The first thing you should know about me is that Scarlet heart Ryeo is my favorite Korean historical drama of all time. Nothing has ever beaten it. And I wasn't sitting here not watching any historicals either. I did watch many. And hear me when I say that this was the first drama to ever come close to topping my list.

Pacing: Honestly, I was a little skeptical going into this drama. Can they really finish a historical in 16 episodes and not rush the ending? Apparently they can. And how amazingly they did it. I love love loved the pacing of this drama. It was fast no nonsense drama. Let me explain, if you have been watching dramas for a while now, you would know that there are certain scenes in which one of the leads do something and you painstakingly wait for the other to find out? Well, not here, my friend. They might torture you but not with this.

Acting/Leads: Spot on. Every damn actor in this show (good, bad and everything in between) needs a accolade. Especially (and not limited to) WDH, YSJ and also, JH. Because mind blowingly good needs to be more of a thing.

One more thing I loved about the drama. The female lead had her own independent story line. I know, wonders never cease. And, none of the male leads interfere. There was also no quibbling over her like a bunch of 5 year olds too. Which was a very refreshing bonus.

OST: There are certain OST's that stay with you, not just because it sounds nice but because you start associating it with scenes from the drama? There are a bunch here. I am a Pavlov's Goat. I have been trained such that emotions flow through me when I hear certain beats.

Cinematography: Korean dramas are especially good at getting shots that are so specific to the characters. Like a lone soldier in a battlefield. Or beautiful landscapes. This drama is no different. Its breathtaking in its metaphors. The background says just as much about the situations as the characters in the scene.

Overall: well, the title did say "Best historical drama". I don't kid around with words like Best and epic. It really excelled in defeating my expectations and skewering me in the gut with a blunt sword of feelings. As all the best ones do.

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As a drama binger, I usually stay away from airing ones but keep an eye out for interesting ones. At first, I'm sorry to say, that SKY Castle didn't seem like it was anything special. I had watched the trailer and it seemed very ordinary. In every high school drama, they cover the fact that Korean students have to study really hard and be outstanding in every aspect of their life. So why was this so special?

One day, during a conversation with a friend (which was more me goading her to watch a show), I mentioned how Reply 1988 was the highest-rated drama to date, and she told me I was wrong. Cue *shocked face*. And I had been a strong supporter and admirer of that series, so seeing it dethroned hit a nerve.

And so, I decided to give it a try. And half an episode in, I was hooked, line and sinker. There was a charming surreal feel to the whole thing. My first impression of it being like a darker version of "Desperate Housewives" was quickly demolished. This was better.

This was the best.

It was well-paced, well written and for a while, I was mesmerized by the sheer number of topics it covered and what was even more surprising is that despite it having so many main characters and so many storylines running simultaneously, it did them all justice.

Needless to say, my initial irritation had quickly turned into love and now, I fondly remember this as one of the best dramas of this year. If not, ever.

So, in case, I wasn't clear about it. Watch the drama. I promise you, it's worth it.

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