this was one of my most awaited kdramas this year and it did not disappoint. i went into this having watched one trailer, and a couple of teasers, and this was beyond all of my expectations. i didn't expect any romance as the main plot because the entire setting suggested otherwise and it served. what did it serve? lots of action packed moments that were well choreographed, some horrifying moments with the monster and the gore, some really well written emotional scenes and enough time to bond with the main characters.
i love how they didn't shy away from showing the harsh realities of what their people had gone through at that time, the biological warfare and chemical experimentation being done on prisoners of war. these are things which are not talked about enough, and i'm glad the show shone light upon this particular matter (unit 731).
i'm giving it 9 stars at the moment, because it took 4 episodes to get me invested. after i did get invested, it sucked me in. not a very fresh story, but still narrated in a very good way. the cinematography and some of the shots were so pretty i literally paused a couple of times to admire them. i think tae sang was written perfectly, as someone not so likeable with his lack of patriotism and whatnot at the beginning, but a lot of selflessness and concern towards the end. chae-ok istg i would give her a hug if i could, and i was so glad her dad made it till the end (atleast for now, i can't say for sure bc there are still 3 episodes left)
gave the music a 6, because the ending credits were abrupt bc of it, and the songs didn't seem to capture the mood of the drama at all. the paintings in the intro were absolutely stunning though.
and as for the ending cliffhanger, i'm glad they made myeong-ja have the najin bc things are really going to get interesting from here on. can't wait to watch the finale on 5th of jan.
that being said, merry christmas and a happy new year everyone