In my personal Drama-watching database I scored this 11/10. It was my 50th completed #CDrama, and it is a tale of life, done right. There was romance, but it was not a "Romance" Drama. It was a Drama about life, the good, the bad, the smart, the not so smart. LOTS of personal growth, and (unusually) the State-propaganda was NOT "The Marvellous Might of the Middle Kingdom" but genuinely positive messages, about speaking up for victims of sexual abuse, the importance of organ donation and the like.

There was no makjang, and pretty much every character made mistakes and learned from them. Also, one trope I LOATHE is the mother who is forgiven all simply because of biology. No matter how evil, no matter what she does to whom, how often and for how long, in the end she gets a free pass because of an accident of birth. This Drama delivered the most brutally ruthless and 1000% deserved demolition of that vile trope I've ever seen.

On the romance front, the arc involving Rose's brother and boss was AMAZING. The most unusual confession setup I've seen, and the way they grew together was truly beautiful.