I was taken aback by the great acting in all of the characters. For myself, was a bit disappointed at the end, however I guess a typical Hollywood ending would make me feel better. This ending was a bit more realistic, however heartbreaking. The surroundings, the music, the cast, all meshed well. Watching this only makes me want to watch more Korean dramas/movies.
One thing I do not like is the habit of Korean films & dramas to take 1-2 minutes at the end and show out-takes, the behind the scenes workers, and generally characters happy smiling and being very friendly to even their drama adversaries. It detracts from the all over feel of the drama/movie. I dislike it so much that I just turn it off.
It totally ruins the feel one has for the drama/movie.