My Dearest/ Lovers 연인 [2023]

[abs-oluteM]

MY DEAREST / LOVERS 
연인

 

 Part 2 Poster

 

Synopsis by AsianWiki

 

Set during a Joseon period where people went through severe hardship due to the Qing invasion (Jan. 3, 1637 to Feb. 24, 1637). A love story blooms during that time.

 

Lee Jang-Hyun (Namkoong Min) is a mysterious man who suddenly appears in society circles. He appears to be a cheerful person, but in fact he is not. He is a complex person with a deep and dark secret that he can't reveal to anyone. A woman named Yoo Gil-Chae (Ahn Eun-Jin) appears in front of him and his life changes. Yoo Gil-Chae is the daughter of noble a family. She is a lovely woman, brimming with confidence. While experiencing the upheaval caused by the Qing invasion and falling in love with Lee Jang-Hyun, she grows as a person.

 

 

Director: Kim Sung-Yong

Writer: Hwang Jin-Young

Network: MBC

Episodes: Part 1 - 10 episodes, Part 2 - 10 episodes

Release Date:
4 Aug, 2023 - Part 1

Oct, 2023 - Part 2 

 

 

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Main Cast

 

Namkoong Min - Lee Jang Hyun
Ahn Eun Jin -  Yoo Gil Chae

Lee Hak Joo - Nam Yeon Jun

Lee Da In- Kyung Eun Ae

Kim Yoon Woo - Ryang Eum

 

Full list credit MDL

Spoiler

Main Role

• 
  Namkoong Min

  Lee Jang Hyun

  Main Role
• 
  Ahn Eun Jin

  Yoo Gil Chae

  Main Role
• 
  Lee Hak Joo

  Nam Yeon Jun

  Main Role
• 
  Lee Da In

  Kyung Eun Ae

  Main Role
• 
  Kim Yoon Woo

  Ryang Eum

  Main Role

Support Role

• 
  Kim Seo An

  Young Rang

  Support Role
• 
  Park Jeong Yeon

  Jong Jong Yi

  Support Role
• 
  Park Kang Sub

  Gu Jam

  Support Role
• 
  Kwon So Hyun

  Bang Du Ne

  Support Role
• 
  Ji Seung Hyun

  Gu Won Moo

  Support Role
• 
  Choi Moo Sung

  Yang Chun

  Support Role
• 
  Kim Jong Tae

  King In Jo

  Support Role
• 
  Kim Moo Joon

  Crown Prince So Hyun

  Support Role
• 
  Yang Hyun Min

  Pyo Eon Gyum [Eunuch]

  Support Role
• 
  Kim Tae Hoon

  Choi Myung Gil

  Support Role
• 
  Choi Jong Hwan

  Kim Sang Heon

  Support Role
• 
  Ha Kyung

  Shin Yi Rib

  Support Role
• 
  Choi Young Woo

  Yong Gol Dae

  Support Role
• 
  Kim Joon Won

  Hong Taiji

  Support Role
• 
  Oh Man Seok

  Yoo Gyo Yeon [Gil Chae's father]

  Support Role
• 
  Jo Seung Yun

  Kyung Geun Jik [Eun Ae's father]

  Support Role
• 
  Park Jong Wook

  Kong Soon Yak

  Support Role
• 
  Park Eun Woo

  Yoo Young Chae

  Support Role
• 
  Park Jin Woo

  Park Dae

  Support Role
• 
  Ji Gun Woo

  Dae Oh

  Support Role
• 
  Kim Ga Hee

  Yoo Ha

  Support Role
• 
  Kim Eun Soo

  Joon Jeol

  Support Role
• 
  Nam Tae Hoon

  Tae Sung

  Support Role
• 
  Choi Soo Gyun

  Jung Yeon

  Support Role
• 
  Jeon Hye Won

  Crown Princess Kang Bin

  Support Role
• 
  Kang Gil Woo

  Jung Myung Soo

  Support Role
• 
  Jung Han Yong

  Song Chu

  Support Role
• 
  Nam Ki Ae

  Yi Rang

  Support Role

 

[abs-oluteM]

Teaser 1

 

 

Teaser 2

 

 

Teaser 3

 

 Subbed on Twitter by Viki 

Spoiler

 

 

[mademoiselle]

I swear, this guy must be a workaholic. Doesn't he need time to be with his wife? He just got married not long ago. Is he saving up for babies?

[ktcjdrama]

I was going to tag you @abs-oluteM about this casting. Unexpected pairing but me likey.... 😃

 

@mademoiselleyeah... I suspect he want to retire early. But anyway, they’ve been dating for a long time, so I think they’re used to his acting schedules already....? 

[abs-oluteM]

@mademoiselle @ktcjdrama I am no longer surprised that NGM will appear on my screen twice a year or something. But he does take on some interesting scripts , even if I can’t say I like them all. I just hope this one ends better 😂 …. the recent ones have been quite disappointing.  
 

I also like this pairing & am actually surprised as it never crossed my mind . Plus I do love all these angsty historicals. 😝😝

[stroppyse]

5 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Unexpected pairing but me likey.... 😃

 

I really don't remember the female lead other than a supporting role in Hospital Playlist, so not sure what to expect.

 

I think NGM likes to work? Perhaps because he went through that brief dry period when the PDs wouldn't hire him because he was being a bit full of himself, he seems to really like to work for the most part.

 

Anyway, he does pick interesting projects, whether I'm into them or not, so I'm curious about this one as well.

[ktcjdrama]

11 hours ago, stroppyse said:

I really don't remember the female lead other than a supporting role in Hospital Playlist, so not sure what to expect.

She was main lead in The One and Only, with Kim Kyung Nam. And also in The Witch's Diner as a guest role. 

[mademoiselle]

It'd be nice if my Oppa deul pump out 2 dramas per year 😆

But I haven't been able to finish/enjoy any of his latest dramas and Namgoong Min isn't Oppa yet.

 

[abs-oluteM]

Yay...Aug 4 premiere confirmed

This was a time when the people suffered extreme hardships due to the invasion of the Qing Dynasty. In a time of upheaval, the two men and women have a sad story of meeting and parting.

 

Namgoong-min plays Lee Jang-hyeon, a man who never puts his heart into anything. A person who, after going through an unimaginable tragedy, has no great interest in anything in life. Cheerful but secretive, he opens the door to an unexpected fate after getting to know a woman. Ahn Eun-jin takes on the role of Yu Gil-chae, a woman from a prestigious family, who has suffered the weather of war and sincerely falls in love with a man, gradually maturing.

 

Lee Hak-joo plays Nam Yeon-jun, a promising Confucian student studying at Sungkyunkwan. Lee Da-in plays Kyung Eun-ae, Nam Yeon-jun's fiancee and Yu Gil-chae's closest friend. Lee Da-in is an actress who recently married Lee Seung-gi, and will show her anti-war charm in this work. The screenplay was written by Hwang Jin-yeong, who wrote "The Emperor's Daughter, Baek Sukhyang" and "Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People", and director Kim Seong-yong, who proved his powerful directing skills through "Black Sun".

https://www.gqkorea.co.kr/2023/06/27/남궁민-안은진-이학주-이다인-연인에서-만난다/?utm_source=naver&utm_medium=partnership

[abs-oluteM]

Script Reading 

 

[abs-oluteM]

Yay ! First poster

 

[abs-oluteM]

Urggggg what’s with this two part dramas . Really hate such formats 

Spoiler

 

Love the trailer. 

 

Angsty ! 😀

[40somethingahjumma]

Looks like my kind of sageuk. Gloomy, tragic, melodramatic and romantic.

 

Yay! Bring it on.

 

@abs-oluteM

Spoiler

I did a bit of research and discovered that the Qing invasion of Joseon came early during their rule in the 1600s to consolidate their position after the Ming dynasty.

 

[Chocolate]

Hmmm, I hope this is not a pure romance but there will be some political intrigue.

 

[abs-oluteM]

On 7/6/2023 at 8:47 PM, 40somethingahjumma said:

Looks like my kind of sageuk. Gloomy, tragic, melodramatic and romantic.

 

Me toooo...I find myself more invested when it is serious historical like this. I have a feeling because of the war, the leads will be separated for long periods.

 

On 7/6/2023 at 10:17 PM, Chocolate said:

Hmmm, I hope this is not a pure romance but there will be some political intrigue.

 

There will be. I rarely see  NGM take on a role just for romance :D. Hope this plot here is good. I have never seen him in a historical piece. He did one in 2013 - it was a daily show with over 120 episodes or something. Though it had Park Eun Bin, I couldn't bring myself to watch it . 

 

--------------

 

[Tofu]

I was more excited for this before I learned that it's split into two parts. Why do they do this?! 

[abs-oluteM]

New teaser ! 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

I too am very annoyed about the fact that this has been split into two parts. Why does Disney do things that constantly sabotage their IPs?

 

But I'm all up for a serious sageuk with political shennenigans. May have to wait for both seasons to drop before jumping in.

[abs-oluteM]

On 7/18/2023 at 2:25 PM, 40somethingahjumma said:

I too am very annoyed about the fact that this has been split into two parts. Why does Disney do things that constantly sabotage their IPs?

 

But I'm all up for a serious sageuk with political shennenigans. May have to wait for both seasons to drop before jumping in.

Ever since Disney + messed up JangHyuk's show ( Family : The Unbreakable Bond), I have been so annoyed with them. But I am not sure if this will be aired on Disney since this is an MBC drama. I think MBC is putting a lot of promos for this show , perhaps hoping it will have as much a buzz as The Red Sleeve. Anyway I am too excited that I will be watching it in real time. I have never seen NGM nor Ahn Eun Jin in a historical.

 

--------------------

I love this poster

 

Has subs....wahhhh talk about super angsty. But I am ready 

" Don't ever forget this moment with me today".....

I am also looking forward to seeing Lee Hak Joo ( watching him now in Shadow Detective 2). He will play the fiancé of Lee Da In's character and is  a scholar.( Lee Da In is Ahn Eun Jin's best friendin this show )

 

"Nam Yeon Joon, who has long wanted to prove his loyalty to the country, jumps into the war without hesitation when the Qing invasion of Joseon breaks out."

Spoiler

 

Lee Da In 

Spoiler

 

They filmed in very harsh conditions. So please drama , be good

Spoiler

 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

@abs-oluteM LOL. I don't know why I thought this was going to be on Disney + but apologies for the mistake. It could be the 2 season split which makes me think that.

 

I see that Lee Da-in is in this too. She was in Doctor Prisoner with Namgoong Min as well. She's quite a decent actress. 

 

All in all a good line up.

 

Are you enjoying Shadow Detective? If you've got to S2, you must be at the very least finding it watchable.

 

[abs-oluteM]

So it seems Lee Hak Joo's character is Ahn Eun Jin's first love . But he will later be engaged to Lee Da In who is AEJ's best friend. The trio are childhood friends who grew up in the same village. Sounds quite complicated as it is.  Then Nam Goong Min appears suddenly, bringing disruption to their frriendship. He and AEJ will fall in love but from the character chart , the link between them is "loving and missing" ...so am assuming the war will separate them.

 

NGM is linked to a character called "Liangeum", the best singer in Joseon  How did Liangeum, a singer with a flower-like appearance, transcend social status and become sworn brothers with NGM's character?  It is also implied that NGM's character  has connections with the Joseon royal family and the people of the Qing Dynasty.

Source: http://www.stoo.com/article.php?aid=88241712828

 

[abs-oluteM]

Am counting down the days for this

Am so excited - just like how I always feel when anticipating a NGM drama  ...so please don't disappoint me later  

 

Spoiler

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

They have been filming since Winter of 2022 and are still filming. Big budget , epic production. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[abs-oluteM]

They keep pushing out different angle of this poster  which only means this romance will be tragic. LOL

Spoiler

 

Some new stills - AEJ is one of my favourite actresses of her generation. 

 

Spoiler

 

Some extracts from an interview AEJ did with The Korea Times:

Source from Koreatimes

Ahn plays Yoo who comes from a noble family. She has a lovely personality, growing up in a powerful and wealthy family. When she crosses paths with an enigmatic nobleman, Lee Jang-hyun (Namkoong Min), she gets entangled in his life, which changes her world.

 

Lee is a mysterious man who makes his way into the community out of nowhere. Although he appears to be lighthearted on the surface, he keeps a deep secret that he can't share with anyone else. The two unlikely people find love and endure the struggles of the Qing Dynasty invasion in the 1630s.

 

The series is led by Kim Sung-yong, who directed Namkoong's previous action series "The Veil" (2021), and is scripted by writer Hwang Jin-young, who wrote the 2017 period drama "The Rebel."

 

The actress explained that the story will follow her character's coming-of-age.

 

"(Yoo) grew up wealthy so she has to have everything her way. But as she meets Lee, and goes through the war, she becomes a real adult. When you follow her story, you will be able to resonate and understand her pain, and find yourself rooting for her," she said.

 

"As I read the script, I kept thinking 'How can you not love Gil-chae?' I could feel the writer's affection for the character. So I'm sure the viewers will also fall in love with her like I did."