It is hard for me to pinpoint how I feel about this drama. It had a lot going on for it but also had a lot of flaws. It had some of the most beautifully shot and memorable scenes, yet so much of the drama was filled with skippable fluff.

The setting of the drama is what initially attracted me. At the turn of the century, it is an important time for Joseon, where their fate for the next few decades, even up to our day and age, would be determined during that time. One of the themes that were emphasized in this drama is the injustices some Koreans went through at the hands of their people, especially due to hierarchy. This resulted in many people with a grudge against their own country, especially against the nobles.

Another very strong point about this drama is the character development. Other than the Japanese antagonistic, and the depiction of some traitors, many of the characters were given layers and layers, that you can't help but feel for. Of course, it all bloomed thanks to the talented actors behind it. Starting with Kim Tae Ri playing the character with a mission Go Ae Shin. This character could've easily become overbearing (think Gaksital FL), yet here she remains constant. As the story goes on, you can't help but be driven by her plight. And that is what happened with all 4 other leads. Eugene Choi on the other hand is the character I connected with the most. The feeling of not belonging to neither country can be lonely. You see him struggle daily trying to understand where he stands. I admired how he never felt ashamed of his origin and felt for his pain and grudge against those who caused it. Then you see his grudge falter as he is met with people that kept challenging the preconceived notion of his birthplace. Lee Byung Hun really gave his all for this character, especially towards the end.

Watching Yoo Yeon Seok after seeing him in "Hospital playlist" it is difficult to accept that is the same person. Looks aside, his character is the most pitiful and toxic. He has no problem slicing anyone in half if they got on his wrong side, yet he won't hesitate to protect them if he sees anyone being unfairly treated. The most tragic character is Kudo Hina / Lee Yang Hwa played by Kim Min Jung. Having been sold off previously like some commodity really shaped her personality. She is all about being in control, however, the one thing she could never control is the action of her parents. This breaks her time and again throughout the drama. You can also sense the sadness in her eyes. Finally, Kim Hui Sung played by Byun Yo Han was the main reason for me for starting this drama. He was the actual sunshine here. His smile lightened my day, even when you could feel the heavy burden behind it.

Of course, what made this drama memorable is a large number of supporting characters. Gunner Jang was a character I followed and rooted throughout. This story was as much his story, as it was Go Ae Sin's story of a man who rejected the leaders of his country but chose its people. He was the forever rebellious Jang. Another character that stood out is the king. He was frustrating for most of the drama, but as the story went on, you realize how helpless he felt, and how carefully he chose his actions to protect his people. Being in his place is the most crumbling experience. There were many more, too many interesting characters.

The horror of colonialism is really well exposed here. The actions the Japanese did makes you wonder if it was possible to lose one's humanity to this point. Now, I do not know if what was portrayed was exaggerated. Some instances couldn've been, while others not. However, I do know the dangers of collective brainwash. When being constantly fed on how those "other" people are less than you, your brain accepts it and you become desensitized. Seeing what my beloved Japanese people did was really conflicting. But that is the truth of becoming a colonizer. Though they suffer a lot later due to losing the war, I think that was a blessing in disguise. It helped them reflect on what they have become and change. That opportunity was never offered to those that never lost a war.

Action scenes were great overall, but especially the sword fights with Gu Dong Mae. The scenery was beautiful, and some scenes were haunting. The train scene will probably go down as one of the most beautiful scenes in my memory.

While the drama had all those great things going for it, it still took me so long to finish. I lost my motivation to watch due to the lack of direction for the story to take. Each episode was between 75 - 80 minutes, with much of it had the characters walking around and eating dessert. The actual story starts at around episodes 19-20. Yes, it took THAT long for the story to take off. That is too much fat needed to shed. There is also the mix of history and myths that bothered me, and no reasoning given for actions that took so long to be taken. For example, the Mori character made no sense. They used it to turn the Japanese colonization of Korea to be some family centuries-old conspiracy when this had nothing to do with the truth, nor the overall story. Just added drama that didn't amount to anything. The portrayal of America is also in the same vein. On one hand, it's treated like this paradise, only to be brought down to reality by our Korea-American hero. One line said really stood out:

"America & Britain lent Japan a total of $410 million dollars, and 40% of it is being spent on the war. The two countries basically forced Japan into the war. Hence, America will never help Joseon. The Russo-Japanese war will result in a great deal of profit for America”

The music was overall negligible, but there was some sweet background that brought peace to the scenes.

It was overall a good drama to watch if it wasn't for the dragginess. I do recommend it to all.