Kate

The most heartwarming kidnapping story one can encounter.

I cried, I laughed, I almost smashed my laptop - it was all worth it. The connection between Ro Hee and Myungjoon is not something I will be able to easily forget.

Not the brightest, but a strong man and a genius child - this setup for the main characters sounds like the beginning of an over the top, unrealistic and not easily relatable story. To make it good, the writing of the characters needs nuance, and that’s what The Kidnapping Day presents.

Myung Joon is not this dumb guy who gets manipulated by everyone while being completely unaware of what’s truly going on around him. He is not just a passive tool for others to use, and his loyalty and compassion are the exact reasons he was one of the most dynamic and driven characters.

Ro Hee is not this emotionless adult-like genius. Yes, intelligence was a big part of her, but the detailed writing did not ignore one of the most important aspects of who she truly was - a child. Many stories focus so much on characters’ cognitive abilities, they completely forget to showcase their emotional development - this way we get these robot-like smart kids who just act like adults. Not here. That innocent and child-like nature made the story far more impactful. It also made it possible to present a variety of the types of interactions she had - some treated her like a child, some treated her as a genius, some treated her just as just… I guess that’s something you will find out if you watch the drama ;)

It’s a story about making choices and facing the consequences. How some wrongdoings cannot be wiped clean, no matter how much we try. How trauma can hunt you for a lifetime. How greed can push you to do despicable actions. How everyone's idea of happiness is different. It’s a story about fear, desperation, obsession, but also compassion, family and support. It’s a whole package.

The Kidnapping Day for sure leans more into character (and relationships) driven drama, but I would never say it neglects the plot aspect of it. It was just slightly less masterfully crafted. Some aspects were not quite detailed, but all was enough to tell a cohesive and engaging story. We hit some dead ends and a few bits had not quite satisfying conclusions, but since I never viewed them as the focus of the drama, it did not bother me that much.

The acting… I have no words. Big props to Yuna who had the hardest and most demanding role to carry. I truly fell in love with Ro Hee and cared for this child with all my heart. Yoon Gye Sang presented so much warmth in his performance, I wished to have someone with a similar presence to Myung Joon in my life. I’m also impressed with Kim Shin Rok as Seo Hye Eun. I kept going back and forth with hating her and feeling sympathy - presenting the complexity of her story and the duality of it was not an easy task, but Shin Rok handled the role amazingly.

The production, directing, editing - all perfect. I even loved the small details like the chapter titles at the beginning of each episode with well selected shots as background and these tiny doodles as symbolic representation. Even the soundtrack was amazing. Especially the instrumental score.

Was the drama perfect? No. I still believe that the second episode was a poorly constructed introduction to the investigation and Sang Yoon. Some characters got me confused about their presentation - from feeling not that threatening, to then abruptly switching to the biggest threat. As I previously mentioned, there were some plotlines that could have been explored more and had better closure.

But even taking all that into consideration, this drama was truly a magnificent experience that kept me tense, happy, sad, angry, hopeful, scared each Wednesday and Thursday from September 13th till October 25th - and I will probably come back to it from time to time.

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Behind every lie is a wish waiting to come true.

Saying I had a mild existential crisis as I was watching the drama could be an understatement. It deals with many themes like environmental issues, free will, destiny, power of belief. difference between truth and lies, the price of responsibility and power. Some presented better than others, but as a whole package, it was truly an amazing journey.

Three main plotlines/themes addressed in the show were the romance between the leads, the questioning of free will and fight against the written fate, and environmental issues.

Starting with the romance - quite an enjoyable delivery. It was slow paced and, while ever present, never felt like it was shoved in my face as the main and only focus of the story. On many occasions the relationship between main leads served as an opportunity to explore other themes and ideas. Have to say though, till the end I was a bit more sold on Orad’s side of that love story.

Free will, meaning of existence, fate - that’s the part that gave me an identity and existential crisis. I almost had a philosophical debate with my laptop when I was pausing some scenes to fully grasp the ideas behind them. I also feel like this part of the plot had the best presentation.

Then we had the environmental issues that were addressed in the show. While I appreciate the inclusion of that topic, I cannot stop myself from thinking some of the scenes were extremely on the nose - sometimes it felt like I was watching a promo for kids in middle school. They could have been a little bit more subtle about the message and trust that the viewers are not complete idiots.

I feel like there were some pacing issues too. While I never felt bored, after finishing the whole show I do feel like the middle part was a bit dragging and was not as tight as the beginning and the end.

What slight complaints I might have had about the plot and pacing, the characters make up for them. Xie Tian Di, while flawed, was still truly likable. It was great to watch her learn from her mistakes and understand others’ perspectives when she was faced with similar dilemmas.

Orad was just adorable. What a loyal man. It’s hard to actually talk about his character in more depth without giving spoilers, so just know there is more to his story than just being a guard for the female lead.

Fali, this guy. I dislike him, but I also want to give him a hug. That said, I am still slightly confused about his goals and plans and overall motivations. I think the writers could have done a better job exploring his character.

Toem is the girl you root for even if you don’t want to. She is smart, cunning, brave, flawed in all the best ways.

Talking about flawed characters - Kakarayan… really didn't vibe with him. He had just a few scenes, but it was enough for me to put him on the bottom of the characters I enjoyed.

The performance - no complaints. Not only that, I was truly impressed with some. It’s quite rare when even the supporting or bit roles are well delivered, but this drama gives us all the best, even if someone shows up for one scene and one scene only.

The soundtrack. 10/10 does not do it justice. I am not joking when I say this is the best soundtrack I have heard in dramas I’ve watched this year, and one of the best in my long history of watching dramas. A song that especially moved me was Shi Shi’s Never Ending Rain.

On the production - no idea what the budget was, but they did everything they could to make it an aesthetic feast with what they had. So many beautiful shots, so many visual ways to represent the emotions and ideas behind the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It’s been so long since a drama delivered well written plot twists that I didn't see coming. The last three episodes were just one surprise after another, but it all still made sense!

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Just like in season 1, season 2 delivered the best entertainment in the form of mydramalist comment section - full of bias, double standards, over exaggeration and villainization of normal mundane people, just with better than average bodies and faces.

Truth to be told, this season was nowhere near as fun to watch as season 1. It seemed like most people gave up halfway through and everyone was just chilling in a friendly manner. I mean, I felt the pain of the editors. The uneven screen time for all the cast, how some episodes literally showed close to nothing from what was happening in Inferno - I guess they truly struggled with finding a good footage to include in the final product.

While in season 1 I felt like almost no one was rejecting anyone because they were “playing the game” and doing what the dating show is supposed to be about, here everyone was obsessed with their initial pick, but also no one wanted to be the bad guy or rude so no rejections happened and it was just this awkward vague bubble that did not want to burst.

I honestly don’t have more to say about it. The only reason I still watched it after the halfway through point, were the fun discussions in the comment section and to know the context of some comments and replies.

Do I feel bad for any of them for not being picked by the people they liked? Or not going to paradise? No. They are all hot, young, with successful careers and even their stay in “Inferno” is a vacation many people could never afford… I think that’s why I enjoy shows like that. I can watch them with no negative emotions.

Ps. Se Jun was THE MVP. Best boy ever. Bless him. Wish him all the happiness.

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I wanted to love it. I did love the first two episodes, but I "only" enjoyed it till the end. From episode three, I got disconnected from the story. Maybe, being an adult, I could not relate to all the amazingly dumb decisions the teens made. With that, the emotional and sad scenes that were supposed to make me cry my eyes off, just made me laugh my ass off.

It just felt as if they were trying too hard with the presentation of emotions. There was nothing subtle about them in a lot of scenes. The aggressive crying, especially when done by Billkin was comical. I just couldn’t connect nor relate to what the characters were feeling coz of that excessive presentation.

The plot was amazing until it became teen makjang. I loved to see the friends in the past rediscover their relationship and struggle with figuring out if what they feel is truly just friendship or something more. The clues were subtle, hints dropped here and there… and then I was slapped across the face with insta story dramatic war talk with hysterical crying, posting shit on public feeds instead of sending dm, like a normal person, not to mention doing things that should not be done in the presence of family members. These kids had no brain.

I will be honest, I was “traumatized” by episode 4. It was just so not fitting compared to the rest of the story. We had subtle coming of age and rediscovering relationships plot, but episode 4 just went HARD on everything. After that episode I was kind of confused. This one episode completely threw me out of the story. Normally, not liking one episode would not have much impact on my views, but here it’s ⅕ of the whole story and a lot of important moments happened in it. So even though it’s just one episode, it had quite a negative effect on my viewing experience.

Out of all the characters, Bas was my favorite. He was a loyal friend, and even though his feelings were hurt, he was still willing to help the person he liked.

Teh was just a ball of frustration that caused me to feel annoyed more often than not. By episode four I didn’t even wish him a happy ending in terms of romance. I was truly done. Not to mention I am not the biggest fan of Billkin’s acting. A lot of his facial expressions just made me laugh at inappropriate moments.

Oh Awe was a baby that needed to be protected. He worked hard, but sometimes it’s not enough. He was true to his feelings and spoke about them openly, but when the other person is not being honest with you and themselves… Well, it simply made him miserable.

One thing that for sure was truly a high quality level - production value and visual directing. Damn. This show is beautiful. I am not one to take screenshots of the shows, but I wanted to take quite a few while watching I Told Sunset About You. Stunning.

I loved the serious topics they decided to comment on with this show. I love the ideas behind some of the truly impactful scenes, BUT the approach and the end result was not always something I enjoyed.

Overall, it’s still a step in the right direction for Thai BLs. While I love the silly rom-coms with only entertainment value, we also need some more serious series, which will balance the easily digestible ones. I don't think we need a continuation for this one though. This had perfect closure.

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The beauty and the pain of white lies.

Somehow does not hit the mark by not diving deep enough into the connections between the characters and separate stories. It’s for sure a light feel good slice of life comedy, but it’s so light there is little to actually feed the soul and make you reflect on different themes presented. It gave me less of a “found family” and more of a “found acquaintances”.

It started great. The way the drama sets the stage and the characters grabbed my attention right away. Since I did not read the synopsis I had no idea what the plot was about, so the funeral scene introducing the Rental Family business surprised me in a positive way - setting the tone for the movie perfectly.

I was ready for some questionable situations that even if at times feel a bit “wrong”, still give the positive and heartwarming message. A nice contrast between what is right and wrong, what feels right and wrong, and what brings the best or the least harmful consequences. I really liked the idea of a more realistic slice of life, where you can still sense how restricted the characters are by the society and its standards, and how they just try to navigate through it causing the least harm. But the movie never fully delivered.

Too many stories, too many characters and too many relationships, not enough screen time. Whenever it’s about Phillip’s changing priorities, becoming part of the team, Shinji Tada’s past story (that seems to be so complex it could be a movie itself, instead of getting 2-3 random scenes here and there), Aiko Nakajima’s dedication to the job and her struggle with setting boundaries, or any of the customer’s tales - nothing made me feel satisfied by the end.

I wish this was a short series - one or two episodes per customer. Give me some time to get attached, to care, to reflect on their individual struggles and what made them use the service in the first place. As a movie, a lot of progress and development was simply fast forwarded.

That said, I did enjoy the overall vibe of the film. It was less moving and more fun. The comedy was probably my favorite aspect - at times dry, but fitting the tone. While the performances were strong, since the story felt less deep, I was not exactly touched by any of the actor's portrayals of the characters. I expected to cry at least a few times, but at the end my eyes were perfectly dry.

Overall, fun, but less than what I expected. Somehow I am not quite satisfied with the second half, especially with how well the whole scenario was set up.

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This drama is like a baby taking its first steps…

a bit wobbly and can hardly be called walking, but it’s such a big achievement it’s worth celebrating.

A straightforward criticism of the capitalistic world and social structures that exclude everyone not willing to act according to unfair rules. While some scenes might have felt preachy, the message was loud and clear, and sometimes this is exactly what is needed. You could feel the passion of youth in this project.

What the drama does phenomenally is making you care for this bunch of young people. Realistically speaking they should have been either dead or arrested by episode 4 at best, but against all logic, you just want to see them succeed and get out of it alive.

The acting! GMM truly decided to cast their best in this one. We all know Gun and Off have natural chemistry, but it was great to see them shine next to each other as individual characters, rather than just a couple. First was so good, at times I felt like he was too good for this script, or too good for this small part of Thai entertainment industry.

Production wise I loved quite a few shots. The use of different sources of light made some scenes extremely beautiful. Shots of two Guns were well edited - yes, if you know the actor well, you can see how the double used for some scene is different, but one has to be really nitpicky to make it an actual flaw.

All that said, the whole show was so serious and unserious at the same time, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about it. Motivated to make a change and tackle social issues? Rolling on the floor laughing about poorly executed fighting scenes? How unrealistic the production was took away from how realistic and serious the issues they tried to present. How am I supposed to see baby faced Gun take down a few professionally trained highly specialized security guards of the millionaire villain? Him boxing once a week with his teen buddies must have been enough for training I guess.

Not to mention the frequent PPLs. I know the drama needs founding, but taking into consideration the anti-capitalistic themes in the show, it just stood out in a painfully negative way.

Then we have the flying parkour, Sing being completely miscast, the lack of closure - no, this is not how you are supposed to do an open ending or any ending. The power imbalance between the good and the bad guys that I was supposed to just accept as realistic, when it made little to no sense…

Overall, it’s hard not to like it. It gives all the right messages, delivers great entertainment, a variety of characters and point of views. Leaves enough space for the viewers to make their own mind. The acting was amazing, visually it was pleasant to the eye. It just did not feel polished enough - the passion should have been used a little bit for the good old planning, practice and production. Maybe some script rewrites here and there too.

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Went into it for a sweet romance and it’s mostly what I’ve got. Natural development of feelings between the leads and beautiful friendships were for sure the highlights. The issue was the second half of the show and all the overdramatic plotlines added. It worked the best as a chill slice of life, why add more?

The first half of the show is everything one might want from high school romance: playful, smart, caring male lead. Smart, positive and driven female lead. Friends with good comedic timing delivering a fun side romance. Plot touching on internal struggles like not knowing what you want to do in your life, wanting to both please your family, but also do what feels right for you. The chemistry between all the cast was amazing, the innocent jealousy, the bickering - butterflies in the stomach mode on.

But then something happened in the second half that made me lose a bit of my interest. The plot surrounding Zhou Si Yue’s family and how it made him hesitate and take a step back was literally enough to fill all the remaining episodes. Why add more to it? Why focus on the 2nd male lead after such a long time? Why add the whole “crime and business” related aspects? A lot of random plotlines were introduced and concluded in 2-3 episodes, so why even bother making them happen if they did not plan to develop them in a proper manner?

All that considered, I still enjoyed Our Secret for fluffy romance, heartwarming friendships and great performance from the cast. Honestly, can we talk about Chen Zhe Yuan? Because he aced the role. I am completely in love with this man right now. He was so natural in his performance. He made me want to go back to my high school days, and that was for sure not the best and most exciting part of my life…

Meng Jie Xu also did a great job with the presentation of Ding Xian. I wish some of her emotional scenes were a bit more… emotional? I don’t think the character was written in a way she would try to restrain her feelings, but that’s the vibe I’ve got a few times.

Overall, a high end of the decent high school romances. Surprisingly not cheesy, not leaving you with second hand embarrassment.

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Felt more like 2005 than 2015.

I enjoy Japanese rom-coms for how cringe they often are, but this show just took a few too many steps too far. While the beginning was so ridiculous, it was actually entertaining, at some point I just got tired watching.

All the men in this drama were a mess and should stay single looking for a therapist rather than a girlfriend. God bless Kimura Arthur for being the only good guy. Kiyomiya Makoto also had his moments and great potential to be the lead.

On paper I should like it, but there was something… cheap about this writing. Random stereotypical feminine gay men, child stripping professing their love towards female lead, random almost sexual assault to give a chance for ML to save FL, awful future mother-in-law, both best friend and boss being in love with female lead, but then this leading nowhere and barely being addressed, questionable romance with teenager. And most of this just felt meaningless and useless.

The leading couple? Insufferable. I honestly wanted the drama to end with a tragic ending, and the idea of them together just annoyed me. The male lead was a weak selfish ass, and the female lead was a true doormat cross-dressing as a competent lady.

What’s more? I wanted to make it a murder mystery “Who killed the grandma” and end it with an open ending - the culprit getting away with it, never being found. That’s a happy ending I would be satisfied with.

While the ending was great, the characters were just not it. Hard to enjoy the performances, when you don’t even want to see the characters on screen…

Overall, had a fun and ridiculous start, but somehow ended up more boring than entertaining. Did not like the ending at all, the closure for many plotlines felt too easy to achieve taking into consideration all that happened throughout the show.

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No one told me it was a boring comedy.

0.0MHz had neither the atmosphere, nor the scares, nor the visuals. It did not have interesting characters nor the plot…. So what did it have? Snapshot filters and killing hair. Even the 0.0MHz from the titles was barely relevant and the whole movie could do without it, changing more or less nothing.

It was honestly, simply boring. The kids had either zero personality or awful one - I did not care if anyone survived. All the conflicts were not set up in any proper way. Truth to be told, they were not set up in an awful way either - they just dropped it all in random dialogues at random times.

Best aspect of the movie? Eunji cursing the demon ghost - the whole final face off was so ridiculous I could not stop laughing.

I can’t even talk about the performances, because the writing and directing was so bad, I am not sure how much of the mediocre delivery really is on the actor, and how much on the other people involved in the production.

Overall, don’t waste your time.

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This was a crazy ride full of messy characters, ridiculous plotlines and scenes, but somehow I loved it. I also lost too many brain cells watching (not good, since I didn't have that much left to begin with) . I don't even know what my opinion is about the show. I loved and hated it at the same time. I was obsessed but also questioned my choices for watching.

Is this a good show? No. Quite honestly and objectively speaking. Characters at times make no sense, they randomly turn "gaynes and romance" from 1 to 10 between episodes, actions of most characters have no true consequences, and some ladies are just crazy. BUT it's entertaining and I enjoyed every second of it.

I planned to watch one episode, to just see why so many people are so obsessed, and ended up watching 11 episodes in one sitting. Once you start, you won't even know when you'll be on the last episode.

One of the things that for sure got people hooked was the chemistry between the main characters. The things they did... Hide the kids. Fire on screen. Overall the characters were fun to watch. Kim is my girl and the best female character I have seen in BL so far.

I don't have much to say about the plot, since it was never important in the drama itself. It's definitely driven by the relationships and interactions between the characters. The writers could completely change the setting of the show, and not many changes would have to be made.

But then there is Moira, who is basically a female version of Lhong. Throw her into the trash please.

I found the last episode a bit too over the top, even for such an over the top show. But it made me laugh and had some heartwarming moments, so I shouldn't really complain right?

Overall, as many before me said, it's a perfect guilty pleasure. Give it a shot and dive into the craze.

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The greatest mystery - who is Santa?

Are you done with watching incompetent cops trying to solve a mystery and catch the criminal? Do you find it funny, when shows try to hide who the killer is, even though it’s more than obvious to the audience? Did you have enough of female characters being there just to support the male leads? If yes, this show is for you.

There are no cops to be seen, so you don’t have to deal with their incompetence. We know who the killer is since day one and the whole plot centers around the amazing cast of female characters. Want a hero? Want a complex gray character? Want a chaotic villain? You will get it all here.

Inspector Koo is a whacky, bizarre and surreal crime comedy that presents an exciting cat and mouse chase, with a lot of traps hidden for all the characters. The show introduces a number of plot lines that, by the end, get fitting conclusions.

We follow three different sets of characters, having their own motivations, goals and ways of dealing with piling up issues - Kyung Yi and her team, K, and Chief Yong Sook. Each of them trying to be on top and outsmart the others.

Inspector Koo presents a refreshing take on the heroine trope. Koo Kyung Yi is not exactly the type of person you would admire and try to look up to. Struggling with basic daily activities, she gets absorbed into the investigation, getting close to an obsession.

Luckily, she has on her side Na Je Hee, who is able to keep the team operating, Oh Kyung Soo being the voice of a real reason and Santa, the innocent helper who cares for Inspector Koo deeply, while hiding his true identity. Who is Santa? That’s the mystery of the show.

On the other hand, we have Song Yi Kyung, who is the “righteous” serial killer hidden under the name “K”. With her wits and daring behavior, she was able to commit murders undetected. Her reasoning and personal moral code make her an interesting character to observe.

The third party involved in the plot is Chief Yong Sook and her subordinates, who team up with Koo Kyung Yi in attempts to catch “K”, serving a role of a behind the scenes power, while hiding their own motives.

The three groups present amazing dynamics and never ending scheming that kept me as a viewer at the edge of my seat. Not only that, the drama presents viewers with conflicting emotions - you know you should not be rooting for the killer, but somehow… it’s hard to be completely against their actions.

Inspector Koo is a perfect blend of crime, investigation and dark comedy. It never takes itself too seriously by trying to have a depth of the Mariana Trench, when it’s more of a puddle. It’s not here for you to break your brain trying to understand convoluted plot lines and morally gray dilemmas and issues. It gives you thrills, fun, action and an entertaining set of characters that work together in the most amusing way.

On several occasions we can witness the clever writing, when jokes or solutions are set up in the previous episodes. Some seemingly off topic and insignificant comments made by the characters are used to set a playoff in the scenes later on.

The production team committed to the bizarre characterization of the drama, elevating it by unusual, at times over the top editing and gaming elements - making the whole plot seem less realistic and surreal. Adding the perfection that the soundtrack for this show is - we’ve got ourselves quite a cinematic treat.

Overall, one of the biggest surprises of 2021. Fitting and funny comedy, amazing thrills, likable characters, unusual mystery and romance found in surprising places, scheming and wits that take you on the peculiar journey.

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If you are in the mood for a light, cute and sweet romantic comedy with a nice female lead who knows what she wants and smart not-an-asshole male lead, this is for you. While the plot was truly simple daily life and there was no main plotline except for the blooming romance between Si Tu Mo and u Wei Yi, nor huge hardships the main characters had to overcome, it was still interesting and enjoyable to watch.

It might seem like a drama with many usual tropes of rom-coms, but most of them are introduced in an interesting and fresh way. The love triangle is not as frustrating as it tends to be in this genre and gets resolved in a realistic way. The second lead female is almost non existing and does not affect the main couple in a negative way. Even the accidental kiss happened in a realistic setting.

Don’t let the tags fool you, neither is the female lead naive nor the main lead cold. She is strong willed and tries to fulfill her dreams in an industry she likes while staying positive and mature. Gu Wei Yi is a nice and truly caring guy. He might not be the best communicator and lacks the know-how in romantic relationships, but rather than being cold, it makes him look sweet and innocent.

All the characters were extremely likable, with Lin Zhi Cun being a background MVP who instead of being turned into a pushy guy that goes after a girl ignoring her own feelings, was written as a good person who is willing to help others in his smart and funny ways.

It’s a good drama for an evening when you don’t want to feel burdened with complex plots and many tragic and sad scenes. There are no weird plot twists and no moments that will make your blood boil.

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I have not seen any of the previous dramas about Pete and Kao so I will be judging this as a solo act/drama - keep that in mind while reading my review.

I believe this drama shows in quite simple and realistic way what happens when someone openly gay dates a person who is still in the closet and not ready to come out. Most of the problems Pete and Kao faced were the result of Kao not admitting he is dating Pete to his friends and family.

That said, we cannot place all the blame on Kao only. We should take into consideration his situation too - the fear of his mom not accepting him, the possibility of losing his job because some parents might not want a gay person to tutor their children. Pete was in an extremely privileged situation - did not have to worry about money, his dad was as accepting as it was possible. Because of that, it was hard for him to understand Kao's struggle and how, for him, there was no good way out of this situation. No matter what choice he will make, there will be negative consequences.

I also like what they did with Non's character, no matter how annoying he was. The drama clearly showed how bad parenting can influence a kid. Giving us the glimpse of what Non has to put up with at home makes it easier to understand the character, but the drama makes sure to not use it as an excuse for his bad behavior. Being a victim does not mean you yourself can create more victims.

Overall, I believe this drama addresses the important topic of coming out and how it should always be decided by the person themselves, when and how they want to do it. It should not be forced on them, expected from them. It's not an easy decision and everyone's circumstances are different. To quote the drama: "It's my choice to tell or not tell anyone. I should get to decide.".

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Constant state of pain and agony, washed with the holy waves of never-ending angst…

and yet, somehow… Part two made me feel far less than part one did. By the end of the drama I felt like the writer loved their story and all the characters too much to give some aspects up. Too many things were not set up and developed enough, too many plotlines felt rushed, luckily the closure was solid.

Don’t get me wrong though, I still enjoyed the show a lot, but the progression of the story and the lack of focus just lost me a bit. The politics and war were mostly the context in which the characters operated and explored their beliefs, personalities, morality and relationships in part one. It was great. We had many powerful scenes showing the contract between the royal family and the common people. Not knowing any real details was not an issue, because these royal idiots were never main characters in the first place.

Sadly, this whole royal drama gets more attention in part 2. It takes away precious time from the main characters. Where even was Eun Ae? Why did most of Yeon Jun's character development happen between the scenes? He took a couple of 180 in terms of his morality, but we never got enough reason for it to even happen. And it's not like the screen time they took away from these characters was even enough to truly develop and explore the palace storyline. It felt like I needed to do a lot of work myself to fill the gaps of the plot in my mind based on vague ideas and shallow set ups. It's like they tried to turn a character driven show into a plot driven one half way through...

All that said, the drama is still dear to my heart and even if I enjoyed part two less, I still enjoyed it a lot. We've got more of the exploration of different themes relating to morality, justice, duty, honor. Many scenes connecting to events in part one in a smooth and eye opening manner - adding to already intriguing commentary on social standards and gender roles.

Undoubtedly, the best gem, the true treasure of My Dearest was Gil Chae. Easily my favorite female character in 2023, probably top 3 from all the dramas I have ever seen. The masterfully crafted character development, the realistic flaws, the strength that was inspiring. The depth of emotional performance given by Ahn Eun Jin. There are no words that can truly describe how much I adore this character. The drama shows, you can have a female lead that is feminine, compassionate and good, without making her a stupid pushover. Gil Chae was smart, cunning, witty, and resourceful, but also stubborn. At times shortsighted and blind by her perception and understanding of the situation. Her character was beautifully complex and for her existence I am grateful.

Did I love Jang Hyun while watching? Of course I did. Do I want one in my life? Yes. Did I think he was not as developed as Gil Chae and I wished they explored his character more? Also yes. Since the past story did not really lead to anything significant and it felt more like a cheat and easy fix for some plot developments, I could not stop myself from feeling disappointed. The set up for the mystery of his background was perfect, the conclusion answered all the questions, but the overall picture created by that opening and ending felt a bit lacking. With little to no background for the character in part one, I thought they would explore him more in part two, but this did not really happen. From start to finish he was badass, smart, driven, caring (even if he kept denying it) and madly in love with Gil Chae.

What’s more to love? A strong set of diverse supporting characters that felt so real and humane with their, at times questionable ideas and actions. Ryang Eum with whom I went from friends, to lovers, to enemies to lovers trope, with how my feelings changed towards him. Jong Jong who was a loyal friend and support for Gil Chae, even if on the surface it felt like it was mostly Gil Chae protecting her. Gu Jam who always provided a solid dose of entertainment with his sharp comments and badass actions. Yang Chun, who truly shows that good people can have backwards ideas. Even Prince So Hyun and Crown Princess Kang’s scenes had many meaningful and touching moments.

Still adore the production and the attention to details in terms of how the characters are presented. You know how in many historical shows, as long as the female character is part of the main cast, they will have make up worthy of the royal family, looking like Crown Princesses themselves? Not here. From episode 1 till the end of episode 21 of the whole series, there was a lot of care put into making the looks realistic and fitting the context and hardships the characters went through.

Overall, I loved it, but maybe I loved it a bit too much, so it made me expect more. I wish the whole story was more simple, with less side characters and plot lines. Wished the plot focused on the common people more and kept the palace drama and the war as the context and background the story is happening in, rather than the focus of the plot. From the start, I loved this drama for its characters and countless social commentaries and powerful scenes, and it was never truly about the plot for me. While the conclusion was amazing, giving proper closure to it all, I wished the journey itself was either more detailed, or more simple…

That said, once you sell your soul to this drama, there is no coming back, so while I might have had some complaints, they were delivered through tears of both sadness and happiness, and complete devotion I had to the main characters and their journey.

Review for pt1: https://kisskh.at/profile/Shini/review/300809

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I've watched the last episode on 2x speed so I guess that says a lot about how much I enjoyed it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The worst part of the show was the investigation and overall police work. Why did all of the detectives act outside of the law? What's the point in catching the bad guy when none of the evidence will hold up in court because of how it was obtained? No one put any brain power to solve the case. Instead, we've got looooots of breaking and entering and arresting people left and right without a warrant.

Gray characters? Questionable moral decisions? Making mistakes? I love all that in characters, but still, they need to have SOME redeeming qualities. Here? They all sucked. Everyone was so painfully self-righteous and throwing themselves pity parties titled "who had it worse in life".

The production value was not bad? I'm just questioning why it was so dark for so many scenes. Creating a feeling of suspense and all that happens, when you play around with shadows and LIGHT. The light was not detected here.

The acting was good, I must admit. But I did expect a good performance from this cast.

Overall, nothing new, nothing fresh, dislikable characters, predictable plot.

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