With a plot shrouded in melodrama and history, Dear Hongrang, aka Tangeumis, is a historical K-drama that opens up to the audience at a frustratingly slow pace. Filled with emotions, it offers a compelling story of grief, revenge, and love. The plot revolves around Hongran,g who is the heir to a merchant association. However, as fate would have it, he disappears at the tender age of eight, causing a deep drift within his family. His mother, hoping and praying for a safe return, descends into madness. His half-sister, Jae-yi, never stops searching for him. On the other hand, his father adopts another son named Mu-jin and mentors him in order to put him in charge of the empire.
Almost twelve years later, a man claiming to be Hongrang appears out of nowhere. This man has fragments of flashback memories as to what happened in his childhood. Even his physical features remind everyone of Hongrang. However, his half-sister, Jae-yi, is not convinced that this man is her long-lost brother. And this is what makes up the rest of the drama. It tries to answer questions like who this man is and what his intentions are. Is he really Hongrang? And while the plot has scope to be intriguing, sadly it doesn’t deliver what we want. Instead, it feels like we are forced to watch it, and the only escape is to stop watching. But that’s not an option for us if we are willing to find out the answers.
Coming to performances, some of the most notable actors feature in this drama. And they are the only reason the plot is watchable, but only for some. Personally, I loved the character of Jae-yi played by Jo Bo-ah. She is clever and is true to her brother. Jo Bo-ah especially does a great job in her portrayal. She displays varied emotions throughout the show, which turns her into a center of attraction.
To complicate the plot further, the writers didn’t stop at the identity crisis that Hongrang is facing. There is a scent of romance in the show between Hongrang, Jae-yi as well as Mu-jin. With all this, you can only hope that Hongrang is not Jae-yi’s real brother, for obvious reasons. This, although it makes the plot somewhat worth watching, also ends up complicating matters. A love triangle if not solved early, can also feel irritating to watch as it leaves the audience to guesswork.
When it comes to Lee Jae-wook and his character Hongrang, sparks suspicion on his return. And that is Lee’s talent. He manages to keep us guessing till the very end. We don’t easily come to know if he is the real heir or just a conman.
Spanning over 11 episodes with a runtime of one hour plus, the show is a tiring watch. With so much added drama in a historic setting and a week-over-complicated plot, you do end up questioning your choices in life. At one point, you are bound to lose interest, not solely because of the plot, but because an hour can feel overwhelming with a slow-paced plot.
The show definitely had a lot of scope to be good. But writers miss out on the crux and present us with nothing but fluff to watch for hours. Choose your time wisely before investing in this drama.
Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times