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A Cautionary Tale
Characters: 10/20
Oh boy, where do I start? Most of these characters had the depth of a puddle. The mains? Flat. The side characters? Just as flat. Half the time they felt less like people and more like walking, talking plot devices. Some even acted completely out of character just to keep the story moving.
The rare bright spots were Hongrang and Min Yeon Ui. Min Yeon Ui was giving villainess with a frozen heart that only melts for her son vibes, and honestly? Loved watching her play the family politics game. Jae Yi though… whew. She was the weakest link. A human weather vane, swaying whichever way the plot pushed her. All that backstory wasted because she spent the show stuck in damsel-in-distress mode.
The rest? Either frozen in place with zero growth or suddenly pulling a 180° personality flip like they just got patched with new firmware. And don’t even get me started on the villain reveal. After endless fake-outs, the “real” villain shows up and… surprise, surprise—he’s a generic, “I’m so crazy!” kdrama bad guy with no actual motives or backstory. I’ve seen this trope done better in Vincenzo, IOTNBO, My Demon—at least those actors sold the chaos. Here, even the villain looked like he didn’t believe his own nonsense.
And then there’s the second male lead, Kim Musin. Honestly, he felt like Byeong In from Mr. Queen’s knockoff cousin. Byeong In at least had layers and believable growth. Musin just… switched personalities overnight like someone hit “randomize” on him. Plus, he was a simping machine making the dumbest choices possible. Honestly? He deserved a tragic send-off.
Plot: 10/20
The plot was like a Jenga tower—looked solid at first, then collapsed the moment they added too much. Episode one hooked me. But then came the unnecessary story arcs, plot holes you could drive a bus through, and characters making the most illogical choices just to keep things moving.
And that finale? A mess. They tried shoving in plot twist after plot twist like they were on sale—except instead of thickening the story, they just contradicted everything built since episode one. It was like watching someone knock over their own house of cards.
Themes: 9/15
Self-harm, trauma, unrequited love, betrayal, loyalty, abuse—yeah, the themes were all there. But instead of actually exploring them, the show dipped a toe in and ran scared. Every time it tried to get deep, it hit the brakes. Even unrequited love, which should’ve been poignant, got mishandled so badly it basically gave out the wrong lessons.
Emotional Impact: 9/15
Spoiler: there was none. The FL had one face for every emotional scene, and it just… wasn’t working. Lee Jae Wook delivered (because duh, he’s Lee Jae Wook), but he can only carry so much.
The romance? Don’t even ask. I have no clue when or why they fell in love. One minute—strangers. Next minute—“I’d die for you.” The chemistry was flatter than soda left out overnight.
Pacing: 5/10
If pacing were a crime, this show would be serving a life sentence. After two episodes, the main plot went poof. Gone. Instead, we were spoon-fed random side plots until the original conflict crawled back like, “Hey, remember me?”
Good writing would’ve tied the subplots into the main arc or at least circled back every episode. Instead, everything felt disconnected. Relationships came pre-installed with zero explanation, so people were suddenly hating or loving each other for… reasons? The romance especially—no build-up, just vibes.
Honestly, this plot needed breathing room. It should’ve been 12 longer episodes instead of rushing through, ignoring details, and fast-tracking conversations.
Rewatchability: 2/5
Yeah… once is enough.
Visuals/Production: 5/5
i have to give credit where it's due. Gorgeous visuals, sleek direction, intense action, and an OST that slapped. Clearly, this is where the budget went.
Acting: 6/10
Lee Jae Wook carried the whole thing on his back. He was sharp, ruthless, charismatic—he was Hongrang. You could feel every ounce of his pain and anger. Any chemistry in his relationship with Jae Yi? Entirely from him.
Jo Bo Ah though… oof. Jae Yi was boring, lifeless, and recycled the same four expressions on rotation. I’d have preferred her in a smaller role. The supposed emotional scenes? Fell flat. Chemistry with other characters? Nonexistent.
The other gem was Uhm Ji Won, who killed her role with finesse. I just wish she got more screen time.
Final Thoughts
Dear Hongrang was… fine. Not unwatchable, but definitely not good. Frustratingly mid. It will remain a cautionary tale about the dangers of doing too much. The plot had potential but fell apart thanks to weak pacing, shallow themes, flat characters, and a bargain-bin villain. The visuals and Lee Jae Wook’s performance were the saving graces.
Would I recommend it? Only if I wanted to annoy someone.
Oh boy, where do I start? Most of these characters had the depth of a puddle. The mains? Flat. The side characters? Just as flat. Half the time they felt less like people and more like walking, talking plot devices. Some even acted completely out of character just to keep the story moving.
The rare bright spots were Hongrang and Min Yeon Ui. Min Yeon Ui was giving villainess with a frozen heart that only melts for her son vibes, and honestly? Loved watching her play the family politics game. Jae Yi though… whew. She was the weakest link. A human weather vane, swaying whichever way the plot pushed her. All that backstory wasted because she spent the show stuck in damsel-in-distress mode.
The rest? Either frozen in place with zero growth or suddenly pulling a 180° personality flip like they just got patched with new firmware. And don’t even get me started on the villain reveal. After endless fake-outs, the “real” villain shows up and… surprise, surprise—he’s a generic, “I’m so crazy!” kdrama bad guy with no actual motives or backstory. I’ve seen this trope done better in Vincenzo, IOTNBO, My Demon—at least those actors sold the chaos. Here, even the villain looked like he didn’t believe his own nonsense.
And then there’s the second male lead, Kim Musin. Honestly, he felt like Byeong In from Mr. Queen’s knockoff cousin. Byeong In at least had layers and believable growth. Musin just… switched personalities overnight like someone hit “randomize” on him. Plus, he was a simping machine making the dumbest choices possible. Honestly? He deserved a tragic send-off.
Plot: 10/20
The plot was like a Jenga tower—looked solid at first, then collapsed the moment they added too much. Episode one hooked me. But then came the unnecessary story arcs, plot holes you could drive a bus through, and characters making the most illogical choices just to keep things moving.
And that finale? A mess. They tried shoving in plot twist after plot twist like they were on sale—except instead of thickening the story, they just contradicted everything built since episode one. It was like watching someone knock over their own house of cards.
Themes: 9/15
Self-harm, trauma, unrequited love, betrayal, loyalty, abuse—yeah, the themes were all there. But instead of actually exploring them, the show dipped a toe in and ran scared. Every time it tried to get deep, it hit the brakes. Even unrequited love, which should’ve been poignant, got mishandled so badly it basically gave out the wrong lessons.
Emotional Impact: 9/15
Spoiler: there was none. The FL had one face for every emotional scene, and it just… wasn’t working. Lee Jae Wook delivered (because duh, he’s Lee Jae Wook), but he can only carry so much.
The romance? Don’t even ask. I have no clue when or why they fell in love. One minute—strangers. Next minute—“I’d die for you.” The chemistry was flatter than soda left out overnight.
Pacing: 5/10
If pacing were a crime, this show would be serving a life sentence. After two episodes, the main plot went poof. Gone. Instead, we were spoon-fed random side plots until the original conflict crawled back like, “Hey, remember me?”
Good writing would’ve tied the subplots into the main arc or at least circled back every episode. Instead, everything felt disconnected. Relationships came pre-installed with zero explanation, so people were suddenly hating or loving each other for… reasons? The romance especially—no build-up, just vibes.
Honestly, this plot needed breathing room. It should’ve been 12 longer episodes instead of rushing through, ignoring details, and fast-tracking conversations.
Rewatchability: 2/5
Yeah… once is enough.
Visuals/Production: 5/5
i have to give credit where it's due. Gorgeous visuals, sleek direction, intense action, and an OST that slapped. Clearly, this is where the budget went.
Acting: 6/10
Lee Jae Wook carried the whole thing on his back. He was sharp, ruthless, charismatic—he was Hongrang. You could feel every ounce of his pain and anger. Any chemistry in his relationship with Jae Yi? Entirely from him.
Jo Bo Ah though… oof. Jae Yi was boring, lifeless, and recycled the same four expressions on rotation. I’d have preferred her in a smaller role. The supposed emotional scenes? Fell flat. Chemistry with other characters? Nonexistent.
The other gem was Uhm Ji Won, who killed her role with finesse. I just wish she got more screen time.
Final Thoughts
Dear Hongrang was… fine. Not unwatchable, but definitely not good. Frustratingly mid. It will remain a cautionary tale about the dangers of doing too much. The plot had potential but fell apart thanks to weak pacing, shallow themes, flat characters, and a bargain-bin villain. The visuals and Lee Jae Wook’s performance were the saving graces.
Would I recommend it? Only if I wanted to annoy someone.
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