I just finished watching this and read all of this thread whilst watching it. I agree with all the comments on here, this drama was very good. I recently discovered Saeguks and I am fascinated by the costumes, the settings and the great OST. The story was also very involving and although I liked the shamans I would have preferred a little less magic in it so as to make it more believable. The actors were all very good, the king (in both versions) was the best for me and I agree that the queen (in the older version) lacked facial expressions which made the most 'romantic' moments a little less intense. This is why I am giving it a 9 instead of a 10 as otherwise it would have been perfect. I will certainly rewatch it and I am glad I have discovered another great Korean actor to keep a good eye on. ;-)