Currently Watching: My Dearest

My Dearest (2023) 연인
Directed by Kim Sung-yong and Lee Han-jun, starring Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun-jin. 

I craved an epic love story, something sweeping, and I also wanted to see Namkoong Min in another series (currently seeing him in the drama Hot Stove League and really liking him). I intend to watch a lot more of this actor. I also craved a visually appealing show. So this is my pick! The cinematography is truly stunning. 

I'd already read that the story is inspired by Gone with the Wind. As someone who knows her Old Hollywood classics very well, the similarities between the four main characters of GWTW and the main players of this Korean show are evident. There are also some plot elements that are similar to those in GWTW. I like the female lead Ahn Eun-jin but her beauty is not as special as Vivien Leigh's and to me it's more credible how all men would fall for Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara. I love Namkoong Min's laid-back nature, his quiet observations and the amusing glint in his eyes. He's very handsome. Having seen the main couple before in other dramas, their romantic pairing isn't something I immediately could imagine, but I like them together, with their playfulness and banter.

I like how the leads already show more traits of their characters Lee Jang-hyun and Yoo Gil-chae. At first Gil-chae is vain and frivolous, but being under difficult circumstances, she displays great strength and braveness. Jang-hyun seems like a coward for not wanting to take part in the war, but there's more to him than meets the eye. And now his old friend has been killed, he's determined to avenge his friend's death. I like how both Lee Jang-hyun and Yoo Gil-chae are strong in the face of adversity.

Only seen 4 episodes. That ending of ep. 4 where Lee Jang-hyun saves the women from the barbarians and emerges from the mist, walking towards Yoo Gil-chae, gave me happy Pride and Prejudice vibes (Matthew Macfadyen's Mr. Darcy emerging from the mist walking towards Elizabeth Bennet). Such a great moment! Cannot wait to continue watching this series!