From beginning to end, it kept me hooked. Don't get me wrong; it had its ups and downs as all dramas do. There are times you sometimes hate what's going on and you rant and rave (as I did many times) about the injustice of it all. But looking back on it, once it was over, I think this drama was amazing. 51 episodes for me is the longest drama I've ever tried but I was willing to do it for the plot and for Ha Ji Won who does not disappoint in the least. I followed it from the first week to its last week and I finally completed it today. And all I can say is: Wow. Story: 8/10 I think, for a lot of people including me, the best of this story was in the beginning and was its strongest point. I loved the fact that it never dragged in the slightest. Like so many other historical dramas, this one didn't spend much time with the childhood actors which I was glad for. Everything was well-paced and the story pulled you in immediately. While there were one or two questionable plot-points in the middle, despite the initial "Um, what now?" response, you learn to just go with it and the story went along quite well. This drama had feels, some palace drama, some tears, quite a few smiles and laughs. The characters make you cheer for them, make you care for them, make you hate them. The cute ones you adore, the horrid baddies you hate probably a little too much (and then relish their deaths with glee), the honourable and loyal ones who do what they must while you sob about the injustice of it all. Again, lots and lots of feels. Acting/Cast: 10/10 While the characters' motives were questionable at times, the actors and actress in this drama were spectacular in their roles. From the main actors and actress to the secondary ones, everyone was brilliant. The male leads, Joo Jin Mo and Ji Chang Wook, really impressed me. Their roles were as different as night and day and for the few scenes they had together, they were epic. Ha Ji Won wows as the main protagonist. You find yourself cheering her on and shipping her with people you probably shouldn't in addition to both male leads (personal experience here talking). I have to commend Jin Yi Han who was a surprise in this drama, making me love a secondary character like Taltal who I never expected to like so much. The actors and actress who played the villains were really commendable since they had me hating them with a vehement passion from the expected evil like Kim Jun Hyun, Baek Jin Hee and Jung Woong In to the shocking and unanticipated turncoats towards the end. This is one cast that definitely deserves that 10. Music: 9/10 I've downloaded all the music from this drama and listen to it probably a little too often. From the first episode to the last, the music has never disappointed in the least. I especially love when an actor sings for the OST as Ji Chang Wook did because it makes the scene it plays in that more genuine and the sadness palatable. Rewatch Value: 7/10 At 51 episodes, I'm most likely never going to watch this entire drama from start to finish again. But I will, as I have already started doing, rewatch my favourite episodes and scenes. This drama had some hugely wonderful moments that are too great to watch once. Overall: 9/10 I recommend that you try this drama if you like historical settings that have a little bit of everything - romance, action, drama, political intrigue and feels.