Firefly88

This drama absolutely acknowledges how messed up and confusing these romantic feelings are though, even though they're not actually blood relatives. Jae Yi struggles a lot with it even avoiding him and considering leaving for good to run away from her feelings. Fake Hongrang meanwhile can't control himself around her because the attraction is so intense and crosses a lot of lines but this also stops him from following orders to kill her. These two characters are starved of love and affection, and there is a definite trauma bond there. I just think that there's so much more to this romance, and yes, there is darkness there and crossed lines for sure.
Meanwhile, the adopted brother becomes consumed with jealousy and becomes bitter and dark, which scares Jae Yi. Although there is a romantic component, I think there is such a rich psychological narrative behind these characters and their behaviour that I am overwhelmed with compassion for them and their "mistakes".

I know C dramas, especially historical ones, often have cousins who are romantically involved, but that also reflects reality before people were made aware of the dangers of incest. In fact, Darwin himself was married to his first cousin, and their children had very poor health outcomes certainly motivating his research on the dangers of inbreeding. However, it's worth saying that marriage between first cousins is still remains normal in many parts of the world.

It definitely could have been fleshed out with a few more episodes, but since I finished this drama, I keep asking myself whether the unanswered questions in this drama somehow add to its appeal. It remains mysterious to the end. It's like a crime investigation and supernatural drama meeting in the middle and not committing to either side. Often if you have investigation dramas with supernatural themes, they then show you oh well this was all fabricated etc, but this drama doesn't. We never know whether this ritual was a real ritual that would have worked or whether the Snowman was a human or a supernatural creature.

Someone below described this drama a bit like a fever dream, and some parts really have that vibe.

It's not incest though , but... who says you couldn't have a drama about incest? There are dramas about psychopathic serial killers and cheating and bullying and suicide... These dark themes are not for everyone, but some viewers find dark themes gripping and interesting. If you prefer more vanilla themes, then this isn't for you.

Yep, it's a taboo romance that skirts the edges of forbidden love. This is a dark drama about survival and trauma. But it's important to note that most of the time she doesn't believe he really is her brother, and he always knew he isn't her brother. They were adults when they met. In a way, it is the attraction itself that is the biggest proof he isn't who he claims to be.

As for the adopted brother, yes, he turns into a creep near the end and becomes a villain, but again, they aren't actually related so there is no incest. He was a boy taken in at some point and trained to be the heir, and let's be honest, this isn't some loving family. They are both fighting to survive there, and it's that survival that brings them closer.

That's strange. I can't see it... Did you get your answer?

Impossible to rate, they're all so good looking 😅

Honestly, Dear Hongrang is very unique and one of the best I've seen. My Dearest is a good choice in terms of a quality historical production, and if you like the mysterious supernatural theme, try Bulgasal.

Better get some antidepressants first 🤣

It's a brilliant drama though, really worth watching.

His performance in this drama really showed me how strong an actor he is.

She is confused because things keep happening that change her mind from being certain it's not him to being sure it is him and all different stages in between where she is doubting herself, and just when she is convinced it is him by that little pouch, he simultaneously starts being very flirtatious with her resulting in confusion.

Also... She doesn't know it is a fake allergy. Though the family remember Hongrang having an allergic reaction to pomegranate wine as a child, she also thinks she remembers eating pomegranates with him as a child, but she's not totally sure.

Ok! I'll give you a list and you can see what you fancy. I'll make some specific recommendations from the list below. I agree, modern C dramas are usually not that great, but there are a few exceptions.

Historical fantasy:
Joy of Life
The Legend of Shenli
Love and Destiny
Ancient Love Poetry
Ever Night
Lost You Forever
My Journey to You
Eternal Love
Eternal Love of Dream

(And if you want to destress I recommend The Starry Love, always lifts my mood!)

Historical:
The Rebel Princess
The Story of Minglan
Love like the Galaxy
The Rise of the Phoenixes
Nirvana in Fire
Longest Day in Chang'an
The Story of Yanxi Palace
The Long Ballad
Si Jin
The Glory
Blossom
Princess Silver
Goodbye My Princess

Modern:
The Forbidden Flower
Meet Yourself
Tale of Rose
Will Love in Spring

Out of this list, if you want gritty fighting and an insanely complex plot, try The Longest Day in Chang'an, it's incredible, intense and very high end production.

For a comedy, try The Starry Love, it's for young adults but it's light, silly and hilarious, always lifts my mood.

For an intricate palace story, try The Rise of the Phoenixes, The Rebel Princess, Story of Yanxi Palace, Goodbye My Princess or... for one with a mix of light and dark with some added comedy, try Love like the Galaxy.

For a dark, spooky mystery, try My Journey to You, but it's slow burn so you need patience.

But to really get you out of your slump, I would start with Joy of Life. It's very clever with very unexpected plot twists and amazing characters. A great mix of light and dark themes.

The Red Sleeve really did me in. Oh man. That one hit deep

They already revealed he is an imposter

Thanks!

What are your favourite themes and what puts you off a drama? (So I can make a good recommendation!)

When is this drama due to air its last episode? I want to watch it from start to finish.

This is an intense, dark and mysterious story about trauma. It's profoundly good if you like complex plots and psychologically complex characters.

Fever dream is such a good way of putting it! I actually felt they could have incorporated more dreaming into it.

What is your spoiler question?

High? For me this is severely underrated. I didn't think it was chaotic. It was a mystery and pieces of the puzzle were revealed bit by bit, with all these storylines intertwining until they all came together. By the end, it all made perfect sense. You definitely have to pay attention to not miss the details. Is there something specific you felt was chaotic as you put it?

Low budget? 😮 Did we watch different dramas? This is one of the most visually impressive K dramas I have ever watched. The cinematography, the fight scenes, the OST blew me away...