I have just finished this drama and am writing this review basking in the afterglow of a really good drama. I liked the story it was compelling and well thought out. The dialogues particularly resonated with me. I really admired the direction and cinematography too, as it took risks at times and was little unusual for a sageuk. It was interesting to see the story from the servants perspective, all too often in sageuks the servants are just minor background characters and here we see their daily struggles, desires and hopes. The acting of the whole cast was brilliant. The only exception being Oh Ji Ho who was quite wooden and emotionless throughout, (I have seen him in other dramas and he is similar) although it suited his character somewhat in this drama so I am willing to overlook it on this occasion. Special mention to Jung Yoo Mi who was outstanding she played the character of In Yub perfectly. She goes from being a rich, privileged young woman who has a dramatic fall from grace and becomes a servant when her father is accused of treason. She managed to imbue warmth into her character so that even when she was rich and conceited you still felt affection for her, It felt like she wasn't evil or malicious but rather ignorant and oblivious to the plight of others around her. She really comes into her own when she falls on hard times and her struggle and endurance is admirable. This was my first time seeing Kim Dong Wook act in a drama. He played Eun Ki and I am very impressed with him. His character probably went through the most upheaval next to In Yub and his nuanced performance stole the show. Part of that was the writing, he was given some wonderful poignant lines but of course a lot hinges on the delivery, in which he excelled! There aren't any songs in this drama which is unusual for a sageuk as they tend to have ballads but the music that is used throughout is beautiful and fits very well. Overall if you like sageuks this is one of the best that I have seen. I cannot say anymore without spoiling :)