this show was one of the first I watched when k-dramas became something for me. the most thrilling thing is that I just came across it and watched it by chance. and it was like being shot in the chest. I was used to japanese anime, japanese dramas, and if I am now fallen into k-dramas it's because this one weighted heavily in my heart. I have already rewatched it 2 times (total of 3) and all the feelings were the same.

the story: a modern girl travels to goryo because of a moon eclipse. she discovers the life of the first king of korea, and the palace's intrigues.
my feelings after watching this were nostalgia and sadness. mostly because of the music, the drama has this bitter-sweet taste that lasted for months!!! it's not a crushing feeling because I understood why things turned out like they did, that nothing more could be done, and everything turned good enough, but my heart just kept mourning in a quiet way.

there is so much good things in this drama, I just don't know what to begin with! the costumes are breath taking! I fall in love with hanbok while watching this show. before it was just this weird thing they used to wear in ancient korea, but after this drama I wanted to have one and to wear it - in france - on big occasions. the music is the main thing that makes this drama haunting. I sang these songs years after watching it! they are still on my favorites songs' list on youtube. the actors' performances are just incredible. all the characters are very dense and yet the funny and smiling ones managed to perform with so much light!

about IU's performance, as I said, I knew nothing about korea before watching this show, and I didn't notice any obvious flaw or lacking. I discovered months after watching the drama that IU was a star, that she was the singer of the drama's OST, and that people were disappointed with her. and all of this surprised me. the last thing is, I sometimes find the asian dramas' pace too slow, but this was never the case with this one.

I can talk about this drama for years. I am well aware that the story is difficult, there is some violence, and the bitter taste is definitely there, so it doesn't suit a whole category of people. and that's ok. give it try, and if you are not hooked after the 1st episode, that's ok, you tried. because on the other hand, you could miss something huge.

when watch this: with friends and family but not under 16 yo. there is some violence and relations issues (not sex but human's complexities) that are not suitable for young people. watch it on holidays or on week-end because you will need some time to process your feelings. watch it with people who share mainly the same ideas as yours, so you can share, process, and support each other.
if you fall in love with this drama too, come thank me later! have fun!