I wasn't too sure about this show when I first started but two things made me stay: one, when the protag, a Joseon era male, rejects the notion of having children, and two, when the series states that no animals were harmed in production. Both of these were different enough to make me watch on.

Other things that I found refreshingly different and new were seeing "honour among thieves" in how the antagonists were given backstories of their own and also an insight into what it was that made them bond. It was quite a pleasant surprise as well to see Choi Tae Hwan's acting range from having met this actor on Hello, Me! He did a good job on an enabled, psychopathic legitimate heir and the family dynamic of the father and son were well played out, imho.

The leader of the angatonists, Tae Seo, was a well written character that was played to perfection by Lee Jae Kyoon; LJK manages such intensity and vulnerability that it was difficult to hate on this antagonist. Even his friend, Cha Mal Jong, was a grey character. Though CMJ is the usual stereotypical cruel villain I found myself admiring his loyalty to his friend and his "band of thieves". He died protecting them and their secrets and such loyalty was rare to come by, even amongst "good guys", and rarely associated with villains that I admired the writer's approach to the characterisation.

Other noteworthy acting was Chae Won Bin who has to portray two characters and honestly, when I saw her on her second character I didn't even realise she was the same actress. Even when there was a part, at the end, where she portrays both characters one after the other, I was amazed at how she managed to exude such different presence and aura as to make those characters so different and separate, though they were portrayed by the one, same person.

What I loved about this series is the sense of equilibrium that it gives the viewers. Seeing three women supporting each other as sisters and being entrepreneurs with their natural talents and "businessing" themselves to success, in such a harsh era for women, was a pleasure to watch. And seeing the men that their efforts also inspire, and whom supports the women back, gives a feelgood vibe. There's just a certain sweetness to this series that is satisfying to the heart and soul to watch.

The only criticism I have for the show are the flashbacks. Imho, they're not handled as well as other shows. The too similar lighting and place and similar hairstyles and such doesn't delineate the past and present enough and makes it confusing between the present and past switches.

Aside from that, I would recommend this show to anyone wanting a nice change to the stereotypical cliches found in this genre and also the subversion of male-female r/ships, expectations and responsibilities, overall.