Kate

It's not just the fantasy ones, for example:

Moon Embracing the Sun:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNmUuD4IPGc 2:29 surprised wide eye kiss, zero passion.

Queen for Seven Days - the proper kisses happened when they both already knew they love each other, and that one kiss before that was him literally pinning her against the wall and forcings himself on her ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Empress Ki is a borderline historical makjang with how everything was so dramatic so i won't even comment here.

Kisses are context driven. In most saeguks the first kiss is either "fish kiss" or borderline assault ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and for the few shows that have a proper first kiss, it's when the characters are already mostly sure about each others feelings for each other. Which is NOT the case in My Dearest. You cannot have Jang Hyun teach Gil Chae to slap and defend herself if someone tries to force themselves on her, while also having Jang Hyun forcing himself on her. And Gil Chae would not kiss back at that moment, she was still convince Yeon Jun was the man for her, tho close to figuring out it ain't him. I just fail how you think passionate kiss between these two characters could happen in that moment of the story while still making sense with how they were written till that moment.

But i expected emotions and i didnt see them. < this is exactly the interpretation and expectations I talk about. I'm fine with the scene, I think it was fitting, I preferred the subtle emotions over the heavy breathing full on angst. You wanted something else, on my eyes it would also fit the story and the characters. I completely understand why you disliked the scene. That';s why I did not discuss it with you, because I can clearly see your point and think it's fair 😂

His face is not doing it for me 🤡🤡

That's why I said "not full, they still make a lot of modern tweaks to make it more digestible for modern audience". But the tweaks also have level of how far do you want to push it, and putting your sock lower so maybe or maybe not it will show your ankle is smaller tweak thank having a young unmarried noble lady having make out session with a dude in a tall grass 😅 It's not black and white, it's about how far you want to push into either realism or lack of realism. And for me passionate kiss would be a step too far especially in that part of the drama ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And putting realism aside, passionate kiss still makes no sense with how the characters are written here.

have not seen Princess Man coz I cannot stand Park Shi Hoo's acting 😅 It's not like I have seen all the dramas they listed, but the fact they put some fantasy shows, when my point was being more than less realistic is the key here.

I loved the subtle uncertainty and I did not need a full on angst pain from the kiss. So that's the matter of preferences here, when what you want and what I am fine with both still perfectly fit into how the characters are written and the setting of the story.

Passionate make out session with lip biting is not 😂

All of them would never be praised for realism tho, would they? You literally names some shows with modern characters time travelling 😅

That's my point. One of the best aspect of My Dearest is the realism of it (not full, they still make a lot of modern tweaks to make it more digestible for modern audience). To give a passionate kiss at that moment of the story would mean taking away from realism which is one of the aspects a lot of viewers love about it.

Inspired means it can be changed to fit whatever the end produce must be and the cultural setting of it. This ain't US production with US culture. The idea they should have a passionate kiss in a drama set in Joseon, when we started to get passionate kisses in MODERN dramas in Korea as a norm in like 2010' sounds ridiculous.

The only way to deliver a passionate kiss in that scene was to ignore how the characters are written and the historical setting of the show.

Jang Hyun and Gil Chae are not characters from GWTW, even if inspired, they were changed and tweaked to fit the setting and the story Hwang Jin Young tells. Being so stuck on the fact it was inspired by GWTW so you cannot see how it's not a perfect copy paste, and expecting the characters to act according to what you saw in GWTW is for me not fair for the show and its creators.

For god sake, Civil War happened 200 years after the events of this drama. One would agree the social norms and standards can change a lot in 200 years. You are comparing 1860' of a rather socially open country (in terms of romance and what was fine) to a 1630' of a conservative country. No noble ladies were going around having passionate kisses with not their husbands in Joseon 😂

I'm not sure we are watching the same show 😅 Anything other than what we've got would make no sense with how the characters are written.

Jang Hyun is literally willing to risk his life to help stop the war for Gil Chae to be safe. He was the one to teach her she needs to defend herself if anyone tries to force themselves on her, during kissing scene he thinks she is still in love with Yeon Jun and he cannot be sure she would even want the kiss to happen. He obviously is the only male characters that puts any value in women's autonomy. And what's most important - he knows Gil Chae is naive, innocent and painfully inexperience in love. He can see through her "silly over the top flirting" right away and even calls her out on it.

On the other hand Gil Chae is a young lady (not older than 20 most likely), who never even had a chance to hold hands with a man, not to mention make out sessions. I mean, girl was literally want to make men go crazy showing 1cm of her ankles.

For me sacrificing characters' integrity and realism for a "passionate" kiss would be a sign of poor writing. Jang Hyun did not go for a full kiss not because he is prude, but because he truly cares for Gil Chae ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Jang Hyun sees him as a younger brother that he saved.
Ryang Eum is basically in love with Jang Hyun.

I still put my bets on Yeon Jun or a new character that they will introduce in pt2 haha

Oh i do think they will be separated for some time. It's the whole period of character development for Gil Chae when she becomes truly Independent with her business i guess

Yeah i when the person says jang hyun will get him, i don't think it's get him out, i think it's get him 🔪🔪 i don't think the person i waiting to be rescued, i think they are hiding...

Basically the investigation to his involvement happens 23 years after all the events we are witnessing right now with Gil Chae etc. BUT the beach scene happenes somewhere between these two time points, and the result of said beach scene is not set. We don;t really know what happens during that scene at the end, since if he just died, there would be no need to investigate where he is not in that opening shot.

We don't know if it's Ryang Eum. For me, Yeon Jun hits all the clues more - subject loyal to crown prince who says Jang hyun will get him (not save him, get him).

Two failed marriages is ridiculous 😂 I don't think she will marry anyone. They will focus on her creating her own business. Usually it's the family of the woman that pushes her to get married, but now with her father and his state, there is no one to truly force her to marry. I think her arc now will be becoming the head of her family.

They knew what was truly necessary for the drama to work, and did not add any of the scenes and subplots from manhaa that were not. Amd for that i am grateful 😂

well he has done it from the start. When he wanted to marry Eun Ae before the war and changed him mind only thanks to Jang Hyun. When he could go back to find Eun Ae and protect her, he still decided to go to war for the king. It's his moral compass. His obligation towards the royal family is more important than his obligation towards his wife. It sucks, but it makes sense with how his character was written.

I talked about it in comments below. He never said he will be loyal, he said he will make the king good and wise. I feel like he thought going to Qing goes against what he vowed to do, since he cannot help king become better if he is in Qing. Or that he disagreed that sending envoy to Qing is a good idea. Basically he puts his convictions above everything. That's how I see it. The same way he was willing to do at war for royal family, now he is willing to die not to brake his vows. At least that's how I would explain his behavior to make it make sense and be consistent with how he was written so far,

No one hates on him as a historical figure, but as a specific depiction of him in this drama - weak, entitled, completely unaware of the suffering of people around him, seeing his subjects as dispensable tools to be used.

I already written 2 pages. It will be more of appreciation essay than a review I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯