My Dearest Part 2 (2023)

A Rollercoaster of Emotions - My Dearest Review

"My Dearest" kicks off in an extraordinary fashion, immediately grabbing the audience's attention with a gripping and immersive first half. The intriguing plot and well-developed characters promise an unforgettable television experience. However, while the initial part of the series is a triumph, the latter half presents some challenges that diminish the overall impact.

The plot seems to undergo excessive acceleration in the second half, with numerous moments feeling rushed. This could be attributed to a desire to keep pace with the drama or swiftly resolve narrative entanglements. Unfortunately, this choice significantly affects the story's coherence and the depth of character development.

The final episode, in particular, leaves a bitter taste. The conclusion, perhaps dictated by the need to tie up all narrative threads hastily, lacks the satisfaction one would expect after such a promising start. Fans would likely have preferred a more nuanced and less hurried resolution.

Another aspect that might have influenced the second part of the series is the king's obsession, a theme that, in my opinion, was dealt with excessively heavily. This element risked overshadowing other aspects of the plot, leaving less room for the development of other storylines and making the entire experience somewhat monotonous.

In summary, "My Dearest" starts with brilliance that captures the viewer's heart, but the second half of the series introduces a series of rushes and questionable narrative choices. The final episode, in particular, falls short of expectations, leaving the feeling that the series could have offered much more. Despite these shortcomings, enthusiasts may still find value in the series, especially if they are willing to overlook some narrative stumbles.

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Part 2 is perfect

I was a bit disappointed of the end of Part 1 and some reviews said Part 2 was not worth it.

In my opinion, Part 2 gave us everything season 1 did not.

As said for Part 1, the acting was perfect, and the chemistry between the main leads is off the roof. I like how Part 2 gives more depth to the characters (even side characters). There is something really precious in each relationship, especially those formed by Lee Jang Huyn with others (special mention for his relationship with the Qing Commander & the Princess).

It still seems some issues were left to the side, which is a bit of a shame as it could have been more of a historical drama. However, this still was a really good drama that i would recommend watching :)

Part 1 review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/lisouille/reviews/328967

Note: same with Part 1, there are a lot of scenes with violence :(

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A Korean "Gone With The Wind"?

This alternately heart-warming and heart-wrenching spectacular maybe the best sageuk I've ever seen. But keep the tissues handy. The heart-wrenching moments are some of the most difficult to endure. The two leads, Namkoong Min as Lee Jang Hyun and Ahn Eun Jin as Yoo Gil Chae are simply perfection. The push and pull between their characters is the very heart of the story and their chemistry is absolutely wonderful.

Early in season 1, the story began to feel somehow familiar. Then I realized that the interplay between the two leads and the secondary leads bore a striking similarity to one of the greatest movies of all time, "Gone With The Wind." The rogue Jang Hyun (Rhett) is intrigued by pampered aristocrat Gil Chae (Scarlett) who futilely throws herself after her childhood love Yeon Jun (Ashley) who only has eyes for her best friend Eun Ae (Melanie). When the barbarians (yankees) come and wreck their world leaving them destitute, Gil Chae (Scarlett) rises up from the ashes to save those around her who are too weak to fend for themselves, including her dementia addled father and Eun Ae (Melanie) Meanwhile, cynical opportunist, Jang Hyun (Rhett), showing no particular loyalty to either side of the conflict, uses the riches he makes as a "blockade runner" between Joseon and Qing to help those around him.

Thankfully, My Dearest eventually transcends the Gone With The Wind parallels and as their love story slowly unfolds, poor Gil Chae and Jang Hyun are forced to endure hardships far greater than Scarlett or Rhett ever did. It is an emotional rollercoaster that is both riveting and exhausting.

The hauntingly beautiful OST supports the drama in ways that makes it feel almost like another character. There are two versions of the theme song, "With my heart". One features the voice of EXO member Kai; the other features the lovely voice of the Ahn Eun Jin (Gil Chae) herself. (Is there anything these incredible Korean actors can't do?!)

My only quibble is with the very end. To take advantage of the show's popularity, the producers added another episode to stretch out the ending, but the added melodrama and the use and reuse of an unwelcome trope in the final episodes marred an otherwise perfect drama. Nevertheless, this one is well worth a watch.

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Dear Husband…

I’m going to rate this in 2 parts since it has a season 1 & 2.
Season 1: 9/10
Season 2: 8/10
Overall, it is a remarkable series with minor inconveniences.

I know this series was based on actual historical events so they didn’t give us the typical good guys conquer all storyline. You’re not going to get the epic political warfare or battle of the wits in the royal court. It was more focused on the fall of Joseon during the Qing’s takeover. You see more of the heartbreaks from the civilians’ eyes. That being said, there were SO many moments I wanted to just scream and punch my pillow out of anger or just cry in anguish.

If you’re here for the romance. Hang tight. It won’t kick in until episode 18. This was THE most chaotic couple in the history of couples. By chaotic, I meant chaos followed them everywhere and every single time. They don’t have a lot peaceful times before shit would hit the fan and off we go running again and again. The ML was one of the most heroic and greenest flag of all green flags. He LOVED the FL with all of his heart, body and soul. The FL .. you’ll have to wait until at least episode 3 to warm up to her but the character development was remarkable. She went from being an arrogant, petty and selfish brat to a strong, independent, wise and courageous woman. Truly magnificent to see her blossom.

Let’s talk crazy. We all know who. Ryang Eum was batshit crazy. He was manipulative, obsessive, possessive and I blame him for the leads’ misfortunes in the first season. Nam Yeon Joon was another crazy mofo. His self proclaimed righteousness under Confucianism blinded him from seeing the actual lack humanity presented in front of him.

The amnesia. Overdone and overused. Wtf. It happened not once but TWICE? EOTAKE?!

The women in this series suffered. A lot. You need to be brave to watch some of it.

Overall, it was a great series and experience to watch. I would not watch it again.

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An epic love story that tries to defeat time and space.

LOTS OF SPOILER AHEAD.

I have to preface all of this saying that I've really enjoyed this drama and I think that it really lives up to his reputation. I've just finished ep 21 and I feel like I've said goodbye to a group of close friends with whom I've been sharing years with.
Seeing these people go through thick and thin and witnessing their growth is really special and makes you feel really attached to both the main protagonists (especially our Gil Chae) and the rest of the cast.

But,

as much as I've loved part 1, I felt like part 2 could not live up to the first. I found it far less exciting and got really bored at some points with the king/politics/prisoners storyline in its second half, while I found the first episodes about Gil Chae being a prisoner more interesting.
Again every happy moment between the leads was always promptly follow by another separation.
I also didn't really like how the rest of the cast slowly faded on the back, in the last 2-3 episodes I don't really remember seeing Jong Jong, bang Du Ne, or even Eun Ae, if not for some brief glimpses. And I really missed the comradeship between the girls and their bond.

But what disappointed me the most was the last episode, for sure.
I didn't really get the flow of time, like we're supposed to believe that Ryang Eum has been locked in that psych ward for 23 years and he still locks 25 if not for the white hair. Also why and by whom was he imprisoned? The drama doesn't really explain that.
Gil Chae has lived we don't really know how many years believing that her husband is dead only to find out years later that he may still be alive, just because YJ decided casually to spill the beans like years after everything happened.
She then proceeds to find him after we don't really know how much time spent by knocking at every door in search of him. And when he finds him, he has lost his memory again except for the fact that he remembers that someone once described a house to him and I'm supposed to believe that he build an entire house on the mountains all by himself? I don't know....

I'm not saying I would have preferred him to be dead, because I was really happy at their well deserved reunion, but I found everything not really believable especially considering that he somehow escaped for the 6th time a sure death.

All in all, I think this is a really well round and complex drama, but after watching this and the red sleeve back to back I definitely need to take a break from all the angst and sadness.
Still would recommend it.

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One of the best korean dramas release this year 2023. The whole historical romance story of the main leads are really well portrayed. It's a really a heart aching drama. I cried a lot watching this one. I liked that I watch this one ongoing, because my emotions can't take it if I watch this in one go.

Aside from the love story, I really liked the side characters in the drama. Even with all the flaws shown by the characters, I can't help but accept them as what they are. I really am so convinced with the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, they are also one of the characters that made an impact for me as a watcher.

Though the drama is political in it's aspect, which is usual in a historical drama, I like that it shows the perspective of the common people, though the monarchy is seen, it's not really the main plot of the story which is really a plus for me as a watcher.

The lines/script of the drama is well written, I am in awe. I would not rewatch this for sure since I don't want to cry again.

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A beautiful journey awaits

⚠️⚠️THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ⚠️⚠️

Where do I begin?!
I've heard of this saying (fate is about timing)..this series had me in a chokehold from the 1st episode, it was beautifully written and the brilliant actors was ????

our main couple meet by chance shortly after the FL had had a dream about our ML, and it was love at first sight for our ML(she?..not so much) but that did not deter our ML(even after learning of her crush to someone else) in that time period she was considered (brash,loud mouth, forward) amongst other things. Our couple is then taken on a journey like no other and we get to see them in different stages of the their lives during the war and their timing being off(frustratingly so),


○After losing everything, she was not afraid to work(even though noble-women weren't allowed to)
○She sacrificed her love for Jang Hyeon and chose to stay with her family to take care of her unwell father and young siblings
○She was told he had died which in turn led to her getting married(not before mourning him)
○After that he(ML) finds out she was bought by the princess of the Qing empire (because of her unrequited love for Jand Hyeon)
○He gets Gil chae(FL) out and the Qing princess almost kills him while he was trying to save Gil chae
○Makes Jang Hyeon make Gil chae leave to have him to herself (Qing princess) as a result of not understanding why he'd be willing to die for her
○She goes back, only to find her husband has impregnated another woman(probably thought she was never coming back)
○Her refusing to him and see her struggle

●Despite everything he continued to love her unconditionally
●He fought with her and for her(didn't think twice when she was in danger)
●He risked everything to get her out of slavery(when her husband chose reputation over her)
●As he promised, always finds her(wether in danger or not)
●The way his eyes conveyed what his mouth couldn't
●His hearts refusal to forget her when his mind did
●His unwavering love for her throughout the years
●their sacrifices for other people (captives)

There's a lot I could say regarding these two but it still might not be enough, the emotional roller-coaster one goes through whole watching(laughter, love,tears,anger, angst, frustration) but a beautiful journey one could take.
Let me leave it here

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Jang Hyun and Gil Chae - that's who you need to know

This review comes with spoilers - the spoilers are in the second half of this post and I shall mark it in bold letters so you can stop reading at that point if you don't want to be spoiled.

Referring to just part 2, this was literally actually theoretically a not so enjoyable rollercoaster ride. But theory cannot compete with Nam Goong Min and Ahn Eun Jin's acting so it was still very much enjoyable. Perfect man and perfect woman who are perfectly interesting both by themselves and together do not need the best chemistry to make their collaboration a success. That is my conclusion after seeing Jang Hyun and Gil Chae portrayals. They are gems ❤️ who will last a long time.

Pros:
CANNOT emphasize on the whole amazingness of this production enough. It surpassed everything in this show and even many other shows. They've left every other part of this show to play catch up to them, and when it almost seemed like some parts did, it left everything and everyone (except one aspect) in the dust and won the race. That one aspect, the only thing that was at least able to keep relative pace with (behind) the production was NGM & AEJ's acting. It was golden. These people can act. Coupled with those melting OSTs, this duo is pretty much unstoppable.
Coming to another important thing, the story. Despite the tumbles the writing took, the story and context (special praise and mention here - to how well they showed the difficulties of the commoners during a trying period) and plot - felt new, interesting, engaging and thought-provoking and in many places, the characters themselves were swoon-worthy. Forgetting all the flaws for a second, I think this deserves much appreciation.
However the side characters ended up, I cannot deny how I loved so many of them. I enjoyed Gu Jam, Jong Jong, Young Rang, Crown Prince & Princess and even the stupid Yong Gol Dae.
Best was the main couple of course. The characters held so much power and stood on their own so well and together, the pleasure they could give us was always double. So ya, all of that makes this drama a really good watch.

SPOILERS:::::

Cons:
Man, for an ending episode, that I was satisfied with in many ways, especially after the let down of the previous eps, it still left many things to be desired :( I was right, that they did seem to have had some of the ending planned before so it was not a complete mess, but it was still messy. Especially when it comes to Ryang Eum & Eun Ae. Ryang Eum - mainly cause of the ending - totally left him and us hanging there after all the build up in the first scene with the letter and finding the truth and if JH is coming back and all that stuff. Eun Ae - her role in part 1 was genuinely good. I cannot describe it properly but that's clearly how it was and how it felt. And in part 2, it all felt just lacking when it came to her - SO - the downward transition of this role and the character's importance feels like poor planning. As for Yeon Jun, it's a bit confusing - BUT - to me, the show has taken a confusing stand point forever when it comes to Yeon Jun. From part 1 till now, it's like they are unable to make up their minds which part of his personality they want to emphasize on and they're presenting all they can think of for him as it is. To me, that at least seems consistent even though it's a bit frustrating because if I want to call him names, I don't want to have doubts about it. I don't know if that was intended, but I doubt it. Possibly many other ifs and buts and uncrossed t's and undotted i's.

Overall, decided to stay consistent to my part 1 rating of 9 / 10.

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Amazing acting undercut by a stumbling storyline

I had a lot of hopes pinned on this drama, and for the most part, it paid off. Particularly for Part 1, I felt the raging angst of Gil Chae and Jang Hyun's separation. In Part 2, those feelings were severely dampened, and I felt the romance took a sharp backseat to the rest of the plot--something I surprisingly found myself OK with because the rest of the cast and subplots were quite compelling.

There will be spoilers throughout this (admittedly long) review. I'm trying to keep it brief, I swear. This is my first review on this website, and I think that's a testament to this drama in and of itself. I binged the whole show (Parts 1 and 2) over 3-4 days, and while it didn't pan out how I hoped for, it's been a journey that I enjoyed. This review focuses on Part 2 for the most part, although I make allusions to Part 1 as I didn't review it.

THE GOOD
- The pacing of the drama in general was excellent. There were rarely plot points that lingered for more than an episode, which made the frustration of their existence (e.g., the amnesia storyline, miscommunications, the repeated separations and reunions of our main couple) easier to bear. I found myself appreciating it because the story moved briskly forward. However, there was the related drawback of timeline issues.
- The scenes that were built up to be emotional more than delivered. I can't get Namgoong Min's eyes out of my head--they are SO expressive and tender and carry every emotion. Just his gaze alone! Scenes like the one where he sees her 'for sale', or whenever he and Gil Chae are saying goodbye. The whole scene where she's pretending to be pregnant and you can feel the mixed feelings of 'this is all I ever wanted for you, but this could have been our life for real'. It was achingly beautiful. Ahn Eun Jin more than held her own (ugh, the way she looked at Jang Hyun towards the end!), but I think Namgoon Min stole the show. The emotional acting, yes, but also the fighting choreos, as well as the way he emotes through his words. Actually scratch that--gotta call out him and Ahn Eun Jin for that one scene in Part 1, when they meet, and you hear the audio overlay of them looking back on that moment from the future. The sad happiness in their voices captures the heartbreak of their romance so very clearly, so early on in the drama. Beautiful.
- The cinematography was utterly gorgeous at parts. Cinematic, but also artistic. So many times did I want to pause and paint a whole scene. Coupled with the costuming, and the way the characters (esp. Gil Chae) are gradually and gracefully aged as the show went on...excellent.
- I loved how they treated the SA storyline for Gil Chae. For everyone, but particularly Gil Chae. By keeping it subtle and purposely vague, the writers solidified the theme of 'not losing value' because of it. Gil Chae is never defined by what happened to her, and her confessing it to Jang Hyun and Jang Hyun alone--and we, as an audience, don't ever see a moment of her thinking about it alone--then becomes a powerful scene where she's trusting him with the knowledge, knowing he won't see her differently. It's a sensitive topic that was handled very well imo.

THE BAD
- Timeline--I had no sense of it. I couldn't tell at all. Was Ryang Eum meant to be in jail for 20 years? Neither Gil Chae ages, nor Jang Hyun, nor Ryang Eum (even though his hair turns grey). Yet the dialogue (and the scholar who finds him) suggests that it's been many years, possibly enough years for the scholar to have grown from a boy to a man. I assumed that it was 3-ish years, because that makes most sense all things considered, but I'm still confused. The timeline issue was exacerbated in the final episode, but it was ever-present throughout the show, a by-product of the brisk pacing. The costuming and side cast (babies) did a lot to help contextualise, and I liked how subtle that was. However, because Jang Hyun never changes and only Gil Chae begins to look more mature, it's hard to gauge how much time has passed from the start of the show to the end. My guess is ten years.
- Ryang Eum???? There is no closure to his character. Does he wander the earth thinking Jang Hyun is dead? That's so sad! And who captured him? What did he say that they called him insane? Also, the actor is 22 but the character is supposed to be, what, 8 years younger than Jang Hyun, max? Maybe 10-12, at a stretch? Again, timeline issues. It made it a little hard to follow.

THE UGLY
- The story and plotting was a mess. I found that the main pattern in this drama was for Gil Chae and Jang Hyun to reunite and then separate, reunite and separate, over and over again. It got tiring after a while, and it didn't make sense after a certain point because truly? I missed the selfish Gil Chae and Jang Hyun. I wanted them both to dig their heels in a little and fight to stay together (like Gil Chae tried to stay by his side in Shimsang. But then, what? He called her shameless and chased her away? OUCH.)
- Related to the above, the last half of the final episode was stretched out, repetitive, and made me impatient. Although the emotional climax was a beautiful note to end the drama on, it was somewhat ruined by the panned out shot of Gil Chae and Jang Hyun hugging, and you can hear him sobbing but the shot they chose features a blank-faced Jang Hyun. What????? I blame the editing but it made me laugh out loud. And this is coming from someone who hugely enjoyed the way the show was directed, and the slow-paced shots between Gil Chae and Jang Hyun where it felt as if the episode was paused, but it was the characters who were that still, not the video. It didn't work as the final shot, however, because it completely broke the emotional bubble for me.

OVERALL
All I wanted from this show was to sob over a relationship that appeared to be tender, heart-breaking, and romantic. That was it. That didn't happen. While I didn't feel let down by the ending, exactly, I wanted something MORE that the writers just weren't able to deliver.

Part 1 set-up the angst and the heartbreaking ache of their separation beautifully, but the plot was a lot more coerced in Part 2. For example, Gil Chae being kidnapped to the Qing was so mindlessly illogical, even if it provided an excuse for the leads to reunite. I wanted to see more of Gil Chae's spunk, too, as well as her innocent happiness. For a large part of the drama, Gil Chae and Jang Hyun only loved each other when they were apart. I know it was intentional to show Gil Chae's immaturity ("I will stop teasing you when you grow a little more"), but I wished we'd have seen some more light-hearted flirting between them before the first kiss.

That said, the acting not only makes up for most of my cons here, it surpasses them. Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin carried oceans in their eyes, and I'll be thinking about them for a while. Even if the plotting didn't carry it across, the acting was every bit as tender, as heart-breaking, and as romantic as I could have wished for, and this drama is one that I'll remember for a long long while.

(Oh, and while I was already an Ahn Eun Jin fan from The Good Bad Mother...Namgoong Min has earned another admirer of his works. I didn't like him at all in The Undateables, and now I can't fathom why. He is a masterclass in emotion.)

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VERY SUBJECTIVE ABOUT THIS PIECE OF ART

I promised myself I will write subjective review about my first, and probably last romance.

I was foolishly seduced by the visuals and fell in love with the drama in first episode. It is BEAUTIFUL and UGLY and RAW and POLISHED, all at the same time. I am not joking it is really ART.

I loved everything about this drama except the ending. No matter how you define it I just could not see the option for the „happy (or bittersweet ending)“.

--- I need to point out that this is solemnly based on my personal preferences, so please avoid the hate if possible. ---

STORY/ENDING:
In my book happy endings tend to water down the story. Not all the time, but mostly. Overall if the script is so well written, and well made like really well made, I want to be happy with whole product. I expect more than I would expect from average dramas that I watch to kill time or to just escape the daily worries.

I really needed the balance.

The story was heavy but not unbearable so that final heartbreak would make me suffer in a manner I want to suffer. Like heavy, raw and unforgettable emotion. And that would make me sad and unexplainable happy and my Dearest would be probably one of my favs of all times. (I am in therapy no worries).

If the story was even sadder, more brutal and heartbreaking, happy ending might balance it out. I am not sure, this is just me...

SPOILER:
I do accept amnesia even though it can be explained, God that man was hit in the head like billion times... I just cannot deal with memory loss it is so unoriginal and it just does not fit. It is like a cheap patch on luxurious dress.

Of course my heart breaks for Ryang Eum but this scenario is realistic. I really loved that he was not just a loyal companion and childhood friend, his love was not mistaken for anything else. Ryang Eum loved Lee Jang Hyun, maybe all the wrong reasons were involved and maybe there is a pathological or toxic connection but at least it is acknowledged. Good one k-drama, good one.

WOMEN:
I loved, loved, loved female characters, all of them. The way they all managed to live in the world fill with misogyny, the way their lives were seen as less worthy but they carried the whole world on their shoulders. I really loved WOMEN in this drama. I want to say something deep but I just have pure love for characters, their differences and developments. So complex, so satisfying.

CONCLUSION:
There are so many happy endings drama, why couldn’t I just have this one?

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Repetitive and underwhelming

Part 2 has 11 episodes, but only enough plot for like 5 or 6, so there's a lot of repetition and drama cliches that get thrown in. It's especially frustrating because this season tackled some very important subjects that deserve to be reckoned with. Sometimes less is more - a shorter and more focused drama would've worked better. The cliches the writer includes to fill up time make for a dull viewing experience. It felt like the talent of the lead actors and the excellent soundtrack were both completely wasted.

Just stop at the end of part 1, you won't miss much.

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