I can't say I didn't have any problems with the story. It had it's loopholes for example in the first nine episodes crossing the border into South Korea was shown to be next to impossible . But from episode ten and onwards it seemed to be a piece of cake . Just why didn't Ri Jeong Hyeok ask his father for help regarding seri in the first place? Why did he put his and seri's life in danger again and again till his father found out himself and decided to directly intervene ?

The biggest problem i had though was Seung Joon being killed in the last episode. I absolutely loathe dramas that unnecessarily kill off characters . Also we often tend to root more for characters that have suffered or who are pitiful. In my eyes Seo Dan and Seung Joon were the most tragic characters in this drama and i felt they deserved happiness the most. I thought this alone would make me hate the drama but to my utter shock I loved it despite it all.

This drama shows just how important good direction and solid acting from the cast is for a drama. Hyun Bin and Son Hye Jin gave such amazing performances that it was hard not to root for them. The timing and execution of every scene was amazing . And even the secondary characters were acted out wonderfully by the other cast members.

The way the characters were written was also awesome and they all showed depth. I thought I would find Yoon Seri as an annoying character but I grew to appreciate the fact that she was smart and independent not a damsel in distress. I also loved her protectiveness towards Jeong Hyeok and the scene where she takes a bullet for him.

Jeong Hyeok is everything that you would want in a hero . He is tough as nails and also very devoted towards the heroine. I must admit I didn't like Hyun Bin's character in Secret Garden as he was very clingy towards the heroine and utterly disrespectful to her at times. But here he realises his full potential as a swoon worthy male lead who isn't the entitled self centered jerk we often see.

As far as the story is concerned I loved how much research they put into depicting life in North Korea . If you love dramas exploring different cultures you will love this. Life in North Korea is so bizarre and terrifying and the drama made full use of it to add to the thrill . Tvn dramas tend to have very long episodes and I find them hard to finish but this kept me hooked till the end. It also had one of the best final scenes ever. What l love is how romantic it was and yet it wasn't solely focused on the romance alone