batatatamusic

You know, in romance novels or films, I’ve noticed only three main formulas, whether it’s a slow-burn romance or otherwise:
A) The man loves, and it’s the woman who hesitates or is slow to reciprocate.
B) The woman loves, and ML is slower (this is rarer in Korean dramas).
C) Both love each other, but various obstacles prevent their union.
That’s it—I haven’t found a D. There are really only these three types.

In My Dearest (as in real life), the story shows that love is not always equal. Sometimes one person loves more than the other, especially when the other is still emotionally maturing. FL evolves over the course of the novel, but much of the story (Season 1) shows that the male lead bears the emotional burden of the relationship.

This imbalance is not uncommon in romantic fiction: it illustrates that love involves sacrifices, frustrations, and differences in emotional maturity. One character’s love may still be immature, self-centered, or confused, while the other loves deeply and consistently. As viewers, we feel both frustrated and drawn in by this dynamic, which can lead to either a tragic ending or a happy one.

It’s true that he loved her more, or at least she didn’t realize it. But compared to other “brain-off” dramas, here you understand why he loves her—what he sees in her. This means the director, writer, and actors manage to give us answers (frustrating or not), whereas in some dramas (which I could also name), you never really understand what the guy sees in her.

Why do I say this? Because often in these works, the guy is “perfect,” and the girl is “ordinary” — your everyday woman, Madame Tout-le-Monde.

In this sense, yes: one can see a form of narcissism—not necessarily “pathological,” but a temperament that highlights her own desires, her image, and her need to be desired, sometimes at the expense of empathy or sincerity toward others. At first, she is arrogant, confident, a bit frivolous, slightly reckless, with fairly naive ideals about love or lovers. But what really matters is the character’s evolution and the overall coherence with what the author intended to convey. As the drama unfolds, Gil‑chae goes through trials—war, loss, suffering—and grows: she gains maturity, shows courage, and develops emotional depth. Have you ever read Gone with the Wind? This drama is largely inspired by that work.

I’m confused about who’s replying to whom in this thread—can someone help me understand?

The next projet is with Lee Min Ho? !!!!

ah ah ah love it.. thks!! (Buisness Proposal vibes)

Here’s an example of a truly enjoyable female character: she’s charming, strong, doesn’t overpower ML , funny, loyal, smart, and level-headed! (Rare to see in series these days.)

ep9 1.O‑o‑o, I’m blown away! That scene—so beautiful, full of sensuality, maturity, softness, and compassion!
2.She’s stunning with her hair down, and the way the light hits her—it’s so natural, with just a touch of wild charm! 🌿✨

3.The director and lighting? Pure magic

4.This couple though… My heart can’t take it!

Da-Rim: A girl with a lot of empathy, kind, loyal to her family—her mother and her sister—and positive. (Thanks also to the encouragement from the boy in the first episode concerning her, she has taken the risk to be more determined.) She has very little self-confidence, doesn’t fully understand her own feelings, and is naive. She also doesn’t really understand the feelings of others towards her—her friend, ML—and she struggles to defend herself properly when necessary (in a broad sense), except with ML, with whom she sometimes even dares to raise her voice. (Unconsciously, she has a lot of trust in him, which is shown repeatedly.) She has financial problems, a sick mother, and a sister she has lost contact with who doesn’t care much about her,and debts but she has a mother who loves her.

ML: At first, he is a guy with trauma, appearing narcissistic, confident, with strong moral principles and integrity. He respects family values, loves his mother (like Da-Rim), cannot tolerate moral injustices, and likes to take control of every situation. His problems include family issues: a suicidal and dependent mother, a despotic father, an ambitious sister, a lack of love—he is almost without familial or friendly affection—major financial burdens , and personal sacrifices he must make for the family’s well-being (similar to Da-Rim)
both sides.

I did a detailed analysis about 10 days ago regarding the series My Dearest ;)
I also expressed my thoughts further about the heroine here — I understand her choices and feel empathy for her, even though I would have liked her to confess to the male lead herself. I don’t like the idea of the male lead finding out about the deception from someone else. But well… it’s subtle, and that’s just my opinion....

Can’t wait for next week for this amazing series!

I agree with you. Thank you.
Understanding why someone lies is not the same as saying it is morally right — that’s one thing.
Secondly, we can understand the need to lie, but we can also say that when someone is coming to help you, it’s better to trust them after 5ep and stop the lie, rather than have them find out from someone else. It’s always preferable that it’s you who tells them. That’s all !!!
I’m not going to come back to this topic — I’m tired of reading about it

I don’t agree . In My Dearest, it’s completely understandable, and her character is beautiful and her actions are justified. Here, the director doesn’t really show us what she’s thinking, and that’s also why it doesn’t feel nuanced. Maybe it will get better later? We can hope.

I really like her as an actress, I love her, and the couple’s chemistry is magical.
I loved her empathy and kindness at the beginning episodes, but now she needs a redemption arc to win me back quickly lol ;)

and 2nd He thought it would be difficult to continue working together under those conditions without making a mistake… and from the beginning, he had feelings and was worried when she left without even saying goodbye

That too, I agree with you ,and later at the office, when he behaved meanly, the reason was that he was angry at himself and at her

I do not wish to enter the debate on misogyny or feminism... (I am a woman myself), but reducing a man to uselessness, tormenting him, breaking him — as is often depicted in content aimed at a female audience in recent years — does not, in my view, embody a feminist idea; on the contrary

I remain open to all ideas ( and your ideas) , because I believe that truth is often found between different perspectives. I think that listening, even when I don’t fully agree, is a form of respect and growth

It’s a complicated square. But there are …

The opportunity in the forest or at the hospital would have been ideal :)

I think you misunderstood the meaning of the story.
At the beginning, he was not pursuing her out of love; on the contrary, he was asking for her resignation and doing everything he could to make her feel guilty for having hidden her married life and for flirting with him.