My Dearest Part 2 (2023)

An another level drama

An another level drama. A masterpiece.
I think it will be one of the top drama in my list. Top Kdrama 2023.
Very beautiful drama.

Watching this feels like I really feel the sound of flowers, the sound of wave, the sound of wind, the sound of snow.

Every bit of silent momen in this drama is beautiful and elegant.

This drama is rewatchable, but not in the near future, it takes a lot of energy to watch it.

And I can also confirm that I got post-traumatic drama disorder after watching this.

Looks like I need a cheap romcom drama after watching this.

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This is why it got extended? Repeated scenes, flashbacks, flashbacks, and repeated plotlines?

Yeah this season had great character growth but it also had 11 dragged out reason just so “they didn’t get together” as if them staying together was the only point they feared they had nothing when they finally got together
I think I made s1 a 9 from 8ish but yeah that ending was DISAPPOINTING

Another freaking amnesia??? They should be lucky I didn’t give a 1

The war? The fight? two people just committed suicide or died.. that’s not the ending

And their final scene with the horrible blurred background, what did they record it in the studio

No wonder her first dream was her chasing him, it was one big long chase

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Not as good as part 1

While I absolutely loved part 1, part 2 felt disjointed. ML and FL had a lot more interactions but before they did, but the story had way too many useless characters and frustrating plotlines.

There were a lot of scenes where ML and FL almost met but missed each other by a hair. At first, it was ok, but later became very frustrating because the writers overdid it. Some characters and storylines were pointless. What was the deal with the Chinese princess and her unrequited love for Jang Hyun? It didn't move the plot forward, but created unnecessary conflict that was more frustrating than meaningful. The princess got no character development and her arc ended in a very underwhelming way. She was cruel and selfish, and I expected Jang Hyun to deal with her in a smart way. But he told her he was leaving and she accepted it, the end. Gil Chae getting abducted to Qing also felt off. It was a tool for her to meet Jan Hyun, but the plotline felt like a forced cop out, rather than a natural story progression.

It also felt like the writers changed their mind with the direction of the story. They made a big deal about women being abused in one household because of a jealous wife. But Gil Chae spent very little time there, then left, and that was it. The arc with Gil Chae marrying the sergeant was also completely pointless. It was another tool to keep ML and FL apart for a bit longer without serving any other purpose.

The entire part 2 felt like a forced attempt to continue with the story post war, except there was not as much conflict and action. A lot of story arcs felt uninspired and forced. I wish the war plotline wouldn't have ended in part 1. This was when the story was at its best.

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While retaining the poetic beauty of the original, this second half is a painful epilogue . . .

At this point, I'm convinced the writers are sadists, and I can't stand to watch anymore just to see it all come to a bad end one last time. In sum, the random twists and turns that started cropping up in the last episodes of the first season, multiply in the second half. Hurdle, after hurdle, after hurdle. Just nonsensically raising hopes and dashing them. Will there be scenes that stick with me? Yes. Did I vow to stop watch multiple times? Also yes.

The acting, production values, cinematography, and some key pieces of dialogue are excellent. There are some powerful scenes that will linger on - but we're talking all of 10-15 minutes in 8 hrs of viewing. The key theme of the show is to always persist and survive as there could be the best moments of your life just around the corner.

I feel vaguely guilty, therefore, of not persisting to the end of this one, but frustration and dread was growing with every episode, and life is too short. I ended it at a high point, and I don't have strength to see if things fall apart once again. I would still highly recommend watching the first half/season 1 - it stands on its own and is a true gem of a K -Drama.

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Halfway and I lost interest, too much self-pity and crying

I wasn't loving part 1 as I found the dynamic between the lead is a bit childish and drags. Part 2 comes and first 4 episodes hit me with massive emotional train wreck, so painful yet so beautiful. What stands out to me compared to the previous season is this new dynamic among the hunter woman, Jang Hyun ang Gil Chae. She has so much passion and her motivation is interesting, so she elevate the stake. I'm in for their painful future stories.

Cinematography is just as stunning as the previous part. The shots are very captivating, that you can't help but admired. Trigger warning: the torture scenes realistically gruesome, comparable to few historicals Mr. Sunshine and Empress Ki. I guess it is to highlight the degradation that Joseon went through during this historical time. Great and emotional acting by all cast! Namkoong Min has rightly been receiving praise for his accolade and I enjoyed his chemistry with Lee Chung Ah. Honestly, they look great together in all situations.

Even if it won't happily ever after, at least I hope the struggles of our heroes come to an end soon because all of them goes through so much pain already. Every little hopeful moment counts, even though I don't know how it's going to end.

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A review of both part 1 and 2

What both stunned and impressed me the most about the kdrama My Dearest, right at the very start, was how focused it was on the ordinary people and how they deal with war. And what the war does to them. It makes it less of a war epic and more of a human tale of self-preservation and hope at a trying time. which I found to be quite a fresh approach to this kind of historical drama, although many will no doubt find it rather slow and dry in its execution and style.

The story is ruthless in its realism and harshness with how it seems to paint the world. The narrative is very willing to comment on several aspects within society that it tells it’s tale, the nobility and their uselessness, the lack of care that a certain position within society seems to push into you for the people that live around them, as well as society’s attitude towards women in wartimes and just their position in society both outside of that as well. The way it uses these elements to shape itself, the details it shares throughout the story is very tangible, interesting but also poignant. It is incredibly well thought out and effective within the narrative to stir up further emotions both with the characters and the viewers.

These are not the heroes that poems are sung about, but seem to be more everyday heroes of the common folk. Most of their influence is not great within the grand scheme of things, but it is the people who knew them who will always remember them with kindness and love. They are the ones who will tell the stories about them until they disappear from human memory and are forgotten.

At some point, despite their intelligence and strength, as the war and the hardships seem to tighten more and more around them, the characters seem to wear down a bit. But they never lose who they are, their will to fight but how they go about fighting, how they deal with situations changes a little. All that happens very slowly and works very realistically within the story. It’s a really well-handled look at character, as well as how normal people deal with such situations.

The characters do feel sharp and manage to be both a fresh take on the traditional characters that we get in a Korean historical dramas, but at the same time they have quite a bit of the characteristics that we are used to seeing; Jang-hyun may come across as smug and aloof, and Gil-chae may come across as snobbish and somewhat self-interested. But there’s a lot more to them and their flaws are very presant within the story. Overall there are plenty of multi-layered characters that make My Dearest a rather worthwhile and heart-wrenching watch. Everyone has something to say in their own way and all have some point to emphasize within the story. The story touches your heart from beginning to end if people just allow themselves to enter this cruel, realistic world with these characters as a guiding light.

The plot itself goes through its ups and downs, and it does hit a bit of a lull within the second half where the story tends to repeat itself quite often. Characters almost miss each other a few times over the course of few episodes in order to create tension and longing within the viewers, and since the story is already slow by nature it might make some people really struggle. It makes it seem like the story has lost steam and doesn’t really pick up fully until right near the end. But if the characters manage to grab you and make you completely fall for them in the first half of the story, it’s perfectly tolerable.

The story never seems to fall into being too epic or too grandiose in its approach to the narrative, as some costume dramas tend to do to make their heroes seem bigger. Much rather My Dearest seems so focused on being realistic and grounded in reality like it has a bit of an obsession with the human spirit and the lengths to which people will go to survive. It run through the very heart of the series. And the love story, which is really successful on its own, reflects that. It’s very slow and down to earth and it’s quite unusual for a kdrama in lots of ways.

The story takes its time, sometimes excessively so, and repeats itself a bit too often, but even if it takes the story a good while it manages to underline every point that the drama set out to make really well. The story always seemed to know what it wanted to say. And the humanity that this series carries with it and manages to reflect within the narrative does make you cry many times. It’s gorgeous, it’s heartwarming and filled with hope for brighter days that is always enveloped by a little bit of sadness.

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Lost steam from Part 1, but still a worthy watch

After a heart-breaking finish to Season 1, the story turns once again to the Qing invasion and the atrocities committed in the aftermath on a chaotic, fractured, and helpless Joseon. Only the efforts of officials and people on the ground like Jang Hyun, working with the hostage Crown Prince, are tenuously holding the country together. Despite the horrific suffering of Joseon prisoners of war, Gil Chae manages to rebuild some of the comfortable lifestyle she was accustomed to but is shockingly reminded that class is meaningless in an oppressed state. There are also stark reminders of how women are truly expendible victims. I was waiting to see what choices the characters made when pushed to extremes and this season had some of the most riveting scenes. The tone was lightened at times with romantic tropes (pretending to be sick to get attention) which seemed out of place in a drama of this caliber.

At around Ep15 I suddenly remembered the opening scene of Ep1 which takes place more than 20 years after the 1637 invasion. It was worth a re-watch to find hints at a very tragic conclusion for our heroes. The announcement of an extension came after Ep8 aired and I wondered if there would be a hopeful epilogue. Unfortuately, after Ep20 the Ep1 opening sequence was not yet reached in the story and I was left wondering if the extension had already been inserted. There was no added value to Eps 19&20 and they could easily have been combined into one. Ep1 is recapped in the finale, Ep21.

At times throughout the drama I kept feeling a disconnect between Gil Chae and Jang Hyun's relationship and their surroundings, like I was watching 2 separate shows. Political events deeply affected each of them separately and this was infused into how they dealt with each other during Part 1. However, that influence seemed less evident in Part 2 even though the political pressures never went away. They lived and worked separately for so long that there wasn't much that they actually did for/with each other. It was as if Eps19/20 were there just to make up for their separation, more couple less story, and I felt the show lost momentum at this point as all the other characters got moved to the sidelines. However, the finale felt right once more as loose ends got tied up.

All in all, the acting was among the strongest I've seen in any show (I still think The Red Sleeve's demented king was an acting masterclass). Although Part 2 seemed to run out of steam in the 2nd half, the strong production, story telling, and deep dives into the human psyche makes this show worth watching.

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THE BEST DRAMA EVER MADE!!!!

this is the first ever review i have written on this site and especially my first review for a kdrama. i am going to say the same line several people have said before, but truthfully, this was on my list to watch from a year and i picked it up only because i was bored. It changed my life, yes, i have cried before for shows and movies and a lot of them have always stayed with me. i have always talked about how so many movies, so many things i have watched have changed me, and even better, became a part of me, My Dearest is truly one of those that becomes a part of you.

Movies and dramas have, till this drama, only made me cry on the saddest parts, but My Dearest made me sob and cry on a happy note, i kept on crying until it ended and even after it ended. No, I am not a crybaby and honestly only a few chosen ones get me like this. I RECOMMEND THIS ON LIKE A A 1000000000000000000000000/10 IT WAS THAT GOOD

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do you hear it? it is the sound of the flowers

it is such a beautifully crafted story and one of the best historical dramas that i've seen in a while after "the red sleeve". it really makes you think about society during the joseon era and teaches you so much. not only that, the slow burn love between the two main characters make every moment that they spend together so rewarding to watch. as they are parted many time due to politics and war, their perseverance to live for one another is truly beautiful and is what made me binge this drama in such a short time.

spoiler: after i finished it, i rewatched the ending of the first episode to see janghyun say his infamous line "it is the sound of the flowers" and realised that both his and gilchae's monologues were from the ending of episode 21. this absolutely made me cry because it really made everything full circle and that their love was really meant to be from the very beginning.

i also have to say how much i love gilchae's character development as she was never portrayed as a damsel in distress and weak. instead she grew from a childish girl to such a wise woman who is always strong for those around her. additionally janghyun is a whole green forest. i love his adoration for gilchae and his perseverance for her returning love. i watched every their moment in fear thinking that they wouldn't have a happy ending but i was so glad when she had found him waiting for her.

my most memorable moment of their relationship was when she opened up about being defiled by the barbarians and he gave her a hug. rather than being disappointed that she had lost her chastity and walking away, he cared for her, sympathise with the pain she went through and even asked if he could hold her. i absolutely bawled in that scene and it was one of the defining moments that solidified his love for her. janghyun had previously said that his mind, heart and body belonged to her right before they were about to elope which also made me cry so much. he truly embodies all the affirmations of love and his character is just so heartwarming to watch. despite gilchae's countless rejections, he strikes back with even stronger feelings and continuously tries to pursue her in the best way possible.

i absolutely loved every moment of this drama and it won the 60th baeksang award for a reason. i highly recommend this drama

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The sound of flowers *ugly crying*

This show was so good! It was different but I think it still belongs to the Saeguk Hall of Fame. There were some hiccups along the way, the uncanny similarities to Gone With the Wind, the unfortunate shoehorning of that one actress with her bad acting skills...but the main plot, the romance, the historical events, the main actor and actress (and the supporting cast that mattered), the music, and the production were all perfect!
In fact, I loved this show so much, that I didn't want to finish it because I was afraid the ending would ruin it. That didn't happen. A certain character who shall not be named really downgraded my enjoyment of this from a 10 to a 7 and I would have let that affect my rating except I decided she wasn't worth it. I decided she was not significant enough for me to let her ruin my favorite show's rating. So I was gonna just redact half a point, which would be what she deserved but by the end, I loved the main cast so much that I decided she wasn't even worth that. So this is now a 10/10 show!
Now, there were some hiccups in production but I only noticed this nitpicky stuff because the overall work was way above average which allowed me to then pay attention to details. So for example, some scene blocking, editing, and camera angles were a bit bothersome but come on!!!! Do you even notice this stuff for an average show?! No, you don't! You're distracted by the cringe dialogue, the stiff acting, and the ridiculous melodrama! So I'm not gonna hold it against the show if they forgot to change a character's clothes from one scene to the next to show the passage of time...it's fine! It's totally fine. Is it a rookie mistake?....kinda! But whatever. It's fine.
Now the indisputable strength of this show: the main cast. Except for miss-death-of-emotions-by-botox-I-am-a-nepo-addition-to-the-show-to-ruin-your-enjoyment-evil-cackling. She sucks as$. But everyone else was so good! No one more so than Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin. They were soooo good. Their acting is just heartbreaking and inspiring. I also loved Kim Yoon Woo, my lil baby. He did such a good job. He is one of my newcomer favorites. I can't wait to see more of him.
Now, I never mention music but this show had great music. Why? Well, you might not know this about me, I may hate Korean pop but I love traditional Korean music and the main song and the general vibe of the whole show's ost were heavily inspired by traditional Korean songs, like the songs I used to love before I even got into kdramas. So not only did the song make me emotional every time I heard it, it was also just so beautiful. I love it. I had to mention that.
Overall: Great show. Go watch it and join our cult!!!!

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When It’s Fate..its Fate

Part 1 of "My Dearest" was undeniably a masterpiece, setting a high standard that Part 2 had to live up to. While I was glad to see the continuation, my expectations were naturally elevated.

Throughout the episodes of Part 2, I remained optimistic. Despite any shortcomings in the storyline, witnessing the journey of our main characters, the ML and FL, reminded me to cherish the moments of joy they shared. It's a valuable lesson—to focus on the positives amidst the challenges.

Admittedly, there were moments in the drama that seemed far-fetched, where our leads couldn't catch a break. However, I choose to interpret it as the writer's portrayal of fate prevailing against all odds.

Namkoong Min's exceptional acting, worthy of the Baeksang Award, undoubtedly salvaged some of the shortcomings of Part 2. While some may dismiss this drama as a waste of time, it still had its fair share of heart-fluttering moments and comedic scenes, making it a worthwhile watch in my eyes.

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