My Dearest- Full Review
Welcome to My Dearest – Full Review. An independent-minded noblewoman and a mysterious stranger try to find love in the midst of political turmoil and national tragedy. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
My Dearest
♥ Aired: August 4 – September 2, 2023
October 13 – November 18, 2023
♥# of Episodes: 21
♥Where to Watch: Viki
♥Genre: Historical Romance
♥Starring: Namgoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin
The Story
In the 1600’s, Korea struggles under the heavy hand of the Qing Dynasty. During this uncertain time, a sassy noblewoman meets a mysterious strangers who shows up in town on business. And as much as she dislikes his greedy outlook on life and his worldly perspectives, she is strangely drawn to him. As she gets to know him, she finds that under his selfish facade lies a kind and generous heart. But just as their feelings for each other begin to deepen, both of their lives are changed dramatically by the political turmoil of the country. Despite many obstacles, the pair will try to find their way back to each other, but their love may not be enough to overcome the darkness faced by the country as a whole.
The Leads
Namkoong Min as Lee Jang Hyun
Lee Jang Hyun was raised as the son of a nobleman. But after the death of his sister and a servant he was close to, he leaves home to make his own way in the world. Due to some connections with questionable allies, he has made a livelyhood for himself in the trade market. When he comes to the small community of Neunggun on business, he meets Yoo Gil Chae and falls in love. But just when his advances seem to be working, Jang Hyun gets pulled into the struggle between his country and the Qing Dynasty. When he offers to serve the Crown Prince as an interpreter, he hopes to be home again soon, so that he can start to build a life with Gil Chae, but every attempt to return home is met with a new obstacle.
Lee Jang Hyun is charming and business savvy. When he first arrives in Neunggun, he seems to be selfish and only concerned with this own ability to make money. But over time, we see that he is actually a very caring and generous person, with a great sense of responsibility to help those in need. He has always vowed that he would never marry, but after meeting Gil Chae, he begins to long for a more stable life as her husband. Namkoong Min is truly a wonderful actor. His wry sense of comedic timing and audacious charm are perfect for this role.
Ahn Eun Jin as Yoo Gil Chae
Yoo Gil Chae is a noblewoman with an adventurous spirit. Her first love chose to date her best friend, but she still hopes to steal him away. When a mysterious trader shows up in town, she feels her heart begin to waver. So she is brokenhearted when the stranger decides to become an interpreter for the Crown Prince and even more brokenhearted when she mistakenly learns that he was killed. Much later she marries and is abducted along with her trusted servant and sent to the Qing Dynasty to work as a servant. There she suffers from both physical and sexual abuse before Jang Hyun finds her and rescues her. But if she and Jang Hyun hope to have a future together, there are many more obstacles they will have to overcome.
Yoo Gil Chae is independent and spirited. In the beginning, she seems very immature although we see her character grow and mature as the drama goes on. The strength that she finds as she fights to protect herself and those she cares about is admirable. I have enjoyed Ahn Eun Jin in several past roles, and while I did like her in this role, I did find that her 1000 watt smile seemed a bit dim in this drama. So I was relieved to hear that this was partly due to a case of facial paralysis that she suffered when she started filming. Having said that, her acting itself was well done and I liked her in this role.
Supporting Characters
Lee Hak Joo as Nam Yeon Jun
Nam Yeon Jun is Gil Chae’s first love. But he decides to propose to Eun Ae instead, because, although he does have feelings for Gil Chae, he doesn’t feel like he is strong enough to handle her intense personality. Yeon Jun is a confucian scholar studying at the Sungkyunkwan. But his stubborn adherence to Confucian principles will be tested when he learns a tragic secret about his new wife, Eun Ae.
Lee Da In as Kyung Eun Ae
Kyung Eun Ae and Gil Chae grew up together and their fathers were close friends and fellow scholars. She is fragile and gentle. She loves Yeon Jun because he seems like the kind of man who will take care of her. But when enemy soldiers raid their town, Eun Ae is forced to flee with Gil Chae and some of the other town women. And as she fights for survival, she will learn that she is much stronger than she ever imagined.
Kim Yoon Woo as Ryang Eum
Ryang Eum is one of Jang Hyun’s business partners. Jang Hyun rescued Ryang Eum when he was a very young boy and took Ryang Eum under his wing. Now Ryang Eum is totally devoted to Jang Hyun and is willing to do anything for him. He is also a very gifted singer who often performs to please the crowd. But Ryang Eum’s feelings go much deeper than the brotherly love Jang Hyun assumes. He has always been in love with Jang Hyun, but if Jang Hyun is aware, he has never acknowleged those feelings.
Things I Liked
♥ Strong Women
I loved the fact that while their men were off fighting battles, this group of women learned to protect themselves. These are no fainting flowers. While they may have known nothing about how to survive on their own in the beginning, they soon learned to rely on themselves and each other. Yes, they may have recieved some help along the way, but that doesn’t detract from their courage and resilience in the face of life-altering tragedy.
♥ Gu Jam and Jong Yi
I loved the characters of Gu Jam and Jong Yi both as individuals and as a couple. These two servants show true affection for the ones they serve and their relationships are heartwarming. With them there is no grand dream of “freedom”. Their only thought is to spend their lives standing at the side of the “masters” they love. And while their romance was very subtle, Gu Jam’s rushing in to save Jong Yi when she is sold to someone else, as if he would never dream of resting until he knew she was safe, was sweet and touching.
♥ Historical Context
This isn’t the first kdrama that has used the Qing Invasion as its backdrop, but this topic is certainly not as common as many other periods in history. And for that, I appreciate the effort to show some of the true events that occurred within that slice of time. While it is true that placing drama characters into a historical event can come off a bit like “Forest Gump”, it is nice to see these real life historical moments presented in an interesting and informative way.
Things I Didn’t Like
Ryang Eum
Ryang Eum was a great character in this drama who never seemed to get the peace or closure he deserved. After watching this sensitive soul pine for his mentor and closest friend through the whole drama, it would have been nice to see him get some kind of ending to his own personal story. Our final look at him shows us he has at least been released from prison. He and Gil Chae share a special moment remembering the loved one they think they have lost. Hopefully he hasn’t seen the end of Jang Hyun, since Jang Hyun is never one to break a promise, but I would have liked to see Ryang Eum get some kind of happy ending.
Jang Cheol and Jang Hyun
Jang Hyun’s history with his father has such a huge impact on the person he has become. Yet their relationship is thrown together in repetitive flashbacks before suddenly rushing to reveal the whole story with little fanfare or depth. The whole traitor story is hinted at very briefly toward the beginning of the drama and then totally dropped until everything about Jang Cheol’s father is revealed. Eventually, the King uses the information to blackmail Jang Cheol into framing Jang Hyun and all the returned slaves. Jang Cheol and Jang Hyun’s rough history, the truth about Sam Do’s death and the traitor story are all told in a rush that would be easy to miss. I think these important pieces deserved a bit more development.
Gil Chae’s Story
The second half of this drama didn’t give us much character development for Gil Chae. Toward the end, she seemed to only show up when it was time for yet another tearful goodbye with Jang Hyun. After maturing to such a strong force to be reckoned with in the first half, I would have liked to have seen more of her personal story unfold in between her endless waiting for Jung Hyun to come back. Even her marriage story with Won Moo seemed rushed and underdeveloped. And he was gone almost as quickly as he showed up. In my opinion, Gil Chae and her amazing female counterparts deserved more screentime in the second half.
The Ending
“My Dearest” does eventually end with a happy ending for our leads. Gu Jam and Jong Yi get married and seem to be living happily ever after. Yeon Jun decides that his love for Eun Ae is more important than the Confucian morals he has let dictate his life and conscience. Consumed by guilt for all of his wrong-doings over the years, Jang Cheol kills himself. And we see Ryang Eum out of prison, despite the King’s vow that he never see the light of day. Ryang Eum and Gil Chae share a drink and bond over their love for Jang Hyun, who they both believe is really dead this time, after being surrounded by the King’s army on the beach. Luckily, Jang Hyun isn’t dead, but he does have amnesia once again (Oh, please, drama gods, NO!!). His only memory is a woman he loves sharing their dream about living in the countryside with him. Gil Chae finds Jang Hyun waiting for her on the piece of property she had described and immediately becomes aware of his memory loss. The drama ends with Gil Chae’s dream sequence finally coming true, as she finds Jang Hyun alone on the beach. And as he turns to her, she can tell he finally remembers her. I guess we should have known from the beginning, from Gil Chae’s dream, that this would be a long, drawn out journey, but I’m glad they finally got their happy ending.
Should I Watch
“My Dearest” is a heartbreaking historical drama that highlights the suffering of a country living under foreign rule. This is a heavier, more intense drama than some of the more light-hearted rom-com style, but the emotions are raw and realistic. Some of the scenes of abuse and bullying may be difficult to watch, but it is not overly graphic. Namgoong Min brings his usual, unflappable charm to this well-developed character. Though I felt that the first half of this drama was tighter and better told, while the second half had some problems with pacing and consistency, the ending makes the journey worthwhile I give “My Dearest” a 9 out of 10 ramen.
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