I started this drama once before, made it through about 20 minutes, and felt like it was going to be too light (for me), so i turned it off. It wasn’t until i read someone else’s review (months later) explaining that it only starts off that way, and once you make it to the end of the first episode you will see things get much, much darker and intense. I am so glad i read that review! I’ve read so many beautifully written reviews on this site… this one will pale in comparison, but i will do my best 😊(bc someone’s review is what made me give it a second chance)


So just for reference i prefer more intense, dark, serious dramas - some favorites have been The Rebel Princess, Rise of the Phoenixes, Advisors Alliance, Crowned Clown, My Journey to You, Kunning Palace, My Country The New Age, Ruyi’s, Yanxi, The Double, Nirvana on Fire, Qin Dynasty Epic, Palace of Devotion etc… this has easily become one of my top 5 dramas I’ve ever watched!

This drama has it all (at least for me) - INCREDIBLE production, unbelievable casting, acting and costumes… political scheming, war, action, love, humor (that made sense), ups and downs of life, character growth and development, and so much more….

The production of every episode was truly like a movie - stunning, incredible music that helped narrate a beautifully written story….. beautiful landscapes, towns, palaces….. the costumes were incredible - things were not PERFECTLY NEW and crisp and clean, things looked handmade and worn and realistic. So many dramas look like they just cut the tags off of a brand new costume - but this one, everything looked authentic - from Emperor Hong Taiji’s elaborate costumes to normal everyday people.

The casting - i have never experienced a more perfect cast in any other drama (and possibly any show) I’ve ever watched. Every single person, from the leads to the extras to the children used in flashback scenes were absolutely spot on perfection. Obviously Lee Jamg-Hyun and Gil Chae were incredible, but for me, Ryang Eum was phenomenal. To be able to play that role the way he did, and still feel compassion and understanding towards him was amazing. It could have so easily been a character I hated and couldn’t stand, but that wasn’t the case. King Injo made me more and more frustrated and angry the further the drama went - which is a credit to his acting. He was perfect. The crown prince, Kyung Eun-Ae, Jong Jong, general Yong, Bang Doo, Gak Hwa…. i am not exaggerating when i say every single actor and performance in the entire production from start to finish was sensational. It was mind blowing 🤯

I admittedly do not care for light hearted, goofy dramas…. And try to avoid dramas with too much comedy all together, but the humor that was sprinkled into this was absolute perfection, and not overdone AT ALL. Characters personalities or playful banter between a couple - it all made sense! Of course there were things that some of the characters did that confused and frustrated me…. But people are complicated! to me this helped make the drama more and more believable. It felt like i was literally watching someone’s life, with their quirks and traumas, and how they deal with them. Absolutely incredible! People will not always do what makes sense in our mind, and that was definitely the case in this drama.

I could truly go on and on about this drama, but don’t want to ruin it or spoil anything for anybody who is planning on watching it. I cried like an idiot, laughed from my gut, and really truthfully enjoyed watching every second of this (i binged both parts in 3 days)… and if you’re watching it like i did, part 2 continues seamlessly from part 1… It was magnificent! An absolute masterpiece!

If i had to find something to criticize, it would be 2 things…. 1.) Ryang Eum’s grey wig in part 2 lol (which obviously isn’t a big deal lol). And 2.) trying to figure out what to watch after this absolute masterpiece….. i really don’t know what to watch now lol……. other than that it was truly an amazing experience! 10 out of 10!