For those who are historical cdrama fans or want a minimal fluff/serious drama or just want a new experience this will do it. [I'm not the greatest at putting my thoughts into cohesive sentences so sorry if its like a mess]

Yes its quite long being 68 episodes for many (I actually prefer long dramas), but so far, (yes I know its still early, I'll edit my review as the drama goes on), it looks like it'll be an amazing journey worth it. **If I think it suddenly is going down the drain, I'll edit this review** No synopsis summary here b/c it's still early on and I think the synopsis on mdl looks pretty accurate so far.

-****you might have heard negative reviews about this due to the fact that the 41 year old actress is playing a teenager in the first couple episodes (its only the first 7 episodes) or so (which i will touch on and share my opinion about below in my review) but I think that age which is just a number is not the definite answer to whether someone's portrayal of a character, getting all the emotions to the reader is good or bad. Age isn't the foundation to saying whether or someone is doing a great job portraying their character. Okay onto the review. ****

While I was watching the first episode, I was immediately blown away with the excellent production quality. At first glance, you can tell that it has a high production value with much thought in it (Not saying low budget dramas aren't good:) ). The costumes are gorgeous, suiting each character's personality. The set is beautiful with much detail put into it and very much screenshot worthy. The cinematography is top notch as well. The fighting scenes are well choreographed, very detailed.

For OSTs, I haven't really paid much attention to them but they accompany the scenes well. They sound nice lol

One of the most important things when it comes to a good drama for me is pacing and the direction of the story. (i'm very impatient as you see). So I dislike slow plots however I can already tell this one is going to be amazing. The pacing for the first couple episodes are perfect; not too fast, not too slow. Keep in mind this drama chronicles the life of the FL from her as a princess to whatever she becomes in the future. So the first couple episodes are depicting her "teen life" but no fast forwarding is needed. Around ep 8 we see her mature (its like a couple months/a year later). The story moves along at a great pace and the plot keeps me hooked wanting more, without too many side plots and irrelevant events. I personally dislike heavy politics so for those like me, you'll enjoy this. There are political scenes however they don't beat around the busy and are rather straightforward and are balanced enough with other storylines to keep me interested.

Characters+Acting: As of now, the characters and antagonists definitely do not seem one dimensional which I like and I can see room for character growth ahead. The FL may be a "spoiled loved by her family" kind of character in the first couple episodes but by episode 8 you see her mature and start to become independent and outspoken unafraid to stand her ground. The actors and actresses are all playing their role very well; I have no complaints. However, one thing I've been seeing around is that people are complaining about the actress who plays the female lead character. "The actress looks too old to play the FL! She's 41 but the character is a teenager. What the heck?" Here's what I say to that: Keep in mind that this drama chronicles her life and just FYI she "outgrows" her teen phase by ep8. Personally it doesn't bother me that she looks a bit older than her character's supposed age because her acting is superb and she plays the role wonderfully -better than some younger actresses would have. i'd say the casting was perfect. For the ML, in the first ~10eps there aren't many scenes and interactions with the FL but after we start to see what kind of person he is and let me tell you, he isn't one of those toxic, rude, paleass MLs; he's kind, honest, stays true to his values and is a gentleman. I found this comment on youtube that just literally sums up the personality of the ML: "He's so gentle with her. He touches her as if he's afraid to break her with his rough hands that only held swords" . The actor, Zhou YiWei, plays his character as the general really well and I think he embodies the fit, look and chivalrous aura of a general. There are no voice dubbing (except for just a few) so we are hearing the actors/actresses real voices.
*also for those Joy of Life fans, the person playing the bodyguard of the ML is the second prince in JoL haha*

Ending Note: I'm well aware we aren't even close to being halfway done with this drama as it just started airing but I have a feeling it'll be a great one. I'll clean up this review later and edit/add more when it continues. If you've read till here, thank you!