I don't usually write reviews for dramas and this would be my first; but I just had a few things I wanted to point out to people who are thinking of watching it.
(Sorry it’s pretty long haha)

• This is INTENSE. Hah. I watched it not long after completing "Cheongdamdong Alice" which is a light hearted romantic comedy with the same lead actor (Park Si Hoo) and they couldn't be further far apart and in opposite spectrums! And while intense dramas are usually the genre I opt for and I sincerely wasn't expecting a drama so masterfully written that would blow out the waters.
• 'Star crossed lovers'/ 'Forbidden love' are these genres that you love to venture into? Well this is right up your street. Although you may be presumptuous into believing you are getting a very typical 'Romeo & Juliet' type story, it has a lot more depth than you could ever imagine. I hope you’ll bear with the slow start of this drama)
• I highly applaud the writer for not taking us down the standard K-drama cliché route. While it's so hard to maintain fresh ideas (with so many dramas around) and avoid the typical rules of K drama land, I am impressed at how the story was carried out with some pretty un-predictable revelations. While it was not faultless I can’t say it applied to everything but it was a pretty damn close to being as far away as possible from being stereotypical.
• Astounding OST I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good OST. And boy does this do it for me. Baek Ji Young is definitely the queen of OST’S and this is just an additional one added to her line of hauntingly beautiful soundtracks she has done. Her song ‘Again, today I love you’ will stick with you long after the drama ended, that said all the songs that represent the main characters (Particularly the lovers Seung Yoo and Se Ryung) each have their own songs which literally scream what you can hear blaring from their hearts.
• Wonderful chemistry between the two leads. Usually something that is overlooked, as sometimes while it can be fantastic to put two high profile actors together for a drama however It doesn’t beat two leads who share an amazing on screen chemistry. While I don’t mean the fire work/sparks flying of the screen type, but the type, where you genuinely believe that these are two people in love. (I’d say their phenomenal acting has a lot to do with this) But you can feel/breathe each characters feelings and when they are happy, you’re joyful but when their heart’s break, so does yours.
• It’s not perfect. No not nit-picking, I absolutely loved this drama, and while nothing is perfect and I have so much praise for it. I want to point out that it does have its flaws; some parts of the drama can feel slightly dragged out, and you may feel at times you don’t get indulged enough into seeing enough of the romance side and on some occasions in episodes there wasn’t enough screen time for the romance aspect. Don’t get me wrong, I love the side stories and the political side was a great element of the story line as well as portraying why the two leads are the way they are; but at times I thought there was too much emphasis on the side stories and lack of concentration on the main protagonists. I think the long wait for these precious moments we all wait for did make it all so much sweeter when we finally got them and powerful scenes between Se-Ryung and Seung-Yoo were nothing short of spectacular.

Some moments I think I needed a fan/ Park Si Hoo sizzles and Moon Chae Won is unbelievably charming I am almost convinced this was not a drama and it all happened it real life.
I do hope you enjoy this hauntingly beautiful drama as much as I did, my heart gets a gut wrenching feeling when I hear the OST and although this is not my favourite drama nor will I be re watching it for a while (Too.Intense.man) need too cool off. Phew! I would watch it for just for the Seung Yoo/Se Ryung Moments (I do love this couple)
It’s not just another tragic love story drama, It’s set in a context where you can understand why the two leads would fall in love (‘stead of telling you that they had because it’s part of the plot), the development in each character is something you will see blossom and grow as you see how people lived/ and their values were at the time. It will make you reflect on what’s important and how it was never easy to live the way they wanted to back then as the complications of blood ties and where betraying your father was treason.

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