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bbchops
Dallas, TX
This review may contain spoilers
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.
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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