Historical dramas had been failing me for a long time for one reason or another. Watching this one made me realize what's missing from any semi-/modern historical drama. For the past 20-ish years, historical dramas had been playing it gradually too safe and too clean. This drama isn't perfect or even great but it gave me a fresh and new perspective on the genre. Those who were beaten up or being tortured actually looks like it. Its scuffness is what sold it for me. The set design isn't squeaky clean and polished. The set is reasonably lit at night while taking into consideration they used to use candles instead of high beam studio lights back then! This might be the first historical drama I've seen that didn't feel like a cosplay show. You may find something similar in movies but ever so rarely in K-TV series.