While I can see the appeal to this series, it had too much melodrama for my taste.

❤ The heart of this story is the romance between Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeok. The actors had phenomenal chemistry together and really sold the believability of their star crossed lovers romance.

❤ Who doesn't love a found family story? Not me! Captain Ri's Company Five stole the show (and my heart). I loved all of them so, so much - taciturn Pyo Chi-su, stoic (but handsome!) Park Kwang-beom, nerdy Yoo Su-bin, and the kid-like Geum Eun-Dog. I loved how they all adopted Se-ri, and she them. The relationships they build between each other, the love they feel for each other, it was the best part of the show.

❤ The ones to get shafted here are by far the second lead couple, Gu Seung-Jung and Seo Dan. The two had decent chemistry together, and their respective stories fit well for the romantic aspect of their relationship. All of their build up was for nothing and the ending to their storyline was incredibly unsatisfying.

❤ The first part of the story is set in North Korea, while the latter half is mostly spent in South Korea. It was fascinating learning about the Korean Demilitarize Zone (KDZ) and the differences between the two countries. However, I'm not sure on the accurately portrayed by the North Korean portions of the show.

❤ If the plot hadn't gone in such a dramatic direction, I probably would have rated it higher. It was just a little too campy and over-the-top for me.