The first half of the drama was a literal masterpiece of fiction. The overall quality of the writing is good, but the latter part of the story felt rushed. This was a letdown because the build-up to an epic battle between Goguryeo and Tang didn't deliver the expected action-packed epic and instead kept it on a smaller scale. Despite this, the drama did a good job of exploring and explaining Korean history during that period, and the cast's performance was stellar throughout. The unfinished feeling of the story wasn't necessarily a negative, as it seemed to be intentional and fitting given the historical events that followed. Finally, I have to admit that even though I love Choi Soo Jong, he is one of my favorite actors. However, the fact that he is too old for his character cannot be overlooked. Every time I heard him say "Hyungnim," I cringed. He did a great job in terms of acting, but it still feels like a miscast, no matter how you look at it.