First thing you will notice about this drama is how stunningly beautiful it is! Every shot & angle of the camera is used to enhance the richness of each scene. This show definitely reminds me of the US show, "24" where an anti-terrorism group tries to stop a bomb from blowing up. Even the concept is the same, with events unfolding within 24 hours of the day. The first half of this drama is so thrilling with non-stop action. You're literally on the edge of your seat. Along the way we get to know more about our characters. They make good use of flashbacks interposed throughout each episode to help us better understand them & their motivations. Not every "good" guy is an angel and not every "bad" guy is evil. They all of varying reasons for their actions, which I appreciate. The little snippets at the end of each episode either enhance a character, an historical fact, or plot point, which I love. The side characters also have rich backstories. The acting in this drama is phenomenal especially from Lei Jia Yin (our beloved sleuth-hound captain) & Zhou Yi Wei (Long Bo, one of our antagonists, who I had a great sympathy for in the end). And the appearance from Djimon Hounsou, who played complex slave trader Ge Lao, was a lovely surprise. The political maneuvering is typical of most palace intrigue stories, but it's not often you have the emperor getting a lesson in humility after encountering"his people" who in the end don't even recognize him as their emperor. I also loved learning about the historical details of the Tang Dynasty. It's great that you can enjoy a drama but also learn something too! This is definitely a drama that you have to pay attention too, it's cerebral and complex in it's story telling but also has action and suspense. Great combination for a great watch, highly recommended!