Costume dramas have become much more dynamic over the past decade or so, mainly because other genres are grafted onto shows that are just about a slice of long-ago history. In the case of a new Korean drama that takes place in the Joseon era, a supernatural mystery is layered on top of the usual romantic storyline.
Opening Shot: A boy runs through a wooded area at night, as if he’s being chased. He then runs into a very, tall, mysterious figure with long white hair.
The Gist: The first scenes show Min Yeon-ui (Uhm Ji-won), the head of the Min Family’s Guild, a powerful merchant family in the Joseon kingdom, and her husband Sim Yeol-guk (Park Byung-eun), in a panic because their son Hongrang has gone missing. His half-sister, Jae-yi, searches the woods for him but to no avail; the two of them have had a close bond since he was born, and it’s been helpful given how much vitriol Jae-yi’s stepmother has for her.
Twelve years later, Hongrang is still missing, and Jae-yi (Jo Bo-ah) continues to look, thinking he’s out there and wants to return. In the meantime, the Sim family adopted a boy named Mu-jin (Jung Ga-ram), who is poised to take over for Yeol-guk as Head Merchant, and has his father has been training him for that time for years. He’s also become a confidant to Jae-yi, and secretly harbors a love for her that goes beyond being siblings (remember, they’re not blood-related).
Numerous people have come to the Guild saying they are Hongrang, and when they’re exposed, an angry Yeol-guk metes out punishments that range from digits being sliced off to far, far worse. One day, one of Yeol-guk’s many scouts comes back to say he’s pretty sure he found Hongrang (Lee Jae-wook). When the young man is brought to the Guild, tests are done to see if his blood mingles with his father’s. Also, the scars he has match what the boy had when he disappeared. But most of all, this man isn’t actively coming in to say he’s Hongrang, like all the previous imposters that have tried to make the claim.
Jae-yi is skeptical, and she asks for Mu-jin’s help in proving it. For his part, Mu-jin knows that Hongrang’s presence means that his time at the Guild might be coming to an end, despite his father’s assurances that it’s not the case. Min Yeon-ui is ecstatic that her son has returned, and has the power to overrule her husband when it comes to who takes over for him.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Dear Hongrang reminds us of another historical Korean drama, Song Of The Bandits, even if the time periods in each show are radically different.
Our Take: The emotional stakes of Dear Hongrang are what really pique our interest in this series. It’s well established that Jae-yi and Hongrang had a tight bond when they were children, and when the adult Hongrang returns to the Guild, Jae-yi just has a feeling that this man isn’t who he says he is.
It’s certainly a layered story, with a lot of places for it to go. Despite the Joseon-period costumes and formal language, it’s a mystery at its heart. We have no idea where this man who claims he is Hongrang comes from, and what his con is, if any. Then there’s the matter of the ghostly presence that seems to attack children in the village where the Guild is located.
It’s also a story about power. Despite the fact that Yeol-guk runs the Guild, the real power is Yeon-ui, who sank into a, ahem, medicinal haze in the dozen years Hongrang was missing. Her hatred of Jae-yi is palpable, since she thinks her stepdaughter is bad luck. And she barely acknowledges that Mu-jin is even part of the family. The dynamic of how she’ll wield power now that her most favored child is back in the fold will be a story to watch, as well.
Finally, it’s also a love story. Mu-jin’s lingering looks at Jae-yi are pretty obvious, and it seems that he’ll do anything for her. But he also knows his position in the family is tenuous now that Hongrang is back. Which of the two factors will fuel his desire to find out if Hongrang is a fraud or not?
The first episode sets up all of those storylines well, but does so with a good amount of period detail, from costumes to historical tidbits. It makes for a series that gives viewers a lot to sink their teeth into.
Sex and Skin: None.
Parting Shot: One of the Guild’s handmaidens walks through the courtyard, and is followed by a tall figure with long white hair.
Sleeper Star: Uhm Ji-won has a lot to do as Hongrang’s moter, Min Yeon-ui. She rages in some scenes, and despairs in others. She also has to show just how distraught her son’s disappearance has made her in the twelve years he was gone.
Most Pilot-y Line: When Jae-yi asks Hongrang how he named their dog Goldie, Hongrang — who claims not to remember anything about his time at the Guild — says, “I suppose it was because of its color. It must have been more golden when it was young.”
Our Call: STREAM IT. Dear Hongrang is a multi-layered story with good performances and stunning period visuals that shoudl get more interesting as it goes along.
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.