I am a recent convert to Korean television - won over by Mr Sunshine and Crash Landing on You, both of which I thought were simply wonderful.
So I came to this with high hopes, bolstered by the score on IMDb. Initially I was disappointed, finding Ha Ji-Won's disguise as a tough male bandit stretching credibility too far. But the series really starts to improve when she is discovered to be a woman and is forcibly taken to the imperial palace.
From that point on Ha Ji-Won is compelling. Her transformation through the crucible of intrigue and tragedy into a woman of power is utterly believable and drives the story forwards. The pace never lets up with plots and counter-plots whirling around as a lowly tribute woman fights for revenge, survival and those that she loves.
So, while I cannot place this alongside Mr Sunshine and Crash Landing on You, I did enjoy it a great deal.
So I came to this with high hopes, bolstered by the score on IMDb. Initially I was disappointed, finding Ha Ji-Won's disguise as a tough male bandit stretching credibility too far. But the series really starts to improve when she is discovered to be a woman and is forcibly taken to the imperial palace.
From that point on Ha Ji-Won is compelling. Her transformation through the crucible of intrigue and tragedy into a woman of power is utterly believable and drives the story forwards. The pace never lets up with plots and counter-plots whirling around as a lowly tribute woman fights for revenge, survival and those that she loves.
So, while I cannot place this alongside Mr Sunshine and Crash Landing on You, I did enjoy it a great deal.