This is one of those stories of strong and witty women who rise to power or accomplish great things despite their handicap of being women in a highly patriarchal society (like Dae Jang Geum in a way). Atsu-hime's evolution is believable and beautiful to watch. The story is authentic and gives you a glimpse of a closed world and how it changed after the Meiji restoration. I highly recommend this drama to anybody who wants to see a beautiful story that is both historically accurate and understandable for the modern viewer. The acting was stellar, believable and stirring all kinds of emotions. The music was epic, as much as the story was personal and without much of those epic scenes with wars and surreal martial arts. I don't think I can rewatch it as a whole, but there are certain scenes that I would happily rewatch!