I held off on watching this drama for a loooooonnnngggggg time because of the title and its synopsis. I thought it'd be some trope-y fluffy shiz with a stereotypical "strong," forced female lead that I'd drop a few episodes in.

Boy, was I wrong.

I am still reeling from this drama and just needed to share these thoughts somewhere because I don't know what to do with myself after the last episode.

There are so, so, many good things about this drama. After a long dry spell, when I couldn't find a single satisfying drama that didn't have toxic dynamics or lackluster storytelling or flat/stereotypical/trope-y characters, this came out of nowhere like an oasis, quenching my thirst in ways I didn't know I needed, and upended every non-expectation that I had in the best way possible.

First, the writing is sublime. I rarely watch an entire drama through without skipping scenes (of secondary/side characters), but I watched every minute of this show and found myself constantly rewinding to watch certain bits again and again because of the acting. And all parts of the story actually wove into one another - no glaring ends left hanging or weird plot devices. It worked and the palace politics were all interesting to me because I somehow found myself caring about all of the people. The themes of the show are so beautifully interwoven into multiple layers throughout the show and in ways that don't bash you over the head but are subtle and moving.

Second, every character is so fully human. And I believe that's because the writer chooses to show us their humanity, the hard choices that (like us) they have to make, and their individual stories and motivations. Even the antagonist, at the very end, gets shown some of this - he's not just a bad guy for the heck of it, but the writers shows a bit of his underlying story and, as flawed as he may be, we still feel some resonance with him because we see his motivation and the humanness of it. And, ultimately, it's such a beautiful tie-in with my main takeaway from the show - that, regardless of gender, race, age, social status, good or bad, etc., we all share the same humanity. We are all simply human at the end of the day and should treat one another as such.

I can't stress how much I love the female and male leads. What a refreshing breath of fresh air to have these characters in Kdrama land. They are characters that I'd genuinely love as humans. I root for them in every scene and their character growth is so satisfying that I swell with pride for them.

With so many dramas, I always find myself wondering, Why are the leads together? In most cases, it's not apparent to me why they would be together other than simply "because the writer said so." The interactions typically consist of finding the other attractive in a moment of trope-y skinship with no real conversation or personality compatibility. But this show gave us two really amazing leads - each with their own distinct personalities, motivations, and goals - and it gave us the honor of watching a beautiful relationship unfold. They talk about things that matter to them, share their vulnerabilities, communicate honestly and openly, and support each other when they can. You can see the respect and love and care growing between them episode by episode. They genuinely have fun together and their affection is born from something organic and natural. The mutual understanding. The communication. Them being on the same page without words. Their shared values and a foundation of genuine friendship. They help one another be better people and stand by one another. They are so real and so awesome that I root for them individually and also when they choose to do something together.

I didn't know that a show could have so much heart. Truly. There were so many scenes where, there wasn't necessarily anything dramatic happening, but I would have a lump in my throat because I saw real humans who cared about one another and were showing it in ways that were true to themselves and the situation. It was so human that I got lost sometimes in the moment; I wasn't watching a drama anymore, I was just watching these people's lives unfolding.

I am already missing this drama, its incredible, tangible world and its characters. Because the show did such a spectacular job at showing us each one of their hearts and humanity (including so many of the side characters), all of the characters feel like real live people. In my heart and mind, it's as if, after the last episode, I have no doubt that the characters are still out there continuing to live their lives as fully fleshed human beings, trying to make the world a better place and grappling with real-life themes, hardships, and decisions of what that entails, but nonetheless caring for and supporting one another through it all. What an incredible honor it was to get to see a slice of their lives. And I feel like I'm a better person for it.