Ok... since more than half my review got cut off... *sigh* this is tedious. *PART TWO* Yoo Eun Soo (Kim Hee Sun)- Honestly, I was a little annoyed with the cast at the beginning (before I began watching the drama). I didn't really like the main actress (I usually never do), and didn't think that she would be someone deserving of Choi Young. My suspicions were confirmed in the first and second episode. She was weak, pitiful, and desperate. In the third episode, my anger with the main actress flared to it's peak (can't explain without revealing spoilers), but soon after, I was extremely surprised to find my anger dying down during the episodes that followed. In fact, before I knew it, I found that I had grown very fond of Yoo Eun Soo. She wasn't the weakling of my first impression, but she was a strong woman- stronger than many other characters in the story. Even in the story, she was highly praised and respected as a "doctor from the heavens". I loved the way her character developed. She wasn't one to hide her feelings- she constantly expressed worry for Choi Young and although he kept brushing her away, she always returned to his side (which eventually became one of the strongest relationships between the two lead characters that I have ever seen). She did not hesitate to speak her mind, and casually insulted the bad guys who annoyed her. Even with her life in danger, she would not lash out with frustration, but was fairly calm. However, if one of the ones she cared about was in danger, she'd stop at nothing for revenge. In fact, there were also times where she had to save the one she loved- which was a nice vacation from the cliche damsel-in-distress. To be honest, I think Yoo Eun Soo and Choi Young clicked together perfectly- they were a perfect match- much better than Lee Min Ho's couples in his previous dramas (though some may disagree). I could have picked no better actor than Kim Hee Sun for acting out Yoo Eun Soo's character. Kim Hee Sun was a new actor for me. I had not seen her acting in any other dramas, so I was very surprised at the skills she displayed. Not once in the entire drama did it seem like she was merely "acting". She immersed herself completely in the role, and everything seemed perfectly real- especially her wide array of emotions. I highly respect her as a female actor, and believe that she proved to be as good as any of the male actors in the story, including Lee Min Ho- for once, I believed that their acting was fairly well-matched, which made for an amazing chemistry (one of the best) between the two. If it were anyone else, the romance would have suffered quite a bit. The romantic moments were, I must say, quite cheesy, but the two lead actors pulled it off in a way that you didn't even notice- you would be too busy staring wide-eyed at the screen, screaming in your head at them to take it a step further. Prince DeokHeung (Park Yoon Jae)- Another new face for me. However, as with Yoo Eun Soo, I was impressed by both Prince DeokHeung and Park Yoon Jae. Prince DeokHeung was... a very, very bad man. However, he fluctuated quite a bit throughout the dramas- almost managing to touch the extreme sides of evil AND good. There were some moments where I honestly didn't know how to judge him. Sometimes, his actions seemed as though only he knew what he was doing, because there seemed to be no explanation for what he did sometimes. Yes, he was a bad guy who killed people, but... there's something more (Faith even managed to develop the bad guys extremely well). Prince DeokHeung was... not one of those bad guys who had no heart and killed people because it made him feel good, but he was also not one of those right-on-the-line bad guys who became good after a while. He was selfish, greedy, and did whatever he wanted, but, I could find that it was possible to relate with him. I mean, aren't the majority of us greedy, selfish, and rebellious (in a way)? I even pitied him at some parts of the drama- he was so desperate... He was introduced as a powerful man- more powerful than even the King himself. He did whatever he wanted and was very good at manipulating people. However, throughout the drama, you could watch him crumble into a pathetically weak man who lost everything and was desperate for salvation. The actor did a very good job in portraying him, and even his looks corresponded with his personality, which was an added bonus. Prince DeokHeung had a loose end that wasn't entirely tied up, but it doesn't really keep the viewer wondering about what happened, so it was fine for me. ARGH. TOO MANY CHARACTERS AND TOO LITTLE TIME. I promise, only three more (whom I really want to review), and they will be shorter, ok? Bear with me here. King Gongmin (Ryu Deok Hwan)- Ok, I've read some of the reviews, and there were a few mentions of the king. I just want to quickly state my opinion. Although I am not familiar with Korean history, I was not disappointed with the King, nor the acting. I think he was a good actor, and did what he was supposed to do. The King was portrayed as weak and unable to do things by himself, but honestly, isn't that what most kings do? Is that not why they have advisors and minsters to do lots of things for them? Also, a HUGE NOTE that has been nagging at me for a while- some people complained about the pathetic king that really couldn't do anything, but I believe it was absolutely NECESSARY. Think about it. How would Choi Young's character be developed without using the king's personality? The storyline would be completely changed!! The way the King was developed was perfect in order to create Choi Young's strong character. And, there needs to be contrast in a drama- it's no fun if all the characters are exceptionally strong. Also, I'm sure me and many others have noted the lack of emotion that the King exhibits. I am convinced that this is also done on purpose. The King is portrayed as a weakling, but he has a great amount of pride. If he waves around his emotions to anyone who is not blind, wouldn't they think of him more as a weakling? He kept his inner feelings to himself and tried to maintain a solid demeanour so as to not damage the pride of himself and the Queen. Princess (Queen) Nogoog (Park Se Young)- Wow. Here is another strong woman who is determined to do what she believes is right, and is not swayed by others. She is able to both sacrifice her pride and protect it when necessary, and she is always there by the King's side when he needs her. She is the main reason why the King kept going, and their relationship development was also very pleasing to watch. My first impression was a bratty princess who was spoiled and couldn't fend for herself, but I was definitely proven wrong. She is one who fights her own battles, along with the King's battles. She cares for those around her, and this has also made her another one of my favourite characters. Dae Man (Kim Jong Moon)- Omigosh, I'm sorry, I just HAD to mention him in this review X3 He was the one who caught my attention from the start, other than Choi Young. He has an amazing attitude and is very acquiescent to nearly anyone, especially his superiors, and especially Choi Young. He has a very close relationship with Choi Young, but also Yoo Eun Soo. Although he is not as strong as the other warriors, he doesn't hesitate to sacrifice himself for others. His hyperactive personality, acrobatic fight moves and stuttering all combined to make one very interesting character to watch- definitely one of my favourite characters. *SIDE NOTE* I really liked the relationships... and not just the relationship between the two lead actors. There were so many close relationships (which led to many sacrifices) throughout the drama, and some of those relationships made it through to the very end, despite going through hardships which threatened to split them apart. I love how Choi Young isn't blindly in love with the lead actress, but still knows how to maintain relationships with his friends, comrades and the King who believes in him. Yoo Eun Soo isn't a doctor who only sees Choi Young, but instead manages to make good friends along her adventure in another world. The Woodalchi aren't just a group of soldiers, but a group of friends who would sacrifice themselves for each other, and they don't just follow their general, they worry and care for him too. There are numerous lines that connect every single character in the drama, and although some of them may be extremely evil and corrupted, none of them are completely alone in the world- there is always someone there, by their side, no matter what situation they're in at the moment. Music: Music is one section I don't have a good review for, because usually, the action on-screen distracts me too much for me to be able to judge the music. However, I can say that many of the OST's are now in my iTunes, and I listen to them a lot. One of the things I love about OST's in general is that when I listen to them after I watch the drama, it brings up nostalgic memories and sometimes brings tears to my eyes. Rewatch value: I have no intention of rewatching this... ever. I don't usually rewatch dramas, unless there's a sequel a few years after the original, in which case I would have to refresh my memory. However, I doubt there will be a sequel. The reason I'm not planning on rewatching this... well, the twists and surprises were amazing the first time, but they'd be predictable the second time, which isn't as fun to watch. Also, the entire drama would be a bit pointless, since everything that happens basically serves to lead up to the grande finale... which I already watched- so... is there a point? The feeling that this drama has left me with... I don't want to forget it, and I'm afraid that if I watch it again, I won't be left feeling the same way. I do NOT want to witness some amazing characters dying again- once is enough for me. As for the chemistry between the two lead actors... I really hope they star in another drama together. But, it'd be really frustrating to watch them resist each other in the beginning, especially if you already know what's going to happen at the end. Overall: Honestly, I was planning to give this drama a 9 when I saw the first few episodes, but that score fell down to a 7 or 8 in the middle, but with the ending... I have no choice but to give this drama a 10. Well, there were some small flaws, but not big enough or numerous enough to take away the effect of the drama as a whole. So... 9.5 maybe, but I'll round up ;) I don't really know what else to explain... I hope my score is self-explanatory after reading all that.. :\ On a side note, I think some of the filming could have been done a little better, for more effect depending on the situation, but the action on-screen did well to distract the viewer from how they were actually filming the scenes. I would like to say something about the script, but I can't really. The reason is because I'm not fluent in korean, and I usually watch the dramas with english subs. This being said, I don't think it's fair for me to judge the script, because it is not the direct script, and it would just be me judging the translator's words, which could make a huge difference. So... until I learn korean, I'll just not mention anything about the script. I'm left with a hole in my heart, which can only be repaired by another exceptional drama (until that drama leaves a hole in my heart, and the cycle continues...). As with all my favourite dramas, I'd like for there to be a sequel, except most of the time, it's because I'm not satisfied with the ending. If a sequel were to come out, I'd definitely watch it without hesitation, but I'm extremely curious as to what they could come up with- I mean, the ending was perfect, what else can they do? They could tie up a few loose ends and maybe stray from the storyline of the first, but honestly, I like sequels which keep the main cast for both seasons. Now... onto another drama. Which is going to be hard for me to find/watch, because my expectations have just been raised again and if it's not the absolute best, I don't think I can bear watching another drama. This is the side-effect of being a drama addict. *sigh* P.S. This review is also a side-effect of writing too many social essays and bio labs in a week... I can't constrain myself anymore... TT-TT