This show is an EPIC MESS. If you're looking for a North-South romance, you'll be better off just watching Crash Landing on You. The first few episodes of this show were *rough*. Just a bunch of barely connected scenes (I legitimately considered the possibility I was blacking out and missing parts of the episodes, that's how little sense they made). They got better later on (either that, or I just stopped expecting the show to make sense), but the later episodes, especially towards the middle were much more enjoyable than the first ones (the WOC ones were my fave). Honestly, there's always something so compelling about the star-crossed lovers trope. It's hard not rooting for the underdog; for the young couple in love that has to fight against the world to be together. I think with a tighter, cleaner script this show could have been a smashing success. Well, a better script and a whole new cast of western actors. This show had an insane amount of none Asians playing minor (and not so minor) roles, but not a single one of them could act to save their lives. TBH, they probably could have done better if they'd just casted foreigners off the street (or maybe that's what did and why everyone was so awful). The main cast did an ok job given the insane script the had to work with. I kinda disliked Hang Ah's characters because she kept switching personalities and turning into a meek, helpless, weak little girl when she was supposed to be a badass Special Forces soldier, tained in assassination methods, torture techniques and whatnot. But I'm sure Ha Ji Won did her best with what she was given. And, at least, she played off Lee Seung Gi pretty well. Special mention also to Lee Yoon Ji, she really did gave her role as the traumatized princess her all. Overall, a lot more enjoyable that I would have first thought (and it went by surprisingly fast given how long it was), but I still don't know that I would recommend it. There are so many other better shows out there. Just go watch CLoY instead.

First 10 Episodes are good (9/10) and then its get muddy and dragged down Lee Sueng-gi does well to keep the show interesting till the end. Radiant and expressive eyes ; he shows all emotions in Royal style Ha Ji-won does a better job here and is actually bearable comparable to her character in Secret Garden. [spoiler]Both are quite similar roles but in Secret Garden she turns to a meek,crying damsel after 2 episodes while here she still is badass till the end ; true to her original role [/spoiler] Yoon Je-moon is the reason i rate the show the low ; his performance desires more for a villian. [spoiler]The second pair are forgettable and like most K-dramas they have a forgettable ending too [/spoiler] Overall this show has same vibe as CrashLandingonYou which release 8 years later.