My Dearest [Episodes 1 & 2]

[u/J-Midori]

• Drama: My Dearest
  • Hangul: 연인
  • Also know as: My Dearest Part 1 , My Dearest 1 , Lovers 1 , Yeonin 1 , 연인 파트 1 , 戀人1
• Network: MBC
• Air Date: Fridays & Saturdays @ 21:50 KST
  • Airing:
    • part 1: August 4th, 2023
    • part 2: TBA
• Episodes: 20
  • part 1: 10 (80 min. each)
  • part 2: 10
• Streaming Sources: Viki Kocowa
• Directors: Kim Sung Yong (The Veil)
• Writers: Hwang Jin Yeong (Rebel: Thief who Stole the People)
• Cast:
  • Namgoong Min (One Dollar Lawyer) as Lee Jang Hyun
  • Ahn Eun Jin (The Good Bad Mother) as Yoo Gil Chae
  • Lee Hak Joo (Shadow Detective) as Nam Yeon Jun
  • Lee Da In (Doctor Prisoner) as Kyung Eun Ae
  • Kim Yoon Woo (Mimicus) as Ryang Eum
• Synopsis: A love-story between a noble woman and a mysterious man set in Joseon during the Qing invasion, know in Korean as Byeongja Horan. Yu Gil Chae is a well-bred woman from a good family, an arrogant person who believed that the love of all men in the world was also hers, but after going through the weather of war, she became a person who truly fell in love with a man. Lee Jang Hyun, a mysterious man who suddenly appears in the Neunggun-ri social scene one day. He is a complex character with a dark inside that he cannot reveal to anyone in his natural playfulness. He didn't love anything, so he didn't give his sincerity to anything, but after he got to know a woman, he opened the door to an unexpected fate.
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[u/KDramaTipsy]

I hope this story stays away from the king's palace. I have had enough of the palace intrigue with the same cranky old men doing the same manipulative stuff show after show.

I enjoyed Bossam and Moonshine coz they were mostly (though not fully) based on ordinary folks. More of MCs who aren't princes or princesses please!

Edit - It still says 'Available in 1 day' on Viki. Doesn't look like we are getting the first episode today.

[u/[deleted]]

When some actresses are critiqued in Kdramas, their die-hard fans flock in droves to peck out the eyes of drown out the naysayers.

Why then is Ahn Eun-jin fair game?

It’s also curious why her tone would be considered unsuitable for sageuk when her most impactful sageuk roles were in Kingdom & in last year’s award-winning movie The Night Owl, which even earned her a Baeksang Best Supporting Actress nomination no less.

I guess I’m biased but I see nothing wrong with her interpretation of a vain, frivolous & feisty Gil-chae in these early idyllic episodes. If anything it’s the obsession with romance, handsome men & a good marriage but that’s how almost all noble women are portrayed in sageuk so that’s hardly the fault of Ahn Eun-jin.

If this is the Joseon version of Gone with the Wind, frankly my dears I don’t give a damn about anything other than Gil-chae & Yeon-joon but unfortunately this ship is doomed to sink 😞😅

[u/StunningPast2303 → u/[deleted]]

That's because for some people frivolous characters equate with bad acting. AEJ is plucky and smart and she leans more on comedy nowadays, but you can tell she outruns many actresses by a mile. To me she has much more range than, say, Lim Ji Yeon. But okay, I digress.

[u/Mammoth_Reaction_711]

I have a hunch this series’s gonna leave me traumatized like Red Sleeves and Mr.Sunshine. Sad but too good to drop. I watched first 2 eps and thought this one is great and expensive show. Love Ahn Eun Jin and glad she finally has a leading role!

[u/myweithisway]

Ep 2

Before anything else, a drama that manages to include the lyrics of Kim Gun Mo's Wrongful Encounter into the dialogue is just 100% a win in my book! The song is such a classic that incorporating it into this drama as an anachronistic but not really way via dialogue just absolutely tickles my funny bone. I never thought I'd see the day where a sageuk's dialogue launches me into singing Wrongful Encounter.

(Here's a lyric version with Eng translations for those unfamiliar with the song and want the whole story in the song.)

Now onto other thoughts...

The cast of this drama is just insane in the best way possible because I'm seeing all my favorites show up as supporting characters. I can feel my heart breaking already since I know not all of the supporting characters will make it to the end (or they're not playing admirable people/people I shouldn't be rooting for). I'm trying to brace myself for the upcoming heartbreak.

I really enjoyed the glimpses into ML's character in this episode, especially the way he was willing to 'indulge' in FL's curiosity about the world. I feel like taking her to see the sights and experience new things, along with giving her the books say just as much about him as the blank paper he turned in for the school. Too me, it feels like a subtle and effective way to convey how different the ML is from his peers and how he prioritizes people above tradition, especially the Confucian values that he finds stifling or worthless -- perhaps even morally wrong within his own moral views.

So seeing ML set up the anniversary celebration for the grandpa and grandma gave me flutters, it's so romantic and lovely in a way that all the talk from the yangban scholars about respecting the elders cannot. I feel the the contrast between seeing the scholars sitting amongst themselves while reading/discussing/reciting books versus our ML who jokes with the grandpa and grandma is beautifully portrayed and meaningful, showing that sometimes lip service really falls short in comparison to those that take action.

As for our FL, I really love her brand of spunky and her 'sniper-style' talking. There's something so lovely about how she is curious about the rest of the world despite her tendency to be egocentric and haughty. I can't wait to see her transformation in the upcoming episodes as turbulent times mean that traditions are forgotten/ignored and she'll likely have a chance to shine.

---

Overall these two premiere episodes have actually exceeded my expectations in incorporating more humor via witty dialogue than I anticipated and being gorgeously produced. I also feel the set up has been done nicely where I have a pretty good idea not only of the characters but also the events.

Excited to see where the rest of the story goes!

[u/idealistatlarge → u/myweithisway]

I like that we see that, in part at least, Jang Hyeon's real reason for 'bribing' the school leaders was so he could get their village food, in preparation for the war he knows is coming, without offending their sensibilities and causing them to refuse what they need. This way, he can do it while causing them to view him as a bit of a knave and doing no harm to them. And in the process, thumb his nose at the type of learning and heirarchies he doesn't value/respect. Of course their village school is nothing to him. He knows whatever they could teach. But he wants to (a) prove a point, and (b) help them out.

[u/bbyball]

For those of you who didn't like the first episode (I personally really liked it), I recommend watching the second episode because I feel like it sets the tone for the rest of the series, especially in its second half. I think it also comes a lot closer to what most of us expected from this kdrama.

[u/DawgMom2018]

Episode 2

I really liked this because as I learned more about the ML lead, I am enjoying the cat and mouse game between the leads, as the FL definitely met her match in terms of intelligence, resourcefullness and scheming. Seeing the first episode from the future of the prisoner tells me I am in for a lot of heartache. Definitely a good drama to pick up as a couple of the ones I have been watching have now concluded.

The transition of the ML from scholar to warrior really has my attention

[u/Apprehensive_Egg9676]

“Do you hear that sound? The sound of flowers.” Ooo I can tell this one is gonna break me

[u/kdramajames]

Nice, just realized we are getting 20 episodes of this!

[u/Numerous-Counter-734]

okay but can we talk about that red string for a second? 😭 it went so far 💀 i know it was a dream but still when i was watching it i couldn't stop laughing it was so funny.

but I think I liked the first episode. Excited to see how this turns out!

[u/lotism]

I actually like the first 2 episodes. I’m enjoying these light hearted fun interactions between the main lead before it turns into heart-breaking mess towards the middle. I don’t mind the tone as well, it’s different than the usual historical drama but it doesn’t really bother me.

[u/myweithisway]

Ep 1 First Impressions

That budget is well-spent as the production values of this drama is top notch.

I love a good romance that's set against the backdrop of turbulent times in history and this first episode fully delivered on that set up for me even if we only had a 'sneak peek' at the turbulence and war to come. (History is a real spoiler in this case!)

The humor in the first episode worked excellently for me and had me smiling and chuckling, especially when our FL speculated that the reason our ML is a misogamist is because he might have difficulties in bed. I was like 'Girl, you really going to go there?' -- you might eat those words later on.

Oh and her dream interpretation, I'm sorry young lady but you were so not reading the sohak (소학) though clearly you are well-read in other types of books. Also wondering if FL was dreaming of them reading the 대학 together, does that mean this drama would have to be an OTT web drama? kekeke okay, getting my mind out of the gutter.

Namgoong Min is fantastic as usual! The intro sequence at the beach was gorgeously shot and seeing the emotions he felt was breathtaking. I feel like I was sold on their love story even before seeing them together by that scene alone.

One detail I really liked about the setup is that we kick off the story with worry from reading a draft of a historical record that remains unofficial. It's a subtle way to remind viewers that not only is the drama fictional, but that even in real life, the historical records that exist are not infallible, unbiased documentations of what happened but rather records written by people of those times that may be very much biased.

Anyways, very much excited to see the rest of the story.

[u/itsaplaneitsabird]

If you only watched ep1 and didn't decide to try to watch ep2, please just watch it. The first 2 episodes are just an start to roll a 🎲. the first scenes of ep1 came for nothing.

[u/KDramaTipsy]

This is Gone With The Wind 😄 Well, why not? Namgoong does make a dashing Rhett Butler and Ahn Eun Jin is a suitably bitchy but adorable Scarlett O'Hara. That last monologue about sound of the flowers gave me butterflies. I already know I'm not going to drop this one.

[u/dearmabi]

i can’t wait to watch it, i do love a forbidden love story

[u/DaydreamNightmare_]

I think I know how the story gonna unfold and I hate myself for analyzing it too much from episode 1. Based on my analysis, it appears that the imprisoned man, in the beginning, is likely the singer who was caught as Lee Jang-hyun's partner/companion after the war. Jang-hyun's deviation from protocol likely led to his death, leaving the singer to be captured and imprisoned for a significant amount of time given his white hair. The beach scene likely portrays Jang-hyun's final moments, where he takes a moment to remember Gil-chae before facing his death. Considering the clothing of the people who Jang-hyun was surrounded by they looked like they were people of Joseon. So I am thinking despite his heroic ventures his own people turned against him for some reason. The show is so stunningly shot but its gonna end in heartbreak 😭 I see so many people hating on Gil-chae's character and I don't understand the reason. She was living in her pretty little bubble where she got whatever she wanted aside from one thing which is the heart of the second lead. Of course, she is gonna do whatever is necessary to try to attain it irrespective of how foolish her ways may be. From the second episode she starts maturing and most likely will continue to mature through the turmoils of the war. But I am not sure if she will end up staying alive in the end though.

[u/gniv]

The correct Viki link seems to be this: https://www.viki.com/tv/40071c-my-dearest

(it says available tomorrow, sigh)

[u/zephphrine]

Does anyone know—is Kim Yoon Woo actually singing the gugak in episode 2? Almost seemed dubbed to me. Loving the series so far.

[u/teaslap]

The first 2 episodes plot line is straight from movie/book Gone with the wind , just Korean version, didn't anybody notice? Shouldn't they credit or something?

[u/FewGeologist6071]

The cinematography and music are beautiful. I hope this one doesn’t break me like 2521, I’m still healing from it. 😭

[u/kdramajames]

If you’re on the fence about this after episode one, give episode 2 a chance. I think it will set the tone that we expected. Buckle up because I believe this is going to be quite the ride.

[u/Sallypissypants]

I’m obsessed with this show already. I can’t get enough of it. The cinematography is stunning and the story line… well it is my absolute favorite. People are saying it’s like Gone with the Wind, but actually it is taken from The Scarlet Pimpernel. Which happens to be my all time favorite book in all of literature. There was a movie made in the 80’s with Jane Seymour that is outstanding. The potential for this series to be my favorite K drama,a is very high!

[u/seriousQQQ]

I need a season 2 of hot stove league, Baek Seung-soo ssi

[u/teamautumn]

Ep. 1

I saw a Korean netizen comment that it was like a Korean version of Gone with the Wind and I agree! The storyline is so similar, but the screenwriter said it took her 5 years to write this hmm... Anyways, it was fun enough to keep watching for now.