Deokingtuheocheu

I didn't enjoy it at first; it wasn't bad, but I didn't see any miracle in it either. Plus the main character constantly annoyed me with his behavior and he didn’t appeal to me at all. But that changed. He fell in love, he suffered and grew stronger. On the other hand, I fell in love with his beloved North Korean love interest immediately – she was strong, confident, not whiny. Never. But she had a funny accent. The development of the relationship between the two was very beautifully rendered. They were very easy to watch because despite their initial disagreements, they were supportive of each other (plus they really had a relationship with everything that comes with it). They overcame a lot of obstacles together and in the ended up how it ended up. What added to my satisfaction were the supporting characters. The boring but overly nice little soldier-man and Lee Jae Ha's siblings; especially the older brother, he was amazing. So in terms of characters and their development (and that they really do progress!) I would recommend the series. But the recommendation doesn't end there, because the story isn't bad at all either. The convergence of North and South Korea is a pretty well-trodden topic, but I really liked the concept here. And the main villain was a super badass (not in the sense that he was worth a damn as a villain). Suspenseful right up to the end, until it was almost unbearable. Of course it had some flaws, some boring scenes at times, but on the whole I rate it very positively. The day will definitely come when I'll watch it again. A very strong 4 stars (but maybe I'll give it a boost after the 2nd viewing, or the 100th time I think about it). P.S.: Is it just me, but does Lee Seung-gi really make every one of his counterparts fall in love with him? He always has such nice chemistry with the others and it's fun to watch. :-) EDIT: 16 June 2019 – so I watched it again and I still enjoyed it. I did find more flubs, but what the heck, it was still entertaining, suspenseful, and the main characters kept me entertained. Although then the international politics thing was pulling at my international relations studies. :-D (31.01.2013)

As beautiful as this show can be, it can also be cruel. And while Korea has hit me in the heart a few times, it got me full on yet again. You just can't mentally prepare for this. The drama of the royal family is a huge topic in itself. And then there's that "thing" between the North and the South... which is used really fantastically here. The music is fairly subtle, but it left a lot in me. Not to mention that it's most of what made some of the key scenes so spectacular. There’s probably no need to comment on the performances of the two leads and their entire relationship. I was also fascinated by the princess and the chief secretary's son. The only thing they didn't do that well, in my opinion, was the whole MS (episodes 14 and 15). But I soon forgave them and let them carry on. A dorama that didn't let me sleep and took me back to somewhere in the beginning when I could get really excited while watching something. A dorama that got me more than once... 5 stars. (06.01.2013)