Querido Hongrang

Tangeum (Dear Hongrang) is not just a historical drama - it is a cinematic poem woven with silence, sorrow, beauty, and longing. From its haunting score to its breathtaking cinematography, every frame feels like a painting brought to life.

At the heart of it all is Lee Jae Wook, delivering the most nuanced and soul-stirring performance of his career. As Hongrang, he carries the weight of pain, secrets, and impossible love with a depth rarely seen on screen. He acts not just with his voice and expression, but with breath, posture, and silence - conveying entire worlds through a single look. His transformation throughout the series is subtle yet powerful, and his final moments on screen leave an ache that lingers.

The story unfolds like a tragic lullaby - slow, deliberate, and devastatingly human. Tangeum is a rare drama that dares to feel deeply, and dares its audience to do the same. A true gem that deserves recognition for its artistry, emotional depth, and the unforgettable performance of its lead.

I bridged the drama over two days as I could not stop watching it. The cinematography and acting are amazing. I love the storyline and how slowly we are getting to the truth. Not a single episode was boring. The chemistry between the leads is awesome! I love the bond Jae I and Hong Rang had. Their eyes speak for themselves. The fighting scenes were great as well. It was a real surprise to see the real villain. I will not say more to avoid spoilers.

The OST is great, so fitting to the drama. It is not a typical drama; it is dark, and with each episode, there is more suffering, but it is a beautiful story of two people who try to protect each other. The last episode was very emotional.

I watched this show in one sitting incapable of stopping as it was soooo good! High class filming and top notch acting to tell a very dramatic story of good and evil and everlasting love in Joseon ambiance. Both main leads gave amazing performances but I am weak for Lee Jae-Wook acting, always so intense and nuanced. The actor really shined in this dramatic role confirming once again that he is one of the best Korean actors around, and probably the best one of his generation. I highly recommend this thrilling and intensely moving drama that kept me awake an entire night and made me feel a whole web of difference emotions.

I'll be honest, coming from someone who got ADHD and struggles binge watching any series, this is the 2nd series I watched in one sitting. 1st one was Karma. This series got elements to hook someone who's not into lovey dovey flowery storyline with cute faced ML and FL. I liked everything bout it - cinematography, the color choices of costume of ML (white cause he represents death ), the OSTs, acting, action everything. The only let down was Netflix cutting short a drama who had the potential to be a global phenomenon. The plot sometimes felt rushed , romance built up needed some more time to be more impactful. But those can be overlooked due to the brilliant acting of the leads AND the villains esp KJW.

Would I recommend? Only to those who got the eyes and guts to watch unconventional, eerie kdramas which aren't all flowers and butterflies with Happy ending.

The romance between Jae-yi and Hongrang is complicated by Jae-yi's uncertainty whether Hongrang is her brother or an imposter. (That ambiguity has arisen because Hongrang was kidnapped at a young age and only recently has turned up again, but without any recollection of the years.before he was kidnapped.) Added to that is that her growing attraction to Hongrang(?) will be incest if he is not an imposter.

And Mu-jin, the adopted brother of Jae-yi, loves her, wants to marry her, and is a rival to Hongrang(?).

It is further complicated because Jae-yi's mother, Min Yeon-ui, who controls the Min family business by heredity, thinks Jae-yi is cursed to bring bad luck, and wants to get rid of her. And Jae-yi's father, Sim Yeol-guk, who manages the business (although his wife has ownership) is intolerant of Jae-yi, who is next in line to take over. He is training Mu-jin to run the business (and follow Yeol-guk's instructions), but now Hongrang(?) appears to be the manager that owner Min Yeon-ui will appoint.

Not complicated enough? The two parents are actually at odds with each other and both have armies of thugs. Their conflict is putting the business in jeopardy. And a mad Prince (also with an army) wants to capture Hongrang(?) to sacrifice him and several others in a fantastical scheme to make himself a god. And the woman, Kkot-nim, who saved Hongrang(?) from the kidnappers as a child, and mothered him for years, also has an army of thugs and wants to kill Jae-yi and use Hongrang(?) to take over the Min family business.

So there is a lot of confusion here mixed with the romance and a lot of sword fights. Just the above outline already is exhausting.

But don't be discouraged: the story is dramatic, the romance is touching, the photography and costumes are great, the acting is convincing. Some of the editing is choppy and seems to have cut out a few transitions to further confuse things. Don't expect everything to immediately fall into place. Hang in there, and give it a shot.