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.

Leia Mais

Caution! This will mangle your heart.

I needed a few days to process what I had just seen before writing a proper review. My heart was way too invested in this and I needed some clarity before proceeding...

If you are a sucker for a good romantic melodrama, this one tops the list. The heat in the room gets turned up by the smoldering male lead, Jang Hyun, played by Namkoong Min. He falls for his lady the moment he set eyes on her and sets out to steal her heart by any means necessary. Our female lead, Gil Chae, is aptly played by Ahn Eun Jin (Hospital Playlist). Gil Chae has no interest in our ML, however, because she has her eyes set elsewhere. What is obvious to us, though, is that our FL has fallen head over heels for our ML but she is the only fool who doesn't realize it. What transpires is a delicious game of push/pull and how Jang Hyun would cut his heart out of his body for Gil Chae if she wasn't so self-absorbed to appreciate it.
We get a sweeping epic of historical fiction that will throw our leads together or tear them apart. We get lost in the intense gaze of Jang Hyun telling his lady he resents the hell out of her, while granting her the simplest of wishes. We are swept along in the tidal wave of their love and it is beautiful.

Unfortunately, this beautiful epic love story has its flaws. Most of the plot was taken from Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, in the first part and then riddled with cliches and sloppy writing in the second, leaving us confused and asking a ton of questions. There were time lapse issues, abandoned story arcs, and implausible scenarios. How is it that Jang Hyun can fight so well? He hates war and is a bit of a dandy, so when did he train to be so deadly with a sword? His past is alluded to but not clear. The storyline gets muddled and repetitive, so it would have been better to just stick with a simpler plot. After all, it was delivering spectacularly in the romantic aspect.

The OST...what an OST!! It was sonorous, sweeping, simple, and unforgettable. It conveyed the romantic emotions, the angst, the desperation, and the deep longing of two people who can't live without the other. Bravo!

Then there are unforgettable lines like, "I tried to hate you when you left me, but I couldn't, So, I hated myself instead." "I never left you, I just couldn't bring myself to have you." Add these to the stellar acting and breathtaking cinematography and you have yourself a noteworthy production despite its flaws, deserving of its many awards for best actors and best drama of 2023.

Leia Mais

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 :(

Leia Mais

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?

Leia Mais

I wanted to like it

I might be in the minority here, but I really struggled to finish this drama. The overwhelmingly positive reviews made me go into this show with high expectations, but also made me even more disappointed in the end. Not everything is bad, but there are way too many parts that frustrated me to watch or was just plain boring.

The casting was good. All the actors and actresses played their roles well (no hate towards any of them). The visuals were great and the show itself was filmed in a visually stunning way (although dark and bland sometimes). As with most shows that I'm not a fan of, the problems mostly lie in the writing and execution. This drama is long, taking into account parts 1 and 2, with some episodes being over an hour long. This wouldn't be a problem if the show actually kept my interest the entire time, but there were so many scenes that were just dragged out for way too long, and so many repetitive situations. The two leads going back and forth arguing with each other became extremely repetitive and annoying very quickly. Gil Chae's character was not very likeable for the majority of the show (especially at the beginning), and the way she treated Jang Hyun in the first half was frustrating to watch to say the least. She would constantly blame him for things, badmouth him, and was just plain rude. So many times Jang Hyun would help her or save her life, and all of this would go unnoticed. He would fight and hurt himself in the process, only for very little acknowledgement and little payoff in the end (in fact, Gil Chae would often get upset with him instead). Gil Chae being "in love" with Yeon Jun in the first half was so frustrating to watch. So many times I thought she would finally come to her senses and move on from this unhealthy relationship with Yeon Jun, only for her to fall right back in to blindly chasing after his affection even though he's already in a relationship with her best friend. It didn't help that Yeon Jun was incredibly annoying for most of the show, especially when he admitted to having some feelings for Gil Chae while also seeing Eun Ae.

Side characters were okay, although boring at times and helped to drag out the story for way too long. Ryang Eum's dynamic with Jang Hyun was interesting and not something that you see often in these types of shows. Gag Hwa was also a pretty interesting character, and sometimes I felt more chemistry between her and Jang Hyun than with Gil Chae. I didn't really care at all for Yeon Jun and Eun Ae's relationship (even though Eun Ae was a very good character in my opinion), as Yeon Jun was not very likeable.

The vibe of the show started off as a historical rom-com, but quickly turned very dark, violent, and moody. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I do prefer rom-coms over dark shows. The first two-ish episodes were great in my opinion, but I soon found myself wishing there was a fast-forward option to get through some of the boring scenes and repetitive dialogue. Namkoong Min, who I acknowledge is a very talented and well-respected actor, did this thing throughout the entire show where he would talk in a very slow manner. This was obviously done for dramatic effect and to increase tension in his scenes, but I found this also dragged out his scenes for much longer than they normally would have been. He would take a pause between every few words or sentences that dragged out his dialogue scenes waaay too long. I don't know if this was just me who noticed this?

The story itself became boring very quickly. I haven't seen Gone with the Wind, so I can't really make comparisons with it. The story just felt dragged out, and some parts like Jang Hyun losing his memory twice didn't really make much sense to me. The ending was okay I guess, I think I was just glad that it was finally over. The relationship between Jang Hyun and Gil Chae was cute at times, but I couldn't really feel the chemistry. Often times I wondered why they were so obsessed with each other (especially with Jang Hyun towards Gil Chae), as I felt like their relationship lacked a strong connection that made me want to see them together. The constant bickering and push&pull in the first half didn't really lead to a good build up to their relationship, and then the introduction of Gag Hwa into the story and her dynamic with Jang Hyun made it even harder to feel the connection between the main leads. I felt like most of the show Jang Hyun and Gil Chae weren't even together.

Overall, rather disappointed to say the least. You may enjoy this show if you like historical/costume & period dramas. I prefer modern-day rom-coms so maybe this show just wasn't for me.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

My Dearest 연인 The drama of the century

The most incredible drama I've seen, I finished it around 1 a.m.... I was dreading this moment when I finished it because it's such a masterpiece ? The story is incredible, especially for a historical drama, In this drama, boredom does not exist. The romance is the best I've seen so far, it's really perfect between the two, nothing to complain about. Even where sometimes I said to myself “no why is she doing that” or that kind of thing afterwards I understood.. if for example she wouldn't have married Mr Gu (I’m pissed) but it was important otherwise the story could not continue. Everything was logical ahaha sorry I don't know if we understand what I'm saying, I'm getting carried away but 10/10 I'll have to get over it after finishing it..

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

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.

Leia Mais

A never ending struggle to the end and not just for them…

I'll apologise in advance, this isn't going to be my best review I simply can't find the enthusiasm to go into any depth.

I never thought it was going to finish. And by the time we did end up at the beach, I was less than interested and definitely not convinced. I felt like I’d been dragged kicking and screaming through a series of fragmented plot-lines, rushed developments and overused clichés. Amnesia once is unfortunate, twice is unforgivable and tbh I got to the point of hoping to be touched with it myself…

The actors battled hard against an ever loosening plot, but were unable to save it falling apart into a weird time-loop at the end. The costumes were very pretty and far too clean, and the cinematography was also pretty.

An attempt to be epic that simply became unmanageable.

Leia Mais

A Gem in Kdrama-World

Well, this is the end of a long journey and yearning. I absolutely loved Part 1. I did not expect to love it that much and in my humble opinion... it's a masterpiece. But it was not completed and we obviously needed a Part 2. Even though I was scared how it will play out. I think Part 1 is stronger than Part 2, but I still loved it. I gave Part 1 a 10/10 and Part 2 a 9.5/10. It's hard to be subjective, since My Dearest is already on my list of all-time-favourites.

Before going into my thought on Part 2, I want to add a few of my thoughts of art 1 since they are still the same show and actually not a different season or anything:
- After watching the first two episodes I was not sure if I would like it or not and could not tell where the story was going
- Episodes 3 & 4 of Part 1 are brilliant: The happiness and "naivety" of people living in peace and then showing the horrors of war
- I love love love the characters! They are flawed, this is what makes them interesting. I could feel all the emotions they were feeling. The acting was amazing.
- Slowburn Romance at its best. The chemistry between the leads is wonderful
- The Show pulls you in and you won't be able to leave
- Beautiful music

These points are still relevant for Part 2. But here are a few thoughts on Part 2 to explain why I think it is "flawed":
- Gag Hwa... I did not need her in the story. She adds Drama, which causes for more yearning and angst between the leads... but I really disliked her
- Side Characters from Part 1 were not that relevant in Part 2
- Part 2 sometimes felt a bit draggy in comparison to Part 1, but maybe that's just me
- The Ending. I feel warm and happy. It's happier than I ever imagined it would be. I still wished for more ending scenes of the other side characters. But I don't want to get greedy.
- A beautiful and capturing show, an underrated gem in Kdrama-World. It's been a long time since I saw a show like this. And right now I am not sure if I ever did.

Has Part 2 flaws? Yes. Do I love and adore it anyway? YES.

What am I supposed to do now? It's over and I feel quite melancholic.

Leia Mais