Dear Hongrang Review: Secrets, Sorrows, and Shifting Loyalties in Joseon

Netflix’s foray into the Joseon era with “Dear Hongrang” (or “Tangeum”) presents a familiar setup: a child heir vanishes, plunging a noble family into chaos, only for a mysterious figure to resurface twelve years later claiming the lost identity. Adapted from Jang Da-hye’s novel “Tangeum: Geumeul Samkida,” the series promises a concoction of historical intrigue, familial drama, and simmering romance.

Yet, beneath the silk robes and traditional architecture, “Dear Hongrang” gestures towards contemporary anxieties about truth, identity, and the enduring weight of the past, all packaged for a global streaming audience increasingly hungry for complex Korean narratives. It’s a world where loss is a lingering phantom and a stranger’s arrival could mend old wounds or tear them catastrophically wider.

Heir Apparent or Artful Dodger? The Initial Deception

The disappearance of young Hongrang rips through the Sim family with predictable devastation. His mother, Min Yeon-ui, descends into a well of sorrow, while his half-sister, Jae-yi, clings to a sliver of hope, her search becoming a quiet rebellion against despair.

In this vacuum, the pragmatic father, Sim Yeol-guk, anoints an adopted son, Mu-jin, as the successor-in-waiting. Fast forward twelve years, and Lee Jae-wook materializes as the adult Hongrang, bearing the right scars and a curious lack of insistence that differentiates him from a parade of prior, less convincing fakes. This subtlety, however, fails to sway Jae-yi, portrayed by Jo Bo-ah with a steely resolve.

Her skepticism forms the investigative spine of the early episodes, transforming her from passive mourner to active interrogator. Is this the brother she lost, or a cleverly disguised interloper with an unknown game? The air thickens not just with familial tension but also with whispers of a spectral, white-haired entity preying on local children, a slightly jarring, though fashionable, supernatural flourish ensuring this historical piece isn’t just about courtly manners.

Tangled Threads of Kinship and Forbidden Yearnings

The emotional core of “Dear Hongrang” throbs within its densely woven relationships, particularly the perilous dance between Jae-yi and the man who might be her brother. As she probes his past, an undeniable connection sparks, one made all the more precarious by the specter of their supposed shared bloodline.

The series navigates this thorny “half-sibling” dynamic with a careful hand, letting the tension simmer. One wonders if this flirtation with taboo is a bold narrative stroke, reflective of streaming platforms’ willingness to push envelopes, or merely a melodramatic device. Meanwhile, Jung Ga-ram’s Mu-jin wears his unrequited affection for Jae-yi like a shroud, his status and hopes jeopardized by the prodigal’s return.

This trio forms an intense emotional vortex, their loyalties and desires shifting like sand. Beyond them, Uhm Ji-won’s Min Yeon-ui is a captivating force – her joy at Hongrang’s reappearance veers into something unsettling, her disdain for Jae-yi is palpable, and her grip on reality, possibly loosened by “medicinal” aids, makes her dangerously unpredictable in the family’s power games.

Sim Yeol-guk, the patriarch, remains a stern figure, his past ruthlessness a stark reminder of the stakes. The question of whom to trust becomes a spectator sport, with hidden agendas peeking from behind every polite smile.

Dominance Games and the Specter of Yesterday’s Sorrows

The re-emergence of Hongrang sends tremors through the Sim family’s merchant guild, reigniting the quiet war for influence between the emotionally volatile Min Yeon-ui and the established Sim Yeol-guk. It’s a classic power tussle, amplified by Joseon-era stakes, where lineage is currency and a lost son’s return can capsize fortunes.

The narrative also dips its toes into broader political waters, hinting at royal secrets and the machinations of figures like Prince Han-pyeong (a somewhat underused Kim Jae-uck), adding layers of external pressure. These conflicts serve as a backdrop for the series’ deeper explorations. Grief is not merely an event but an environment, shaping Min Yeon-ui’s precarious sanity and Jae-yi’s relentless quest.

The fluid nature of Hongrang’s identity, Mu-jin’s struggle for legitimacy, and Jae-yi’s search for certitude all speak to a persistent human need for belonging and definition. This search occasionally warps into obsession, a theme the series paints with broad strokes, particularly in the almost pathological nature of maternal love and unrequited romantic fixation. The ever-present secrets suggest a truth we often see mirrored in societal reckonings: the past, with its deceptions and unresolved pain, rarely stays buried.

The Gaze of the Camera, The Echo of the Gayageum

“Dear Hongrang” lavishes attention on its aesthetic, a hallmark of K-dramas aiming for global prestige. The cinematography often bathes scenes in an almost ethereal glow, from candlelit chambers to mist-laden forests, enhancing the period’s mystique, sometimes at the expense of grit. Costumes are, naturally, immaculate.

The musical score, featuring the haunting “Burning Petals” by 4BOUT, effectively underscores both poignant moments and rising dread. Action sequences, when they occur, showcase Lee Jae-wook’s aptitude with a sword, adding kinetic bursts to the otherwise measured pace. Lee, already a familiar face from “Alchemy of Souls” – a savvy casting choice for international reach – embodies Hongrang with a compelling blend of aloofness and vulnerability.

Jo Bo-ah gives Jae-yi a quiet strength, while Jung Ga-ram’s Mu-jin is a study in pained stoicism. Uhm Ji-won, however, frequently steals scenes as the formidable Min Yeon-ui, teetering between maternal ferocity and unnerving fragility. The series adopts a deliberate, slow-burn pacing, allowing characters and their intricate dilemmas to unfold, a style well-suited to the binge-watch model, though its many subplots and flashbacks occasionally threaten to meander.

“Dear Hongrang” may not revolutionize the historical K-drama, but its commitment to emotional depth and high production standards solidifies the genre’s powerful appeal on the world’s streaming stage, leaving audiences with a lingering sense of beauty intertwined with sorrow.

Dear Hongrang premiered on Netflix on May 16, 2025, and consists of 11 episodes, each running between 60 to 70 minutes.

Full Credits

Director: Kim Hong-sun

Writer: Kim Jin-ah

Producer: Jong-hak Park

Cast: Lee Jae-wook, Jo Bo-ah, Jung Ga-ram, Uhm Ji-won, Park Byung-eun, Kim Jae-wook

Editor: Steve M. Choe

Composer: Kim Tae-seung