Poignant, Deep, Mature and Beautiful

One of the strongest aspects of this drama is how mature it is. It brims with healthy idealism, but harbors no illusions regarding reality -- a perfect balance between youthful naivety and jaded cynicism. The love stories are incredibly moving, but are by no means all consuming or unrealistic like the typical depiction of youthful love.

The show is almost perfect in all regards (with the minor exception of pacing issues in the final arc), but this maturity, the nuance, makes it extraordinary.

The maturity is perhaps most evident in the show's characterization (a product of both superb writing and acting). It's so rare to see such consistently strong characterization, from protagonists to villains to all sorts of supporting characters.

The male leads exemplify the writer's ideal masculinity. They are highly intelligent and competent -- no naive lead trope. They are decisive and determined, but not callous or toxic. They are genuinely loving and kind, without ever appearing meek. They're incredibly self-disciplined: strict on themselves, but easy on the others. They have a devout sense of duty, but no ambition for personal gains. And finally, they are not above moments of weakness, and struggles to find internal strength.

The female leads are quite modernly idealistic consider the period setting. They are at the perfect balance point: neither adolescent girls all consumed by love, nor the stereotypical "girl crush" overcompensation that finds love distasteful. They love most ardently, but they also know what they want with their lives and what role romance plays in the life that they want. And it's incredibly refreshing to see the men wholeheartedly supporting that and never subjecting them to their own agendas.

The villains are all incredibly well done. Nobody (except maybe one) came off as an evil caricature. They were antagonistic because of their own unique motivations, often deeply personal, sympathetic or even noble. At many points, the conflict between the protagonists and the villains are almost a philosophical debate, and one is forced to consider whether the villains might actually be right. It is this juxataposition that reaffirms the idealistic values that our heroes stand for.

And finally, the supporting cast is also well done, and often multi-layered. For example, the Emperor is benevolent and kind (another break from trope), but he is also highly intelligent and isn't someone to be BSed. You can see the fear he strikes into his subjects. There was also this girl perfectly befitting the traditional stereotype of being meek and obediant, but there are also glimpses of her courage, resolve and wisdom.

Overall it's an incredibly mature and intelligent drama, with strong charcterization and consistent plot. It's also highly nuanced, which makes for a great rewatch. And as can be expected from this production crew, it is so beautiful, from the people to the sets to the music.

10/10 would recommend.

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