Honestly, this drama is a roller coster. And emotional roller coaster where every episode, there will be new pieces of information revealed that completely turn the story around. I laughed, cried, danced, raged and everything else possible because of this drama.
Story: 10/10
At first when I saw the summary, I was skeptical about good the drama would be. I mean it is described as every other crazy revenge plot where the guy falls in love and suddenly all that he knows is tossed away. I started watching it because I was desperate for a new drama... Believe me when I say I was pleasantly surprised. There are twists and turns and the writers tried their best to keep the viewer guessing. You know those stereotypical moments where every kind of K-drama cliche is used? I was glad to say that there weren't too many of those. The second lead couple(s) were adorable when they weren't too irritating. Lastly, the female lead was not that usual bumbling naive idiot (thank the lords). Towards the end, there were a couple of episodes where you don't see her much but that is easily justifiable by the plot twists.
Acting: 9.5/10
I remember once some actor in an interview said that the movie is only as good as its villain. In this story, there are many bad guys- not villains per se- and guys that seem good but are kind of bad but still good but you still hate them a bit. But all of them were amazing. The actors seemed borderline cherry picked and the roles suited them perfectly. The only problematic one was Lee Minho for me, simply because sometimes he just wasn't convincing enough. Yes, I am nitpicking but somehow at the end of the drama, he was the only one who just didn't leave that bid an impression on me. His "father" on the other hand? Flawless! There were times when I was scared of him and I was seeing him from the safety of the screen. Gold help those who piss him off in real life- his glare alone could probably make you piss your pants.
Music: 9/10
Unlike Healer or I'll Remember You- this drama didn't seem to have that impressive music- you know the kind that you download and listen to on repeat? BUT the music that was used suited the mood perfectly; so much so that it seemed natural, as though if the scene happened in real life, it would make sense if it was playing in the background. Perhaps that also was its only flaw. It blended into the scened a bit too much.
Rewatch Value: 10/10
It would be perfect if we could simply forget the first time that we saw the drama and watch it again with the same kind of curiosity because that does make this drama more thrilling. Even so, the drama has the potential to be watched on repeat and the viewer still wouldn't get bored.
Overall I think that it is the kind of show that you should watch at least ones. The politics and themes of revenge, love (familial and romantic) and both amazingly fantastical and bone-chillingly realistic. Makes you wonder what your government might be hiding from you.
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