Saying I had a mild existential crisis as I was watching the drama could be an understatement. It deals with many themes like environmental issues, free will, destiny, power of belief. difference between truth and lies, the price of responsibility and power. Some presented better than others, but as a whole package, it was truly an amazing journey.

Three main plotlines/themes addressed in the show were the romance between the leads, the questioning of free will and fight against the written fate, and environmental issues.

Starting with the romance - quite an enjoyable delivery. It was slow paced and, while ever present, never felt like it was shoved in my face as the main and only focus of the story. On many occasions the relationship between main leads served as an opportunity to explore other themes and ideas. Have to say though, till the end I was a bit more sold on Orad’s side of that love story.

Free will, meaning of existence, fate - that’s the part that gave me an identity and existential crisis. I almost had a philosophical debate with my laptop when I was pausing some scenes to fully grasp the ideas behind them. I also feel like this part of the plot had the best presentation.

Then we had the environmental issues that were addressed in the show. While I appreciate the inclusion of that topic, I cannot stop myself from thinking some of the scenes were extremely on the nose - sometimes it felt like I was watching a promo for kids in middle school. They could have been a little bit more subtle about the message and trust that the viewers are not complete idiots.

I feel like there were some pacing issues too. While I never felt bored, after finishing the whole show I do feel like the middle part was a bit dragging and was not as tight as the beginning and the end.

What slight complaints I might have had about the plot and pacing, the characters make up for them. Xie Tian Di, while flawed, was still truly likable. It was great to watch her learn from her mistakes and understand others’ perspectives when she was faced with similar dilemmas.

Orad was just adorable. What a loyal man. It’s hard to actually talk about his character in more depth without giving spoilers, so just know there is more to his story than just being a guard for the female lead.

Fali, this guy. I dislike him, but I also want to give him a hug. That said, I am still slightly confused about his goals and plans and overall motivations. I think the writers could have done a better job exploring his character.

Toem is the girl you root for even if you don’t want to. She is smart, cunning, brave, flawed in all the best ways.

Talking about flawed characters - Kakarayan… really didn't vibe with him. He had just a few scenes, but it was enough for me to put him on the bottom of the characters I enjoyed.

The performance - no complaints. Not only that, I was truly impressed with some. It’s quite rare when even the supporting or bit roles are well delivered, but this drama gives us all the best, even if someone shows up for one scene and one scene only.

The soundtrack. 10/10 does not do it justice. I am not joking when I say this is the best soundtrack I have heard in dramas I’ve watched this year, and one of the best in my long history of watching dramas. A song that especially moved me was Shi Shi’s Never Ending Rain.

On the production - no idea what the budget was, but they did everything they could to make it an aesthetic feast with what they had. So many beautiful shots, so many visual ways to represent the emotions and ideas behind the story.

Overall, I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It’s been so long since a drama delivered well written plot twists that I didn't see coming. The last three episodes were just one surprise after another, but it all still made sense!