To the doubters: I can see there are many reviews complimenting this drama, but also plenty who are more critical. Personally I really liked this drama, but when I read the reviews who criticize the drama, I can't disagree entirely with them. However, the issues they mention, I have not been bothered by myself/have not noticed and even looking back I often feel it's not that bad. So my advise to doubters is to give the drama a try and if you're not into it after 2 or maybe 3 episodes? Maybe it's not for you. Because of its fast pace, you'll know soon enough if it is your kind of drama or not. :) Let me just add - I'm glad I avoided the hype and waited with watching until the hype had simmered down a bit. I think if I had allowed myself to get hyped up about this drama, I might have ended up being disappointed. But having started watching it with the idea of it being simply a 'good' drama, rather than an amazing one, I feel like I have been allowed to enjoy it all the more. Story The first thing I have to compliment this drama's story on is the pacing. There is not a dull moment for even a second. Things progress/happen all the time, pulling you through the episodes easily. During the first episode I forgot all about my cup of tea for a full hour. I didn't notice time passing at all because I didn't feel like it was an hour! There are a lot of plot twists. Just when you think you have something figured out, you will learn a new bit of detail that throws it all around. I have been told this drama could be confusing at times, but personally I didn't experience any confusion at all. Maybe because I binge watched it? I'm someone who usually gets really irritated by plot-holes or unrealistic situations/reactions. I've seen reviews about there being plot-holes and non-realism, but I personally didn't notice or experience annoyance over things. Also; I really enjoyed to see the comparison between the real world and the comic world. How time passes by. The point of view of characters. And because I can't mention it elsewhere: I LOVE(!!) the artwork you see. It was so gorgeous, I couldn't get enough of it. Luckily, you get to see it often. My only criticism here would be that I feel the ending had a few minor things in which I felt it was lacking. Let me start by saying I love the ending. It's an open ending and depending on your own experience of the drama, you could consider it to be a happy ending or a sad happy ending. For me, it was the latter. I remember Lee Jong Suk saying that he feels a sad ending would have been for the best. And though I agree with his vision on it, emotionally I'm glad that the writer didn't go for a sad ending entirely. That aside - I felt it was a bit lacking because I have a few question marks left about a few supporting roles. I wish I could have seen those wrapped up a little better. For spoiler's sake, I won't mention names. However - I'm glad the drama was only 16 episodes. In conclusion - I love the pacing. I love the plot twists. I love the originality of the plot. I love the art. But I do have a few small mentions on the side. Acting/Cast Like many - I'm a fan of Lee Jong Suk. And I don't think I have to get in-depth in how great his acting was. How good he brought the emotions in his eyes and all that. He was a dream to be watching. Compliments aside - I do have a bit of criticism here. I don't think it's Lee Jong Suk's fault, but rather the character he played. Though I loved him and his character to death and he had me squeal and cry regularly, I did feel like I could have been more emotionally attached. So I'm a bit disappointed I didn't feel stronger? Having read through some more critical reviews, I think maybe it's because there isn't much development within the character. Looking back, I don't feel Kang Chul has changed much between episode 1 and 16. The same goes for Han Hyo Joo who plays Oh Yeon Joo. I didn't know her, but grew to love her instantly. I have nothing but love for her acting. But as much as I loved it, here as well - I felt there was still something lacking. And I guess it's the character development that is to blame here yet again. Very little difference between episode 1 and 16. But don't let this scare you! The story and acting really still pulled me in a lot. And as I mentioned - I /did/ squeal and cry and laugh. It's just that when I compare it to other Drama's I rated 10/10; I feel like I didn't feel as overwhelming emotion, making me unable to rate it 10/10 as well. Also - The chemistry between the leads is amazing. I had seen it in behind the scenes, but I definitely also saw it on screen. They were so adorable at the best of times. I like how there was a lot of romance in between the action. The rest of the casting did very well on their characters as well. I have nothing but good things to say about them really, so I won't go in-depth about them. Music Perfect. Often, I don't really notice the background music during drama's, so when a song stands out and catches my attention, it's often a sign that it's really good. I had that feeling during this drama. Often the music would catch my attention, making me want to look it up. I shouldn't have looked it up mid-watch though. Because I found out who sang one of the songs.. I started paying more attention to the song when it played than the scene, making me lose my emotional connection. |D But this was my own fault, haha. In short - The music was just perfect and I think it fit the drama very well. Rewatch Value High. Definitely. If not for the story, then for the beautiful work of art and acting. Personally, I would wait a while until I'd have forgotten a few things, so I would be able to experience the plot twists again. Conclusion: After rating everything separately and thinking things through, the end-score is a 9.5/10. I think I'm content about this, because I would have loved to give it a 10, but felt like that wouldn't be true to my personal experience. There are a few minor things that just don't make it perfect. And scoring it a 9 would have felt like I would be rating it too low, especially when I compare it to other drama's I've rated 9/10.