilding of the self.
• Gil-chae evolves from a vain, naive noblewoman into a hardened survivor. Her journey is about losing her identity as a “lady” and redefining strength not in status, but in compassion and endurance.
• Jang-hyun, once a man who lived only for himself and “didn’t believe in love,” becomes someone who sacrifices everything, again and again, for a woman and a people who may never understand him.
• Kyung Eun-ae, Gil-chae’s best friend, also goes through profound change — from a timid woman into one who takes painful decisions, shows moral courage, and chooses survival over dignity.

The show constantly asks:

Who are we when no one sees us? Who are we when survival demands we become someone we hate?

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The Burden of Memory and the Cruelty of Hope

As the war ends and the dust settles, what remains is not relief — but trauma. The characters carry the weight of what they saw, what they lost, and what they did to survive.

Jang-hyun’s eventual decision to leave Gil-chae for good, even when she’s finally ready to be with him, is devastating. He’s dying — and he chooses to spare her the burden of watching him fade away. It’s a final act of love, but also an indictment of how tragedy has robbed them of even the right to grieve together.

“I wanted to die in her arms. But that would have made her die with me.” – Jang-hyun’s final words

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Cinematography, Symbolism, and Score

Everything about the production elevates the storytelling:
• Muted tones and natural light reflect the fading innocence and raw reality of war.
• Symbolism is everywhere: water represents both rebirth and distance, letters become vessels of love and regret, and silence often speaks louder than dialogue.
• The soundtrack — particularly “Road to You”, “One and Only”, and “Always Be There” — amplifies the longing and heartbreak without ever overwhelming the scene.

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Final Reflections

My Dearest doesn’t offer a happy ending. It offers something harder: truth. The truth that sometimes, love comes at the wrong time. That war doesn’t end just because the fighting stops. That we may survive, but not whole.

It’s a show about what we hold onto when we have nothing left — and what it costs to keep holding on.

It’s not for the faint-hearted. But for those who watch it, it leaves a quiet ache — the kind that lingers like the memory of someone you once loved in another lifetime.

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"My Dearest 2" continues the story of Gil Chae and Jang Hyun, exactly where it stopped in the first season. The two are apart, with Gil Chae married with Won Moo and Jang Hyun in a faraway land, trying to help Joseon people, but fate pulls them back together.

Gil Chae Is kidnapped by the intruders, where she's reunited with Jang Hyun. Even in that situation, she tried to stay loyal to her husband, fighting her feelings for Jang Hyun, who literally does everything for her and stops at nothing to keep her safe.
She suffers a lot of humiliations, with people even cursing at Gil Chae when she comes back home, telling her that she should have killed herself, that she has no shame, that was really horrible to see. Only Jang Hyun is the exception.

I always liked Yeon Jun a lot and thought he was an upstanding and fair person, but he's just like all the other men in Joseon. That speech he made to Eun Ae about women who were only touched by intruders disgusted me, him saying that they lose their chastity, that they become dirty. Eun Ae suffered the same thing and the worst it was him blaming her for not telling him.

This production is truly amazing!
Both the first and second parts are sensational, they complement each other, it is the journey of Chil Chae and Jang Hyun, we follow the characters growing, falling in love, the separation, the reunion, all the pain and suffering to finally be happy.

What do I do now that Nam Goong Min stole my heart?! HAHA'

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master class in emotive story telling

Very much like my review of the first season you will find yourself emotionally invested in this second half of the story. The characters have survived the invasion but that does not mean the war is over. The remnants and all the things that follow are equally as brutal and painful to watch but so beautifully done and acted to perfection. I hated the King and is paranoia and cruelty. I sympathized with the Crown Prince and his struggle to survive a foreign land to finally make it home and find himself having to struggle to survive again. His want to keep promises and fear of what that would mean. I hated the Princess and her selfishness but empathized with her want to be loved. Every character, no matter how big or small was written and portrayed in a realness that will take your heart and pull it in a hundred directions.

Cons:
-the timeline: I found the timeline on this hard to follow and still do not completely understand how long things happened and how one character had his hair turn white but everyone else looked exactly the same
-the constant push and pull of their relationship
-for me there was too much focus on the political aspect with no real follow through conclusion
-the ending did not give me closure, I felt like I needed more. Jang Hyun's past was almost glossed over, you don't get answers about Ryang Eum and why he ended up where he did, for how long, or what happened after, and while they tied the first and last episodes together by making the show as if it was the story being told from the character in the beginning I would have liked to understand the why a bit more
-amnesia used not once but twice on the same person

Pros:
-character development from start to end for all the characters was phenomenal from the main characters down to the side characters. Everyone went through change in whichever direction and it made sense according to their characters
-beautifully shot with appropriate camera angles
-the aesthetic for the post war world and the gradual change in colors that shows the maturity and aging of the characters was done well
-music was beautiful and accompanied their scenes very well without ever feeling repetitive or too much
-Jang Hyun is a major reason I watched this show because I am a sucker for a man that will do literally everything for his person

I can not say that this is a favorite of mine but it is a powerful work that will stick with me for a while.

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“do you hear it? this sound, the sound of flowers.”

UNA MARAVILLA , MIS PADRES, SI SON. DE VERDAD QUE NO QUERÍA ACABAR EL DORAMA PORQUE ME IBA PEGAR UNA DEPRESIÓN Y LUEGO NO ENCONTRARÉ UN DORAMA COMO ESTE.
Normalmente dicen que segundas partes no son buenas pero es que en este dorama se equivocan la segunda parte lo supera con creces y eso que el primero estaba ya en unos niveles muy altos. Me gusta sobretodo porque al conocer ya a los personajes te da para centrarte en la historiaa. Eso si hay ciertas cosas que quiero comentar:
- Mira que odio el cliche de la amnesia , ya me lo comí en el último capitulo de Flower of Evil (lo siento si no has visto la serie porque menudo spoiler que te acabo de hacer ) para comermelo aquí en la última media hora de la serie estando enganchadisima , pero debo de decir que no me ha molestado tanto el cliche de la amnesia es mas lo he hilado con las veces que Gil Chae tras huir de la invasión cuando vuelve su padre comienza con la demencia y no la reconoce, he pensado pobre ya que debe volver a cuidar de una persona que ama pero que no se acuerda de ella. Ya sufrí en el capitulo 9 la amnesia despues de que torturasen a mi señoro (Lee Jang Hyun) como para los momentos que estaban juntos él no se acordase de ella pero mira llegue a aceptar y atesorar esos momentos porque me parecían enternecedores y como ella seguía con él e intentaba que se acordase. (AME en la forma que se acordó y esa frase que dijo I hope I did not do anything too silly, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa). Por eso lo de la amnesia al final me volvía a tocar las narices pero mira yo con saber que acaban juntos viviendo la vida como querían me alegra. En mi mente viviran como la pareja de ancianos del principio (la pareja que celebra los 60 años de casados), amandose profundamente.
- Odio y no me ha gustado nada que matasen al Principe Heredero y a su mujer, me da pena y he llegado a querer a ese personaje al principio pensaba que me la iban a liar con mi señoro pero al final esa carta y todo lo que el pobre llega a padecer al ser ''secuestrado '' simplemente muestra la evolución del personaje. Me parece que la guionista no les dió el final que merecían y que muriese me dolió mucho.
- Salgo más republicana que nada, odio profundo al rey, comenzando con que da a su hijo como chivo expiatorio y luego se crea unas paranoias mentales de la leche que si todos van en contra de él que los prisioneros de guerra hay que matarlos y que leches mas, señor retirese usted no esta para gobernar un país. La mujer es un personaje que podría haberle sacado mas partido porque siento que ella y el eunuco maquinaban mas planes que me hubiera gustado ver. De verdad que me parece que ha durado muy lejos en la serie yo le hubiera quitado antes.
- LA PUTA CASTIDAD Y LOS VALORES TRADICIONALES, mira todos los academicos, que para mi se encontraban reunidos en el personaje de Nam Yeon Joon, me han hecho maldecirle cada vez que salía en pantalla que horror de señoro, tu mujer ha sobrevivido cuando escapó, el otro pavo solo le tocó un hombro, que si le hubiera pasado algo más no pasa nada a su castidad y la deberías haber protegido y no al inutil del rey, que deberías haberte casado con el rey y no con Kyung Eun Ae, una señora demasiado buena para tí, es que uf que Gil Chae evoluciona en sus gustos y se queda con el señoro , contigo no hubiera podido ser ella (ya se ve cuando se casa con el oficial y lo que hace el oficial para tratar de salvarla, que asco de personaje el del oficial por cierto, se enamora de la valentía y de la personalidad echada para adelante para luego querer en el matrimonio que se retraiga y se quede encerrada como buena ama de casa?. MUJERES NO , buscad un hombre, mujer o una persona o pareja que no os anule, que nos os robe vuestro brillo , ni vuestra personalidad ).
- Me gustó más la primera parte con respecto a lo de la dinastía Qing aquí la emperatriz me ponía de los nervios y me molestaba que estuviera entre Gil Chae y Jang Hyun. Me gustaban mas las interacciones entre la mano derecha del emperador y Jang Hyun , que las que tenía con la emperatriz, asi que cuando la tía le deja irse a sido como victoria por fin, no te aguantaba.
- Me ha hecho gracia que los dos mejores capitulos de ambas partes son el cuarto, en la primera parte cuando Gil Chae salva a Eun Ae de que la violen mantando al pavo y ambas acceden a encubrirlo y en esta parte , te diría que es historia de los kdramas que digo del cine esa escena cuando Jang Hyun ve a Gil Chae en el sitio de subastas de prisioneros y le grita que porque. (MENUDA ESCENA ES QUE TENGO ESCALOFRÍOS SOLO DE PENSAR EN ESE MOMENTO).



En fin una fantasía de serie, comencé esta serie por un comentario que leí en Twitter preguntando porque habían dado el premio de mejor actor a Namkoong Min y no a Kim Soo Hyun por su papel en Queen of Tears y si bien me encantan ambos actores, My Dearest me ha enganchado de mayor forma que Queen of Tears y entiendo todos los premios que le han podido dar porque menuda maravilla, se ha convertido en mi kdrama de epoca favorito y esta entre mis Kdramas favoritos. (vaya nunca había escrito una review tan larga pero esta obra de arte lo merece) Siempre se quedará entre mis kdramas favoritos.

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