This is by far one the best sageuks ever made! I was intimidated by its length at first, and I expected the story to drag, but I was very impressed with how tight the writing is and how well all narrative threads are developed and come together by the end.

The entire cast is phenomenal, but most importantly, this is a drama that avoids most clichees. Its female characters are not the typical wimpy, submissive women we often see in historical dramas. Yang (brialliantly played by Ji-Won) is self-sufficient and outshines almost every male character in the story! I was also pleasantly surprised by Chang Wook's versatility; he plays the weak-willed (but also possessive) emperor amazingly! And finally, Joo Jin-Mo was born to play the King of Goryeo!