I just finished the drama and I don't think I have ever felt such a rush of emotions before. There is a reason that I avoid sad dramas with a passion. I think the only way I will be able to write a coherent review is if I separate the first 19 episodes and the finale. Oh my goodness.
First 19 episodes:
Let me try to dredge up my feelings from 40 minutes ago. This is definitely going down in my top 10 favorite shows(I can just pretend the show ends on episode 19 if the second season is bad). I actually might have to do a competition to see if I have a new favorite otp. They are definitely the most passionate couple. I had a very unique experience with this show. I wasn't able to watch it when I was in Israel besides the first two episodes because of stupid region lock. When I finally was able to see it again, I binged 6 episodes in 2(?) days. This is why I feel like my memory of the beginning is a little bit spotty. The finale has also completely ruined my image of the show.

To me, I think the first thing that comes to mind regarding this show is the dynamics. Each character had a unique dynamic with another character. There was no "Hangs out in the same friend group but for some reason, never seem to acknowledge each other" relationships. The double master dynamic of the mains is the primary thing that captivated me at the start of the show. I loved how both had power in the relationship which is always nice and healthy person life. Let me just move onto categories since that might be easier for my mismashed brain currently.
Characters:

Naksu/Mudeok: I will start with her because her character development is in a way the most simple but subtle. She starts off the show with only power as her motivation. She views weak people as useless. She has been given zero affection for the majority of her life. Her sense of authority is ruined due to believing the mages killed her father unjustly and then having stupid(literally the worst person in the whole wide world, shares the title of "Back Off Foul Beast" with the guy from One Spring Night, I honestly think I hate him more than the guy from Happiness, if he showed up in front of me in real life I think the only chance of him surviving is if someone held me back) Jin Mu be her employer. She has no real relationships but she has insane power. In her mind, this is the right life. This honestly is really meaningful to me because in most people's mind, this is the good life. So many people choose careers over a life of love but what is the point of all that power, if you have no one to enjoy it with? In the middle of the show, the only person she trusts is Jang Uk and hides her true self from everyone. Even Jang Uk though is only temporary. She is ready to betray him at any second. It is only after seeing his hard work and his dedication to her that she changes her mind. When she begins to love Jang Uk, she also seems to open herself up to other people. As the 18th episode showcased, Mudeok has real tenderness for many people now. Her love of Jang Uk and her interaction with good people change her. As Girl Meets World said, "People change people." The cap of her character development is when she chooses to sacrifice her power to save Uk. That is when she threw her past self away. She even acknowledges this to Yul. Her past self was willing to kill herself if she didn't have any power. Now, she is ready to live a wholesome life(where is that show???) with Uk. Now, all that serious talk aside, lets talk about how awesome Mudeok is!!! Everyone knows how a female lead will be introduced as a major bad awesome but will quickly wither away to a helpless damsel in constant need of the male lead. Not Naksu. She stays strong and powerful throughout the show even when she doesn't have her power. Jung Somin really showed off her acting prowess. I have always liked her for delicacy and grace but she completely blew my socks off with this role. That scene in episode 18... you could see the weight of the decision flashing in Mudeok's eyes. I am really sad to see her go. Hopefully, Younjung is good although I tend to find her a bit stone faced. Her facial expressions were able to compete with the king of expressions, Lee Jae Wook(although he did win, he isn't the king for nothing). I loved her Mudeok side and her Naksu. The glare in her eye is really impressive as a fellow baby face. Also, oh my goodness, she looks so young for her age. She only seems older than Lee Jaewook due to her experience. Oh yeah, I also love how op she is. It makes sense that she would be stronger than the other young mages since she didn't have the luxury of taking breaks when she was younger but it is still so satisfying.
Jang Uk: Congratulations, Lee Jaewook, you are now third in my favorite actor list. This role was the perfect encapsulation of all of his charms. Before I go full fangirl, let me properly analyze. Jang Uk started this drama as a good-for-nothing spoiled rich kid. Nobody expected anything from him. He was looked down upon for having no powers and being illegitimate but people still acted two faced since his father is his father. His only source of affection was the (lovely) Kim Doju. He was surrounded by the one thing he was unable to do: magic. How must it have felt to not even able to attempt the one thing that could make people believe you are your father's son? Nevertheless, he still tried. He attempted to learn from 13 masters who all gave him busy work while looking down upon him. No wonder he becomes so desperate to even take Naksu as his master. This already . hinted to us the greyness of his character. He begins to learn from her and is loyal as possible. His loyalty stems from her being the first person to let him actually live. We see the frustration and hard work of his early journey. This is why even though I binged his journey of becoming a proper mage, I still felt as proud as Kim Doju watching him. This is his moment. After such a lax childhood, no wonder he kept losing motivation easily especially since his teacher enforced tough love which was definitely not the right teaching method for him. This didn't matter though because when someone he loves is on the line, he is not willing to stop at any cost to help them. Jang Uk is loyal. That is almost the fastest way to sum up his character. His character development ended when he realized that the reputation he so badly wanted to earn didn't actually matter. As long as Mudeok thought highly of him, that is all that matters. Now, *cracks knuckles*, let the fangirling begin. Can I just say as a facial expression addict, Uk was like cocaine. I loved his sassy, playful, cheeky, and swoony expressions. Lee Jae Wook is so talented for so young. This role especially at the beginning would have been so annoying from anyone else. Also, his look throughout the drama was *chef kiss*. I feel like this role really allowed Lee Jaewook to exercise all of his acting chops. Most likely due to the fact that it seems like the role closest to his actual personality of out of all of his roles. Oh my goodness, Lee Jaewook in all of his black outfits throughout promotion nearly made my heart stop. I can't believe I didn't find him good looking at first. Actually, when I saw him smile in that True Beauty preview, I did find him good looking. Proving once again that I am a no bad boy gal. Okay, let me go to sleep.

Master Lee:

Yul, Danggu, and CP:

Arin:

Kim Doju:

Parents:

Bad Guys:
Humor:

Depths of characters:

Intelligence of mains:

Final episode: