Watching this masterpiece leaves me at a frustrating loss for words to describe how deeply it moved and affected me, it's frustrating because no words adequately or even approximately convey the complexity of the feelings that it evokes at times and how the flavour of the feelings change with time.

Others have written excellent reviews and I will keep this short and not rehash. I wanted to write a review because this is the first series that's remained in my memory and subconsciousness long after I've finished watching it. The flavours of feelings, thoughts and complex emotions that keep coming are a cathartic reminder of the difficulties that all of us face in life, and at the same time an invitation to live life more lightly, and let go more and more.

This masterpiece needs to be watched at a pace that it defines for itself. It needs time for the complex layers of feelings in the story to really be seen, felt, experienced and tasted for what they really are. Rushing through it or binge watching, just destroys all the subtleties that make it special like nothing else I've ever experienced.

Even in a single episode, I found myself rewinding to certain points in time to re-experience the events and finding newer layers of meaning, feeling and context each time I re-watch. Each episode is a complex and subtly woven tapestry that evoke mixed and often conflicting responses, there's no simplistic black and white good vs evil, we experience flavours of human nature that are absolutely real, often painful and deeply flawed. What's truly amazing is how this is all presented - in a way that we can relate to very deeply and yet retaining the character of a well narrated story that evokes our imagination and touches our creative side, leaving us longing for more. I just don't have the words to explain this in any way that will make sense to a reader unless (s)he actually goes through the experience of the journey through this piece of art.

The characters of Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji An could not have been played by anyone more perfect for these roles. They are brilliant, and I have nothing but the highest respect for these amazing actors who played their roles so perfectly, that there is no acting any more, they are truly living their roles and their characters. This is what makes the loss of Lee Sun Kyun so painful, having to leave this world at such a young age of 48. We will cherish your work and celebrate your life sir, you were a true master of your art.

There are some moments in some episodes, you will know and feel them when they happen, that your mind goes blank, you have no words, there are just tears that you can't stop, and you know it has touched you in ways that you could not have imagined, you don't care who says what, you don't care who's looking at you, and you have no regrets. Again, these words hardly do any justice to the experience. At times, I just had to pause and sit there in quiet contemplation because I could not go ahead without experiencing the moment to the fullest. I could not do otherwise. And yet, all was well, it was all right, I was content, at peace.

I've truly never experienced a work of art like this. Not in my several decades in this short cycle of birth and death. This is art.