Moved up my list of best shows in 2023

With this line-up for a cast (I mean they had, Cha Taehyun, Ryu Seong Ryong, Han Jyo Joo, Kim Sung Kyung), a popular webtoon that already has a healthy following and Dalparan (music director/composer for the Good, the Bad, the Weird, and Secretly, Greatly, Kingdom) participating in the OST, this was firming up to be epic. The genre (supernatural, fantasy, action, romance) was also right up my alley and needless to say my expectations were pretty high; and i'm glad i wasn't disappointed. I waited for all the episodes to be out before binge watching and did not regret this decision; can only imagine the painful wait I would have had to endure for some episodes with the type of cliff-hangers they were dishing out.
This has easily become one of my favorite dramas of 2023. There's so much to like! The innocent, sweet blossoming romance between the 2 young leads (i struggle with identifying the MC because each character could well be a MC of their own), the heart tugging back stories of their parents and the villains which helped us understand why they did what they did, the amazing action scenes (ok there were some rather questionable CGI scenes, like when the characters had to be made to look younger, but it's a TV production so i'll give it a discount), the fantastic acting (MCs and supporting cast included), the comic book style inspired cinematography, and the satisfying OST. Happy to report that there weren't any overly cringey dialogues, which tend to happen in webtoon, manga or anime adaptations.
Rated the rewatch value lower only because I don't usually rewatch shows and I fear that a rewatch would just make the experience less satisfying given how good it was the first time around.

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the Green Flag series in a sea of Reds

If you're looking for a love story about a healthy relationship with deep connection, this is the one for you. I enjoyed how the characters healed each other and became better versions of themselves. Mok is such a likeable character and Day was a good balance of angst and hope.

There were some magical moments that were iconic like the "one palm distance close up", the "last twilight" scene at the top of the mountain, the moment when Mok's inner fears manifested as a result of their deepening relationship and he made the choice that he knew would hurt Day deeply, and when Night broke down during the family dinner over stew. These moments were magical because of the build up, the symbolism, the contexts that many can relate to, the raw emotions delivered by the actors, and they gave the characters depth and brought them to life.

While there were some stand-out moments in terms of cinematography and script (e.g. the last twilight scene) the musicality was odd in certain places and over dramatic in some.

The actors have a very natural chemistry and are able to portray a love that's mature and grounded in trust and respect.
Overall it was an enjoyable watch and I would have given it a higher rating if it had an alternative ending. I'm on team "should've been status quo" for this one...

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