First of all, yes this drama is 51 episodes long so it looks like a scary number, but there is so much happening and it is SO worth watching all of them. I've watched this drama 3 times and it still has the same emotional impact on me. There was this one part I literally BAWLED and I kept telling myself "it's a drama. it's fake. it's fake" but the tears wouldn't stop coming HAHAHHA. I really felt her pain in that one part. The female lead was SO good and she portrayed such an amazing variety of acting she had to do in this one drama alone. WHAT A QUEEN and of course, Ji Chang Wook was amazing and his eyes literally told the story. This drama was so heart wrenching though and it was one of the dramas I couldn't decide between the two male leads because I loved both in their own way. And you will see that they both loved Sung Nyang in their own way.

Music: Okay, can we just talk about the music? The OST is so beautiful and I've been searching for piano music sheets but it's not there. T^T Just listening to the music makes me think back on the whole drama and I get tears from the music alone. The dynamics and emotions just pour out of the music and it's simply so beautiful. Like even before watching the drama, listen to Main Theme-Empress Ki. BEAUTIFUL

Cast: They did SUCH a great job on casting like each person was MEANT for that role. I was so captured by the acting and this drama that I felt like I was IN the drama. That's why the emotional impact was 10000x more for me.