I wanted to wait as long as possible before writing a review on this... I needed time to collect my feels and push away my biased opinions. Want a short, general idea? Go down to the bottom. *no specific spoilers* Music: It was great music. I loved listening to it and downloaded the OST's. It seemed to match the mood perfectly (it brought tears to my eyes more than once) and I don't think I will be forgetting the music anytime soon. Rewatch: I've already rewatched numerous scenes from Gu Family Book, either to refresh my memory on what had happened previously, or to further appreciate the beautifully heartbreaking scenes (which seemed to dominate the beginning and end of this drama). However, as an entire drama, I do not think I will be rewatching it anytime soon for two reasons: I don't think my heart can take much more heartbreaking scenes, and there were some slow parts that I am hesitant to put myself through again. Acting/Cast: My gosh were they amazing. This was almost an entirely new cast to me, and I only saw a few familiar faces, but I was definitely taken aback by their acting ability. Yes, many of you may swoon for Lee Seung Gi and Suzy, but you will find yourself adoring the supporting cast as well. The entire cast was delightful to watch (esp Gon, the Monk, and Jung Yoon) - I found myself empathizing with them, relating to them, pitying them, loving them, and (for the bad guys) hating them so much I wanted to reach through the screen and put an end to them myself (props to the actors for portraying "evil" and "cruel" so convincingly). The crying was contagious. Once Kang Chi or Wol Ryung started crying, my gosh I just couldn't stop. Magnificent acting. No complaints here. Story: Here we go. Beginning: LOVED it. This may be the BEST beginning to a drama that I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot). Forget hooks, this drama was a black hole that immediately sucks you in to the story. You will not be able to stop halfway through the beginning. All the pieces fit perfectly. The romance was there and blossoming, the suspense was escalating, characterization was established, the heartbreaking scenes were present... I honestly don't think there was anything missing. Beautiful. *mwah* Middle: ... It was so-so. In fact, it was almost disappointing after the perfect introduction. There was a big leap between beginning and middle, which almost made me drop the drama. Why? Everything in the beginning was perfect to the point where it seemed like a mini-drama itself. As a result, when the time skip happened, BAM. All the characters you loved disappeared, the explosion of suspense only left dust in its wake... it was a new beginning. One that I did not want, nor did I like. Where were the characters whom I was crying for? Yearning for? Gone. But it was ok. The hole that was left was quickly repaired by a new story, new characters to love, new romances formed, and more suspense on the way... sort of. There were slow parts, and sometimes it was deadly slow. For me (an action lover), it was frustrating. But the slow parts helped develop the romance between the characters.* A break from all the melodrama and tragedies. However, stay with it and halfway through, the characters from the beginning will come back, completely reborn. Once they did, the story sped up and there was enough action to keep me watching until the... *speaking of romance, the romance was great in this drama. Great chemistry between all the couples, and unlike many other dramas, the romance was pure. There was no revenge after betrayal, nor doubt about their love. The women were fighters and the men were gentle, forgiving, protective, and endlessly loveable. End: I don't actually know if I like it or not, which might be an advantage for me writing an unbiased review of the end. Before the end there was a mini end for the characters from the beginning (Wol Ryung, Seo Hwa etc.). That end... was beautifully done. I found myself crying... but I was happy and content. The problems were concluded and everything was "fixed", in a way. But the story moved forward. The actual end... hm. On one hand, all the loose ends were tied up (even the smallest of details), justice was served, and everything was wrapped up into a nice, neat bundle. Goodbyes were made, explanations were given, and things were concluded- wait what?! That was my exact reaction as I watched the last part of the last episode. I was hit in the face with a boulder that said "PSYCH. It's not over yet". I was... very surprised, not expecting the ending at all. Of course I'm not going to give it away, but remember what I said about new beginnings? Well. I'm still in shock from being hit in the face with that boulder. Then again, the end provides a great leeway into a second series (there better be a second series for the sake of my sanity) and a gateway for your imagination to run wild. What. Happened. Next? General: All in all, it was a great drama. The beginning was a black hole that sucked viewers in, the middle was sort of like floating in space, not really getting anywhere, and the end was like you crash landed on another planet. The cast was perfect in every way, the romance was innocent and forgiving (due to Kang Chi and Wol Ryung's amazing personalities) and the supporting characters were just as interesting to watch as the main cast. Even if you are not interested in the supernatural aspect, you should still watch it because it does not really focus on that part, but more on the difficulties in life aspect. Not your type of drama? Message me and I may be able to pull out some other recommendations for you ^^