This is it. This is the drama I have been searching for.  It has finally fallen into my grasp. For me, this is the best drama of 2017 (of course with close contenders like Just Between Lovers). I formed such strong emotional attachments to the characters that every day all I could think about was watching the next episode. What a fantastic drama.

Plot:

 Now usually I need a lot of romance in dramas to give my brain a break from any complicated plot lines or heavy subjects but with this one it was hardly needed. Just the deep, beautiful connection that Gil Dong had with his immediate family and his group was enough for me. Don't get me wrong, the relationship that developed slowly between Gil Dong and Ga Ryeong was so touching and realistic.
Anyway, with sageuks, I usually get very frustrated with the plot as there is always so many lies and misunderstandings that I just flip the table over in anger. However, that was not the case with Rebel. Everything was just so perfectly spread out and well paced that I didn't get the chance to get frustrated because I was distracted  with Gyun Sang's beautiful face and some damn heart wrenching scenes (there may have perhaps been one or two moments when slight frustration bubbled up in my heart but they were so insignificant that I didn't bother including them in my overall rating). DO NOT BE PUT OFF BY THE NUMBER OF EPISODES, TRUST ME.  Also, this drama was incredibly well written. There was so much emotion and deeper meaning to everything that was said, all linking to the same idea of justice and respect for everyone, no matter what class they are. Of course, these lines would not have been as substantial if not for the incredible performances of each and every actor involved.

Acting:

My god. There is nothing bad I can say about the acting. Everyone brought their own magical piece which all fit together to form the beautiful jigsaw that is Rebel. This drama would not be the quality it is without the amazingly talented cast. Damn I feel like I'm going to cry again just thinking about their performances. It takes serious talent to keep an audience entertained for 30 episodes, all lasting an hour each. IT IS SO WORTH IT! This may be one of the longest dramas I have watched and even dramas that have been just 16 episodes long have not kept me as invested as this one. Honestly, just watch it, it will raise the bar for sageuks so high it'll be hard to beat.  

Music:

For me, the song that stood out the most was Nightly Rain by Jambinai (feat. Park Min Hee). This song was so beautiful and so well placed in the drama that honestly whenever I listen to it I cry without fail.

Rewatch Value:

I know this might seem like a low score even though I've just sang immense praises for the drama. But for me personally, I don't have the time to invest 30+ hours  into a drama (though I wish I did). So it is unlikely that I will watch it all again.

Overall:

An amazing drama. It will take me a while to get over this one. Other sageuks that I loved were Faith and Gu Family Book. They were (slightly) shorter than this one which many of you will probably prefer but please watch this drama, it deserves so much more recognition.

Thanks for reading, here's to another great year of dramas in 2018!