Delightful and entertaining.

This is becoming my favourite series to watch in the evenings. I normally only watch a series after all episodes have been aired, but i don't want to wait.
I really like the ML and FL i think they have good chemistry together. There is intrigue, investigation, enough danger to make things interesting.
The story so far is good, but i have only watched 21 episodes so far.
since episode 16 they have switched the translation i think to a machine, and it really doesn't work. the first 16 made sense when reading the subtitles but on occasions now it is difficult to piece together the conversations, so i hope they go back to the same team who translated in the beginning.
i will update when i have finished watching all the series.
Ok i have finished watching and it was worth the wait. It did not disappoint. It was delightfully entertaining. I could pick some holes in the story that is why i rated it for me a 9 however it was overall worth watching. The music seemed to fit quite well, cinematography was good. the fight scenes were well crafted. what's not to enjoy. many thanks to the crew and cast for such an excellent series.

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terrific story well scripted, wonderful cinematography. A must watch.

I only failed to give it 10/10 because some of the music was a little strange for me. The whole crew have done such a brilliant job on this C Drama. I have watched a few but this one seems to me to be a stand out one.
The F/L portrayal of her character was brilliant. A traumatised child with huge distrust of adults, with very little warmth in her life. I felt really sad for her. It was lovely to see her grow from a sad beginning to become a beautiful warm but certainly strong woman.
The M/L portrayal of his character i felt, is outstanding. The predominant dark side, the anger and resentment of the people who had betrayed his family was so strong you could see it, feel it. Wow. The eyes have it. The controlled anger in his voice.
My other stand out actor was the Emperor, he balanced out the dark side with humour, love and compassion.
The Mother 's story was sad, how did she expect that punishment was the way forward to heal her child. The actress was so good. only realising much later that love and not fierce discipline was the way to go.
Infact i don't think you could criticise any of the actors even the minor roles were acted so well. i really really enjoyed it.
Sometimes the subtitles were a little strange, but then again, i don't speak any other languages, except for hello, goodbye, thank you and to do my grocery shopping. i can do that in a few languages. Nonetheless it did not spoil my enjoyment of this series.
Will i watch it again, i have, when i need to escape from my life for a little while, i will pick out one or two episodes depending on my mood and rewatch them. But i have to say i have watched all of it a couple of times. i expect i will again. I am quite old so i have the time.
Many thanks for all the efforts from the actors, and crew, screenwriters, director, in fact everyone involved in the production of this outstanding C Drama.

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So sad its now finished, so am off to watch it again.

I have really really enjoyed watching this series. The story is a simple one of disaster and heartache for a family and how with strong leadership and caring for one another and a willingness to change and work hard together good things can happen.
I really love the strength shown by the ladies of the family to overcome the difficulties even a few bumps in the road did not deter them. The FL and ML developed a brilliant relationship and the actors portrayed there role in a very believable way. It all felt so natural. There were many notable performances enough to say i thought all the cast did an extremely fine job. Of course i have my favourites and i am sure you will to.
The cinematography, OST are first class and made the whole experience of watching the series all the more enjoyable.
many thanks to all the cast and crew for giving us a series that is such a pleasure to watch. Am off to watch the whole series again now.
I wonder if there could be a 2nd series with the same cast of course. That would be great.

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To the Wonder.

What a stunning drama. With ease i could have given this drama 10s across the board, However nothing in this world is perfect. But it was very close to. It felt like i was watching a slice of life from another culture filmed as it is. It never crossed my mind that they were actors in a drama, it all felt so real. The scenery is just beautiful, i wish i could go there, it felt like there was space to breathe. I really hope it stays that way. Protected.
I found it touching and could relate to the struggles to cope with the changes to life, the new rules and regulations, and restrictions. I am more than old enough.
Thank you so much to the whole team for producing such an interesting, and thoughtful drama for us all to enjoy.

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AN ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL DRAMA

What a terrific drama. you feel like you are watching a period of time in the life of a village, not actors in a drama. It is so so well done. The ML and FL were brilliant, there relationship is natural and caring. Granny was outstanding, she has a smile in her eyes, a little mischievous, fabulous, as were all the Aunties, the children all were wonderful. The cinematography , the music, perfect. the whole drama was soothing, calming, caring, the conversations were really worth listening too. A lot of wisdom. and fun also. i was indeed sad when i watched the last episode, so i have just rewatched it. and enjoyed it all again, and of course you see something you missed the first time around. Many thanks to the cast and crew for producing such a wonderful drama

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Not my normal watch, however, it was based on a true story, so i thought i would give it a go. I have memories of this happening. I thought the story came over very well. How much of it is fact we will never know.
I really enjoyed watching this film. The pace, the feeling of chaos, the diplomatic infighting that must go on, the old guard verses a more proactive approach. I thought the two male leads did a fantastic job backed up by the translator, the support actors did a really good job adding to the atmosphere. The cinematography was brilliant, capturing the stunning scenery beautifully. i believe it was filmed in Jordan a country i would love to have visited.
All in all a entertaining watch which i will probably visit again.

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unrealistic and confusing. there are little spoilers in my review from the first 3 episodes.

I really wanted to like this drama. I have seen the ML before and felt he is a decent actor. I have reach episode 19 and the story remains confusing, unrealistic and clear as mud. The FL i am puzzled by. emotionless and stoney, but maybe that is poor direction i don't know as i have never seen her before. There is almost zero emotion from the FL about anything, after what is suppose to have been in a previous life/dream a 20 years of marriage. I would have given up long ago. She seems to prefer the man who killed her. go figure.
So i am giving up now, and i feel sad. But there it is. you can't please everyone.

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I was sceptical about watch this series, it had a good rating so i thought i would give it a go. It turned out to be a very entertaining indeed. It was maybe a few episodes too long but it did not detract from the fact that the story was well written, and well acted by all the cast. I have not seen these actors before but i will be sure to look out for them in the future. The ML and FL were a believable and delightful.
The real treat was the cinematography, stunning scenery, Places i can only now dream about visiting,
Oh yes and the music must not forget the music, it is just brilliant,
I will watch this again when i am looking for something endearing and light.

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Compelling series

This was not my usual type of series to watch. However it caught my attention with the title and the short intro as i looked on the list of new & popular on Netflix, so i decided to give it a try and watch the first episode . That was my fatal mistake, once i started watching i felt compelled to watch the complete series.
It was only as i read reviews afterwards that i realized it was from a non-fiction book. So a true story. I would love to read the book but unfortunately i have not yet found it in English. But i have not given up yet and still hope to find it.
The lead actor Kim Nam Gil's performance was of another class, it was brilliant, i could not fault his performance, you could feel the struggles he went through to achieve some understanding of the criminal mind. Kim So Jin and Jin Seon Kyu also lead actors were equally as good. The emotion came through the screen and you could feel the changes as you went through the series. The supporting cast member, though how you call the actors who portrayed the criminals as supporting cast, they were faultless. It was all in all a superb performance from all, even the smaller roles where well acted.
As you go through the series non of the episodes are slow and boring there is always something to keep you watching, and looking forward to the next episode.
I was quite sad when i realized i was watching the final episode.

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surprisingly disappointing

I was really looking forward to this drama given the cast, however i have to say that i was fairly disappointed. This was barely a romance it was rather a story of how a mother controlled her family with verbal abuse and blackmail. If they didn't fall in with her wishes she would become hysterical and scream abuse at all around until everyone would bend to her will. Any romance that there could have been disappeared into the background it was barely noticeable.
When i think about the overall impression now i see the wonderful character of Grandmother who was a wise and beautiful lady who cared deeply about the people around her, and a screaming manipulative mother. I cannot for even a moment understand how this was being presented as a loving family. the Romance faded into nothingness. The ML and FL did their best with what they were given by the writers however they were not given much to work with, I do wonder if this was the outline and script that they signed up for in the beginning.
I do not really know why i watched it until the end of the series.

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Not my usual watch.

This is not what i usually watch but i did so because i like to two lead actors. The story is a little confusing and the early episodes set the tone of the ML character and later the FL character. The story revolves around what happened many years ago and tells a tale of the failure of adults to protect the children. The lack of honesty and selfishness of the brother and his female friend left me feeling very angry with those characters. Also the doctors character is somewhat questionable.
In the end of course through many twists and turns it is the children/now adults who pay the price for all the deception.
The ML and FL portrayed their characters in a stunning performance from start to finish. I will look for more from these two actors. they were the shining light that carried the story through to the end.
It is a story that you need to be strong to watch.

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i am not one to dissect every little element. i go for the more overall entertainment value. Of course you can complain that there were some areas of slow progress. Or that this or that actor did not come across as you would have liked. But for me it was a very entertaining series. I felt frustrated that i had to wait for the next episode.
I thought the male lead was the most outstanding actor of this series. i will watch out for him more. I have to say the side characters were really well played. The Queens controlling nature came across vividly. As did the malevolent uncle.
The story was interesting and held my attention throughout. I thought the female lead did a reasonable job she was very expressive in the first few episodes but maybe she was directed to reduce facial expression as the series went on. It maybe a failure of direction rather than the actress at fault for some of the criticism she seems to be receiving. I suppose as a Baduk player you can give yourself away. All in all i think she did a decent job. Yes i would have liked her to be more animated in the later part of the series. I thought the costumes, cinematography, and the music we all brilliant and added much to my enjoyment. I will watch this again without doubt

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Very disappointing from a promising start.

The title intrigued me, and it was a promising start. A strong independent woman who lived alone in the desert with a pack of wolves, and survived. Great start, the actors are mostly terrific, especially Ninth Lord, the actor played his part brilliantly. Now i am wondering how to write a review of 500 words that can express my disappointment in how the story panned out. I did watch until the 19th episode but the last few were painful to watch. Then we have the other ML Wu Ji the actor was good however the written character was not. The story starts to go down hill from there. The FL goes to the city to build her life which she does very successfully with the help of the Ninth Lord in the back ground. Though she is not aware of this. She professes her love for him but he turns her down even though he loves her, because he is disabled. She then decides to return to the desert, Wu ji kidnaps her naked from the inn and takes her to his military barracks and restricts her movements. Ninth lord is sending scouts all over the desert looking for her, with no success. She has her homing pigeons but doesn't think to use them to let Ninth lord she is safe. Then in the 19th episode Wu Ji asks her if she has any feeling for him, she said i don't know. They drink too much and he takes advantage of her, she is horrified and runs out to the desert and screams. Wu Ji turns up and says i am sorry, she said it her fault, he said will you marry me and she smiled and says yes, i mean what sort of story is that. He an abuser and a bully, and potentially a violent man, she turns into a weak, simpering woman with not a brain cell in her head. The story line was so bad i almost cried with frustration. i skipped from the 19 episode to the last one and gave up. What an utter waste of good actors with an possible good story to write. I have watched some very good C dramas this was definately not one of them. i thought i was generous with my ratings. the cast did the best they could with what they were given.

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Watching for the 2nd time.

i was excited but nervous that season 3 would not live up to previous seasons but for me it did. It is by far the best medical drama i have seen no matter where it came from be it the USA or my home country the UK. The acting is superb throughout no matter the character big or supporting. They become the characters in the story. i cannot praise them enough.
This is my second time i am watching this series and i am really enjoying it again.
I was uncomfortable with how the story of objections and refusal to work came across. As a once nurse, now retired, i am quite old, i have been faced with difficult questions before. Perhaps in the UK it was looked on differently, But given recent events here, ie strikes of hospital professionals, an attitude i never thought i would see. I find it heartbreaking,
But as all good storytelling does as it should, challenges the viewers. It certainly gave me pause for thought. Which is no bad thing. I may be old but not too old to learn, change if needs be. All very stimulating.
It was a more case driven series, but for me even more interesting , however the character grew as they met each challenge.
I sincerely hope that there will be a season 4, bringing back some old characters, but i hope it will not take 3 years for it to appear, given my age. Ha Ha.
My thanks to all the team be it the crew, the writers, directors, who obviously did a fantastic job , and without whom the actors would not be free to do such a brilliant job.

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Beginning was extremely promising BUT

I have so looked forward to this series ZL is not my favourite actor but i think she is a good actor. i do like Liu Yuning very much. i started this series and really enjoyed the beginning, the story, the acting, it looked all set to be a brilliant series. However we are almost halfway through and it has become very messy and disjointed, which is really disappointing. Perhaps i should have waited until all the series had been aired and then watched it.
The script and the directing are failing the actors , who are doing a great job given the difficulties, i sincerely hope that they get it together for the remaining episodes. A masterpiece it could have been, it will be interesting to see if they can rescue this drama. I have seen better this year.

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